Chapter 6
"Hey, Radar," Hawkeye whispered softly. He sat down beside him.
Radar sighed with relief. It wasn't an enemy Korean, or worse, Colonel Burns. He looked up, his eyes red from crying. "Hey," he said weakly.
Hawkeye had noticed the glint of Radar's glasses in the Mess Tent, and went in to see what was going on. He was concerned to find Radar crying, alone. "What's up?" No quips, no remarks from the master joker. The day had been too long.
Radar hesitated. If he told Hawkeye, the Captain would probably think that Radar was being petty and childish about the situation. "Up? I'm ok," Radar sniffed lamely.
"Come on, Radar, you know me better than that. You can tell me."
Radar decided it was now or never. "I miss Colonel Blake. He was like a father to me, never put me down and was always there for me. Sure, I should be happy that he's going home. But, I can't help but miss him. Now, Major Burns is here, but he's not a Major anymore, he's a Colonel, and he's in charge of our unit. He doesn't seem to have changed for the better, either. He saw my bear on my bunk and he took it from me and left a note in its place." Radar was breathing harder and faster at the end of his quick-paced explanation, and he bowed his head at the end of it.
Hawkeye could not believe the nerve of Frank. He had no right to confiscate anything of anyone's unless it posed a threat to anybody, and how an innocent bear could be a problem was beyond his understanding. He put a comforting arm around Radar.
"He's worse than the war itself. I still can't believe he's running the camp. He couldn't run a fifty-yard dash, let alone a M*A*S*H unit." This caused Radar to giggle slightly. "Don't worry, Radar. I'll get your bear back, even if I don't beat up Frank in the process."
Radar looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Hawk."
Hawkeye returned the smile. "No problem." Henry had told Hawkeye to look after the young Corporal, so he had better do at least one thing he had been asked to do by his former CO. He would have looked out for Radar anyway, whether he was asked to do so or not. It came naturally.
Hawkeye helped Radar to his feet and took him back to the Swamp, where he found Trapper and Margaret.
"Radar, what's wrong?" Margaret asked with concern. She stood up and allowed him to sit on the cot before digging a handkerchief out of her pocket. "Here, it's clean," she offered. She liked Radar, for his energy, enthusiasm, compassion and innocence. She also felt wonderment that such a young person could go to war and survive it the way he had been doing for the past year.
"Radar's bear has been kidnapped by our fearful leader," Hawkeye spoke up.
Trapper sighed harshly. "Frank's doing the rounds tonight."
Hawkeye looked up. "What else has he done?"
"Tried to score Margaret," Trapper said harshly.
"He lost," Margaret added, placing a reassuring hand on Trapper's shoulder, feeling it relax slightly.
Hawkeye, on the other hand, was not relaxed. "That inferior excuse for a human being is trying his luck and starting to run out of breathing room. He's very close to choking - let's see if I can't suffocate him."
"Cool it, Hawk," Trapper warned. "Remember, he's got authority on his side."
"And I've got everything else on mine," Hawkeye declared, storming out of the Swamp towards Frank's office.
Trapper and Margaret looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. One of them was about to say something when they heard a light snore. They turned to see Radar curled up on Trapper's bed, fast asleep.
"Poor little guy," Trapper murmured, pulling the blanket over the sleeping form.
"Yeah," Margaret agreed. "Let him sleep there, he needs rest."
"What about me? Where am I going to spend the night?"
"Well, there's always my tent," Margaret suggested, producing a smile on Trapper's face as they walked out of the Swamp, arm in arm.
Hawkeye burst into Frank's office. "All right, Burns," he growled. "Fine, you've got what you want. You wanted to run this rat factory, and someone granted you that wish. But, one thing you didn't get with that is the right to start torturing and tormenting the members of this camp on the day you arrive. Try to keep the level of camp moral away from negative numbers at least for the first week of your being here."
Frank smirked. He had gotten to Pierce, he had rattled his cage, and he had one up on the Captain. He himself kept calm in reply. "What exactly are you referring to, Captain Pierce?"
"You know damn well. Number one, Radar's bear."
"It is not seemly for a Corporal in the United States Army to sleep with a bear," Frank explained with growing exasperation.
"And what right have you got to take it from him? It's stealing, Frank. Something that is not seemly for a Colonel in the United States Army to do is steal."
"I have the authority," Frank reminded him haughtily.
"I don't care if you're General Flipping MacArthur, I will not let you get away with taking it. It's not yours to take, and I demand that you give it back."
"Oh, you demand, do you? I don't meet the demands of the lower ranks."
"Fine. Do you comply to threats?"
"You can't threaten me," Frank scoffed.
"Watch me. If you don't give back Radar's bear, and if you don't stop harassing Margaret, I will phone your wife and tell her about the affair you had with Major Houlihan."
"You wouldn't!"
"In a second." He meant it. Frank had been the cause of so much strife in such a short space of time that he was prepared to go to great lengths to keep him controlled.
Frank knew he was beaten. He could punish Pierce until he was blue in the face, but in the end the Captain had that threat. He unlocked his desk draw and took out Radar's bear. "Here," he said gruffly.
Hawkeye took it carefully. "Good night," he looked at his watch. "Or would that be good morning now?"
Hawkeye took the bear back to Radar in the Swamp, and smiled slightly when he saw him sleeping peacefully on Trapper's cot. He put the bear beside the sleeping figure and pulled the blanket further over him to keep him warm.
He sat down beside the cot, bending one knee up to his chest and stretching the other leg out on the floor.
"You know something, Radar," Hawkeye spoke softly. "Having Frank back is like having our own private war. Maybe he'll get nicer," he thought about this for a moment, "but then, they say a leopard never changes its spots. Don't worry, though. Together, we'll make it through. I promise."
The End
A.N: There is more to come soon, don't worry; I won't leave it there! Thanks for all the reviews, particularly Frankie! Woo!
"Hey, Radar," Hawkeye whispered softly. He sat down beside him.
Radar sighed with relief. It wasn't an enemy Korean, or worse, Colonel Burns. He looked up, his eyes red from crying. "Hey," he said weakly.
Hawkeye had noticed the glint of Radar's glasses in the Mess Tent, and went in to see what was going on. He was concerned to find Radar crying, alone. "What's up?" No quips, no remarks from the master joker. The day had been too long.
Radar hesitated. If he told Hawkeye, the Captain would probably think that Radar was being petty and childish about the situation. "Up? I'm ok," Radar sniffed lamely.
"Come on, Radar, you know me better than that. You can tell me."
Radar decided it was now or never. "I miss Colonel Blake. He was like a father to me, never put me down and was always there for me. Sure, I should be happy that he's going home. But, I can't help but miss him. Now, Major Burns is here, but he's not a Major anymore, he's a Colonel, and he's in charge of our unit. He doesn't seem to have changed for the better, either. He saw my bear on my bunk and he took it from me and left a note in its place." Radar was breathing harder and faster at the end of his quick-paced explanation, and he bowed his head at the end of it.
Hawkeye could not believe the nerve of Frank. He had no right to confiscate anything of anyone's unless it posed a threat to anybody, and how an innocent bear could be a problem was beyond his understanding. He put a comforting arm around Radar.
"He's worse than the war itself. I still can't believe he's running the camp. He couldn't run a fifty-yard dash, let alone a M*A*S*H unit." This caused Radar to giggle slightly. "Don't worry, Radar. I'll get your bear back, even if I don't beat up Frank in the process."
Radar looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Hawk."
Hawkeye returned the smile. "No problem." Henry had told Hawkeye to look after the young Corporal, so he had better do at least one thing he had been asked to do by his former CO. He would have looked out for Radar anyway, whether he was asked to do so or not. It came naturally.
Hawkeye helped Radar to his feet and took him back to the Swamp, where he found Trapper and Margaret.
"Radar, what's wrong?" Margaret asked with concern. She stood up and allowed him to sit on the cot before digging a handkerchief out of her pocket. "Here, it's clean," she offered. She liked Radar, for his energy, enthusiasm, compassion and innocence. She also felt wonderment that such a young person could go to war and survive it the way he had been doing for the past year.
"Radar's bear has been kidnapped by our fearful leader," Hawkeye spoke up.
Trapper sighed harshly. "Frank's doing the rounds tonight."
Hawkeye looked up. "What else has he done?"
"Tried to score Margaret," Trapper said harshly.
"He lost," Margaret added, placing a reassuring hand on Trapper's shoulder, feeling it relax slightly.
Hawkeye, on the other hand, was not relaxed. "That inferior excuse for a human being is trying his luck and starting to run out of breathing room. He's very close to choking - let's see if I can't suffocate him."
"Cool it, Hawk," Trapper warned. "Remember, he's got authority on his side."
"And I've got everything else on mine," Hawkeye declared, storming out of the Swamp towards Frank's office.
Trapper and Margaret looked at each other, at a loss for what to do. One of them was about to say something when they heard a light snore. They turned to see Radar curled up on Trapper's bed, fast asleep.
"Poor little guy," Trapper murmured, pulling the blanket over the sleeping form.
"Yeah," Margaret agreed. "Let him sleep there, he needs rest."
"What about me? Where am I going to spend the night?"
"Well, there's always my tent," Margaret suggested, producing a smile on Trapper's face as they walked out of the Swamp, arm in arm.
Hawkeye burst into Frank's office. "All right, Burns," he growled. "Fine, you've got what you want. You wanted to run this rat factory, and someone granted you that wish. But, one thing you didn't get with that is the right to start torturing and tormenting the members of this camp on the day you arrive. Try to keep the level of camp moral away from negative numbers at least for the first week of your being here."
Frank smirked. He had gotten to Pierce, he had rattled his cage, and he had one up on the Captain. He himself kept calm in reply. "What exactly are you referring to, Captain Pierce?"
"You know damn well. Number one, Radar's bear."
"It is not seemly for a Corporal in the United States Army to sleep with a bear," Frank explained with growing exasperation.
"And what right have you got to take it from him? It's stealing, Frank. Something that is not seemly for a Colonel in the United States Army to do is steal."
"I have the authority," Frank reminded him haughtily.
"I don't care if you're General Flipping MacArthur, I will not let you get away with taking it. It's not yours to take, and I demand that you give it back."
"Oh, you demand, do you? I don't meet the demands of the lower ranks."
"Fine. Do you comply to threats?"
"You can't threaten me," Frank scoffed.
"Watch me. If you don't give back Radar's bear, and if you don't stop harassing Margaret, I will phone your wife and tell her about the affair you had with Major Houlihan."
"You wouldn't!"
"In a second." He meant it. Frank had been the cause of so much strife in such a short space of time that he was prepared to go to great lengths to keep him controlled.
Frank knew he was beaten. He could punish Pierce until he was blue in the face, but in the end the Captain had that threat. He unlocked his desk draw and took out Radar's bear. "Here," he said gruffly.
Hawkeye took it carefully. "Good night," he looked at his watch. "Or would that be good morning now?"
Hawkeye took the bear back to Radar in the Swamp, and smiled slightly when he saw him sleeping peacefully on Trapper's cot. He put the bear beside the sleeping figure and pulled the blanket further over him to keep him warm.
He sat down beside the cot, bending one knee up to his chest and stretching the other leg out on the floor.
"You know something, Radar," Hawkeye spoke softly. "Having Frank back is like having our own private war. Maybe he'll get nicer," he thought about this for a moment, "but then, they say a leopard never changes its spots. Don't worry, though. Together, we'll make it through. I promise."
The End
A.N: There is more to come soon, don't worry; I won't leave it there! Thanks for all the reviews, particularly Frankie! Woo!