A Mother's Love - Part Twenty Five
Nov. 1st, 2011 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
indigo_angelsIt took Face twenty minutes to relay the whole story to Hannibal, and then the boss leant back in his chair, idly knocking the vial of Echinacea backwards and forwards between his palms. “I don’t understand it,” he admitted to Face eventually. “He’s been so well for so long, what the hell has triggered this episode now?”
Face shrugged, but he had an awful idea he knew exactly what had caused it.
“Face...” Hannibal warned, knowing that look only too well. “What aren’t you telling me? Has he been skipping his meds?”
Looking up, Face frowned, “No! Of course not, you know he wouldn’t do that, but... well...” he met Hannibal’s gaze, “I think it’s Adele.”
“Adele?” Hannibal’s frown was deep, “What the hell do you mean by that?”
Face dropped his head into his hands and rubbed through his hair. “The thing in the basket, whatever the hell he thought it was, he said it was after me, wanted to drink my blood or something equally gross.” He forced himself to look up, “I think it’s some kind of transference of this whole business with Adele, I think he’s worried that she’s going to hurt me.”
Hannibal rolled the vial between his palms as he considered that, but, knowing more about Murdock’s knowledge of the situation than Face did, he doubted it. Yes, the pilot was concerned about Face and Adele and what she intended for him, more than Face would ever know, but he also had a job to do, a job that involved finding out what her game was and protecting Face from her plans, and as such, he wouldn’t let himself slip away like that leaving the job undone. Murdock was stronger, far more stubborn than that, there must be something else, some other trigger that had kicked him back, let all his anxiety come out like that. And Hannibal knew that if he just thought about it hard enough, trawled through the events of the last few days carefully enough, then he would find it.
______________________
Eddie Charing sighed and lent back in his seat as he slid his phone closed, his mind in a whirl. That was the fifth contact he’d spoken to now. He might not have fancy, secret, CIA contacts like Silas did, but he did have plenty of army ones, and plenty of army ones who had been in the FOB that night that Smith’s team had brought the plates back. And it was strange, because all of his army contacts were telling him the same thing, he looked back over his notes, yes, exactly the same thing over and over again. Eddie chewed the end his pencil and mulled all this over.
Silas thought he was stupid, a great, fat stupid waste of time, and, come to it, so did Adele. He frowned at that thought, he’d known Adele ever since she’d come to New York, helped her out more times than he ever cared to remember, and what did that ever get him from her? Nothing, nothing but scorn and ridicule. He flushed. Yes, he accepted that maybe Adele was a little out of his league now, he might have grown a little too much around the waist for her liking over the years, but still, he felt she at least owed him her friendship. And as it was he looked like has wasn’t even going to get his fee for finding Danny for her, for tracking down the elusive and evasive A-Team, you would think she’d have been impressed with him over that.
But no, because then Silas appeared, Silas with his flash car and fancy suits and trim, hard body. Silas who would slit your throat as soon as look at you, and who Eddie didn’t trust one, tiny little bit. So, that’s why he had dug out these old army buddies, tapped them for information that they really didn’t want to give. He didn’t trust Silas’ story, none of this felt right, and if he was honest with himself, it never had done. So Eddie was going to do some digging of his own, see what he could find out about their elusive partner, and this, yet-to-be-seen money. Maybe if Eddie uncovered Silas for the rat he was, maybe then Adele would realise what a good friend he was to her. Maybe it would even go further than that, maybe Adele would realise that she was in love with him...
The bell above the door of the diner he was in rang as an old lady shuffled in with all her shopping bags and Eddie shook himself back to reality. Well, he would hold onto that particular dream for another day, but right now he had three more contacts to chase up, and then he’d see what picture that painted of the oh-so-smart-Silas Pike.
_______________________________
Face slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and by the time he roused himself, the cold meds were doing their job and he felt a little bit more human, even if that was a rather snotty, stuffed up, human. He pulled some old PT trousers on and, barefoot and still in Hannibal’s sweatshirt, wandered downstairs following the sound of the cartoons he could hear in the den.
He peeped in through the door, to find the other three members of his family sitting in companionable silence while the TV flashed multi coloured lights on the walls. Hannibal was in the chair in the corner, sock clad feet up on the coffee table while he puzzled over the crossword in the paper. BA was on the sofa, leaning up against the arm rest in jeans and a t-shirt with the arms ripped off. Murdock, pale and covered with a fleece blanket was next to him, tucked against his side, eyes fixed on Road Runner.
“Hey,” Face greeted them, padding in and flopping down at the opposite end of the sofa to BA.
“Hey, kid,” Hannibal put his crossword down, “You feeling any better?”
“Yeah,” Face replied, flashing a genuine smile, “think it’s just a cold, not man-flu this time.”
Hannibal laughed and went back to his puzzle as Murdock sheepishly shuffled from BA’s side to Face’s, sliding under the arm Face lifted for him and leaning in as Face let it wrap around his shoulders.
“You okay there, buddy?” he asked quietly, quickly running his eyes over his friend, pleased to note he wasn’t shaking or sweating.
“Yeah,” Murdock answered, looking awkward and uncomfortable, “I’m sorry I made such an ass of myself earlier, Face...”
“Hey!” Face protested, squeezing Murdock tightly to his side. “Don’t speak like that; you know that’s not what happened at all.”
“Well, it won’t happen again,” Murdock mumbled quietly and Face dropped a kiss onto the top of his head as he curled into Face’s stomach and went back to watching the cartoons.
__________________________________
The following morning felt a little like Groundhog Day to Face as he awoke to find Hannibal’s hand on his forehead again, and the boss, fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You going out, boss?” he mumbled as he forced sleep from his mind and struggled to sit up against the pillows.
“Just a couple of errands to run,” Hannibal told him, smiling at his sleep befuddled expression. “How are you feeling? You seemed to sleep better last night.”
Face tested himself out and then returned Hannibal’s smile. “Yeah. Better, throat’s not so bad, don’t feel as hot today.”
“No,” Hannibal agreed, “you don’t.” He stood up. “Well, I’ve brought you breakfast and tablets and coffee and those stupid drops you like,” Face pouted, “and BA is keeping an eye on Murdock so you just stay here and take it easy right?”
That sounded like heaven to Face, but it also felt a little idle. “You sure?” he offered half heartedly, “I could be ready in ten if you want some company.”
“No, it’s fine,” Hannibal reassured him, stooping to press a firm kiss to his sleep dry lips. “You stay here and fight off that man-flu and I’ll be back in time for lunch okay?”
Face slumped back into the pillows, easily convinced, but stuck his tongue out at Hannibal all the same as the boss just laughed at him and let himself out of the bedroom.
__________________________
Face drank his coffee and took his meds and then decided to go back to sleep. He had absolutely no idea he had been out for when he was suddenly bolt upright in the bed, desperate shouting yanking him from his dreams and as he worked out the words being yelled and the person yelling them, he stumbled to his feet at once and starting staggering, still half asleep, down the corridor.
“What?” he yelled, almost falling as he burst in through Murdock’s bedroom door, “What is it?”
Murdock was laid on the bed, flat on his back; eyes closed and dried vomit all around his mouth. The smell of yet more vomit hit Face in the gut as he dashed to the side of the bed and dropped to his knees facing BA. “What?!” he repeated, yelling louder to get through BA’s funk, “Report, corporal!”
That worked and BA instantly stopped in his frantic checking over of Murdock’s body to hold Face’s eyes.
“I jus’ came in here a coupla minutes ago and found him laid in a pile o’ sick, his pulse is slow an’ all over the place Faceman, an’ I saw these on the nightstand...”
Face’s eyes flicked from Murdock’s still, pale form to the blister pack of tablets in BA’s hand, the empty blister pack.
“Oh, fucking hell!” Face exploded, snatching the packet from BA’s hand. “He’s taken how many?! Shit, I checked these last night myself; he had a whole packet left! What the fuck has he done?!”
Face instantly started to move Murdock round into the recovery position, checking his airway was clear and then finding a pulse and counting slowly.
“Oh, man...” BA breathed, pale even under his dark complexion. “You think he done took them all on purpose?”
Face looked up, clearly startled. “You mean...?” he couldn’t even bring himself to say it, not even when BA nodded solemnly. “No,” Face said with a conviction forged out of almost eleven years of close friendship. “He said last night he would make sure he didn’t have another episode, I think he just took too many tablets to try and prevent it.” Face was finishing up with his examination of Murdock and BA watched his expression carefully, knowing he didn’t like what he’d found.
“It’s bad aint it, Face?” Face just nodded. “We’re gonna have to take him to hospital right?”
“Right...”
“Oh, Jesus, man...” BA dropped his head into his hands. “We may as well jus’ take him back to that place in Mexico or Germany ourselves then!”
“Not necessarily,” Face muttered getting to his feet. “Get him ready to move out. Hannibal will have the Chevy, we’ll have to take the van, I’ll see you down there in five minutes.”
BA watched him go then turned to the man in the bed, “Okay brother, let’s get you ready.”
____________________________
BA had been waiting with the engine ticking over for almost three minutes before Face finally appeared, dressed in green herringbone trousers, plain white shirt with a heavy brown tie and a Harris tweed jacket. His hair was slicked down and parted at the centre and he wore a pair of thick framed spectacles. In his hand he had a battered old leather briefcase and BA managed to stare at him incredulously even as he pulled out of the driveway. “What the hell, man?” he asked.
“Cover,” Face answered distractedly from where he was anxiously hovering over Murdock in the back, “I’ve got a new i.d. here for him, James Taylor, and I’m his brother, Joshua.”
BA put his foot down as they pulled onto the main road, driving as fast as he could without attracting any unwanted attention. “Well, that aint gonna work, Face!” he exclaimed frustratedly, “They need to know the truth! You can’t admit him pumped full o’drugs and seein’ monsters in linen bins and not tell anyone! They won’t treat him right!”
Face kept his eyes on Murdock but lifted the briefcase up for BA to see. “Mental health history, eleven years of drugs records, inpatient stays, even a mention of yesterday’s episode all in here, BA. Along with insurance, passport and birth certificate...” He met BA’s eyes with his own hard stare. “What did you think? That I’m just some idiot who would pack him off and let them pump him full of new drugs?” Face shook his head and turned away, dumping the briefcase back on the floor of the van.
“I’m sorry,” BA muttered as they finally joined the freeway, “I just...” he looked at Face in the mirror again, “You had all that ready? The clothes? Documents? Everythin’?”
Face shrugged and rubbed at his forehead, “Yeah... Always worried something like this would happen.”
BA shook his head, “I’m sorry Face, that’s really impressive...”
“It’s only impressive if it damn well works,” Face muttered under his breath and they drove on in silence,
“You got one of those packs for me?” BA eventually asked as they turned off for the hospital.
“Yeah,” Face admitted, the tiniest corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.
“What’s my name, then?” BA asked, trying to sound like he really didn’t want to know.
“Boston,” Face admitted, schooling his expression into bland neutrality as he looked up at BA, “Boston Clayton.”
“Oh, hell, man,” BA moaned as he pulled into the hospital grounds, “You made me sound like a damn porn star...”
Next
Face shrugged, but he had an awful idea he knew exactly what had caused it.
“Face...” Hannibal warned, knowing that look only too well. “What aren’t you telling me? Has he been skipping his meds?”
Looking up, Face frowned, “No! Of course not, you know he wouldn’t do that, but... well...” he met Hannibal’s gaze, “I think it’s Adele.”
“Adele?” Hannibal’s frown was deep, “What the hell do you mean by that?”
Face dropped his head into his hands and rubbed through his hair. “The thing in the basket, whatever the hell he thought it was, he said it was after me, wanted to drink my blood or something equally gross.” He forced himself to look up, “I think it’s some kind of transference of this whole business with Adele, I think he’s worried that she’s going to hurt me.”
Hannibal rolled the vial between his palms as he considered that, but, knowing more about Murdock’s knowledge of the situation than Face did, he doubted it. Yes, the pilot was concerned about Face and Adele and what she intended for him, more than Face would ever know, but he also had a job to do, a job that involved finding out what her game was and protecting Face from her plans, and as such, he wouldn’t let himself slip away like that leaving the job undone. Murdock was stronger, far more stubborn than that, there must be something else, some other trigger that had kicked him back, let all his anxiety come out like that. And Hannibal knew that if he just thought about it hard enough, trawled through the events of the last few days carefully enough, then he would find it.
______________________
Eddie Charing sighed and lent back in his seat as he slid his phone closed, his mind in a whirl. That was the fifth contact he’d spoken to now. He might not have fancy, secret, CIA contacts like Silas did, but he did have plenty of army ones, and plenty of army ones who had been in the FOB that night that Smith’s team had brought the plates back. And it was strange, because all of his army contacts were telling him the same thing, he looked back over his notes, yes, exactly the same thing over and over again. Eddie chewed the end his pencil and mulled all this over.
Silas thought he was stupid, a great, fat stupid waste of time, and, come to it, so did Adele. He frowned at that thought, he’d known Adele ever since she’d come to New York, helped her out more times than he ever cared to remember, and what did that ever get him from her? Nothing, nothing but scorn and ridicule. He flushed. Yes, he accepted that maybe Adele was a little out of his league now, he might have grown a little too much around the waist for her liking over the years, but still, he felt she at least owed him her friendship. And as it was he looked like has wasn’t even going to get his fee for finding Danny for her, for tracking down the elusive and evasive A-Team, you would think she’d have been impressed with him over that.
But no, because then Silas appeared, Silas with his flash car and fancy suits and trim, hard body. Silas who would slit your throat as soon as look at you, and who Eddie didn’t trust one, tiny little bit. So, that’s why he had dug out these old army buddies, tapped them for information that they really didn’t want to give. He didn’t trust Silas’ story, none of this felt right, and if he was honest with himself, it never had done. So Eddie was going to do some digging of his own, see what he could find out about their elusive partner, and this, yet-to-be-seen money. Maybe if Eddie uncovered Silas for the rat he was, maybe then Adele would realise what a good friend he was to her. Maybe it would even go further than that, maybe Adele would realise that she was in love with him...
The bell above the door of the diner he was in rang as an old lady shuffled in with all her shopping bags and Eddie shook himself back to reality. Well, he would hold onto that particular dream for another day, but right now he had three more contacts to chase up, and then he’d see what picture that painted of the oh-so-smart-Silas Pike.
_______________________________
Face slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and by the time he roused himself, the cold meds were doing their job and he felt a little bit more human, even if that was a rather snotty, stuffed up, human. He pulled some old PT trousers on and, barefoot and still in Hannibal’s sweatshirt, wandered downstairs following the sound of the cartoons he could hear in the den.
He peeped in through the door, to find the other three members of his family sitting in companionable silence while the TV flashed multi coloured lights on the walls. Hannibal was in the chair in the corner, sock clad feet up on the coffee table while he puzzled over the crossword in the paper. BA was on the sofa, leaning up against the arm rest in jeans and a t-shirt with the arms ripped off. Murdock, pale and covered with a fleece blanket was next to him, tucked against his side, eyes fixed on Road Runner.
“Hey,” Face greeted them, padding in and flopping down at the opposite end of the sofa to BA.
“Hey, kid,” Hannibal put his crossword down, “You feeling any better?”
“Yeah,” Face replied, flashing a genuine smile, “think it’s just a cold, not man-flu this time.”
Hannibal laughed and went back to his puzzle as Murdock sheepishly shuffled from BA’s side to Face’s, sliding under the arm Face lifted for him and leaning in as Face let it wrap around his shoulders.
“You okay there, buddy?” he asked quietly, quickly running his eyes over his friend, pleased to note he wasn’t shaking or sweating.
“Yeah,” Murdock answered, looking awkward and uncomfortable, “I’m sorry I made such an ass of myself earlier, Face...”
“Hey!” Face protested, squeezing Murdock tightly to his side. “Don’t speak like that; you know that’s not what happened at all.”
“Well, it won’t happen again,” Murdock mumbled quietly and Face dropped a kiss onto the top of his head as he curled into Face’s stomach and went back to watching the cartoons.
__________________________________
The following morning felt a little like Groundhog Day to Face as he awoke to find Hannibal’s hand on his forehead again, and the boss, fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You going out, boss?” he mumbled as he forced sleep from his mind and struggled to sit up against the pillows.
“Just a couple of errands to run,” Hannibal told him, smiling at his sleep befuddled expression. “How are you feeling? You seemed to sleep better last night.”
Face tested himself out and then returned Hannibal’s smile. “Yeah. Better, throat’s not so bad, don’t feel as hot today.”
“No,” Hannibal agreed, “you don’t.” He stood up. “Well, I’ve brought you breakfast and tablets and coffee and those stupid drops you like,” Face pouted, “and BA is keeping an eye on Murdock so you just stay here and take it easy right?”
That sounded like heaven to Face, but it also felt a little idle. “You sure?” he offered half heartedly, “I could be ready in ten if you want some company.”
“No, it’s fine,” Hannibal reassured him, stooping to press a firm kiss to his sleep dry lips. “You stay here and fight off that man-flu and I’ll be back in time for lunch okay?”
Face slumped back into the pillows, easily convinced, but stuck his tongue out at Hannibal all the same as the boss just laughed at him and let himself out of the bedroom.
__________________________
Face drank his coffee and took his meds and then decided to go back to sleep. He had absolutely no idea he had been out for when he was suddenly bolt upright in the bed, desperate shouting yanking him from his dreams and as he worked out the words being yelled and the person yelling them, he stumbled to his feet at once and starting staggering, still half asleep, down the corridor.
“What?” he yelled, almost falling as he burst in through Murdock’s bedroom door, “What is it?”
Murdock was laid on the bed, flat on his back; eyes closed and dried vomit all around his mouth. The smell of yet more vomit hit Face in the gut as he dashed to the side of the bed and dropped to his knees facing BA. “What?!” he repeated, yelling louder to get through BA’s funk, “Report, corporal!”
That worked and BA instantly stopped in his frantic checking over of Murdock’s body to hold Face’s eyes.
“I jus’ came in here a coupla minutes ago and found him laid in a pile o’ sick, his pulse is slow an’ all over the place Faceman, an’ I saw these on the nightstand...”
Face’s eyes flicked from Murdock’s still, pale form to the blister pack of tablets in BA’s hand, the empty blister pack.
“Oh, fucking hell!” Face exploded, snatching the packet from BA’s hand. “He’s taken how many?! Shit, I checked these last night myself; he had a whole packet left! What the fuck has he done?!”
Face instantly started to move Murdock round into the recovery position, checking his airway was clear and then finding a pulse and counting slowly.
“Oh, man...” BA breathed, pale even under his dark complexion. “You think he done took them all on purpose?”
Face looked up, clearly startled. “You mean...?” he couldn’t even bring himself to say it, not even when BA nodded solemnly. “No,” Face said with a conviction forged out of almost eleven years of close friendship. “He said last night he would make sure he didn’t have another episode, I think he just took too many tablets to try and prevent it.” Face was finishing up with his examination of Murdock and BA watched his expression carefully, knowing he didn’t like what he’d found.
“It’s bad aint it, Face?” Face just nodded. “We’re gonna have to take him to hospital right?”
“Right...”
“Oh, Jesus, man...” BA dropped his head into his hands. “We may as well jus’ take him back to that place in Mexico or Germany ourselves then!”
“Not necessarily,” Face muttered getting to his feet. “Get him ready to move out. Hannibal will have the Chevy, we’ll have to take the van, I’ll see you down there in five minutes.”
BA watched him go then turned to the man in the bed, “Okay brother, let’s get you ready.”
____________________________
BA had been waiting with the engine ticking over for almost three minutes before Face finally appeared, dressed in green herringbone trousers, plain white shirt with a heavy brown tie and a Harris tweed jacket. His hair was slicked down and parted at the centre and he wore a pair of thick framed spectacles. In his hand he had a battered old leather briefcase and BA managed to stare at him incredulously even as he pulled out of the driveway. “What the hell, man?” he asked.
“Cover,” Face answered distractedly from where he was anxiously hovering over Murdock in the back, “I’ve got a new i.d. here for him, James Taylor, and I’m his brother, Joshua.”
BA put his foot down as they pulled onto the main road, driving as fast as he could without attracting any unwanted attention. “Well, that aint gonna work, Face!” he exclaimed frustratedly, “They need to know the truth! You can’t admit him pumped full o’drugs and seein’ monsters in linen bins and not tell anyone! They won’t treat him right!”
Face kept his eyes on Murdock but lifted the briefcase up for BA to see. “Mental health history, eleven years of drugs records, inpatient stays, even a mention of yesterday’s episode all in here, BA. Along with insurance, passport and birth certificate...” He met BA’s eyes with his own hard stare. “What did you think? That I’m just some idiot who would pack him off and let them pump him full of new drugs?” Face shook his head and turned away, dumping the briefcase back on the floor of the van.
“I’m sorry,” BA muttered as they finally joined the freeway, “I just...” he looked at Face in the mirror again, “You had all that ready? The clothes? Documents? Everythin’?”
Face shrugged and rubbed at his forehead, “Yeah... Always worried something like this would happen.”
BA shook his head, “I’m sorry Face, that’s really impressive...”
“It’s only impressive if it damn well works,” Face muttered under his breath and they drove on in silence,
“You got one of those packs for me?” BA eventually asked as they turned off for the hospital.
“Yeah,” Face admitted, the tiniest corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.
“What’s my name, then?” BA asked, trying to sound like he really didn’t want to know.
“Boston,” Face admitted, schooling his expression into bland neutrality as he looked up at BA, “Boston Clayton.”
“Oh, hell, man,” BA moaned as he pulled into the hospital grounds, “You made me sound like a damn porn star...”
Next
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Date: 2011-11-02 09:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-02 10:34 pm (UTC)