Radar Detects Love
We drove up the bumpy road to the MASH unit I was assigned. The first thing I noticed as we drove up was how dirty and dreary the compound looked. It was much more crude than the hospital I was working in earlier in Seoul. As we drove in I noticed a young corporal by the looks of him searching for something in my direction. I stepped out of the jeep I was in and walked up to him. "Corporal O'Reilly?" I asked.
He almost jumped out of his skins. He just looked at me with his mouth agape. I sighed. I get this all the time. People consider I'm a beauty of some sort. Just because I have an excellent figure and long wavy blonde hair people think I'm gorgeous. "Yes my I help you sir ma'am?"
"Yes I was wondering where your CO's office is. I'm Lieutenant Potter." I held out my hand and smiled at him and he shook it.
"This way sir ma'am." He led me to the biggest tent and opened the door for me. The first thing I noticed when I walked in to the company's office was the mess. It looked as if a tornado had come through. "Uh sorry ma'am. A patient went berserk this afternoon and tore the place apart."
"Just call me Bridgette. I could help you if you want as soon as I settle down." I said with a warm smile.
"Okay thank you sir Bridgette ma'am. You can just call me Radar," he said a bit nervously. "Here you go." He pointed to a door to the right.
"Why are you called Radar?" I asked stalling.
"Oh, It's because sometimes I know what's going to happen before it happens," he said proudly.
I thanked him with a smile and walked in. I found an older man sat behind a desk that said Col. Sherman T. Potter. There were also 3 other men in there that I suspected were the camp's surgeons. Two were Captains by the looks of them and the other was a Major. I saluted them and got a better look at them. The first Captain was a bit gray around the edges and had a cheesy mustache. The second Captain had dark black hair that looked a bit shaggy and had a mischievous look in his eyes, as he looked me over. The Major was rather portly and was going bald.
"Ah you must be Lieutenant Potter," said the Colonel, "Where are you from? You look a bit familiar. Maybe we're family," he said with a laugh.
"From Michigan sir. Around Charlevoix sir," I said as I stood at attention.
"Hmmm. I don't know of any family around there, but welcome to the four-oh-seventy-seven. These here are our surgeons," he said as he gestured to the men in the room. "This here is Major Winchester."
The Major came over to me and shook my hand. "Major Charles Emerson Winchester the Third at your service."
I beamed at him and said, "Lieutenant Bridgette Potter at your service." He went and sat down as the second man came up to me.
"B.J. Hunnicut. Don't worry about him he's just a pompous old windbag," he said as he shook my hand warmly. He smiled down at me and I smiled back.
The dark haired man finally approached me and said grinning at me, " Captain Hawkeye Pierce at your service any time day or night. Especially at night." He waggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. I blushed and turned away.
"Okay now folks," said Potter as he cleared his throat to get our attention. "Time to get back to work. Will someone show Lieutenant Potter around the compound?"
"Um excuse me Colonel you can just call me Bridgette," I said boldly.
He nodded his head and corrected himself. "Will someone show Bridgette around the compound?"
Hawkeye started to say "Me! Me!" like a little child saying he wanted the last cookie. But Charles beat him to it and already offered his arm. I graciously took it and walked out of the office.
"You look like a smart young woman. Tell me were did you go to school?" he asked as we walked into the mess tent.
"Oh I can't remember the name but it was somewhere near Boston I believe," I said as we got into line. We got our food and sat down. I started to poke around the food disgustingly. I almost believed it moved and I pushed my tray away.
"Really? I think we went to the same university. What year were you?" He leaned toward me hanging on my every word. A bit creeped out I leaned back. I just meet the guy and he was already engrossed in me.
"I think it was around 1950. Um. I think I should go look for the head nurse. Could you show me were I might find her?"
He started to mumble to himself about some Boston Mercy Hospital then pointed vaguely toward the living quarters. I followed his finger and looked around for the Head Nurses tent. Finally I found it, straightened my uniform and knocked on the door.
"Go away Hawkeye. I don't want your pitiful apologies," growled a voice.
"Um. I'm the new nurse ma'am. I've come to report in," I said nervously. She didn't sound like she was in the kind of talking mood.
"Come in," the voice growled. I walked in, saluted and stood at attention. The woman that sat in front of me was in faded kakis and was holding a brush. "Name," she commanded.
I liked my lips and replied, "Lieutenant Bridgette Potter at your service ma'am."
She snorted and asked, "Do you know who I am?" I shook my head and kept staring straight ahead. "I'm Major Margaret Houlihan but you will call me Major or ma'am. Got that?" I nodded. "Got that?" she asked again aggressively.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, now you're dismissed." She turned and continued to brush her dirty blonde hair.
I quickly fled and looked around the compound trying to figure out were to go next. Then I heard someone clear their throat behind me and I turned and found Radar carrying my bag. "This way ma'am." He led me toward a tent and opened the door.
There were bunks all over the place and found other nurses lounging around. I thanked Radar and picked out a bunk near the back. I soon became friends with the other nurses. We all told each other were we were from and noticed that a certain Nurse Kristen Morgan was also from Michigan but from around Detroit. We soon fell into playing poker. I kept winning because of my good luck. After I had won all of their money I finally asked the question that had been plaguing my mind.
"What's the matter with Major Houlihan?" I asked as I lounged around waiting for my shift.
All of a sudden the tent quieted and they all looked at each other. Then finally Kristin cleared her throat and said, "There's nothing the matter about her."
"Yes there is. Why does it seem like she has a stick in her butt?" I persisted.
"Okay," said Kristin a bit defeated. "She's ticked off that Hawkeye won't say he loves her."
"What?! You got to be jesting. Right? Have they ever you know…?" They all nodded their heads. "He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would after someone like her. She just seems so mean," I said thunderstruck. They all nodded knowingly.
I looked at my watch and noticed it was almost time for my shift. I got up and made my way to post-op. As I went past the office I saw Radar trying to put together a stool. I giggled and opened the door a crack. "I can help you after my shift if you want Radar."
Yet again he nearly jumped out of his skins. I don't know how I keep scaring him the poor fellow. "Okay," he said nervously. I don't know why he's always nervous around me too.
I made my way to post-op and realized the doctor for my shift was Hawkeye. I blushed remembering when we first met. I controlled my self and walked in holding my head high. I signed in and walked over to my first patient. I looked at his clipboard and saw that he had to have an operation on his head. I winced slightly and sat down next to him. "How are you doing?" I asked softly.
He opened his eyes and looked at me. I smiled at him and he smiled back. "I feel fine except it feels like a hot poker was pressed against my skull." He pressed his hand against his forehead as if to cool it by that simple touch.
"It'll be fine in no time. What's your name?"
"Tom Wilkins. Could you write a note for my folks?" he asked hopefully as he looked at me.
"Sure." I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and said, "Shoot."
Dear Mom and Pa,June 24, 1952
Everything's fine here over in Korea. There's talk of a peace treaty. Hopefully it'll fall through this time. How's everyone? Their doing fine I hope. How's Katie? Is she holding up with me being over here?
The doctors are pretty nice over here. They even say I might be able to go home the day after tomorrow. Don't worry I'm not hurt that much. I just got some scratches and all. Well I can't wait to see all of you.
Love your devoted son,
Tom Wilkins
"Thank you. Could you send this for me?" he asked as I finished writing.
"Okay I'll do that after my shift," I said as I smiled at him again.
As I finished my shift Hawkeye came over to me and grinned again at me. I distracted myself with my last patient's chart. "What would you like Doctor?" I asked professionally.
He looked up like as if he was thinking deeply and replied, "I don't know. Maybe a bottle of wine, some music and possibly a date with you." He raised his eyebrows in question.
I took a long minute to read over the chart then I made up my mind. I raised my chin and looked at him straight in the eye. "What time?"
He grinned a lopsided grin at me that almost made my legs turn into jelly. "How about 8? We'll start with going to the Officers Club then possibly ending up in a romantic setting with music and candle light and a little alcohol." I nodded my head in consent and he left pre-op to arrange everything.
As I left pre-op myself I made a beeline to the office and found Radar still fooling around with the same stool but it looked like he had fallen asleep working on it. I quietly opened the door and started to organize the papers into piles.