Last Chapter of this part of the story. Hope you like it.

"What a mission!" Murdock revelled.

For what reason ever, Hannibal had given them a few hours off. So he and BA had decided to eat out. They had just finished, and Murdock was rubbing his belly. BA grunted what might have been an agreement. "Wonder, what this mission's about. It can't be just hopping into a chopper and spending a few nice hours in Hue." Murdock looked at BA for further agreement. BA grunted something. Murdock took it as yes. "I mean, not that it would be completely unlike Hannibal. But... till now we've been having a nice flight," BA grunted, this time clearly in protest "We have been having a nice flight," Murdock insisted. "Then Hannibal sent us away and we've been eating way too much. – Is that a mission?" BA shook his head. "I mean, if Hannibal had a girl here – which might be so – he wouldn't have forced you onto the chopper. He wouldn't even have forced me to fly him over here."

"As if it needed force to make you fly anywhere," BA said, trying his fiercest look on Murdock.

Murdock, unimpressed by it, smiled broadly and fluttered his eyelashes. There was a point for BA.

"What ever, it's time to meet him," BA reminded, pointing at his watch.

"You mean, I have to move?" Murdock looked down at himself doubtfully. "I can't move!"

"You must, now get started." BA shoved back his chair and looked threateningly down at Murdock.

Murdock sighed. He knew BA wasn't reacting as conciliatory to his antics as most of the other guys. So he got up and followed BA along.

Hannibal was already there, waiting. He looked different somehow. Much more alive than he had in months. Something very, very good must have happened. He came almost running toward them with that gleam in his eyes that he hadn't had since... since before they got caught.

"Colonel?" Murdock asked.

"I got great news. Oh, so great news!"

BA drew a face, looking at Murdock, and Murdock just looked. To him Hannibal appeared like a five-year-old on Christmas morning.

"Come on. – You may be a little shocked in the beginning, God knows I was, but it's still good news. It's fantastic! – Almost there." Hannibal led them around a corner, and there he stopped, in front of the military-hospital of Hue.

"What?" BA asked.

"A hospital is our good news? Hannibal, what we gonna do here?" Murdock asked. There was a note of uneasiness in his voice.

"We gonna visit a friend," Hannibal answered, trying desperately to sound casual, but failing all along the line. He simply beamed and led the way. Once inside he saw Face nowhere. – Had he gone nuts now himself and only made Face up? No, there he was. Face had just gone back to bed. Hannibal walked, actually almost jumped, over to him.

"Hey, Face, missed me?" he asked.

BA and Murdock stopped dead. Face. BA came back to life first. "Faceman! That really you?" He came to embrace his long lost friend. "Man, I can't believe it! How you doin', little buddy? Man it's good ta see ya!" He hugged him again, and tight. He didn't notice the tension in Face, as he embraced him. Only when he let go again, he saw a quick tense expression. But it was gone so quickly, he doubted his perception and put it aside.

Now Murdock woke from his catatonics. "Hi, Face," he just said.

Hannibal looked in disbelief. Murdock had suffered so much from Face's absence, he'd expected some Indian joy-dance at least. But nothing. Just a weak "hi, Face". What was wrong there?

What Hannibal didn't know: Murdock had problems seeing Face, the real one. His mind was playing tricks on him. All he saw was Face, starved and covered in blood all over. And it wasn't just blood, he saw, now that his brain gave him the chance to watch the picture engraved in his mind a bit longer. There were bruises, hundreds of them. Poor Faceman, what did they do?

"Hey, Murdock."

Murdock blinked. And now Face was finally there. He looked a lot better than two months ago. – Or just two seconds ago, as far as Murdock was concerned. "Jesus, Faceman, how... You gettin' any better?" He had to be, he looked better at any rate.

"Docs say so." Face studied him with a piercing look, that almost made Murock squirm. "And you?"

"Me?" Murdock played innocent. "Why would I need to get any better, I'm fine."

To Be Continued in "Eventually Hell - Kid"