Good evening everyone! Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. I'm already outlining a second story. Very much novel length. Hope I can finish it this year!

Avieryfriend: Thank you so much for your review! It totally made my day when I read it. I also thought it should have been a two part episode. So many things were fixed so quickly and superficially. But, then again, a lot of the episodes in the series were. It was an awesome series though, wasn't it?

LAGC: Really appreciate your thoughts. I don't want to make the guys sound…girly. So, I'm hopeful they still come across as men. LOL!

Littlemonkeydog: Yep. She does. As you will see here. I think Stockwell was overall a good guy. He was a government man, so he's as good as he can get. Realistically, I assumed that he would have been fair with the guys under these circumstances.

Tania: Well, you are about to find out.

Chapter 5-The Return

Ellen hadn't slept at all since she received Murdock's call the night before. Still lying in bed as the sun rose, she thought of the last time she saw her brother. Almost six months ago, she sighed. Replaying the scene in her mind, she could not believe that she acted so coldly toward him. Without even realizing, tears began streaming down her cheeks. "How could I have been so heartless?"

Getting up from bed, Ellen quickly took the cordless phone from her nightstand and went to her dresser where she picked up her purse. Then, she walked over to her work desk where the phone directory was located. Opening the book as she sat down on her chair, she rummaged through the pages until she found the listing she searched for. She picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"American Airlines, this is Kelly speaking, how can I help you?" the voice of a woman with a Texan accent said from the other end of the line.

"Hi, good morning," Ellen immediately answered. "I want to book your soonest flight to Washington, D.C."

XXXXXXXXX

It was well over ten in the morning when Murdock woke up once more, this time, feeling extremely hungry. Getting up the sofa he used as a bed, he watched his friend for a few minutes and after convincing himself that Face was not going to wake up anytime soon, headed to the bathroom where he freshened up, splashed some water on his face and brushed his teeth using the disposable toothpaste and brush he found in the bathroom.

He went to the hospital cafeteria where he bought breakfast and took it back to the room, not wanting to leave Face alone for too long.

When he returned, he found Dr. Cartwright looking over his friend. Turning around she smiled, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Doctor," Murdock said as he put his breakfast on the counter. "How's he doing?"

"He's about the same," she answered sympathetically. "We all have to be patient. It will take some time," she tried sounding convincing, but Murdock thought the statement sounded ambiguous. "The wound is healing pretty well and brain activity hasn't faltered. In a few days, we'll take another scan to check on the swelling. I hope hearing this makes you feel better."

Surprised, Murdock looked at her, "How did you know?"

She smiled a little, "Sometimes, I say things in ways others might take as…well, not hopeful. I saw it in all your eyes last night. I apologize, I didn't mean to sound so uncaring to you and your friends."

"No," he shook his head. "No need to apologize. I didn't think you were cold. I just thought–"

"You thought I meant that you needed time to process…the alternative to what you don't want to happen," she replied, trying to do it tactfully.

Murdock nodded, "Yeah, yeah. I guess I did. Not, not that I believe it for a minute. He's…he's tough you know." Looking at his friend who lied in bed sleeping peacefully. "He just likes milking the situation."

The doctor smiled, "Well, at least I can give you some comfort in knowing that his breathing is getting better. I'll continue monitoring him and if all goes well, then we'll have one less thing to worry about."

"Yeah, that's great!" Murdock replied with a smile. "See, getting better already."

He allowed the physician to continue doing her work and a few minutes later, Murdock was once again alone with Face. He noticed that his friend still looked pale, but not as bad as the night before. Face looked like he was improving, although it looked like the improvement would take some time.

He ate his breakfast in silence as he continued his vigil on his friend.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was over two o'clock in the afternoon when Hannibal walked in the room and found Murdock dozing off as he watched television. When the door opened, Murdock sat up, "Colonel."

"Hey Captain," Hannibal replied as he walked-in, "How's he doing?"

"Still napping," Murdock tried to bring a little humor, but Hannibal could tell it wasn't there.

"Murdock, why don't you go get some rest? I'll stay here with Face," Hannibal gently ordered. When he noticed that Murdock wasn't getting up, but deeply thinking the offer, he added, "Captain, go get some rest. That's an order."

Knowing that he didn't have a choice in the matter, Murdock tried extending his time by updating Hannibal on the events in the morning, "Just so you know Doc says he's breathing better and his brain activity are doing well too."

Glad to hear it, Hannibal smiled, "Good. He's coming around."

"Yes," Murdock smiled as he nodded. "Yeah. The nurse also gave him a sponge bath this morning and shampooed his hair with that powdered shampoo. I even got her to style his hair a little. You know how Face likes to get pampered. I…I really thought he'd wake up at that point. The nurse was a pretty good looking gal."

This time Hannibal laughed and Murdock joined in. For a moment, it felt like Face was really with them. But soon, they looked at their friend and the melancholic atmosphere returned. Sighing, Hannibal smiled sadly, "Well, I'm sure Face will get to meet the pretty nurse, soon."

"I'm sure he will Colonel," Murdock replied.

Turning to the Captain, Hannibal said, "Murdock, go. BA and Frankie walked out with me. They went to Langley to get us some clothes and will be back later today." Walking over to Murdock, he handed him the hotel key card, "It's room 312, you're bunking in with Frankie."

Taking the card, Murdock nodded, "If anything happens, you make sure to call me."

"You know I will," the Colonel affirmed.

"And if he shows signs that he's walking up–"

"Murdock," Hannibal interrupted him, "You know that's not going to happen until the doctor begins weaning the drugs off in his system."

Nodding and sighing, Murdock walked out to the room with a heavy heart as he left his friend.

XXXXXXXXXX

At around six o'clock later that day as Hannibal read the paper from the sofa, he suddenly heard the Lieutenant breathe heavily. Closing the paper abruptly, the Colonel immediately stood up and went to the bed, "Face?"

Face lay motionless in bed. However, when Hannibal studied him, he noticed light perspiration on his forehead and the beginnings of erratic breathing. When he touched Face's forehead, the Colonel's eyes widened with surprise, "You're burning up."

Hannibal headed toward the door, opened it and shouted for a nurse. Within seconds a young woman ran in, "You need to take a look at my friend, he's burning up."

The woman immediately checked on her patient and within seconds pressed a button located above the bed. Turning around to face Hannibal, the nurse said, "Sir, can you please wait outside?"

"Outside? Why?"

Hannibal was about to continue to ask what was going on when a doctor and two other nurses ran in the room. The doctor looked at Hannibal and asked, "Sir, would you step outside?"

The Colonel wanted to have more information, but knew that the medical staff needed to treat Face first. That was more important. Doing what was ordered, Hannibal stepped outside. Just as he did, he saw Murdock, BA and Frankie walk down the hallway toward him.

"Hey," Frankie asked surprised to see Hannibal outside, "What's going on?"

"Face is running a fever. The doctor is in there right now checking him," he answered.

"Is he going to be alright?" BA asked concerned.

Sighing, the Colonel shook his head, "I don't know BA. I can only hope and pray he is."

XXXXXXXXXX

Walking in to the main lobby of the hospital, Ellen Bancroft headed directly to the counter where she found an older woman in a wearing a blue jacket with the hospital logo typing away on the computer, "Excuse me."

The older woman looked up and smiled, "I'm sorry, I guess I was too concentrated looking at the screen. How may I help you?"

Giving a slightly forced smile, Ellen asked, "My brother was admitted here last night. I came to see him today."

"Oh," the woman replied. "I can certainly help you. Tell me, what's his name?"

"Templeton Peck," Ellen immediately replied, somewhat unsure that she should have even mentioned the name.

"The woman was unfazed by the name she heard and began typing on the keyboard. It took her a minute or two before she looked up, "I'm sorry. We don't have anyone by that name. Are you sure he was admitted here?"

Ellen thought about it and questioned whether she had heard correctly the name of the hospital that Murdock told her the night before. Then, feeling she had heard right, she nodded firmly, "Yes, I'm sure. My friend called me last night and said he was here."

The woman shook her head, "Well, like I said, we don't have anyone by that name."

They wouldn't have used his real name, she immediately thought. But what name could they have used? Come on, Ellen, think!

The older woman looked at her skeptically, "Miss, are you sure your brother was admitted here?"

Ellen couldn't have possibly known what alias her brother used. So, on a whim, she looked at the woman, "Temp is his birth name, but he wasn't really fond of it. I forgot that a few months ago, he changed it. Sorry, I'm a bit nervous, wasnt expecting that call and..i just want to make sure he's alright."

"Oh, of course," the woman nodded perplexed to hear that someone would do something like changing their name, "Alright, what name is your brother using?"

Sighing, Ellen thought of the first name that came to mind, "Richard Bancroft."