CHAPTER ONE: PICTURES ON THE WALL

Trapper John McIntyre was walking down a path along a beach. The grainy white sand felt soft under his bare feet. He turned his head to watch as a wave crashed along the South Carolinian coast. The warm sun beat down on his face. A slight pressure on his arm made him turn.

"Honey, what are you thinking right now?"

The surgeon turned and ended up looking into a pair of penetrating green eyes. The eyes belonged to the most beautiful woman in the world. Her light brown hair was pulled loosely off her face and the yellow sundress showed off her tan skin. He puller her close to his side and was about to answer when the sound of giggles interrupted him. He turned to see two little girls trailing behind them. The little brunettes were laughing as they tried to jump into the footprints he was leaving. Their little legs were only able to carry them half the distance. He was unable to prevent the smile that lit up his whole face as his heart swelled with pride.

"Trapper, your eyes are glowing."

Trapper looked down into the woman that had stolen his heart. Pulling her in front of him, he kissed her hard.

"How can I not be? I'm the luckiest man alive."

Trapper opened his eyes and found himself staring at a beige ceiling. He could feel the cotton blanket wrapped around his socks. All traces of the warm sun and the white sand were gone. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he turned in his bed and tried to fall back asleep, desperately trying to get back to the South Carolinian beach. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, a strong smell tickled the sensory glands in his nose. It took him a moment to realize that something was burning.

A split second later, the smoke detector went off. Trapper was out of bed in a flash and running down the steps. He was two steps from reaching the bottom of the steps when the alarm stopped ringing.

A loud "Shoot!" echoed from the kitchen.

Trapper smiled when he heard the familiar voice.

"Kat, you okay?" he called

"I'm fine Dad!" The response was loud and clear. "Dinner's almost ready."

Trapper winced, not daring to ask what had made the alarm go off. He walked around the living room, the image of his dream still fresh in his mind. His fingers traced the fingers of the walls of the small colonial house. It had been Louise's dream house. There were rumors that the Sons of Liberty had secretly met in the attic. The intrigue of the little house had stirred the history teacher's imagination. Trapper had always planned on buying it for her someday, but then Korea had happened and theirs lives had changed forever.

He had only bought the house two years ago, and it almost broke it heart that she wasn't here to share this little piece of history with him. God, he missed the days when he could hold her for as long as he wanted. The times when he held all three of girls at once and not having to let go until he was ready. Walking around the mix of modern furniture and restored eighteenth century walls, he stopped at the wall leading to the kitchen. Pictures covered the entire wall. His fingers traced the frame of the largest picture. Tears welled in his eyes as he stared at the four smiling faces looking back at him. They were the same people from his dream. Louise was even wearing the same yellow sundress and the girls were holding their sand buckets. Trapper touched Louise's smiling face them moved on to the girl sitting in his lap. Becky had been six years old. Everybody had always had said that she was the spitting image of her father. Trapper had never seen it, but after staring at the picture long enough, he could see the resemblance. When he thought about the last time he had gotten to hold his little girl, his heart almost broke again. It had been almost fifteen years now since he had seen his wife or daughter. The thought of Louise leaving him had never crossed his mind. At least, not the way that she had.

Things had been tough once he had gotten back from Korea. For one thing, the girls had a difficult time readjusting to their father being home. He had expected hugs and kisses when he got home, but Becky and Kathy had shied away. They were babies when he left and girls when he had returned. He had cried himself to sleep many nights when they were afraid to get their good night kisses.

An even harder adjustment had been telling Louise the truth. He had had every intention of never telling her of his exploits in Korea. One look from her piercing green eyes had him down on his knees telling her everything and begging for her forgiveness. He probably had looked at pitiful as Frank Burns. Louise had never been a typical housewife, She had a spirit and fire in her that was rare in the women he knew, one of the many reasons he loved her. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had taken the girls and left at that exact moment. Instead, she turned and looked and him with a sad smile on her face.

"I didn't marry you because you were a saint."

He had stared at her in disbelief,

"Honey, I didn't…." he stuttered.

"You better show me what had all those nurses ogling over you," she responded.

That first night together had almost made Trapper forget about Korea and any of the women who had walked through the door of the Swamp. Things weren't perfect after that. Although Louise forgave his infidelity, she forced him to make up for it. Trapper had thrown his whole heart into being a faithful husband.

After a few months, the girls had gotten readjusted to having their daddy back home. They had him wrapped around their fingers so tight, that the little urchins had gotten just about everything they had wanted. He had gotten his job back at Boston General and continued on his upward track. His skills as a surgeon gave him fame and a salary he had never dreamed off. Trapper decided that it was time to take a vacation. Louise's sister had a beach house in South Carolina so he had brought his family down to the beach for a week.

During the first few days, Trapper couldn't recall a time when he had been so happy. Little did he know that his bliss would soon turn into a nightmare worse then anything he had seen in Korea.

During the fourth day of the trip, Kathy had come down with a fever in the middle of the night. Not wanting to leave his daughter's side, he had sent Louise to get a prescription filled. She had taken Becky with her. Trapper would never forget the knocking on the door he heard three hours later.

The policeman told a story about the car that they had discovered. It had slid off the road and ran straight into a tree. The woman and the little girl had probably died on impact. They hadn't felt a thing.

That was the moment when Trapper's world had crashed down around him. Nights of Drunken binges followed along with hangovers that prevented him from doing his work properly. None of his patients had suffered the results of his idiocy, but there had been some near misses. Trapper hadn't cared and that's how he lost his job and his daughter. Louise's parents had taken Kathy to their home fifteen minutes away and threatened to keep her away until he got his act straitened out. Trapper didn't care. He just let himself keep slipping farther and farther into his stupor. Nightmares that he hadn't suffered since Korea started returning, so he stopped sleeping. Only resting when he was drunk enough to pass out. The thoughts of just ending it all came more and more frequently.

One night when the thought of suicide was beginning to take over his mind, his front door flew open. He was so drunk that he couldn't even make out who had walked in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The voice struck a cord of familiarity in Trapper's mind, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Go away," he choked, spilling his drink onto the floor.

"Damn you Trapper! Damn you! You are not going to not to treat that little girl the same way you treated me!"

:"Kathy will get over it. She's better without me…Wait a second, who are you?"

"Who am I? Remember the nights we spent chasing nurses around the compound….short sheeting Burn's bed….the nights we spent next to each other pulling entire arsenals out of kids' bodies…Do you remember the nights that you spent with me when I almost went crazy from the insanity of it all. Don't you dare tell me that you don't remember any of it!"

When the stranger had finished the tirade, there was a long silence. The wheels in Trapper's head were spinning.

"Hawkeye?" He had asked in disbelief. The next moment he had sudden pain erupt through his face. It hurt so bad he fell back in the chair. His vision was blurry, but he saw Hawkeye rub his hand.

"Yeah, its me you bastard. That's for leaving me in Korea without saying good-bye"

"Sorry," Trapper stuttered.

Hawkeye's voice had softened. "Right now I'm going to help you get through this."

Most friends come and go in life. Very few stick around to see if things turn alright. Hawkeye Pierce was one of those people. Trapper owed to his life to the man. Just like he had been there for him Korea, Hawkeye had been his shoulder to cry on. It had taken lots of work, but Trapper had slowly reentered the world. He looked at the second little girl in the picture and moved on the next frame on the wall.

Kathy was eight years old in the picture, and she was already looking like her mother. The little pink dress had mud stains on the front and messy curls were falling out of the tight bun on top of her head. It had been a nice attempt to make her look like a flower girl. It had gone all astray when she had chased Waggles through a mud puddle.

The battle to get Kathy back had been a part of his life that he would have liked to forget. When Hawkeye had helped him get his life back on track, He had realized that there was nothing left for him in Boston. The hospital had made it clear that they had no intention of hiring him back. Hawk had come to his rescue again. Daniel Pierce was getting close to retirement age and there was going to be an opening in the Crab Apple Cove for another doctor. Trapper found a small little house to start his life over again. The only thing left to do take his daughter with him.

Too bad life was not that easy. His father and mother in law were not willing to give their granddaughter up, and had already taken steps to obtain full custody of Kathy. He had already lost too many years with his youngest daughter, and he refused to loose anymore. An ugly custody battle soon followed. Insults and mean words were thrown by both sides. For a while, it looked like he was going to loose his daughter once and for all.

Hawkeye had stood by his side through it all, making inquires of his own. The charming doctor had gotten information out of the female judge. Trapper had never asked ho. He had decided that it was better that he didn't know. The judge had liked the idea of moving the child away from Boston into a small community well suited to raising a child. She had no doubt the child would be loved and well taken care of by her father and his friends, but her deciding factor was Kathy would have no female influence, one of the most important people needed to raising a little girl properly.

:"God Hawk, I might as well give up now. Mary's a good grandma. I can't compete wit her."

"Think about how many boys wouldn't be raising their own families right now if you had had that attitude in Korea."

"I at least had some control over that. Where the hell am I going to find a female influence for Kathy in a month"

Hawkeye had gotten a mischievous look in his eye.

"You let me handle that Trap." The glint in his eye that Trapper knew all too well was back.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"You'll find out. Do think you could plane tickets for you and Kathy to come to Crab Apple cove in a few weeks?"

"I'll have to talk to Sally and Tom, but…."

"Good, make sure you got something nice for the two of you to wear. Got to go. I've have to find a plane ticket to New York."

Trapper smiled at the memory. The absurdity at what happened next would never cease to amaze him. The events that led to the picture next to one of his little flower girl would remain one of his favorite memories. The picture was off center, thanks to Kathy's little hands and very armature photographer skills. The little girl's picture was a treasured item. The off centeredness only seemed to add more character to the already quirky subjects of the photo.

Two weeks after Hawkeye's mysterious conversation, Trapper found himself congratulating a bride. Major Margaret Houlihan ended her "army brat" traveling and made Crabapple Cove her permanent residence.

If somebody would have told Trapper that his old bunk mate would end up getting married to the head Nurse who had caused him so much grief, he would have laughed in their face Apparently things had happened after he left Korea. Even if this was true, Hawkeye's friends had been surprised to hear that the tow had kept in contact after the war. It hadn't prevented them from flocking to Crabapple Cove for the wedding. Trapper had been hesitant to see his old friends from Korea. Hawkeye had forgiven him for his less then noble departure, but would the others? The worry was unnecessary.

Klinger had shown up in an old bridesmaid dress. He stated that it was for old time's sake. Even Margaret had been unable to contain her laughter. It had surprised Trapper that he had stayed in Korea longer then anyone, but then one never knew what to expect from Klinger. His and his wife's search hadn't been in vain. They had found Soon Lee's mother, and returned with her to Toledo.

Old good Radar was there too. Unfortunately, life on the farm hadn't worked for him. The kid had sold the farm as soon as his mother had passed away and had moved to. Des Moines. The kid? Trapper would never be able to call him anything else, even through Radar was far from it. Like his old mentor, Radar had married a Midwestern beauty. If all the farm girls were anything like Loraine and Sarah, they liked men a little less on the intelligent side, but all heart on the other. At the time Radar had been working as A sheriff's deputy. Sarah was a lucky woman.

Trapper had never been a religious man, but that had never prevented him from counting Father Mulcahy on his list of people had admired the most. Leave it the quirky priest to turn something as terrible as loosing his hearing into a blessing. He now had hopes of starting his own school for hearing impaired kids.

The picture marked the first meeting between Trapper and the rest of the people. Charles Winchester, now he was a character. The man had to be the biggest walking contradiction Trapper had ever met. He had developed an instant distaste for the arrogant doctor. It didn't help that Charles had just been promoted to chief surgeon of Boston General, a job that Trapper had been pretty much been guaranteed, until well…Trapper didn't need to relive that part of life again. Just when he was about to confront the bastard face to face, something unexpected happened.

Ten minutes before the wedding procession began; one of the flower girls was missing. Trapper searched frantically for his daughter only to find the tearful little girl in the chief surgeons arms. Kathy was crying, because she had gotten dirty chasing the dog. Charles, with a look of complete seriousness on her face assured her that she still looked most beautiful. He helped her fix the flower barrette in her hair.

Mr. Houlihan, the bastard, hadn't been there to escort his youngest daughter down the isle. Margaret, the ever devoted daughter claimed that he had important business overseas, but Trapper knew it was a load of crap. The army man didn't approve of Hawkeye. Hawk wasn't the type of man that would sit down and let Houlihan walk all over him, not like the rest of the General's son in laws. Margaret's mother hadn't even been allowed into attend.

The honor of handing Margaret away had fallen to Coronal Sherman T. Potter. Trapper had been flabbergasted when he heard Hawk talk so highly of the man. Since when did Hawkeye Pierce, the man who made it his business to defy authority, look up to a regular army man? Within a few moments of meeting the tough as nails man, Trapper could see where Hawkeye's admiration came from. Potter seemed to demand respect as soon as he walked into a room, yet there a twinkle in eye that shone over the toughness. Sherman Potter had been outraged that Margaret's father had refused to come, yet tinkled pink that he was given the honor.

The last man in the picture was standing to his right…BJ HunnicutTrapper had wanted to hate the saintly doctor from Mill Valley. BJ was everything that Trapper had wanted. BJ was completely devoted to his wife. Hawkeye had told him tha the one time BJ had given in to the temptations of war, he had been sick for days. BJ had never abandoned his daughter like Trapper had. He had been able to help Hawkeye in a way that Trapper had been able too. Yes, Trapper Macintyre was jealous of BJ Hunnicut , and he had been content to live wit hit.

Too bad life wasn't that easy. Trapper had made up his mind that he would try and avoid the other doctor at all costs. Kathy had made that almost impossible. As soon as she had seen Erin she had basically adopted the younger girl as her little sister. The little girl's friendship had created an inevitable meeting between the parents.

. Trapper had never been so happy to eaten his words. He had founding hating BJ as impossible as liking Frank Burns. Speaking of good old Ferret Face, any man that could get the idiotic major to jump into a pit full of water deserved Trapper's respect. He expected BJ to look down on him for leaving Korea the way he had. The other doctor hadn't even mentioned it. The only time the conversation had come up between the two was ten years later, when BJ had sensed that his friend was willing to talk about it.

After the wedding, Trapper had returned home to beg for his daughter in court. His friend stood by his side the entire way, even taking the stand when he needed too. In classic Hawkeye fashion, the doctor had promised the judge that Kathy and her father would be welcome into his family. Margaret would be more then happy and was completely capable of mother role to Kathy when she needed it. The judge had spoken to Kathy who had spoken quite plainly that she wanted to live in Crabapple Cove. The judge granted the little girl's wishes. Louise's parents had not been happy, but they eventually gave Trapper their blessing, with stern promises that they would be watching to make sure their granddaughter was properly taken care of.

The rest of the pictures on the wall covered over ten years of life in Crabapple Cove. The Macintyres had been accepted almost immodesty into the small community and looked forward to the frequent gatherings of the members from MASH 4077. People always said that army friendships usually didn't last. It was typical that men would usually fall back into their ordinary lives, choosing to ignore the horrors of war and people that made those memories resurface. MASH 4077 had never followed typical procedures during the war. It was only fitting that they didn't when it was all over either. Crabapple Cove became the vacation spot for the families that had spread out across the country.

During his first four years in Crabapple Cove, Trapper had played the role of small town doctor alongside Hawkeye and his father. He had the honor of helping Margaret deliver her son when the father had been to distraught to even be in the same room. Now that was a story that Trapper enjoyed reliving.

"Hawk, her contractions are getting faster! Will you come in here?" Trapper yelled from inside the small office.

"Easy Margaret, you're doing just fine," Doctor Pierce the elder soothed.

"I've delivered hundreds of babies before," Margaret huffed, obviously in pain and distress. "Make sure that the head is not…."

Daniel Pierce placed a hand gently on the woman's forehead.

"Why don't you let me play doctor for a while?" he soothed gently.

"Hawkeye, what are you doing?" Trapper asked as he walked into the room where his friend was waiting with Kathy. Hawkeye was laying on the floor.

Kathy had rushed up as soon as she saw her father.

"Daddy, I think Uncle Hawkeye's sick!" she exclaimed. "Do I have a cousin yet?" she asked excitedly.

"Not yet honey," Trapper smiled. He knelt down next to his friend. Hawkeye was sweating almost as hard as Margaret.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" he asked. "God, I'm scared shitless right now."

Kathy giggled she heard the swearword.

"After everything I've seen, after all the gruesome operations I've had to perform. Why can't I be there for my wife?"

"Don't worry about it Hawk," Trapper smiled. "They had to kick me out of the OR too. I almost punched the doctor out because I thought he was hurting Louise."

"Hey Trap?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

A half an hour later, Hawkeye was sitting next to Margaret as she held on to their healthy newborn son, and he held on to her. Trapper couldn't stop himself from beaming.

"Can you imagine what that kids going to be like? "the proud grandfather asked.

"With a Houlihan and a Pierce for parents?" Trapper answered "God, that's kids going to be the first in line for the next war and filling the tank of the plane with jello before it leaves"

After making sure that the mother and baby were alright, Trapper left the Pierces alone and went to his own daughter. He picked her up and squeezed her hard, never quite getting over what joy children could bring.

Life had been good, but there just wasn't enough work in the small town for three skilled doctors. One day when Trapper was beginning to feel the constraints of his work, Hawkeye had come to him with a grand idea.

"Hawkeye, you're crazy! We don't have the money or the manpower to start our own clinic!"

"Since when did you worry about details?" Hawk asked. "We always managed to pull it off before."

"That was in the army when I didn't give a damn about anything but getting home. I've got worry about Kathy. There's college coming up and…"

"She just started Middle school!"

"I don't care I've got to start planning. What happens to Margaret and Conner when you throw away your life savings?"

"I won't be throwing it away. I already talked to Margaret about it and she's game. In fact BJ was looking to move his family after what happened.

"How are they doing?" Trapper asked growing serious.

"You know Erin; she's little enough that she'll bounce back from the scare. Peg says she's fine too, but BJ wants to move. Next time those shots might not miss."

Trapper shuddered at the thought.

"It's getting scary out there. God, when somebody shoots through your window for going to simple rally supporting civil rights…"

"It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better," Hawkeye answered. "But back on subject, if BJ were to move out here…"

"Hawkeye it isn't going to work!"

"Come on just let me show you what I'm thinking…."

Hawkeye had been thinking about starting his own clinic in Crabapple Cove, and the thinking stage hadn't lasted long. Trapper looked up at another picture. It had been taken the day that the Henry Blake Memorial clinic had opened its doors. With three skilled head doctors, the clinic had eventually became one of the leading small medical centers in the upper northeastern states. It had grown so large that within a few years, a special children's wing was built on in honor of a woman who had dedicated her life to teaching children, Louise McIntyre. Blake Memorial's latest addition was a center for patients who had recently suffered depilating injuries, of course the clinic's administration had hired the most qualified man possible for the job. Father Mulcahy was now doing work that he loved.

The rest of the pictures were mostly of Kathy growing up. One of Trapper's favorite pictures consisted of Kathy, Erin, Conner….and Charles. Erin and Conner both had violins in their hands and Kathy was sitting at the piano. Charles was leaning over the piano and directing the trio.

Charles had never married. His cold elusive personality had made it difficult for him to get close to anyone, especially a woman. Charles claimed that it was imperative for him to be a successful chief surgeon. If he got allowed himself to grow close to anyone, the doctors would see him as soft and begin defying his authority. His attitude completely changed when he was with the two girls and Conner. Charles loved the kids, probably as much as their parents did. It was if all of Charles's emotions had been reserved for Kathy, Erin and Hawkeye. He would fly in from Boston for concerts and recitals, and never dreamed about missing a birthday. He had insisted on getting the children instruments and finding the best quality teachers that Crabapple Cove had to offer. It wasn't long before he was declaring that his young protégés were better then anyone else in the state.

The picture next the musical ensemble was of Kathy during her freshmen year of high school. God, that was the year she had really gotten to look like her mother. That was also the year that Kathy had turned into Kat.

"Kathy, don't you have homework?"

"I finished it two hours ago Dad. It was too easy. I know more than that stupid teacher does. She had no idea that I…"

"Kathy Louise Macintyre, if I get a call one more time about you playing another joke in school.'

"Come on Dad, they were all harmless."

"Putting Vaseline on Robert Walter's locker dial so he couldn't open it?"

"Walters deserved it. He's a bully."

"Unscrewing the hinges on Mr. Tominson's chair?"

"He's got to be the meanest man I've ever met. Did you know that he was in the Marines? He expects us all to act like he's some kind of general or something."

Trapper couldn't blame his daughter. Everything she told him was true. Kathy was also part of a very smart group of kids. So smart that they got bored of the work they were supposed to be dong, and had to find other ways to use their minds. Unfortunately it was getting into trouble.

"Who gave you the idea to unscrew the chair?" Trapper asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hawkeye suggested it. BJ told me how to do it," the girl confirmed. "They said that you used to do it in Korea. "

"What did they tell you about Korea? "Trapper asked suddenly on his guard

"Nothing," Kathy sighed. "None of you will tell tell me anything about Korea."

"Kathy, its not something I like to talk about," Trapper explained to daughter. "I promise that when you're…"

"older, you'll tell me how about it," Kathy finished. "Could you just tell me some more of the jokes you used to play on Frank Burns?" she asked hopefully.

"No, because I do not want to end up sitting in the Principal's office again watching him add another red mark to Kahy Macintyre's permanent record."

"Hey Dad, about this whole Kathy thing,"

"What about it? It's your name," Trapper stated, confused.

"Well yeah, but everybody in school has started calling me Kat."

"What's wrong with Kathy? It was your mother's favorite name."

"It's fine, if you like old fashioned names…'
"How is it old fashioned?" Trapper asked.

"Come on Dad, I sound like I should be a housewife or something."

"Kat' was anything, but a housewife. A few months before her high school graduation, Kath made it clear that she had no plans to get married like many of her friends. She would be joining the growing number of girls to go to college. But she would not just be going to any school. She had broken the news at her graduation party, which had served the purpose for yet another MASH reunion.

"I'm going a doctor!' Kat exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Trapper asked, flabbergasted.

"I know I told you that I was going to school to be a teacher, but I was afraid you wouldn't listen.

"Kat, I know you are a smart kid, but do realize what it takes to get into a good premed program…" Hawkeye asked her, just as surprised as her father. "Besides the University of Maine doesn't even have a premed program."

"I'm not going to the University of Maine," Kat stated. She locked eyes with Charles. "I'm going to Boston College."

Charles smiled.

"As new facility head of the prestigious Boston College Medical department, I am pleased to welcome Ms. Kathy Macintyre into our program."

'But wait.. the visits, the papers…"Trapper stuttered. "You need a parent's permission to…"

"I signed on for the mother role when she was little," Margaret smiled. "I thought I'd play role as she got older too."

"Good for you Margaret. Congratulations Kat. I knew you would get in," Peg smiled.

"You knew about this?" BJ looked at his wife. "and you didn't tell me?"

"And what would you have done if I would have told you?" Peg asked.

"I would have told her that she was making a mistake, that…"

"You've always told her that she could be anything…" Margaret looked at the men in the room. "Yet when she tries to do something new, you tell her that its not her place."

"I never said that…"Trapper stated. He could only stare at his daughter. She had one all this behind his back.

"Dad, Cornel, talk some sense into her…" Hawkeye looked at the two older men sitting on the couch,

'I helped her write her application letter son," Daniel stated. "What do you want me to say?"

Sherman Potter just leaned back against his wife and started to laugh.

She really pulled one over all your eyes didn't' she?" He looked at Katy seriously. "Are you sure this is what you want to do my dear?"

Kathy nodded her head.

"You're not just doing this to prove anything to society, to prove your father and us men that you can do it."

"I want to help people," Kat answered sincerely. "I want to heal thim.

Potter smiled.

"I like the sound of adding another doctor to Blake. You guys are getting awfully old."

It hadn't been that Trapper, Hawkeye, and BJ were against female doctors, or females entering more prestigious lines of work, they just hadn't been ready for Kat to do it. Trapper wasn't ready to let her out into a world dominated by man. He knew the ridicule that his daughter was likely to face. He wasn't about to leave her alone in Boston.

Charles, bless his heart and its occasional unthaw, had expected this. He had left his post as chief surgeon to take on the job at the College. But before he had left, he had made sure that he got to name his successor.

As much as Trapper loved Crab Apple Cove, he often felt cramped in the small

town. He missed the big city excitement of Boston. As soon as Kathy was settled, he planned on moving back to the big city. Charles had helped progressed the move home. One day when Trapper was watching his daughter back up her things and trying to figure out the best way to tell her that he wasn't going to let her go. Charles had called him and offered him his vacant position.

That was how he ended up here today, staring at the pictures on the wall, recalling how he had gotten here. Kathy had breezed through her premed undergraduate, and was now just about to finish her first year of med school second in her class. The highest rank a woman had achieved yet in the program. He couldn't have been more proud of her. She was the also the pride of Blake Memorial and Crab Apple Cove.

"Dad, supper's ready."

Trapper turned his head to see a petite brunette standing in the doorway. Her long hair was pulled off her face, revealing a pair of green eyes. The image of a similar pair of eyes burned in his memories. He thought about his dream and sighed.

"I'll be there in a second," he told Kat.

Trapper's eyes scanned the photos one more time, starting with the one of his family. There would always be a hole in heart, a spot that had once been filled with the love of two very special girls. He moved on to the frames. No doctor would ever be able to fix that hole, but his friends…his family…had been able to heal the other parts of him. His life hadn't been prefect, but then whose ever was? Recalling the dream and that he needed to call Hawkeye tonight, he smiled. Life was good.

Trapper finally took his eyes off the wall and walked into the kitchen.

COMING SOON:

CHAPTER TWO: ECHOS OF KOREA

EXCERPT:

Trapper walked into the house, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. God, he was tired. Tired, but proud. His staff had preformed wonderfully. They hadn't lost a single patient. One of the youngest, Blake Saunders, had done especially well. Maybe it was personal bias, but he had thought Anderson had looked rather sluggish in surgery.

Trapper smiled when he saw the lamp was still on. Kathy was lying on the couch, sound asleep. Her anatomy book was still clutched in her hands. He quietly walked over and pulled the throw off the couch and draped it over his daughter. He grabbed the book and gently pulled it out of her hand. A leaflet fell out of one of the pages and fluttered to the carpet.

The pamphlet made the man's blood run cold. The front cover revealed an attractive blond nurse in a tight fitting army uniform helping an equally good-looking solider to his feet. Both of them were smiling, even though fighter planes were flying overhead.

"Where did she get this?" Trapper whispered aloud, looking at Kat. She was still sleeping peacefully.

He flipped through the recruitment sheet with scorn. It was filled with the usual military propaganda, help save the greatest civilization the world has ever seen, meet attractive people, and earn the eternal respect and gratitude of a nation that would take care of you for life. Trapper had heard it all before and it remained the biggest load of crap ever.

He felt his heart stop when he turned it to last cover. There was handwritten note in the corner.

Trapper walked into the house, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. God, he was tired. Tired, but proud. His staff had preformed wonderfully. They hadn't lost a single patient. One of the youngest, Blake Saunders, had done especially well. Maybe it was personal bias, but he had thought Anderson had looked rather sluggish in surgery.

Trapper smiled when he saw the lamp was still on. Kathy was lying on the couch, sound asleep. Her anatomy book was still clutched in her hands. He quietly walked over and pulled the throw off the couch and draped it over his daughter. He grabbed the book and gently pulled it out of her hand. A leaflet fell out of one of the pages and fluttered to the carpet.

The pamphlet made the man's blood run cold. The front cover revealed an attractive blond nurse in a tight fitting army uniform helping an equally good-looking solider to his feet. Both of them were smiling, even though fighter planes were flying overhead.

"Where did she get this?" Trapper whispered aloud, looking at Kat. She was still sleeping peacefully.

He flipped through the recruitment sheet with scorn. It was filled with the usual military propaganda, help save the greatest civilization the world has ever seen, meet attractive people, and earn the eternal respect and gratitude of a nation that would take care of you for life. Trapper had heard it all before and it remained the biggest load of crap ever.

He felt his heart stop when he turned it to last cover. There was handwritten note in the corner.

Trapper walked into the house, barely able to put one foot in front of the other. God, he was tired. Tired, but proud. His staff had preformed wonderfully. They hadn't lost a single patient. One of the youngest, Blake Saunders, had done especially well. Maybe it was personal bias, but he had thought Anderson had looked rather sluggish in surgery.

Trapper smiled when he saw the lamp was still on. Kathy was lying on the couch, sound asleep. Her anatomy book was still clutched in her hands. He quietly walked over and pulled the throw off the couch and draped it over his daughter. He grabbed the book and gently pulled it out of her hand. A leaflet fell out of one of the pages and fluttered to the carpet.

The pamphlet made the man's blood run cold. The front cover revealed an attractive blond nurse in a tight fitting army uniform helping an equally good-looking solider to his feet. Both of them were smiling, even though fighter planes were flying overhead.

"Where did she get this?" Trapper whispered aloud, looking at Kat. She was still sleeping peacefully.

He flipped through the recruitment sheet with scorn. It was filled with the usual military propaganda, help save the greatest civilization the world has ever seen, meet attractive people, and earn the eternal respect and gratitude of a nation that would take care of you for life. Trapper had heard it all before and it remained the biggest load of crap ever.

He felt his heart stop when he turned it to last cover. There was handwritten note in the corner.

If you have any questions, please call me anytime. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Lt. Cornel Frank Burns