Believe It or Not

Chapter 11

As the orderlies tried to restrain Howie and keep the rest of the patients calm Murdock snuck past the ward check in booth and out the door into the hall. Murdock stole a couple scrubs from a closet as he passed by and kneeled outside the phone booths as he slipped them over his clothes.

"Whatcha doing?" someone asked from behind him causing him to jump back and assume a fighting stance.

"Whoa," Jacob backed off raising his hands to show he meant no harm.

Murdock instantly let his guard down a bit and lowered his fists. "I could ask you the same thing," he responded observing his surroundings for any sign of stray orderlies.

After a moment of silence Jacob asked again, "Whatcha doing?"

Murdock sighed and glanced at him from over his shoulder, "investigating."

Jacob hesitated for a second and then asked, "Can I help?"

Murdock shrugged, "sure. Watch my back will ya?"

Jacob nodded, "Sure thing."

Jacob was good at keeping a look out while Murdock tried to find a key to unlock the record room. Even if a file was in use the hospital kept the originals of everything locked away while several copies were passed around by the doctors.

"Are you sure you want to help me?" Murdock asked Jacob who had remained a silent guard for the last few minutes.

"Yes," Jacob replied instantly.

"Even if I have to knock that guard out and steal his keys," Murdock stuck his thumb out in the direction of the lone guard by the stairwell door.

"Want me to do it for you?" Jacob asked his eyes bright with excitement.

Murdock laughed, "Nah, I can handle it. Just keep holding your post."

Murdock quickly snuck out behind the guard and skillfully knocked him out then dragged his limp body into the cleaning closet. He then motioned for Jacob to follow him down the hall. After making sure the coast was clear he tried the door to the record room only to find it unlocked.

Jacob snorted trying to hold back a laugh. "Better safe than sorry I guess."

Murdock smirked at him and then he knocked on the door. They both ran around the corner waiting to make sure no one was inside. When no one answered they quietly slipped into the room and locked the door behind them. The room was dark but enough light seeped through the high barred window that he could at least make out vague images.

"Here," Jacob said reaching into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight.

Murdock looked surprised but nodded back at him. They spent a couple minutes rummaging through several stacks of files and having thrown his own on the floor he looked at Jacob. "Hey, what's Sylvia's last name?"

He waited for Jacob to freak out on him but it never came.

"Kemp," Jacob replied from his seat on top of a desk.

Murdock quickly sifted through the K's and eventually pulled out Sylvia's file.

"Hey man, grab mine while you're at it." Jacob said tossing a paper weight back and forth between hands.

Murdock felt a slight twinge of guilt. He wasn't sure if Jacob realized he wasn't doing this with the intent of helping Sylvia. He was doing this to satisfy his own curiosity.

"I know she doesn't know and I'm not going to tell her. Whatever this is it's between you two. I just want to know what Wilson has to say about me." Jacob answered after seeing the look that had crossed Murdock's face.

Murdock was relieved that Jacob wasn't going to turn on him the second they got back. "Aren't you two friends though? Helping someone steal her file doesn't strike me as one of the golden rules of the best friends forever code."

Jacob looked at him and flashed him a grin.

Murdock was starting to question if he was sure he trusted the right person.

"Sylvia seems to trust you a lot," Murdock noted scooping up the files and putting them under his shirt.

Jacob laughed. "She knows better than to do that. I don't even trust myself."

With that said and Murdock's rising sense of unease they escaped the file room without any confrontation. They made it back to their ward before anyone got suspicious. He really owed Howie.

Murdock slipped the files under his mattress once he got back to his room. Jacob did the same with his own.

"I didn't mean to say anything that would put any bad blood between us. I'm not going to rat on your or anything." Jacob said as he lay back on his bed arms crossed behind his head.

Murdock only nodded. He wanted to be alone right then.

"I just don't want you seeing my file is all."

This caused Murdock's interest to peak. "You were spying on me?"

Jacob shrugged, "I wasn't really sure what you were doing but I don't want to risk it. I'm in enough trouble as is."

Murdock stared at him waiting for him to continue when he didn't he asked, "What kind?"

"Well, Georgia kind of fucked up a lot of things for me. It's not that I've done anything bad and I really want you to trust me but you can't trust Georgia. I can't trust her either."

"Will she know about the files?"

"No, thought and actions don't transfer. She doesn't know what I do like I don't know what she does."

Murdock looked unsure as he rocked back and forth on the edge of the bed.

"Don't worry buddy, I want to help you as much as I can but I'm also sorry you get such a shitty roommate."

For a moment he felt like he was talking to Face. He hadn't heard someone call him Buddy in a long time and it make his chest tighten. Jacob smiled at him and reached back under his mattress and handed him his file.

"Do you mind holding on to this for me?"

Murdock shook his head and took the file, "no problem."

"Thanks," Jacob said smiling at him again before getting up and exiting the room obviously having sensed Murdock's need to be alone.

Murdock collapsed back onto the bed and buried his face into the pillow. He wasn't sure what he was doing. When he'd decided to steal the files his mind had been foggy with a sense of betrayal after learning Sylvia knew about his team but once he'd gotten back to his room he couldn't help but feel horribly guilty for sneaking behind her back. It wasn't fair to her when she hadn't been anything but honest to him and he couldn't bear the thought of losing someone who trusted him. Not when she could possibly be the only person he had for a long time.

As Murdock pulled the pillow closer his hand grazed something that had been hiding under his pillow. He sat up and threw the pillow to the other side of the bed. He found a slightly crushed paper plane underneath it that hand "thank you," written across it in red crayon. On the corner it read, "open me" so he carefully unfolded it to find a stick figure drawing of Murdock flying him, Sylvia and Billy away from the hospital. He smiled down at the drawing quickly got up from the bed. He tucked Jacob's file and the drawing under his mattress and practically ran out the door.