Chapter 3: If I Had Two Wings
Within her room, the sun was nowhere near. The rain makes drum noises on the roof making a rhythmic sound. It soothes many ears.
Margaret covered her body with her homemade quilt and walked to the window of her room. She wasn't able to see the road to know if Hawkeye was coming or not. A grin passes her lips watching as the rain falls and falls. She loves the rain. She puts her skinny frail hand on the windowpane feeling the cool glass on her fingertips. She lets go suddenly, turns from the window to the door and walks out.
The hallway of the home is quiet with little movement from the residents and staff there. She quietly tipped-toed through to the recreation room, where she would sit by her spot by the window and once again wait for her true love. It is routine.
Charles Winchester waits for her there with some coffee and Margaret's spot. The elderly woman smiles and takes the cup from his shaky hands.
"You have good night?" Charles asks, after he takes a sip of hot coffee.
"Very. How about you?"
Charles is not stunned that she didn't remember who he was. But, with all Alzheimer's victims, she had more bad moments than good after all; she has been battling it for over two years now. And from the reports Charles was getting, she wasn't getting any better or even any good moments. It was to be expected
"Don't you just love the rain?" She suddenly asks. "Especially after it rains, that beautiful smell afterwards. Don't you agree?"
His response: "I never noticed before. But many people have their tastes." Charles looked down into his coffee cup at the black liquid and debates whether to take another sip. He does.
"Yes." Margaret whispers.
The nurse enters the room seeing the two there and walks towards them. "Margaret, dear." She starts as she pats her shoulder gently. "Come for breakfast. You must have forgotten that this is the time to eat, dear. Your friend can come." She looks over at him giving him a sign that he is allowed and to persuade her in some way.
Margaret shakes her head. "No. I have to wait."
"Margaret, you have to eat. Please, come. Then you can come back here and sit by the window some more."
"You know, I am kind of hungry." Charles pipes and he gets up and starts to walk, his eyes on Margaret seeing if she'll come.
Margaret still shakes her head. "No. I'll eat when he comes."
The nurse stood in front of her now wanting her to meet her glaze. "Do you want the same thing to happen to you as last night? We practically forced you out of this chair. Do you want that again? Margaret, if that happens, you won't be allowed to come to the window again. You need your strength"
The elderly woman's lips pinch together, angry and frustrated. Stubbornly, she gets up, using the aid of the handles on the chair. The nurse grabs her frail hand gripping it as they lead each other and Charles to the breakfast area. There, the nurse sets a tray up for Margaret, knowing that Margaret may not eat much, but the nurse is determine to make her eat. Charles helps himself, and sits across from Margaret on the bench like tables. They both dig in.
"Margaret, are you going to eat?" Charles questions.
"Mmmm…" She replies like a little child forcing to eat his vegetables. She pushes the tray away.
"You must eat. How about this? You eat at least half the food then you could continue telling me your story." Charles bargains.
"Only half?"
"Only half."
With that set, Margaret started to eat, her hand shaking each time she picked up the fork to reach her mouth. But, she succeeds and is ready to tell more of her tale. Before so, the nurse comes over noticing that Margaret ate.
"Mr. Winchester, you should come here more often to make her eat." She laughs.
Charles also laughs a hardy laugh and as the nurse left, his attention went back to Margaret.
"Now… that day was a great day I was celebrating after my commission…"
"I have never had such a great time in Washington DC before…" Margaret commented.
"It has been a good time hasn't it?" Hawkeye questioned walking besides Margaret.
"Mmm. It's a way of celebrating my commission!" Margaret exclaimed, laughing wildly along with Hawkeye's laugh echoing hers.
"You, know this is the only day to do this, right?" Hawkeye said.
"What do you mean?" Margaret and Hawkeye stopped in their tracks on the sidewalk of Washington DC.
"I don't live here, Margaret, I'm headed back to Crabapple Cove tomorrow. I was supposed to go to a convention this afternoon, but my friend I came with allowed me to spend time with you, knowing how important this was. I'm going back early tomorrow."
"Oh." Margaret said unexpectedly, completely forgetting that little detail. "Of course you'll have to go home. I have to figure out where my home is. I'll probably stay here for the time being and figure out where I could go and continue nursing."
The sun started to set, with pink and purple in the sky giving the sky a golden tint.
"I guess I should be going then." Hawkeye said picking a cherry blossom behind his back without Margaret's knowledge. "This was fun, and I'm so glad I did this. I've missed you." Once he said that he showed her the cherry blossom. She took it and caressed it in both of her hands, blushing. Hawkeye's sturdy hand took her cheek and kissed it so gently that Margaret thought she was going to fly away. Hawkeye then took the cherry blossom and gently put it in her hair.
In return, she kissed him, a small peck on the lips. Both walked the long sidewalk until Margaret was staying.
"If you're ever near Crabapple Cove, please look me up." Hawkeye said after the long silence.
"I will." Margaret walked towards the big white door. When she touched the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder, seeing the attractive young six foot man with raven black hair, and azure blue eyes. "Bye." She said.
"Bye." He answered, wondering whether he should of done something more. It's not like they were very close to being with, for instance she was only a major when they met, and only associated for practical jokes with either BJ or Trapper John or when war actually hit their world. But, he quickly came to thinking about the night they were stranded in that hut and how she 'cheated' on her then husband Donald Penobscott. Then again, it didn't feel like cheating, she wanted it too as much as he wanted it. It may have been spurring of the moment, but it was intense. They didn't make love, their clothes stayed on all the way through. They would never know whether or not they would have to escape the wraths of the enemy. If there was a choice, Hawkeye knew that they would have made love.
It was too late to call her back; she had already entered the hotel. Hawkeye stood there for a while wondering if he should go in, call her back out here or if he should just leave her be; he loved her. He doubted very highly that she was thinking of him as well. He was wrong.
In her mirror, Margaret looked at herself touching her cherry blossom and left it at that. She was too scared to go back out there, but she was thinking that perhaps, maybe, she was falling in love with him. Nah, she thought against it, she was probably going through some stage because they spent the afternoon together. These feelings had been going on and off since they said farewell back at the MASH and since her divorce with Donald. This feeling would go away too… hopefully.
She would keep that Crabapple Cove offer in her mind. She was thinking of doing that anyway since she had nowhere else to go. She peaked through her window seeing Hawkeye still there but he was leaving now, just like she thought he would. Who was she kidding? He loved her.
A tear tried trickling down her cheek, but she stopped it, she would see him very soon. She turned to her brown suitcase and headed for her drawers. She took out every piece of clothing she owned and packed it in her suitcase. She was going to Crabapple Cove, Maine to be with the one who loves her most.
"Why have you stopped?" Charles asks, anxious to know.
She shook her head. "Suspense, silly." Margaret giggles. "I'm rather tired, sir." Margaret forgot his name once more, but sir sounded ok.
"That's fine, then." Charles responds. "Would you like me to walk you to your room?" He starts to stand up.
"No, no." She answers. "I think I'll go wait." She gets up, leaving Charles there. He knew that she would continue telling the story sometime today or tomorrow.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Winchester. She's like that all the time." The nurse said coming near him.
"No matter… Nurse Johnson." He replies seeing her nametag. "I'm sure, as you told me that she's always like this."
"What exactly happened to him?"
"Better to keep those unhappy memories alone." Was all he answers. "I would love to tell you, but I don't think I can." He adds on.
"I completely understand." The nurse says calmly. "So are you staying a little while longer or are you leaving?"
He thinks for a minute. "I think I'll have another cup of coffee and see if that story will someday get told."
Nurse Johnson smiles and gets him another cup. He walks into the recreation room seeing Margaret in her regular spot.
"Hello." She welcomes her attention back at the window.
"Would you like to continue telling me that story about you and Hawkeye?"
She looks puzzled thinking it through for a moment's time. "No, I want to wait for Hawkeye."
"Maybe," he starts to bargain. "Maybe if you continue to tell the story, time will go faster and he'll be here in no time."
Her icy blue-green eyes stares at Charles. "You're very hooked aren't you?" She has suspicion in her voice.
Charles smiles. "Maybe just a little."
"Ah, what the heck, I'll continue I suppose." Margaret takes one more glance at the window, took a deep breath and continues on with her tale on her journey to the Northern State.