Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Mash but I do own Tamara and I wish I owned Hawkeye.

Stepping out of the jeep Tamara took her suitcase in one hand with her jacket slung over her other arm. Reaching up she smoothed her dark brown hair as her green eyes scanned the compound. Several people glanced at her as they passed but it was a short corporal with round glass that greeted her.

"Morning ma'am I'm corporal O'Riely"

"Captain Tamara Hughes" she smiled and held out her hand. With much fumbling he shook it. "I'd like to check in if that's at all possible"

"Right this way ma'am" following him, Tamara watched the corporal curious penguin like walk. They walked straight into an office to find a roughly sixty-year-old man drinking and smoking. He had grey hair and similar glass to the corporal but he stood like a man in power. The corporal stood next to him.

"Sir this is the new doctor we requested Dr Tamara Hughes" the man looked at Tamara strangely

"Well this is a first, we never requested a doctor"

"Excuse me" Tamara looked at the man her eyes widening

"Sorry doctor but your not supposed to be here" he replied "Radar get on the horn and find out why Dr Hughes is here" he turned to Tamara as Radar left the room " I guess in the mean time your working for us"

"CHOPPERS!" a voice sounded out through the office

"Sorry to cut the welcoming committee short but we need you doctor"

Tamara nodded

"If you'll just show me the way"

Washing off the last of the soap Tamara looked up to see a lanky man with black hair and another man with blonde hair walk in at the same time.

"Hello hello hello what do we have here" the black haired man smiled down at her. "Captain Tamara Hughes surgeon, I would shake your hand but you know germs love me" Tamara replied "And you are?"

"Benjamin Pierce call me Hawkeye though" he smiled charmingly but it was wasted on Tamara

"How interesting" Tamara drawled and looked at the silently laughing blonde "And you?"

"BJ Hunicutt"

"Nice to meet you now if you'll excuse me gentlemen my audience awaits" turning she let a nurse tie her mask around her neck and pushed through the swinging doors into the operating room

Tamara was ready to collapse when they were done in surgery. Sitting half undressed and half asleep in the wash up room she growled when someone nudged her fully awake. It was Hawkeye.

"Do you have a death wish?" she grumbled and continued taking off her gown.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it"

"Apparently not I'm not supposed to be here you see so your only stuck with me for a little while" she walked out of the room and into the compound as the sun rose above the hills of Korea. Steps followed her.

"So where are you staying?"

"Most likely with the head nurse"

"Really I think you would be more comfortable with me"

"Really" she stopped walking "And I think I would rather swallow a grenade," Tamara continued walking. She would have to talk to what was his name. Potter, about where she was sleeping. Walking into the clerk's office she saw Radar asleep at his typewriter. Frankly she couldn't blame him. Potter was sitting at his desk still in surgical white, drinking again, along with Hawkeye, BJ and the other doctor of the camp Winchester. She had met him briefly in surgery and Tamara had got the impression that he thought her beneath him.

"Ahh captain care for a drink?"

"No thanks colonel I better not, I was just wondering where I'm staying for time being" Potter took a sip from his drink

"I'd say with Major Houlihan, she's the head nurse"

"Margaret Houlihan?" Tamara's brow furrowed

"Yeah" Hawkeye answered, "Otherwise known as hot lips"

"Colonel is there any other place I can stay?" Tamara asked desperately

"The nurse's quarters are full, unless you're okay with staying with these three" Potter gestured to the three doctors. Tamara looked at them and Hawkeye gave her a cheesy grin.

"That'll be fine Colonel I'll just take my things and be on my way" Hawkeye skulled his drink and opened the door for her

"Thank you" she went out and into the compound. Looking around she realised she should have asked where the three actually bunked.

"Need some help?" Tamara turned to see Hawkeye.

"Unfortunately" she answered "So were is this place I'm sleeping"

"I thought we were going to get to know each other," Tamara groaned inwardly.

"Or I thought you were going to swallow a grenade"

"Look" Tamara stopped walking "Put off the charming act it doesn't work and if I had a better choice than this I would take it" Hawkeye held up his hands in surrender to her fierce words.

"Sorry Captain"

"Just call me Tamara," they continued walking

"So why didn't you take Houlihan's tent"

"Personal reasons" they reached a large tent with a sign on the door saying 'the swamp' once inside she could understand why. It was a mess. On one side at least on the other it was meticulously clean. The messy side had two cots, a chair and a still. Great she thought, trying to stop drinking and my first job I have to sleep in the same tent as a still. Hawkeye sat down on the cot closest to the still and Tamara sat on the cot diagonally opposite and began unpacking a bit. Lying down she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She was extremely tired and it was early morning now.

"Like a gin?" Hawkeye asked her. Sitting up she shook her head.

"No I can't"

"Can't?" Tamara sighed. She might as well tell him at least he wouldn't bother her about drinking.

"I'm an alcoholic"

"Oh" Hawkeye blushed slightly and Tamara laughed.

"It's okay I'll be fine" she watched him pour himself a drink as he sat down on his cot again.

"So Tamara where are you from?"

"Australia"

"How did you end up here?" Tamara got up and leaned against the stove that was in the middle of the room.

"You know even I'm not sure, I wanted to help people so I came here" she saw Hawkeye gulp his drink and then scowl slightly before pouring another drink.

"Help kids get back on the front line"

"Unfortunately, but it's better than being home and having my mother or father complaining about my lack of direction" at that moment BJ and Winchester walked well actually stumbled in as drunks do. Tamara laughed as she watched them and went back to her cot. Taking off her shoes she crawled into bed and soon Hawkeye turned off the only light in the tent. Tamara hugged the thin itchy blanket to her chest and listened to the breathing of the others and Winchester's snoring. The silence scared her. It brought too many memories crashing down on her. So she revised every single medical term and it's meaning until sleep came.