He walked into the night and looked up. It was fall but there weren't many trees to show it. The night air was crisp and each breath felt sharp.
The only beautiful part of Korea to Hawkeye was the stars. You could look up into the sky and completely lose yourself in a blanket of stars, it reminded him of home. Tonight he needed the small comfort looking into the stars gave him. He shivered, he wasn't wearing anything more than his scrubs. Everyone else was probably in bed by now. It had been a long night. Hours and hours of surgery, not being able to save limbs he knew he could have because the time it would take would have taken a young man's life.
They had all thought they were finished, until an orderly had brought in a little girl who couldn't have been older than three, and her chest was full of shrapnel. He had said he would take her and Margaret had assisted him. But after 2 hours of trying to save her, she died. He knew there wasn't anything else he could've done. But that didn't comfort him, it never did. He felt like ice, and the decreasing temperature outside where he was sitting didn't affect him. He didn't notice the tears streaking down his cheeks, he didn't notice he was shivering.
"There was nothing you could've done,"
"I know"
"You should get inside, you'll freeze out here,"
"I'm fine,"
"Pierce, I hate that she died as much as you do, but there are going to be others who need you to keep them from dieing, and you can't help them if your sick. Now come inside."
"She was only three, Margaret. She was a baby."
"I know,"
"I hate this war,"
"I know,"
"I hate this place,"
"I know," she paused "You need to come inside, you're lips are turning blue."
"I know,"
"Then you'll come inside?"
"Yeah, in a little. Will you stay out here with me for a bit?"
"Sure," Margaret sat down beside him and looked up. "It's beautiful up there."
"I know,"
"We'll all get to go home some day,"
"I know,"
Margaret sighed.
"How did you know where I was?" she shrugged
"I know you, I knew you'd want to be alone." He wrapped an arm around her.
"You're a good friend you know that?"
"I know." She leaned into his embrace. "You're going to be ok. You know that right?"
"I know." And he did.