Chapter 7

It was around ten thirty that morning when Mrs. B came over to fix lunch. Since she joined the family she made it her job to fix the meals for Face. She always made enough for her new family. She just wanted to be sure that he ate nourishing meals and wasn't sure that he would get it if left to himself. This morning breakfast was the exception since the day started so early.

"Good Morning, what would you all like for lunch?" she asked the three men drinking coffee and milk in the kitchen.

"Mrs. B we are just happy that you are willing to cook for us…we leave the meal selection up to you." Hannibal said as he took a puff from his cigar.

"Okay, I thought we would have fried chicken, corn on the cob and a nice green salad. How does that sound?"

"Delicious."

Mrs. B looked around noticing that the youngest wasn't present. "Where is Face? He's not still running that obstacle course of yours, is he?" she asked with concern.

"No, ma'am but he was so tired afterwards that after he showered he crashed. I decided to let him sleep."

"How long has he been sleeping, Hannibal?"

Hannibal looked at his watch and smiled, "It's only been a couple of hours. I'll wake him in time for lunch. Then after lunch we need to talk about what happened yesterday. I would like it if you stay for that talk, Mrs. B. He may need the comfort of his mom afterwards." Hannibal said somberly.

"Why? What happened to our boy yesterday?"

"He came face to face with a situation he may be not had been ready for," and told her their fears on what he might have had to endure.

"No, not Face. Our poor boy. I must go to him."

"No, not yet…we don't know for sure. Let's wait and see what Face says. No reason to upset him if nothing happened."

"I guess you know what you are talking about Hannibal, but if you are wrong and he was hurt, you won't be able to stop me."

"You will have to beat me there."

It was nearly noon when Sheriff Jenkins called again. Hannibal took the call and it soon became apparent that the news was not good. Hannibal slammed the receiver down. "Murdock get Face. I'm going to wear him out!" and went to the utensil drawer to find something to use.

"Hannibal, what's wrong?" Mrs. B asked as she watched him search and find a wooden spoon. "This will do nicely."

When he noticed that Murdock hadn't moved he repeated himself. "Captain I order you to bring that boy here at once!"

When Murdock moved to obey Mrs. B said, "Wait…Hannibal you will sit down and tell us calmly why you want to spank Face."

Hannibal sat down and took a few deep breaths before speaking.

"You know when I was a kid my dad only spanked me when he felt that I had endangered my life needlessly. All other times when he felt I should be punished he would either ground me, or give me extra chores to do or run laps…he would only use a hands on punishment when my life was in danger. I decided that if I ever had kids I would do the same. Well, now I have a son in Face. Before that when I was only the kid's commander I could only use military discipline, but now…"

"Hannibal what did Face do that you feel that you have to spank him?"

"Sheriff Jenkins called to say that during his interview with Brother John he told the Sheriff that the only things he did was to identify that Face was the boy who rescued Billy and that he helped Brother Thomas in removing Face's clothing. He was insistent that he did nothing that could be called inappropriate touching. He doesn't want to be lumped with Michaels' or Brother Thomas' treatment of Face or any other boy."

Mrs. B didn't understand. "He didn't hurt our boy. Why do you want to spank Face?"

"He recognized Face as the one who rescued Billy. He had to be real close and if he was that close then Face would have recognized him as well." Murdock realized at once.

"He walked into the Lion's Den with no way of protecting himself," whispered Mrs. B as she finally understood.

"He did more than that; Brother John also reported that when he arrived Face was already in cuffs. He was hanging spread-eagle from the ceiling with his ankles chained to the floor. He was unable to protect himself if they had decided to do more than just touch him. If that had happened, he might not have recovered."

"Why would he do that?"

"He was so intent on proving that he could handle himself so that I would re-instate him as a full member of the team that he didn't think it through."

"Fortunately that didn't happen. We will have lunch and then you can talk with the boy. When you are finished send him to me. I'll make sure he thinks twice before doing anything like this again. Remember when I joined this family we had a deal. You would handle the military discipline and I would take care of disciplining our son."

When Mrs. B put the platter of fried chicken on the already full table and Face had yet to make an appearance Hannibal sent Murdock to wake him. "He'll sleep the day away if given a chance."

"Face! Lunch is being served. If you don't hurry BA will eat everything!" Murdock called out as he headed for Face's room.

Upon entering the room Murdock saw that Face was still sleeping. 'Boy, Hannibal's obstacle course must have really wiped him out,' thought Murdock as he reached down to shake him awake. It was then that he noticed that Face was feverish as he saw the sweat on his forehead.

"HANNIBAL!" Murdock shouted. He was in the midst of checking the kid out when Hannibal entered.

"Murdock, what's wrong?"

"Hannibal, he's burning up." Murdock had placed his hand on the kid's forehead and noticed the heat radiating from him

Face woke when Hannibal came close. "Colonel, it's okay. It's only a graze and I took care of it in the field. We have to move, Charlie is in the area," and started to get up only to have Hannibal to gently push him back down.

"It's okay Lieutenant, we are back at base. We are just taking you to the MASH unit to fix your leg. Now lay back down and let them do their job."

"Okay, Colonel." Face closed his eyes.

Hannibal and Murdock frowned. They remember that incident. They had had a running battle with the VC when Face had gotten separated from the unit. He had been shot but had field dressed it as best that he could without medication. He had washed it with water from his canteen and bandaged it to stop the bleeding. It had taken Hannibal and his men two days before they stumbled over the kid and by that time infection had set in. He was feverish until they got him to the MASH unit where they pumped him full of penicillin. It was a week before he was released.

"Let's get his pants down and see if that is where the problem is." Murdock nodded and helped Hannibal pull Face's pants down. As soon as they saw the bandage they feared the worse.

"Find a thermometer and take his temperature while I see to his leg."

Murdock hurried away as BA and Mrs. B approached. "What's wrong, Man?"

"Face is hurt, his leg's infected. I'm looking for a thermometer to take his temperature."

"I know where one is HM," replied Mrs. B. "You go back and help Hannibal.

By the time they returned Face had been stripped down to his briefs and Hannibal was trying to cool him down. "Where is that thermometer?"

"Mrs. B is bringing it. What can I do?"

"We need to cool him down…wet some cloths and wipe his body down."

Mrs. B reappeared with a thermometer and placed it in his mouth under his tongue and when she removed it the temperature was 103. "That's too hot, we need to get him to the hospital in town ASAP."

"I'll get the van ready." BA left as Hannibal wrapped Face in a sheet and blanket before carrying him out.

BA made record time and within fifteen minutes Hannibal was carrying Face into the ER. "My son is running a high fever and has an infected wound on his thigh. It happened yesterday."

The nurses pushed a gurney towards him so he could lay Face on it and tried to follow only to have papers shoved at him. "We need you to fill out these forms sir."

Hannibal could only watch as they pushed Face past the double doors so they could treat him.

One of the doctors ran to the gurney. "What's wrong?"

"He was brought in claiming that he has a high fever and an infected wound on his thigh." The nurse stated what Hannibal had told her. "I'll get a thermometer to take his temperature."

The doctor nodded and pushed him into an empty examination room. They

unwrapped the blankets and sheet to find the wound. It didn't take the doctor but a minute to state. "This boy has been whipped…and it is infected."

Within minutes they had Face's blood type and an IV inserted. Penicillin was injected in his IV port. "His temperature has gone up to 103.2, Doctor Russell."

"Once the penicillin takes hold his fever should go down. Let's check him out and see if that is the only wound we have to worry about."

It was during this time that Face started to wake. "Hannibal?" and when Hannibal didn't reply he panicked and screamed,

"HANNIBAL! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Face tried to get off the gurney. He fought the doctor and nurses trying to help him but he was feverishly remembering 'Nam. Just as Dr. Russell was about to send one of his nurses for the boy's father Hannibal was there and moved to his son's side. "I'm here, son. I got you," he said as he grabbed Face's hand.

Face turned his feverish eyes towards his colonel. "I'm okay. Please don't leave me!" he pleaded as he began to cry. He was remembering when his colonel had ordered him to climb the tree and hide from the VC as they were about to captured his family. He had felt like they were abandoning him.

"Kid, we made it out. You're safe…you're not alone."

The answer soothed his troubled mind and Face closed his eyes. It was after he closed them that Dr. Russell injected a sedative into his IV and once he was asleep that his wound was stitched up.

"How did you know that he needed you Colonel?"

"You know who I am?"

"I served in Vietnam. Everyone knows who you are and I believed that you and your team were scapegoats for someone else. I'm glad that the truth finally came out and you were cleared of those charges."

"Thank you and to answer your question about Face. I just knew that he was in trouble and came…I can't explain it any more than that. Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes; we have pumped him full of penicillin and feel sure that it will kill the infection. I've just stitched his wound and he should be back to normal in a few days. We are going to be moving him to his room in a few minutes. I'll send a nurse to tell your team where he is. I assume they are in the waiting room?"

"Yes, and waiting anxiously, too."

"Can you tell me how this happened?"

"Face out himself in a situation that landed him in the hands of SOB who took did this to him. I really do not have all of the details. The kid thought he could take care of it and didn't tell me that he was hurt until the leg was infected. I'm afraid that is all I know."

"Was the one that did this arrested?"

"Yes, he and his partners are in the custody of Sheriff Jenkins."

Dr. Russell was handed a piece of paper by a nurse. "He is going to be in Room 215. Nurse Tucker will show you the way."

Hannibal followed as Face was moved to his room. It was a few minutes after he had been settled that Ba, Murdock and Mrs. B. arrived.

"How is our boy, Hannibal?" Mrs. B asked as she moved to stand next to the bed.

"He'll be fine in time. We just need to wait and let the penicillin work its magic on him."

"Just like in 'Nam."

"So true Murdock. He has already had another Vietnam memory. The one that I had to order him into the tree to keep him out of the hands of the VC just before we were captured."

8