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 86 Mia and Tonio
Off and on through the early morning hours, he regained consciousness enough to know each member of his unit came to take his turn keeping watch over his sleep. Hannibal was first.
The Colonel murmured, "Go back to sleep, Captain. All of us are safe. We'll talk when you're rested." The gloved hand patted his shoulder gently before the speaker settled back in the chair.
The pilot stayed awake long enough to hear Hannibal snap the lighter shut and inhale slowly, then sigh as he exhaled. Funny how the scent of the Colonel's cigar comforted Murdock like it was a scented lullaby.
He wasn't sure how many minutes or hours he slept before a bad dream made him whimper. Rousing, he glanced over at the chair.
Face looked haggard. He stared absently at the Woody Woodpecker nightlight. One leg crossed over the other and his hands gripping the ends of the chair arms, he startled when the pilot's eyes opened.
"Bad dream, buddy?" He leaned forward in the chair, searching Murdock's face to assure himself his friend was completely awake.
"I . . . dunno . . . don' . . . r'member . . . " Murdock whispered. He locked eyes with his friend. "H . . . how's Amy?" Vaguely he remembered something about the reporter being hurt by Stafford. From Face's expression, he knew it had to be a wait-and-see vigil they were keeping beside her bed, too.
But if Amy's hurt that bad, why's he here?
"Serious concussion the doctor says." Face swallowed heavily and massaged the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, closing his eyes as he did.
Murdock immediately knew that meant he wouldn't be receiving a visit from Amy any time soon. The team would have to accept Cazador's hospitality until the reporter recovered enough to return to L. A.
As for Murdock, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do when that time came.
He examined his friend's appearance more carefully.
God, he looks tired.
The Lieutenant glanced up sharply and gave him a smile Murdock knew was as artificial as a pink Christmas tree. "But she's tough. B. A.'s watching her now, then I'll take over." He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "What was the idea, trying to take on a mountain on legs like Scanlon all by yourself?"
Murdock weakly shook his head and shut his eyes. "Guess I like a challenge." Sleep was closing in again and before he could say anything else, he drifted back into more pleasant dreams.
The next time he woke, he slowly opened his eyes to a scowling black face. "'Bout time, fool."
B. A.'s gaze flickered over Murdock's bandaged throat and temple. His features melted with concern. "You been in much pain?"
"I've been better. Amy okay?" The pilot withered inside when the Sergeant hesitated. Of the three, B. A. was the least talkative. He knew he would be less likely to get information from him than any of his team mates.
Which ain' unusual for him, I guess. Gonna be a real quiet few minutes b'fore I go back t' sleep. But I gotta know.
The black man stared at the man in the bed for a few silent moments before nervously swiping his hand over his head. "Been hard keepin' her awake. But Doc says her brain ain't swellin'."
Murdock scrutinized the Sergeant's face. "Well, that's good, ain' it?"
B. A. scowled at him and swept the hair on his head again. This time it was a more furious motion. "'Course it is, fool! Makin' her wake up, that's jus' ta make sure. You know that."
The pilot nodded, remembering the numerous times in the past he kept watch when one of the others had a bad head injury.
He whispered, "He hit 'er that hard, huh?"
The Sergeant gripped the arms of the chair and glared at him. He didn't need to say anything.
"Damn!" Murdock muttered and closed his eyes. "Damn him!" The conversation had worn him out and sleep tugged him back into its depths. Before he lost consciousness he resolved to go and see Amy in the afternoon, to take his turn waiting and watching by her bedside.
oooooo
He woke from a dreamless sleep. Nearby he heard a childlike "shhh," a giggle and a deep mumbling reply. Disoriented, he tried to raise one hand to his eyes but found he couldn't lift his arm. Something covered him from mid-chest down. It felt confining, like he was cocooned . . .
. . . or in bed 'n' tucked in tight.
Before he opened his eyes, he had to make sure of his surroundings.
He wracked his memory for what happened moments before he last fell asleep. B. A.'s scowling face flashed in his mind.
That deep voice was B. A. I'm almost positive it was. But who's with 'im?
He heard something that sounded like a page turning, then a girl's plaintive voice. "Let me see the pictures, Tonio!"
A girl? Sounds kinda young. Mister Cazador's gran'kids maybe?
"Be quiet, Mia. Grampa said . . . " That voice belonged to a boy. From its youthful tone, Murdock figured he wasn't a teenager. The voice didn't crack like an adolescent's voice would.
He cracked his eyelids open to slits and cautiously peered around until he located the source of the conversation.
Two children, a boy and a girl, sat side by side in a second armchair beside the bed. It was easy to see they were siblings. They had the same black hair and brown eyes, the same rounded chin and slender nose. The boy propped a book open in his lap. The cover had a picture of a helicopter and other aircraft.
B. A. dozed in the other chair, his massive arms folded over the gold on his chest. The voices disturbed his sleep enough for him to briefly crease his forehead in a frown.
The boy dropped the book they shared when he noticed Murdock squinting at them.
"He's awake!" he scolded. The boy snapped the book shut and turned reproachful eyes on his sister. "Now you did it, Mia! Grampa's gonna be so mad at us!"
Mia gripped the arm of the chair with one hand and squirmed her way out from beside her brother. Her chocolate eyes were both curious and apologetic as she crept closer to stare at the man in the bed. She opened her mouth to speak but Tonio cut her off.
Abandoning his book in the chair, he strode over to her. He grabbed her hand and tugged to pull her away. "Grampa said not to bother the Captain, not 'til he woke up on his own. And you woke him up!"
Murdock opened his eyelids all the way and gave them a faint smile. "Ya didn't wake me up. Really, ya didn'."
He wrestled his way out of the confining bed covers so he could use his arms. Pushing himself up into a sitting position against the pillows, he pointed at the black Sergeant. Pressing a forefinger to his lips, he winked and quietly murmured, "Now ya really don' wanna wake him up. B. A.'s like a grouchy ol' bear in th' mornin'. If yer real quiet, ya can stay. Can ya be real quiet?"
Both young heads bobbed up and down in solemn agreement.
"I think I know th' answer t' this already but who are ya 'n' why're ya here waitin' fer me t' wake up?" The pilot cocked his head and waited for an answer. His smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.
The siblings glanced at each other. The boy spoke first. "I'm Antonio Cazador and this's my little sister Mia. Grampa said we could stay in here so long as we didn't bother you. That big guy in the chair said the same thing." Tonio warily scanned B. A. to see if he was still sleeping, then turned his attention back to Murdock. "Grampa's been telling us all about you. He said you're a pilot."
Murdock noted with amusement the way Tonio's eyes brightened and his voice rose in pitch with excitement as he said the last sentence.
"Well, I don' have my pilot's license anymore but I do know my way 'round a cockpit, both planes and choppers. Ya like flyin'?"
Before the boy could say anything, Mia stuck her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Does a cat meow? That's all he ever talks about."
Murdock smiled at her. "I take it yer brother's the one that owns that book over there? Then you mus' be th' one that likes 'Peter Pan.'" He broke into a grin as her eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. "Well, I gotta admit ol' Peter Pan's one o' my fav'rites, too. I saw th' book in yer Grampa's library."
He watched as Tonio retraced his steps to the chair, giving B. A. a wide berth, and retrieved the book they had been reading. "Grampa got me this book for my birthday last year. I bet you've flown every one of these. Do ya wanna see it?" The ten-year-old handed it to Murdock, then stepped back.
"Ya can' see th' pictures if ya stand way over there, can ya?" The pilot patted the bed beside him. "C'mon, th' two of ya. I'll tell ya which ones I know 'bout 'n' maybe some o' th' stunts I did in 'em."
His gaze fell on B. A. He couldn't be certain but it almost looked as if the black man was stifling a smile.
He's breathin' like he's 'wake, not sleepin'. Huh! Th' ol' softie.
Tonio boosted his sister up on the bed on Murdock's right side and then he walked around and sat beside the pilot on his left. Once the two children were settled in their places, leaning in toward him so that they could see the photos, he opened the book to the first page.
He opened his mouth to read but before he could say the first word, Tonio interrupted him. "Grampa says he asked you if you'd give me flying lessons." The boy turned to peek at Murdock. "He said your records say you're one of the best pilots in the whole world."
The youngster gaped at him with such an obvious expression of genuine respect, almost awe, that Murdock felt an embarrassed flush burn across his face.
"Well, I dunno if I'm one o' the best. I mean, there's a whole lotta pilots in th' world." He riffled the pages of the book with his thumb, forcing himself to focus on that action and not Tonio's admiring gaze.
What would he think if he knew how I lost my license?
He was surprised how much that mattered to him.
"How many of them flew in a lead position with the Thunderbirds? How many of them have half the medals and honors you got in Vietnam?"
The pilot glanced sharply at Tonio. "Your Grampa tol' ya all o' that?"
The youngster nodded, the reverence still reflected in his eyes.
Murdock had to admit to himself that his flying background and military career would sound impressive to a boy of Tonio's age. He was flattered that the boy's grandfather thought so highly of his talents.
I wonder how much Mister Cazador tol' him 'bout me. What'd this boy think if he knew how bad off I was when I came home from th' war.
Remembering that he hadn't told Cazador the full story behind his hospitalization, he shrugged the praise off.
"Had my share o' crashes 'n' botched missions, too. 'N' somehow, some folks high up in th' military ranks thought I did good 'nough sometimes t' get a medal." He waved a hand as if to brush away any further talk. "How 'bout we look at th' book now? Yer sister's gettin' tired o' waitin' for us t' stop yakkin'."
He wasn't lying. Mia had crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyebrows were knit together in a deep frown and her lower lip stuck out in a pout.
Tonio ignored his sister. "Grampa says you can teach me everything I need to know and then some." He took in a breath and blurted, "So will you? Will you teach me how to fly planes and choppers, Captain Murdock? Will you?"
For several seconds Murdock couldn't speak. Finally he stammered, "I . . . I haven't . . . "
"He ain' had the time ta think about it. That's what he's tryin' ta say."
Three heads swiveled toward the black man in the chair.
B. A. pointed at the two children. "An' I told you two not ta wake him up. What'd I say? Ya wake him up an' bother him . . . "
Mia's pout disappeared. Her lower lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. Pressing closer to Murdock, she was so focused on the Sergeant's angry demeanor she didn't notice the pilot's arm encircle her shoulders in a defensive move.
Tonio sat up straighter and glanced up at Murdock. Seeing that, the Captain patted the boy on his shoulder and absently let his hand rest there.
That ain' fair t' these kids. 'N' I don' need a bodyguard anymore.
"They ain' botherin' me, Big Guy. 'N' they didn' wake me up. I woke up on my own." Murdock felt color flush into his cheeks. "I like havin' 'em here. Least they ain' actin' like I'm too nuts t' live in th' real world 'r fly 'r have a job that pays me t' do it."
As he glared at B. A., he knew his words stung his friend. He saw it in the way the man seemed to lose most of his bluster. But he suddenly realized why Mister Cazador had his respect and these children made him feel important. Being well enough to make it in the real world was the eventual aim of all his therapy and hospitalization for the past ten years.
Ain' it? 'N' that's why I'm gonna tell Mister Cazador I want th' job if he's still offerin' it. It don't hafta change what I do with th' guys . . . not much anyways . . .
oooooo
B. A. rarely saw Murdock in so foul of a temper that he would lash out at him. The way the pilot loosely hugged the little girl to his side and reassured the boy by placing his hand on the kid's shoulder should have warned the Sergeant he had gone too far when he reprimanded Cazador's grandchildren.
But the boy's talkin' about that job offer and Murdock still ain' in no frame of mind ta be thinkin' about it.
He wasn't one to back down from a confrontation and normally he would have found something to say in reply. The look the pilot leveled at him took the fight out of him. Murdock glared at him as if demanding he apologize to the kids for scaring them.
Fool oughta know by now I won't hurt them. I work with kids all the time at the youth center. Kids like me.
It was best to smooth things over even though he did not have Face's gift of words to do it. Licking his lips, he tried. "Look, kids. Captain Murdock's gotta rest so he heals up faster. That's all I meant."
Saying the pilot's rank and name instead of referring to him as the 'crazy fool' felt foreign to him. The kids seemed to like Murdock a lot and he wasn't about to make enemies of them.
The boy relaxed but Mia still shrank close to Murdock's side, letting his arm around her protect her. One tear spilled down her cheek and B. A. saw she trembled ever so slightly.
Murdock noticed the same thing. Letting her snuggle against his ribs, tightening his hold around her shoulders, the pilot gave B. A. a cold hard stare before turning to Mia.
"Don' worry 'bout th' big ugly mudsucker, sweetie. 'S long as I'm here, he ain' gonna kick either o' ya outta this room." He hissed at the Sergeant, "Are ya, B. A.?
B. A. tried one more time to soften the anger in Murdock's expression. "Look, man. It was Hannibal's orders I let ya sleep as long as ya needed. The kids here've been quiet up t' now."
"I'm done sleepin' for a while. If anyone's makin' noise 'n' botherin' me, it's you." Murdock's anger dissolved and he sighed heavily. "Maybe you oughta leave th' room."
"Hannibal said . . . "
"Screw that. Jus' tell Hann'bal I'm 'wake now 'n' I need t' talk t' him 'n' Mister Cazador."
As he stood to go and find the Colonel, the black man cast one more look at the pilot. His arms around the shoulders of both children, Murdock watched B. A. in protective silence. The Sergeant shook his head and walked out.
Hope Hannibal can talk reason inta the fool. I sure can't.