For the Thrills
Note and Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own M*A*S*H and neither should you. Enjoy story three of the series "After My War", dictated by Death.
I don't always deal with the nicest of people. Sometimes, I have to embrace the vilest. I endure it as best as I could and try to wipe myself clean. I don't stick around when they remember who they were and why they died. In recent years, it had been ruthless dictators and politicians. They always put a bad taste in my mouth.
While Donald Penobscott wasn't amongst those who committed mass murder on a whim, he still wasn't on my favorite list either. He was an affluent playboy, let me tell you. He grew up not only spoiled by his mother, but without a sense of respect and restraint against anybody, women mostly. His father died when he was young. He had no idea what kind of chaos he created because of his actions. He only knew that he had power because he was famous and rich. Besides, what mattered most was that his mother adored and controlled him.
Donald knew a few things in his life (besides not disturbing Mommy Dearest). Other than intelligence and strength, he was charming and handsome. He always used this to his advantage, especially when he was older. When he was in college, he saw that women loved men in the military. He decided that he had to use his smarts to get in. Soon after graduation, he was accepted into the Army and into West Point.
Now, I am not one to diminish one's accomplishments. But what Donald had was a case of the thrills. It was the best feeling he held onto. Every chance he had to show off in some daring antic or academic procedure, the excitement overwhelmed him. It was ecstasy, a high that he had to experience time and again. Not only did it bring him satisfaction, but the women kept jumping up and down and asking for more. Donald always obliged them without a care to his life or limb.
But what Donald did not anticipate was war coming. While he missed the Second World War, he still had to contend with Korea. His mother begged him not to go. She had enough money to keep him stationed in the US. But Donald defied Mommy Dearest for the first of two times. He told her that he'll do his duty by his country, buying his way to a cushy job in Tokyo instead. It wasn't much of a thrill, but it brought some exotic creatures all on its own.
His second defiance was Margaret Houlihan. Now, when Donald met the nurse in Tokyo, he thought of her as part of the game. Margaret was easy prey. She easily fell to the allure of any man who paid her any heed and was excited that Donald supposedly felt the same way she did. She was also wild herself, with a reputation amongst high-ranking officers (generals mostly). While she wasn't from a wealthy family, she still had power and spunk.
Donald supposed that he loved Margaret in a way (mostly in bed). However, he saw her more as a stepping-stone. She was his way to more Army promotions and glory. She knew the right people and wasn't afraid to show that influence off. Even introducing Donald to one of the most prominent generals in the Far East had its attractions.
Within a day, Donald proposed to Margaret on some cheap ring. She accepted the offer willingly. This too was another thrill – the rush of love and the fall from grace. Donald was sure she was the right one.
Of course, they married. It took some weeks to get through the red tape, but they did it. It was a ridiculous wedding and quite the hassle. They even made it to their honeymoon with more thrills than Donald imagined possible though. It wasn't quite as he expected, but Margaret lived up to his expectations. He tried taking steps to ensure that she was his, but she was too independent. She wasn't willing to budge on many issues and the thrills soon disappeared in a sea of other women. Donald could not hold onto her.
Distance and differences made them divorce. His mother was pleased of course. She never liked Margaret. She thought her beneath Donald. She begged him to take another wife. He could not sow his wild oats anymore, she wrote, but to use whatever connections he had to secure a better mate. There could be no wife as Margaret had been. His second had best be for breeding and to inherit more money. He could not play soldier anymore. After all, that was their lot.
After his war, Donald transferred from San Francisco to San Antonio. There, he met someone that made him forget about Margaret. They married and once more, the thrills waxed and then waned. There had been no memories of Korea for Donald. Now, he had a thriving Army career, two children and a doting and docile wife. And there was always the string of mistresses who forever dared Donald to compete in races and sports that threatened his life.
I am Death though…and there is always a way to me. Donald Penobscott escaped me several times. Sooner, rather than later, Donald will come home to me. The way he holds onto thrills is fleeting. One of these days, he'll look the wrong way and look at me in the face because he lost a bet. He wouldn't be able to clench onto it much longer then.