THE MULE KICKS BACK

Part Four:

A Light in the Darkness

"Just what the hell is going on, Hannibal?" Face asked, his voice was strained by tiredness and vexation.

"I was rather hoping you could tell us, Face!" The Colonel responded as he eased himself to a comfortable position in his seat.

He had just leapt through the open door of the van, after running the gauntlet past Decker's men from the main hospital entrance. BA gunned the engine and they had sped away in a cloud of rubber before the MPs could get to their vehicles to follow them.

Hannibal, eyes twinkling with mischief, deftly unwrapped a cigar. "Chrissie sends her love, by the way," he continued. "Says you are the bravest man she ever met."

Face perked up a little at that; he preened himself shamelessly. "Really?"

The Colonel nodded. "I don't have to ask whether your intentions are honourable do I, Lieutenant? She seems a nice kid and I don't want to see her hurt."

"Colonel, you know me!" Peck retorted with a piqued expression.

"That what he afraid of, Faceman!" BA chuckled.

"She seems an incredibly bad judge of character and a trifle naive," Murdock added somewhat pompously from his place behind the driver. Hannibal chuckled significantly but said nothing.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Face snapped, his eyes flashing resentfully.

"Well, you're not always the most honest of men are you, Face?" Hannibal said.

"I don't know what you mean!" Face was suddenly the embodiment of affronted honour.

"Well," the Colonel pretended to muse on the point. "How about your performance of earlier? Do you really think that you conned any of us?"

"My performance?" Face spluttered.

"Uh-huh, all that brave biting of lips and gnashing of teeth, the tears in your eyes when the area I was stitching was obviously still anesthetised from your earlier experience!"

"It was not!"

"It most definitely was – admit it Face, you didn't feel a thing and yet, strangely, you were still groaning in pain five minutes after I'd finished stitching!"

BA chuckled and Murdock shook his head meaningfully.

"I was not!" Face argued indignantly.

"See, it's cos you have no brain, Facey. You feel no pain!" the ever helpful Murdock put in.

Face let out a frustrated snort. "Quit it with that having no brain stuff. You make me feel like I'm something from the Wizard of Oz!"

Murdock clapped his hands with glee. "That's right!" he beamed. "It was the lion, wasn't it?"

Face groaned lamentably. "Why do I put these ideas in his head?" he muttered. "There's enough garbage in there without me adding to it!"

"No, fool!" BA retorted. "Was the tin man, man!"

Hannibal let out a mouthful of smoke, thoroughly enjoying himself at his Lieutenant's expense. "Guys, I think you'll find it was the scarecrow!"

"What does it matter!" Face said, shaking his head in dejected despair.

Murdock smiled and winked knowingly. "It's OK, Faceguy. Your secret's safe with me!"

"Secret?" Face gasped. "What secret? Hannibal, what did you tell him back there?"

"Nothing, Face." His smile faded. "Come on we need to get serious and think this through. What do you remember, kid?"

Face snorted. "I …. eh ….I … not much really. That Grondyke guy was there."

"And?" Hannibal pressed.

Face shook his head. "It's all hazy. I can't …. Wait a minute," he leaned forward. "Did they shave my head?" His features twisted in acute misery.

Hannibal threw his eyes skyward in mock irritation.

"Don't worry, Face." Murdock said sweetly. "No brain, no hair – what's the difference? I like the Kojak look anyway! Want a lollipop?"

"Hannibal!" Face was pretty close to losing his cool. "I've been hit on the head, kidnapped, locked in the trunk of a car, operated on – I don't feel too good and," he threw a spiteful glance at Murdock. "He's going way too far!"

Murdock bit his lip. "See the Faceman with a brain; he never lost his temper at me. He laughed at my jokes." He looked across to the Colonel. "I reckon his sense of humour must have been in his brain. You promised Hannibal, that I wouldn't see a difference!"

"You promised him!" Face threw his arms in the air in a gesture of abject defeat and capitulation.

"Face," Hannibal's voice of reason instantly calmed the rapidly degenerating atmosphere in the van. "You got all your hair and your brain, honestly!"

Murdock threw the Colonel a huge wink. "Yes, of course you have, Face!" He said in a phenomenally loud stage whisper.

"Oh, I feel so relieved now," Face spat caustically.

Hannibal turned to the pilot. "Captain, Face has had a bad day – he's only managed to chat up one girl and get one date, so give him a little room, a little consideration, please."

"But …."

"No, Captain. I must be firm. I know you only want the best for him but we do have to be patient on this!"

"Oh for god's sake!" Peck snarled, shaking his head but stopping as a severe pain radiating from the wound in his head and accompanied by a wave of nausea rushed through him – the anaesthetic must be wearing off! He let out a pained gasp followed by a series of noisy and ragged intakes of air.

Hannibal noted the authenticity of this groan compared with the others Face had uttered through the day. BA too sensed the difference. "Where to, Colonel?" he asked.

"I reckon we need to regroup BA. Pull into one of the motels up here. We'll get a couple of rooms and then see what our Lieutenant can remember." He looked over his shoulder to see Face looking distinctly pale and weak, slumped slightly in his seat. "Better make that quick, BA. I think Face's drugs are wearing off!"

Murdock snapped his fingers. "That's it –the bad temper, the strange behaviour; it must be the drugs!"

Peck groaned. "Of course it is, Murdock," he responded feebly, just before he threw up the contents of his stomach. The prefect end to a miserable day!

"Not in my van!" BA roared. But it was too late!

"Face, you awake?" Murdock peered into the dark motel room, screwing up his eyes to try to see in. "Face?"

There was a frail groan from the bed, so the pilot moved inwards. "Can I put a light on?" he asked. "You need a light in the darkness!"

Another moan which Murdock took to be in the affirmative; he clicked on the bathroom light as he passed and closed the door slightly so that it wasn't too bright. "How you doing, buddy?" He asked pulling up a chair and sitting down.

Face rolled over and groaned again. "Murdock, it was awful," he murmured.

"What?"

"The dream I just had." Peck raised himself up onto his elbows. Murdock noted he was still pale and drawn, his hair mused up after his sleep – certainly not the dapper conman the pilot had come to know. "I kept getting hit on the head, put to sleep, operated on …. It was just awful!"

Murdock sighed. "Eh, Face, that wasn't a dream."

Face lurched forward to grab hold of the pilot. "It wasn't?" he wailed, to be quickly followed by, "Owh – my head!" He fell back to the pillow groaning weakly.

"You still not feeling good?" Sometimes Murdock had a talent for stating the obvious.

"No," Face retorted bleakly, his tentative fingers going up to the big bandage on his head. "Why is it always me?" he asked.

"It's not always you, Face!" Murdock flashed his own still bandaged hand. "Anyway, cheer up. Can I get you anything?"

Face snorted. "Water, maybe," he responded dully. He looked around the dim room. "Where are the others?" he asked as the pilot disappeared into the bathroom to get him a drink.

"We just had a meal. Hannibal's gone for a shower. BA went to get his upholstery cleaned."

Face groaned. "Oh, I didn't, did I?" he asked horror-stricken and ignoring the cup Murdock offered him on his return. "I hoped that bit at least was a dream! How'd he take it?"

Murdock sighed. "Very well, considering."

"He did?" Face looked unconvinced. "Considering what?"

"Considering all you'd been through. He said he'd overlook it, at least until you were feeling more like yourself."

"Oh great – a stay of execution!" Face said sarcastically. "Now I have that hanging over me too. Did he give any hint of what he might do to me?"

Murdock shook his head. "Said it would give him time to think on it – he was quite cheerful considering the vomit on his seats!"

"Oh God! I hate it when he's happy!" Face groaned. He rolled away from Murdock and pulled the blanket over his head.

The pilot hesitated and then placed the water on the night stand. He reached over nervously to lay his hand on the other man's back. "Face," he began. "We need to talk."

"I don't wanna talk," Face's muffled voice came back. "All that happens is that you all have a go at me."

"But that's what I want to talk about, Face!" Murdock pleaded. "I want to apologise." He felt the conman stiffen beneath his hand. Then an even more unkempt Faceman emerged from under the blanket.

"You want to apologise to me?" he said incredulously. "Why?"

Murdock moved to perch on the bed. "Well," he began. "You have had it tough over the last couple of days and I don't think I've been as supportive as I could be. I mean all those jibes about….."

"Murdock, stop!" Face lifted his hands in a halting motion.

The pilot compiled, his face wrinkling in puzzlement, his mouth still open and his eyes asking why.

Face swivelled his hips and shifted to a more comfortable position in the bed, before continuing. "I don't need to hear this."

"What?" Murdock was still bewildered.

"You and me, HM, we don't need to apologise. We give as good as we get."

"But in the hospital and in the van, you were….."

"Doing what comes naturally, just like you, Murdock. I don't want you to wrap me up in cotton candy. I understand. You're very good at what you do and I have to fight back with all I got. That's the way it's always been and I don't want it to ever change."

Murdock pouted, eyes narrowing. "Was that a compliment?" he asked.

"Good God, no!" Face exclaimed. "I may have had a couple of bangs on the head, even lost my brain but I would never compliment you!"

The pilot's eyes narrowed. "Ah – so you admit you are deficient in a certain integral part of your anatomy that normally resides in your cranium, then?"

Peck snorted. "I admit no such thing!" he deadpanned with his best poker expression. "You'll get no admission from me!"

Murdock smiled. "I want you to know when BA does whatever he does to you for puking in his van, Face, I will be there to pick up the pieces."

Face nodded. "That's very reassuring, Murdock," he said. "But it does make a rather large assumption.

"Which is?"

"That there'll be pieces of me left to pick up!"

Murdock threw his arms around Face's shoulders in a short, sharp manly hug. "That's what I love about you, Face; your constant ability to see gloom and desolation in every situation."

Peck smiled enigmatically. "What can I say - it's a gift," he responded.

"So, you feeling better?" Murdock asked "I certainly am after getting that off my chest."

Face sighed and ran his hand through his hair gingerly. "I guess."

"You hungry?"

"No, water's good enough for now – I still feel a little fragile. What time is it, anyway?"

"Just past midnight, I think."

"Where did BA take the van, then?"

"All night car valet service down on Franklin," Murdock snorted. He hesitated, his attention seemingly taking by picking at the now grubby bandage around his hand.

"Something else on your mind, Murdock?" Face asked.

"You read me so well," Murdock replied eventually with a slight smile. "Actually there is… that nurse, Chrissie, you really gonna take her out?"

"That's what I do with beautiful women," Face confirmed. "Why?"

"Well, she's kind of …… not your type, if you know what I mean."

"She's beautiful and female; that's my type!" Face let out a lecherous chuckle.

"In your eyes anyone with a pulse and a come on smile is your type, Face!" Murdock reposted. "But she seems sort of pure and wholesome."

"What; you saying I've never had a virtuous woman before?"

"Name one," Murdock challenged.

"Oh, that's easy!"

"Go on then."

Face rolled his eyes and tried to think but it hurt his head. Finally he came up with an answer. "Lesley Bectall," he offered.

"Face – she became a nun!"

"How virtuous is that?"

Murdock shook his head. "I just think that Chrissie is a little vulnerable, a little inexperienced. Hell, she thinks you're the bravest man in the world – how naïve is that?"

"Very intuitive and perceptive, I would say," Face countered.

"You would!"

"Do I detect maybe a little interest from our lonely, sex-starved pilot on the Chrissie front?" Face probed teasingly.

"No! Of course not," Murdock snapped too quickly.

Face smiled smarmily. "Thought so!" he sighed. "Look Murdock, I don't want to fall out about this – I mean, we're pals aren't we? And we shouldn't let a girl come between us."

"And that's all she is to you, Face? Just a girl?"

"What do you want me to say, Murdock? I admit that I was feeling pretty stressed in that hospital and you know what I do in that situation."

"You flirt outrageously!" Murdock confirmed.

"Less of the outrageous, more of the polished and effective, if you don't mind!" Face interjected with a confident grin.

"Whatever!"

"She was kind of cute, though," Peck sighed at the memory. "And the way she kissed!"

Murdock sighed. "I just don't think she knows what she is letting herself in for with a 'full on Faceman'!"

Face preened shamelessly. "Few ladies do!" he grinned arrogantly. "But believe me, they remember afterwards." Murdock shook his head, so Face continued in a more demure tone. "But I do take account of what you said – I am a gentleman after all."

"After all what? No, don't answer that!"

"You're sure you're not interested in Chrissie? Because if you ….."

"No, I'll stick to my dog," Murdock said firmly shaking his head. "You remembering anything about earlier yet?"

"I suppose I do. Can get Hannibal so we can go through this – I lived it so I really don't want to go through it again more than once."

"Sure thing, buddy!" Murdock stood up and moved swiftly to the door. As he opened it he turned back. "Oh one other thing I meant to tell you."

"What?"

"I changed the name of my dog – he's not Billy anymore."

Face raised his eyebrows. "Really, what is he now?"

Murdock stepped out into the darkness. Over his shoulder he said, "Well, I got to thinking about the conversation in the van and I thought of a more appropriate name."

"Yeah, what?"

"Toto!" he cried.

The pillow that Face threw hit the exact spot where the pilot had been standing but he was already gone. As he passed the window Face could hear him whistling 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road'!

TBC