Rescue Mission: Recovery

[notjustaface]

As far as hiding places go, there are worse places to recuperate than a hotel in Mumbai. At least it's quiet (for a developed city in India) the boss has been content to let Murdock take after him until he can make his way around the small room on his crutches without difficulty.

He's standing by the window, watching the city sprawl out around them when the door opens, expecting Murdock to be returning from the nearby market. "Oh, did you bring back any books this time?"

"I'm afraid I haven't got much in the way of reading material." Hannibal replies with a shallow half-laugh.

"Sorry, Boss, thought Murdock came back."

"Not yet." Hannibal shakes his head when Face turns toward him and crutches toward the end of the bed. "Good to see you up and about."

"Yeah, well... you know how it is. I'll be back on my feet in no time."

A long silence passes between them as Face settles himself at the foot of the firm bed, watching the colonel with thinly veiled interest. It was clear he didn't come to check on him, there was always something else.

Finally, Hannibal says; "We need to talk about Baghdad."

"Really? Because I was under the impression that job was done - with a ten thousand dollar bonus I might add."

"You killed an officer..."

"Who was aiming to take down the chopper! I saved your ass!"

Hannibal frowns deeper; "Your orders were shoot to disarm."

"I couldn't get a better shot, colonel. I made the right call."

A long silence falls between them before Hannibal says; "Murdock disobeyed a direct order when he waited before taking off."

"He doesn't believe in leaving a man behind. None of us do." He raises his eyes up to their leader; "At least I never thought you did."

"We all knew it had to be an option on this one..."

"You're seriously not still making a big deal out of thirty seconds..." Face shakes his head; "He made a decision and everything worked out fine."

"Thirty seconds our whole team was in danger, two civilians..."

"Well... it worked out fine." He shrugs, leaning back on his arms. "And you really need to back up off Murdock about it. He did the right thing."

"He did the stupid thing. You two are a liability the way you're carrying on..."

"Oh!" He says loudly, rolling his eyes; "Now I see what you're really talking about here. This isn't about Baghdad... this is about you hating our relationship!"

"I don't hate it, damn it Peck..." Hannibal sits down heavily in the single chair in the room, glaring at him; "I hate that you two can't look beyond yourselves and see the bigger picture."

"I see the big picture just fine. I see this being over, I see us getting out of this..."

"Until we clear our names..."

Laughing loudly, Face shakes his head. "You don't get it, do you? I'm ready to walk away. The only reason I came back is because Murdock is convinced it's right thing to do and that you can actually fix things."

"That is just like you..." He scowls, "always ready to cut and run when things get tough."

He shrugs again; "I just call it like I see it, boss. There's no way out of this mess. They're just gonna keep coming after us until we have no choice."

"Always so pessimistic... we can do this! We have people on our side, people that know what happened to us was wrong!"

"Fine," Face sighs, "you know what, you keep believing that. And, you know, I'm not going anywhere because Murdock believes that and I'm gonna watch his back." He leans back on the bed, swallowing hard; "If you can't stand the fact that we're gonna watch out for each other, then cut us loose, Colonel. I'll leave that on your hands, but you need to just get over what happened in Baghdad."

Hannibal doesn't respond. He stands up slowly and shakes his head, silently passing by Murdock as he leaves their room to go back to his own.

Comments

[notthatcrazy]

He watches Hannibal go before setting aside his market finds and taking a seat on the bed.

"That could have gone better."

Though he supposes it could have gone worse too.

"How's your leg?"

[notjustaface]

"You heard that, huh?" He asks with a low sigh, eyes still closed against the frustration.

"It's fine. Ankle hurts a little, but it's fine."

[notthatcrazy]

"A little, yeah."

He leans back beside him, picking at a frayed spot on the hem of his t-shirt.

"Thanks for stickin' up for me."

[notjustaface]

It doesn't take him long to respond with a reserved sigh.

"Someone should. You did the right thing... and if he's just gonna pick on you there's no sense in us bein' here."

[notthatcrazy]

"It's okay, man."

He leans against him slightly.

"I know you're only here because I wanted to come back, but I'm still glad you are."

[notjustaface]

Opening his eyes, Face turns his head to look at him - quiet for a long moment.

"I'm glad I'm with you."

[notthatcrazy]

He turns to look at him, eyes wide and unusually serious.

"You think we did the right thing comin' back?"

Ordinarily he'd never even have questioned it - you don't leave your unit when they need you. Ever since they left Montreal, though, he hasn't seen any indication that they've been anything other than an imposition.

[notjustaface]

To anyone else, he would have replied with an unflinching affirmative but Murdock knows him better than that. Instead he shrugs one shoulder and answers; "Doesn't really matter now, does it? We're here like it or not."

[notthatcrazy]

He nods.

"You feelin' okay? Been takin' your pills?"

He's been fussing over him since they left Baghdad, it seems like.

[notjustaface]

That's a turnabout question if there ever was one, it's usually his job to make sure Murdock's taking his pills.

"I'm fine." He grimaces slightly, he hasn't taken the pain killers in a couple days, trying to wean himself off them. "You know I hate pain killers."

[notthatcrazy]

And don't think he doesn't appreciate the irony.

"C'mere, lemme rub your back."

He's still got some pretty colorful bruises in various places.

"You need someone lookin' after you sometimes."

And to be completely honest, he enjoys taking care of him.

[notjustaface]

Particularly the flowered black and green spot where he was shot in the back.

"I don't..." he protests only a little, pushing up higher onto the bed with his arms before rolling onto his belly - his t-shirt pulling up just a little to show his lower back.

"But I'll take a back rub if you're handing them out..."

[notthatcrazy]

Sure you don't, Templeton.

"Only one," he teases. "And it's first come, first served."

He lays his hands on him, pushing up under his shirt.

"You're tense. Ain't gonna heal right all knotted up like this."

[notjustaface]

"Suppose I got lucky..." he murmurs, turning his head to flash a raised eyebrow.

The gentle slide of his familiar hand up his bruised back draws out a soft groan of approval.

"I've been up on the crutches most of the morning," he sighs; "hard not to be tense."

[notthatcrazy]

He raises an eyebrow right back at him. "I guess you did."

He nudges him up so he can gently peel off his shirt before rubbing him down a bit harder. He's careful not to put too much pressure on his bruised spots.

"Just lie back and let me take care of it."

[notjustaface]

"As you wish..." he murmurs, raising his hands up over his head.

"Just take it easy on my back, okay?" He's still not entirely sure the ribs were only bruised.

[notthatcrazy]

They didn't exactly have time for an x-ray. Still, they'll heal.

"I promise, babe."

It's a delicate balancing act, being gentle and tender enough not to hurt too much but still firm enough to work the tension out of sore muscles.

[notjustaface]

Letting himself relax, small groans rumble in his throat with the stroke of Murdock's strong hands.

"God I forget you know what you're doing with those fingers."

[notthatcrazy]

"Magic fingers, baby."

He sweeps his hands up Face's spine to rub his shoulders. Some of his usual easygoing cheerfulness is starting to return, little by little.

"And I ain't talkin' about the kind you get in cheap hotels."

[notjustaface]

Bending his good leg up for emphasis, he lets out a pleasured groan.

"Much better than any vibrating bed. Mmmm..."

Cheerfulness is hard to manage, but he can do contentedness and adoration.

[notthatcrazy]

"We can always make the bed vibrate ourselves."

He lets his hand stray down to Face's jeans-clad thigh for a moment before returning to his lower back.

He really does have talented fingers.

[notjustaface]

Encouraging the warm hand on his thigh with a much more throaty groan, he's almost sad to feel it move away to skirt over the tight waistband.

"You'll have to help me get my jeans off - they barely made it on this morning."

[notthatcrazy]

"I can do that."

He chuckles, patting him on the hip. "Turn over, sweetheart."

[notjustaface]

Turning over in itself is an exercise in not letting it show just how long it had been since he'd taken his pain killers as his weight brushed against the gauze covering his graze. Landing on his back, he let out a held breath.

"I... I think I managed that." He laughs, smiling over at him before popping open the button on his fly. "Did I earn more than a kiss?"

[notthatcrazy]

"Oooh yes."

He rests his hand on his his partner's hip again, taking the time to just look at him. Even a bit battered and worse for wear, he's still, well... beautiful.

"Let's take it nice and easy though... you look like you're still pretty sore."