Face woke, startled by a loud bang and muffled voices. His immediate thought was to run, or rather crawl as far, and as fast as he could away from the commotion, which led him to a dead end. Realising his panic had caused this blunder and still quite alarmed, Face forced himself to try and calm down, but it was proving easier said than done. Another bang echoed loudly in the tunnels around him, and slowly the glimmer of dull metal started to turn into the damp soil of trenches. The lieutenant stared in fright as the world around him altered bit by bit, and he could have sworn he could smell it, gun fire and the aroma of explosives and smoke. The banging returned, like someone drumming on metal and Face scuttled along back the way he came, this time taking a turn he had passed before.
Eventually he could see a light ahead and taste the freshness of the air, the dusty confines of the tunnel he was crawling in, smothering and hot, he had to get out, had to get back to the team. More banging, like gun fire and raised voices followed. Was he back there? Was he back in Vietnam, had the last ten years been nothing more than a dream? Some kind of hallucination his mind whipped up to spare him the agony of being a POW? If that was so, he was going to have a good long discussion with himself for what constituted as BETTER than hell. He almost sobbed as he reached the end of the tunnel, the glaring light coming through having hidden a firm metal cover, preventing his escape. Angrily he shoved his shoulder into the barrier, not realising how easily it would come away and suddenly he was crashing to the floor of some kind of office, his head barely missing the corner of a table while his shoulder connected hard with a filling cabinet.
The dazed lieutenant groaned and shuffled into a corner, hoping to hide himself from any alerted Vietcong, but as he blinked away the haze and half blinded by the sudden change in illumination, he realised he hadn't been underground, that he wasn't back there at all. He was in the VA hospital and while he wasn't being hunted by 'Charlie' he was in trouble.
Face swallowed thickly and scanned his surroundings for anything that could help when the door opened and in charged one of Morgan's goons, obviously hearing the crash. Face scurried to his feet and got behind the table. He watched the guy, when he moved around the table, Face would go the other way, all the time keeping the table between them, and holding onto it for support as his legs did not feel steady at all. The time spent in the vent had him hot and bothered and coughing up dust, but the danger from this man was very real and kept the lieutenant on his toes. The goon smiled menacingly knowing this was anything but a fair fight, after being drugged and spending an hour in a hot dusty environment, his prey was an easy mark, but the most important lesson Hannibal had shared with his young lieutenant was to never get over confident, never assume ANY mark is easy. Being armed with knowledge and experience was great but right now, all Face wanted was his gun or his team, preferably his team. B.A would beat the guy into a stain in the carpet, while Hannibal stubbed his cigar out into the puddle, leaving Murdock to dance wildly…
As he pined for his friends, Face felt his attention slip and the next thing he realised was that the goon had leapt over the table and proceeded to tackle the dazed man. Face made sure to fall with the tackle and brought his knee up just so, catching the bastard in the groin before using all of his strength to push the guy back and roll over with the momentum till the lieutenant was now on top, beating the goon with already bloody hands, and he couldn't stop. So scared was he of going back to that sterile room that he wanted to make sure this guy was never getting up again. Face snarled down at the man, who's nose was now broken and lip cut, he knew if he kept this up he would kill him and for a frightening moment he didn't care.
"Lieutenant!" Years of answering to that title, that voice, that tone, halted Face. He stayed there, straddling the brute who had subjected him to a day of hell, right fist pulled back, charged for another pummelling, but instead he listened to that call, that order, that man. Hannibal. Slowly his fist lowered and he got up, backing away from his assailant, breathing ragged, head pounding and the room spinning, but he wasn't going down, not here, not again.
Movement caught Face's eye and he turned seeing Morgan. A red haze that misted his vision as he lunged for the doctor and if it had not been for Hannibal, Morgan would have suffered the same fate as the man currently on the floor.
"Face! Stand down!" Hannibal barked, the black gloved hands of his CO grabbing his lieutenant by the scruff of the cotton hospital shirt, before pushing him hard against the wall. Face glared at the doctor, not seeing his CO who had wedged himself right against his soldier, taking all his strength and every limb he had to hold back the younger man.
"He did this! He put me in here!" Face screamed, sending chills up the spines of both Murdock and B.A who had arrived quickly on the heels of Hannibal as they heard the commotion. It wasn't often Face lost his cool; he always had that mask of calm and confidence, especially in the field more so when he was hurt or hurting inside. So to see him like this, was frightening.
"They had his kid, Face!" Hannibal screamed back and Face's anger faded just a little. He glared one more time at Morgan before turning to face the while haired colonel, who held Face until he could be sure the lieutenant wasn't about to do anything rash. Red, bleary, blues met the stark, piercing ones of a hardened soldier and Face just nodded, feeling his entire body start to shake. "They wanted you dead, kid. He saved you." Face let go of the breath he had been holding and almost cried, was this over? Was it really over?
"I don't believe it, how did you…" Morgan was checking on the fallen goon, he was alive but would be feeling that beating for a long time to come. "The amount I've given you would have laid most people up for a day…"
"We're not 'most people', doc." Face frowned, not looking away from his CO, his blood-shot eyes holding onto the man, afraid that if he looked away, Hannibal might fade away, like before. The fact the colonel had just spoken the very words Face had dreamt a few hours ago, making him doubt again, whether any of this was even real.
"You're here, right?" Face's voice was horse as he asked the question, bloodied hands grabbing hold of Hannibal's shirt as the colonel stepped back. "You *really* are here, aren't you?" His voice sounded so pathetic, desperate and the way it broke at the end, he had to swallow back the misery or he would loose it.
Hannibal's gaze softened and Face saw the familiar concern, the kind only a CO had for the welfare of his men. "We're here, Face and we're taking you home." Face let his eyes close briefly trying to compose himself and hold back the flood of relief that threatened to spill out. "B.A throw this bastard in with the others then bring the van around."
"Sure thing, Hannibal." Their large team mate stomped inside and collected the beaten man with very little care. Face didn't relax completely till he was gone and even then, despite Hannibal's assurances about Morgan, still didn't let his guard down completely where the doctor was concerned. He was in no mood to listen to the mans explanations or apologies either. He just wanted out.
With the crooks locked away and the police contacted it was time for the team to make their exit and not a moment to soon for his lieutenant. The second B.A's voice came over the radio stating he was in position, Face moved as fast as he was able towards the door, weaving a path first into the frame before bumping into the hallway. He still wore the hospital gowns, covered in dust and speckled with blood some drops larger than others.
Hannibal wasn't quite sure how Face was still standing, it was clear he was struggling but the younger man refused any help and so with the colonel and Murdock as shadows, Face wove his way towards the rear fire exit, the one he had almost fled from earlier that day. The younger man seemed to hesitate at the threshold, as if he expected someone to reach out and snatch freedom away once again, but a closer look revealed a pair of closed eyes and a sad smile forming, curving his lips ever so slightly. Hannibal didn't want to rush him, the kid had been through hell that day and if he wanted to revel in his freedom then he could take as much time as he wanted.
After a minute, Face's eyes opened and he squinted out into the slowly fading light of day, his pale features illuminated by the soft warm hues of the setting sun. Finally he stepped out, staggering onto the small patio before walking onto the grassy hill towards the van. The incline wasn't that severe or sudden, but the kid stumbled more than once, his balance already off thanks to the cocktail he'd been served. A level surface was enough of a challenge; it seemed Face had hit his cliff, even if it was just a mound.
Murdock couldn't watch anymore and jogged towards his friend who was struggling to get back up. At first Face resisted, but Murdock convinced the kid the only way Murdock could. By the time they'd reached the van Face was barely conscious and it took the combined efforts of Murdock and Hannibal to get him in the back and seated. Face was mumbling and coated in a fine sheen of sweat, eyes closed before fluttering open once more. He was fighting it, resisting the drugs, something he'd no doubt been doing all day. As B.A kicked the van into gear, the sirens could be heard and getting louder as the police sped towards the hospital, they'd be long gone by the time they arrived. Small mercies.
"Where to Hannibal?" B.A asked, his gaze shifting to the rear view mirror so he could check on their stricken team mate.
"Head for the lake cabin," he replied as he moved from his seat in the front so he could check Face over, reaching for the kids arm so he could gauge the damage to his hands. It was instantly pulled away and Face's eyes glared down at the colonel, blinking rapidly as the kid tried to focus. "Easy, Face. I just need to check your wounds."
"I don't want any…" Face's words slurred, but they all knew what he was really refusing and it made the colonels blood boil.
"No one's going to give you anything, I promise." He reached for the kids arm again and this time Face stayed calm, but watched Hannibal like a hawk. "We're gonna need some supplies, B.A, the cabin hasn't been used in a while."
"Leave that to me, you and the fool just get Face inside and resting up."
"Is it buzzin for you, Faceman?" Murdock asked softly from just behind Hannibal who now had the first aid kit and was cleaning up the lieutenants cut and bruised hands. "It buzzes and scratches and makes you feel like your own head is turning against you, but it passes muchacho. It gets quiet and you can hear those normal voices again and you don't believe those lies anymore. All you gotta do is sleep my friend."
"Can't slee-"
"Sure you can," Murdock shuffled forward off the seat and knelt by Face while Hannibal continued to work. "I ain't gonna let none of those monsters in, Face. Didn't I always keep them away?"
"Yeah, yeah you did…" Hannibal listened, he knew what they were speaking of, he knew the reason Face never once made Murdock feel bad for his irrational, knew why the kid played along with the captains eccentricities. Murdock had shielded the kid from a lot in the POW camps taking the beatings and the torture originally meant for their younger friend. They'd all done it, they all knew just how young Face had been at the time despite his clever lies and forged papers. But Murdock took most of those hits and carried them around with him still.
"Well I'm keeping them away again; you can put money on the fact that they ain't gonna get you anymore, Face."
"I can't do that to you again Murdoc-" the walls around the kids emotions finally crumbled and Hannibal had to swallow back his own as Face finally broke down, crying into the waiting shoulder of Murdock. The captain was biting back his own anger and tears.
"I ain't letting anyone hurt you, kid. Not my lil brother. Just shut those eyes, Facey and let that buzzing slip away okay? You ignore it and you dream instead." Hannibal nodded appreciatively to Murdock as Face finally let go, his breathing evening out and his body relaxed.