Face expected to hit the floor and braced himself for the impact…but it never came. Instead he found himself lying in Hannibal's arms and hearing the familiar voice talking softly.

After that it was all a dizzying blur as he lingered at the brink of consciousness while he was lifted onto a gurney and whisked away from his friends. There were bright lights and various medical personnel floating around and poking and prodding at him.

The last thing he remembered was a needle being inserted into his arm and the blissful feeling of floating away from the pain.

The A-Team sat, yet again, by Face's bedside. Another trip to the OR was required to repair the additional damage his heroics cost his arm. But he was taking an alarmingly long time to come out from under the anesthesia and although the doctor wasn't concerned, Hannibal was.

"C'mon, kid…time to wake up."

Face's body shifted slightly. "Why?' he whispered.

Hannibal looked at Murdock and B.A. with relief before answering, "Because you've been sleeping for too long."

"Not really up to scamming right now," he replied weakly, his eyelids not budging from their closed position.

Hannibal smiled. "The only thing I want from you is two open eyes…think you can handle that?"

His eyelids slowly blinked open as he adjusted to the light. "Satisfied?"

"Good to have you back, pal," Murdock beamed.

Face coughed trying to clear the roughness out of his throat. "M'not so sure…you all gonna laugh at me again?"

Murdock handed over a glass of water before looking away sheepishly; Hannibal and B.A. followed suit.

"I can get a lot of things…but this is the first time I've been able to get you all to be quiet at once," Face quipped.

"We really are sorry, muchacho," Murdock apologized.

"Yeah," B.A. agreed. "We was way out of line."

Hannibal, who had yet to resume eye contact, was fiddling with a cigar he knew he couldn't light. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"What was that, Hannibal? I couldn't quite hear you with all the beeping of these machines and such."

Hannibal glared. "I'm sorry," he said louder.

"Wasn't very sincere," Face pouted.

"You want sincere? I sincerely wish you would have listened to me when I told you to stay put and not go after the gunman without waiting for back-up."

"Welcome to my world, Colonel 'through-the-front-door' Smith," Face retorted hotly causing Murdock and B.A. to smirk. Then suddenly all the color drained from his face and he let out a gasp.

"Face!" Hannibal jumped up. "You okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" he panted.

"Just breathe, kid," Hannibal took hold of his good hand. "Just breathe."

It took a few moments for Face to get his breath back and for his color to return to normal. "Thanks…m'okay…just a spasm."

"I really am sorry, kid," Hannibal finally admitted. "You were hurt and we shouldn't have taken it so lightly."

"Nah…I'm just messing with you. I'm sorry too…I overreacted. I wasn't thinking straight with all the drugs."

"So are we all friends again?" Murdock asked hopefully.

"No," Face shook his blonde head, relishing the reaction it got before adding with a wide grin, "we're more that that…we're family."

Epilogue

They could hear a familiar loud and boisterous voice approaching.

"It might just be the lingering drugs in my system," Face said, "or then again it could really be…"

"Hey…you guys miss me?" came the cheery greeting.

"Frankie!" they all welcomed the toothy-grinned man entered the room carrying a plastic bag.

"I just got on a movie set here in DC and heard my favorite ex-teammate was in the hospital. I wanted to make sure you're doing okay?"

"Thanks…much better," Face smiled.

"I stopped by the gift shop on my way up an' couldn't find anything appropriate for you, but I didn't find something for that little cutie that belongs to that big cutie Carla."

"That was really nice of you, Frankie."

The special effects man pulled a plastic box out of the bag and revealed it to the group. "It's a 'Get Well, Barbie' doll…think she'll like it?"

Hannibal spit out the water he just took a swig of, Murdock covered his mouth to hide his smile, and B.A. almost had to leave the room.

"What? What'd I miss?" Frankie asked in total confusion at the scene before him.

As for Face…he heaved a sigh, shook his head and then started to laugh with his family.

The End