Klinger had the Stars and Stripes newspaper with him when Alex came into
the mess tent later that day. She sighed when she saw it again.
'I suppose I owe you an explanation,' she said.
'The newspaper pretty much covers it,' Klinger replied quickly.
'I bet it doesn't describe how the enemy treated us,' Alex said, opening up the paper and looking at the picture of herself inside. Her hand moved up to her cheek and she traced the long scar running down it. 'I look really bad there, don't I?'
'What did they do to you?' Klinger asked.
'I was beaten up after I shot their leader. He was killing some of the people in camp for the fun of it, and I tired to stop him. He cut my cheek, told me I'd be next if I didn't shut up. I got angry, took a shot gun from one of the bodies, and shot him. The others were going to kill me, if it wasn't for a doctor there. He held them off long enough before some of our own troops came in and stopped them. But the doctor was killed,' Alex said, missing the fact that she was good friends with the doctor who'd saved her.
'And when they told you that you could go home, you told them you didn't want to go back?' Klinger asked in awe. Alex nodded.
'My brother was there, and I wasn't going to leave him in Korea for anyone,' she said.
'You must think I'm a coward or something for trying to get out,' Klinger said, looking a little ashamed.
'No, you told me you wanted out because you respected life. And I admire you for following through with what you believe in,' Alex said. Klinger perked up a little.
'Why'd you rip up the DA7 forms?' he asked her.
'I don't want to leave you guys here, in the war,' Alex replied.
'Alex, that's nice of you and all, but think about it. Home. Don't you want to get back in one piece?' Klinger asked. Alex was quiet. 'Alex?'
'Yeah, I know,' she replied eventually. 'I'd love to go home, but not while the war is on.' Alex sighed and looked at the newspaper again. 'You don't know how hard it was to rip up those papers,' she said. She got up without eating anything from her tray and put it in the rubbish.
'Alex,' Klinger said. Alex turned and smiled at Klinger.
'I know, no more missing meals. I promise I'll eat properly, but for now, I'm not hungry. Don't tell anyone, and I will eat a lot at breakfast,' she said.
'You miss breakfast and I'm going straight to Colonel Blake,' Klinger warned. Alex smiled again and nodded before heading out towards the Swamp, Stars and Stripes in one hand.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
'Hey, Alex. Pour you a drink?' Hawkeye asked.
'Yeah, alright,' Alex replied shrugging. She sat down and took the glass offered to her. 'Do you think it was stupid of me to rip up that discharge?' she asked after a little while.
'Incredibly,' Trapper agreed.
'Henry said if you change your mind, he can write you a new one,' Hawkeye said. Alex shook her head.
'I'd miss you guys too much to do that,' she joked. Trapper took the newspaper from her hand and flipped to page sixteen.
'They really didn't treat you well, did they?' he asked.
'No,' Alex said, a tear escaping and running down her scar.
'We didn't realise how badly until we saw this,' Hawkeye said.
'Well, you do now,' the nurse replied. 'Not nearly as bad as how I felt about Andy afterwards, though.' The three talked and drank martini's into the night, steering clear of the war for once. Alex glanced at her watch.
'It's three in the morning,' she said. Hawkeye looked over towards Frank's cot.
'Frank must be spending the night with Hotlips,' he said.
'I'm going to disturb a whole heap of nurses if I got back to the nurse's tent,' Alex said.
'They'll get over it,' Trapper said.
'I might stay I the supply room,' Alex said, getting up.
'You could stay in the spare cot, if you really wanted,' Hawkeye said.
'No, that's ok, 'Alex said, and she went off, disappearing almost instantly into the inky blackness around the camp. Suddenly, there was a gun pointing at her nose.
'Friend or foe?' someone demanded.
'Whoa, don't point that thing at me, Klinger!' Alex exclaimed. The gun was lowered.
'Sorry, Alex,' Klinger said sheepishly. Alex shivered. The nights were getting cold in Korea.
'It's my fault. Didn't keep a close enough eye on the time while in the Swamp,' Alex replied.
'You look cold, you should go to bed,' Klinger told her.
'I'm sleeping in the supply room tonight. Don't want to disturb anyone in the nurse's tent,' Alex said.
'Be careful. I think Major Burns and Houlihan are in there,' Klinger said.
'Rats. I don't want to have to sleep in the showers or anything,' Alex said.
'You can have my tent,' Klinger said graciously. 'I've got guard duty all night.'
'Aw, Klinger, I couldn't stay there!' Alex said.
'Well, there isn't anywhere else for you to sleep without waking anyone up,' Klinger said. Alex thought about this for a second, and nodded thoughtfully.
'Yes, but I don't want any more misunderstandings. I had enough trouble when I was in the supply tent with Frank,' she said. 'I might just sleep in Post op.' Alex slid off into the night. Alex went into the post op tent and thankfully found it almost empty. She slipped under the blanket's of one of the cots, and fell asleep.
'I suppose I owe you an explanation,' she said.
'The newspaper pretty much covers it,' Klinger replied quickly.
'I bet it doesn't describe how the enemy treated us,' Alex said, opening up the paper and looking at the picture of herself inside. Her hand moved up to her cheek and she traced the long scar running down it. 'I look really bad there, don't I?'
'What did they do to you?' Klinger asked.
'I was beaten up after I shot their leader. He was killing some of the people in camp for the fun of it, and I tired to stop him. He cut my cheek, told me I'd be next if I didn't shut up. I got angry, took a shot gun from one of the bodies, and shot him. The others were going to kill me, if it wasn't for a doctor there. He held them off long enough before some of our own troops came in and stopped them. But the doctor was killed,' Alex said, missing the fact that she was good friends with the doctor who'd saved her.
'And when they told you that you could go home, you told them you didn't want to go back?' Klinger asked in awe. Alex nodded.
'My brother was there, and I wasn't going to leave him in Korea for anyone,' she said.
'You must think I'm a coward or something for trying to get out,' Klinger said, looking a little ashamed.
'No, you told me you wanted out because you respected life. And I admire you for following through with what you believe in,' Alex said. Klinger perked up a little.
'Why'd you rip up the DA7 forms?' he asked her.
'I don't want to leave you guys here, in the war,' Alex replied.
'Alex, that's nice of you and all, but think about it. Home. Don't you want to get back in one piece?' Klinger asked. Alex was quiet. 'Alex?'
'Yeah, I know,' she replied eventually. 'I'd love to go home, but not while the war is on.' Alex sighed and looked at the newspaper again. 'You don't know how hard it was to rip up those papers,' she said. She got up without eating anything from her tray and put it in the rubbish.
'Alex,' Klinger said. Alex turned and smiled at Klinger.
'I know, no more missing meals. I promise I'll eat properly, but for now, I'm not hungry. Don't tell anyone, and I will eat a lot at breakfast,' she said.
'You miss breakfast and I'm going straight to Colonel Blake,' Klinger warned. Alex smiled again and nodded before heading out towards the Swamp, Stars and Stripes in one hand.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
'Hey, Alex. Pour you a drink?' Hawkeye asked.
'Yeah, alright,' Alex replied shrugging. She sat down and took the glass offered to her. 'Do you think it was stupid of me to rip up that discharge?' she asked after a little while.
'Incredibly,' Trapper agreed.
'Henry said if you change your mind, he can write you a new one,' Hawkeye said. Alex shook her head.
'I'd miss you guys too much to do that,' she joked. Trapper took the newspaper from her hand and flipped to page sixteen.
'They really didn't treat you well, did they?' he asked.
'No,' Alex said, a tear escaping and running down her scar.
'We didn't realise how badly until we saw this,' Hawkeye said.
'Well, you do now,' the nurse replied. 'Not nearly as bad as how I felt about Andy afterwards, though.' The three talked and drank martini's into the night, steering clear of the war for once. Alex glanced at her watch.
'It's three in the morning,' she said. Hawkeye looked over towards Frank's cot.
'Frank must be spending the night with Hotlips,' he said.
'I'm going to disturb a whole heap of nurses if I got back to the nurse's tent,' Alex said.
'They'll get over it,' Trapper said.
'I might stay I the supply room,' Alex said, getting up.
'You could stay in the spare cot, if you really wanted,' Hawkeye said.
'No, that's ok, 'Alex said, and she went off, disappearing almost instantly into the inky blackness around the camp. Suddenly, there was a gun pointing at her nose.
'Friend or foe?' someone demanded.
'Whoa, don't point that thing at me, Klinger!' Alex exclaimed. The gun was lowered.
'Sorry, Alex,' Klinger said sheepishly. Alex shivered. The nights were getting cold in Korea.
'It's my fault. Didn't keep a close enough eye on the time while in the Swamp,' Alex replied.
'You look cold, you should go to bed,' Klinger told her.
'I'm sleeping in the supply room tonight. Don't want to disturb anyone in the nurse's tent,' Alex said.
'Be careful. I think Major Burns and Houlihan are in there,' Klinger said.
'Rats. I don't want to have to sleep in the showers or anything,' Alex said.
'You can have my tent,' Klinger said graciously. 'I've got guard duty all night.'
'Aw, Klinger, I couldn't stay there!' Alex said.
'Well, there isn't anywhere else for you to sleep without waking anyone up,' Klinger said. Alex thought about this for a second, and nodded thoughtfully.
'Yes, but I don't want any more misunderstandings. I had enough trouble when I was in the supply tent with Frank,' she said. 'I might just sleep in Post op.' Alex slid off into the night. Alex went into the post op tent and thankfully found it almost empty. She slipped under the blanket's of one of the cots, and fell asleep.