I looked at him for a long moment and I see him start to wonder if anyone will ever find his remains. Or even care to look.
Wearily, I scrubbed at my face.
"Face." I reached out a hand and tipped his chin up, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the people who hurt you."
He looked at me wordlessly. Like he can't work out if he is in trouble or not.
Much as I want to get into this, now is not the time.
Kid looks dead on his feet.
I slipped my hand up his neck to ruffle his hair gently.
"Don't worry about it."
Ignoring his look of surprise, I shepherded him into the hot scented water, and watched as he closed his eyes in blissful contentment.
"Feels good huh?" I chuckled.
"Uh huh." He managed..
A sharp sweet smell of soap cuts through the air as I poured some shampoo into my palm and started to massage it into his scalp.
One bright blue eye popped open in surprise.
"Take it easy," I smiled. "I'm not going to make a habit of this."
"S'nice." He murmured, then froze.
I bit back a grin. Its not like Face to be so candid. He must be even more tired than I thought.
"Didn't anyone ever do this for you when you were a kid?"
"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "The nuns had us well trained."
I paused momentarily, before scrubbing his scalp a little harder than before.
"You don't talk much, about your childhood."
Beneath my hands I felt him tense.
"What's to tell?" He tried for nonchalance. "You're seen my records."
"Exactly," I said dryly. "And sooner or later, I want to hear the truth, Lieutenant."
Oh, the paperwork is flawless. There's nothing there to hint that the paper trail is anything but 100% genuine. And maybe it is. The kid sure has a knack for getting what he wants.
But the information in there is an entirely different matter.
His army records say he is twenty three.
He isn't.
He flinched, just slightly. You would have to know him real well to notice.
Or be paying real close attention.
"Can we go for later?" he sighed, knowing that he is merely postponing the inevitable.
Sure," I grinned. "We can talk right after you finish your nap."
"Hann – ib - al!" my green beret Lieutenant whined like a ten year old.
***
"How is he Colonel?" Murdock asked worriedly, as he came in and perches on the edge of the overstuffed couch.
I went over and put a hand on the Captain's shoulder.
"He's going to be fine Murdock. He's home and he's safe and we're going to take real good care of him. He'll be back to his old self in no time."
I can't have sounded as sure as I'd like. Because B.A. spoke up softly.
"He'll be OK, Hannibal."
"Yeah," Ray agreed. "He's stronger than he looks."
"Hey guys," Face was leaning against the door jamb. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"
I blink. First time I heard that note in his voice we'd just got back after a three day forced march through dense jungle. Ray was out of it. Even B.A. was 'resting his eyes' Face was telling me he wasn't tried.
Right before he collapsed.
I learnt to listen for that tone after that.
"Sit down before you fall down, Lieutenant." I spoke casually, but Face knew an order when he heard one.
'Faceman, you O.K?' B.A. sounded worried.
'I'm fine B.A."
He doesn't sound it.
I walked over to stand in front of him. He looked up at me from under that swathe of blonde hair. His eyes looked bright, almost brittle.
"Face?"
He glanced up to asses my mood. And promptly sighed. I bit back a smile. No one could ever accuse the kid of being slow.
'Hannibal. Its nothing. Just a few bruises."
"What you talking about?" B.A. scowled fiercely.
"Take you shirt off," I ordered gently. "Let me take a look."
"I .. um .. don't think I can." He grinned sheepishly.
Without a word I reached over and unbuttoned the pajama shirt. B.A. comes round behind him and helps me to ease the material off his shoulders.
"When the hell did that happen?" Ray explodes.
"Um. Last week." Face shrugged, as if that would answer all our questions.
"A lot of things happened last week, Facey." Murdock sounds worried.
As well he might.
***
I had only been gone a few days. Seeing Murdock waiting for me twisting his baseball cap in his hands I sighed. I had seen BA working in the motor pool as the plane had come into land. So that left …
"Face you gave me your word you wouldn't do anything while I was gone." I sighed.
Murdock was hopping from foot to foot in agitation.
"Um Colonel sir. We have a teensy, tiny, problem."
"Report Captain." I kept walking, leaving him to scamper alongside.
"Um. Face and I went for a little walk .." he offered.
"Please don't tell me you got caught." I said flatly.
"Oh, OK." Murdorck agreed unhappily. "So, how was you're trip ..?"
"Murdock .. I thought we talked about these little excursions?" I sigh.
+++
They were damned good. If I hadn't been making his own way back, I would never have heard them. Not a drunken giggle or a misplaced step betrayed them.
That said, they showed all the signs of a good night out. Murdock's hat was decidedly tilted and his shirt was only half tucked in. Face had somehow acquired a blue silk shirt, and for some reason wasn't wearing any boots.
They were both grinning fit to burst.
Sometimes being in charge sucked.
"Care to tell me where you have been gentlemen?"
Murdock whirled and blinked at him like a startled rabbit, then drew himself up to attention. Face's head came up sharply, shock abruptly giving way to his poker face as he too mirrored Murdock's stance.
"Well?" I kept my tone cool.
"Um. Training maneuvers Colonel." Face offered.
I bit back a grin. I wondered where the kid was going with this.
"Training maneuvers?" He quirked a brow.
"Um. Yes Sir." I could almost see the kid improvising. "In .. um .. evading capture."
"Ah." I nodded. "Very commendable Lieutenant."
"It is?" Face blinked.
Murdock winced.
"Um. Yes Sir." Face nodded.
"Except for one small point Lieutenant." I said smoothly.
"Colonel?".
"You got caught."
"Aw Hannibal." Face forgot about being in trouble at the unfairness of that. "We made it past the perimeter guards and the ones posted in the compound. And the ones in the pit. We made it all the way back here. No one even knew we were gone."
"My point exactly Lieutenant." I frowned. "Running rings around those goons is one thing. But I expect to be aware of your whereabouts, at all times, is that clear?"
"We're sorry Colonel." Murdock twisted his cap sincerely. "We just thought that if we asked you. You'd say no."
This time it was Face who winced.
I smiled dangerously.
"And you've have been right, Captain. Dead right."
"Whereas, now we're just dead." Face murmured, sotto voice.
+++
"Um. Yes sir. We did," Murdock agreed. "The Colonel made his feeling quite plain, Colonel, sir."
"Plainly not clear enough," I muttered. "Alright, where is he?"
"Um. In the brig, sir. The brass are fixing to send him back to Leavenworth."
***
"You never did tell me how they captured you, Lieutenant?" I ask casually.
"Does it matter?" he tried to grin.
But he's nervous. He's not sure if I know or not.
"Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if you had walked up to the guards and asked them directions to Los Angeles." I raised a brow.
He pauses just a second too long. And I know I have him.
"The truth, Lieutenant." I growl. Not even Face will play fast and loose with that tone.
"Close enough." He acknowledged, "I didn't want to take a chance on them not catching me."
"You crazy fool?"
"What the hell .?"
"Facey ..!
I don't take my eyes off his.
"Was this part of the plan?" I gesture at his abused body. Don't get me wrong. A commander sometimes has to make hard decisions in the field. But the mild discomfort that you can expect from a normal mission was nothing compared to the brutality that Face had endured.
"Ah," Face tried to shift to a more comfortable position. "Not exactly."
"Start talking Face," I commanded. "I want to know who the hell thought they could take their boots and their nightstick to my Lieutenant when he was in irons and handcuffs."