Hawkeye's Battle
"HAWK." SAID B.J. AS THEY BOTH WERE SITTING QUIETLY IN THE SWAMP. "YEAH, BEEJ, WHAT IS THE MATTER?" "WELL, YOU SEE PEG'S BIRTHDAY IS IN A MONTH AND I KNOW OF NOTHING I CAN GET HER. WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD GET HER?" "THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, I KNOW, I KNOW!" "WHAT? WHAT?" "OH, NEVER MIND. UMMMM.YOU COULD GET HER SOMETHING MADE BY ONE OF THE LOCALS." "THAT IS NOT A HALF BAD IDEA!" B.J. THEN STOOD UP AND STRETCHED. AS HAWKEYE STARTED TO ASK HIM SOMETHING HE TOOK OFF RUNNING ACROSS THE COMPOUND. "WELL, THAT ANSWERED THAT." HAWKEYE SAID SARCASTICALLY, STARRING AT THE SWAMP DOOR, AS IT SLAMMED SHUT. JUST THEN RADAR ENTERED THE COLONEL'S OFFICE "B.J. IS OUT THERE, IN HERE SIR." "TELL HIM I AM BUSY RADAR." "LET ME GUESS. HE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME." THE COLONEL SAID WHILE STARRING AT HIS DESK AND RADAR STANDING OVER HIM. "UH, YES SIR." POTTER THEN GLANCED UP AT BEEJ AND ASKED "WHAT IS IT NOW B.J.?" "COLONEL, YOU SEE PEG'S BIRTHDAY IS IN A MONTH AND I THOUGHT THAT SINCE WE ARE NOT BUSY." "YES, GET ON WITH IT." "I WAS THINKING THAT YOU MIGHT LET ME GO INTO SOME KOREAN TOWNS AND SEE IF I COULD FIND HER A PRESENT, UNLESS, YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA!" "BEEJ I AM AFRAID I CANNOT LET YOU DO THAT!" "COME ON COLONEL! THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND BESIDES I WON'T BE GONE LONG." "WELL, ONLY IF YOU ARE BACK BEFORE DARK!" "BLESS YOU COLONEL!" "YEAH, YEAH. RADAR!" "YES SIR?" "GET B.J. A JEEP, PRONTO!" "RIGHT AWAY SIR." BEEJ THEN STEPPED OUTSIDE AND THE JEEP WAS WAITING. HE GOT IN AND DROVE OFF. IT WAS NOW ABOUT FIVE AND CHARLES AND HAWKEYE WERE PLAYING CHESS. CHARLES WAS TAKING HAWK TO THE "CLEANERS" EVERY GAME! WHEN COLONEL POTTER ENTERED THE SWAMP. "WHAT WONDERFUL THING ARE YOU TWO SWAMP RATS UP TO NOW?" "YOU SEE COLONEL I WAS JUST TEACHING HAWKEYE HOW TO LOOSE AT CHESS!" "CHARLES, I AM GONNA WIN THIS TIME!" "FRAID NOT PIERCE. YOU SEE I JUST GOT A CALL FROM THE 8063RD AND THEY NEED A DOCTOR PRONTO, WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING?" "I JUST WENT LAST TIME." SAID CHARLES. "COLONEL, IT IS BEEJ'S TURN." "LOOK YOU TWO, HE IS NOT HERE SO, WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING." "I GUESS I WILL." SAID HAWKEYE. "GOOD, RADAR HAS A JEEP WAITING." HE THEN GOT UP AND WALKED OUT TO THE JEEP AND GOT IN. WHILE ON HIS WAY TO THE 8063, THE SHELLING STARTED. A BULLET GRASSED HIS HAND CAUSING HIM TO LOOSE CONTROL. AS HE TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE JEEP, IT FLIPPED. LANDING ON HIS RIGHT HAND. WHEN HE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET FREE FROM THE JEEP HE NOTICED THAT HIS RIGHT HAND AND WRIST WERE COMPLETELY CRUSHED. HAWKEYE THEN STARTED WALKING TO THE 8063, A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER HE HAD FINALLY ARRIVED. HE HAD THEM SET HIS HAND AND FINGERS, HE WAS SO DEPRESSED. HE WAS A DOCTOR AND HE KNEW AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE THAT HE MAY NEVER GET TO BE A DOCTOR AGAIN! THE NEXT DAY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 8063RD DROVE HAWKEYE BACK TO THE 4077TH AND DROPPED HIM OFF. RADAR WAS THERE TO MEET HIM. "WHAT HAPPENED?" RADAR SAID AS HE LOOKED DOWN AT HAWKEYE'S HAND. "I HAD A LITTLE JEEP ACCIDENT." "WILL IT EVER WORK RIGHT AGAIN?" "I HOPE SO RADAR!" "COLONEL POTTER, COME QUICK!" "WHAT IS IT RADAR?" "LOOK AT HAWKEYE'S HAND!" "MONKEY MUFFINS! WHAT HAPPENED?" "LIKE I TOLD RADAR, I HAD A LITTLE JEEP ACCIDENT." "OH, NO, CHOPPERS!" SCREAMED RADAR. BY THIS TIME BEEJ WAS BACK. THEY ALL WERE IN O.R. EXPECT HAWK. "COLONEL, DO YOU KNOW WERE HAWK IS?" ASKED BEEJ. "YEAH, WHERE IS HE?" REPLIED CHARLES. "WELL GANG, HAWK." JUST THEN HE ENTERED O.R. "I WAS IN A JEEP ACCIDENT." THE WHOLE O.R. WENT SILENT. FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS HAWKEYE WOULD JUST HANG AROUND WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND THE CAMP. HE WOULD HAVE BEEJ HELP HIM WRITE LETTERS HOME. HE WOULD ALSO GO IN TO POTTER'S OFFICE FROM TIME TO TIME JUST TO VISIT. HE WAS REALLY STARTING TO GET TO KNOW EVERYONE BETTER. BUT HE WAS ALSO TRYING TO FACE THE FACT THAT HE MAY NEVER GET HIS OLD HAND BACK. BY THE LAST WEEK BEFORE THE CAST WOULD COME OFF, HE WAS SURE THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE A DOCTOR AGAIN. BUT, BY NOW HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS OKAY WITH THAT. ONE DAY WHEN HAWK AND BEEJ WERE SITTING IN THE MESS TENT B.J. REPLIEDED, "YOU KNOW HAWK I NEVER TOLD YOU HOW SORRY I WAS, THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ME!" "BEEJ, DON'T BE SORRY YOU WERE DOING WHAT ANY OF US WOULD HAVE DONE. I NEVER BLAMED YOU." NOW IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO UNWRAP HIS HAND AND SEE IF HE COULD USE IT AGAIN, EVERYONE WAS WATCHING. THE WRAPS SLOWLY CAME OFF ONE AT A TIME. "WELL, CAN YOU MOVE THEM?" "NO, I CAN'T!" HE KEPT TRYING, BUT HE STILL COULD NOT MOVE HIS HAND. EVERYONE KNEW THAT NOW HE WOULD BE SENT HOME ON A DISCHARGE. IT WOULD ONLY TAKE RADAR AND COLONEL POTTER A FEW DAYS TO GET THE DISCHARGE PAPERS IN ORDER. HAWKEYE WAS HAPPY TO BE GOING HOME, AT FIRST. BUT, HE ALSO WAS DEVASTATED. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HIS DOCTORING DAYS WERE OVER! HE WAS SITTING IN THE SWAMP THINKING ABOUT THIS VERY CONCEPT, HE JUST COULD NOT HANDLE IT ANYMORE. HE STARTED TO THINK THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE. HE WAS DETERMINED TO GO THROUGH WITH IT. WHEN RADAR CAME INTO THE SWAMP, "MAIL CALL, LETTER FROM YOUR PA HAWKEYE." "Oh, great." Hawkeye said sarcastically. Radar then went about delivering the mail as usual. Hawkeye opened the letter carefully, reading as he went, "Dear Son.it started out. " I am glad you are coming home soon. I am so sad that you can't be a Doctor anymore. But, I know that whatever do instead will be just as great, you have a real talent for dealing with people. I don't know what I would ever do if I did not have you around to be my son. I can't wait to see you again, in one piece." Then tears started to well up in Hawk's eyes. At this very moment he knew that he had to get help. He could not just leave his father like this! Then he made the decision to go see Father Mulchay, he was the only on who could help at this point. "Father." "Yes, is that you Hawkeye?" "Yes Father." "Come in my son." "Oh, Father don't use the word son!" "Why not?" "Well Father. you see I been thinking about what has happened to my hands and I just can't fight it anymore." "Fraid I don't understand, Hawkeye." "Father I was sitting in my tent and I just could not figure out any reason to keep living.and, and I thought about suicide. That seemed like the best answer I even had planned how I was going to do it." Hawkeye exclaimed as he started to cry. "Oh my.so what stopped you?" "See then I got a letter from my dad and he expressed some of the most touching thoughts. I just broke down and could not go through with it." "Well Hawkeye that is quite a story. But, I think you know what you have to do with out my help." "I think you are right Father." Hawkeye then got up slowly and walked across the compound, back to the Swamp. Where he decided to learn to write with his left hand. As he was writing, he suddenly dropped the pen. Not really thinking, he reached down and picked it up, then looking at the pen in his hand he dropped it again in astonishment. He had noticed that the hand he had used to pick up the pen was his right. Just then he felt this tingling sensation shoot though all of the fingers on his right hand. He then reached down and tried to pick up the pen! It was amazing he had full range of motion in his hand. He would be a Doctor once again! He was so exited that he went running into Colonel Potter's office, "Look, Look I am Doctor Pierce once again!" "Oh my I can't believe it, this is great!" Now he was Doctor Pierce again, but he never forgot how lucky he really was nor how much he had learned about life!
"HAWK." SAID B.J. AS THEY BOTH WERE SITTING QUIETLY IN THE SWAMP. "YEAH, BEEJ, WHAT IS THE MATTER?" "WELL, YOU SEE PEG'S BIRTHDAY IS IN A MONTH AND I KNOW OF NOTHING I CAN GET HER. WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD GET HER?" "THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, I KNOW, I KNOW!" "WHAT? WHAT?" "OH, NEVER MIND. UMMMM.YOU COULD GET HER SOMETHING MADE BY ONE OF THE LOCALS." "THAT IS NOT A HALF BAD IDEA!" B.J. THEN STOOD UP AND STRETCHED. AS HAWKEYE STARTED TO ASK HIM SOMETHING HE TOOK OFF RUNNING ACROSS THE COMPOUND. "WELL, THAT ANSWERED THAT." HAWKEYE SAID SARCASTICALLY, STARRING AT THE SWAMP DOOR, AS IT SLAMMED SHUT. JUST THEN RADAR ENTERED THE COLONEL'S OFFICE "B.J. IS OUT THERE, IN HERE SIR." "TELL HIM I AM BUSY RADAR." "LET ME GUESS. HE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME." THE COLONEL SAID WHILE STARRING AT HIS DESK AND RADAR STANDING OVER HIM. "UH, YES SIR." POTTER THEN GLANCED UP AT BEEJ AND ASKED "WHAT IS IT NOW B.J.?" "COLONEL, YOU SEE PEG'S BIRTHDAY IS IN A MONTH AND I THOUGHT THAT SINCE WE ARE NOT BUSY." "YES, GET ON WITH IT." "I WAS THINKING THAT YOU MIGHT LET ME GO INTO SOME KOREAN TOWNS AND SEE IF I COULD FIND HER A PRESENT, UNLESS, YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA!" "BEEJ I AM AFRAID I CANNOT LET YOU DO THAT!" "COME ON COLONEL! THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND BESIDES I WON'T BE GONE LONG." "WELL, ONLY IF YOU ARE BACK BEFORE DARK!" "BLESS YOU COLONEL!" "YEAH, YEAH. RADAR!" "YES SIR?" "GET B.J. A JEEP, PRONTO!" "RIGHT AWAY SIR." BEEJ THEN STEPPED OUTSIDE AND THE JEEP WAS WAITING. HE GOT IN AND DROVE OFF. IT WAS NOW ABOUT FIVE AND CHARLES AND HAWKEYE WERE PLAYING CHESS. CHARLES WAS TAKING HAWK TO THE "CLEANERS" EVERY GAME! WHEN COLONEL POTTER ENTERED THE SWAMP. "WHAT WONDERFUL THING ARE YOU TWO SWAMP RATS UP TO NOW?" "YOU SEE COLONEL I WAS JUST TEACHING HAWKEYE HOW TO LOOSE AT CHESS!" "CHARLES, I AM GONNA WIN THIS TIME!" "FRAID NOT PIERCE. YOU SEE I JUST GOT A CALL FROM THE 8063RD AND THEY NEED A DOCTOR PRONTO, WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING?" "I JUST WENT LAST TIME." SAID CHARLES. "COLONEL, IT IS BEEJ'S TURN." "LOOK YOU TWO, HE IS NOT HERE SO, WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING." "I GUESS I WILL." SAID HAWKEYE. "GOOD, RADAR HAS A JEEP WAITING." HE THEN GOT UP AND WALKED OUT TO THE JEEP AND GOT IN. WHILE ON HIS WAY TO THE 8063, THE SHELLING STARTED. A BULLET GRASSED HIS HAND CAUSING HIM TO LOOSE CONTROL. AS HE TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE JEEP, IT FLIPPED. LANDING ON HIS RIGHT HAND. WHEN HE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET FREE FROM THE JEEP HE NOTICED THAT HIS RIGHT HAND AND WRIST WERE COMPLETELY CRUSHED. HAWKEYE THEN STARTED WALKING TO THE 8063, A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER HE HAD FINALLY ARRIVED. HE HAD THEM SET HIS HAND AND FINGERS, HE WAS SO DEPRESSED. HE WAS A DOCTOR AND HE KNEW AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE THAT HE MAY NEVER GET TO BE A DOCTOR AGAIN! THE NEXT DAY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 8063RD DROVE HAWKEYE BACK TO THE 4077TH AND DROPPED HIM OFF. RADAR WAS THERE TO MEET HIM. "WHAT HAPPENED?" RADAR SAID AS HE LOOKED DOWN AT HAWKEYE'S HAND. "I HAD A LITTLE JEEP ACCIDENT." "WILL IT EVER WORK RIGHT AGAIN?" "I HOPE SO RADAR!" "COLONEL POTTER, COME QUICK!" "WHAT IS IT RADAR?" "LOOK AT HAWKEYE'S HAND!" "MONKEY MUFFINS! WHAT HAPPENED?" "LIKE I TOLD RADAR, I HAD A LITTLE JEEP ACCIDENT." "OH, NO, CHOPPERS!" SCREAMED RADAR. BY THIS TIME BEEJ WAS BACK. THEY ALL WERE IN O.R. EXPECT HAWK. "COLONEL, DO YOU KNOW WERE HAWK IS?" ASKED BEEJ. "YEAH, WHERE IS HE?" REPLIED CHARLES. "WELL GANG, HAWK." JUST THEN HE ENTERED O.R. "I WAS IN A JEEP ACCIDENT." THE WHOLE O.R. WENT SILENT. FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS HAWKEYE WOULD JUST HANG AROUND WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND THE CAMP. HE WOULD HAVE BEEJ HELP HIM WRITE LETTERS HOME. HE WOULD ALSO GO IN TO POTTER'S OFFICE FROM TIME TO TIME JUST TO VISIT. HE WAS REALLY STARTING TO GET TO KNOW EVERYONE BETTER. BUT HE WAS ALSO TRYING TO FACE THE FACT THAT HE MAY NEVER GET HIS OLD HAND BACK. BY THE LAST WEEK BEFORE THE CAST WOULD COME OFF, HE WAS SURE THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE A DOCTOR AGAIN. BUT, BY NOW HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS OKAY WITH THAT. ONE DAY WHEN HAWK AND BEEJ WERE SITTING IN THE MESS TENT B.J. REPLIEDED, "YOU KNOW HAWK I NEVER TOLD YOU HOW SORRY I WAS, THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ME!" "BEEJ, DON'T BE SORRY YOU WERE DOING WHAT ANY OF US WOULD HAVE DONE. I NEVER BLAMED YOU." NOW IT WAS ABOUT TIME TO UNWRAP HIS HAND AND SEE IF HE COULD USE IT AGAIN, EVERYONE WAS WATCHING. THE WRAPS SLOWLY CAME OFF ONE AT A TIME. "WELL, CAN YOU MOVE THEM?" "NO, I CAN'T!" HE KEPT TRYING, BUT HE STILL COULD NOT MOVE HIS HAND. EVERYONE KNEW THAT NOW HE WOULD BE SENT HOME ON A DISCHARGE. IT WOULD ONLY TAKE RADAR AND COLONEL POTTER A FEW DAYS TO GET THE DISCHARGE PAPERS IN ORDER. HAWKEYE WAS HAPPY TO BE GOING HOME, AT FIRST. BUT, HE ALSO WAS DEVASTATED. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HIS DOCTORING DAYS WERE OVER! HE WAS SITTING IN THE SWAMP THINKING ABOUT THIS VERY CONCEPT, HE JUST COULD NOT HANDLE IT ANYMORE. HE STARTED TO THINK THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE. HE WAS DETERMINED TO GO THROUGH WITH IT. WHEN RADAR CAME INTO THE SWAMP, "MAIL CALL, LETTER FROM YOUR PA HAWKEYE." "Oh, great." Hawkeye said sarcastically. Radar then went about delivering the mail as usual. Hawkeye opened the letter carefully, reading as he went, "Dear Son.it started out. " I am glad you are coming home soon. I am so sad that you can't be a Doctor anymore. But, I know that whatever do instead will be just as great, you have a real talent for dealing with people. I don't know what I would ever do if I did not have you around to be my son. I can't wait to see you again, in one piece." Then tears started to well up in Hawk's eyes. At this very moment he knew that he had to get help. He could not just leave his father like this! Then he made the decision to go see Father Mulchay, he was the only on who could help at this point. "Father." "Yes, is that you Hawkeye?" "Yes Father." "Come in my son." "Oh, Father don't use the word son!" "Why not?" "Well Father. you see I been thinking about what has happened to my hands and I just can't fight it anymore." "Fraid I don't understand, Hawkeye." "Father I was sitting in my tent and I just could not figure out any reason to keep living.and, and I thought about suicide. That seemed like the best answer I even had planned how I was going to do it." Hawkeye exclaimed as he started to cry. "Oh my.so what stopped you?" "See then I got a letter from my dad and he expressed some of the most touching thoughts. I just broke down and could not go through with it." "Well Hawkeye that is quite a story. But, I think you know what you have to do with out my help." "I think you are right Father." Hawkeye then got up slowly and walked across the compound, back to the Swamp. Where he decided to learn to write with his left hand. As he was writing, he suddenly dropped the pen. Not really thinking, he reached down and picked it up, then looking at the pen in his hand he dropped it again in astonishment. He had noticed that the hand he had used to pick up the pen was his right. Just then he felt this tingling sensation shoot though all of the fingers on his right hand. He then reached down and tried to pick up the pen! It was amazing he had full range of motion in his hand. He would be a Doctor once again! He was so exited that he went running into Colonel Potter's office, "Look, Look I am Doctor Pierce once again!" "Oh my I can't believe it, this is great!" Now he was Doctor Pierce again, but he never forgot how lucky he really was nor how much he had learned about life!