Disclaimer: I don't own the A-Team, etc. etc.

Warning: This chapter is a little graphic, so fair warning.

I did a lot of research on the internet and talking to someone who knows about the subject; I wanted it to be realistic, though I didn't add as much detail as I could've.

A/N: This is another story in my A Scrapper universe. I kinda alluded to this in A Scrapper, and finally started writing. This takes place about a year after A Scrapper. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

1970

- Present -

It was deja vu; Hannibal leaning back against the wall, puffing on his cigar as he stared at the handcuffed lieutenant sitting on the cot.

The colonel thought he'd made some good progress on figuring the kid out since the first time they'd been in these positions, but once again Face had proven how unpredictable he could be. Here Hannibal was, yet again, trying to decipher what was going through the lieutenant's head. Except, with everything that had happened in the last week, Hannibal truly didn't know if he'd be able to pull the kid out of the brig this time.

Hannibal was really only sure about one thing, and that was the catalyst for Face's downward spiral.

- 9 days ago -

They had just left the Montagnards' village, crossing a road to get to the field on the other side of the tree line where Murdock was picking them up.

Ray and BA had taken point. Reyes was talking to Hannibal about convincing the brass to let them come back with vaccines for the children in the village. He knew Face could get the meds, but they had to get the OK to come back. The lieutenant and radioman were bringing up the rear, in a debate about the girl Combs had met in Hawaii on their R&R a few months ago. He had been exchanging letters with her ever since, but Face was convinced this "love" Combs claimed to be developing was nothing more than a sham. Combs just laughed and told Face he was too young to understand; to which Face rolled his eyes.

Everything after that happened in slow motion.

Face yelled, "DOWN!" the second he heard the muffled explosion.

The lieutenant's quick reflexes had him prone in the dirt when the next blast erupted less than a second later. He didn't hear anything after that.

His ears were ringing as he tried to reorient himself; a task easier said than done with the vertigo and disorientation. When Face began to sit up and started looking around to check on everyone else, the first thing he saw made his blood run cold. It was an Army issued boot with the foot still in it; it'd been ripped off mid-calf.

Turning, Face saw the body the foot belonged to, or what was left of it at least. If he could hear, the lieutenant would've heard Combs's bloodcurdling screaming.

Out of the corner of his eye, Face unconsciously registered the rest of the team had gotten lucky. They were climbing out of the ditch on the side of the road.

Reyes immediately ran to Combs, who was missing his right hand in addition to the foot that had landed by Face. The radioman's waist was shredded; barely held together, his insides were sticking out. Blood was everywhere, and it wasn't stopping.

Time was a foreign concept. What was only minutes felt like hours.

They couldn't call for a medivac, or Murdock. The radio Combs had been carrying was in pieces, most of which were now in Combs's body, in addition to shrapnel from the landmine.

Face was only vaguely aware of someone, Ray, trying to get his attention. The lieutenant knocked away the XO's hand that was trying to check him for injuries. Face's attention was solely on Reyes.

Due to the ringing in his ears, the lieutenant didn't know what Reyes had said, or yelled, but he knew it wasn't good, as the medic threw something with as much force as he could muster before collapsing in on himself; hunched over in defeat, his forehead almost touching Combs's shoulder.

The others' body language was similar, though slightly more subdued. It told the lieutenant everything.

All Face could do was just stare at what was left of his friend.

A/N: Hope you liked that chapter! I know it was kinda short, but hopefully you understand why. I've already started on the second chapter, but no guarantees on when I'll finish it. I'm gonna try to update this story at least once a month, but no promises. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!