A few hours later, Alex was found, her head in her hands where the surgeons
and nurses took of their surgical gowns. She jumped when Hawkeye touched
her lightly on the shoulder, but smiled up at him when she saw it was them.
'I'm sorry I didn't do anything today,' she said.
'Are you kidding? You've done heaps today!' Trapper exclaimed.
'I ran out in the middle of surgery,' Alex said, shaking her head.
'You shouldn't have been in surgery in your state in the first place,' Henry told her, throwing his things into the white bag.
'And anyway, you saved a few people's lives even without helping us operate,' Hawkeye said.
'That was still all today? It feels like years ago,' Alex smiled sadly to herself.
'Actually,' Trapper looked at his watch, 'it was yesterday. It's two in the morning right now.' Margaret and Frank walked through.
'Alex, you should be getting to sleep, in case we get more wounded in the morning,' Margaret said, her voice not as harsh as it would have been normally.
'Yes, major,' Alex said tiredly, and she left without another word.
'Take it easy on her, ok Margaret?' Hawkeye asked.
'I am,' Margaret replied. 'Like you said, she saved my life.'
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
The next morning, Alex went into the mess tent. Klinger waved her over with his good arm, and after collecting breakfast, she went and sat opposite him.
'You ok? I heard from Hawkeye and Trapper you weren't feeling too good,' Klinger said, looking sympathetic.
'I'm fine,' Alex said. 'How's your arm? Is it feeling ok?'
'It's sore, but Henry said it'd be fine in a week or so. Wish I could use it to get home, though,' Klinger said, looking at the bandaged shoulder. The tent door banged open and Alex flinched.
'I've got a slight hang over. Haven't drunk this much since high school,' she said. Hawkeye and Trapper came over.
'Feeling ok?' Trapper asked. Alex shook her head.
'Every loud noise is like a sledge hammer to the brain,' she said. She stood up and pushed her tray away.
'Where are you going?' Hawkeye asked.
'I'm not hungry. I was thinking of going on a walk,' Alex replied, heading towards the door. The three men watched her, and Hawkeye stood up as well.
'I'm going to go keep an eye on her,' he said, and he followed Alex out the door. He ran to catch up to Alex and walked beside her.
'Want me to come with you?' he asked her.
'You can if you want,' Alex replied. After they left the camp, Alex turned to Hawkeye. 'I'm sorry for how I behaved the other day. Just because I was upset, doesn't mean I should have gotten drunk. I didn't do anything stupid, did I?'
'Not at all,' Hawkeye replied. 'You told us about Andy, and that was it.' Alex nodded.
'You can probably tell it was pretty hard on me, him being killed and all,' she said. Hawkeye nodded sympathetically.
'Did you ever write to her? The woman he was going to marry after the war?' he asked.
'Yes. She wrote back, once or twice, and we were both angry at him for what he did to us. We were never angry at each other though, well, at least I wasn't,' Alex sighed. 'We both decided he wasn't that great anyway. Convinced us we loved him after a few drinks at the club. He treated me like crap, and her not much better. He was good looking, but that was the only good thing we could say about him.' There was quiet for a few minutes as the two walked through the long grass, heading towards the orphanage. 'You're not married, or engaged, are you?' Alex asked eventually.
'No,' Hawkeye replied, shaking his head. Alex moved an arm around his waist. Hawkeye peeled it off him quickly.
'What?' Alex asked, looking a little hurt.
'I don't want you to be hurt. But maybe, just maybe, you're feeling down on Andy and feel you need someone to love you to ease your pain, even if you're not in love with them,' Hawkeye explained. Alex turned away.
'You're probably right. And anyway, the relationship would only last for as long as the war, wouldn't it?' she asked.
'What makes you think that?' Hawkeye asked.
'The nurses told me what you told them when there was a false cease fire,' Alex explained. 'You told them you were married with kids.'
'I wasn't ready for the relationship they were looking for. I'm pretty sure they had marriage written in their eyes,' Hawkeye said. Alex laughed.
'It's good being with you, Hawkeye,' she said. 'You and Trapper have the sense of humour Andy never had.'
'Obviously, you deserved better than him,' Hawkeye told her. Alex smiled at him again.
'Thanks, Hawk,' she said.
'I'm sorry I didn't do anything today,' she said.
'Are you kidding? You've done heaps today!' Trapper exclaimed.
'I ran out in the middle of surgery,' Alex said, shaking her head.
'You shouldn't have been in surgery in your state in the first place,' Henry told her, throwing his things into the white bag.
'And anyway, you saved a few people's lives even without helping us operate,' Hawkeye said.
'That was still all today? It feels like years ago,' Alex smiled sadly to herself.
'Actually,' Trapper looked at his watch, 'it was yesterday. It's two in the morning right now.' Margaret and Frank walked through.
'Alex, you should be getting to sleep, in case we get more wounded in the morning,' Margaret said, her voice not as harsh as it would have been normally.
'Yes, major,' Alex said tiredly, and she left without another word.
'Take it easy on her, ok Margaret?' Hawkeye asked.
'I am,' Margaret replied. 'Like you said, she saved my life.'
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
The next morning, Alex went into the mess tent. Klinger waved her over with his good arm, and after collecting breakfast, she went and sat opposite him.
'You ok? I heard from Hawkeye and Trapper you weren't feeling too good,' Klinger said, looking sympathetic.
'I'm fine,' Alex said. 'How's your arm? Is it feeling ok?'
'It's sore, but Henry said it'd be fine in a week or so. Wish I could use it to get home, though,' Klinger said, looking at the bandaged shoulder. The tent door banged open and Alex flinched.
'I've got a slight hang over. Haven't drunk this much since high school,' she said. Hawkeye and Trapper came over.
'Feeling ok?' Trapper asked. Alex shook her head.
'Every loud noise is like a sledge hammer to the brain,' she said. She stood up and pushed her tray away.
'Where are you going?' Hawkeye asked.
'I'm not hungry. I was thinking of going on a walk,' Alex replied, heading towards the door. The three men watched her, and Hawkeye stood up as well.
'I'm going to go keep an eye on her,' he said, and he followed Alex out the door. He ran to catch up to Alex and walked beside her.
'Want me to come with you?' he asked her.
'You can if you want,' Alex replied. After they left the camp, Alex turned to Hawkeye. 'I'm sorry for how I behaved the other day. Just because I was upset, doesn't mean I should have gotten drunk. I didn't do anything stupid, did I?'
'Not at all,' Hawkeye replied. 'You told us about Andy, and that was it.' Alex nodded.
'You can probably tell it was pretty hard on me, him being killed and all,' she said. Hawkeye nodded sympathetically.
'Did you ever write to her? The woman he was going to marry after the war?' he asked.
'Yes. She wrote back, once or twice, and we were both angry at him for what he did to us. We were never angry at each other though, well, at least I wasn't,' Alex sighed. 'We both decided he wasn't that great anyway. Convinced us we loved him after a few drinks at the club. He treated me like crap, and her not much better. He was good looking, but that was the only good thing we could say about him.' There was quiet for a few minutes as the two walked through the long grass, heading towards the orphanage. 'You're not married, or engaged, are you?' Alex asked eventually.
'No,' Hawkeye replied, shaking his head. Alex moved an arm around his waist. Hawkeye peeled it off him quickly.
'What?' Alex asked, looking a little hurt.
'I don't want you to be hurt. But maybe, just maybe, you're feeling down on Andy and feel you need someone to love you to ease your pain, even if you're not in love with them,' Hawkeye explained. Alex turned away.
'You're probably right. And anyway, the relationship would only last for as long as the war, wouldn't it?' she asked.
'What makes you think that?' Hawkeye asked.
'The nurses told me what you told them when there was a false cease fire,' Alex explained. 'You told them you were married with kids.'
'I wasn't ready for the relationship they were looking for. I'm pretty sure they had marriage written in their eyes,' Hawkeye said. Alex laughed.
'It's good being with you, Hawkeye,' she said. 'You and Trapper have the sense of humour Andy never had.'
'Obviously, you deserved better than him,' Hawkeye told her. Alex smiled at him again.
'Thanks, Hawk,' she said.