Author's Note: Welcome to my very first MASH story! Please be ever so gentle reviewing this, but if you feel that I am screwing something up, tell me. This story centers around Hawkeye and his grandchildren, mainly the two youngest, but everyone else (except for poor Henry...sniffle) will be making an appearance at some point. And now, last but not least, before we begin, this story is dedicated to my father, who died on November 29th. I was able to show him 2 of the 3 chapters I have typed out before he passed away, and he who encouraged my love of MASH as a child encouraged me to post it. So Dad, this is for you. Thanks for letting me stay up to watch MASH reruns with you when I was 3 and should have been in bed.
Disclaimer: I do not own MASH or anything affiliated with the show or movie. The closest I come is 2 t-shirts, the first season on DVD, and a guarantee of the complete series for Christmas. The lyrics are from the song Baby of Mine, written by Ned Washington.
A Flower in Bloom
Chapter One: Baby Of Mine
"From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine"
-"Baby of Mine," Ned Washington
"Hello?"
"Dad? You awake?"
Hawkeye yawned and looked at the clock by his bed. "You've got perfect timing, Benny...it's 3 in the morning..."
"Then it's a good thing that Maine and Massachusetts are in the same time zone. Besides, this is important. It's about Lucy."
"What could've happened to her that needs a 3 in the-" Hawkeye paused as he finally realized what the call was about. "Did she have the baby already?"
A mind being snapped into consciousness at an early hour is not always as sharp as it could be. This was definitely the case with Hawkeye Pierce at that moment. In his half-awake state, he had completely forgotten that Benny's wife Lucy was due to have their second (and final, according to a very stressed-out Benny) child sometime that week.
The excitement in his son's voice was evident as he said, "It's a girl, Dad. A perfect, healthy baby girl. She came on your birthday after all. Charles is pissed off 'cause he owes Uncle Trapper money now."
Hawkeye beamed proudly in the dark. He was a grandfather again, and the baby had come on his birthday. "Wonderful!"
"About the baby or about Uncle Trapper pissing off Charles?"
"The baby, and a little bit of the other. So, how's my wonderful daughter-in-law doing?"
"Lucy's fine. Oh, and Charles says that he's never delivering one of your grandchildren again, or any baby for that matter. He's retiring because he's tired of hearing women scream profanities. I think he used the phrase 'unrefined cretins' somewhere in his complaint...Uncle Trapper just stood there and laughed at him."
Hawkeye snorted. "Sounds like your Uncle's M.O. to me."
"So, the baby can come home tomorrow if all is well. When do you want to fly out?"
"Seeing as how I run the clinic, I can just run out whenever I want." Had anyone been in the room with him, they would've seen Hawkeye's eyes glittering mischievously.
"Uncle BJ would kill you in your sleep if you did that, you know."
"I'll call him in a few hours and tell him. Besides, he owes me for letting him run off without telling me when Erin's first baby was born."
"MOMMY! DADDY! GWANDPA'S HERE!!!" 4 year old Benjamin Franklin Pierce III (Benji to his family and friends) yelled as he ran to open the front door.
"Let him in, Benji!" his mother said as she wiped down the kitchen counter. "And make sure your dad is awake!"
Benji peeked into the living room on his way to the door. His daddy was awake and playing with his week old baby sister. He continued his sprint to the door and threw it open.
"GWANDPA!!" he shouted as Hawkeye picked him up. "You come to see me and the baby?"
"Sure did, little man," Hawkeye replied, hugging his little grandson. "Now, shall we go inside?" Benji nodded, and was carried inside.
"Look what I found on the porch," Hawkeye said, setting Benji down on the couch. "A little boy, kinda looks like my son. Wonder where he came from?" Benji giggled. His grandpa was so silly.
"Hi Dad," Lucy said, coming out of the kitchen to hug her father-in-law. "How was your trip?"
"It was terrible," Hawkeye said. "The food tasted like Igor was running the kitchen, and the stewardesses were all married."
"Seriously," Benny said, handing the baby to Lucy and giving his father a hug.
"The trip was fine. Good service, but I was telling the truth about the food." At that moment, the baby-safe in her mother's arms-started to cry.
"Dad, do you want to try and calm her down? I have to get dinner finished, and Mr. Benji has to go wash up for dinner." Benji scowled and walked to the bathroom, stopping by his mother to give the baby a kiss.
"Sure, I'll take her for a bit," Hawkeye said. Lucy handed him the baby, wrapped in a little yellow blanket, and went out to the kitchen to finish dinner, leaving Benny and Hawkeye alone with the baby.
"Her name is Daisy," Benny said, sitting on the couch next to his father. "Daisy Elizabeth, after Mom and her favorite flower. I wish Mom was able to see her."
"Your mother would've loved her," Hawkeye said, staring down at the baby in his arms. She was small, but not preemie small, and already had a head full of the black hair that ran in the Pierce family. She looked up at him almost quizzically, with eyes as blue as her grandfather's, not crying for the moment.
"Looks like it's another Grandpa baby," Benny said, laughing. "Half the grandkids were all attached to different uncles, but for some reason, me and Henry's kids all seem to like you better!"
"Maybe it's my charm," Hawkeye said. He looked down at Daisy and held out his index finger, and smiled as she grabbed hold of it and wouldn't let go.
Remember, reviews are nice, but Hawkeye is better. Since none of you can give me Hawkeye, I'll accept reviews.