'Hello, Alex. Didn't think you were coming in tonight,' Hawkeye said. Frank
looked up from reading his bible and saw the dark look on her face before
throwing the blanket over his head in fright.
'Someone told Margaret that Frank and I had a thing going,' she said, staring at the two men with martini glasses in their hands. Hawkeye and Trapper grinned.
'We'd like to see you prove it was us,' Trapper said.
'Margaret told me it was you two who told her. And she told me she'd back me up when I pressed charges for spreading rumours,' Alex told them, adding the lie on an impulse. Hawkeye and Trapper glanced at each other nervously.
'Uh, I'll be leaving now,' Frank squeaked before running out the door of the Swamp.
'I'm going to assume that you'll tell everyone in camp that Frank and I are together unless I tell you why we were in their together,' Alex said, sitting down. 'If you must know, my brother died.' Hawkeye and Trapper looked at her, stunned.
'Alex. . . I. . . we're sorry,' Hawkeye stuttered. Alex smiled inwardly. Hawkeye with a loss for words. That wasn't something you saw every day.
'I went to the supply tent to hide from the world, and to let all my feelings out. Frank came in, and I told him what happened, because I've been told it's good to talk to someone about the bad things in life. Klinger walked in, accused us of being in there together to make out, and told you in disgust. I told him about my brother, and he realised how stupid he'd been to make an assumption like that. I made both men promise not to tell a sole, and you go to Margaret, suspicious of something that never happened, so she'd get the information no-one else would tell you. When Frank told her the truth, she came and found me, and told me what you two were up to,' Alex said. When she finished her speech, she took the martini from Hawkeye's hand and swallowed the lot before putting it back into his hand.
'Alex, we. . .' Trapper began, but stopped.
'What he's saying is, we're sorry we gave you so much trouble,' Hawkeye said, over his shock.
'It's ok. Next time, can't you just trust me? I've told you my feelings about Frank. Nothing like that could happen between us,' Alex said.
'Do you miss your brother?' Trapper asked quietly. A tear slid down Alex's face.
'Like you wouldn't believe,' she replied, more tears falling.
'Can't you get a section DA7? A hardship discharge?' Hawkeye asked.
'They didn't give me one when Andy died, why would they give me one now? You know what the army is like, hopeless,' Alex said. 'Now, before I leave, don't tell anyone, I don't want everyone feeling sorry for me, but tell whoever you've told I was going out with Frank. Tell them not to tell anyone,' she said, before leaving. Hawkeye and Trapper looked at each other.
'We've been so stupid!' Hawkeye said.
'Did you have any idea about her brother?' Trapper asked. Hawkeye shook his head and both of them stared at the wall of the tent, lost in their own thoughts.
'Someone told Margaret that Frank and I had a thing going,' she said, staring at the two men with martini glasses in their hands. Hawkeye and Trapper grinned.
'We'd like to see you prove it was us,' Trapper said.
'Margaret told me it was you two who told her. And she told me she'd back me up when I pressed charges for spreading rumours,' Alex told them, adding the lie on an impulse. Hawkeye and Trapper glanced at each other nervously.
'Uh, I'll be leaving now,' Frank squeaked before running out the door of the Swamp.
'I'm going to assume that you'll tell everyone in camp that Frank and I are together unless I tell you why we were in their together,' Alex said, sitting down. 'If you must know, my brother died.' Hawkeye and Trapper looked at her, stunned.
'Alex. . . I. . . we're sorry,' Hawkeye stuttered. Alex smiled inwardly. Hawkeye with a loss for words. That wasn't something you saw every day.
'I went to the supply tent to hide from the world, and to let all my feelings out. Frank came in, and I told him what happened, because I've been told it's good to talk to someone about the bad things in life. Klinger walked in, accused us of being in there together to make out, and told you in disgust. I told him about my brother, and he realised how stupid he'd been to make an assumption like that. I made both men promise not to tell a sole, and you go to Margaret, suspicious of something that never happened, so she'd get the information no-one else would tell you. When Frank told her the truth, she came and found me, and told me what you two were up to,' Alex said. When she finished her speech, she took the martini from Hawkeye's hand and swallowed the lot before putting it back into his hand.
'Alex, we. . .' Trapper began, but stopped.
'What he's saying is, we're sorry we gave you so much trouble,' Hawkeye said, over his shock.
'It's ok. Next time, can't you just trust me? I've told you my feelings about Frank. Nothing like that could happen between us,' Alex said.
'Do you miss your brother?' Trapper asked quietly. A tear slid down Alex's face.
'Like you wouldn't believe,' she replied, more tears falling.
'Can't you get a section DA7? A hardship discharge?' Hawkeye asked.
'They didn't give me one when Andy died, why would they give me one now? You know what the army is like, hopeless,' Alex said. 'Now, before I leave, don't tell anyone, I don't want everyone feeling sorry for me, but tell whoever you've told I was going out with Frank. Tell them not to tell anyone,' she said, before leaving. Hawkeye and Trapper looked at each other.
'We've been so stupid!' Hawkeye said.
'Did you have any idea about her brother?' Trapper asked. Hawkeye shook his head and both of them stared at the wall of the tent, lost in their own thoughts.