AUTHOR'S NOTE
Okay....there are some things in this chapter you should know. Hawkeye is not an avid smoker, it was just an impulse. People do crazy things under stress. I know that might offend some people. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and if I should continue, or maybe I'll end with this one.
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"So how many latrine diggings is this for us now?" BJ asked as he took another sip of lemonade. Hawkeye was leaning back in his chair with his hat shading his eyes. It was another boring day and the boys had nothing better to do.
"I don't know." Hawkeye lifted his head to watch the progress of the corpsmen. "Maybe around twelve or so, I really have no clue. I lost count around the fifth time." He put his head back down and closed his eyes.
BJ took another sip as he studied the shovels as they repeatedly moved up and down. "Well let's see. They do this every month or so....yeah, I think you're right. We don't make it for every one."
"I can think of things I'd rather be doing." Hawkeye remarked blandly with his eyes still closed. BJ chuckled, although what Hawkeye was thinking probably wasn't what BJ had in mind. "How can you be tanning?" Hawkeye looked as his friend, "It's like a hundred degrees out here. You're going to burn to a crisp."
"Nonsense."
"Like hell. Standing around all day in an operating room is bad enough, but with a sun burn, I'd rather die."
"Watch what you say." BJ warned. "That could happen seeing as where we are."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't have to give me the third degree. I'm the veteran and you're still the rookie remember?"
"I've been here for almost two years, what do you mean 'I'm still a rookie'?" BJ looked at his friend. Hawkeye was laid back with his hands behind his head.
Hawkeye held up three fingers, "Three years pal. You can't compete with that. Father Mulcahy got here a day before I did. Besides him I've been here the longest, that includes the medical staff."
BJ took off his sunglasses. "What's a year have to do with anything?"
"Everything." Hawkeye replied simply.
BJ rolled his eyes. "Whether you've been here longer or not, it doesn't change anything between us. I'm just as good a surgeon as you."
"I never said you weren't." Hawkeye put his hat back on.
BJ pointed a finger at the other man and raised his voice. "But that's what you were insinuating. You don't have to say it to mean it."
"BJ!" Hawkeye held his hands out in wonder, "What's gotten into you? I didn't mean anything by that. At least not about your skills as a doctor."
"Yeah sure. I know you." BJ mumbled as he turned his attention to the workers.
"Now you listen here! I don't know what you've got shoved up your...." Suddenly an explosion sounded, causing Hawkeye to refrain his words. Another burst erupted, this time closer. Hawkeye and BJ both leapt from their chairs and onto the ground as debris fell all around them. "What the hell was that?" Hawkeye asked as he lifted his head. "I thought the Chinese pulled back."
"I guess not."
Again another shell hit, sending fragments to their left. "Let's get out of here!" Hawkeye cried as he pulled himself up and he and BJ began sprinting towards the Swamp.
POTTER'S OFFICE
"I don't care if Eisenhower is in town, I want to speak to HQ right away!" Potter yelled into the phone. He was crouched beside his desk, trying to keep the shaken dust out of his eyes. "Is that so! Than sit on this!" He slammed the phone back into its cradle as he let a frustrated breath escape his clenched teeth. "Damn Army!" He yelled as he sat back into his chair. Another explosion sounded, but he didn't flinch.
"Colonel!" Margaret and Mulcahy were yelling in unison. That one had been a lot closer. "Get down!"
"Damn...I'd like to...stupid generals...stupid war." He mumbled to himself in anger.
"Please Colonel, get down." The Father was begging him. Margaret was crouched on the other side of the desk, covering her ears at the bombs burst outside. She hated those things with a passion, if only Hawkeye was there to hold her.
"Klinger!" Potter stood up and used his hand to project his voice.
The door opened slowly as Klinger entered the room on his hands and knees. "You called sir?" He was wearing his combat helmet and a pair of football shoulder pads.
"Son, you will you go rally up the other officers. We need to have a meeting."
The roof shook again and Klinger covered his head with his hands as he hit the floor. The others also tried to shelter themselves. "Yes sir." His face was still pressed against the floor. "Right away."
"Have them meet in my office, they've got five minutes." Potter yelled above the falling shells. Klinger quickly shut the door, only to dive under his desk until he deemed safe enough to venture out the door.
Within a few minutes Charles, BJ, Klinger, and Hawkeye were all safely seated in the colonel's office. When Hawkeye had walked in behind the other doctors moments earlier, Margaret wanted to run into his strong arms, she needed him to hold her. They sat frozen, looking at each other but knowing they couldn't show any signs of affection. Hawkeye smiled reassuringly at her, he knew she was terrified.
"Now," Potter started. "I'll make this quick. I'm afraid I'm in a little bit of a jam. I tried my damndest, I really did, but there was nothing I could do." He looked a little defeated. "We got a call requesting a temporary surgeon at an aid station. One of you three will have to go I'm afraid."
"Colonel!" Charles was yelling. "How can you expect anyone of us to go out there? We could be killed!"
Potter lowered his gaze. "I realize that. Like I said, I tried everything, but they need someone and no other unit is prepared to send someone." Glances were exchanged around the room. Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles looked from one to the other as Mulcahy and Potter shared a depressed look. Margaret was in her own world. She knew it was wrong, but if someone had to go out there and risk losing their life, then she didn't care who it was just as long as it wasn't Hawkeye. "I can't make a decision like this, you three need to decide between yourselves."
BJ and Charles began arguing between themselves, on the side Hawkeye was running his hands through his hair.
"I went last time!" BJ yelled at Charles.
"But Hunnicut, I went two times before you." Charles argued back.
"So? I went last time so I shouldn't have to go this time!"
Hawkeye sat on the other side of them, listening carefully to their bickering. He was rubbing his temples now as the yelling grew louder. The two men fought for some time, arguing who they thought should be sent to the front. They were getting on the last of his very frayed nerves. He'd already had three arguments with both of them this week. If anything he needed to get away from the yelling and bickering.
"What about Pierce?" Charles suddenly broke off what BJ was saying.
"What about him?" BJ asked. He hated it when Charles changed the subject.
"Isn't it his turn?"
"You're just trying to turn the conversation away from you! Leave him alone!"
"Fair is fair Hunnicutt. You went last time and I went the time before you." Charles sat smugly in his chair. "He should go." He pointed to Hawkeye.
"No! You should go!"
Suddenly Hawkeye stood up. "Enough! I'll go, please, just shut up!" He yelled over both their voices, causing the entire room to become silent. "I'll go." He said quietly now. Again he sat down.
Margaret lowered her face to her hands, the very thing she had been praying against had just been confirmed, but him volunteering was something new.
Potter looked at his Chief Surgeon with pity and sadness. "Alright, Pierce will go." He said just as quietly.
"When do I leave?" Hawkeye's head was in his hands again.
"They'll be okay until tomorrow. You leave at 0500 hours."
"Okay." He knew Margaret would be upset, she had grown very protective over him.
Another shell exploded out side, throwing dirt against the window. "Dismissed!" Potter yelled as he and Klinger ducked under the desk. BJ and Charles made their way out first and ran towards the Swamp. Father Mulcahy ducked under another table in the colonel's office.
Margaret was looking at him with worried eyes, she was deathly afraid for him. Silently she turned and left the office, Hawkeye followed. She ran to her tent with Hawkeye right behind. When they made it inside another explosion fired off sending Margaret flying backwards. Expertly he caught her and held her to him as the noise continued on outside. She clung desperately to him, digging her nails into his back in terror.
"Shhhh." He comforted her. "It's okay." His voice was soft and smooth.
"Hawkeye..." She looked up at him but he silenced her before she could say anything.
"Don't say anything." He put a finger over her lips. Again the noise boomed and Margaret gripped him tighter. Hawkeye led her over the cot and laid her down. He removed her boots and then his own and crawled in beside her.
When he was lying comfortably she buried her face in his chest and he held her tight. Hawkeye stroked her back as he mumbled soft words to block out the noise.
Margaret snuggled against his warm body, using him as a shield against the loud blasts. His breath was filling her ear and running down her neck and back, soon she had goose bumps along her skin. Hawkeye could feel her reaction to him; she seemed to have loosened up and relaxed. He let his hand fall to her waist and slip under her shirt and around to her back. His fingers were grazing over the small bumps as he continued to whisper gentle words into her ear.
She let her face rest against the inside of his neck, smelling his deep cologne. His hands were wandering a little more freely now, up and down her back and across her stomach. Soon he was lifting her shirt up slightly so it rested against her bosoms. Margaret hardly noticed as he moved his body lower, enabling him to kiss her neck with the same gentility.
She felt his left leg move in between hers as he pushed some of his body weight more onto her torso. His hands fell flat onto the bed as he lips maneuvered down to kiss the underside of her chin and then farther down to the hallow of her neck. She was enjoying the sensations as she laid under him, reveling in his touch and technique. No man had ever been so gentle and precise when stroking her. She loved the feel his body weight against her, trapping her so she was under his mercy. Every touch and every graze seemed to set her skin on fire.
Hawkeye pushed the rest of her shirt up to the base of her neck, just so he could kiss her chest. With one swift move he pulled the T-shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor beside the cot. As her clothes started to fall to the ground beside her shirt she knew that they shouldn't be doing this. If wounded came, if the colonel needed to see them again, or if an offensive broke the lines, they'd need to be on their guard; but at that moment none of that seemed to matter.
As Hawkeye was unclasping her bra and pulling the straps down her shoulders, she was thinking how she didn't give a damn about the war. All she cared about was making love to this man; it was hard to think about, but it may have been the last chance she'd get.
He kissed her hard, jolting her from her worried thoughts. His lips were soft and warm against hers. Margaret drew him in him in deeper, cradling his head as they kissed. She'd always loved his lips; they'd never compared to any other man's.
She pulled his shirt loose and felt along the line of hair that led up to his belly button from his waist. Her hand traveled across his chest, feeling his pectorals and erect nipples. She let her fingers graze his neck as she lifted the collar of his shirt over his head.
"Hawkeye." Margaret said softly as his lips came down to meet hers once more.
"Yes?" His lips were barely touching hers.
She pulled back a little to look into his eyes. "Promise you'll come back to me." She told him. Her eyes were watering slightly and her voice quivered as she spoke. "Promise me I won't be alone, you can't leave me alone." She started to cry. A tear fell down her cheek and then another. Hawkeye's heart began to break as he saw her beginning to break down.
"I promise I'll come back." He touched his forehead to hers. "I promise I won't leave you here, I'm never going to leave you. No matter where you are, that's where I'll be, North Koreans or not, I'll be right back here with you."
Margaret looked at him, he was teary a little himself. "I love you so much. I don't think I could live without you." Another tear grazed her check.
"I know I couldn't live without you." He kissed her. "Margaret, you won't loose me. I promise you I'll come back."
"You better." She smiled through her tears. His arms slid around her to her back and then up to gently hold her head as they continued to kiss lovingly.
Slowly over the night they made love two times, both times completely underneath heaps of blankets. They wanted to keep the loud noises of the war outside out of their love, yet at the same time keep their moans and heavy breathing inside.
Finally, after collapsing onto the cot with Hawkeye lying on the bottom, they fell into a deep sleep. When Margaret awoke the next morning, her lover and best friend was gone. She lay there for a moment, reveling in the sheets that still smelled of their love. After deciding she'd spent enough time in bed, dreaming he was there with her, Margaret decided to get ready for the day.
"Good morning major." Colonel Potter greeted her as she set her tray down and sat beside him. "Catch a few extra winks last night? Boy I was tired, spent all night trying to get through to HQ."
"Any luck?" She asked hopefully.
"Not at all." He sighed. "Eisenhower is over here inspecting, I can't get through. Not to mention the line is packed with news about the shelling. I doubt if I'll be able to get through today."
Margaret picked at her food, she was really beginning to miss him and she'd only been awake for half an hour. "It seems as if the shelling lessened."
"It did here." He told her. "I'm afraid the front line is getting pounded." She stopped shoveling her eggs at his words. "But don't worry," He gave her a sincere smile, "I'm sure he's going to be just fine."
Margaret smiled back, she knew he was right. "I know." She breathed. Hastily she pushed her tray back, "I'm not really hungry." She stood up, "I'm on duty in five minutes, I'll see you later."
"Okay." He said softly. Potter knew she was scared to death for Hawkeye's safety, she loved him so much. "Margaret, Pierce will okay." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Have faith." Margaret smiled graciously and squeezed his hand back.
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"You our new surgeon?" A young man asked as Hawkeye walked into the familiar aid station. The walls were as bad as ever and not a single thing was sterile.
"The name's Pierce." Hawkeye held out his hand and the other man shook it.
"Thompson." He greeted. "I'm sure glad to see someone. Our last surgeon was killed by mortar fire and my other medic was clipped by a piece of flying shrapnel." Thompson gestured to another man across the room, "That's Akers, it's been just him and me with a few other medics for the last few hours."
"That must have been some picnic."
"I'd say." He turned around and gestured for Hawk to follow. "I was beginning to loose my wits end. Luckily the wounded didn't pile in until about an hour ago." He turned to look at him, "I need you to get cutting right away, a lot of these boys aren't going to make it if they wait around."
"Of course." Hawkeye started to unbutton his jacket. "Just tell me what to do." When he was stripped down to his undershirt he walked over to the sink and began to wash the length of his arms.
"We just shipped off a bus load to the 8063rd, right now we have about ten or so. You and I will take every other one."
"Right."
"Alcohol is over there in those basins and gloves are in the box by the far wall. Take each one as quick as you can, we're not doing surgery, just controlling the bleeding."
"I'm all too familiar with this." Hawkeye sighed.
"Good, then you and I both know what to do."
"Doctor!" Akers was shouting, "Come quick, he's coughing up blood!" Thompson turned towards the table, but Hawkeye stopped him.
"I got this one, don't worry."
Thompson smiled, "You have no idea how much I love to hear those words."
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"Have you made it through yet son?" Colonel Potter was asking as he ran through the doors of his office. They were trying to call the aid station to get a hold of Hawkeye.
"No sir, not yet. The air is filled with all kinds of static, I'm not getting anything."
"Damn!" Potter slammed his fist on the desk.
"I'm trying sir."
"I know son. Keep up the hard work."
"Yes sir." Klinger tried the phone again. Potter sat on the edge and listened as the Lebanese tried to work his way through. After a few minutes he hung the phone up. "I'm sorry, the phones have been cut. There's no way to get through."
"Damn!"
"What's the matter?" A frantic Margaret asked as she walked into the office.
"The phones have been cut, we have no way to reach him." Potter told her defeated.
"Oh my.." Margaret sat down on Klinger's cot.
"Now Margaret, I'm sure he's fine. It's just a little phone trouble."
"I know." She gulped, she was trying to hard not to cry.
"You're getting yourself all worked up over nothing." He told her.
"I know." The tears were becoming harder to control. Sherman could see she was trying to hard not to let the water works fall.
"Honey, why don't we talk in my office. What do you say?" He stood up and walked over to her.
Margaret nodded silently, one word and she would have broken down right there. He guided her with his arm around her shoulder into his office. Once the doors shut behind them she threw herself into his arms and cried heavily.
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"How's it coming? You need a hand?" Thompson was looking on as Hawkeye attempted to stop a gush of blood. The soldier had caught a bullet in the femoral artery in his groin, one of the largest arteries in the body and one of the most difficult to control.
"No, keep going with the others. I got this." Hawkeye told him. There were other kids that need attention.
"You sure?" He asked as the rich, dark blood flowed down over Hawkeye's arms and onto his chest and pants, soaking him for the second time.
"Get me another few units of AB positive." Hawkeye yelled as he turned his face from the jets of blood. "He's loosing it quick."
"Right away!" The other doctor ran and got more. He replaced the empty bottle with the new and then checked on Hawk. "Have you almost got it?"
"I think so, I just need to get a few more clamps in there with some well knitted sutures." The blood was running down his pants and into his boots. "Just a little farther." After a few more hectic minutes he managed to clamp off the major flow and look at the wound properly. "He's going to be first priority. Have you already got an ambulance out there?"
"It's waiting now."
"Good. Let me put in some mattress sutures to hold the artery and then we can send him off. Once he gets to a M*A*S*H, that wound can be properly stitched."
"I'll tell them you're almost ready. We loaded the others already." Hawkeye put in a few more sutures and then with the help of Akers, loaded him into the ambulance. Once back inside the three men collapsed.
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"Attention, attention all personnel! We've got wounded in the compound!"
"Get him on plasma STAT!" BJ yelled as a chest wound was carried into the OR.
"Prep him and get him ready, he'll be second." Charles told a nurse. "Colonel, where did these men come from?"
"The 7th aid station. Maybe one of them has seem Pierce."
"That's right!" Margaret gasped. "Colonel!"
"Already on it major. I'm asking, don't worry."
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"I don't think I've ever seen so much blood come out of one body." Hawkeye pulled off his blood-encrusted shirt and looked at it with disgust. "That's terrible."
"I know. The things people can do to one another, it's barbaric." Thompson said as he lit a cigarette. He noticed Hawkeye looking at him. "You want one?" He held up his package. Hawkeye thought about it for a moment.
"I'm not a heavy smoker, but what the hell. I could really use one right now." Hawkeye took the offered cigarette and waited as the other doctor lit it. "Thanks."
"No problem. I see so much shit up here, I'd die if I didn't have these."
Hawkeye sat down beside him. "I built a still in my tent." He grinned.
"You're kidding?" Thompson looked astonished.
"Not at all. When I need to get away from the war, I drink. You smoke, I suppose they're the same."
"I suppose, but I like good belt every now and then."
"Well, I like a good smoke every now and then." Hawkeye let the smoke expel from his mouth.
"I hear ya." After a moment he said, "You know, we could probably boil up some water while we have this little break. I'm sure you'd like to try to do something with that mess." He gestured to Hawk's clothes.
"I would like to scrub up." He looked at his bare chest, it was covered with just as much blood. "My whole body feels like a big surgical sponge."
"Well you look the part."
"It's all dry." Hawkeye picked at the caked on blood. "It would take some time."
"Well, we have time."
"Margaret would be a little upset if I came back looking like this." Hawkeye looked himself over. She would have been very upset.
"Margaret?" Now Thompson was interested.
"My girlfriend." Hawkeye told him with a smile.
"She's a nurse?"
"The very best."
"Lucky dog. My wife is at home in Pennsylvania. God, I miss her so much." Thompson sighed.
"How long have you been over here?"
"A little more than a year. You?"
"It's almost three now."
"Three!"
"Yeah, I know. It's terrible." Hawkeye sighed. "But as long as I'm with Margaret, I'll be okay."
Thompson patted his shoulder and chuckled. "We should really you get cleaned up. You look like death. She's gonna take one look and run in the opposite direction." The two men stood up.
"It is pretty bad. It ran into my underwear and down my legs."
"That must be lovely." Thompson sympathized. Hawkeye looked at him. "I was kidding!"
They boiled some water and all of Hawkeye's clothes went into the big pot. Then it was Hawk's turn; he took a bucket of warm water around to the back of the aid station and tired his best to scrub the dried blood from his body. He started with his chest and arms and then scrubbed his legs and feet. Hawkeye wasn't exactly clean and completely rid of the dry blood, his skin had a tint of pink to it when he was done, but it was better than he had looked previously.
"You know, we really should have just thrown these away, it's blood after all." Thompson commented as he added soap.
"I know, but I can't stand around a war in my birthday suit with only a towel can I?" Hawkeye was indeed only wearing a towel.
"That would be up to your cute little girlfriend now wouldn't it?" He gave Hawk a sly grin. Hawkeye smiled back.
"Nah, she'd be angry if any other woman saw me, she's very protective."
"My wife is the same way, 'John, if you dare screw around on me over there, so help me God!'" Thompson screeched in a high pitched voice as he mocked his wife. "I'd never do that to her. No other woman could compare."
Hawkeye smiled slightly. "I know the feeling. I love Margaret more than anything in this whole world, I'd die for her."
"That's the great thing about love." Thompson smiled, he was thinking about his wife.
"Yeah," Hawkeye agreed. Margaret was the best thing that ever happened to him.
They sat in silence for a while, thinking about the women they loved. It was Thompson who finally broke the quiet. "Well, I think we should soak these in some alcohol for a bit." He was gesturing to Hawkeye's clothes. "Then re-soap and scrub and then let them dry."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
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"Colonel!" Margaret yelled as she ran across the compound. Colonel Potter turned from where he had just ushered the last casualty inside after talking to him to see the major sprinting towards him. "Any news?" She asked when she caught up to him.
"Now listen Major, there are plenty of other boys I haven't asked. These few haven't seen him, but I'm not finished yet." Margaret looked down, she had really hoped someone would have seen him. "Margaret, I'm sure he's fine." The older man laid his hand on her shoulder. "He loves you. He will come back."
Margaret squeezed his hand and gave him a gracious smile. "Thank you Colonel."
"Now come on." He began to lead her by the shoulders into the building. "The faster we finish with this load the faster we can get back to asking."
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"So, is that better?"
"Much, but my underwear is pink."
"There are always casualties in a war."
"They were my favorite pair!"
"Lucky undies huh?"
"Margaret bought them for me. Actually I think she bought them for herself." Hawkeye put his shirt back on. "I think this is a new shade of green."
"An interesting color it is." Thompson looked the other man up and down. Everything had a red tint to it. "But will it make the new wave in Army fashion I wonder?"
"Shut up."
Thompson chuckled. "It does touch up the army drab look though!"
"Yeah." He said lowly. "But it's blood. There's nothing funny about that."
"Hey." He could see Hawkeye was a little upset. "I was only joking, don't take it to heart. I feel the very same way. It's just if you don't allow yourself to laugh every one in a while you crack."
"I know, I'm just a little stressed right now."
"I know pal, but your replacement will be here soon. Not too much longer."
"When do you get out of here?"
"Not for a few more days, I get a break and then they send me back."
"I'd imagine you'd tire out pretty quickly here."
"You can say that again."
"But look at this, we're at a lull. There's only a few guys here."
"The fighting shifted. We aren't getting the heavy stuff at the moment."
"Thank God."
"Tell me about it."
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"Major?" Kellye was standing behind her trying to get her attention. They were the mess tent, Margaret was going to try and eat something.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Margaret turned around to look at her.
"Colonel Potter said he would like to talk to you. He thinks some has seen Captain Pierce."
"He does?" That got Margaret's attention. "Where is he?" She set down her tray.
"In Post OP ma'am."
Margaret rushed by Kellye and ran out of the mess tent. She rushed through the compound and into Post OP. When she got there she looked around for him.
"Major." Potter spotted her and beckoned her over. Margaret walked quickly over to the bed he was sitting beside. He then turned to the soldier. "You say you saw him?"
"I think so sir." The young man looked from Potter to Margaret.
"It's okay son, tell us what you know." Potter urged him on.
"I don't remember a whole lot, everything was hazy and there was a lot of shouting." The soldier stopped for a moment, then restarted again. "I remember a man looking over me, I..I think he had black hair, and he was pretty tall."
"Did he tell you his name?" Margaret asked quickly. Hawkeye usually introduced himself and liked to talk with the patient to keep him occupied.
"I think so. I don't remember what. It started with a B or an E?" He asked himself. "No, that's not right, something along those lines."
"Was it a P?" Margaret asked suddenly.
"That could be it, yes, I believe it was."
"And how long ago was this?" Potter was questioning.
"Two hours maybe. I don't recall, I passed out soon after." The boy said.
"You know what that means?" Potter turned to Margaret.
"He's okay! Oh God thank you!" She threw herself into his arms and cried.
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"Well John..." Hawkeye held out his hand, they had started on a first name basis. "Thanks for the lovely time." He kidded.
"Anytime. Don't forget to come back and visit Hawk." John took his hand and shook it.
"I come here all the time. Can't tell you what trip number this is for me."
"I'm sure. Three years worth."
"Hopefully that's all." Hawkeye turned towards the door.
"Take care of yourself." John told him. They had grown close over the past few days.
"You too." Hawkeye smiled and then walked out to his jeep.
He heard the driver talking with Hawk and then rev up the engine. After a few moments he heard the jeep pull out and start out down the road. John smiled to himself. His smiled was ceased when he heard a single shot ring out. He wasn't sure if that's what it was, it was too far away, maybe a few miles at the least.
"Hey Akers, did you hear something?" He asked the other man. Akers was sterilizing the instruments.
"No, you?"
John looked out the door. "I suppose not. Maybe I just need some sleep," he said as he walked back inside.
Margaret, Potter, BJ, Charles, and Father Mulcahy were talking in the mess tent. It was almost eight O'clock and they were sitting around drinking coffee.
"So Pierce is on his way back?" Charles asked his commanding officer.
"Yep, we received a call this evening. The sergeant said reinforcements had come and he was on his way back. Speaking of which, he should be here any moment."
Margaret who was sitting on the side, was trying hard not to let her huge smile show. She was so happy he was coming back. The last few days with out him had been torture and terribly slow. She couldn't wait to get him in her arms again. Once they were alone she was going to drag him into her tent and do unspeakable things to him until the next afternoon.
"Major?" Someone was speaking to her. "Major? Are you okay?" Father Mulcahy was talking to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Father."
"You had a very determined look on your face." He pointed out. Margaret blushed, she had been thinking about touching his body and how she wanted to run her hands all across it.
"I was just thinking about something." She told him.
"What was that?" Charles asked.
Margaret didn't say anything at first, how was she supposed to tell them she had been thinking about the many different ways she wanted to make love to their chief surgeon once he got back? "I got a letter from my cousin today, she was telling me about her sister's wedding." Okay, so it was a lie. Her cousin Sue was 45 with three kids.
"Ah, I love weddings. Mildred loves to cry." Potter spewed happily.
"A wedding is such a lovely thing." Father Mulcahy added.
"I remember when Peg and I got married, we.." BJ continued on. Margaret tuned them out, she was suddenly thinking about what it would be like when her and Hawkeye got married. They had never really talked about it, but she was sure they would some day. It was bad enough to be away from each other for two days, how could they spend a lifetime apart?
In the distance an engine roared. The noise grew louder as it entered the compound. It then shut off. "That must be Hawkeye!" Margaret jumped to her feet.
"It's about time." Potter commented. The rest of the group stood up to go out and greet him.
"Help!" A voice ran out into the night air. "Some body help!" The person screamed. With that the five of them ran out of the tent and into the compound. There was a jeep parked in the center with a man standing franticly beside it. "Help!" His voice was panicked.
BJ got there before the rest of them. "Oh my God." He breathed. "Hawkeye!"
Hawkeye was sitting in the backseat, he had a hand clutching the side of his chest. Blood was pouring between his fingers and down his chest making a fairly good sized pool on the seat.
"Hey Beej." He breathed raggedly, his face was very pale.
Potter ran around to his other side. "Oh my..." he whispered when he saw the young man sprawled against the back seat, blood covering his chest. Margaret ran up behind him, suddenly Potter turned and caught her, he didn't want her to see him, but it was too late.
"Oh my God.." She started to cry. "Hawkeye!!" She screamed, she tried to reach him but Potter held her tight.
"No honey."
"Hawkeye!" She was reaching and pulling with all her might. Margaret need to hold him and be by his side. He was starting to loose consciousness as the blood continued to pour. "No!" She pushed against Potter, "Hawkeye!" She was crying heavily now.
"What happened?" BJ asked the driver as he looked over his friend's condition.
"I...I don't know. We were driving along and suddenly he'd been hit by a sniper. I never even heard it coming. The next thing I knew I heard him let out a small cry and then he collapsed back against the seat. He told me to keep driving and not to stop until I made it here." The driver stopped. "Is he gonna be okay?"
BJ never answered the question, he didn't want to think about the grim possibilities. "Help me get him inside." BJ said to a very distraught and worried Charles. "We need to stop the bleeding." Charles nodded.
BJ's hand joined Hawkeye's as he tried to hold off the pouring blood. Charles grabbed hold of his right side and wrapped an arm around his neck. With BJ on the other side and the Father behind, they were able to move him.
"Ahhhh!" Hawkeye screamed when they began to move him. The pain was incredible.
Margaret was still crying very hard as she clutched onto her very worried CO. With each scream her heart seemed to shatter.
"Easy...easy..." BJ was conducting as they lifted him out of the jeep. Again Hawkeye cried out in terrible pain.
"Hawkeye!" She screamed. She pulled out of the colonel's grasp but was stopped by Father Mulcahy as the other men carried Hawk into the OR and shut the door.
"Shhhhh." He held her. Margaret broke down and began to cry uncontrollably on his chest.
"I need to be with him!" She yelled. "He needs me, I have to be in there!" She was trying to pull away again. Potter reached them and helped the Father lead her over to a bench. "No! Please, you don't understand!" Her voice was giving out. "I need him. I love him so much." She cried as the two men held her. "You can't let him die." She said just above a whisper as her voice broke completely.
IN THE OR.....
"Easy Hawk, it's okay." BJ and Charles set him down on the operation table. By now more people had awoken and hurried over to see what the commotion was, one of them being Klinger. BJ turned to Klinger, "Go get Kellye and Able. We're going to need them as soon as possible." At first Klinger didn't move, he seemed to not even have heard him. He was staring at the sight before him, one of the bravest men he'd ever known had been shot in the chest. "Klinger?" BJ laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. I'll go do that right away." Slowly with out taking his eyes off Hawkeye, he backed out of the OR.
BJ then turned his attention to his friend. "It's okay pal." Hawkeye was starting to fade. He was sweating terribly and blood was still everywhere. They were holding compresses against the wound but that wasn't doing much to help. "We're loosing him! Someone get me a bottle of A+ blood! Charles, help me undress him."
The two doctors cut away his clothing and prepped him for surgery. First they started with his jacket and carefully cut the seams so they didn't have to move him much. Hawkeye groaned in pain as they removed his T-shirt. "We need to get a better look at this." Charles said once he was bare from the waist up. BJ nodded.
"Okay, I'll pull away the compress while you inspect the wound. I'm going to have Able give him a sedative after she starts the IV." BJ moved the bandage, allowing Charles to inspect the point of entry. Hawkeye had been caught on the side right beneath his left pectoral, from what he could tell, the bullet was still in there.
Suddenly Hawkeye lost consciousness, dropping his head against his chest. Blood was still dripping onto the floor. The two men looked down to see a puddle on the cement. "Jesus Christ..." BJ breathed.
Potter and Mulcahy were finally able to calm Margaret down. The three of them, along with the rest of the camp sat in the hallway outside the operating room. Margaret's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "He's gonna be okay." Sherman patted her arm.
"That's right." Mulcahy chimed in. "Those men are the best doctors in Korea. If anyone can save him, it's them." Margaret knew what he was saying was true, but she was still very frightened. She couldn't speak without bursting into tears.
Finally after two long and agonizing hours, the door to the OR opened. Charles and BJ stepped out into the hallway. Margaret and the rest of the crowd jumped to their feet. The two doctors looked at each other and then looked at the group of people.
"How is he boys?" Potter asked softly. His arms were around Margaret.
BJ looked at Charles before saying anything. Margaret held her breath as she waited for someone to say anything. If she didn't an answer soon she was going to explode. Charles nodded slowly and then looked at the group. BJ started slowly, "There's something we need to tell you..."
Okay....there are some things in this chapter you should know. Hawkeye is not an avid smoker, it was just an impulse. People do crazy things under stress. I know that might offend some people. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and if I should continue, or maybe I'll end with this one.
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"So how many latrine diggings is this for us now?" BJ asked as he took another sip of lemonade. Hawkeye was leaning back in his chair with his hat shading his eyes. It was another boring day and the boys had nothing better to do.
"I don't know." Hawkeye lifted his head to watch the progress of the corpsmen. "Maybe around twelve or so, I really have no clue. I lost count around the fifth time." He put his head back down and closed his eyes.
BJ took another sip as he studied the shovels as they repeatedly moved up and down. "Well let's see. They do this every month or so....yeah, I think you're right. We don't make it for every one."
"I can think of things I'd rather be doing." Hawkeye remarked blandly with his eyes still closed. BJ chuckled, although what Hawkeye was thinking probably wasn't what BJ had in mind. "How can you be tanning?" Hawkeye looked as his friend, "It's like a hundred degrees out here. You're going to burn to a crisp."
"Nonsense."
"Like hell. Standing around all day in an operating room is bad enough, but with a sun burn, I'd rather die."
"Watch what you say." BJ warned. "That could happen seeing as where we are."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't have to give me the third degree. I'm the veteran and you're still the rookie remember?"
"I've been here for almost two years, what do you mean 'I'm still a rookie'?" BJ looked at his friend. Hawkeye was laid back with his hands behind his head.
Hawkeye held up three fingers, "Three years pal. You can't compete with that. Father Mulcahy got here a day before I did. Besides him I've been here the longest, that includes the medical staff."
BJ took off his sunglasses. "What's a year have to do with anything?"
"Everything." Hawkeye replied simply.
BJ rolled his eyes. "Whether you've been here longer or not, it doesn't change anything between us. I'm just as good a surgeon as you."
"I never said you weren't." Hawkeye put his hat back on.
BJ pointed a finger at the other man and raised his voice. "But that's what you were insinuating. You don't have to say it to mean it."
"BJ!" Hawkeye held his hands out in wonder, "What's gotten into you? I didn't mean anything by that. At least not about your skills as a doctor."
"Yeah sure. I know you." BJ mumbled as he turned his attention to the workers.
"Now you listen here! I don't know what you've got shoved up your...." Suddenly an explosion sounded, causing Hawkeye to refrain his words. Another burst erupted, this time closer. Hawkeye and BJ both leapt from their chairs and onto the ground as debris fell all around them. "What the hell was that?" Hawkeye asked as he lifted his head. "I thought the Chinese pulled back."
"I guess not."
Again another shell hit, sending fragments to their left. "Let's get out of here!" Hawkeye cried as he pulled himself up and he and BJ began sprinting towards the Swamp.
POTTER'S OFFICE
"I don't care if Eisenhower is in town, I want to speak to HQ right away!" Potter yelled into the phone. He was crouched beside his desk, trying to keep the shaken dust out of his eyes. "Is that so! Than sit on this!" He slammed the phone back into its cradle as he let a frustrated breath escape his clenched teeth. "Damn Army!" He yelled as he sat back into his chair. Another explosion sounded, but he didn't flinch.
"Colonel!" Margaret and Mulcahy were yelling in unison. That one had been a lot closer. "Get down!"
"Damn...I'd like to...stupid generals...stupid war." He mumbled to himself in anger.
"Please Colonel, get down." The Father was begging him. Margaret was crouched on the other side of the desk, covering her ears at the bombs burst outside. She hated those things with a passion, if only Hawkeye was there to hold her.
"Klinger!" Potter stood up and used his hand to project his voice.
The door opened slowly as Klinger entered the room on his hands and knees. "You called sir?" He was wearing his combat helmet and a pair of football shoulder pads.
"Son, you will you go rally up the other officers. We need to have a meeting."
The roof shook again and Klinger covered his head with his hands as he hit the floor. The others also tried to shelter themselves. "Yes sir." His face was still pressed against the floor. "Right away."
"Have them meet in my office, they've got five minutes." Potter yelled above the falling shells. Klinger quickly shut the door, only to dive under his desk until he deemed safe enough to venture out the door.
Within a few minutes Charles, BJ, Klinger, and Hawkeye were all safely seated in the colonel's office. When Hawkeye had walked in behind the other doctors moments earlier, Margaret wanted to run into his strong arms, she needed him to hold her. They sat frozen, looking at each other but knowing they couldn't show any signs of affection. Hawkeye smiled reassuringly at her, he knew she was terrified.
"Now," Potter started. "I'll make this quick. I'm afraid I'm in a little bit of a jam. I tried my damndest, I really did, but there was nothing I could do." He looked a little defeated. "We got a call requesting a temporary surgeon at an aid station. One of you three will have to go I'm afraid."
"Colonel!" Charles was yelling. "How can you expect anyone of us to go out there? We could be killed!"
Potter lowered his gaze. "I realize that. Like I said, I tried everything, but they need someone and no other unit is prepared to send someone." Glances were exchanged around the room. Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles looked from one to the other as Mulcahy and Potter shared a depressed look. Margaret was in her own world. She knew it was wrong, but if someone had to go out there and risk losing their life, then she didn't care who it was just as long as it wasn't Hawkeye. "I can't make a decision like this, you three need to decide between yourselves."
BJ and Charles began arguing between themselves, on the side Hawkeye was running his hands through his hair.
"I went last time!" BJ yelled at Charles.
"But Hunnicut, I went two times before you." Charles argued back.
"So? I went last time so I shouldn't have to go this time!"
Hawkeye sat on the other side of them, listening carefully to their bickering. He was rubbing his temples now as the yelling grew louder. The two men fought for some time, arguing who they thought should be sent to the front. They were getting on the last of his very frayed nerves. He'd already had three arguments with both of them this week. If anything he needed to get away from the yelling and bickering.
"What about Pierce?" Charles suddenly broke off what BJ was saying.
"What about him?" BJ asked. He hated it when Charles changed the subject.
"Isn't it his turn?"
"You're just trying to turn the conversation away from you! Leave him alone!"
"Fair is fair Hunnicutt. You went last time and I went the time before you." Charles sat smugly in his chair. "He should go." He pointed to Hawkeye.
"No! You should go!"
Suddenly Hawkeye stood up. "Enough! I'll go, please, just shut up!" He yelled over both their voices, causing the entire room to become silent. "I'll go." He said quietly now. Again he sat down.
Margaret lowered her face to her hands, the very thing she had been praying against had just been confirmed, but him volunteering was something new.
Potter looked at his Chief Surgeon with pity and sadness. "Alright, Pierce will go." He said just as quietly.
"When do I leave?" Hawkeye's head was in his hands again.
"They'll be okay until tomorrow. You leave at 0500 hours."
"Okay." He knew Margaret would be upset, she had grown very protective over him.
Another shell exploded out side, throwing dirt against the window. "Dismissed!" Potter yelled as he and Klinger ducked under the desk. BJ and Charles made their way out first and ran towards the Swamp. Father Mulcahy ducked under another table in the colonel's office.
Margaret was looking at him with worried eyes, she was deathly afraid for him. Silently she turned and left the office, Hawkeye followed. She ran to her tent with Hawkeye right behind. When they made it inside another explosion fired off sending Margaret flying backwards. Expertly he caught her and held her to him as the noise continued on outside. She clung desperately to him, digging her nails into his back in terror.
"Shhhh." He comforted her. "It's okay." His voice was soft and smooth.
"Hawkeye..." She looked up at him but he silenced her before she could say anything.
"Don't say anything." He put a finger over her lips. Again the noise boomed and Margaret gripped him tighter. Hawkeye led her over the cot and laid her down. He removed her boots and then his own and crawled in beside her.
When he was lying comfortably she buried her face in his chest and he held her tight. Hawkeye stroked her back as he mumbled soft words to block out the noise.
Margaret snuggled against his warm body, using him as a shield against the loud blasts. His breath was filling her ear and running down her neck and back, soon she had goose bumps along her skin. Hawkeye could feel her reaction to him; she seemed to have loosened up and relaxed. He let his hand fall to her waist and slip under her shirt and around to her back. His fingers were grazing over the small bumps as he continued to whisper gentle words into her ear.
She let her face rest against the inside of his neck, smelling his deep cologne. His hands were wandering a little more freely now, up and down her back and across her stomach. Soon he was lifting her shirt up slightly so it rested against her bosoms. Margaret hardly noticed as he moved his body lower, enabling him to kiss her neck with the same gentility.
She felt his left leg move in between hers as he pushed some of his body weight more onto her torso. His hands fell flat onto the bed as he lips maneuvered down to kiss the underside of her chin and then farther down to the hallow of her neck. She was enjoying the sensations as she laid under him, reveling in his touch and technique. No man had ever been so gentle and precise when stroking her. She loved the feel his body weight against her, trapping her so she was under his mercy. Every touch and every graze seemed to set her skin on fire.
Hawkeye pushed the rest of her shirt up to the base of her neck, just so he could kiss her chest. With one swift move he pulled the T-shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor beside the cot. As her clothes started to fall to the ground beside her shirt she knew that they shouldn't be doing this. If wounded came, if the colonel needed to see them again, or if an offensive broke the lines, they'd need to be on their guard; but at that moment none of that seemed to matter.
As Hawkeye was unclasping her bra and pulling the straps down her shoulders, she was thinking how she didn't give a damn about the war. All she cared about was making love to this man; it was hard to think about, but it may have been the last chance she'd get.
He kissed her hard, jolting her from her worried thoughts. His lips were soft and warm against hers. Margaret drew him in him in deeper, cradling his head as they kissed. She'd always loved his lips; they'd never compared to any other man's.
She pulled his shirt loose and felt along the line of hair that led up to his belly button from his waist. Her hand traveled across his chest, feeling his pectorals and erect nipples. She let her fingers graze his neck as she lifted the collar of his shirt over his head.
"Hawkeye." Margaret said softly as his lips came down to meet hers once more.
"Yes?" His lips were barely touching hers.
She pulled back a little to look into his eyes. "Promise you'll come back to me." She told him. Her eyes were watering slightly and her voice quivered as she spoke. "Promise me I won't be alone, you can't leave me alone." She started to cry. A tear fell down her cheek and then another. Hawkeye's heart began to break as he saw her beginning to break down.
"I promise I'll come back." He touched his forehead to hers. "I promise I won't leave you here, I'm never going to leave you. No matter where you are, that's where I'll be, North Koreans or not, I'll be right back here with you."
Margaret looked at him, he was teary a little himself. "I love you so much. I don't think I could live without you." Another tear grazed her check.
"I know I couldn't live without you." He kissed her. "Margaret, you won't loose me. I promise you I'll come back."
"You better." She smiled through her tears. His arms slid around her to her back and then up to gently hold her head as they continued to kiss lovingly.
Slowly over the night they made love two times, both times completely underneath heaps of blankets. They wanted to keep the loud noises of the war outside out of their love, yet at the same time keep their moans and heavy breathing inside.
Finally, after collapsing onto the cot with Hawkeye lying on the bottom, they fell into a deep sleep. When Margaret awoke the next morning, her lover and best friend was gone. She lay there for a moment, reveling in the sheets that still smelled of their love. After deciding she'd spent enough time in bed, dreaming he was there with her, Margaret decided to get ready for the day.
"Good morning major." Colonel Potter greeted her as she set her tray down and sat beside him. "Catch a few extra winks last night? Boy I was tired, spent all night trying to get through to HQ."
"Any luck?" She asked hopefully.
"Not at all." He sighed. "Eisenhower is over here inspecting, I can't get through. Not to mention the line is packed with news about the shelling. I doubt if I'll be able to get through today."
Margaret picked at her food, she was really beginning to miss him and she'd only been awake for half an hour. "It seems as if the shelling lessened."
"It did here." He told her. "I'm afraid the front line is getting pounded." She stopped shoveling her eggs at his words. "But don't worry," He gave her a sincere smile, "I'm sure he's going to be just fine."
Margaret smiled back, she knew he was right. "I know." She breathed. Hastily she pushed her tray back, "I'm not really hungry." She stood up, "I'm on duty in five minutes, I'll see you later."
"Okay." He said softly. Potter knew she was scared to death for Hawkeye's safety, she loved him so much. "Margaret, Pierce will okay." He reached out and squeezed her hand. "Have faith." Margaret smiled graciously and squeezed his hand back.
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"You our new surgeon?" A young man asked as Hawkeye walked into the familiar aid station. The walls were as bad as ever and not a single thing was sterile.
"The name's Pierce." Hawkeye held out his hand and the other man shook it.
"Thompson." He greeted. "I'm sure glad to see someone. Our last surgeon was killed by mortar fire and my other medic was clipped by a piece of flying shrapnel." Thompson gestured to another man across the room, "That's Akers, it's been just him and me with a few other medics for the last few hours."
"That must have been some picnic."
"I'd say." He turned around and gestured for Hawk to follow. "I was beginning to loose my wits end. Luckily the wounded didn't pile in until about an hour ago." He turned to look at him, "I need you to get cutting right away, a lot of these boys aren't going to make it if they wait around."
"Of course." Hawkeye started to unbutton his jacket. "Just tell me what to do." When he was stripped down to his undershirt he walked over to the sink and began to wash the length of his arms.
"We just shipped off a bus load to the 8063rd, right now we have about ten or so. You and I will take every other one."
"Right."
"Alcohol is over there in those basins and gloves are in the box by the far wall. Take each one as quick as you can, we're not doing surgery, just controlling the bleeding."
"I'm all too familiar with this." Hawkeye sighed.
"Good, then you and I both know what to do."
"Doctor!" Akers was shouting, "Come quick, he's coughing up blood!" Thompson turned towards the table, but Hawkeye stopped him.
"I got this one, don't worry."
Thompson smiled, "You have no idea how much I love to hear those words."
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"Have you made it through yet son?" Colonel Potter was asking as he ran through the doors of his office. They were trying to call the aid station to get a hold of Hawkeye.
"No sir, not yet. The air is filled with all kinds of static, I'm not getting anything."
"Damn!" Potter slammed his fist on the desk.
"I'm trying sir."
"I know son. Keep up the hard work."
"Yes sir." Klinger tried the phone again. Potter sat on the edge and listened as the Lebanese tried to work his way through. After a few minutes he hung the phone up. "I'm sorry, the phones have been cut. There's no way to get through."
"Damn!"
"What's the matter?" A frantic Margaret asked as she walked into the office.
"The phones have been cut, we have no way to reach him." Potter told her defeated.
"Oh my.." Margaret sat down on Klinger's cot.
"Now Margaret, I'm sure he's fine. It's just a little phone trouble."
"I know." She gulped, she was trying to hard not to cry.
"You're getting yourself all worked up over nothing." He told her.
"I know." The tears were becoming harder to control. Sherman could see she was trying to hard not to let the water works fall.
"Honey, why don't we talk in my office. What do you say?" He stood up and walked over to her.
Margaret nodded silently, one word and she would have broken down right there. He guided her with his arm around her shoulder into his office. Once the doors shut behind them she threw herself into his arms and cried heavily.
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"How's it coming? You need a hand?" Thompson was looking on as Hawkeye attempted to stop a gush of blood. The soldier had caught a bullet in the femoral artery in his groin, one of the largest arteries in the body and one of the most difficult to control.
"No, keep going with the others. I got this." Hawkeye told him. There were other kids that need attention.
"You sure?" He asked as the rich, dark blood flowed down over Hawkeye's arms and onto his chest and pants, soaking him for the second time.
"Get me another few units of AB positive." Hawkeye yelled as he turned his face from the jets of blood. "He's loosing it quick."
"Right away!" The other doctor ran and got more. He replaced the empty bottle with the new and then checked on Hawk. "Have you almost got it?"
"I think so, I just need to get a few more clamps in there with some well knitted sutures." The blood was running down his pants and into his boots. "Just a little farther." After a few more hectic minutes he managed to clamp off the major flow and look at the wound properly. "He's going to be first priority. Have you already got an ambulance out there?"
"It's waiting now."
"Good. Let me put in some mattress sutures to hold the artery and then we can send him off. Once he gets to a M*A*S*H, that wound can be properly stitched."
"I'll tell them you're almost ready. We loaded the others already." Hawkeye put in a few more sutures and then with the help of Akers, loaded him into the ambulance. Once back inside the three men collapsed.
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"Attention, attention all personnel! We've got wounded in the compound!"
"Get him on plasma STAT!" BJ yelled as a chest wound was carried into the OR.
"Prep him and get him ready, he'll be second." Charles told a nurse. "Colonel, where did these men come from?"
"The 7th aid station. Maybe one of them has seem Pierce."
"That's right!" Margaret gasped. "Colonel!"
"Already on it major. I'm asking, don't worry."
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"I don't think I've ever seen so much blood come out of one body." Hawkeye pulled off his blood-encrusted shirt and looked at it with disgust. "That's terrible."
"I know. The things people can do to one another, it's barbaric." Thompson said as he lit a cigarette. He noticed Hawkeye looking at him. "You want one?" He held up his package. Hawkeye thought about it for a moment.
"I'm not a heavy smoker, but what the hell. I could really use one right now." Hawkeye took the offered cigarette and waited as the other doctor lit it. "Thanks."
"No problem. I see so much shit up here, I'd die if I didn't have these."
Hawkeye sat down beside him. "I built a still in my tent." He grinned.
"You're kidding?" Thompson looked astonished.
"Not at all. When I need to get away from the war, I drink. You smoke, I suppose they're the same."
"I suppose, but I like good belt every now and then."
"Well, I like a good smoke every now and then." Hawkeye let the smoke expel from his mouth.
"I hear ya." After a moment he said, "You know, we could probably boil up some water while we have this little break. I'm sure you'd like to try to do something with that mess." He gestured to Hawk's clothes.
"I would like to scrub up." He looked at his bare chest, it was covered with just as much blood. "My whole body feels like a big surgical sponge."
"Well you look the part."
"It's all dry." Hawkeye picked at the caked on blood. "It would take some time."
"Well, we have time."
"Margaret would be a little upset if I came back looking like this." Hawkeye looked himself over. She would have been very upset.
"Margaret?" Now Thompson was interested.
"My girlfriend." Hawkeye told him with a smile.
"She's a nurse?"
"The very best."
"Lucky dog. My wife is at home in Pennsylvania. God, I miss her so much." Thompson sighed.
"How long have you been over here?"
"A little more than a year. You?"
"It's almost three now."
"Three!"
"Yeah, I know. It's terrible." Hawkeye sighed. "But as long as I'm with Margaret, I'll be okay."
Thompson patted his shoulder and chuckled. "We should really you get cleaned up. You look like death. She's gonna take one look and run in the opposite direction." The two men stood up.
"It is pretty bad. It ran into my underwear and down my legs."
"That must be lovely." Thompson sympathized. Hawkeye looked at him. "I was kidding!"
They boiled some water and all of Hawkeye's clothes went into the big pot. Then it was Hawk's turn; he took a bucket of warm water around to the back of the aid station and tired his best to scrub the dried blood from his body. He started with his chest and arms and then scrubbed his legs and feet. Hawkeye wasn't exactly clean and completely rid of the dry blood, his skin had a tint of pink to it when he was done, but it was better than he had looked previously.
"You know, we really should have just thrown these away, it's blood after all." Thompson commented as he added soap.
"I know, but I can't stand around a war in my birthday suit with only a towel can I?" Hawkeye was indeed only wearing a towel.
"That would be up to your cute little girlfriend now wouldn't it?" He gave Hawk a sly grin. Hawkeye smiled back.
"Nah, she'd be angry if any other woman saw me, she's very protective."
"My wife is the same way, 'John, if you dare screw around on me over there, so help me God!'" Thompson screeched in a high pitched voice as he mocked his wife. "I'd never do that to her. No other woman could compare."
Hawkeye smiled slightly. "I know the feeling. I love Margaret more than anything in this whole world, I'd die for her."
"That's the great thing about love." Thompson smiled, he was thinking about his wife.
"Yeah," Hawkeye agreed. Margaret was the best thing that ever happened to him.
They sat in silence for a while, thinking about the women they loved. It was Thompson who finally broke the quiet. "Well, I think we should soak these in some alcohol for a bit." He was gesturing to Hawkeye's clothes. "Then re-soap and scrub and then let them dry."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
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"Colonel!" Margaret yelled as she ran across the compound. Colonel Potter turned from where he had just ushered the last casualty inside after talking to him to see the major sprinting towards him. "Any news?" She asked when she caught up to him.
"Now listen Major, there are plenty of other boys I haven't asked. These few haven't seen him, but I'm not finished yet." Margaret looked down, she had really hoped someone would have seen him. "Margaret, I'm sure he's fine." The older man laid his hand on her shoulder. "He loves you. He will come back."
Margaret squeezed his hand and gave him a gracious smile. "Thank you Colonel."
"Now come on." He began to lead her by the shoulders into the building. "The faster we finish with this load the faster we can get back to asking."
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"So, is that better?"
"Much, but my underwear is pink."
"There are always casualties in a war."
"They were my favorite pair!"
"Lucky undies huh?"
"Margaret bought them for me. Actually I think she bought them for herself." Hawkeye put his shirt back on. "I think this is a new shade of green."
"An interesting color it is." Thompson looked the other man up and down. Everything had a red tint to it. "But will it make the new wave in Army fashion I wonder?"
"Shut up."
Thompson chuckled. "It does touch up the army drab look though!"
"Yeah." He said lowly. "But it's blood. There's nothing funny about that."
"Hey." He could see Hawkeye was a little upset. "I was only joking, don't take it to heart. I feel the very same way. It's just if you don't allow yourself to laugh every one in a while you crack."
"I know, I'm just a little stressed right now."
"I know pal, but your replacement will be here soon. Not too much longer."
"When do you get out of here?"
"Not for a few more days, I get a break and then they send me back."
"I'd imagine you'd tire out pretty quickly here."
"You can say that again."
"But look at this, we're at a lull. There's only a few guys here."
"The fighting shifted. We aren't getting the heavy stuff at the moment."
"Thank God."
"Tell me about it."
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"Major?" Kellye was standing behind her trying to get her attention. They were the mess tent, Margaret was going to try and eat something.
"Yes Lieutenant?" Margaret turned around to look at her.
"Colonel Potter said he would like to talk to you. He thinks some has seen Captain Pierce."
"He does?" That got Margaret's attention. "Where is he?" She set down her tray.
"In Post OP ma'am."
Margaret rushed by Kellye and ran out of the mess tent. She rushed through the compound and into Post OP. When she got there she looked around for him.
"Major." Potter spotted her and beckoned her over. Margaret walked quickly over to the bed he was sitting beside. He then turned to the soldier. "You say you saw him?"
"I think so sir." The young man looked from Potter to Margaret.
"It's okay son, tell us what you know." Potter urged him on.
"I don't remember a whole lot, everything was hazy and there was a lot of shouting." The soldier stopped for a moment, then restarted again. "I remember a man looking over me, I..I think he had black hair, and he was pretty tall."
"Did he tell you his name?" Margaret asked quickly. Hawkeye usually introduced himself and liked to talk with the patient to keep him occupied.
"I think so. I don't remember what. It started with a B or an E?" He asked himself. "No, that's not right, something along those lines."
"Was it a P?" Margaret asked suddenly.
"That could be it, yes, I believe it was."
"And how long ago was this?" Potter was questioning.
"Two hours maybe. I don't recall, I passed out soon after." The boy said.
"You know what that means?" Potter turned to Margaret.
"He's okay! Oh God thank you!" She threw herself into his arms and cried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well John..." Hawkeye held out his hand, they had started on a first name basis. "Thanks for the lovely time." He kidded.
"Anytime. Don't forget to come back and visit Hawk." John took his hand and shook it.
"I come here all the time. Can't tell you what trip number this is for me."
"I'm sure. Three years worth."
"Hopefully that's all." Hawkeye turned towards the door.
"Take care of yourself." John told him. They had grown close over the past few days.
"You too." Hawkeye smiled and then walked out to his jeep.
He heard the driver talking with Hawk and then rev up the engine. After a few moments he heard the jeep pull out and start out down the road. John smiled to himself. His smiled was ceased when he heard a single shot ring out. He wasn't sure if that's what it was, it was too far away, maybe a few miles at the least.
"Hey Akers, did you hear something?" He asked the other man. Akers was sterilizing the instruments.
"No, you?"
John looked out the door. "I suppose not. Maybe I just need some sleep," he said as he walked back inside.
Margaret, Potter, BJ, Charles, and Father Mulcahy were talking in the mess tent. It was almost eight O'clock and they were sitting around drinking coffee.
"So Pierce is on his way back?" Charles asked his commanding officer.
"Yep, we received a call this evening. The sergeant said reinforcements had come and he was on his way back. Speaking of which, he should be here any moment."
Margaret who was sitting on the side, was trying hard not to let her huge smile show. She was so happy he was coming back. The last few days with out him had been torture and terribly slow. She couldn't wait to get him in her arms again. Once they were alone she was going to drag him into her tent and do unspeakable things to him until the next afternoon.
"Major?" Someone was speaking to her. "Major? Are you okay?" Father Mulcahy was talking to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Father."
"You had a very determined look on your face." He pointed out. Margaret blushed, she had been thinking about touching his body and how she wanted to run her hands all across it.
"I was just thinking about something." She told him.
"What was that?" Charles asked.
Margaret didn't say anything at first, how was she supposed to tell them she had been thinking about the many different ways she wanted to make love to their chief surgeon once he got back? "I got a letter from my cousin today, she was telling me about her sister's wedding." Okay, so it was a lie. Her cousin Sue was 45 with three kids.
"Ah, I love weddings. Mildred loves to cry." Potter spewed happily.
"A wedding is such a lovely thing." Father Mulcahy added.
"I remember when Peg and I got married, we.." BJ continued on. Margaret tuned them out, she was suddenly thinking about what it would be like when her and Hawkeye got married. They had never really talked about it, but she was sure they would some day. It was bad enough to be away from each other for two days, how could they spend a lifetime apart?
In the distance an engine roared. The noise grew louder as it entered the compound. It then shut off. "That must be Hawkeye!" Margaret jumped to her feet.
"It's about time." Potter commented. The rest of the group stood up to go out and greet him.
"Help!" A voice ran out into the night air. "Some body help!" The person screamed. With that the five of them ran out of the tent and into the compound. There was a jeep parked in the center with a man standing franticly beside it. "Help!" His voice was panicked.
BJ got there before the rest of them. "Oh my God." He breathed. "Hawkeye!"
Hawkeye was sitting in the backseat, he had a hand clutching the side of his chest. Blood was pouring between his fingers and down his chest making a fairly good sized pool on the seat.
"Hey Beej." He breathed raggedly, his face was very pale.
Potter ran around to his other side. "Oh my..." he whispered when he saw the young man sprawled against the back seat, blood covering his chest. Margaret ran up behind him, suddenly Potter turned and caught her, he didn't want her to see him, but it was too late.
"Oh my God.." She started to cry. "Hawkeye!!" She screamed, she tried to reach him but Potter held her tight.
"No honey."
"Hawkeye!" She was reaching and pulling with all her might. Margaret need to hold him and be by his side. He was starting to loose consciousness as the blood continued to pour. "No!" She pushed against Potter, "Hawkeye!" She was crying heavily now.
"What happened?" BJ asked the driver as he looked over his friend's condition.
"I...I don't know. We were driving along and suddenly he'd been hit by a sniper. I never even heard it coming. The next thing I knew I heard him let out a small cry and then he collapsed back against the seat. He told me to keep driving and not to stop until I made it here." The driver stopped. "Is he gonna be okay?"
BJ never answered the question, he didn't want to think about the grim possibilities. "Help me get him inside." BJ said to a very distraught and worried Charles. "We need to stop the bleeding." Charles nodded.
BJ's hand joined Hawkeye's as he tried to hold off the pouring blood. Charles grabbed hold of his right side and wrapped an arm around his neck. With BJ on the other side and the Father behind, they were able to move him.
"Ahhhh!" Hawkeye screamed when they began to move him. The pain was incredible.
Margaret was still crying very hard as she clutched onto her very worried CO. With each scream her heart seemed to shatter.
"Easy...easy..." BJ was conducting as they lifted him out of the jeep. Again Hawkeye cried out in terrible pain.
"Hawkeye!" She screamed. She pulled out of the colonel's grasp but was stopped by Father Mulcahy as the other men carried Hawk into the OR and shut the door.
"Shhhhh." He held her. Margaret broke down and began to cry uncontrollably on his chest.
"I need to be with him!" She yelled. "He needs me, I have to be in there!" She was trying to pull away again. Potter reached them and helped the Father lead her over to a bench. "No! Please, you don't understand!" Her voice was giving out. "I need him. I love him so much." She cried as the two men held her. "You can't let him die." She said just above a whisper as her voice broke completely.
IN THE OR.....
"Easy Hawk, it's okay." BJ and Charles set him down on the operation table. By now more people had awoken and hurried over to see what the commotion was, one of them being Klinger. BJ turned to Klinger, "Go get Kellye and Able. We're going to need them as soon as possible." At first Klinger didn't move, he seemed to not even have heard him. He was staring at the sight before him, one of the bravest men he'd ever known had been shot in the chest. "Klinger?" BJ laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Yeah. I'll go do that right away." Slowly with out taking his eyes off Hawkeye, he backed out of the OR.
BJ then turned his attention to his friend. "It's okay pal." Hawkeye was starting to fade. He was sweating terribly and blood was still everywhere. They were holding compresses against the wound but that wasn't doing much to help. "We're loosing him! Someone get me a bottle of A+ blood! Charles, help me undress him."
The two doctors cut away his clothing and prepped him for surgery. First they started with his jacket and carefully cut the seams so they didn't have to move him much. Hawkeye groaned in pain as they removed his T-shirt. "We need to get a better look at this." Charles said once he was bare from the waist up. BJ nodded.
"Okay, I'll pull away the compress while you inspect the wound. I'm going to have Able give him a sedative after she starts the IV." BJ moved the bandage, allowing Charles to inspect the point of entry. Hawkeye had been caught on the side right beneath his left pectoral, from what he could tell, the bullet was still in there.
Suddenly Hawkeye lost consciousness, dropping his head against his chest. Blood was still dripping onto the floor. The two men looked down to see a puddle on the cement. "Jesus Christ..." BJ breathed.
Potter and Mulcahy were finally able to calm Margaret down. The three of them, along with the rest of the camp sat in the hallway outside the operating room. Margaret's eyes were red and puffy from crying. "He's gonna be okay." Sherman patted her arm.
"That's right." Mulcahy chimed in. "Those men are the best doctors in Korea. If anyone can save him, it's them." Margaret knew what he was saying was true, but she was still very frightened. She couldn't speak without bursting into tears.
Finally after two long and agonizing hours, the door to the OR opened. Charles and BJ stepped out into the hallway. Margaret and the rest of the crowd jumped to their feet. The two doctors looked at each other and then looked at the group of people.
"How is he boys?" Potter asked softly. His arms were around Margaret.
BJ looked at Charles before saying anything. Margaret held her breath as she waited for someone to say anything. If she didn't an answer soon she was going to explode. Charles nodded slowly and then looked at the group. BJ started slowly, "There's something we need to tell you..."