When I see you…Again.
By Bobcatwriter
Chapter One: Hawk Finally Goes Home!
Time line: August 7th, 1953
"I'll see you back in the states, I promise, but just in case I left you a note." BJ said to Hawkeye on the medivac helicopter pad in the new Uijeongbu, South Korea. "WHAT" Hawkeye screamed, unable to hear BJ because of the rotor blades and the engine of the helicopter. With that BJ took off down the hill on his yellow motorcycle. Hawkeye took a minute to ponder what the heck BJ was talking about, when he finally gave the pilot the signal to go up. About a minute in the air and the word "Goodbye" appeared in stones. Finally, Hawkeye smiled at himself as he sat back in the helicopter, he got out of BJ what he wanted. That was one final word from BJ that he had been begging for all of the last fourteen days ever since Hawkeye arrived back to the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit number 4077th from the mental hospital he had been at since July 6th, the day after he drove a jeep into the officer's club and ordered a double bourbon. Which was strange because all Hawkeye ever drink was martinis.
Hawkeye went back to the 4077th where he had been set up for the last three years. When Hawkeye returned to the camp at first, he was hesitant to enter the bus full of wounded, because of his problem with his suppressing the memories that he had before he went to the mental hospital. In the OR Hawkeye was mad as hell, because his best friend of 2 years, BJ Hunnicutt had gotten his orders to go home and had left without so much as a leaving a note. The same way that his former best friend Trapper John McIntyre left 2 years beforehand. BJ had left in rather a hurried way. Colonel Potter was also mad as hell at the dunderheads at I Corps. Because he was promised a fourth surgeon and was not given it, until BJ came back, during the 4077th bugout due to a fire that was started by incendiary bombs.
Even after Hawkeye was given the all clear to go back to MASH 4077th by Dr. Sidney Freedman, he was still nervous just being around children, because he made a Korean mother do the only thing she could to silence her infant child by smothering the baby on the bus that was heading back to the camp after a personal day on July 4th, because Colonel Potter knew how hard the unit worked. The reliving of the killing of the baby thought by thought, through dreams and actually talking about. Which drove Hawkeye into driving the jeep into the officer's club.
Finally, the Korean War was over. Finally, Dr. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce could go home to Crabapple Cove, Maine. Back to his father and the small practice he left when he had been drafted three years ago to be a surgeon in the Korean War. Although he didn't particularly like it, drinking was the only salvation from the war, which was a miserable experience. Soon after Hawkeye lifted into the air he saw BJ rapidly catching up to Colonel Potter on Sophie, the horse heading to the orphanage in which Sophie was to become a work/play horse for the children since Father Francis John Patrick Mulcahy requested it, because he will soon be heading stateside himself, because of an accident that left him deaf.
A few minutes after seeing BJ and Colonel Potter, Hawkeye landed in Seoul, South Korea. He caught a flight to the states. Hawkeye would get into a Douglas C-124 that would take him and a lot of military personnel to Guam, where they would spend the night. The next morning Hawkeye would get into a DC-4, which was another military transport plane and fly to Honolulu, Hawaii where he would land at 4 in the morning Hawaiian time on August 8th, 1953. Hawkeye would not leave Hawaii until Monday Morning. On Monday morning he would fly to San Francisco, California on a PAM AM DC-4, his first civilian flight and would get there at 8:30 at night Pacific Time. On Tuesday he would fly on United Airlines Convair CV-240 to Denver, Colorado and would get there at about noon and would transfer to his next plane that left at 2:10 pm Mountain Time to Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois on a Convair CV-240 that would land in Chicago at 6:30 at night where Hawkeye would spend his final night on the road home. On Wednesday morning Hawkeye flew from Chicago to LaGuardia airport in New York City, New York on an American Airlines C-131 and that afternoon fly home to Bangor Maine on a northeast Airlines C-131 flight. Hawkeye the ever-loving son would call his father and tell him the itinerary of the trip as it was happening just so Dr. Daniel Pierce would know when he could go and get his son from the airport.
When Hawkeye got off the plane in Bangor, Maine in the afternoon of Wednesday August 12th, 1953 to meet his father, who was like him in every way. Six feet one inch tall and about 195 pounds with salt and pepper hair, more salt then pepper and piercing baby blue eyes. "Benjamin!" Dad called. "Dad, HI" Hawkeye then slammed down his gear and the two embraced in a hug. "It's so good to see you Dad." "It's good to see you too son, I am so happy your home." "Me too and actually I forgot to do something." Hawkeye said as he broke off the hug to his father. "What" Dad said. Hawkeye then got down on his knees and kissed the ground and then said with his eyes closed "I am so happy to be back in America" Daniel felt the tension bubble rise up in his throat when he said "Actually son, North Korea got Maine in the trade for South Korea." Hawkeyes eyes snapped open and he shouted "WHAT!" Thinking that he had left that hell hole behind him. "I am just kidding you." Daniel started to laugh very heavily. "Ha, Ha that's very funny" Hawkeye rolled his eyes as he was rising to his feet.
"Come on kid, let's go home. What do you want to do first?" Dad asked. "Well I would like to eat a banana, of course what's a banana…." "without a piece of chocolate cake" Dad chimed in. "Yeah" Hawkeye said. "That's great we will pick up some bananas on the way home, since Mrs. Cratche made you a chocolate cake this morning." Hawkeye picked up his gear and then said "mmmm. One of Mrs. Cratche's most famous creations after her 8 kids of course. I could almost taste it right now." Hawkeye's mouth was foaming at the lips. "Actually, Hawkeye she has 10 kids now" Dad said. Hawkeye started to laugh "you're kidding again, right?" Dad slowly shook his head no. "Wow, ten kids, when is that woman going to stop?" Hawkeye asked. "Son, your guess is as good as mine. Is there anything else you need from the plane?" Dad asked. "uh, just my foot locker, which was checked on the plane." Hawkeye said.
Hawkeye and Daniel Pierce walked down toward baggage claim. Daniel asked "so how were your plane flight's home?" "Uh, from Seoul to Guam and Honolulu was great, I slept on the plane. I thought I saw Colonel Potter, but he might have gotten in the plane behind me." "Oh, the news said that the military was transporting everywhere on the west coast: Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, Honolulu, Los Angeles, I think even Phoenix and Las Vegas." Dad said. Hawkeye raised one eyebrow "Las Vegas? Who would want to go to Las Vegas? Anyway, the rest of the way home I didn't sleep much, I was told thanks and welcome home by lots of people, one boy asked me why I didn't have anything missing." "What did you say?" Daniel cocked an eye at Hawkeye. "I told him that I am a doctor and I put people back together, I think that he understood." "That's good Hawkeye, that's really good."
As they entered the terminal there was more thanks for your service and welcome home soldier addressed to Hawkeye by other families waiting for their own war hero's. Even though Hawkeye got a new Hawaiian Shirt that was red and black in Hawaii, he still had on army issued green pants, green jacket and black boots, that was covered in red blood. Soon Hawkeye's foot locker appeared and he pointed to the skycap that was his other luggage. Hawkeye and the skycap grabbed the footlocker together and placed it on a cart that Dad had gotten so they can put it into the car. The cart was push by a porter while Hawkeye and dad made their way through the terminal. Dad went to go get the car and left Hawkeye and the porter waiting.
When Dad pulled up in his 1952 Mercury Monterey, Hawkeye was astonished. "Dad what happened to the truck?" "I still have it, Hawkeye but I traded in the 1946 Super Deluxe Tudor Sedan, to get this beauty." Daniel said as he smiled and patted the vehicle, indicating that he was in love with the new car. "Oh" Hawkeye said disappointed. Hawkeye loved the Sedan; that was the car that he had, when he had his last sexual encounter in the western hemisphere the night before going to Korea. Hawkeye and the porter lifted the foot locker into the trunk of the car and Hawk put his bag next to it and climbed into the front seat on the passenger side. Dad tipped the porter and got into the driver's seat. "Let's go home" said Hawkeye. "Just relax son we will be home before you know it." Dad said as he pulled away from the airport. Hawkeye just closed his eyes when his dad pulled into Hannaford Supermarket. "What are we doing here Dad? I thought we would go to Merrill and Hinckley in Crabapple Cove."
"Oh, they are closed today and this store is open that's why we are here son." Daniel had smiled towards his son. "Oh" said Hawkeye staring blankly out the window. "Do you want to go get the banana's?" said Dad. "Dad I just want to go home" Hawkeye said unenthusiastically. "Come on son, I will pay for them if you go and get them." Hawkeye groaned "Dad I just flew over 6,500 miles home, I am tired and trying to adjust to the difference in time zones. What time is it now Dad?" "About 4:30 pm son." "See its 5:30 am in Seoul. I am still used to that time zone." Daniel rolled his eyes "Come on Hawkeye just go and get the banana's" It was true that it was hard to get Hawkeye to do anything that he didn't want to do. But Daniel knew all of Hawkeyes tricks by heart and was able to defuse each and every situation with Hawkeye. Hawkeye sighed and stared out the window for a few minutes. "Fine I will go and get the banana's" Dad handed Hawkeye 35 cents just enough for 2 pounds of banana's and Hawkeye climbed out of the car and went into the store.
Once Hawkeye was in the store dad got out of the car and called his home at a payphone. The phone rang a few times before a woman's voice came on the phone. "Pierce residence this is Mrs. Cratche." "Hi its Daniel, how is the party prep going?" He then held his breath "Great the people are mostly here; we are just waiting on you and Hawkeye." Daniel released his breath and then said "Hawkeye is getting banana's, but the party is on so we will see you in about an hour or so." "Ok we will see you then." "Bye" said Daniel, he then hung up the phone. Hawkeye got back to the car before dad did. When Dad got into the car; Hawkeye asked "So what was that about?" "Oh, nothing son I was checking up on Mr. Frankel before we go home." "Mr. Frankel is sick?" Hawkeye asked with one eyebrow raised. "yeah just a touch of pneumonia" Daniel said lying to his son. "Oh, I see. Do we have to stop?" Hawkeye asked "stop where?" "At the hospital" Said Hawkeye with a serious tone in his voice. "oh no son we don't need to stop" said Daniel while he was pulling out of the parking lot. "Oh" said Hawkeye as he started to drift off to sleep.
When Hawkeye awoke an hour and 20 minutes later they were on E Road, Heading to 1243 E Road, Crabapple Cove, Maine. The house that both Daniel and Hawkeye had grown up in was a two story Victorian era house that had been in the Pierce family for generations, ever since Hawkeyes Great Great Grandpa Michael Franklin Pierce built the house in 1851. When they got onto the road that leads to their driveway that they shared with the Cratche family, Hawkeye noticed a lot of cars that were parked. "What's going on Dad?" "I don't know, Hawkeye probably the Cratche's is having a get together." Dad said smiling to himself, knowing full well what was going on." They passed car after car parked along their driveway. The driveway split into a Y road on the right was the Pierces home and, on the left, was the Cratche home. There were cars parked at the Cratche's and the Pierce's homes.
Inside the Pierce home Mrs. Cratche said to the people inside; "everybody go and hide they're here." Daniel parked the car and Hawkeye went to go and get his bag out of the trunk. When Hawkeye closed the trunk, he heard "Hawkeye would you go and open the door?" "Sure dad" as Hawkeye took the keys from Daniel. Hawkeye jiggled the door open took a few steps inside and said "the sweet smell of freedom" Then the crowd of people came out of hiding and yelled "Surprise welcome home Hawkeye!" Hawkeye just stood there absolutely shocked by it all. Then they started to sing "For he's a jolly good fellow. For he's a jolly good fellow. For he's a jolly good Fe-l-low. Which nobody can deny. Which nobody can deny. Which nobody can deny. For he's a Jolly good F-el-low. Wh-ich nobody can deny." "Speech, Speech, Speech." said a few people in the crowd. "Uh, thank you it's good to be home and be in front of the people that love and care about me the most." Hawkeye said looking at his dad.
Hawkeye then spends a few hours greeting, talking to and meeting some of the newest residents of Crabapple Cove. Mainly the Cratche's and the Wilder's newest children. While not really comfortable in holding the babies, he did for maybe a second or two before he passed the babies back to the parents. Before it triggered the memories of the bus. People asked Hawkeye when he was going to be back to work, which Hawkeye always replied; "I do hope soon I have to talk to a few prospective employers" as he was winking at his father.
After the last guest was gone, Hawkeye sat down to his chocolate cake and banana and ate them both with gusto. "So, Hawkeye what are your plans, are you wanting to return to Boston and your clinic there?" Dad asked as he sat down with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. Hawkeye swallowed the bite of chocolate cake and banana before saying "well dad, I think I want to get to know my patients, I do not like the idea of working in a big city hospital, anymore." "I don't blame you, son. In fact, there has been a position in my office that recently opened, if you want it?" Hawkeye swallowed hard, "Really, your offering me a job?" Hawkeye asked with his eyebrows raised. "Yeah what do you think Pierce and Pierce family medicine" Daniel said. "I think that I would like that" said Hawkeye. "Then it's a deal? Daniel offered his hand out." "Deal" said Hawkeye and they shake on it. "You want to start on Monday at 8 am?" Daniel asked. "Sure" said Hawkeye as he took another bite of his cake. "Well I am going to bed" said Daniel. "Goodnight Dad" said Hawkeye. "Goodnight son." Hawkeye finished his piece of cake and went upstairs. He pealed his fatigue's off of him, took a shower and went to bed. He landed in his bed with a plop. His room had literally been untouched from when he last saw it, the day he left for Korea. Yes, Dad changed the bedding and cleaned up his room but that was all. All of his other belongings from his stint in Boston was in storage in the basement and the garage. As soon as his head was on the pillow he was out.
"Attention, Attention all personnel, incoming wounded. Both surgical teams to triage." The 4077th was flooded with wounded, there were helicopters and ambulances pouring into the compound, dumping the wounded and going to get more. Hawkeye just stood there "Hawkeye go scrub" Margaret demanded. Hawkeye walked into the scrubbing room got changed and scrubbed then walked in the OR and saw his first patient a little girl she had a belly wound. "Hawkeye what do you need?" Margaret asked. "uh scalpel, sponge, clamp, suction." Margaret handed the tools needed as he asked for them. "Margaret more suction, Margaret, MARGARET!" Hawkeye screamed and then panted. "Hawkeye, you okay? Benjamin? Benjamin?" Daniel asked. "Huh…what?" Hawkeye said. "You okay son?" Daniel asked. "Yeah, yeah, I think so, where am I?" Hawkeye asked. "Home, Crabapple Cove, Maine. Are you sure you're okay?" Daniel asked. Hawkeye felt the banister directly across the hall from Daniels room. "I am Home, I am home." Hawkeye said. "Benjamin let's get you back into bed." Daniel said as he and Hawkeye turned down the hall. "Yeah Dad that's a good idea." Hawkeye said as he was walking down the hall. Dad helped Hawkeye back into his room and was soon fast asleep again.