Hello, Swamp

Rating: T

Summary: Two female surgeons join the 4077th, which is not to the liking of Hawkeye and Frank. Will the Captain and the Major make their time there a nightmare or will the women have some unexpected allies on their side? R&R

Pairings: Trapper/OC & Radar/OC - other pairings to be expected.

Chapter 1

Nicole Wallace, now a Captain in the US Army, landed at Kimpo air base. She stepped out of the plane and looked around for the jeep that was supposed to be meeting her there.

As she walked around the compound she suddenly saw a familiar face and smiled. "Jessie?" she asked, in her thick Scottish accent.

The woman turned around and smiled when she saw her friend. "Nicole!" she replied and hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"I got my draft notice and was told to report to Korea. I'm supposed to be working in a MASH unit."

"Same here." Captain Jessica Cameron said and looked down at the paper in her hand. "The 4077th to be exact."

Nicole's eyebrows shot almost to the top of her forehead. "No way! That's where I was told to report."

Jessie smiled a smile of relief. "Thank God. Well, at least we won't have to face this place alone."

Jessie and Nicole had met seven years ago when Nicole had just started her freshman year at NYU Medical School.

Nicole had been born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland but her parents had decided to move to New York when she had turned 18 back in 1943. Several months after they had arrived in the US, Nicole had received her citizenship and applied to medical school.

She was accepted, which came as somewhat of a surprise to her, considering the medical profession was a male dominated field.

The day after she had started at NYU she met Jessie, who had just started her second year. Jessica Cameron, or Jessie as she was known to almost everyone, had been born and raised in New York. Well, the Bronx to be more exact. Although she didn't have the thick New York accent that seemed to grace most New Yorkers. Her father had died when she was only ten years old, leaving her mother to raise her and her younger sister Stacey, alone.

The two women became friends instantly and Jessie had helped Nicole with her freshman studies, although Nicole seemed to learn things rather quickly.

Jessie had graduated a year ahead of Nicole and ended up working at Mount Sinai Hospital. When Nicole graduated a year later in 1947, Nicole suggested they start their own medical practice.

Jessie agreed and Nicole's parents helped to fund the clinic. For the next three years they had ran a successful practice until they had both been drafted by the US Army in desperate need of doctors. Men and women. It didn't matter to the Army as long as they were capable surgeons who could competently take care of the wounded soldiers who found themselves in a MASH unit.

Nicole chuckled as a jeep pulled up in front of them. "Aye." Nicole replied and looked at the driver. "Are you heading to the 4077th?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm waiting for..." he stopped and looked down at the clipboard in his hand. "... uh Captains Wallace and Cameron."

"That's us." Jessie stated and threw her duffel bag into the back of the jeep.

Nicole did the same and hopped into the seat next to Jessie. The driver turned and looked at them. "Hold on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride." he said and started off in the direction of the 4077th.

/The Ranch/

"Welcome to the four-o-double-seven, ladies." Henry said as the jeep pulled up.

Both women jumped out of the jeep. "Thank you." Jessie replied.

"Radar!" Henry yelled. But Radar was already there grabbing the bags.

"Take their bags..."

"To the Swamp." Radar finished.

"Don't worry about it, I can carry my own." Jessie said as she went to grab her bag from Radar. When her fingers touched his, there was what she would describe as an electric shock almost. Energy.

Radar looked up at her, "Uh... Uh..."

"I... I can handle it... Radar." Jessie stammered.

Nicole laughed. "Colonel," Nicole started. "What's this place called the Swamp?"

"Just that, a Swamp."

Nicole looked at him eyebrows raised. "Aye."

They all headed towards the Swamp. When they entered, Trapper, Hawkeye, and Frank looked at them. Frank was shaving, Hawkeye was reading a dirty magazine, and Trapper was pouring himself a Martini from the still. Jessie and Nicole looked at each other.

"Now before I get any complaints," Henry said more to Frank, than the rest of the group. "This tent will be shared with these fine women."

"Well, shouldn't they be in the nurse's tent, Henry?" Hawkeye asked.

"No, they are to be in this tent, Pierce." Henry answered, as Radar was setting the bags down. "Now, Radar..."

"Go get two cots." Radar said the same time Henry did, as he was leaving.

"Why this tent, Colonel?" Frank asked.

"Because they're surgeons. All the doctors in one tent. Just like all the nurses in their tent."

"This is against Army regulation!" Frank protested.

Nicole and Jessie looked at each other. "Oh boy." Jessie muttered.

"Well, Army regulation states that all doctors be in the same tent." Henry replied. "Male or female."

"Henry, I happen to agree with Frank." Hawkeye added. "They are not staying in this tent."

"You lads scared we might bite?" Nicole asked, her accent apparent.

"Now just wait one minute." Henry said as he was pushed a side by two crewman bringing in a cot. "I am not going to have any arguments about who sleeps where. This is their tent too now."

"We'll see about that, when General Hammond gets it in my report."

"Take your report and shove it." Trapper answered. "I have no pNiclem with them staying here."

"Thank you." Nicole said smiling at Trapper. "Now..." She said turning to Hawkeye. "Whatever your name is. Do you have something against females?"

"Hawkeye. And no, I don't have a thing against females."

"Than why do you not want us staying here."

"Because..."

"We're doctors and we're females?" Jessie asked.

"Look why don't I show you around?" Trapper said walking over to Nicole, taking her by the arm and taking her outside the Swamp.

Just than Radar came in with the last cot. "I can help you set up if you like." He said to Jessie.

"Sure."

Frank huffed and stormed out of the Swamp and headed to Margaret's tent.

"I need a drink." Hawkeye said and poured himself a martini.

/The Compound/

"Let me ask you something." Trapper asked Nicole as he was showing her around.

"Sure."

"What's with the Scottish accent?"

"I'm Scottish, that's what would be with the accent."

Trapper was amused. "Alright William Wallace, whatever you say."

"You know my great, great, great grandfather?"

Nicole chuckled as she followed Trapper around the compound. He steered her toward the mess tent and as he opened the door he guided her in by placing his hand the small of her back.

Nicole felt a shiver run down her back and she suddenly felt warm all over. Funny, she never had that feeling with any other man she had ever met before. Something told her this guy would be worth keeping her eye on.

Trapper too had that warm feeling run through his body, along with a spark that ran through his arm and gave him a tingling sensation.

He cleared his throat and tried to mask his sudden nervousness as the door to the mess tent shut behind them. "Well, this is our mess tent. I would steer clear of the coffee if I were you, it's just gravy that didn't cut it."

Nicole smiled. "I'll be sure to remember that."

Trapper next showed her where the latrines were located and then the showers. "You'll have to use the nurses shower. Even though the Swamp is now coed I don't think the Army would be too keen on a coed shower."

Nicole chuckled. 'Too bad.' she thought to herself. 'A coed shower would definitely have some perks.' She shook her head and smiled as she followed Trapper and checked out his many attributes.

Next they made their way to Post-op. "Here's where our wounded make their recoveries. Well, at least the lucky ones do."

Nicole looked around at the few beds that were occupied with wounded men. "They look so young." she observed grimly.

Trapper nodded. "Some of them are just boys barely out of their mother's care."

Nicole shook her head. For a moment she wondered what exactly she was getting herself into. She knew it was going to be a tough job but now seeing some of the boys who had actually been wounded, gave her new perspective on things.

Trapper was standing by a door at the end of the room and pulled Nicole from her thoughts. "Through here is the OR. This is where we'll be spending most of our time."

Nicole walked through the door and looked around the empty, sterile operating room. Soon, she knew that it would be filled with young men fighting to stay alive and trying to see another day.

They finally headed back outside into the compound. "Thanks for showing me around, Trapper. And for getting me out of the awkward situation in the Swamp."

Trapper smiled. "You're welcome. You look liked you needed to escape."

Nicole nodded. "Aye. I did. Are your bunk mates always so hostile?"

"Frank is but I'm sure you'll learn in time to just ignore him." Trapper chuckled. "But I'm not sure what's gotten into Hawkeye. He's usually not like this at all."

"Well, he'll just have to learn to adjust to the situation because we're here for the duration." Nicole stated.

Before Trapper coud reply, Radar bolted out of the Swamp. "Choppers!"

Nicole looked up at the sky as Jessie, Henry and Hawkeye came out of the Swamp. "I don't hear anything." she stated.

"Wait for it!" Radar yelled.

Just then they heard the whirring sound of the choppers making their way to the heli pads. Jessie looked stunned for a moment. "How did he do that?" she asked curiously.

Trapper smiled. "He has a sixth sense about these things." he replied and looked at Nicole. "Another thing you'll get used to."

Henry placed his arm around Jessie's shoulder and smiled. "Alright, ladies, time to show us what you can do."

/O.R./

Everyone scrubbed up and made their way into the OR. With the amount of wounded that had flooded into the OR, everyone had their own patient to take care of.

Jessie was working at her table with Nurse Baker assisting her. "I'll debrade the wound then we'll go in after the spleen. Okay, hey..."

"Lt. Dish, ma'am."

"Okay, Dish clean that up for us and give me some suction in there." Jessie said and turned to Baker again. "Clamp."

"Clamp." Baker repeated and passed it to Jessie.

Nurse Anderson, who was administering anaesthesia to Trapper's patient, tooked up at him. "I think we're losing him." she said.

"Hey, Rev." Trapper said to Father Mulcahy. "Put in a little cross action over here, will you."

Father Mulcahy started to administer the last rights to the patient.

Margaret made her way over to Nicole's table. "Everything under control?" she asked the new surgeon.

"Aye, fine. But if you don't move I'm going to have to cut around you."

Over at Frank's table he was getting frustrated. "I don't want a kelly clamp, Lieutenant."

"But that's what you asked for."

"Well give me what I want. Not what I asked for."

"Hey Ginger, put a clamp on his mouth." Hawkeye yelled across the OR.

"That's enough, Captain!" Frank replied.

"Clever."

Frank focused back on his patient and spoke to his assisting nurse. "I can see well enough, now give me a sponge."

"I can't see a thing in here. Give me a clamp." Nicole ordered her nurse.

/The Compound/

Jessie and Nicole walked out of OR after twenty-four hours of straight surgery. As they were making their way back to the Swamp Trapper and Henry walked up beside them.

Trapper placed his arm around Nicole's shoulders as Henry placed his around Jessie's. "You ladies were extraordinary in there." Henry stated.

"Yeah, we thought we'd show you our appreciation by buying you a drink at Rosie's." Trapper added.

"Sounds like a..." Nicole started to say as a shot rang out and she slumped in Trapper's arms. Trapper placed his arms around her waist as he noticed a red stain forming on her chest. Nicole looked up at Trapper. "Ow... that hurt." she said before she passed out.

As Henry and Jessie were moving toward Nicole to help Trapper Jessie felt a burning sensation in her shoulder and fell to her knees.

Henry noticed her drop and moved to her side. "Okay, hang in there Jessie." he said and looked over his shoulder. "We need two stretchers here and an ambulance to block us!"

Margaret came running from her quarters to lend aid. "How can I help?" she asked.

Trapper looked at her with a worried look on his tired face. "Apply pressure to the wound."

Margaret applied pressure to Nicole's chest wound as the ambulance pulled up in front of them to block the on coming sniper fire.

Klinger appeared with Igor and two other corpsman and loaded the injured doctors onto the stretchers.

Henry was still applying pressure to Jessie's shoulder wound when she looked up at him. But she was drowsy and out of it when she looked at him. "Did the Yankees make it to the World Series?" she asked.

"Uh..." Henry said, not knowing what to say.

"It's okay. Ask Stacey, she's been following their progress for me" Jessie replied and then promptly passed out.

"Who the heck is Stacey?" Henry asked to no one in particular.

As they were transporting the two doctors to the OR Nicole was slipping in and out of consciousness. She looked up at Trapper. "Don't let Frank operate, his warranties are no good."

Trapper smiled slightly. She had only been here a day and already she was picking on Frank. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm gonna take care of you myself." he replied as they made their way in to the operating room.

Hawkeye and Frank were working on casualties from the last batch of wounded soldiers that had come in over the last twenty-four hours as the corpsmen placed Nicole and Jessie on two available operating tables.

"What happened?" Hawkeye asked.

"They were hit by sniper fire." Trapper repiled.

Two nurses took their places and placed masks over Jessie and Nicole's faces to make sure they were out.

Trapper started his magic on Nicole as Henry started work on Jessie. Nurse Kelley suddenly looked up at Trapper. "We're losing her pulse, doctor."

Trapper looked at Kelley. "Not today we're not." he said.

Henry looked up from Jessie and spoke to Trapper. "Can you manage, McIntyre?" he asked.

"I'll have to open her chest to massage the heart, but I can manage." he replied.

"I'm finished here, let me take over for you Trap." Hawkeye said as a nurse put fresh gloves on him.

"I can handle it, Hawkeye." Trapper replied.

Hawkeye walked over to the table and looked at Trapper. "I think it would be better if I opened her up." Hawkeye stated. "I'm the best chest cutter in the outfit."

Trapper glared at Hawkeye. After what he witnessed in the OR in the last twenty-four hours he knew that statement was no longer true. "No you're not. Jessie is, actually. And since she's also fighting for her life at the moment, I'm going to save Nicole." Trapper stated and started to make the incision.

Hawkeye moved around the table and grabbed Trapper by his scrubs. "Listen here, Trapper. I'm the chest cutter in this outfit, not Jessie. So step aside and let me handle this."

Trapper grabbed Hawkeye's hand and pushed him away. Hawkeye knocked over an instrument table and it went clattering to the floor. "What in sam hill is going on over there?" Henry asked.

Nurse Kelley looked up at Trapper again. "I've lost the pulse, doctor."

Trapper focused his attention back on Nicole and started the incision again. "Okay, I need some retraction here." he called.

Margaret walked over to the table and stood next to Trapper. "I've got it, doctor."

"Thanks." Trapper replied. "You're alright, Major."

"Just get on with it McIntyre." Henry said from across the room.

Trapper opened Nicole up and started to massage her heart. He looked at Kelley and she shook her head. "Nothing yet, doctor."

"Come on, Nicole. Come on." He continued to massage her heart until Kelley looked up at him again.

"I have a faint beat, doctor."

Trapper massaged her heart for another minute. "Come on, sweetheart, we can do better than that."

"It's getting stronger." Kelley stated.

"That's it, honey. Come on."

"Her pulse is steady, doctor." Kelley replied.

"Okay, let's remove that bullet and close her up." Trapper stated and looked over at Henry. "How's Jessie doing?"

"I've just removed the bullet and I'm stitching her up now." Henry replied.

TBC...