3.
"What's going on?" Margaret asked as she came over to Hawkeye and BJ's table.
"Nothing," BJ said getting up. "I don't need you and Klinger coming over here and pitying me. Like it's not bad enough coming from him," BJ said indicating to Hawkeye.
"I just thought you might want some company," Hawkeye defended.
"I do. But it's not Margaret and Klinger's company I want, and it's certainly not yours." BJ said, heading out of the door.
"How dare he speak to us like that?"
"C'mon Margaret you know he doesn't mean it. He's just missing his family."
"I don't know how you can be so calm about it," she mused.
Hawkeye shrugged. "I have to live with it everyday." he said, smiling wryly at her.
"Rather you than me."
Charles was sat in the Officer's club contemplating the box his Mother had sent him.
The intentions for it were clear, however, he wasn't sure whether or not he should see her wishes through. It wasn't that he begrudged what she wanted, just the implications it may have for him, the expectations.
It may even change how people here saw him, how they felt about him and he'd always intended to get in and out without getting to know any of them.
Would it be that hard to keep his Mother's wishes to himself? What it be so selfish to wish that no part of himself missed this place when he was finally allowed to return home?
If he allowed them in, how could he ever hope to be rid of them?
The door opened with force and Hunnicutt entered, ordering himself a beer.
Charles assumed he was coming to join him when he headed in his direction. "Hunnicutt," Charles greeted. "I'd ask you to join me, but I'm swamped right now.." he said with a smile.
"I'm not in the mood, Charles." BJ said flatly, going to the corner table and sitting with his back to the door, and Charles.
And the concern that piqued in Charles told him that his Mother's package didn't matter.
They were already part of him.
oOo
Colonel Potter sat at his desk, his latest letter from Mildred in his hands as he read through it again.
Words he'd read many times before, not just from the way he'd re-read the letter over and over since he got it but from previous years of not being there.
And for some reason, this year it seemed a much more bitter pill to swallow, to not be there with her. A letter back and forth could only say so much and his chance and been sent, anything that came along now would be too late for her to see.
He needed a drink and some good company so he headed out to find some of the others.
oOo
After BJ's outburst earlier, Margaret and Klinger had joined Hawkeye at a table in Rosie's. Margaret and Klinger filled him in on the plans they had for the party, with Hawkeye getting a kick out of Klinger's Tiara idea.
"Mind if I join you folks?" Potter asked as he sat down with them.
"Of course not Colonel," Margaret answered. "Everything okay?"
"Yes thank you Major, long day at the office."
"Oh Colonel, there you are.." Radar said as he came bursting into Rosie's. "There's an urgent call for you, Sir."
"Hold that drink, Rosie." the Colonel called over as he got up and headed back up and outside.
"We should see if there's anything we can do to help," Margaret suggested.
"Good idea," Klinger said, wanting to help anyway he could.
"Okay, but I'm gonna check on BJ on the way back. I'll catch up with you." Hawkeye said as they left some bills on the table and headed back to camp.
oOo
Hawkeye stood in the doorway of the Officer's club.
Charles looked up, saw him and then returned to the letter he was reading without so much as a nod. Charming as ever. In the corner from Charles say BJ, back to the door, shoulders squared in a way that told him he wasn't looking for company.
Hawkeye did notice that the beer BJ was nursing wasn't really being drunk.
"Igor, how many has he had?" Hawkeye asked quietly, pointing over to BJ.
"Just the one." Igor answered as he cleaned the glasses.
"Good. Do me a favour, if he starts getting heavy with them, send someone to get me, okay?" Igor nodded and Hawkeye walked over to the pair. "Well, well, if it isn't a Swamp reunion. So nice to see you both." When both of them ignored him, he carried on regardless. "What's that? Come join you? No, I couldn't impose!"
"Pierce, kindly shut up and go away." Charles snapped.
"Don't talk to him like that," BJ defended, looking round to the other man. Charles merely rolled his eyes at the pair and turned away from them.
"So?" Hawkeye didn't need to tell BJ what he as doing here, he knew.
"Look don't worry, I'm not going to get crazy and do anything stupid. I just want a little bit of quiet time to myself, okay?"
"Okay, fine. But if you're not back by tonight I'll be dragging you back with me."
BJ smiled. He appreciated Hawkeye's concern, even if it wasn't needed right then. Hawkeye laid a hand on BJ's shoulder before heading out the officer's club.
oOo
"...okay, understood... I'll get back to you with details, ASAP."
Colonel Potter was finishing up on the phone just as Margaret and Klinger were walking in. Radar was already stood in the room, ready to run any errands the Colonel needed from him.
"Is everything okay, Colonel?" Margaret asked.
"Not really. Battalion Aid took a bad hit. They need some instant relief and we need to send a couple of people down there, pronto. Radar..."
"Oh yeah Colonel, I got it right here. It's er, Captain Hunnicutt's turn down at the front."
"Right."
"Yo want me to get him, Sir?"
"I'll go and tell him myself."
"Colonel, you'll need a nurse?"
"They requested one, yes Major."
She nodded. "I'll go myself. My nurses have been working hard and they're looking forward to this Christmas party."
"But Major, you're supposed to help me get it ready!" Klinger protested.
"Someone else can do that. This is actually important, Klinger!"
"Major, get yourself ready, you and Hunnicutt need to leave pronto. They're desperate up there."
"Right away, Colonel."
"Klinger I have a list here of some medical supplies they're short on. See what we can spare and get them ready to go in five minutes. Radar, get a Jeep ready." They all rushed to do what the Colonel requested and with them on a mission, the Colonel headed out. He just got outside when he walked into Hawkeye.
"Oh Colonel I was just coming to see what the urgency was all about," Hawkeye said.
"No time, Hawkeye. Where's BJ?"
"The Officer's club. Why, is something wrong?"
Potter started to walk toward it, Pierce keeping pace. "Plenty. Battalion Aid needs a doctor now and Hunnicutt's turn has come round."
"Wait, wait, wait. You can't send BJ up there on Christmas Eve. The guys a mess."
"A mess?"
"Okay, well more brooding..."
"Pierce, I haven't got time for this."
"Look Colonel, you can't send a man to Battalion Aid when his hearts all the way back in California."
"Pierce..."
"I'll go."
"You think that'll help?"
"I don't think BJ will have his mind on the job right now."
"It's only fair he makes the call."
"He'll not agree to that, you know he won't. J-just say it was a error and no one realised until later."
"Why do you have to complicate everything, Pierce?"
Hawkeye smiled at the Colonel. "Well what fun would this War be without complications?"
"Just get yourself ready to go in five minutes."
"Thank you, Colonel." Hawkeye said, turning to head off towards the swamp.
"Pierce?" Hawkeye stopped and turned back towards he older man. "Be careful."
TBC