Hawkeye, Trapper, and Victoria walked into Radar's office to find the young clerk fighting his way through some requisitions. "That looks complicated, Radar," Hawkeye commented, peering over Radar's shoulder. "Do you understand any of it?" Radar shook his head. "I try not to, sir," he replied. "It makes things more difficult." Hawkeye grinned. "Knock off the sirs. Is Henry in?"

Radar glanced up, his eyes finding Victoria, who was twisting a lock of hair around her fingers, looking more than slightly nervous. "Captain Pierce to Corporal O' Reilly, come in Corporal!" Hawkeye called, tapping on Radar's forehead. "Uh, yeah, Colonel Blake is, uh, in his office." Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "Thanks." He strolled into Henry's office, followed by Trapper and Victoria, who paused to favour Radar with a smile. Radar collapsed in his chair, his knees suddenly seemed to be made of jelly. "Wow," he muttered.

"Hi Henry," Trapper and Hawkeye offered simultaneously. "Yo," Henry answered, from his position, slumped over his desk. "What's wrong?" Hawkeye asked, mildly concerned, but trying not to show it. "I have the hangover of the century," Henry moaned. Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "Here I am, thinking it was something important. C'mon, fearless leader. Business to attend to." Muttering about busybody surgeons bursting into his office, Henry raised his head with great effort.

"Well now, who is this lovely young lady?" he quizzed, sitting a little straighter as he noticed Victoria, standing slightly behind Trapper. "Her name is Victoria Sheppard," Trapper answered. "Her mother was a surgical nurse at Tokyo General. She was killed a month ago, and somehow, Victoria ended up here. We were wondering if she could hang around – anybody is a help in OR. Victoria, this is Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake."

Henry scrubbed his face. "How old are you, sweetheart?" he asked. Victoria straightened, snapping him a salute. "16, sir," she replied. "You don't have to salute me, honey," Henry told her, shaking her hand. "You think you can be of some use to us?" Victoria nodded. "My mother has taught me the basics of surgical assistance, Colonel. I know I'm nowhere near as good as any of the fully qualified nurses, but I could assist in emergencies, and I could sterilize instruments and such."

Henry nodded absently. "She wouldn't be staying in the Swamp now, would she? Cause Majors Disaster and Calamity would not approve." Trapper shook his head. "No. We thought she could stay in the VIP tent. When we have visitors, she can bunk in the Swamp."

"And if Frank objects, we'll threaten him into cowering," Hawkeye commented. Henry adopted a slightly pained expression at this announcement, but said nothing to Hawkeye. "OK then, I guess she can stay." Hawkeye and Trapper cheered slightly, as did Radar at the door. As the trio left the office, Radar snagged Hawkeye's sleeve. "Who is she?" he asked softly. Hawkeye grinned suggestively. "She tickle your fancy, Radar?" he asked, winking. Radar frowned. "Maybe. What's her name?"

"I'm not going to tell. You talk to her yourself, get to know her a bit." He left, still grinning.

As Hawkeye, Trapper, and Victoria headed off to the VIP tent, Frank and Hot Lips waylaid them. "Pierce, I want to talk to you about something," Frank snapped. Hawkeye sighed. "What, Frank?"

"Your conduct in the OR today was not only disruptive, it was unbecoming an officer, and extremely - "

"Frank, why don't you put your little speech on tape, it'll last longer," Trapper suggested. "I mean, don't you think that you might get through to us if we hadn't heard this crap about 100 times already?" Frank gasped. "I hardly think that - "

"Stop right there, Frank," Hawkeye offered. "You hardly think. That about sums it up."

Frank glared, his eyes flickering from Hawkeye to Trapper, and coming to rest on a bemused looking Victoria. "Who's she?" he demanded brusquely. Trapper frowned. "Her name is Victoria Sheppard," he supplied. "Well, what's she doing?" Hawkeye looked Victoria up and down in a suspicious manner. "Standing," he reported.

"What the Major means is why is she here?" Hot Lips snapped. She, too, had been eyeing Victoria, but with distaste – she obviously did not approve of the younger woman's outfit – or whole persona.

Victoria held the nurse's eyes steadily, until Hot Lips looked away, lip curling in disgust. "I'm going to be helping out in OR, Major," she answered, saluting. Returning the salute out of reflex, Frank and Hot Lips stared. "What? But you're not army personnel – it's against the rules!" Frank argued.

Hawkeye grinned. "We don't play by the rules," he said gruffly. Trapper and Victoria burst out laughing, while Frank and Hot Lips stared at each other helplessly.

By the afternoon, Victoria was introduced to the camp, and settled in the VIP tent. As night settled over the camp, there was a tentative knock at the door. "Come in," Victoria called from the depths of her closet.

Radar stuck his head in the door. "Miss Sheppard?"

Victoria grinned, emerging from the closet. She had been hoping to see the corporal again – he had a sort of innocence that was really cute. "You can call me Victoria, Radar."

"Right, um, Miss Victoria," he stumbled. Victoria smiled. Close enough. "I uh, just wanted to make sure that you didn't need anything," Radar said, staring at his feet. "No," Victoria commented, looking around the tent. "I think I've got everything I need. Thanks anyways."

"Uh, no problem," the young man stammered, before turning and almost running out of the tent. Victoria grinned. A challenge…

The next morning, Victoria walked out into the bright sunshine, gazing around the camp. A voice called out behind her. "Torey!" She stopped dead. "Torey?" She turned to find Trapper running towards her, apologetic look on his face.

"Hi," he greeted, coming to a stop at her side. "Sorry about that. I had a girlfriend named Victoria, and I used to call her Torey."

"My mother used to call me that," she replied, slightly pale. "When I heard you, I thought, for a split second…well, you know." He nodded. "I'm really sorry." She shook her head. "No, I've missed it. You can call me Torey if you want to. It just…came as a shock, that's all." Trapper grinned sympathetically. "Hey, where'd you get fatigues?" he asked, looking her up and down. She shrugged. "No idea. They were in my tent when I woke up this morning."

"Ah," Trapper said knowingly. "Radar." Victoria frowned. "I missed him," she exclaimed in dismay, then blushed. Trapper winked.

"Hello all." Hawkeye's voice called. He was strolling nonchalantly towards them, one arm securely anchored around the waist of a young nurse. Victoria caught the brief flash of disappointment in Trapper's eyes, and smirked inwardly. "Hi Hawkeye," she returned.

"How was your first night in Chez Cockroach?" he asked. Victoria shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Nothing abnormal." Hawkeye grinned. "This whole place is abnormal," he announced, gesturing around at the already noisy camp.  "If anybody isn't abnormal, then they must be normal, and that's just not allowed."

"I'll fit in perfectly," Victoria quipped, drawing a laugh from both captains, while the nurse glared daggers. Most of the nurses had been glaring at her when they were introduced, Victoria noted. Hot Lips wasn't the only one. She wondered why – she hadn't done anything to them.

Shaking her head free of the swirling thoughts, she grinned at Trapper. "So, what passes for food around here?" she asked, grasping at this lucky chance to fit in somewhere.

***TBC***

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