Trapper managed to snag a few more hours of sleep. At sixish, Radar came
tearing into the Swamp, "HE'SAWAKEHE'SAWAKEHE'SAWAKE."
Hawkeye was up on his feet in an instant, he grabbed his robe and ran, with Trapper and Radar following close on his heels. When they got there, Henry was propped up on his pillow, trying to look around. His eyes lit up when he saw the duo. He broke into a huge goofy grin. "How am I?"
Hawkeye smiled, "Beautiful Henry, you're beautiful."
"I meant medically, you dodo."
"Well, you're not going backwards, and you're awake, so all in all, I think you're doing pretty bloody well!"
"Are you both okay?"
"We are a lot better now you're awake," Trapper said.
"What's happening? With Frank I mean. For that matter, what happened?"
"It's a long story, for both of them," Trapper sighed.
"That's okay, I need a bedtime story."
Trapper could not recount it all again, so he sat back and let Hawkeye tell him. Hawkeye remember everything clearly, filling in all the blanks in Trapper's mind. When Hawkeye explained why Frank did it Henry and Radar looked shocked. "So that's why. . ."
Hawkeye just nodded, "He went through more than anyone should ever have to go through. I really want to blame him for this but I can't. I do blame his father though."
Henry recovered from the news, "I sure as hell don't blame him, not after that."
The surgeons where called back to the Mess Tent. Hawkeye looked blankly at Trapper. Trapper sighed, "We were there earlier, I explained everything I could remember, and you were in to much shock to do anything."
"I don't remember anything after closing on Henry."
"Well get ready. There'll be Sidney, Major someone and Colonel Banks. Banks is regular army and a real jackass. The other one seems harmless enough."
They were grilled within in an inch of their lives. It was 2 ½ hours before they were allowed to go.
Meanwhile, Frank was in the VIP tent alone. He was curled up in a ball, rocking. His mind devoid of all thoughts except the pain inside him. It was all encompassing, leaving no room for anything else in Frank's head. All he knew was he hurt and he wanted not to. Through the darkness an idea emerged. He would stop the pain tonight, right now. He stood up and removed his belt. . .
Back at the Swamp, Hawkeye poured to glasses of leftover moonshine. He took a sip, "Ahhh, finest kind."
Trapper tried his, "Mother's milk." He sat down in his chair.
Hawkeye sat on the floor next to him a lay his head on Trap's lap. Trapper absentmindedly ran his fingers through the dark silky hair. "What do you think will happen to Frank?" Hawkeye asked.
"If there is any justice he will get psychiatric help. But knowing the Army, he'll get thrown in the stockade."
"It's just not fair, is it? He suffered so much already."
"Kinda makes you feel guilty about how rotten we were to him?"
"Yeah." They drifted into silence, drinking their gin.
That's how they fell asleep. That's also how they were when Radar woke them. He looked at them strangely but did not say anything about it. "What do you want Radar?" Hawkeye said, stifling yawn.
Radar looked at his feet, "Major Burns committed suicide in the VIP tent last night."
This jerked the Hawkeye and Trapper into reality. "How?" Trapper asked quietly.
"He hung himself with his belt." Tears slid down Radar's face.
Trap and Hawk just looked at each other, neither able to comprehend what Radar was saying. "Do Hot, I mean, Margaret and Henry know?" Hawkeye asked.
"Yes sir. You and Captain McIntyre were the last people to know." Radar reverted to strictly GI to keep himself together. The doctors got up slowly, still in their robes from last night. Trapper asked wearily, "Where is everyone?"
"In post-op sir."
"Come on Hawk. You too Radar."
There was a silence in the camp. No birds sang, no insects chirped, no shells, no helicopters, not even any people sounds. They arrived in post- op. Here there was noise, people crying, talking quietly. The first person they came across was Hotlips. Without a word, Trapper opened his arms, and she flew in, sobbing into his chest. He wanted to comfort her but couldn't find the words. Hawkeye kept going, making beeline for Henry's bed. But before they had a chance to even speak, Radar yelled, "Choppers, it's a big one."
Hawkeye turned and bolted, yelling at Radar as they passed, "Get on the phone, we need another surgeon."
Radar was already on his way. Trapper tried to shake Margaret off as he headed over the Henry's office, where Sidney was doing grief counseling. "Ready to scrub up?"
They headed off to the get ready for the flood of kids that would be coming through.
Hawkeye was up on his feet in an instant, he grabbed his robe and ran, with Trapper and Radar following close on his heels. When they got there, Henry was propped up on his pillow, trying to look around. His eyes lit up when he saw the duo. He broke into a huge goofy grin. "How am I?"
Hawkeye smiled, "Beautiful Henry, you're beautiful."
"I meant medically, you dodo."
"Well, you're not going backwards, and you're awake, so all in all, I think you're doing pretty bloody well!"
"Are you both okay?"
"We are a lot better now you're awake," Trapper said.
"What's happening? With Frank I mean. For that matter, what happened?"
"It's a long story, for both of them," Trapper sighed.
"That's okay, I need a bedtime story."
Trapper could not recount it all again, so he sat back and let Hawkeye tell him. Hawkeye remember everything clearly, filling in all the blanks in Trapper's mind. When Hawkeye explained why Frank did it Henry and Radar looked shocked. "So that's why. . ."
Hawkeye just nodded, "He went through more than anyone should ever have to go through. I really want to blame him for this but I can't. I do blame his father though."
Henry recovered from the news, "I sure as hell don't blame him, not after that."
The surgeons where called back to the Mess Tent. Hawkeye looked blankly at Trapper. Trapper sighed, "We were there earlier, I explained everything I could remember, and you were in to much shock to do anything."
"I don't remember anything after closing on Henry."
"Well get ready. There'll be Sidney, Major someone and Colonel Banks. Banks is regular army and a real jackass. The other one seems harmless enough."
They were grilled within in an inch of their lives. It was 2 ½ hours before they were allowed to go.
Meanwhile, Frank was in the VIP tent alone. He was curled up in a ball, rocking. His mind devoid of all thoughts except the pain inside him. It was all encompassing, leaving no room for anything else in Frank's head. All he knew was he hurt and he wanted not to. Through the darkness an idea emerged. He would stop the pain tonight, right now. He stood up and removed his belt. . .
Back at the Swamp, Hawkeye poured to glasses of leftover moonshine. He took a sip, "Ahhh, finest kind."
Trapper tried his, "Mother's milk." He sat down in his chair.
Hawkeye sat on the floor next to him a lay his head on Trap's lap. Trapper absentmindedly ran his fingers through the dark silky hair. "What do you think will happen to Frank?" Hawkeye asked.
"If there is any justice he will get psychiatric help. But knowing the Army, he'll get thrown in the stockade."
"It's just not fair, is it? He suffered so much already."
"Kinda makes you feel guilty about how rotten we were to him?"
"Yeah." They drifted into silence, drinking their gin.
That's how they fell asleep. That's also how they were when Radar woke them. He looked at them strangely but did not say anything about it. "What do you want Radar?" Hawkeye said, stifling yawn.
Radar looked at his feet, "Major Burns committed suicide in the VIP tent last night."
This jerked the Hawkeye and Trapper into reality. "How?" Trapper asked quietly.
"He hung himself with his belt." Tears slid down Radar's face.
Trap and Hawk just looked at each other, neither able to comprehend what Radar was saying. "Do Hot, I mean, Margaret and Henry know?" Hawkeye asked.
"Yes sir. You and Captain McIntyre were the last people to know." Radar reverted to strictly GI to keep himself together. The doctors got up slowly, still in their robes from last night. Trapper asked wearily, "Where is everyone?"
"In post-op sir."
"Come on Hawk. You too Radar."
There was a silence in the camp. No birds sang, no insects chirped, no shells, no helicopters, not even any people sounds. They arrived in post- op. Here there was noise, people crying, talking quietly. The first person they came across was Hotlips. Without a word, Trapper opened his arms, and she flew in, sobbing into his chest. He wanted to comfort her but couldn't find the words. Hawkeye kept going, making beeline for Henry's bed. But before they had a chance to even speak, Radar yelled, "Choppers, it's a big one."
Hawkeye turned and bolted, yelling at Radar as they passed, "Get on the phone, we need another surgeon."
Radar was already on his way. Trapper tried to shake Margaret off as he headed over the Henry's office, where Sidney was doing grief counseling. "Ready to scrub up?"
They headed off to the get ready for the flood of kids that would be coming through.