I DON'T OWN ANT CHARACTERS EXCEPT ANNE MARY STEVENSON. SOME PARTS OF THE PLOT ARE ALSO MINE. I KNOW THAT ROMANIA WAS COMMUNIST AND NOT IN UN IN DURING THE KORE WAR BUT I KIND OF ALTERED HISTORY FOR THIS.
My name is Anne Mary Stevenson, I am 27 and I am one of the best surgeons in my city, Bucharest, the capital of Romania. My country became a UN member this year and they started recruiting people to send in Korea. Unfortunately, I was recruited too. They slapped me a Captain degree and shipped me before I could say appendectomy. Needless to say that my mom and my little sister, Roxana who was twelve when I left, were devastated but, my father, who had also fought a war, was calm and composed. He taught me how to fire a gun and a rifle and also how to handle a knife. In two weeks, I was in Korea, praying to God to bring me back to my country in one piece. When I arrived, I was told that I would work as a surgeon at MASH 4077 and that a jeep was waiting for me outside. I was shocked that they were sending me to an American MASH. Of course, we didn't have any Romanian ones but still I was happy that my parents were both from USA and that my English was almost native.
A dirty, muddy jeep was parked in front of the airport and a short, cute-looking kid was at the wheel. He looked toward me, got out of the car and stood in front of me saluting.
"Whoa there, kid! No need to salute me. I am Anne Mary Stevenson, call me Frost. So, Corporal, what's your name?"
"Walter O'Reilly, mam, but everybody calls me Radar. Here, let me take your bags, Captain Frost."
"Thanks, Radar, you're sweet."
"I...I…thank you, Captain."
The road there was so bumpy that I was nearly thrown from the car a few times. When we finally arrived, the place looked just as I thought, like a camping site. Radar stopped the jeep in front of a tent, got out, took my luggage and helped me out of the car. In the C.O.'s office were four people, two Captains, one Major and one Colonel. As I got into the room I saluted and told my name, my rank and my registration number.
"I am Stevenson, Anne Mary, Captain, number 230619951967, sir!"
"At ease, Captain. So you are our new surgeon. I hope you are a good one because we get wounded straight from the front. These are Major Houlihan, the Head Nurse, Captain Pierce, the Head Surgeon, Captain Hunnicut and I am Colonel Potter, the C.O .of this hell. You are going to bunk up with the last two. We weren't expecting a woman surgeon."
"I don't mind, Colonel. I actually prefer bunking up with men rather than women as women are a bit competitive for my liking."
"That's preposterous! A woman sleeping in the same tent with two men?!"
"We are perfect gentlemen, right Hawkeye?" Captain Hunnicut said to Captain Pierce.
"Yes, we will seduce her only when she is not sleeping!"
"Now, stop with all these jokes. Radar, get the Captain's baggage to the Swamp."
"I put the baggage in the Swamp next to her cot." Radar said in sync with the Colonel.
"Thank you, Radar! Now, Captains, Major, you are all dismissed. I want to take Sophie out for a walk."
As we all got out, I followed the two Captains to our tent. It was small but cozy and what really caught my eye was the handmade still. I went towards it and looked closely. It was made out of old, rusty things and some medical equipment. In short, it was beautiful.
"So, Anne, I am Hunnicut, call me BJ and this is my crazy friend, Pierce."
"Call me Hawkeye. Would you like a welcome to hell drink, my treat?"
"Oh, I would love a drink, the trip was exhausting and I bet I won't get too much shut eye here. By the way, call me Frost."
"Why Frost? You don't look like the cold hearted beast type to me." Hawkeye said looking me from head to toe.
"Has nothing to do with it. I saved two kids who were caught in an avalanche in the Carpathian Mountains."
"Bet it was cold out there. Here's your drink, miss." BJ said handing me the martini glass.
"Wow, this is strong enough to clean any oil pipe. Bet you use this as fuel." I said after I took a sip from the glass.
"We use it to clean the rust from the railways too." Hawkeye said, sitting down next to me.
"Now, excuse me captains but I have to go get a shower and change in something more comfortable for war." I said as I got out of the tent leaving my empty glass on a table.
The water in the shower was close to freezing and there was a hole in the tent, which I covered with a towel. I thanked God that I packed a vanilla scented soap to remind me of home. I put on my uniform and my blue robe on and got out of the showers. I entered the Swamp and when I lay on the bed, the speaker went on.
"ATTENTION, ALL PERSONELL! INCOMING WOUNDED, INCOMING WOUNDED! SURGEONS ARE AWAITED ON THE HELIPAD FOR TRIAGE."
"Oh, bull! I just sat down." I said with a sigh and got up.
"These will be the worst 48 hours of your life." Hawkeye said with a sour look on his face.
"Very encouraging of you, Hawk. You know exactly how to raise morale." I said punching his shoulder lightly.
"Now missy, no need to become violent." BJ said joking and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
*AFTER 13 HOURS*
"Clamp. Jeez, last time I looked, human anatomy didn't include metal. This guy is full of it." I said while having my hands wrist deep into this guy's colon.
"I know what you mean. These kids aren't more than 19. When I was their age, my only concern was who to take to the prom." Hawkeye replied from the other side of the OR.
"Kelly, can you close up for me, please? I asked the nurse as I threw my used rubber gloves.
"Sure, doctor."
"Next patient, please." I said preparing myself for another round of hold your vomit and move your hands.
"No more wounded, Frost! We are done for now." Corporal Klinger said grabbing my last patient and moving him to post-op.
"Oh, thank God, now I can go throw up." I said running from the OR and to the first trash can I could find.
Hawkeye followed me to the scrubbing room where I was now standing. He sat next to me on the bench and took me in his arms as I sobbed lightly. I wasn't an oversensitive person but for the first time in my life I saw a dead soldier with a hole instead of a face, one with so much shrapnel in him that I could easily build a jeep from it and they were only 18.
"Oh, Hawk, I'm so sorry. I'm not usually like this but those kids, oh, it's so awful! The inhumanity of it all, it just overcame me."
"It's ok; you did great in there, Anne. You kept your cool until the end of it."
"Thanks…can I ask you something? Can you take me to the Swamp? I don't think I can walk in the dark right now without falling on my nose." I said, blushing a bit.
"Sure. Come on", he said picking me up, bridal style and carrying me to the tent.
When we got there he put me in my bed and went to leave but I grabbed him by the arm. He looked in my eyes and saw that I was scared and alone, in desperate need for someone to stay by me. Hawkeye sat next to me in the bed, holding me in his arms as I fell asleep on his arms. When I woke up, I noticed an arm around my waist and the fact that Hawkeye was holding me close to his chest. BJ was sleeping in his cot looking more like a cadaver then a living human being. I got out of Hawks arms without waking him up and poured me a big glass of homemade antifreeze. I as tired as hell and just as hungry but I had to do something before waking the boys up to go to breakfast or yesterday's lunch more likely.
After two hours I was ready to wake them up so I went to Hawkeye and shook him a bit. He didn't move an inch so I did something really crazy, even for me. I went and kissed him right on his lips. I felt him responding to my kiss and I pulled back and noticed that he was still asleep. So I got on top of him and yelled as loud as I could.
"HAWKEYE! Wake up; we'll miss yesterday's lunch, today. Come on, wake up!"
"I'm up, I'm up, where's burning? Yesterday's lunch will be present today at lunch and probably at dinner too."
"Oh, Hawk, thank you for last night. I would've gone crazy without you there."
"Don't mention it. Now, let's wake up the dead." He said pointing at BJ.
"BJ! BJ! Hey, Beej! Wake up. "
"Don't you now that corpses shouldn't be disturbed?" He answered while getting up and putting his shoes on.
"I know, sorry but I don't want to miss breakfast. I think my stomach just glued himself against my spine." I said rubbing my aching stomach.
"Ok, let's go then. I'm ready." Hawk said getting up and laying an arm on my shoulders.
"Go on ahead, I'll be there in a minute" BJ said while taking off his shirt.
"Ok, we'll save a seat for you." I said getting out of the tent with Hawk.
As we got in line to get some food, I felt the horrid smell of the leftovers. My appetite nearly disappeared but my stomach was leading a revolution so even if I had to hold my nose, I would have to eat. I wasn't going to get an ulcer because the food was bad.
"Are you sure this is from yesterday? It looks like it came from World War I and it smells like it came from the latrine."
"I know and now it smells decent. You have to see two weeks ago's dinner. I personally think is before year 1 B.C." Hawk said giving me a smile.
"Nice. Too bad Jesus didn't get to feast on it but I bet it would last through the apocalypse so he can taste it."
"So what shall it be? Powder eggs or stew?" Klinger asked, spoon in hand.
"I think I'll take stew, at least I don't know what I'm eating." I said as he dropped some droopy stew in my tray.
"I'll have that too." Hawkeye said taking a mug and filling it with what wanted to be coffee.
"Is that mud or coffee? Cause the semblance is striking." I said looking at the coffee with disgust.
"I don't know for sure. I hope it's mud and not something else." Hawkeye replied stirring his coffee.
"Do you think we should take a spare tray for BJ and take it to the tent? He looked exhausted and I don't think he could get out of the tent for a day or two." I said with worry in my eyes.
"That would be nice." Hawk said as we sat at the table.
"Hello, Hawkeye, Captain." The camp priest said as he sat down next to us.
"Hello, Father." Hawkeye replied.
"Hello, Padre! I am Captain Stevenson, call me Anne. It's nice to meet you. Do you do Orthodox preaches?" I asked the Father as I took a gulp of coffee.
"Yes, I do, every Friday." Father Mulcathy said looking kind of funny at my disgusted face as I swallowed the stew.
"Hope you make funerals too because after this breakfast I don't know if I'll survive." I said laughing a bit.
In a second the speakers were on and the announcement we all dreaded went on. I almost smashed my cup when I heard it and my reaction was light as Hawkeye punched the table in anger.
"ATTENTION ALL PERSONELL! INCOMING WOUNDED. ALL SURGEONS ARE AWAITED AT THE HELIPAD FOR TRIAGE!"
It was going to be a long, long day.
I WANT REVIEWS BECAUSE THEY MAKE ME KNOW YOUR OPINIONS AND ADVICE. THINGS THAT I REALLY NEED TO MAKE A GOOD STORY.
