Jumping a Hurdle

"Face, we've got a job, go get Murdock. It's in Wisconsin, so we'll need to fly. Meet at my place."

"Okay. Coupla hours?"

"That'll do. And pick up some ammo, we're getting a bit low."

"Ammo, right."

"Some medical supplies too, bandages, the usual."

"Right."

"And BA's sedative, we're right out of it. Not going anywhere without that."

"Anything else?" Face sounded put upon. "You want me to sweep the floor too? I could stick a broom up my…"

"Great, see you soon." Hannibal hung up, grinning.

Three hours later the Corvette pulled up in front of Hannibal's house and Murdock bound out, hurried to the door. Face followed him in, carrying all the shopping bags, joined Hannibal and Murdock in the kitchen, where Murdock was raiding Hannibal's refrigerator.

"BA here?" Face asked, taking a small bottle out of a bag, hiding it in his hand.

"Not yet." Hannibal said.

"Okay, here you go." Face gave Hannibal the drug and some disposable syringes. Hannibal examined the bottle.

"Face…" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Now before you say anything…" Face began.

"Where did you get this?"

"Thing is, that guy I see at County, well, let's just say I wasn't his only customer. He's not going to be around for a while. Three to five years most likely."

"Go on." Hannibal said, looking suspicious.

"So I went to see this old friend of mine, who I know a few things about that he wouldn't want his wife to know. He helped me out."

"And he is?"

"Okay, yes, he's a veterinarian." Murdock sprayed the kitchen wall with the soda he'd just taken a swig of. "Look, it’s not a problem," Face said, "He said this stuff was used on people right up to the 1960's, it's perfectly safe. BA might throw up a bit when it's wearing off, that's all."

"You got BA's sedative from a horse doctor?" Hannibal said, his eyebrows nearly into his hairline, now.

"Hey, he doctors the Scalpini family's race horses, I'll have you know. You mess up one of those and you wake up with its head in your bed." He frowned at Murdock who was making whinnying sounds. "Knock it off!"

"I dunno, Face." Hannibal said. "Animal anaesthesia?"

"C'mon, Hannibal," Face appealed to the Colonel. "Cut me some slack, we're pushed for time here. It's better than hitting him over the head with a two by four. Last time you did that the poor guy was seeing double for three days!"

"Well how much do we give him?" Hannibal asked inspecting the bottle.

"I think there's dosage instructions on it."

Hannibal rolled his eyes. "Yes, Face, but these are doses that assume the patient has four legs and a mane."

"Doesn't it show the dose by weight?" Face said.

"Yes. It starts at eight hundred pounds. Now BA's been pumping a lot of iron lately, but even so…"

"Whoa, he's here." Murdock said from where he was looking out of the window. Face and Hannibal looked speculatively at each other.

"We just can't." Hannibal said. "He'd kill us for sure if he found out."

"You want to drive all the way to Wisconsin?" Face asked. "Did I mention Murdock just started to take violin lessons and he's brought his fiddle with him?"

"I'm very good," Murdock said. "I can play nearly all of Three Blind Mice already."

"Well…" Hannibal said. Then he shut up and put the bottle into his pocket as BA came in.

"Hey." BA said. "I hear we going to Wisconsin." He frowned around at them. "Driving to Wisconsin. 'Cause you weren't thinking that we were gonna fly, were you?"

"Fly? Of course not." Hannibal said.

Face shook his head emphatically. "Never even considered it."

BA turned around to direct a fierce glare at Murdock.

"Flying?" Murdock said. "Neigh!"

BA frowned at that, then his face relaxed and at a small push on his arm from Face he fell forwards, into Murdock's arms. Hannibal held up the hypodermic he'd loaded with the anaesthetic.

"Face, you'd better start praying he never finds out what I just shot him up with." He smirked at Face. "I mean, I'd hate to see a ladies man like you end up as a gelding."

Face winced and then started helping Hannibal haul BA up and out to the van. Murdock gathered up the bags and followed them out. As he locked the door he smirked to himself. How come life out here in the so-called normal world was so much crazier than anything that went on at the VA?

"Come on Murdock," Hannibal called. "Let's go." Murdock just looked at him, one eyebrow raised and Hannibal got the message at once. "Sorry, Murdock, I mean giddyup."

end