Every Thought Captive
Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.
Chapter 46 Discharged
"What more can you do for my brother here at the hospital than I can do for him back home?" Colonel Jackson kept his eyes on the doctor standing at the end of Murdock's hospital bed. His mind actively prevented the Captain from interrupting.
The military man leaned back in his chair beside the bed and smiled as he noted the indecision on the doctor's face. Clasping his hands behind his head, he sent a stern warning to the pilot.
Remember, Captain. This man holds the key to your freedom. If I can't convince him and he starts getting suspicious about who you are . . .
The physician scanned Murdock's chart once more and turned his eyes on his patient. "What do you want to do, Mister Fredrick? Like your brother said, most of what we can do he can do as well at home. Ibuprofen for pain, moisturizer, preferably aloe vera, for those blisters until the skin heals, plenty of fluids and staying out of the sun for a few weeks. And if those blisters open up and seem infected, you'll need to come back in. You really aren't in danger anymore so I have no reason to keep you in here."
Jackson peered over at the man in the bed and raised his eyebrows. His thoughts were tinged with more urgency than his expression displayed.
You know what to tell him. Do it. Now.
Gripping the sheets with his fists, Murdock's eyes bored into Jackson. In a quiet voice he obeyed. "Jack here won't let me out of his sight. I can guarantee that." He sent a scathing message of his own to the military man.
Ya won' either, will ya, brother dear?
Jackson replied with a thought of his own. I don't make the same mistake twice, Captain. I promise you, you won't get another chance to run away.
"I'll get those discharge papers ready then." The doctor paused at the door. "And Mister Fredrick?" Murdock glanced at him, hoping the medical man detected something a little off between Jackson and himself. "Next time, don't go hiking those lower wash sections of Zion in the summer heat. Wait until spring or late fall, okay?"
"I doubt there'll be a next time, doc. As soon as we can travel, I'm taking him to our parents' place in Arizona." Jackson detected the anxiety in Murdock's mind over that statement and gave him one more warning.
Keep up the act or I'll turn you in myself for the murders of your friends.
oooooo
"That's what the doctor said. As soon as Amy finishes the third IV bag of fluids and the test results come back, she's free to go." The relief in Face's voice was clear to Hannibal as he listened over the motel phone.
"That's good. We need your skills at getting information to track down Jackson and Murdock." The Colonel rubbed his eyes with one gloved hand. Neither B. A. nor he had rested since Murdock's outburst in the campground that sent them on their way to the motel in Hurricane.
"The helicopter tour service was no help?"
"The helicopter tour pilot was dead. We couldn't get very close. The police and ambulance were already there." Hannibal clenched his fist around the receiver as he thought about the military man and his hostage and what the tour guide's death might mean.
"Dead? You think Jackson murdered him? What the hell's going on, Hannibal?" Face's voice was low but the older man could detect the panic in the tone.
Hannibal could hear Amy in the background. "Murdock's dead?"
He could picture the exchange between them as Face put his hand over the mouthpiece and calmed her down. He heard only part of their muffled conversation. "No, not Murdock. They don't know where he is. The guy who rescued Murdock from the trail."
There were more anxious words between them before the Lieutenant spoke again. "Amy wants to get out of here now. She's afraid of what Jackson wants Murdock to do."
"I am, too, Lieutenant. As soon as you get the okay, let us know and we'll bring the van by to pick you two up."
"And then where? We have no clues about where they went." The despair in Face's tone weighed heavily over the phone line.
Hannibal heard Amy in the background again.
"Wait a minute, Colonel." The conversation was muffled again and when Face got back on the line, he sounded like he had some hope. "Amy says Murdock was talking about someone named Cazador when he was trying to keep her alive after their fall. She thinks the name is important, maybe someone Jackson talked about in Murdock's presence. I seem to remember that name from somewhere but where, I'm not sure."
Hannibal's stomach roiled when Cazador was mentioned. "I think I know where we have to go next. If Cazador's involved in Project Silent Arrow, we need to get to Tucson. That's where we'll find Murdock."
"You're sure?"
"I got a bad feeling about this, kid, but I'm almost positive that's where we have to be. And soon. We're coming by to get both of you. I don't care how you do it, but convince the doctor to release Amy now. We have to get on the road before anything happens to our pilot."
The Colonel hung up the phone and motioned toward the motel room door. "Let's go, B. A." He glared at Stafford who slept peacefully on top of one of the beds. "And get Sleeping Beauty awake. I'm going to get more information out of him if it's the last thing I do."
oooooo
Amy smiled a smile she did not feel as the doctor checked her vital signs one more time. Face hovered nearby, the picture of a worried husband. The third IV bag was nearly empty and the doctor had come in with the results of her blood screening and other tests he ordered.
"She says she has an important meeting with some real estate clients. I told her she needs to stay put but she won't listen, doc." He hoped his mild protest didn't convince the physician to keep her longer. They had to put on an act to keep suspicion down but they needed to have her discharged as soon as possible.
"Now, Humphrey." Amy smirked as Face mouthed the name behind the doctor's back and grimaced. She could almost hear his mental protest at her name choice. "You know as well as I do how important these clients are to my future with the agency. If I can land this deal, I can write my ticket with my boss."
As the doctor moved to the opposite side of the bed, Face reoccupied the chair he sat on almost the entire time she was hospitalized.
"But, dumpling. I almost lost you. Can't you at least wait until you're all healed up?" Face put a whine into his voice but part of the feeling behind his words was heartfelt. He did almost lose her and it made her even more precious to him. Slipping his hand through the hospital bedrail slat, he gently laced his fingers through hers.
"I'll go to the meeting and then I'll sit home and let you pamper me so much you'll be glad when I can get up and move around again. How's that?" Amy knew Face would probably try to do exactly that: dote over her until she was completely healed of any trace of her ordeal on the wash trail.
The doctor toyed with his pen for a few seconds, tapping it on the clipboard and listening to their banter.
"Well," he finally sighed, "It does sound like you're going to have your husband waiting on you hand and foot for a while. We can't really do much for you here that he couldn't do as well or better at home."
The physician moved toward the door, saying as he went, "I'll have the nurse come in and give you discharge instructions."
After the door shut behind him, Amy squeezed Face's hand slightly. "Hey. Good acting job. I think we convinced him."
The Lieutenant leaned closer and tenderly kissed the palm of her hand. "Who was acting? I love you."
oooooo
"Get your clothes on, Phil. I want to get out of here as soon as we can." The Colonel dumped Murdock's clothes and Converse sneakers on the bed at his feet and began pacing. When Murdock blinked at him with confused eyes, he gripped the bed covers and threw them back.
"I'm not going to say it again, Phil. Get up and get moving." He added just in case anyone heard him, "You know how much I hate hospitals." He shot the pilot one last threat before pulling the privacy curtain around the bed.
And don't try anything stupid.
"What's yer hurry? Where's th' fire?" Murdock carefully eased his T-shirt over the blisters on his forearms, wincing as he did. "Takes time t' get clothes on over this sunburn. You heard th' doc. Pop th' blisters 'n' they could get nasty real fast."
"No fire. I just thought you'd be more comfortable back at the apartment." Move faster, Captain. We have a long trip ahead of us and time is running out on this mission.
"Movin' fast as I can. I'm a li'l dizzy. Ya don' want me out cold on th' floor, do ya?" It wasn't a total lie. Reaching down to slip his legs into his khaki pants made black dots pepper his vision.
"Well, just hurry up." Jackson allowed Murdock his privacy, waiting outside the curtain. In a way, the pilot was grateful for that. He could drag out his dressing a little without Jackson being the wiser. Maybe it would give him one or two unguarded moments to think without having his brain scrutinized for plans to escape.
That moment came when he heard the nurse enter the room to read over the discharge instructions with Jackson.
He still felt depleted and weak from his brush with heat exhaustion. As boundlessly energetic as he usually was, all he wanted to do was rest in bed. Every touch made his sunburned skin feel as if he was being branded.
It made sense to Murdock in a way that his escape to the desert had screwed up the schedule Jackson seemed to have for Project Silent Arrow. They might have to quicken their pace if he had messed it up too much. He was almost ready to accept that as the reason for the Colonel's impatience when Billy whispered to him in his mind.
He ain' tellin' ya th' whole story, brother. Look at 'im. Listen t' him. He's like a skittish horse come 'pon a rattler on th' trail. One wrong move 'n' he's gonna haul ya over 'is shoulder however yer dressed 'n' scoot fer th' door.
Murdock almost let out a sob of relief to hear Billy's voice again. It meant Jackson's mind was too busy with the conversation to keep surveillance on his thoughts.
What do I do, Billy? I killed all th' friends that could o' helped me.
A peculiar thought crossed his mind and he hesitated asking his baby brother about it. Amy 'n' th' guys. Did . . . did ya see 'em in Heaven yet? They gotta be there.
Billy answered in a way that puzzled Murdock but filled his heart with dread at the same time. No, they ain' here, brother. But they ain' that far 'way. You'll see 'em 'gain.
He paused in buckling his belt. No! They ain' . . . they didn' go t' . . . th' other place. They couldn't o' . . .
Before Billy could clarify, Jackson pulled the curtain back. He gave Murdock a piercing look, full of anger and menace. "You haven't even got your shoes on yet, Phil. What am I going to do with you?"
As the nurse readied the wheelchair to bring the patient out to Jackson's rental car, the Colonel roughly pulled socks on the pilot's feet and shoved his shoes on over them. Tying the laces too tightly, Jackson affirmed what Murdock feared. Your four friends are rotting in hell and you sent them there, Captain.
Murdock couldn't answer. His gaze turned inward as the nurse settled him in the wheelchair and brought him to the hospital entrance.