by Madelyn Scott (Fluffbunny)-A Nighthawk Commando
Karen M. has been very flattering and persuaded me to post this to the
list! It's a short sequel to her lovely "Farewell" story in the archives
in which Hannibal dies; hope everyone enjoys. Got them extinguishers at
the ready for the flames! :) Maddy (non-subscriber)
The late afternoon sun through the window was suddenly very bright, and
Hannibal blinked a little in it. Strange. He didn't remember getting up
from the bed at all. But here he was a short distance away, looking at
the back of Murdock's head as the pilot faithfully held the hand of a
body he remembered as being his, but that didn't seem to matter much any
more. He was becoming aware that all the pain he had been constantly
tensed against these last months was gone. And also that he and Murdock
were not the only ones in the room. There was a shape beside him on the
rug on which he stood. Hannibal had a hard time making it out at first,
but it grew clearer as his mind accepted the fact.
A dog. A mongrel; not small, not large. Unremarkable, yet the eyes that
gazed up at him were so soft and loving, the Colonel felt an instant
warmth. Somehow, this dog's eyes reminded him of Murdock's. He knelt
down beside the animal.
Feeling a little foolish, he said, "Billy?"
The dog wagged his tail in a friendly way, as if he had known Hannibal a
long time. Which he had. Murdock had brought him along on many of their
missions and escapades. Hannibal held out his hand and received a warm,
wet lick in return. In a thoughtful way, he scratched Billy's ear.
"Well, pal, guess Murdock meant what he said, huh? You belong to me now,
that it?"
Billy looked at him.
"How come I can see you? Have I gone nuts as well?"
It was weird. Here he was talking to Murdock's imaginary dog, and
somehow when he looked in the dog's eyes, Billy was answering him, and
he understood. Life and death, reality and fantasy - there was only a
very thin curtain between them, and now he could see through it.
"You mean that because Murdock told us you were real, he made you
real......not here, but somewhere?" - and again that wave of the tail.
"So how come Murdock could see you when I had to wait 'til now?"
Hannibal grinned suddenly, knowing the answer before it came. "Because
Murdock's different. No," he corrected himself, after a moment's
thought, "not different. Special."
Billy suddenly sprang up from the floor, jumping up at the Colonel with
a short bark.
"Time to go already? Okay. You go on. I'll catch up. I just want to look
at the others when they arrive. I guess it's the last time I'll be
seeing them for a while. I promise it won't take long!" he added.
The dog seemed to shrink a little, like a shadow when the sunlight dims,
and slowly faded from view. But Hannibal knew that he would only be just
around the next bend of the road. He'd been scared, more scared than
he'd ever been facing guerillas or in the POW camp. He wasn't scared any
more. Plans came together in the end, after all. Hannibal smiled at that
as he prepared to wait for his friends.
FIN.
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