Off Course
"Did you see how they were riveted by my demonstration, Beej? They were hanging on my every word!"
B.J. glanced over at Hawkeye as he maneuvered the jeep around a corner. "Riveted," he repeated, smirking.
"They loved me!"
B.J. laughed. "Dr. Humility… paging Dr. Humility."
Hawkeye shrugged and grinned immodestly. "Hey, I just call it like I see it. You have to admit they were fascinated."
"By the operation, Hawk. Not so much by you, I don't think."
"My talented fingers and I are a set." Suddenly he looked around, a little bewildered, as simultaneously B.J. slowed the jeep. "OK, I give up, Beej. Where are we? This doesn't look the least bit familiar."
"Uh, well… yeah. I thought we'd go back to camp a different way, and that might not have been the best idea."
Hawk looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you saying we're lost?"
B.J. shrugged. "Lost. Taking the long way home. Enjoying the scenery. It's just semantics, Hawk."
"You nut!" Hawkeye gestured to the side of the road. "Pull over! Don't just keep on driving further into lost territory. Let's see if we can get our bearings."
B.J. pulled over as ordered and stopped the jeep. They both sat there, looking around—up ahead, to the sides, behind them—but neither of them recognized this area at all. It was most definitely a different route than the one they'd traveled yesterday, when they'd gone to the 8063rd. Hawkeye hit B.J. on the arm. "Way to go, Mr. Lousy Sense of Direction. We could be miles off track. Turn around and head back to the 8063rd, and let's start all over again."
"Um… well…"
"You don't know how to get back there, either?" Hawkeye's voice had gone up in pitch and in volume.
"Well, I can give it a shot," B.J. said, though he didn't sound very reassuring.
Hawkeye glared at him. "Yes," he said. "Do that."
B.J. put the jeep in gear, did a hurried three-point turn, and got moving in the opposite direction.
What neither one of them knew was that they were now heading deeper into enemy territory.
"Colonel?"
"Yes, Radar."
"Colonel, I just got off the phone with the 8063rd. Hawkeye and B.J. started back four hours ago. They shoulda been here by now. They gotta be lost or having jeep trouble or something."
Potter's mouth quirked down, concern clouded his features. "Sure seems like it, huh?"
"Sir, your permission for me and Klinger to go out looking for them? We'll be real careful, sir."
Potter thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "All right, Radar. See if you and Klinger can spot them, but if not, you come on back here and we'll get a chopper up in the air to look for them. Don't go taking any unnecessary risks."
"No, sir. Don't worry, sir."
Radar scurried out of Potter's office before he could change his mind.