A/N: Thanks to everyone for your continuing support of this story, I am glad you are still enjoying it. I apologize for leaving the last chapter on a cliffhanger … Well anyway, on with the story.
As always, I own nothing except the plot, OC's and any mistakes that slip through.
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Vietnam: October 1967.
I felt a burn across my neck and in my chest then nothing… Well I could hear Rach singing, I don't know what the words were but just hearing her beautiful voice after all this time was enough to let me slide away, knowing I would be with her soon or maybe I was finally going to see my baby girl? I didn't really care.
"R-Rach baby, where are you?"
CHAPTER IX
American Army Base Hospital: Clark Air force base in the Philippines
"Specialist Hudson?"
I turn my head towards the sound of my name groaning and wincing at the sharp dragging pain that burns like fire across my throat, I can feel tightness across my chest as well when I try to turn my body to alleviate the tugging, cursing again at the stabbing pain. All of a sudden, the reason for my present condition is replaying like a movie in my head. My eyes widen in alarm. Then as I raise my hand to my throat my fingers encounter the thick bandages, I slam my eyes closed and try to take a deep breath to calm my raging emotions.
"Specialist Hudson, My name is Dr. Pierce, but you can call me Hawkeye in fact I'd rather you did and I'll just call you Finn, we aren't the formal sort as you can probably tell by my attire, I read in the latest stars and stripes that bath robes are the latest fashion trend for the fashion aware medical practitioner. I feel this delightful red colour really matches perfectly with my bloodshot eyes don't you think? "
He does a little twirl giving me a full view of his odd outfit which is indeed an open bathrobe that ends at mid calf over the top of his white scrubs, and to top the whole outfit off he was wearing a cowboy hat made from straw. If it weren't for his chain of dog tags hanging around his neck no one would know he was in the army or even a professional I send him a half smile, already feeling slightly more at ease.
"Yes well as I said I am Hawkeye and this dashing chap is my most learned colleague, he can spell the word Doctor now." Waving his arm in the direction of the only chair in the room, "Is Dr. 'Trapper' John McIntire, but such a long moniker confuses the poor man so just call him Trapper."
I raise my hand in greeting at the sight of another bathrobe-clad man this time in a yellow one with a large straw boater type hat perched atop his mass of light brown curls. Trapper raises his tall body from the chair, lifts his hat and does a little bow, before joining Hawkeye at my bedside.
"As you can probably tell you were shot in the neck, but due to the entry and exit angle of the bullet, it made quite a mess, thankfully though it missed your voice box and carotid artery, and us."
He indicates the two of them.
"Being the magicians we are in an operating room and brilliant Dr's to boot fixed everything. You will need to take it easy with talking for a little while, but you should be ok, the same with your chest wound. The shot bounced off your rib cage, which in turn caused a couple to break. Overall you are one lucky man, must have had a guardian angel watching over you. And from that ring on your finger and the way you kept mumbling what sounded like Rach, I'd hazard a guess that she is it?"
I reached my hand up to shake both of theirs and then made a motion of writing, hoping they understood what I was asking for.
"I think he is asking for something to write on Hawk, what's say we call one of those lovely visions in white, in to assist him and then take a promenade around the golf course, before the bar at the officers club opens?"
"First-rate idea my good man" Hawkeye says in a posh British accent.
Before he turns to me again and says, " I'd like to keep you here at the pleasure palace for a couple of days just to make sure everything is a-ok then we'll return you to the real world via a first class trip. Courtesy of Mr. Lyndon B Johnson himself, but we'll be back to see you in the morning, Just try not to talk too much at least today so the sutures can settle down, just get some shut eye."
He then turns to Trapper and loops his arm through Trapper's as they skip out of the room chatting like a couple of ladies at the country club, leaning down to press a noisy kiss on the cheeks of the laughing nurse who is on her way in.
I again indicate for some paper and a pen, nurse Melody nods in acknowledgement and returns 5 minutes later with a bundle of loose papers and a pen. I hold up my hand and ask her to wait, while I hurriedly scribble on the page
Does my wife know I'm here?
She shakes her head and says, "I'm not sure but I can try and find out."
I write again- Yes please, But if you talk to her please tell her not to worry about coming here, I will be home soon, I know she will worry but that is just my Rach, Thanks nurse.
"You're welcome specialist." She says softly
Specialist? But I'm only a corporal.
In an apologetic tone she answers "Well I don't know about that but on your admission papers you were listed as, Specialist Finnegan C Hudson, aged 27, D.O.B 08/08/1940, married, to a Rachel B Hudson, home town Lima Ohio, service number OH-52-1510-1235 and service termination date 15 October 1967. But maybe someone from the army will come by and explain what is going on. Now is there anything else I can get for you?
No thanks, I'm feeling a bit tired now, so I'll think I'll have a nap, thanks anyway.
"Ok then I'll see you later just remember to press the call button if your pain gets too much and someone will come."
I wiggle a bit on my narrow bed , taking a quick look around at the other 5 beds in the room, and notice they are have their curtains drawn around them, so I assume they must be occupied. I close my eyes and before long my dreams are filled with Rach's, smiling but teary face as she meets me at the airport. But for the life of me I can't understand how I came to be promoted. I mean all I did was get some of the enemy before they had a chance to get us, and as much as killing goes against what I was there to do, I was after all basically still a soldier and it was expected of me.
After what seemed like days' I was woken up by the sound of a trolley or something being wheeled over the tiled floor. I could hear talking. Most of it about the food so I rightly assumed it was dinnertime. But my bladder was nearly bursting, so after gaining the attention of the nurse this time a male one; I dug out my paper and pen scribbling down what I needed.
He gave me a thumbs up and said; "I'll get a chair man, hang on a tic" he returned with a wheel chair and helped me into it, attaching the drip I had in my arm to the pole on the back. A few minutes later, we got to the bathroom and after helping me again, he told me to knock when I was done.
Feeling much better, I was able to sit up in bed once we got back to my ward and finally got to see who my roommates were. I was given a bowl of soup, some jello and orange juice for dinner, at my downcast look at my meager meal. The orderly said that by tomorrow I should be able to have something a bit more filling, so I quickly drank the soup which to be honest tasted pretty damn good, and the Jello was orange which was always my favorite.
Just as I was putting my spoon down the guy in the bed next to me spoke in a vaguely familiar southern drawl.
"How ya doin' band-aid? Glad to see ya'll awake, I got tell ya man you got one hellva an arm, you know if it weren't for you, we'd all be pushing up fucking daises you saved us all man."
A chorus of agreement, was murmured around the room and at the puzzled look on my face, the guy spoke again.
"Name's Le-Beau, I was the one who met you at the 63rd 'member?" at my tiny nod of recognition he continues, "well when you radioed in to say ya'll'd seen them enemy bastards and took a couple of 'em out, we had been searching for days to try and find them. Then by the time, we heard an explosion and the Lt. realized you musta lobbed a grenade and knocked 'em over like fucking bowling pins, leaving the last few of us to get , which is how I got hit, bastard came at me from behind a fuckin' tree 'an stuck me with his knife in the guts, and the chest. But thanks to the Doc's here we are all gonna be ok, my tour was up anyway, so now I can go home and see my wife 'an kids finally make my kid's little league game." He laughed loudly till all of a sudden he stopped and gripped his chest and stomach, wincing at the pain his laughter caused him.
I wasn't too sure about speaking yet so I wrote down my questions and held it out for one of the other guys to read. "Oh… well I'm glad you guys all got out ok,, wait what about those boys I patched up, are they ok? All I remember is clockin' a couple of the enemy, then lobbing a grenade into their camp and just as I was about to load another clip I got hit and musta blacked out, but do you know anything about me now apparently bein a specialist an' not a corporal?"
"That's them over there, Wade Turner and Seth McAllen, 'an thanks to you they're gonna make it. Aw sorry man I don't, but I wager it's sumthin' to do with single handedly savin' our collective asses.
Just as I was about to ask another question, another different nurse comes in with a wheel chair to take one of the guys' away for a shower, he is followed out of the room by whistles and laughter about a sponge bath is more fun. I lay back and close my eyes again and as I drift off to sleep I think how proud Rach will be when she finds out I saved my teammates.
The next morning Hawkeye and Trapper arrive to do their rounds, dressed in their bathrobes but today they are fancy ones with dragons on them, and they are tied at the waist. I chuckle at the sight 'cause instead of the straw hats from yesterday they are wearing pith helmets and have a monocle jammed in one eye.
Hawkeye walks over to my bed in a funny penguin sort of walk making me think straight away of Charlie Chaplin in those old movies I took Rach to see at the cinema.
"Morning Finn, how are you doing today? Hope you had a good night, now do you mind if I inspect my embroidery?"
I croaked out a "No go ahead man, when do you think I can go back to the states?"
He looks at me with wide eyes that make his monocle falls out. "You mean you want to give up your all expenses paid vacation here at the Pleasure Palace? Moreover, return to the only place in the entire world that makes the best ribs and BBQ sauce. You do know the place I'm talking about right? 'Adams Ribs' in Chicago, not far from the Dearborn Street Station. You know when the gods on Olympus got tired of pizza they sent out for those ribs, I can just taste them smothered in BBQ sauce with a side of coleslaw. It was bliss for my taste buds. I remember eating them all the time when I was there in med school."
I shrugged my uninjured side and said, "Well yeah I miss my wife and I gotta a job with the Ohio highway patrol to get back to."
"Well everything looks good but I'd like to keep you here with us for another 24 hours then as long as there are no problems, you should be good to go. How long till your tour is up?"
"Um I think I've about another 2 and a bit weeks, but I have to pack up my gear back at the 163rd and get my paperwork and flights sorted, you know the drill man, but hey I gotta thank you for patchin' me up so good."
"Hawkeye slaps me on the shoulder and says "it's all part of the ticket price buddy, lets just hope I don't have to ever see your face again."
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By the end of the second week in November 1967, I was on my way back to the States, my tour of duty done with and my discharge papers tucked underneath my uniform, along with my commendation medal for bravery, in the very bottom of my duffle bag. I also had another smaller one filled with the presents and souvenirs; I'd brought for Rach and my Mom and Dad as well as Rach's last letter, which I read over and over on the 17 or so hour flight. I had sent Rach a telegram letting her know my flight number and arrival time and could not wait to get home and hold my beautiful girl in my arms. Hoping to hear her angelic voice because as much as I'd decided I couldn't bare to listen to music or even sing myself Rachel's voice, has since we met as high school freshmen, always calmed me and I knew it was the only thing that could break through the walls I'd built up in my mind. I was going to hold her in my arms and never let her go, hoping she remembered what she said about locking our bedroom door for a day and never leaving it.
I made my self as comfortable as I could in the tiny space of the plane, pulled out the soft pink sheet of paper; this was only a short letter, as she knew I was coming home.
My Darling,
I was and am still so happy to hear you are on your way home, and I cannot wait. I will be at the airport in Columbus, on Thursday 18 November, along with your Mom and Dad to meet you and welcome you home. I cannot believe baby that you will finally be in my arms where you belong, but I am so, so very proud of you and I know with the utmost certainty that your parents are as well. So please do not worry if Mom and I break down in tears the second we see you, but I can assure you they will be happy tears. I promise I will do my very best to help you readjust to a normal life. Mom and I have even planned a special welcome home dinner of all your favorites for just the four of us. I know Mom has been so worried and I even saw a tear or two in your dad's eye when I showed them the telegram you sent informing us of your return.
Therefore, I will close now my love and see you on the 18th.
Love forever yours Rach xxxxxx
Finally, the freaking plane touched down on the tarmac of the Columbus International airport and I didn't even wait for the ok to remove my seat belt, I grabbed hold of my bags and stood up in readiness to disembark. Then as I walked as fast as possible along the passenger tunnel, I could see my angel standing at the bottom of the ramp holding a bunch of pink tulips, and her little face flooding with tears. She was sandwiched in between Mom and Dad who were both crying, and as soon as I was off the ramp I ran towards my family, my own tears falling unchecked dripping off my chin and staining my shirt. I dropped my bags and scooped my tiny wife up into my arms pressing a deep breath-stealing kiss on her plump pink lips, our tears mixing, until air became an issue and we pulled apart breathing heavily.
"Hi Mrs. Hudson "I puffed out when we reluctantly pulled apart
"Hi yourself Mr. Hudson, I missed you.
I turned to my Mom and wrapped her in my arms not bothering to hide my new batch of tears, I pressed a long kiss on her cheek and with one arm hugged my Dad whose tears were falling uncontrolled down his face.
Through her tears and sobs Mom managed to breathe out, "Welcome home baby boy, now can we please go home?"
Dad pulls away and bends down to pick up my bags, not ashamed to wipe the tears still dripping off his chin, he takes Moms hand while I take the other and wrap my free arm around Rach's waist every couple of steps pressing a kiss on the top of her head. God I have missed my family so much, I am proud of the job I did in the army, helping the people as a medic but if I never have to deal with that sort of horror, again I will be more than happy.
We don't say much on the hour long drive home to Lima, I just keep Rach wrapped in my arms and think to myself about the many times I wished I could get out of the small town but after experiencing what I did. I will be happy to stay, at least for a while anyway and just get on with some sort of a normal life. Like mowing the grass on a Saturday, and waking up on a Sunday to the smell of pancakes and bacon. Coming home everyday to have my beautiful tiny wife meet me at the front door with a kiss then sit at our dinner table talking about our day, then retiring to our bedroom and making love with the most stunning sexy woman I have ever known or needed.
A/N: Well our Finn is home, the next chapter will deal with his integration back into a normal life, and how he readjusts to life outside the army. Hope you will stay for the rest of Finn and Rachel's journey. I just hope it captures on the screen what I see in my head. I apologize in advance for any tears, it made me cry when he came home and I wrote it.
Any references to the TV show M*A*S*H are not mine and belong to their creators. (Hawkeye has always been one of my favourites)
cab4five
