Korea was not somewhere Doctor Arianna Jones wanted to be. She didn't think it was where anyone wanted to be, yet here she was; a Captain in the United States Army newly assigned to the 4077th M*A*S*H as a surgeon. She sat in the officer's club at the airport in Seoul, getting a drink to calm her nerves when a Lieutenant came and got her. Aria was driven to the 4077th MASH where the Lieutenant dropped her off with her luggage and was directed to the CO's office. She took a deep breath, smoothed the jacket of her class A's and walked in.
"Excuse me." She said to the company clerk. "I'm looking for Colonel Blake's office." She gripped her bag.
"Oh, right" He looked up, eyes widening behind his glasses, he looked to be in his early 20's. "Captain Jones?"
"That's me." Aria smiled.
"Uh, give me a minute." He went into the office doors by the desk, Aria looked around. "Captain Jones." The clerk opened the door, Aria walked in "Colonel Blake."
"Oh, what's your name by the way?" She asked the clerk.
"Radar O'Reily." He smiled.
"Holy smokes Radar he is a she!" Colonel Blake said in shock.
"Um yes?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I told you, sir." Radar said, then left.
"We uh, weren't expecting a female surgeon is all." He said.
"I see. Did you not read my file?" She asked.
"All it said was Captain A. M. Jones, surgeon." Colonel Blake explained.
"Is that a problem Colonel?"
"Henry; we're very informal around here."
"Henry." Aria smiled.
"Now the only problem with you being a she is we had you in a tent with three other surgeons, and they aren't shes." Blake said.
"That's quite alright, Henry, I grew up with three older brothers." She smiled.
"Really?" He asked.
"Oliver, Bryan, and Gregory, I was supposed to be Aaron, but instead I was a girl." She explained.
"If you don't mind my asking, what is your name?"
"Arianna, but most people call me either Ari or Aria." She replied. Henry opened his mouth to call Radar when the boy walked in, saying basically what he was about taking Aria to the Swamp. Radar grabbed her stuff and she followed him out of the building. "So why do they call you Radar?" She asked as they walked across the compound.
"I kind of see things before they happen, like wounded and what Colonel Blake says." He explained.
"That's great!" She laughed.
"Where are you from ma'am?"
"Aria, and Syracuse New York. You?"
"Iowa."
"I have cousins in Iowa!"
"Really?" His face it up.
"Really." Aria smiled.
"Well here we are, the Swamp." Radar opened the door and they walked inside.
"Ah Radar, to what do we owe this pleasure?" A black haired man asked from his cot.
"This is your new bunkmate." Radar said.
They looked up "Radar that's a girl!" The curly haired one said.
"And a very pretty one," the black haired one stood up "I'm Hawkeye." He shook her hand then kissed it.
"And I'm Trapper, the better tent member." The curly haired one said, doing the same as Hawkeye.
"I'm Arianna Jones." She smiled, looking around the tent.
"You'll be back here." Radar put her bags on the bed beside Trapper's.
"Thanks Radar." Aria smiled.
"Is there anything else you need ma'am?"
"For you to never call me ma'am again." She replied, smiling.
After Radar left, Aria looked at the still "You two make that yourselves?"
"Our crowning achievement." Trapper said.
"You drink?" Hawkeye asked.
"What kind of a question is that?" Aria asked, taking off her jacket. Hawkeye poured her a glass and handed it to her. She took a shot, then sat there for a second then downed the rest of it. The boys looked at her wide eyed.
"Where have you been all my life?" Hawkeye asked.
Aria chuckled "New York." She poured herself another glass.
"So, tell us about Miss Arianna." Trapper said.
"Well, I'm from Syracuse, I have three older brothers, and I play basically every instrument in the treble clef." She took a drink.
"Piano?" Trapper asked, she nodded.
"Violin?" Hawkeye asked, Aria nodded again.
"Viola? Cello?"
"French horn, flute, clarinet, kazoo and I sing both Alto and Soprano." She smiled proudly.
"You know what, I think I'll call you Trebble Clef." Hawkeye said. "Arianna is much to formal."
"A bit of a mouthful don't you think?" Aria laughed.
"Trebble then." Trapper shrugged.
"I like it." She smiled.
"Attention all personnel, incoming wounded." A voice said over the PA.
"In comes the welcome wagon." Hawkeye said, they got up and went to scrub up.
"Who are you?" A man demanded as Aria, Hawkeye, and Trapper walked in.
"Frank this is your new bunkmate, Captain Arianna Jones." Henry said as the nurse put a gown on him.
"A girl?" He demanded .
"Last time I checked." Trebble replied.
"I knew I liked her." Trapper smiled.
"Welcome to MASH 4077th." Henry sighed as the five of them walked into the OR.
6 hours later they reemerged. "You feeling up to a stop at the Officer's Club? We'll introduce you to everyone." Hawkeye said.
"Sure, why not. I'd love a drink." They walked over to the Officer's Club where Hawkeye and Trapper ordered two martinis and Aria ordered a whiskey.
"Igor, this is Trebble she just transferred here." Trapper said in between drinks.
"Trebble?"
"Aria." She nodded "they decided to call me Trebble when they learned I play basically everything in the treble clef."
"Oh wow, you play piano?" Igor asked, she nodded. "Father! There's someone else who can play the piano." The piano stopped playing.
"What did you say Igor?" The blond man at the piano turned around.
"This is the new surgeon Captain Trebble Jones." Hawkeye said.
"However my birth certificate says Arianna and most poeple call me Aria." She stuck out her hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aria. I'm Father Mulcahy." He shook her hand.
"Pleasure to meet you as well, Father." Aria smiled loving those blue eyes, Father, she thought.
"Did I hear correctly that you play piano?" He asked.
"Yes, since I was five." She smiled.
"I don't believe you." Hawkeye smiled.
"Need a demonstration?" She smirked and stood. Walking over she sat down and started playing her favorite Beethoven piece.
"My word." Mulcahy's tenor met her ears and Aria smiled. She finished the piece and turned around.
"Proof enough for you?"
"Igor, another whiskey for Trebble." Hawkeye said in slight shock. Aria went back to the bar and sat down, smiling with pride.
"I also sing and play a load of other instruments." She smiled over the rim of her glass.
"Like what?" Mulcahy sat on the other side of her.
"You name it."
"She plays it." Hawkeye and Trapper said.
"I'm the only girl with three older brothers so my parents decided I was going to be musical." Aria smiled finishing her whiskey.
"You come from a large family too?" He said.
" I'm half English, 1/4th Irish and 1/4th German. My dad was the one who wanted four kids." She replied. "They just weren't expecting the fourth one to be a girl." She smiled and the priest smiled too.
"Ready to go Trebble?" Trapper asked after about a half hour.
"Yeah, I suppose." She nodded and the three of them walked back to the Swamp where they went to bed. Aria however, couldn't sleep, she sat up in the dark and hugged her knees to her chest. Aria sat like that for a solid hour before getting up and walking to the mess tent. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at one of the tables, she looked down at the dark liquid and sighed.
"You weren't able to sleep either?" Aria jumped and turned around, seeing the padre standing there. "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Oh no, Father, you're fine. I was just zoning out." She said "and no, I can't. I don't understand why. Normally it takes me no time to fall asleep and after I can sleep through a natural disaster." She smiled a bit.
"May I sit?" He asked.
"Of course." Aria smiled. "Why weren't you able to sleep?" She asked.
"Happens frequently to everyone around here." Mulcahy explained.
"Makes sense, I've only been here a few hours and I can tell it's a hell hole." She nodded, then took a drink of her coffee and grimaced. "I don't even like coffee." She looked at the priest. He smiled and they both started laughing.
"Where did you come here from?" Mulcahy asked after they finally stopped laughing.
"The states," Aria replied "I was drafted. Yay." She added the last bit sarcastically.
"Where's home?" He asked.
"New York."
"Where in New York?"
"You from New York too?" Aria sat up a little straighter.
"Oh no, I'm from Pennsylvania." Mulcahy replied.
"Close enough," she smiled shrugging "Syracuse. If you've heard of it."
"I have yes!" He nodded, smiling. "I'm from Philadelphia."
"My oldest brother, Oliver lives in Philadelphia! He's a reporter!" She said enthusiastically.
"Oh really? Where?" He asked. Aria sat for a second, trying to remember where her brother lived.
"Uh, I don't remember. He sort of fell off the face of the earth." Aria smiled.
"That happens, I suppose." The priest smiled. Aria nodded and yawned.
"I think I'm going to head back to bed, thanks for keeping me company, Father." Aria smiled.
"Any time, my child." He smiled back, Aria downed the rest of the coffee and went back to the Swamp to try and get some sleep. She dreamt of her mother's apple pie, and the woods she use to play in.
