Searching - Klinger's Story
Soon Lee Klinger lowered herself gingerly into a chair in her kitchen. She sighed. It was 1955, 2 years since the war ended, and she and Max weren't any closer to finding her family then they were when she first met him.
And searching was getting harder and harder. She was now 8 months pregnant with their first child, and Max would not allow her to go looking with him. Not to mention the fact that they no longer had a communications centre, like at the 4077th.
The door creaked open. "Soon Lee, where are you?" Max called out, his boots thumping around. "In the kitchen," Soon Lee replied. Max walked in, leaning over and kissing her. "Any luck?" she demanded, desperate for any information about her missing relatives. He shook his head sadly. "Nothing, sweetheart. Look, I don't want to sound annoyed, but..well jeez, honey, we've been here for 2 years, and haven't found a thing. I honestly don't think we'll ever find them."
Soon Lee nodded. For the past 6 months, her drive for finding her parents had been dieing, and she had started to give up hope. "Let's go home, Max. There's nothing for me here now." Max beamed. "You'll love my parents. And they'll love you too. I've been writing them about you, and they can't wait to meet you."
3 days later
Soon Lee and Maxwell Klinger got off their plane at Honolulu Airport. Soon Lee gasped quietly. She had been having contractions since before they boarded the plane at Kimpo, but hadn't wanted to worry Max - especially since she wasn't due for another 5 weeks. The contractions were closer together now, and the pain was increasing. She gritted her teeth, and squeezed Max's hand tightly until the contraction passed. He turned to her, concerned. "You ok?" he asked. She nodded quickly. "Just excited."
As they boarded the plane, the contractions were getting worse. As they took off, Soon Lee felt her water break. She bit her lip, then turned to her husband. "Max, you'd better start praying that someone on this plane is a doctor." He turned, confused. "What are you talking about?" Soon Lee smiled, shaking her head. She loved her husband, but sometimes he was incredibly dense. "I'm going into labour." His eyes widened. "Already? But you're not due for..a long time!" Soon Lee gripped his hand. "Yes I know, but sometimes babies come early." Max nodded, then stood up. "Hey, is anybody a doctor here? My wife is in labour!" A familiar voice came from 2 seats behind. "Klinger, is that you?" Klinger whirled around to find the tall, dark haired Romeo of the 4077th, Hawkeye Pierce. "Captain Pierce?" he gasped.
Hawkeye vaulted the seats in between them. "Hi there, Soon Lee," he greeted. Soon Lee was confused for a second, but then recognized him. "Oh, hello Captain Pierce." He smiled, then stood up. "Maggie, c'mere, I need your help." In a few seconds, Margaret Houlihan was kneeling beside Klinger. "Major?" She gave him a brief smile, then turned back to Hawkeye. "Go get some hot water," he instructed. She nodded, getting up and hurrying towards the cockpit. Hawkeye turned back to Soon Lee. "S'cuse me, but can I have a look at you?" he asked gently. She nodded. He lifted up her skirt, took a quick look, and stood. "Margaret, hurry up, she's almost ready to push!" he bellowed to the front of the plane. "Hold your horses," came the familiar reply. Hawkeye grinned.
An hour later
"Ok, one more push should do it," Hawkeye instructed. Soon Lee nearly crushed Max's hand, held her breath, and pushed. The cry of her newborn child echoed through the plane, and the passengers clapped loudly. "Congratulations, Soon Lee, you have a beautiful little girl, perfectly healthy," Hawkeye announced, tears in his eyes as he handed Soon Lee her daughter. He clapped Klinger on the back and kissed Soon Lee's hand. Soon Lee handed her baby to her father. "Hi there precious, I'm your daddy," Klinger cooed, gently stroking his daughter's cheek.
Landing at San Francisco Airport
"So what were you doing on a plane from Hawaii anyways?" Klinger asked Hawkeye, as they waited for their bags to show up. Hawkeye grinned. "My wife and I were on our honeymoon," he answered, kissing the side of Margaret's head lovingly. Klinger gaped. "No kidding! So, you two finally made a match of it." Margaret blushed, while Soon Lee hugged her. "Congratulations, Margaret." Hawkeye grabbed a bag he had just noticed, nearly falling onto the conveyor belt. "Hey Klinger, come with us to BJ's, he's hosting the reunion. We're coming early to help out, it's not 'til Saturday. But I'm sure you guys can stay with them." Klinger glanced at Soon Lee, who smiled back. "Sure, Hawkeye, let's go." Hawkeye gave a trademark grin. "Oh goody," he exclaimed, clapping his hands in glee. Margaret rolled her eyes. "You idiot." Hawkeye grabbed, bent her backwards, and kissed her, just like he had so many times in Korea. She pulled away and grabbed a bag that rolled by.
As they headed for the exit, Hawkeye turned to Klinger. "So, what are you naming that beautiful angel?" Klinger glanced at Soon Lee before answering. "Well, she was born on a plane. Someone very important to us died on a plane. So..meet Henrietta Lee Klinger." Hawkeye and Margaret smiled, tears in their eyes, remembering their old commander. "Let's hope this one will stay in the world a lot longer," Hawkeye prayed, as they headed out the door. And as Klinger held the door for his wife, a man with a hat covered in fishing hooks caught his eye. The man turned - it was not Henry, but Henry's kind blue eyes stared from that face. A wink, and he disappeared into the crowd. Henry Blake knew, Klinger was sure of that
And Henrietta was far from the last child of 4077th personnel to be named after Henry. Strangely enough, shortly after the naming of each of those children, the parent who had known Henry recieved a wink from a familiar pair of blue eyes. Yes, Henry Blake knew - and recognized - every child that had his name. And he wanted to say thank you.
***THE END***
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Soon Lee Klinger lowered herself gingerly into a chair in her kitchen. She sighed. It was 1955, 2 years since the war ended, and she and Max weren't any closer to finding her family then they were when she first met him.
And searching was getting harder and harder. She was now 8 months pregnant with their first child, and Max would not allow her to go looking with him. Not to mention the fact that they no longer had a communications centre, like at the 4077th.
The door creaked open. "Soon Lee, where are you?" Max called out, his boots thumping around. "In the kitchen," Soon Lee replied. Max walked in, leaning over and kissing her. "Any luck?" she demanded, desperate for any information about her missing relatives. He shook his head sadly. "Nothing, sweetheart. Look, I don't want to sound annoyed, but..well jeez, honey, we've been here for 2 years, and haven't found a thing. I honestly don't think we'll ever find them."
Soon Lee nodded. For the past 6 months, her drive for finding her parents had been dieing, and she had started to give up hope. "Let's go home, Max. There's nothing for me here now." Max beamed. "You'll love my parents. And they'll love you too. I've been writing them about you, and they can't wait to meet you."
3 days later
Soon Lee and Maxwell Klinger got off their plane at Honolulu Airport. Soon Lee gasped quietly. She had been having contractions since before they boarded the plane at Kimpo, but hadn't wanted to worry Max - especially since she wasn't due for another 5 weeks. The contractions were closer together now, and the pain was increasing. She gritted her teeth, and squeezed Max's hand tightly until the contraction passed. He turned to her, concerned. "You ok?" he asked. She nodded quickly. "Just excited."
As they boarded the plane, the contractions were getting worse. As they took off, Soon Lee felt her water break. She bit her lip, then turned to her husband. "Max, you'd better start praying that someone on this plane is a doctor." He turned, confused. "What are you talking about?" Soon Lee smiled, shaking her head. She loved her husband, but sometimes he was incredibly dense. "I'm going into labour." His eyes widened. "Already? But you're not due for..a long time!" Soon Lee gripped his hand. "Yes I know, but sometimes babies come early." Max nodded, then stood up. "Hey, is anybody a doctor here? My wife is in labour!" A familiar voice came from 2 seats behind. "Klinger, is that you?" Klinger whirled around to find the tall, dark haired Romeo of the 4077th, Hawkeye Pierce. "Captain Pierce?" he gasped.
Hawkeye vaulted the seats in between them. "Hi there, Soon Lee," he greeted. Soon Lee was confused for a second, but then recognized him. "Oh, hello Captain Pierce." He smiled, then stood up. "Maggie, c'mere, I need your help." In a few seconds, Margaret Houlihan was kneeling beside Klinger. "Major?" She gave him a brief smile, then turned back to Hawkeye. "Go get some hot water," he instructed. She nodded, getting up and hurrying towards the cockpit. Hawkeye turned back to Soon Lee. "S'cuse me, but can I have a look at you?" he asked gently. She nodded. He lifted up her skirt, took a quick look, and stood. "Margaret, hurry up, she's almost ready to push!" he bellowed to the front of the plane. "Hold your horses," came the familiar reply. Hawkeye grinned.
An hour later
"Ok, one more push should do it," Hawkeye instructed. Soon Lee nearly crushed Max's hand, held her breath, and pushed. The cry of her newborn child echoed through the plane, and the passengers clapped loudly. "Congratulations, Soon Lee, you have a beautiful little girl, perfectly healthy," Hawkeye announced, tears in his eyes as he handed Soon Lee her daughter. He clapped Klinger on the back and kissed Soon Lee's hand. Soon Lee handed her baby to her father. "Hi there precious, I'm your daddy," Klinger cooed, gently stroking his daughter's cheek.
Landing at San Francisco Airport
"So what were you doing on a plane from Hawaii anyways?" Klinger asked Hawkeye, as they waited for their bags to show up. Hawkeye grinned. "My wife and I were on our honeymoon," he answered, kissing the side of Margaret's head lovingly. Klinger gaped. "No kidding! So, you two finally made a match of it." Margaret blushed, while Soon Lee hugged her. "Congratulations, Margaret." Hawkeye grabbed a bag he had just noticed, nearly falling onto the conveyor belt. "Hey Klinger, come with us to BJ's, he's hosting the reunion. We're coming early to help out, it's not 'til Saturday. But I'm sure you guys can stay with them." Klinger glanced at Soon Lee, who smiled back. "Sure, Hawkeye, let's go." Hawkeye gave a trademark grin. "Oh goody," he exclaimed, clapping his hands in glee. Margaret rolled her eyes. "You idiot." Hawkeye grabbed, bent her backwards, and kissed her, just like he had so many times in Korea. She pulled away and grabbed a bag that rolled by.
As they headed for the exit, Hawkeye turned to Klinger. "So, what are you naming that beautiful angel?" Klinger glanced at Soon Lee before answering. "Well, she was born on a plane. Someone very important to us died on a plane. So..meet Henrietta Lee Klinger." Hawkeye and Margaret smiled, tears in their eyes, remembering their old commander. "Let's hope this one will stay in the world a lot longer," Hawkeye prayed, as they headed out the door. And as Klinger held the door for his wife, a man with a hat covered in fishing hooks caught his eye. The man turned - it was not Henry, but Henry's kind blue eyes stared from that face. A wink, and he disappeared into the crowd. Henry Blake knew, Klinger was sure of that
And Henrietta was far from the last child of 4077th personnel to be named after Henry. Strangely enough, shortly after the naming of each of those children, the parent who had known Henry recieved a wink from a familiar pair of blue eyes. Yes, Henry Blake knew - and recognized - every child that had his name. And he wanted to say thank you.
***THE END***
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