It had been two months since Frank's capture. To many in the 4077th they couldn't believe it. Potter came by earlier that day with some news from HQ concerning Frank. Since it had been two months without word from the North Koreans about Frank's whereabouts, the Army was officially declaring him Missing in Action and had sent order for the remaining of Frank's belongings be packaged up and sent to his presumable widow in the states.
It was up to Hawkeye and BJ to finish packing Frank's belongings. Most had been packed up to make room for Charles, who had come to replace Frank until he could be found. But since the Army was giving up on Frank, Charles was to be stationed permanently on the base. To say Charles wasn't taking the news well was an understatement. But he had respected the difficult time it was to his fellow surgeons and had not mentioned it in front of them and had taken his 'celebrating' elsewhere.
Hawkeye couldn't believe that Frank was gone. He had been one of the few that was still present from the original crew. Now it was just Margret, Radar, and Father Mulcany. Hawkeye would take back every little mean and petty thing that he had done to Frank over the years if it meant that the man would return safely. As BJ prepared to close the lid to Frank's footlocker for one last time, a small book fell from the lining. It was one that neither Doctor had seen in Frank's procession. And Hawkeye had routinely gone through Frank's stuff had never seen it until now. Reaching out he gently picked it up and opened it.
His eyes skimmed across the pages, shocked at what he was reading. BJ must have seen the shock because the blonde man was soon standing over his shoulder reading alongside Hawkeye
Korea
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I'm a Doctor not a soldier. Why do I feel the need to do things the military way! It's because of them that I'm stuck here in the first place. Oh who am I kidding, the whole Yankee Doodle routine is to impress one person. Margret. She is everything that I want in a woman. Maybe that's why I try everything in my power to make myself appealing to her. Even if it alienates me from my fellow male Doctors. Henry, Trapper, Hawkeye, and Spearchucker have made it quite clear they have little love for the army. And trying to make the camp more militaristic has alienated me further from them all.
BJ reached over and flipped a page, trying to make sense of writing. It was almost unbelievable that it had been Frank who wrote this.
Hawkeye and Trapper pulled another prank on me today, not that I didn't deserve it; they boxed me in a crate while I was sleeping. It took all I had not to start laughing, but not laughing aggravated my hernia. Margret convinced me that going to those two would be the best. I would never admit this to their faces but they are the best surgeons I've ever seen. My skills are like a wood cutters next to those two. I really wish we could be friends, but I burnt that bridge a long time ago. I have no right to ask for it now. I don't know why I am so disagreeable when I'm around those two. I never know what to say, and when I do open my big mouth I always say the wrong things and I don't mean many of the things I say. At the worst time's I always find myself saying things I heard my Father say and I never wanted to be like him. Most men want to grow up to be like their Father's, I never did, not after all the things that he did to me.
Hawkeye flipped through more of the pages picking one at random.
Margret came back today with the biggest news, she's engaged! In a way I'm glad, though I will miss her greatly. She deserves to be happy, to have someone love her with all their heart. To give her what she deserves, not some empty promises like I have. To be honest, I always thought that if I lost Margret to someone that it would be Hawkeye. Even a blind man can see the attraction those two have for each other, I just wonder when they will figure it out if they ever do.
It was too much for Hawkeye as he shut the book and collapsed on his cot. If what this book said was true, he had never really known the real Frank Burns. He doubted that even Margret knew who Frank was. It seemed that he had hidden his real self from them all. And he had only read three entries and the book was full of them. He didn't even think that they were all from Korea, the beginning pages looked as if they had been from before the war.
BJ felt like Hawkeye but he wasn't quite convinced that it was real. What if Frank had written to gain sympathy from them if was found. As much as he hated to think like it when Frank was missing and possible dead. BJ did not want to believe that he had been so wrong about Frank. Kneeling down beside the trunk, he examined the area where the book had been fallen out of. The seam of the loose lining was exactly like that of the lid, blending in perfectly. He carefully pulled the staples out so the whole top lining pulled off. BJ was surprised to see that the trunk appeared to have an entire false top. Popping it off he gave a low whistle at the treasure's he found.
"Hawk, I think you better come see this."
Hawkeye came to kneel next to BJ to investigate what Frank hid away. The first thing he noticed was a mountain of photos and a camera. Hawkeye picked up the photos and started to shuffle through them. There were ones of everybody in the camp. Klinger is many of his ridiculous outfits. Father Mulcahy boxing his duffle bag. Henry with a cigar in his mouth smiling. Margret with her head back laughing, and Radar cuddled with his teddy bear. There where ones of Trapper and Hawkeye dressed up in their ridicules outfits. There were even ones where they were just lounging in the Swamp. Hawkeye had no idea how Frank managed to take it. There were more of Trapper and Hawkeye, but a neat pile of BJ and Hawkeye. On the back of each photo was the names and dates of the photos.
As Hawkeye continued to look through the photos, he pulled out some neatly address envelopes. "Hawkeye, Frank's got a letter here from you Dad, and Peg."
Hawkeye dropped the photos and snatched the envelope that had his Dad's neat handwriting on it.
Dear Dr. Burns,
I have indeed heard many things from my son about you and I will assure you that the knowledge that you have contacted me will stay between us until after Benjamin comes back from the war. I must thank-you for the photos that you sent me. I often receive letters from my son, but it is a comfort to be able to see that he is alright as well. I don't know how I can thank-you.
Yours's truly,
Dr. Daniel Pierce.
Hawkeye looked over at BJ. "Does your letter say something about Frank sending photos?"
BJ nodded, "It appears that Frank sent her monthly photos to her. She never mentioned it to me in any of her letters."
"Does he have any other letters in there?" asked Hawkeye.
BJ leaned down and ruffled through the photos and pulled out a few more envelopes. "It seems like one from Radar's family, Trappers, Potters, and even Henry Blakes" said BJ handing the packet over to Hawkeye.
Trapper appeared to have sent Frank a personal letter after leaving, cussing Frank for sending pictures in secret. But in the end gave a heartfelt thank-you to his fellow surgeon and asked Frank to keep sending photos of Hawkeye so Trapper could see that the other surgeon wasn't working himself to death. Hawkeye couldn't believe it, he had exchanged letters with Trapper and he had never mentioned this. Mrs. Potter and Mrs. O'Reily's letters were along the same lines, thank-full and filled with promises of not informing their loved ones that they were receiving photos. Hawkeye could almost not make it through Henry's wife's letter.
There were clear tear stains on the page that thanked Frank over and over for the photos of her husband. That she would treasure them forever. Hawkeye was rubbing tears out of his eyes at the end of it. BJ had continued to look through the photos unwilling to go through the rest of it until Hawkeye was ready.
"You know it's sad, in all these pictures show the members of the 4077th at our happiest times. But there is always one missing from the photos" mused BJ. "Did we really ignore Frank so much that he was able to stand right in front of us and take a photo without us realizing it?"
Hawkeye felt immediate shame, because it was the only explanation. "I guess so. You know I never gave you a chance to get to know Frank on your own. I gave my opinion of him to you before you two even met. It explains why he was so angry when you arrived. He probably was hoping for an unbiased person that he might befriend. But I made sure that didn't happen."
BJ was ashamed also that he knew it was true, and explained some of Frank's more petty behavior in regards to the other two men. The box was full of other nick-knacks, one of Henry's fly lures, a buckle from Potter's busted saddle, one of Klinger's monogramed handkerchiefs, the frames of Radar's old glasses, Margret's hair pin, Trapper's party hat, BJ's favorite pen that ran dry, a cross Father Mulcahy carved to raise funds for the orphanage, and wrapped carefully in tissue was one of Hawkeye's martini glasses.
"It's a treasure trove of life here" said Hawkeye lowly. "Why would he want to be reminded of this place?"
"Maybe because this was where he felt the happiest" said BJ slowly. "With the way he carried on with Hot Lips, you know his marriage was not very happy. He never mentions he's married and didn't you say you saw the wedding video."
Hawkeye nodded, "Frank looked happy, but not his wife. I made fun of it when I saw it, but now I'm not sure. But I know one thing for certain. We can't send this stuff back to his wife" insisted Hawkeye. "None of this stuff has any value to her. She might get rid of it before Frank comes back."
Neither pointed out that by this point it was most likely that Frank wasn't going to be coming back. Nevertheless BJ agreed with Hawkeye. "We can go see if Klinger has any hat boxes left, it would be big enough to put all of this in."
It turned out that Klinger had an extra hat box that he gladly gave to the two Doctors. It was big enough that everything that had once been in the false lid fit inside the box. Once that was finished they went to see Colonel Potter, letters and box in hand.
"Colonel we need to speak to you. It's about something we found in Frank's stuff" said Hawkeye bursting into the office like he had done so many times before.
"If it's personal I don't want to know about it" said Potter not looking up from the paperwork he was filling out.
"Not even when that personal item directly involves you and your wife?" asked BJ sitting the hat box in the chair in front of Potter's desk.
This had Potter looking up. "What does Mildred have to do with any of this!" he demanded.
Hawkeye gave the letter he found to the Colonel to read as he helped himself to a glass of the good stuff, BJ not far behind him.
"This letter doesn't make any sense. What pictures is she talking about?" asked Potter as soon as he was done reading.
BJ sighed, "When we were packing Frank's stuff up, we found that his trunk had a false lid. Inside were probably hundreds of pictures he took around camp of everything and everybody. Apparently Frank has been sending some people's family photos that he's taken. We found letters from Hawk's dad, Peg, Radar's mom, and a few others. All the replies saying that they won't inform us like Frank asked until after we come home." To illustrate his point he opened the hat box and drew out a handful of photos to show Potter.
Potter slowly began to flip through them, but still listening as BJ continued. "He didn't want anyone to know. Didn't want us to know that he was sending our families reassurances that we were alive and alright over here" intoned BJ, he still couldn't quite believe it.
"It seems I underestimated Frank's character" said Potter gravely taking off his glasses and making his way over to the liquor cabinet where he helped himself to two thumbs of scotch.
"I think we all managed that Sherman" said Hawkeye truthfully. "I think we all did."
