Lucy sat on Hawkeye's bed, holding his pillow close to her face, inhaling his scent. Trapper sat opposite her on his cot, holding a mug in one hand, and a coffee pot in the other.

"That was rough today." She whispered.

"Yeah. It didn't help that I had the hangover to beat all hangovers."

"Oh, you clearly haven't learned the water trick," she said, unable to hide her smile. He smiled back, and they sat in silence for a few seconds as Trapper sipped the last of his coffee, and poured himself another.

"Listen, Trapper-"

"I know, Lucy. I know." He placed both the items in his hands on top of the Swamp's makeshift stove, and looked at her intently, with his elbows on his knees, and an expression on his face that could only be described as "Trapper's Serious Face."

She couldn't help the mist that gathered before her eyes as she tried to maintain her current emotion.

"I didn't mean for that to happen. It was all so quick, and-and...I don't REGRET it. Not in the slightest, but I mean, you're one of my best friends here. That wasn't supposed to happen."

"Listen to me, kiddo. We got drunk, and we were two very needy people at the moment. But I don't think that's the big issue here. It's-"

"Hawkeye." She cut him off, and he nodded slowly.

"Yup."

Trapper ran his hand through his hair in frustration, not being able to shake off the feeling of guilt. He had meant what he said about being glad that he had "gotten" Lucy before his buddy. But nothing in the world could erase that look in Hawkeye's face when he had seen them together.

"There's something I gotta say, and it may seem a little crude, but I meant it when I said I was glad that I had "beaten Hawkeye to the chase." However, that look..."

"Yeah. I know. Trapper, I hope I didn't mislead you by last night."

"No. No. I know you're into Hawkeye. I have eyes, you know."

Lucy fell silent again, and resorted to hugging Hawk's pillow again. It smelled of stale alcohol and soap.

"And you're not angry?"

"Well, what's there to be angry about? You don't belong to anyone. It just happened that two guys are really into you, and you like one more than the other." His face fell, and he looked outside. Lucy adjusted herself into a crosslegged position on the cot, and looked at him.

"Trapper, I hope this doesn't change the friendship we have."

With effort, he looked up into her eyes, "this changes nothing. I'm happy to call you my friend, honey."

Lucy smiled sweetly, and placed Hawkeye's pillow back where it was originally.

"I should go get some sleep and shower. And wait for Hawkeye to get back."

"Yeah...that'll be something."

She got up, gave Trapper a hug, and exited the Swamp. She moseyed over to the V.I.P. tent, and flopped down on her cot.

"What's happened to me?" she mused out loud. Delicately, she touched the marks that Trapper had left on her collarbone and neck, so deep she could feel the teeth marks. Misgivings clouded her mind. She wasn't sure if she had conveyed what she wanted to Trapper. And it bothered her that he still stood by the "getting her before Hawkeye" mantra.

Slowly, she rose from her cot, removed her coat, and pulled off her scrubs. She stood naked in the tent, and glanced over at the small pile of her clothes that she had deposited at the end of her bed: the black dress, heels, stockings, bra...

She examined herself. She had bruises all along her thighs, and some on the small of her back. Her insides hurt. Her feet hurt from standing on them for the past 8 hours. However, she was starting to feel a little better about herself. Forgetting about the shower, she moved to her closet, and took out a silken nightie and panties, slipped into them, and crawled achingly into bed.

"And now I wait." She murmured as she was quickly overtaken by sleep.