Disclaimer: I do not own any part of whole of MASH or the characters of the
show. The rest is pure fiction. I will make no money from this and write
only for fun. This is dedicated to my own dad, with out whom I could not
picture growing up.
~~~Liberty~~~ Hawk Eye Person walked from the kitchen to the living. He sat down in a large red easy chair. On the table to his right sat a newspaper and a stack of mail. The TV was playing softly in the background. He sorted through letters until on caught his eye. He froze staring at the letter in horror. The front door swung open, "Hey dad, I'm home!" a voice rung out. A young woman walked around the corner. Hawk Eye looked up to see his nineteen-year- old daughter standing in front of him. Dressed in jeans, a white tee shirt and a black bomber jacket, standing no more than 5'7" and slightly tomboyish. Liberty looked back at him with a grin on her face. "Another letter from BJ? Did Erin send anything?" she asked.
"NO." the retired doctor looked down at the letter in his hand then to his daughter again. "It's for you."
"From who?" Liberty gave him a curious glance. "Common dad you look like you just got my grades or something it can't be that bad." She reached over and grabbed the letter. Noticing for the first time that it was from the Government. She ripped in to the envelope and read only the first few lines before looking back to her dad. " I guess you already know what this is for huh?"
Hawk Eye was a block and several decades away. He stood in the living room of his childhood home. His father in front of him. "I know you don't want to go son. But you have to. Some one has to help all those boys they keep sending over there. And your one f the best surgeons around." Hawk eye over to his father. "I don't see why we have to send the boys at all. War is pointless. I'll miss you!" Hawk Eye reached over and hugged hi father. With one final look around he shouldered his bag and left the house.
Hawk Eye snapped out of his reverie by Liberty laying a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to go. We can figure something out. I'm sure."
"Dad. Common this wasn't totally out of the blue. Bush declared war two months ago. He said her would call for conscription. Tom and Chris got their letters yesterday. At least twelve kids I know have already left for training."
"God Why? Why do they keep doing this? Haven't they figured out yet that war doesn't do anything!"
"I guess not. It says I have to be at Matherson base at 0800 hours the day after tomorrow. I guess that means I leave tomorrow. I half to go get a bus ticked."
"We can go down later if you want. I mean if you'd rather say goodbye to some people.."
"Actually I kinda need some alone time. They sent a voucher so all I have to do is hand that in. I shouldn't be too long." She stood up and slowly left the room, a moment later Hawk Eye heard the door slam closed. He reached over and grabbed the phone dialling a number long since memorised.
"BJ." He called in to the phone.
"Hawk eye!" Came the jubilant response. "To what to I owe this pleasure usually you call in the evening." BJ joked.
"Liberty got called." This said in a hollow voice.
"Called where? What trouble did she get into now?"
"She got a letter of conscription. My baby goings to war!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Down the street Liberty walked rather unaware of the direction she was taking. "Hey girly-girl!" A friend called out to her. "How come your in space? Did Joey finally kiss you?"
"No, it's nothing." Liberty turned to face her best friend. Julie stood a little taller then Liberty. She wore thin glasses. With long chestnut hair and her braces she barely looked her age.
"Common girl we've been friends for ever. We tell each other everything. I was the first to know when you got you period and vice versa. Talk to me tell me why you look like I died."
"Have you checked your mail today?"
"No not yet wanna come with me. Did somebody leave something for me? Maybe Josh?"
"No." they walked towards the house across the street from liberty's home.
"You starting to scare me? There not going to be a letter bomb or something. Is there?"
"Depends on what you consider a bomb." Those words would have stopped Julie from opening the mailbox had her hand not already been inside. With trepidation she pulled out several letters. "Okay we have Water bill, electric bill uncle Bill," she said hoping for a response. Liberty's gaze was focused on the next letter in Julie's hand. She closed her eyes knowing what the letter meant having received it's twin only moments before.
"I'm sorry Julie." She said plainly.
"Sorry for what?" Julie finally looked down at her hand. "This is the letter isn't it? This is what everyone's been afraid to get."
"Yeah"
"How did you know?"
"I got one too." Both friends reached for each other, encompassing themselves in a hug. Neither one wanting to be the first to let go. "I'm on my way to pick up my ticket wanna come?"
"No cause that'll mean I have to go, and I don't want to. But what else can I do?" Julie looked at liberty each girl with tears in their eyes. "What happened Lib? Yesterday I was worried about what dress to get for prom and weather I could talk you into getting one. And today. we're not even going to be there for prom."
"Dad's always talked about what it was like. He never went into details but god it sounded like hell. He talked about all the boys that would come through the operating room. I always though it was horrible, I hated it. I can't stop thinking that, that's going to be us. We're going to be the kids on the table getting out guts sewn back together."
"Maybe we won't not every body who goes to war gets hurt right?"
"Some get killed."
"Some come back fine though right?"
"I don't think so I don't see how. I don't think it's something you can walk away from."
"But the weapons have advanced so much and the protection too."
"Not enough. They have what we do."
The two friends began the journey to the bus station both holding the letters that had changed their entire world in a matter of moments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An hour later Liberty walked into her house and up stair to her room. She heard footsteps follow her and a moment later hawk Eye stood in the door way. "What so you pack to go to war?" Liberty asked in a very confused voice. " I mean do I bring cloth will they let me bring cloth what bout personal stuff? Like toothbrushes and razors?"
"They give you all that at basic training. It's all green to camouflage it."
"We'll be in the desert so I think it's more of a sandy colour." Parent and child stood one in the door way and one in the middle of the room as the surreal conversation continued.
"At least you look good in sandy colours. The green made every one looked all washed out."
"You know I'm not going to a MASH right?"
"You could, we had staff that weren't medical."
"But it's more likely I'll be fighting."
"I'm going to see if I can pull some strings.."
"You can't do that dad. What ever happens, happens."
"You're not going to go to the front to fight! I'll do what ever I have to, to see to that!"
" Dad I have to go."
"NO I saw too many young men come a cross my table in Korea. You're not going to be one of them."
"I know what you went thought.."
"You don't know what I went through you couldn't you weren't there!"
"Alright, I can understand what it was like. I've heard your stories. And BJ's and Radars and Margaret's and lots of others. I know it was hell. "
"Yea and if it was that bad for us it was worse for the soldiers. They where the ones getting killed and maimed. They where the one's we sewed up. Maybe I can.."
"No dad. I have to go where they want me to be. Being your daughter doesn't make me different from every one else. Julie got her letter today too. Where going to the same training camp maybe we'll end up together."
" I don't want to lose you. You mean the world to me." " I know I don't want to lose you either, or to die. But if I let someone else take my place, let some one else go and get killed instead of me I'll end up hating myself. I could live with that but what would be worse is you would end up hitting me too and I couldn't live with that. Dad you raised me to be patriotic and brave to care about other people, to value life freedom and the rights of others. You remember when I asked you about my mom. How you told me that you had adopted me, that my biological mother was so heart broken her husband wasn't coming back she killed her self. You said you took one look at me in the hospital where I was abandoned and knew I was going to be yours. You named me Liberty in honour of all the boys who did for it. I hate war; I hate the fighting the killing the pain. I'm scared to go and to get hurt and to die. But I can't just sit here and watch other people go instead of me. You taught me that freedom and liberty are things that all people should have weather they are American Korean Japanese Canadian or any other nationality. That's why I have to go. To fight for the freedom of the people down there."
"It's not right!"
"No it isn't. But neither were any of the other wars. I love you and I don't want you to be mad at me, but I have to go. I want to be alone for a while I need to thing and I have some letters to write. My bus leaves at noon tomorrow. We have a cab coming to pick us up. I know it's hard for you, you don't have to be there is you don't want to. I'll understand." Liberty walked over to her father and hugged him. "Goodbye dad, I love you. I'll miss you. I'll write. I'm sorry." She pulled away and closed the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several hours later, late into the night Hawk Eye slowly opened the door to his daughter's room. He saw the two duffle bags sitting in the corner and stuffed something into the closest. He pulled the chair from the desk and over to the side of Liberty's bed. Liberty lay sound asleep curled up on her side hugging a well-worn teddy bear to her chest. The hours ticked away as hawk Eye watched her sleep occasionally reaching over to move so hair fallen into her face or to sooth her, when it seamed she was having a nightmare. He left the room before she awoke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liberty picked up her bags, her father was nowhere to be seen. The trip to the bus station like the trip to the Camp was a very solemn affair. The girls and the other recruits on the bus arrived at the camp late in the evening even having don nothing all day it was all liberty could think to crawl into bed and sleep. All the way to the base on phrase keep running through her mind 'He didn't say Goodbye' she wasn't sure if it meant he was mad at her or if it was just too hard for him. Either way it hurt that her father hadn't been there when she left. She Julie and two other girls shared a cabin. She sat on her bottom bunk and unzipped her bag. Having already set up the cabin the girls had agreed by mutual silent consent to turn in for the night. Reaching in to the bag her hand fell on the texture of an unfamiliar object she pulled out a threadbare robe that was once she presumed red but now a deep burgundy. In the pocket sat an envelope.
" I thought you might like this if they let you keep it. My dad gave it to me just before I left for Korea. It served me well. Didn't keep me worm or covered but reminded me of home and that someone there was thinking of me. I hope it does the same for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning when you left; I know it must have hurt you. I always thought I had the hardest part when my father watched me go to war but I was wrong. I never really thought bout what he had to go through with me so far away and in danger. I have a whole new respect for him. I wish I could tell you that it will be alright, that you'll be safe. I wish I could tell myself that. I couldn't bear to see you leave me. I a coward in that way, I meant what I said when I told you, you where my world. Please be careful and bring that world back to me. I guess I should end this letter I have nothing else to say, but I don't want to say goodbye. My ending this letter means your really gone and I don't want that. I wish you where still a baby and I could take you in my arms and hold you and keep you safe. I know you probably don't remember you where too young but along time ago I promised you I would always keep you safe. What a time to bite off more than I can chew. I hate that I can't keep you safe. I'm not mad at you. I understand. I love you. I'll miss you. I'll write. I'm sorry.
Love hawk Eye Peirce AKA DAD"
Liberty felt the tears rolling down her face but could do nothing to stop them. All the other girls had fallen asleep while she sat reading. She reached over and turned off the light. She slipped out of her cloth and into her PJ's. She lay down in bed and sighed as she tried to get comfortable. She felt her eyes get heavy and start to close. 'good night dad, I love you.' Was the last thought she had before she drifted off. Tomorrow she would start training. But for tonight she could dream of her father and growing up in Crab Apple cove.
~~~Liberty~~~ Hawk Eye Person walked from the kitchen to the living. He sat down in a large red easy chair. On the table to his right sat a newspaper and a stack of mail. The TV was playing softly in the background. He sorted through letters until on caught his eye. He froze staring at the letter in horror. The front door swung open, "Hey dad, I'm home!" a voice rung out. A young woman walked around the corner. Hawk Eye looked up to see his nineteen-year- old daughter standing in front of him. Dressed in jeans, a white tee shirt and a black bomber jacket, standing no more than 5'7" and slightly tomboyish. Liberty looked back at him with a grin on her face. "Another letter from BJ? Did Erin send anything?" she asked.
"NO." the retired doctor looked down at the letter in his hand then to his daughter again. "It's for you."
"From who?" Liberty gave him a curious glance. "Common dad you look like you just got my grades or something it can't be that bad." She reached over and grabbed the letter. Noticing for the first time that it was from the Government. She ripped in to the envelope and read only the first few lines before looking back to her dad. " I guess you already know what this is for huh?"
Hawk Eye was a block and several decades away. He stood in the living room of his childhood home. His father in front of him. "I know you don't want to go son. But you have to. Some one has to help all those boys they keep sending over there. And your one f the best surgeons around." Hawk eye over to his father. "I don't see why we have to send the boys at all. War is pointless. I'll miss you!" Hawk Eye reached over and hugged hi father. With one final look around he shouldered his bag and left the house.
Hawk Eye snapped out of his reverie by Liberty laying a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to go. We can figure something out. I'm sure."
"Dad. Common this wasn't totally out of the blue. Bush declared war two months ago. He said her would call for conscription. Tom and Chris got their letters yesterday. At least twelve kids I know have already left for training."
"God Why? Why do they keep doing this? Haven't they figured out yet that war doesn't do anything!"
"I guess not. It says I have to be at Matherson base at 0800 hours the day after tomorrow. I guess that means I leave tomorrow. I half to go get a bus ticked."
"We can go down later if you want. I mean if you'd rather say goodbye to some people.."
"Actually I kinda need some alone time. They sent a voucher so all I have to do is hand that in. I shouldn't be too long." She stood up and slowly left the room, a moment later Hawk Eye heard the door slam closed. He reached over and grabbed the phone dialling a number long since memorised.
"BJ." He called in to the phone.
"Hawk eye!" Came the jubilant response. "To what to I owe this pleasure usually you call in the evening." BJ joked.
"Liberty got called." This said in a hollow voice.
"Called where? What trouble did she get into now?"
"She got a letter of conscription. My baby goings to war!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Down the street Liberty walked rather unaware of the direction she was taking. "Hey girly-girl!" A friend called out to her. "How come your in space? Did Joey finally kiss you?"
"No, it's nothing." Liberty turned to face her best friend. Julie stood a little taller then Liberty. She wore thin glasses. With long chestnut hair and her braces she barely looked her age.
"Common girl we've been friends for ever. We tell each other everything. I was the first to know when you got you period and vice versa. Talk to me tell me why you look like I died."
"Have you checked your mail today?"
"No not yet wanna come with me. Did somebody leave something for me? Maybe Josh?"
"No." they walked towards the house across the street from liberty's home.
"You starting to scare me? There not going to be a letter bomb or something. Is there?"
"Depends on what you consider a bomb." Those words would have stopped Julie from opening the mailbox had her hand not already been inside. With trepidation she pulled out several letters. "Okay we have Water bill, electric bill uncle Bill," she said hoping for a response. Liberty's gaze was focused on the next letter in Julie's hand. She closed her eyes knowing what the letter meant having received it's twin only moments before.
"I'm sorry Julie." She said plainly.
"Sorry for what?" Julie finally looked down at her hand. "This is the letter isn't it? This is what everyone's been afraid to get."
"Yeah"
"How did you know?"
"I got one too." Both friends reached for each other, encompassing themselves in a hug. Neither one wanting to be the first to let go. "I'm on my way to pick up my ticket wanna come?"
"No cause that'll mean I have to go, and I don't want to. But what else can I do?" Julie looked at liberty each girl with tears in their eyes. "What happened Lib? Yesterday I was worried about what dress to get for prom and weather I could talk you into getting one. And today. we're not even going to be there for prom."
"Dad's always talked about what it was like. He never went into details but god it sounded like hell. He talked about all the boys that would come through the operating room. I always though it was horrible, I hated it. I can't stop thinking that, that's going to be us. We're going to be the kids on the table getting out guts sewn back together."
"Maybe we won't not every body who goes to war gets hurt right?"
"Some get killed."
"Some come back fine though right?"
"I don't think so I don't see how. I don't think it's something you can walk away from."
"But the weapons have advanced so much and the protection too."
"Not enough. They have what we do."
The two friends began the journey to the bus station both holding the letters that had changed their entire world in a matter of moments.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An hour later Liberty walked into her house and up stair to her room. She heard footsteps follow her and a moment later hawk Eye stood in the door way. "What so you pack to go to war?" Liberty asked in a very confused voice. " I mean do I bring cloth will they let me bring cloth what bout personal stuff? Like toothbrushes and razors?"
"They give you all that at basic training. It's all green to camouflage it."
"We'll be in the desert so I think it's more of a sandy colour." Parent and child stood one in the door way and one in the middle of the room as the surreal conversation continued.
"At least you look good in sandy colours. The green made every one looked all washed out."
"You know I'm not going to a MASH right?"
"You could, we had staff that weren't medical."
"But it's more likely I'll be fighting."
"I'm going to see if I can pull some strings.."
"You can't do that dad. What ever happens, happens."
"You're not going to go to the front to fight! I'll do what ever I have to, to see to that!"
" Dad I have to go."
"NO I saw too many young men come a cross my table in Korea. You're not going to be one of them."
"I know what you went thought.."
"You don't know what I went through you couldn't you weren't there!"
"Alright, I can understand what it was like. I've heard your stories. And BJ's and Radars and Margaret's and lots of others. I know it was hell. "
"Yea and if it was that bad for us it was worse for the soldiers. They where the ones getting killed and maimed. They where the one's we sewed up. Maybe I can.."
"No dad. I have to go where they want me to be. Being your daughter doesn't make me different from every one else. Julie got her letter today too. Where going to the same training camp maybe we'll end up together."
" I don't want to lose you. You mean the world to me." " I know I don't want to lose you either, or to die. But if I let someone else take my place, let some one else go and get killed instead of me I'll end up hating myself. I could live with that but what would be worse is you would end up hitting me too and I couldn't live with that. Dad you raised me to be patriotic and brave to care about other people, to value life freedom and the rights of others. You remember when I asked you about my mom. How you told me that you had adopted me, that my biological mother was so heart broken her husband wasn't coming back she killed her self. You said you took one look at me in the hospital where I was abandoned and knew I was going to be yours. You named me Liberty in honour of all the boys who did for it. I hate war; I hate the fighting the killing the pain. I'm scared to go and to get hurt and to die. But I can't just sit here and watch other people go instead of me. You taught me that freedom and liberty are things that all people should have weather they are American Korean Japanese Canadian or any other nationality. That's why I have to go. To fight for the freedom of the people down there."
"It's not right!"
"No it isn't. But neither were any of the other wars. I love you and I don't want you to be mad at me, but I have to go. I want to be alone for a while I need to thing and I have some letters to write. My bus leaves at noon tomorrow. We have a cab coming to pick us up. I know it's hard for you, you don't have to be there is you don't want to. I'll understand." Liberty walked over to her father and hugged him. "Goodbye dad, I love you. I'll miss you. I'll write. I'm sorry." She pulled away and closed the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several hours later, late into the night Hawk Eye slowly opened the door to his daughter's room. He saw the two duffle bags sitting in the corner and stuffed something into the closest. He pulled the chair from the desk and over to the side of Liberty's bed. Liberty lay sound asleep curled up on her side hugging a well-worn teddy bear to her chest. The hours ticked away as hawk Eye watched her sleep occasionally reaching over to move so hair fallen into her face or to sooth her, when it seamed she was having a nightmare. He left the room before she awoke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Liberty picked up her bags, her father was nowhere to be seen. The trip to the bus station like the trip to the Camp was a very solemn affair. The girls and the other recruits on the bus arrived at the camp late in the evening even having don nothing all day it was all liberty could think to crawl into bed and sleep. All the way to the base on phrase keep running through her mind 'He didn't say Goodbye' she wasn't sure if it meant he was mad at her or if it was just too hard for him. Either way it hurt that her father hadn't been there when she left. She Julie and two other girls shared a cabin. She sat on her bottom bunk and unzipped her bag. Having already set up the cabin the girls had agreed by mutual silent consent to turn in for the night. Reaching in to the bag her hand fell on the texture of an unfamiliar object she pulled out a threadbare robe that was once she presumed red but now a deep burgundy. In the pocket sat an envelope.
" I thought you might like this if they let you keep it. My dad gave it to me just before I left for Korea. It served me well. Didn't keep me worm or covered but reminded me of home and that someone there was thinking of me. I hope it does the same for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning when you left; I know it must have hurt you. I always thought I had the hardest part when my father watched me go to war but I was wrong. I never really thought bout what he had to go through with me so far away and in danger. I have a whole new respect for him. I wish I could tell you that it will be alright, that you'll be safe. I wish I could tell myself that. I couldn't bear to see you leave me. I a coward in that way, I meant what I said when I told you, you where my world. Please be careful and bring that world back to me. I guess I should end this letter I have nothing else to say, but I don't want to say goodbye. My ending this letter means your really gone and I don't want that. I wish you where still a baby and I could take you in my arms and hold you and keep you safe. I know you probably don't remember you where too young but along time ago I promised you I would always keep you safe. What a time to bite off more than I can chew. I hate that I can't keep you safe. I'm not mad at you. I understand. I love you. I'll miss you. I'll write. I'm sorry.
Love hawk Eye Peirce AKA DAD"
Liberty felt the tears rolling down her face but could do nothing to stop them. All the other girls had fallen asleep while she sat reading. She reached over and turned off the light. She slipped out of her cloth and into her PJ's. She lay down in bed and sighed as she tried to get comfortable. She felt her eyes get heavy and start to close. 'good night dad, I love you.' Was the last thought she had before she drifted off. Tomorrow she would start training. But for tonight she could dream of her father and growing up in Crab Apple cove.