Letters to My Friends
Author – Benaboo
Rating – PG 13
Genre – Comedy/Drama
Characters – Hawkeye, BJ, Radar, Margaret, Klinger, Frank, Colonel Potter and the late great Henry Blake
Warnings – Some comedic elements in this one, but mostly drama.
Setting – Takes place during season 5 of MASH, after Margaret announces her engagement to Donald Penobscot
Title – I had the idea that Henry Blake wrote some letters to his MASH buddies in case something ever happened to him, and this is what came of it.
Notes – This is new territory for me, writing in the MASH universe. I love the show, and I really wanted to dabble in it and see what would come of it. Please let me know what you think of it.
Chapter One
Dr. Benjamin Pierce, Hawkeye or Hawk to his friends and family, sat on his cot reading one of the latest updated medical journals to come out in the last 6 months that had just been delivered that morning. He knew there were more recent ones, but being in Korea meant getting them two months or longer behind the doctors in the States. He wasn't very happy about that since the staff he worked with did meatball surgery very near the front lines, they should get them faster than they did. There was no way to complain about it though, this he knew, not that it would do him any good. At least they got them and there was plenty of time, too much time in fact to read them when they eventually arrived. Having anything to read at all broke up the boredom, but saving kid's lives were more important, and Hawkeye would never complain about anything such as that.
Or would he?
"BJ."
His fellow captain, doctor, and friend had laid down on his own cot a couple hours earlier, falling asleep while reading one of the journals himself, the material covering his mouth so that only the tip of his nose was sticking out over the pages. That wasn't what was annoying the head surgeon of the 4077th MASH unit they were currently stationed at. What did bother him was B.J. Hunnicutt's very loud snoring, which Hawkeye had tried to ignore for the last few minutes but couldn't take much more of at that point.
"B.J.!" B.J. stirred, still not waking even though his hand reached up and sent the journal falling to the floor in a loud thwack.
Hawkeye shouted this time, wondering if it wasn't one of those dreams B.J had about being back in California, laying on a hammock between a couple of fruit trees with Peg and Erin. He felt a little guilty, but that was a dream and this was Korea, so his selfishness to have peace and quiet won out over his conscious.
"B.J.! Wake up already would ya; before I tape you're mouth shut!"
Hunnicutt did indeed hear him this time and sat up quick on the cot, looking around the "swamp" with wide, tired eyes. When he finally focused he looked at his bunk mate, and stumbling over his words a bit tried to talk being half asleep that he was.
"Am I late for my OR shift?" He asked, puzzled, and hurrying to pull on his standard issue army boots.
Pierce tossed his own journal down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "No that's not until tomorrow morning, but by how loud you were snoring we should check to see if any of our patients are asking if Korea is prone to earthquakes."
Hunnicutt continued to pull on his boots glaring at Pierce as he did so. "Oh, ha ha!" He took a glance at the third cot in the tent, unoccupied and neatly made boot camp style. "I see Frank got up with the rooster this morning."
"MacAurter's very own personal mother hen."
"You know Hawk; this is two weeks straight he's been on the para military kick. It's driving me to drink more than usual." B.J. eyed the makeshift still between the cots.
Hawkeye started pulling on his own boots. "When he woke up this morning he wanted me to get dressed and supervise the digging of new latrines he wants done over by Sophie's stall. He insisted," He held up his fingers in a quotation gesture. "They should be on that side of the compound so the flies stay in one place."
B.J. roared with laughter. "Colonel's gonna love that one. He's due back today."
Before Pierce could answer the sound of a jeep pulling into the compound, its horn blaring interrupted their conversation. He gave his roommate an impressed look.
"I didn't know you were psychic!"
Hunnicutt just smiled. "Just half psychic; on my mother's side."
The head surgeon stood up, and in a dramatic gesture opened the door. "Do you see any new nurses in my future?"
"I knew you were gonna ask that!" B.J. departed the tent, Hawkeye skipping out behind and up beside him, making their way to the jeep Colonel Potter was already out of, offering Major Houlihan a hand to get out of the passenger side door, as Corporal Radar O'Reilly was coming out of Potter's office.
"Radar!" "Right here sir!" The Colonel and Radar said at the same time.
Potter looked a little irritated with Radar's weird sixth sense but he didn't bring it up. "Radar, round up my doctors and get Klinger for a meeting in my office, on the double!"
Radar pushed his glasses up his nose and saluted. "Yes sir, but Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt are right behind you sir."
The Colonel turned around and took in the two doctors that were the glue of his most recent MASH assignment. The honest and gentle B.J. Hunnicutt, and the clown of a ladies man Hawkeye Pierce. Two of the finest surgeons he'd ever had the pleasure of observing and working with in his career as a doctor and military officer thus far. Sure, they got on his nerves more times than he could count, Pierce especially, but when the chips were down and the casualties started to roll in there were no two people he was more than fortunate to have at his command. He still felt like the new kid some days, but with them around he found the transition easier than he had ever expected it to be. He was grateful for that.
"Pierce, Hunnicutt. Have you seen Klinger or Frank around today?"
Hunnicutt shrugged. "Sorry Colonel, I haven't seen either of them since last night's 50th showing of The Omaha Trail."
Pierce piped up. "I saw Frank this morning but I think he was on his way to the latrines, wanted my help of all things."
Potter furrowed his brow. "The latrines?"
Hunnicutt smiled. "Must be something wrong with his fly."
"I see. Well, I need him to be there, I have something for all of you and it's best to just do the entire corral at once."
"I'll see if I can find him Colonel." Margaret said, walking away as Pierce called after her.
"Look at the latrines; he's making the flies a home of their own!" She just huffed and kept on walking, Pierce and Hunnicutt's laughter fading as they followed Potter into his office to find out what was so important.