I don't own M*A*S*H, but I do own the original characters and the story line.
Once realizing his feelings for the girl, Charles knew that BJ was right about a great many things.
Becca couldn't stay in this time. She had no place in 1952. In addition to that, Charles knew that the likelihood of his family accepting her even if she could stay was quite unlikely.
He knew that Honoria would accept anyone he brought home. She was a kind-hearted girl who would only want his happiness. No, the problem would be his parents and grandmother. There was no way they would accept a woman with no social standing as his wife.
It helped that Becca had started spending more time with Margaret in her downtime. The separation allowed him moments to try and concentrate on something else and try and get rid of these feelings. In addition to the stark reality that they had no possible future together, having her away helped quell some of his baser desires for Becca that had increased nearly ten-fold since realizing how he felt.
However, not that she wasn't around him as often, Charles felt like his life had very little meaning. The green army uniforms blended in with each other and he saw no light or color. Even his music had become less beautiful when he listened to it alone. He hated it.
He also hated seeing Becca and Hawkeye starting to get along.
The past few days he had seen the two of them having meals in the mess tent together. They never sat next to each other, which was the only thing that gave Charles any peace, but they would talk and he didn't know what they talked about. It drove him crazy.
It was even worse when Hawkeye would make her laugh. He loved hearing Becca's laugh, but hated hearing it when another man made her laugh. It always calmed him when he would see her leave Hawkeye and go spend time with Margaret instead. It always helped that Becca didn't seem to be going out to see Hawkeye at night away from the tent.
He really should have just let Becca stay scared of Hawkeye.
Charles took a deep breath and decided to concentrate on his work instead of thinking, yet again, about Becca. That was all he could do right now. He just had to push her out of his mind.
He sat down to work with one of the patients that had been brought in last week when Hawkeye gone back on duty. He was a young man that was already out when they had found him. No dog tags, no identification of any kind. No one knew who he was.
Charles read over the chart of the John Doe before sitting down to take his pulse.
He was concentrating on the pulse and his watch when he heard a groan. He looked over and found that the man was waking up, finally. They were starting to get concerned.
Charles lowered the man's hand and waited until his eyes had opened. The man looked around, as if confused by his surroundings.
"Where...am...I?"
The man sounded very weak, but after being out a week and all the blood he had lost, it was a miracle that the man was even alive.
"You're in a hospital," Charles replied. "You were injured."
The man blinked at Charles, his brown eyes widening slightly in surprise and curiosity. That same look reminded him of Becca when she was unsure about something. Mentally Charles shook his head. He wasn't supposed to think about her.
"Hospital?"
Something about the way the man asked that question caused the hairs on the back of Charles' neck to stand up as a feeling of recognition filled him. There was something wrong with all this. This man wasn't a soldier, he couldn't be.
Not when he had that same look of innocence, the same look Becca had.
"Medical unit, you're in Korea at a M*A*S*H unit."
"M*A*S*H unit? What?"
The man lifted his hand to his head before lowering it right back down in a grimace of pain. Charles quickly moved to help him get comfortable again.
"Careful," he said firmly. "You were badly injured by the bullets."
That look appeared on the man's face, that same exact look Becca had when she was trying to work out what a word meant. Charles watched as the man shook his head slightly.
"What are you talking about? What are bullets?"
Charles took a sharp breath. It couldn't be... "Freddy?"
The man blinked at Charles, this time studying Charles as if trying to place him. "I'm Freddy Wills. Have we met?"
Charles couldn't help the sudden rush of excitement that filled him. He shook his head. "No, but I've heard about you from Becca."
The man's eyes widened and again he tried to sit up. Charles moved quickly, keeping the man on the cot. He spoke calmly. "Becca's fine. She's not hurt."
"Thank Goodness!" Freddy said before relaxing back on the cot. "I was so worried about her. I woke up in a strange place and started looking for her. When I got to a clearing there were men running around and a lot of noise. Then I felt a sharp pain and moved as far from that place as I could before I blacked out." He took a deep breath, well as deep as he could without causing pain. "Can I see her?"
Charles nodded, suddenly wishing to run to Becca. He wanted her to know this, she had to know this. "I'll go find her. Try not to move."
Freddy smiled, that same polite smile that Becca had when meeting new people. There was no way that it hadn't been taught to them.
Charles moved to the nurse and quickly let her know the situation before he left Post-OP to find Becca. He checked Margaret's tent first only to learn that Becca had returned to the Swamp.
The Swamp was quiet for once when he arrived as both the other tent mates were not there. Charles walked in and found that Becca was lying on her cot, asleep. For a moment he just stood there and watched her sleep.
She was so precious to him. He wanted to watch over her as she slept, hold her in his arms. He shook the thoughts out of head. He needed to let that go.
He hated to wake her but he knew that she would be excited about this. He moved across to Becca's cot and knelt down. He reached out and gently shook her shoulder.
The smooth skin of her shoulder was difficult to ignore, but he pushed his own selfishness down and gently woke her.
Slowly Becca's green eyes opened and, just as always, Charles was pulled into them.
"Charles?" Becca said softly as she sat up. "What's going on? I thought you had Post-OP duty?"
"I do, but I met someone there who I think you may find interesting."
Becca was looking at Charles with such an intensity that he hadn't gotten from her before. Since discovering his feelings for her, he had welcomed the separation. Now, with her looking at him, he wished he had never learned his own feelings and they could go back to the way they were before.
He really hated Hunnicutt for pointing it out to him.
Then, without any warning, Becca moved and wrapped her arms around Charles' neck and pulled him into a tight hug.
Charles froze. He didn't know what had gotten into Becca, but the feel of her body against his was almost more than he could stand. He could feel every curve, feel the softness of her hair on his cheek, smell that clean and fresh scent that Becca had even in this horrible place.
Although he didn't lift his arms and return the hug, even he knew that the wouldn't be able to hold back if he did that, he relished the feel of her arms around him.
They stayed like that for longer than necessary as Charles just didn't want it to end. Finally, he had no choice but to end it. This was the last time he could allow himself to be alone with her like this, the last time he could allow her arms to be wrapped around his body, the last time he could fight this growing desire for her.
He lifted his hands and gently pulled her arms off his body and stood, moving away from her. He couldn't risk looking at her so he moved towards the door, only stopping once he reached it.
"Come over to Post-OP when you can. He's anxious to meet you," Charles said before opening the door and walking out of the Swamp as quickly as he could.
Becca sat there, completely confused.
She had been trying to convey her feelings into actions. Despite Margaret's warnings, she couldn't help the rush of happiness she felt at seeing Charles. Holding him as she had was just as exhilarating. He was so warm and firm against her softer body.
Although she knew very little about it, Becca's talks with Margaret had given her some basis for these unfamiliar feelings. Sexual desire for Charles.
Margaret had suggested putting some space between the two of them and Becca had agreed. However, seeing him in front of her, she couldn't help touching him in some way, showing him in some way that she cared about him. It was uncontrollable.
However, Charles had pulled away and practically ran from her. Becca's heart had plummeted the moment he pulled away. He wouldn't look at her and it was then she understood.
Just because she felt something for Charles, just because she loved him, that never meant that he felt the same way.
The way he had rushed out of the Swamp had only confirmed Becca's sudden horrible suspicions.
She was nothing more than a pest to him and he was just too polite to say anything. Like an idiot she had practically thrown her feelings at him and he had to get away from her.
Becca stood and took her time time moving towards Post-OP. She was painfully aware of her chest aching at Charles' rejection. Now she understood Margaret's meaning about the word "heartbreak." A pain unlike any other, where only time will be able to heal it. No medicine could stop it, no amount of bed rest could cure it and no doctor could treat it. The worst possible pain.
Finally she reached Post-OP. She took a deep breath and walked into the room. Charles was sitting next to a cot talking with a young man. The pain in her chest felt sharper, but she forced herself to cross the room to him, being sure to keep the bed between them.
"Charles?"
Both men turned to her then and it was then that Becca recognized the face of the man in the bed.
"Freddy?"
He smiled. "Hey Becca."
Becca fell to her knees next to him and took his hand. "Oh, Freddy. I was so worried about you. I wasn't sure if you were still back home or if you had ended up here too, of it you had ended up somewhere completely different."
Freddy kept smiling. "Nope, ended up here. Thank goodness someone was able to find me and bring me back here. I would have died out there."
"Thank goodness."
Charles cleared his throat, drawing Becca's gaze. He had given Freddy back to her. She loved him. But he...
"If you'll excuse me."
Becca's heart yearned for him to talk to her as he had before. To once again go back and stop herself from hugging him, stop herself from falling for him. It was too late now.
Tears filled her eyes, she couldn't stop them
"Thank you Charles," she was able to get out.
He nodded in return, saying nothing more, before he stood and walked away from the two of them.
This was so painful. Now she understood why love didn't exist in her world, at least not like this.
Love was a horrible torture device. She would rather feel nothing at all than feel this intense pain.