Short chapters are short.
Face waited until Hannibal was awake and lucid. He had to do this right. He knew that he was acting strangely. B.A. and Murdock had both commented on it. He ignored them. He had to talk to Hannibal before he could talk to them. They were still in the same crappy motel room, with the mustard walls.
"I shouldn't have given you my blood," he said, looking at his hands.
"You saved my life, kid."
"Wait. Listen. Don't..." Face bit his lip and Hannibal frowned, knowing he wasn't getting it.
"What's going on?"
"My blood. It's bad. I shouldn't have... I'm saying this wrong." He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "I... you know I used to be... risky. I'd sleep around. A lot. Girls, yeah. But guys too and everything in between. But I used protection. And I got regularly tested. And one day, I was getting tested and they told me. They said I was... that I was HIV Positive. They started talking about making sure and medications and shit like that, but I couldn't..." he shook his head. He couldn't look at the Colonel. "I couldn't think. The rest of the day was a blur. I went back to the hotel room I was staying in; we'd split up. Laying low. And I got drunk off my face. Since then, I've been so careful, I swear. I haven't let any of you near me or my blood. I know I should have told you, but I thought I could... if I made the risk small enough, then you'd never have to know." He'd said his piece. He knew he'd screwed up. He wasn't going to make excuses.
"When was this?"
"Three years ago." Face hunched in on himself. He waited for an explosion.
"Three years, and you're just telling me now? When were you going to let us know, at you're funeral?"
"No, I... I wanted to tell you. I just couldn't. You need to get tested." He wasn't sure why he'd never said anything. Maybe because of years of DADT. Maybe because he didn't want to seem weak.
"I will. But it's pretty definite I've got it, right?" he sighed and shifted in the bed. "I guess that means a regime of pills for the rest of my life. Kid, you should have told us."
"I know."
"What if you got sick? If we didn't know, we could have gotten you killed! What if you ran out of antiretrovirals?"
"Ran out of what?" Face finally looked up, confused.
"Antiretrovirals? HIV treatments."
"I'm not on any."
"Wait. You've been HIV positive for 3 years and you haven't been on any medication this whole time?"
"Yeah. I didn't stay and listen to the doctor. I figured I'd die in a hail of bullets before it became a problem."
"You stupid..." Hannibal stopped himself and pressed his hand to his shoulder, obviously in pain. "We are both going to a doctor. He's going to test me and we're both going to take whatever pills he deems necessary, understood?"
"Yes sir." Face stood and made to leave. He needed a drink.
"Kid?" Hannibal called after him. "To be clear, I'm not mad at you for saving my life. Even if I knew, I'd have wanted you to give me your blood. More time is more time. I'm mad at you for not trusting us to take care of you."
Face hesitated in the doorway, then nodded, not quite believing it.
Hannibal didn't tell B.A. and Murdock. He just said that he was going to see a doctor about his arm. They just nodded and carried on with what they were doing, although they both shot Face odd looks. Face knew it was because he was acting strangely, but he couldn't seem to stop. He knew he was pale, and his arms seemed to be stuck wrapped around his chest. It was a defensive posture, he should stop it. If he was on a mission, if he needed to charm someone, he could stop. But his body and his brain were so used to trusting the rest of the team that he acted instinctively, relaxing and letting go around them. Showing them how he really felt.
It was really annoying sometimes.
"Face, come on. I need you to drive me to the clinic in that ridiculous car of yours."
It wasn't Hannibal's best ruse, but he let his guard down around the team too. Face followed him out to the Corvette and started the engine. He felt like he was driving himself to his own execution.