Chapter 11: Trouble comes in threes
A/N: This chapter covers the period from immediately after Henry's death to the day B.J. arrived in Korea.
Michaela and Colleen did not have to wait till they got back to camp to find out about the death of Henry Blake. They were having dinner at the Air Force Officer's Club at Kimpo Airbase with two jet pilots. One of the pilots, a captain was interested to Colleen. His buddy was acting as "wing man" when Michaela told him she was "involved" with someone. Some more pilots came in looking sad. They made a toast to "departed comrades" and proceeded to drink a lot more, a whole lot more. Michaela asked the "wing man" what happened He walked up the bar and talked to the drinking pilots. He came back with the news.
"The commies sent some MIGs out over the ocean and shot down a transport plane headed to Tokyo. It was carrying a load of passengers. No one survived poor bastards".
Michaela and Colleen thought the same thing. They got the two pilots to take them back to the air terminal and there it was conformed that it was Henry's plane that went down. The group then headed back to the Officer's Club where both women drank a toast to "the faithful departed". It was one of rare occasions Michaela Quinn drank Whiskey.
"Henry wasn't a Catholic" Michaela observed, "but I'm sure Father Mulcahy said the prayer for him".
"I just remembered something my mother always said" Colleen said, "trouble always comes in threes".
Major Frank Burns did not mourn too long for Henry Blake. After a memorial service was held for the late commander, the new regime of Major Burns and Houlihan came down hard on the 4077th.
"This is what it must have been like when Hitler won the election in Germany". Hawkeye commented. Major Houlihan was now the de facto second in command and at times it seemed, the real commander of the unit. Her first act was to recommend the transfer of Nurse Lt. Louise Anderson, Radar's girlfriend. Radar had been devastated by Henry Blake's death. Louise helped him get his daily tasks done, her analytical Radcliffe mind easily figuring out the ways of Army red tape. In fact Louise turned out to be just as good a company clerk as Radar, but it wasn't enough to save her. Major Houlihan wanted her little unauthorized romance ended and so Lt. Anderson's transfer was approved of course by Major Burns and she was to be traded off to the MASH 8055th.
Of course Colleen got angry and prepared for a showdown with the head nurse. Before going to see Major Houlihan she talked to Louise. To Colleen's surprise Louise accepted her fate.
"I don't want to make trouble for Walter. I also realize that we're too different. I can't be a farmer's wife and Walter will never be anything but a farmer and that's good." The nurse said between tears. "You told me you didn't want to see Walter get hurt, so you have your wish."
Radar handled the transfer well also. "I'm happy a girl like her gave me a chance" was how he summed it up.
So Lt. Anderson went to the 8055th and a new nurse was transferred from Tokyo, Lt. Lila Garreau. Lt. Garreau was another blonde like Hot Lips but a lot more serious. She was new to the Army and nursing. McMurphy thought she was too prissy. She always seemed to have perfect hair and make-up even in the middle of the night, but she was a decent nurse.
The first trouble was Henry's death. The second was the transfer of Lt. Anderson. The third was what happened to Lt. Parker, the man from Sully's unit who had started dating Kellye. Lt. Parker had managed to see kellye a few times before Sully's whole battalion was shifted to a new sector. Lt. Parker was attached to Charlie Company as a platoon leader. About a week after Henry's death, Lt. Parker was leading a patrol to the Chinese lines. Halfway there, Lt. Parker stepped on a mine and lost his right leg below the knee. His patrol carried him back to the American lines and he was evacuated to the MASH 8063rd. Sully called the 4077th and told Michaela what happened.
Kellye was heartbroken but somehow managed to carry on. In a rare show of compassion Major Houlihan let Kellye go see Lt. Parker before at the 121st Evac Hospital before he was flown to Tokyo.
Hawkeye wasn't doing too well either. Trapper's orders for his rotation back to the states were due any day. Hawkeye wasn't his normal clowning self in the days following Henry's death. When Lt. Anderson was transferred he didn't rally to do battle with Majors Burns and Houlihan. Trapper and Michaela told Frank Burns that Hawkeyeth Majors Burns that r Burns and Houlihan. ry'go see Lt. ated to the MASH 8063rd. might need a few days in Tokyo to work his grief out.
"Frank, to be honest Hawkeye is no good to us right now. He's my best friend but as a surgeon I'm telling you he is not fit for surgery." Trapper confessed to Frank in the commander's office.
"I agree with Trapper. Take him out of surgery now or you run the risk of him killing a patient". Michaela added. This last statement hit Frank. Dr. Mike never joked around trying to trick Frank into doing something. Hawkeye's condition must be serious.
"All right Pierce can go but you two will cover his shifts" Frank told them.
Hawkeye packed his bags and took off for Tokyo. The day after her left, Trapper's orders finally came in. No one could reach Hawkeye in Tokyo. Michaela asked Trapper to see her parents when he got to Boston and let them know she was doing okay.
It was a dark time at the 4077th but there was one bit of light, but no one saw it. Colleen McMurphy had decided to listen to her heart and go after the Dental Officer Lt. Robinson.
A/N: Sorry about Lt. Anderson's transfer. She will be back after the war. Yes Garreau is the Major from "China Beach". She will appear in this story and her destiny is to go to China Beach in this story's universe. Here she is at the beginning of her career in the Army.
The MASH 8055th was a real MASH unit.
