A/N: Please review! Thank you everybody :)

"James Smith?" The tall Doctor read the name off the clipboard, raising his head to scan the waiting room. The three anxious team members stood immediately. The Doctor eyed them as they approached, extending his hand. "Doctor Lewis." He greeted, shaking Hannibal's hand.

"Kevin Smith, I'm James' father." Hannibal lied smoothly.

Face looked down at his right hand, his nails were all bitten down from the long wait. "How's...my brother?"

The Doctor sighed and B.A.'s eyes narrowed dangerously. "He's alive," Doctor Lewis began, re-reading his clipboard. Three pairs of eyes stared him down warily. "But there's a slight problem, you see."

"What kind of slight problem?" B.A. asked in a low voice. Doctor Lewis met his glare for a second and flipped the clipboard over, tucking it under his arm. "He hardly remembers who he is. He told us there were people waiting for him, but he couldn't really remember who. He knew you guys were here...but wasn't all that sure." He explained.

Face's eyebrows were knitted together. Hannibal shifted his weight and B.A. shook his head, looking down at the tiled floor. "Can we see him?" Hannibal asked, trying to keep his voice even.

The Doctor seemed to hesitate on that thought but when B.A. turned his fierce eyes back on him, he quickly nodded. "Yes, of course. Right this way..."

They followed him through the halls, an uncomfortable silence hanging between the team. When they came to the door, the doctor nodded once and left them alone. Hannibal turned to the other two. "Well, let's go see our Captain."

They opened the door.

Murdock was in the bed sitting up, his eyes cast downward at the bed sheets with much concentration. When the team stepped in, the wide green eyes moved up to them, and when they noticed there was no spark of recognition, Face bit his lip, Hannibal closed his eyes momentarily and B.A. swore.

"Hello Captain." Hannibal recovered himself first, moving to Murdock's bedside. The pilot had a wrap around his head, his hair sticking out under it. He stared at Hannibal with unemotional eyes, his lips parted as if he wanted to speak but unsure what to say. "How are you feeling?"

"Are you gonna give me any more shots?" Murdock's voice was hoarse and raspy, everyone had to lean closer to hear what he was saying.

Hannibal shook his head. "No no. We're you friends, Murdock. You remember us?"

"Murdock?" His face showed confusion. "They told me I was...James?"

"Well you are, James Murdock. But for now, you're James Smith. To, you know, hide your identity." Hannibal shrugged, wishing for something to spark. But the green eyes remained blank and unreadable. "I feel like I know you. I've seen you before." Murdock whispered.

Face came around Hannibal and forced a smile. "Hey buddy, you look pretty good for somebody who just got a thousand and what not volts through their body."

"W-what?" Murdock turned his stare on Face and the expression made Face's chest feel heavy, he felt his lips trembling and tried to hold the smile. "Are you guys my family?" He asked suddenly.

A small whimper was heard and B.A. looked to see Face, his fist all but shoved in his mouth and his body shaking a tiny bit. He went to his side, putting a hand on the conman's shoulder and squeezing it, meeting his eyes and trying to assure him mentally it will all be fine. But he was hardly sure of that himself.

"Yes. We are." Hannibal declared, nodding. Murdock kept looking up at him with uncertainty. "I swear, I know you. But...I just don't know."

Another whimper, this one stronger, was heard and Hannibal looked at B.A., using his eyes to indicate the door. B.A. obeyed, putting his arm around Face's shoulders and turning him, leading him to the door. They got into the restroom before Face let out a strangled sob.

"Oh God, Bosco. He doesn't remember us!" Face cried, stumbling the sink and bracing himself with his arms on the edges. Tears ran down his cheeks, dripping into the sink. B.A. came and put a hand on Face's shoulder again. "I know, man. It don't feel very good, I know."

"Hurts like hell." Face's voice cracked and he glanced at B.A. out of the corner of his eye. "What can we do?"

The bigger man shrugged. "Take good care of him. He needs us, we can help him."

"He'll never be the same again."

B.A. didn't know how to respond, continuing to rub Face's back as he sniffed and tried to re-close the dam that had broken.

Hannibal sat in the recliner chair beside the bed and extended his hand, placing it on top of Murdock's. The pilot gasped quietly, looking down with saucer eyes and yanking his hand back as if he had been electrocuted again. Hannibal let his hand hang in mid-air for a moment and let it fall onto the arm rest, sighing. "You think you know us?"

"I don't know! Stop pestering me, alright?" Murdock snapped, anger suddenly flashing in his eyes. "I told you, I DON'T KNOW! You come in here, total strangers, expecting me to understand everything you're talking about?"

Hannibal couldn't believe he had shrank back when Murdock snapped, and leaned forward, pleading with his eyes. "Murdock, please listen-"

"Stop calling me that!" Murdock's face went into a pained expression. "It's James! Don't you get it? James!"

Hannibal held his hands up in surrender. "All right. James."

James seemed to lose a little of the flare and sank back into the pillows a little. He took in a deep breath. "Am I...am I going to be leaving...with you?"

Hannibal hesitated, wondering how Mur-...James felt about the idea. He slowly nodded, eying James carefully. "Yes, yes you are."

A small sense of relief filled him when James nodded, lowering his eyes. "I kinda figured."

"Are you okay with that?"

James shrugged, his hands twisting around the blanket. Hannibal tilted his head, clearing his throat. "Well." He said louder, making James quickly look up at him. "I suspect you need some rest. I need to go find my other two men and we'll be back first thing in the morning."

He half-smiled down at James as he stood and headed for the door. "Goodnight. James."

"Good night," James said and Hannibal could have sworn he heard the small, unsure but clear mutter of the word 'Colonel' right after the 'Good night' and almost smiled as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Maybe, he thought as he went to find the others, there's hope after all.

He could only hope.