Part 2
I tossed and turned hopelessly that night. And it wasn't just the fault of the lumpy mattress. A not-so-small part of me was hoping that Colonel Flagg...that Sam...would reappear just as mysteriously as he had disappeared. But alas...I was not that lucky, and my beauty sleep paid the price.
The driver picked me up in the morning and drove me back to HQ. I picked up the supplies without incident and rode shotgun in a heavily loaded supply truck back to camp. I steadfastly refused to admit to myself that my eyes had been wandering the entire time I was at HQ, hoping to catch sight of my runaway spy.
Christ, I was being ridiculous. What the hell was I doing pining like a schoolgirl? Yes, I can admit the man is incredibly sexy when he's not acting like a grand inquisitor, but c'mon I barely know him. And yet...
I did see a side to him last night that I would have never expected. Sam Flagg reckless, uninhibited and passionate. And my what a sight it was...those wide blue-black eyes, those kiss-swollen lips, that hard powerful body pressed against mine. I felt my cheeks burning furiously at the memory and squirmed in my seat as the truck bounced down the rocky roadway.
Hawkeye and Trapper were waiting at the supply tent when we pulled in, looking very pleased with themselves.
"Well, well," I laughed as I climbed out of the cab, "Looks who's footloose and fancy free. How come you two aren't locked up in the swamp?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Hawkeye smiled. "The entire espionage circus pulled up stakes and hit the road last night."
"You're kidding," I gaped. But sure enough, as I looked around the camp there wasn't a single MP in sight. "That's unbelievable."
"We figured you would have the inside scoop," Trapper said. "All we know is that some uptight captain showed up at the tent last night and told us we were off the hook. Free as birds!"
I shook my head. "I wish I knew what to tell you. I'm as flabbergasted as you are. That's really spooky."
Hawkeye grinned. "And speaking of spooks: So how did things go in Seoul?"
"Yeah about that..," I took a deep steadying breath. "I think I'll need a drink for this story."
Trapper looked to Hawk incredulously. "Y/N is drinking before noon? This must be one whopper of a tale."
"You have no idea, Trap."
We settled in at the swamp and dived into a day-old beaker of gin. After a healthy dose of liquid courage, I gave them the blow by blow of the night beginning with Sam's appearance in my room. I carefully glossed over the steamier aspects of the story, but the ever-increasing look of shock on their faces was evident.
"And when I got up to answer the door," I shrugged, "He apparently jumped off the balcony and was gone."
Hawkeye and Trapper collapsed in howls of raucous laughter and it took several minutes of me threatening physical violence before they recovered themselves.
"It is not funny!" I fumed but damn it all, the ridiculousness was infectious and I couldn't help laughing myself.
"Don't be angry," Hawkeye coughed, wiping tears from his eyes. "I promise we are not laughing at you, Y/N. In fact, I must say I am impressed. Impressed and also incredibly jealous!" He took a long drink of his martini and groaned amusedly. "God help us, we'll never be rid of him now."
"Very funny," I grumbled.
He shook his head. "I'm serious. I hate to break it to you, but I have a feeling the overzealous Colonel may be very taken with you, Y/N. He might be head over heels. Well, right up until he went over the railing and then he was heels over head."
I raised a brow. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard, Hawk. Are you kidding me? I literally scared him right out of the window."
"Well what did you expect, Y/N? You unfurled the Flagg! You lured him into an epic lapse of restraint. A four alarm failure of his typical icy exterior!" He grinned and waggled his brows. "You devil, you!"
"I gotta say, I am amazed," Trapped grinned. "Who knew that the accidental agent was really such a red hot lover? But hey, cut the guy a break. I'm sure he's a mess right now. He can't decide if he wants to arrest you or make sweet spy love to you."
At this, Hawkeye collapsed into his bunk in another peal of laughter.
I groaned. "God, I hate you both."
We were inundated with wounded for the next three days. The hours in O.R. seemed endless and by the end of the third evening, we were all dead on our feet.
I fell in step with Hawk and Trap as we trudged out of post op. "Care to join me for some coffee, boys?"
Hawkeye grinned tiredly. "Absolutely. But not by the cup, I think I need it in an IV drip."
Trapper laughed. "I think that can be arranged, Hawk. After all we got the greatest nurse in the war on our side." He draped an arm around my neck playfully. "At least until her secret comrades in Eastern Europe come to collect her back, right?"
"Ugh," I sighed, "you know I'm never gonna live that story down. Nearly everybody in camp is still avoiding me like the plague thanks to you two."
"Aw relax, it's only been a few days" Hawkeye smiled. "Soon it'll be old news. This war has given everybody the attention spans of your common housefly. Before long they'll move on to the latest and greatest manure."
Frank Burns came bustling towards the mess tent as we were walking up.
"Hiya Frank," Trapper said sweetly.
Frank skidded to halt and spun around. "You don't scare me one bit!" he snapped and pushed through the door.
I laughed. "One of these days you'll have to explain to me how you damaged that man, boys."
"Oh it's not our fault," Hawkeye said as he held the door open for me. "He arrived damaged. We tried to mail him back home for a refund, but his ego wouldn't fit in the box."
We all got a mug of sludge that was somehow labeled as coffee and sat at a table at the back of the tent. And boy it was nice just to take a moment to decompress. In all the madness of the last few days, it was a welcome relief to be able to sit and chat aimlessly with the guys.
I had to admit that in the few spare moments I had bouncing from surgery to surgery, my thoughts kept drifting back to Sam. God that utterly sexy, utterly maniacal man. I purposely shoved aside the vision of his handsome face in my mind.
No dammit! I'm going to sit here and relax and focus on anything but bloody wounds, endless broken bodies, and the oh so delicious Colonel Flagg.
But of course that moment of relaxation was soon utterly fucking annihilated.
Radar burst into the mess tent like a house afire and made a beeline for our table. "Sirs, I need to talk to you," he gasped. "It's important!"
Hawkeye lowered his mug in surprise as Radar bent over to catch his breath. "What is it, Lassie? Did Timmy fall into the well?"
Radar looked over his shoulder. Frank had sat up in his seat across the tent, looking over in interest. Radar leaned closer. "Flagg!" he hissed in a whisper, "He's back!"
My head snapped up. "Flagg?"
Hawkeye cast me a glance. "Careful now, Y/N. You'll give yourself whiplash," he grinned.
"He just showed up in the Colonel's office," Radar continued in a rush. "But Flagg isn't Flagg, sirs. He's Captain Perkins now. He's got glasses and everything."
Trapper elbowed me. "Oh god this is serious, Y/N. You see what you did? You've sent him spiraling into another identity."
I gaped in outrage and kicked him under the table.
"Behave now children," Hawkeye chuckled. "So what's the story, Radar?"
"I dunno," Radar whispered, glancing over at Frank again. "It's on the QT. Some kind of secret mission. Nobody's supposed to know he's here. Even Colonel Blake's not supposed to know, and he met with him."
"But of course you know it, Radar. We can always count on you and your trusty stethoscope to play doctor with Henry's door."
Radar smiled sheepishly.
"Well kids, let's go see Henry," Hawkeye shrugged. "Wow, this is like a great cheap novel," he grinned. "I can't wait to see what happens next."
"Wait a sec, Hawk," Trapper interrupted. "We don't know where Flagg's hiding now under the cover of darkness. Did you see where he went, Radar?"
"No, sir. One minute he was there and then he was gone."
"He's very good at evasive maneuvers," Hawkeye said seriously. "Just ask Y/N. She's had some recent experience."
"Oh god.." I groaned into my coffee cup.
Frank sidled up to our table importantly, shoving his hands into his pockets "Something wrong, Corporal O'Reilly?" he asked keenly.
Radar straightened up quickly. "No-no, sir. I was just letting the Captains and Lt. know that Colonel Blake is in his office."
Frank sniffed skeptically. "And why would you feel the need to tell them that the Colonel is in his office?"
"Just in case they need to see him, sir," Radar said quickly. "I had to let them know he was in, in case he went out and wouldn't be in again, sir. If he went out, he wouldn't be in if they go out to see if he's in, sir."
I stifled a giggle at Frank's confused expression. That's our Radar, the master of double speak.
"Now just what kind of idiot do you think I am, Corporal?" Frank barked hotly.
"I wouldn't know unless you told me, sir." Radar said simply and then bustled away again.
"That's right, I..." Frank sputtered and then paused, comprehension dawning on his face. "Hey wait a minute!"
"Leave him alone, Frank," Hawkeye said lazily. "He's just reaching puberty, you know. It's made him very sassy. His mother and I are beside ourselves with worry."
"Oh hooey-balooey!" Frank spat.
"Frank! Language!" Trapper gasped in mock offense.
Frank glared daggers at us before marching away in a huff.
I sighed. "Will the madness never end?"
Hawkeye shook his head. "I certainly hope not. And now that your love-struck spy is back, I think it's only going to get more interesting," he grinned.
We waited about an hour before we set off to Henry's office in the event Frank was still nosily lurking in the area. We made our way stealthily across camp and Jesus, you could smell the bourbon before we even walked in Henry's door. We found Henry face-down on his desk, glass still in hand.
"Oh god, poor man," I sighed. "This past week has been really rough on him."
"Nah, Henry's a trooper," Trapper remarked. "And besides this is his usual Friday night entertainment."
"Trap, it's Tuesday."
He shrugged. "So he's getting an early start."
"C'mon now, Henry," Hawkeye sang as he heaved the Colonel upright. "Wakey wakey, the war's still on, you know."
Henry opened his eyes blearily and smiled. "Is that you, Soon-Li? I've been waiting on you, my little buttercup."
Hawkeye shot me a bemused look. "You see that?He only uses my pet name when he wants something. What does Flagg call you, Y/N?"
I glared at him and he smiled shamelessly. "C'mon Henry, we need to talk to you."
Henry looked confusedly at him. "Hawk, what are you doing here? Did you see Soon-Li? She was just here," he slurred.
"Buttercup said she'd be back later," Trapper laughed. "Listen Henry, we wanna know what Flagg was doing here earlier."
"Ugh! Flagg..." Henry groaned. "Won't that man just leave us alone? He's giving ulcers to my ulcers."
"We know, Henry we know," Hawk said placatingly. "We want to know why he was here tonight. What's Flagg up to?"
"Shhhhh!" Henry hissed loudly and covered the top of his glass with his hand. Hawk, Trap and I looked around the room perplexedly.
"Henry, what are you doing?"
He looked down at the glass seriously. "It might be miked," he hissed again.
"Microphones in the booze?" Trapper smirked. "Well that's certainly where I'd put them. The truth always comes out in the liquor, right?"
Henry stood up suddenly, lurching wildly on his feet. Hawkeye caught his arm before he took a nosedive into the desk.
"I don't know any Colonel Flagg!" Henry announced loudly to the room. "And even if I did, he was never here!" He smiled and nodded satisfactorily...
And then his eyes rolled back in his head and his knees buckled.
"Jesus!" Hawkeye yelled as Henry nearly pulled him down with him. "Trap, give me a hand!"
Trap and I rushed over to help Hawkeye safely plant Henry back in his chair. Henry's head was lolling in his neck.
Radar peeked into the room. "Is it safe in there, sirs?"
"Nobody here but us chickens," Hawkeye said glibly. "And one very drunk junior bird," he tapped the brass insignia on Henry's hat.
Radar slipped inside. "Aw geez, is the Colonel going to be okay, sirs?"
"He'll be fine, Radar," Hawkeye said. "As long as nobody lights a match in here. I think his breath is 100 proof right now."
Radar bent down and slapped Henry lightly on the cheeks. "Sir, it's Radar, sir. Hawkeye came to ask you about Colonel Flagg...er, Captain Perkins, sir."
Henry cracked open his eyes. "That you, Radar? Take a memo: from now on my office is hereby ordered to stop spinning." He giggled. "I'll never get any work done."
"It's alright Henry," Hawkeye patted him on the shoulder. "You never do any work in here anyway."
Henry's brow furrowed, his eyes sliding out of focus. "Yeah, that's right. Radar take another memo: no more memos in this office!"
"Yes, sir. Right away sir," Radar said fidgeting uncomfortably. "But about Captain Perkins..."
"Perkins," Henry slurred. "You know that guy looks just like Colonel Flagg? Something around the eyes..."
"Figures," Hawkeye sighed. "Radar, let's pour the Colonel into bed, shall we?"
After safely stowing Henry in his quarters, Hawkeye, Trapper and I crept back across camp to the swamp. Hawkeye collapsed heavily into his bunk while Trapper fired up the still.
"So what do you think?" I asked Hawk as I slipped off my coat.
"That war is hell."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm being serious."
"So am I," he shrugged innocently. "All this mayhem is just symptomatic, you know."
"Oh really?" I laughed as I sat down next to him. "Symptomatic of what?"
"That war is hell and it's made us all crazy," Trapper smirked. "Drinks, boys and girls?"
"Yes, please," we both intoned.
"It's only natural," Hawk continued. "Human beings are not supposed to be exposed to round-the-clock destruction and devastation. After a while, we all get a little loony."
"That's right," Trapper nodded as he passed me a glass. "Classic battle fatigue. It effects everyone differently. In Henry's case it's affecting his liver. In Flagg's case it's clearly affecting his eyes. He sees communists and subversives everywhere."
"Oh come on," I smirked.
"Now, now," Hawkeye grinned. "No need to jump to your buttercup's defense."
My cheeks flared with heat. "He is not my buttercup," I scoffed.
"Well, he certainly isn't mine. Is he yours, Trap?"
Trapper shook his head. "Nah, not me. I'm not his type. I've heard he prefers hot little nurses with questionable political sympathies."
I rolled my eyes. "What a sweet sentiment. But seriously guys, Henry's not going to survive another visit from the intelligence brigade. What are we going to do?"
"Not we. You!" Trapper smiled. "You gotta be the one to nip the Flagg in the bud. The poor guy is cracked! Wound so tight he spins like a top! This is all your fault, you know. I think the man is crazy for you, but he doesn't know what do about it."
I hummed skeptically. "Maybe you two just have overactive imaginations."
But even as the words came out of my mouth, I knew they weren't true. The memories rose involuntarily into my mind. The taste of Sam's fiercely passionate kiss, the compellingly lost look in his deep blue eyes, his deep rumbling groans...
I felt the heat in my cheeks flare worse than ever.
"Don't be coy, my little medical minx," Hawkeye leered. "He's definitely got it bad. There's only one way to cure him. I recommend a prescription of some serious TLC, a liberal application of lips, heavy dose of heavy petting, and an injection of..."
"I think I get the idea!" I interrupted loudly, my cheeks burning furiously now.
"He's got a serious problem and only you can fix it," Trapper nodded. "After all you're a nurse, Y/N. You're sworn by oath and duty to kiss it and make it better."
It was getting late by the time I made my way back to my tent. God I was a nervous wreck, even with two martinis in me. What was Sam doing back here again? Did it really have anything to do with me? Of course part of me wanted to believe what Hawk and Trap were saying, but I wasn't completely convinced.
But Jesus, what if it's true...
From everything I knew or was told about Colonel Sam Flagg, he was a cold, unyielding, and dispassionate man. But the man I saw that night in Seoul, my god, that had been someone completely different. Maybe it was true, maybe Sam really was just a battle-scarred lunatic who forgot how to be human somewhere along the war. Maybe our little tryst in Seoul had revealed something in him that was long repressed and clawing to get out. My, my that was a very compelling concept.
I sighed with reminiscence. What I wouldn't give to be trapped in that tight embrace again...
I walked into my tent and turned on the desk lamp on my side table. And oh hell, I had left one of the small flaps on the side of my tent open to let in some fresh air that morning, but now all it was doing was letting in a cold draft.
I walked over to roll it back down and then stopped.
Oh god, Sam could be out there somewhere watching me right now!
The thought was slightly alarming, and also admittedly more than a little exciting. I smiled to myself with a sudden and salacious inspiration.
I took off my coat and tossed it over my chair. I made a very long, very deliberate show of getting undressed. And I mean I pulled out all the stops: from stretching provocatively to pull my undershirt over my head, to running my hands through hair and rubbing my neck and throat, to slowly shimmying my pants over my hips and down my legs. I even bent over low at the waist and arched my back while I was unlacing my boots. I was tempted to put on a much naughtier show than just undressing, but I didn't want to press my luck in case any patrol guards came strolling by.
After a completely unnecessary stroll around the room in my lacy bra and panties, I slipped on my silk robe, tying it low on my waist to leave an ample amount of cleavage exposed. I was thoroughly enjoying myself but I had to resist the urge to prance too smugly around the tent. If he was indeed out there watching, I certainly didn't want him to know that I knew he was watching.
But if he knows that I know that he knows...Oh god I'm starting to sound like Radar.
"Evening, lieutenant!" came a jovial voice from outside. I startled, whirling around and nearly tripping over my own two feet.
And there was Klinger standing outside the tent, rifle in hand and dressed in a very elaborate blue evening gown.
"Evening, Klinger," I smiled. "I see you're on security duty tonight. Aren't you going to be cold in that outfit?"
He shrugged. "I was just on my way back to my tent to get my fur stole. Hey, that's a beautiful ensemble you've got on there, do you know if it comes in an extra large size?"
I laughed. "Thank you, Klinger. Yeah, I'm sure it does. The Ladies Lace mail order catalog."
"Oh good, I just got that one yesterday. Well goodnight, ma'am."
"Goodnight, Klinger."
I sighed. Jesus, Y/N you're being ridiculous. You're making a fool of yourself and he probably isn't even out there. Now get dressed before you catch pneumonia.
In the morning, I showered and dressed quickly. I had no doubt that whatever was brewing today, it was very good odds that I would see Sam again. A daunting but also very exciting prospect. And yet I refused to admit that I paid special attention to my hair and makeup as I got dressed. And hey, if I dabbed on a little extra perfume that was just an incidental necessity, right?
I made my way over to post op to check in on the patients before breakfast. When I pushed open the door, I found Hawkeye and Trapper still in their robes talking lowly to Radar in the corner of the room.
Hawkeye looked over and flashed me a gleeful smile. "Oh good morning, Y/N. You're just in time. Tell her, Radar."
Radar shuffled his feet, nervously fingering his clipboard. "Er, the Captain Perkins that wasn't officially here last night is here officially this morning ma'am. He's in the Colonel's Office wishing to speak to you and the Captains."
"Quick, Y/N. Go slip into something more subversive," Hawkeye grinned. "Preferably something tight, skimpy and low-cut."
I shot him a dirty look before turning back to Radar. "Where's Henry?"
"Um, the Colonel is still in his tent, ma'am. He's a little indisposed this morning."
Trapper guffawed. "Just a little touch of the malted barley flu."
Hawkeye nodded, "A little hair of the Wild Turkey that bit him, and he'll be right as rain again." He gave me a once-over. "Looking very lovely today, Y/N. Got a hot date this morning?"
"If not, she sure does now," Trapper grinned. "C'mon, let's not leave the Captain-Colonel Flagg waiting. If we don't hurry he might become somebody else by the time we get there."
to be continued... ;)
