Face sat on the examination table and looked at his feet. Hannibal was sitting in a chair by the bed, his bad arm in a sling. The doctor had listened to everything and when they'd finished explaining, he'd given Face this weird look. Face wasn't sure he wanted to know what that look meant.
"It'll be okay, kid," Hannibal said. Face didn't bother to respond. The doctor had taken blood from both of them, doubling up on gloves just to be safe, and then he'd left. That was hours ago now. They'd insisted on waiting 'till he got the results back and, because they were fugitives on the run and he had a flexible sense of morality, he'd let them stay.
"How much longer?" Face asked. How much longer before I'll know if I've killed you?
"It shouldn't be too long now."
It wasn't too long. It was just another hour and a half. The doctor came back in carrying a sheet of paper and he had that same strange look on his face.
"Well?" Face asked.
"Lieutenant Peck, you really should have stayed and listened to your first doctor," he said. Face felt all the blood leave his face. He looked at Hannibal who made a noise like he'd been punched.
"Is he dying?" Hannibal was never one to turn away from the hard questions.
"Just the opposite. When your first doctor gave you the results the first time around, one of the things he would have mentioned is doing a second, more specific test."
"I... yeah, I remember something about that."
"We always do both tests because occasionally the initial test comes back as a false positive."
"Wait... are you saying...?"
"Yes. You are not HIV positive." The doctor beamed at them, and Hannibal slowly slumped back in the chair, letting out a long slow breath as though he was deflating.
"What?"
"You do not have HIV. I had my suspicions when you said it had been three years with no symptoms and no medication."
"No... I... test me again."
"I did. Twice."
"I don't have HIV."
"You don't have HIV."
Face jumped up and kissed the doctor on the mouth. He was rather taken aback, but still smilling, and Hannibal laughed out loud.
"Wait, what about the Boss, he's okay too, right?"
"He's fine. You did a good job with his shoulder too."
Face kissed him again. He didn't know what to do with himself. He had his whole life back in front of him.
"Wait," Hannibal said. "What could have caused the false positive in the first place?"
"There are a few things. Tuberculosis, Malaria, Rheumatoid Arthritis."
"I've never had any of those."
"Did you have a flu shot not long before the test?"
"Yeah..." Comprehension dawned on Templeton's face. "Murdock had been sick as a dog, and the Boss had insisted..."
"Well then. That's most likely it." He handed the sheet with the results on to Face. "Congratulations."
"I spent three years thinking I had a death sentence because of a flu shot?" He sat back down on the exam table heavily.
"Funny, isn't it? Now, you've taken up my exam room for far too long already. Run along. And in future, listen to a doctor when he's trying to tell you something."
Face grinned and nodded. He stood up again, and his legs gave way. Hannibal caught him, one handed, and the doctor was on his other side, propping him up.
"Easy, kid." Hannibal waited until Face had firmed up and then slowly let go. "Come on, let's go tell the others the good news."
"You go tell them. I could use some space," he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a lot to take in." Hannibal frowned, and for a second Face thought he was going to say no. But then he nodded slowly.
"Be careful, kid. I'll see you back at the motel in a few hours?"
"Sure." Face nodded, but he wasn't sure when he'd get back to the ugly yellow motel room. He needed a drink. He needed seven drinks. More than that, he hadn't got laid in three years. He was going to find some nice guy or girl and have his way with them.
So long as they were clean, anyway.
That's it. Still not sure where this one came from. :/
All information on HIV and HIV testing is true as far as I know.
The quote at the beginning came from this website: www . ehow about_5045612_causes-false-positive-hiv-test .html
Face's Corvette, and B.A. and Murdock having the same blood type came from the original TV show.