October 19, 1957
Crabapple Cove, Maine

I thought life could not get any worse than what it already was. Well, I should say complicated now. Where there was once elation there is now sadness, as I recalled Mom's pastor saying one Sunday years ago. This situation has never been truer to those words than discovering that our foe was actually a friend.

Last night, I celebrated with almost the whole town at Eddie's. I was recertified as a nurse. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but instead, it was filled with terror. Someone tried hitting some of us with a car as we walked to Eddie's. Worse, there were gunshots fired. It caused me, Trapper and Hawkeye to believe that we were back in Korea. Not to mention, we had Annabeth and Shannon with us and they could have been killed!

Even though the dinner and dancing at Eddie's was wonderful, we knew that our terror was not yet over. Once home, we gathered the masses and took our places. We already developed a plan to catch our criminal and deal with justice on our own. Nobody was going to care what we did now. If the police could not do anything, then we had to work it out ourselves.

In the end, I almost could not beat the man who terrorized my family for the past few years. It was Jake! Jake, the man who was gentle with me during my largest argument with Hawkeye and made sure I was all right many times. He was the culprit. All of us were pretty damned shocked.

I would have beaten him. I was so angry that I did not care. I almost did too, had Trapper and Hawkeye not grabbed me. They held me so tightly that the white and green figure before us was relieved. I was rushing at him so fast that my feet did not feel the boards of the front porch. I was midair in my rage.

Dad was the one who started. "Jake, why don't you get in the shower? You can explain to us what happened when you're done."

The gentleness of Dad's offer almost had me screaming. I almost did too, had Hawkeye not put an extra hand over my mouth. I tried licking and biting his skin to get past the barrier, but he was stronger and did not let go. After Larry and Dad pulled Jake out and hosed down and cleaned the area, they led Jake inside. Hawkeye and Trapper held onto me until he was in the shower. I still had not calmed down. They had to lead me inside.

Even after we reached the living room, I remained in their tight handcuffs. Hawkeye seated me on the couch and sat on one side. Trapper was on the other. They were not intent on releasing me. I had every intention of escaping. I did not care if Jake was in a precarious position, alone in that shower. I wished to destroy him and everything he held dear. I did not care if his wife and son already died. He had a missing daughter. If she was alive and found, I'd take her life in front of him before leaving him to suffer…and then I'd torture him to death.

This unknown fury burned inside of me brightly. I never thought of killing anyone before. I mean, I was up in fists with Frank Burns. He was a pain in our asses often. This was much, much different. Someone went after my family. They nearly killed us. I was going to fight fire with fire and make sure my revenge was final.

When Jake came downstairs in his borrowed clothes, chastened and cleaned, I was almost up again. Hawkeye and Trapper could not keep me down. It took Larry and Dad to keep me in line. Jake remained at the bottom step until I was restrained. He stayed there, frozen in fear. He intended to run for the door in case I was freed. I knew it.

Dad, who was holding my left arm and leg, looked at Jake. "What happened?" He too sounded defensive.

Jake said nothing. It was like his scream to be unencumbered from the muck was enough. He had no more words for us. He could not tell us his shame.

"If you don't talk soon, we have to release Jeanie," Dad warned. "I am giving you a chance, Jake. Talk to us and you won't come to any harm."

The seconds ticked. Trapper kept track for us, sounding off each minute. Then, after four and a half minutes, Jake uttered a sound. It was almost like a sob. When we checked on him, we saw the tears coming down his face. It was not just in humiliation. Jake was genuinely upset.

"He told me he'd bring my daughter back," he blurted out. He did not bother to wipe away his tears. "He said he'd find her for me. She'd come home."

"Who?" Dad asked gently.

"Cochran," Jake answered.

At that point, Hawkeye and I were not surprised. We were set on pinning this crime on Cochran. Now, we had his accomplice and he was confessing the name of the mastermind. But it was for all for the wrong reasons. My heart began to melt and then shatter. It could not stay engulfed in flames.

Just as suddenly as the feeling came, the wish to kill was gone. I relaxed a little. It did not mean Jake was off the hook though. If he made one wrong move near my family, nobody was going to stop me.

Dad looked at me severely. "You promise not to move?"

"I promise," I said. I relaxed more to prove it. "I won't move until we hear everything."

Thankful, Dad slowly began to let me go. Then, Larry copied him, but he was scared to because he had seen me in action. Hawkeye and Trapper were not so kind. Trapper gripped my wrist. Hawkeye did the same thing on the other side. But something was different about them, like they were both tensing up for a fight. They were keeping control the same way I was. If I could not attack, then they were not. They were at the ready though.

Jake took a deep breath, but his voice was thick with mucus. "A few years ago, people were gettin' all worried about you, Hawkeye. You had just come home and began working. You had a little girl and a wife. You were doing so well. Cochran did not like that. He felt that your war experience should destroy your career. He did not like all of the attention you received comin' home.

"Cochran was of the option that…well, war stalled your career and all and everyone wanted you and you alone. Portland board waited until the war was done. Then, you came home and was gettin' all sorts of people goin' to you for advice. He said that people up at the top were thinking about sending you as a chairman. Cochran didn't want that. He took the seat when he could and planned."

"He wanted to discredit me?" Hawkeye was incredulous.

"I did not think he was capable," Dad added. "I think he just liked being a pretentious jackass."

"He's a nasty one," Jake confirmed. "He wanted to be top dog."

"That is pretty damned obvious," Hawkeye swore.

"That is not all," Jake confirmed. He took a deep breath. "He had to use anything to make you look like a fool, Hawkeye. He wanted to make sure you were named some sort of a lunatic. He caught wind of an incident, before you came home. He somehow got your Army records, all sorts of them, and decided to make use of them."

"That is illegal," I declared. Fear gripped me. "How did he manage to do that?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Jeanie, I do not know. I do know that he saw some psychological mumbo-jumbo and liked it. He thought he'd make use of it."

"But it doesn't tell us how you started all this," Trapper said. "Why did you do it?"

This is when Jake got quiet. While his tears stopped, his face turned red. "I told you. My daughter is missing. She has been missing for damned near thirty years. Cochran told me he could find her, dead or alive. I'd do anything to get her back."

Dad grew sympathetic. "And in exchange, he had you do what?"

"He said to drag some dead animals over. They were dead anyway. Then, Cochran had me paint some messages in pigs' blood. He'd tell me what to write and when."

"That's it? He just told you to scare us?"

"It is, Doctor Pierce. I promise you. As a soldier, I give you my word. Over my wife's and son's dead bodies, I promise you. I did nothing more."

"Do you know of anyone else who was involved?"

"No, Sir. Cochran did some of the dirty work himself. He drove the car earlier."

"Did he shoot?"

"He did. I don't think he meant to kill anyone, Doctor Pierce. I also don't think he expected some police officer to be nearby to direct traffic either."

"Do you have any other proof?" Trapper asked. He was anxious. "Any paper trails?"

"I am sure he left a few." Jake shrugged his shoulders. "How should I know? He just told me what to do and I did it."

Nobody spoke for a few minutes. The enormity of what Jake admitted was staggering. Cochran had conspired to discredit Hawkeye. He dug through military records to find any dirt he could. Then, he used tactics that would scare us an ruined a good man.

A thought crossed my mind. Cochran could not reach me directly until recently. It will mean that he was going to be searching for my military records. While there were instances where sections were blacked out, he was still going to locate the good details about my health. Korea was the least of my worries.

"We are not going to report this," Dad announced finally. "We are going to allow this to pass. We cannot blame you, Jake, and you are forgiven. Isn't that right?"

Dad glanced at us – me, Trapper, Larry and Hawkeye – severely. This meant all of us had to pardon Jake for what he did. I could not blame Dad for letting this go. While I was still pissed, now I knew where to direct my anger. It was Cochran all along. He had attempted to discredit and hurt us and is a danger to us all.

"I will make a call," I promised. "I am sure Greg will be interested in some of this."

"If he isn't barking up Henry Blake's tree," Trapper replied.

"When is your trip?" Hawkeye asked him casually.

It was next week. But that was no matter. We still had to contend with one matter at a time. Dad told Jake to go home and that he'll call when they had more information. Then, he told a tired Larry to go home, thanking him for his help. When it was left to just the four of us, Dad again looked at us.

"Jeanie, what time is it in England?" Dad sighed. He sounded tired.

"Maybe nine, ten, in the morning," I confirmed.

"Good. Make your call in a few hours. Alert anyone you can that someone has access to military records."

"Do you want me to include mine?"

"At this point, tell your contact that yours are also in danger. Doctor Cochran and I are going to have a few words."

"Dad, don't." This time, Hawkeye stopped Dad before he ran out the door to find Cochran. "Don't you think we should wait until justice rolls its wheels?"

"Not when my grandchildren are concerned," Dad said coldly. His feet were inching towards the door. "You cannot deny me my justice."

"Let the MPs pick him up," I said. "He will sit in a cell. Then, you can talk with him. Is that fair?"

Dad grudgingly conceded. He knew we were right. When it came to the children though, he was as protective as we are. They had gone through so much in their small lives already. He was not going to make Cochran one of their nightmares.

It was time to call it a night. Trapper grabbed his things and went to the guest room. Hawkeye decided that he wanted some sleep too. Dad and I could not go to bed. We were too upset about the night's events. We also had some cleaning to do. He and I went outside and picked up everything we could. We piled it in a corner on the porch and went back inside. By then, the sun was coming up.

Now, I am in my room, sipping on some coffee. I had not slept all night. Right now, I am waiting for everyone to wake up. I also have to reach out to Greg. I swear, this will be the last I will ask of him. He has done enough for me, between one war to the next, and he deserves a break. Just because a man's life was saved does not mean it needs to be repaid.

As for Jake…I don't know how to feel because of how horrible this all is. I want to kill him, but at the same time, comfort him in his losses. It takes a desperate man to find any way possible to locate family. It also takes a brave man to admit his faults. It will not be easy to forgive him, but at least he will rest easy once he finds out about his daughter.

~00~

I snuck out of my room after writing in my journal. The telephone was free and Dad already told me he will help with the children. I rushed over and pulled a chair up. I dialed the operator and went through the motions of getting to someone across the pond. This went on until for over an hour. I didn't even eat breakfast. This was so important.

Greg was at his flat, reading over some papers. He also sounded sick. "Jeanie, I am so glad to hear from you! How is it in Maine?"

"Wet," I replied flatly. "Listen, I have a few things you need to know."

"Don't tell me you are actually divorcing Hawkeye and going to marry me."

"No, I am not. I promise."

"Well, there goes 'til death does us part. What now?"

"We have a situation here. Military records have been accessed by an unauthorized person."

Greg was quiet for a moment. "Is it yours?"

"Hawkeye's," I confirmed. "This person might be going after mine. Can you stop this please? Get the name of the person who did this and get the MPs. We are pressing charges."

"Not a problem," Greg said. "Anything else?"

I had to think about this for a moment. With a deep sigh, I told him about Jake and finding his daughter. Even Greg had respect for veterans after the Bonus Army came along. The story had him speechless. I heard him writing it all down though. It was a good sign too. It meant that Greg will have his eyes on something else and it won't be Henry and Lorraine Blake.

When I finished, I concluded, "This will make us even. No more favors."

Greg ignored me. He mumbled something I said earlier and closed his notepad. "Sure, Jeanie. I can do this. Give me a few months to find this woman. As for the records, I will notify a few people and get the ball rolling on charges. Where does this joker live anyway?"

"Crabapple Cove," I said. "He works in Portland. Be gentle with him please. We want a confession out of him that isn't from torture. Besides, my father-in-law claimed first punch."

This too was not heeded. Greg would do anything to get the truth. He promised me that Cochran will be in prison within the week (without letting me know if Dad will be able to visit) and hung up without a goodbye. It felt empty. Even my stomach felt the same way.

Hawkeye came over with some coffee and a muffin for us when he noted that I was done. I took both from him and eat away. We said nothing to each other. It was best that way. While Shannon and Annabeth were outside with Trapper, the twins were nearby in the playpen. I did not want them to hear anything.

When I finished breakfast, I thought we should take a walk. Trapper was informed of our decision and Hawkeye and I packed up the twins in the pram. We did not go in the direction of Eddie's though. This time, we took a left out of the driveway and went towards downtown Crabapple Cove. Hawkeye wanted to show everyone that we were sane and fine. Lack of sleep aside, we had to prove Cochran wrong.

Hawkeye had a lot to attest to. Not everyone witnessed a woman smother her baby on a bus and lived happily after ever since then. I was sick remembering that fateful bus ride and had to keep my bile in my throat. Hawkeye had been cracking since being sent to Korea. That incident was the straw that broke the camel's back…and one that Cochran was willing to use to his advantage.

Many people actually paused to say hello and to congratulate me again and to coo over the babies. I was touched. Compared to my first outing four years ago, this was a pleasant surprise. They also expressed their concerns about our new business venture. Hawkeye had to reassure them that all was well and that we were waiting to find a good piece of property.

In many ways, it was true. We also did not look yet. Hawkeye and I had been so busy with saving the world that we did not check out our own backyard. We had time yet. Trapper was going to head over to Illinois soon and Greg will solve the issue with Cochran and Jake. The calm will allow us the opportunity to browse.

Mrs. Bretton met us by town hall. After making some small talk and speaking of my plans to work, she said, "What will these children learn? That their mother is a hard worker?"

"I am sure they will see teamwork," I replied. My eyes met Hawkeye's and I smiled. "They will learn to care for their community too."

She nodded. "This is what this town has been all about."

We patiently listened to Mrs. Bretton talk about Crabapple Cove before she mentioned that she had to get home to cook. This was a relief to both of us. I was tired and Hawkeye did not want to be standing for much longer. We found a bench nearby and settled down. The twins sat quietly while we rested. I wasn't breathing well. Between the events of last night and until now, I felt like I had been thrown back and forth in a storm-tossed sea.

Hawkeye wrapped his arm around me. "We still have some ways to go."

Literacy was on my mind. "'Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.'"

"Was that Gregory Peck?"

"No. It was William Ellery Channing."

"What movie did he act in?"

I laughed. "He was a Unitarian preacher in the eighteenth and nineteenth century actually."

"So, he was in the God business. What kind of Hollywood star walks those planks?"

"Errol Flynn."

"'Has every oyster a different taste?'"

I laughed. It seemed like an eternity had passed since the last time I did so. Last night was all a dream. All of the adoration and attention placed on me did not constitute any true feelings of happiness. Being with Hawkeye did.

Hawkeye left us for a moment to grab a newspaper. When he returned with today's edition of The Crabapple Cove Courier, he noted us on the front page. He giggled and clapped his hands excitedly, almost like a child, to see us as the main attraction for the news. The picture was nothing special. We were dancing with the children. Anyone could plainly see the posed elation on our faces. There was no evidence of the attempt on our lives.

The article spoke of me like I was some heroine. They told a tale of some unhappy girl from Bloomington who went to the Army and returned home married to a local man who she met while in Korea. The writer went through our list of children, what we did and the point where I became a nurse again. Then, the reporter dared to mention that I was a help during the last major flooding and that he found out that I was the sole source of the medication when the last illness claimed the town, not a bunch of doctors from Portland.

I was aghast. I didn't think that my exploits would be front-page news. It was foolish. There was nothing special in someone joining the Army and coming to a new home. Most certainly, there was nothing uncommon in kindness and compassion. It should not be news!

I wanted to crumble the paper up. Hawkeye did not. Seeing my frustration meant that he might have to hide it from me. Promising me a good screaming match at the editor of the paper, he decided that enough was enough. We had to go home.

It was slow moving. I was still tired and Hawkeye was trying to fend off more people. Apparently, the whole town had now read the article and was trying to talk to us and get our opinions and to answer some questions. Some took pictures of us. Others tried touching us and ripping the babies from their pram.

For us, it was difficult. It took everything in our power not to shriek. Hawkeye, most of all, was beginning to feel claustrophobic and anxious. By the time we reached the house, the crowds were still following us. Many of them crossed into the driveway, to get a word out of us. Some of them tried pulling things off of the porch!

Hawkeye and I made it inside without a scratch. We released Danielle and Patrick and began to draw the curtains around the house. By the time we finished, we were encased in darkness. We didn't want to see people and they could not see us.

Trapper returned with Annabeth and Shannon an hour later. He appeared drained, more so than usual. Apparently, by the time he and the girls reached the wetlands, they were being followed by some families. They too were asking Trapper questions he had no answers for. He knew that the girls would not like being heckled and rushed them back. He did not check if anyone followed them.

I settled in my rocking chair. "I didn't think a happy occasion will turn into some news story about an ordinary person from Bloomington, Illinois. It's none of their business."

"It's the life of a star, honey," Trapper said. "We just need to find the proper gear."

"What are you talking about?" I was too exhausted to think his words through.

"Public image," Hawkeye clarified. "We are private people forced to walk the pathway of a star. It might work out to our advantage."

The two went on and on about setting public expectations and how I should make statements. Hawkeye even nominated himself as our spokesperson. It was all a joke to me. Having hordes eye our every move was not my idea of serving the community. I most certainly did not my daughters and son to be the target of some reporter who wanted to make a buck on a story about innocents.

I stopped their nonsense by raising my hand. "I think we shall deal with it as best as we can. Right now, Cochran is on a chopping block. That is enough for me."

Hawkeye knew better than to argue with me. He stopped Trapper from continuing. "Ok. We'll play shy. If that's the game you want to play, Jeanie, we can do it."

"I do," I fervently said. "We are not a circus show."

All I could remember were the initial days in Crabapple Cove. I was the new attraction. I didn't want to feel that way again. I was not some novel idea. I was a woman with thoughts and feelings, flesh and blood. Everyone was going to mind it or else.