23 Medic!
Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.
From where he crouched on the opposite end of the room, Hannibal scrutinized Murdock and Melody. They were closest to the gunshot that came through the window.
The pilot held the young actress in his arms. Her own arms were tight around his neck and her face was hidden in his chest. Her shoulders shook with sobs of fear.
Murdock's face was rapidly paling. He laid his head back on the couch cushion and closed his eyes.
Hannibal kept his voice as low as he could and still be heard. "Murdock, are either of you hurt?"
The pilot raised his head and tried unsuccessfully to pull far enough away to check the young woman for injuries. Melody gripped him tighter.
"I don' know, Colonel. She don' wanna let go so I can see for sure." He reached up as he spoke and gently grasped her forearms. "Let me get a good look atcha, darlin'."
He solemnly gazed into her tear-filled eyes and pushed back a lock of blonde hair. "That's better." He quickly looked her over, then gave her a lopsided grin. "Yer stalker don' like folk songs, I guess. Now I'm gonna send ya over t' Hann'bal. Keep as low t' th' floor as ya can."
"But what about you?" Her lower lip trembled as he pushed her down to the floor and pointed toward the others.
"Someone's gotta watch for anybody comin' at us from this window. I figure 's long as I'm here . . . " He gave the Colonel a look that meant more than he was saying.
Hannibal understood instantly. "Face here's been wanting to talk to you all evening, Melody. Why don't we switch places? B. A. and Face, I'll need one of you at each window. That means you get the bedroom, Lieutenant. And Face?"
The Lieutenant turned his head to look at the Colonel. "Tempting as it might be, keep your attention more on what's outside that window than on the young lady you'll be guarding."
Not missing Face's irritated frown, Hannibal chuckled as he made his way over to the pilot. He passed Melody on the way. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at the Lieutenant before returning her puzzled gaze to the Colonel.
"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about Face. He's very capable. He'll keep you safe. Just watch out for his hands."
"I heard that," the con man grumbled.
Winking at her, the older man's expression turned serious as soon as she moved past him.
Both Murdock and Hannibal watched the Lieutenant escort the young woman into the bedroom before either spoke.
"Where?" the Colonel asked as he reached for the wash basin, soap and emergency first aid kit.
"It's a through 'n' through, Colonel, but it sure hurts like hell." Murdock was already removing the red flannel shirt he wore over his black "Has Anybody Seen My Dog?" t-shirt. "Didn' want th' li'l lady t' get any more scared 'n she already is."
Hannibal nodded approval of that wisdom as he assessed the wound. The Captain was correct. The bullet had traveled through the flesh of his left upper arm halfway between elbow and shoulder. "Think it was a lucky shot or is this stalker someone we should take more seriously?"
Murdock sucked in a sharp breath as the Colonel examined the wound. He forced a smile onto his face. "Aw, if this guy was a good shot he coulda blown either o' our heads off. He wouldn'ta waited 'til now t' do it either. We were both . . . ah . . . " He winced as Hannibal finished washing the wound and poured povidone iodine on it. ". . . Like I was gonna say, we were both pretty good targets when we were washin' dishes. I just reached up over my head at th' wrong time."
"That was my thoughts, too." Hannibal guided Murdock's hand to press a sterile pad on the wound while he secured it with a length of white gauze bandage. "So this shot was lucky. He wasn't really aiming at anyone or anything."
"Well, it wasn' so lucky for me," the Captain muttered. "I think he was just lettin' us know he was there."
"And he's gotten more aggressive with his stalking." Hannibal handed the pilot his flannel shirt and watched out the window as he put it on. The rain had not lessened. The only things that could be seen were the shadows of the black van and the surrounding trees.
From the opposite end of the room, B. A. rumbled, "Fool alright, Colonel?"
"Yeah. Nothing we haven't taken care of before." The older man passed Murdock a bottle of aspirin. Removing the cap, the pilot tossed three tablets into his mouth before handing the bottle back.
"Jus' business as usual, Big Guy. I won' be conductin' no orchestra with this arm for a while but I'll be okay." He grinned when the black Sergeant growled at the silly response.
"Well, keep your head down nex' time, fool."
"Wasn' my head that was hit."
Hannibal let a smile play on his face while he listened to their banter. His men, especially the Captain, kept their pain well hidden. They also watched each other's backs and could see through any joking façade one of them put on when injured.
"Looks like our stalker's makin' his move, Colonel." B. A. grunted a warning.
As Hannibal peered out the rain-streaked window, a dark figure darted from the trees toward the van.
"Not my ride. He ain' gonna touch my ride." The Sergeant half-stood to move toward the door.
"Stay put, B. A." The Colonel gestured for Murdock to follow him. They crept across the room to where the black man crouched by the window. "Now we know where he is. Now we can deal with him."