Alex fell onto the ground in front of the cross in the ground, crying.
IHere lies Major Isaac Travis Dustin, who fought in the Korean war. . ./I
'Are you ok?' Monty asked her.
'Yeah, I'm fine,' Alex said, calming down a little. She began to put up the weeds that had begun to grow around the grave, and Monty moved away, feeling out of place. Alex heard him leave, but didn't make any acknowledgements to his departure. She looked around and found some pretty purple wildflowers. Picking them, she put them on her brother's grave. She stayed there for hours, just staring into space and thinking about all the great times she'd had with Isaac.
'Uh, Alex?' It was Monty. 'Did you want to go back to your unit, or stay here for a while, or what?'
'You go and do your rounds. I'll find a way back on my own,' Alex said, smiling up at him. Monty turned to leave. 'Oh, and Monty? Thanks for everything,' Alex called after him. Monty turned around again and grinned.
'Look after yourself and when you see your family, tell 'em I'm sorry about your loss,' he said before getting into the van and driving off. Alex sighed and watched the sun set. She wrapped herself in a thin blanket she'd brought in her bag, and curled up on the ground, and fell asleep.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
Alex woke up early the next morning, and watched the sun rise. She was hungry, but had eaten the last of her food last night. She did some more crying, but didn't move from her spot. A jeep pulled up nearby and Alex turned around. Klinger was jogging towards her, looking concerned.
'Klinger, what are you doing here?' Alex asked.
'Thought you might need a ride back,' Klinger replied.
'How'd you track me down?' Alex asked as Klinger sat down beside her.
'Hawkeye and Trapper. They found out from Radar,' Klinger replied. 'Are you ok?'
'I'm fine, but it looks like I can't keep anything from them,' Alex said, smiling to see the familiar face.
'Hawkeye ordered Radar to tell them. They figured that the MP's would find you sooner or later, so they didn't come looking for you. But I know that you're smarter than any MP's the army comes up with. You wouldn't get caught if you didn't want to,' Klinger said. Alex turned to look at Isaac's grave.
'Was Ferret Face angry?' she asked.
'Major Burns? Furious. Didn't think anyone would desert the camp while he was running it,' Klinger said. Alex laughed.
'Won't you be missed?' she asked through her giggles.
'Me, be missed? Nah, without my dresses, I'm nobody,' Klinger replied. The two stood up eventually.
'We should go back,' Alex said.
'Yeah,' Klinger replied. 'I'm looking forward to having a nap when we get back. I drove all night to get here.'
'I'll drive,' Alex said getting into the jeep. Klinger got into the back and they drove off, Klinger trying to doze, but being waken up by every pot hole Alex hit.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
MP's caught Alex and Klinger half way and took them back to the 4077.
'Henry? What are you doing back? You weren't due back for another couple of days!' Alex said when she saw who was running the camp again.
'I had to come back when I found out I had two personnel AWOL,' Henry replied, glancing at Klinger.
'Well, if Frank had given me the days off I had asked for, none of this would have happened,' Alex said, sitting in a chair and leaning back. Alex and Klinger retold the whole story to Henry, and the Colonel looked thoughtful.
'Well, I won't punish either of you this time. But if it happens again. . .' Henry said.
'Ok, we won't do it again,' Klinger said.
'Dismissed. Oh, and Klinger? I've had your dresses sent back to your tent,' Henry said. Klinger's face lit up and he saluted Henry before leaving.
'You're a saint, sir!' he said before running out. Alex followed Klinger out the office door to leave Henry alone to write a letter home.
IHere lies Major Isaac Travis Dustin, who fought in the Korean war. . ./I
'Are you ok?' Monty asked her.
'Yeah, I'm fine,' Alex said, calming down a little. She began to put up the weeds that had begun to grow around the grave, and Monty moved away, feeling out of place. Alex heard him leave, but didn't make any acknowledgements to his departure. She looked around and found some pretty purple wildflowers. Picking them, she put them on her brother's grave. She stayed there for hours, just staring into space and thinking about all the great times she'd had with Isaac.
'Uh, Alex?' It was Monty. 'Did you want to go back to your unit, or stay here for a while, or what?'
'You go and do your rounds. I'll find a way back on my own,' Alex said, smiling up at him. Monty turned to leave. 'Oh, and Monty? Thanks for everything,' Alex called after him. Monty turned around again and grinned.
'Look after yourself and when you see your family, tell 'em I'm sorry about your loss,' he said before getting into the van and driving off. Alex sighed and watched the sun set. She wrapped herself in a thin blanket she'd brought in her bag, and curled up on the ground, and fell asleep.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
Alex woke up early the next morning, and watched the sun rise. She was hungry, but had eaten the last of her food last night. She did some more crying, but didn't move from her spot. A jeep pulled up nearby and Alex turned around. Klinger was jogging towards her, looking concerned.
'Klinger, what are you doing here?' Alex asked.
'Thought you might need a ride back,' Klinger replied.
'How'd you track me down?' Alex asked as Klinger sat down beside her.
'Hawkeye and Trapper. They found out from Radar,' Klinger replied. 'Are you ok?'
'I'm fine, but it looks like I can't keep anything from them,' Alex said, smiling to see the familiar face.
'Hawkeye ordered Radar to tell them. They figured that the MP's would find you sooner or later, so they didn't come looking for you. But I know that you're smarter than any MP's the army comes up with. You wouldn't get caught if you didn't want to,' Klinger said. Alex turned to look at Isaac's grave.
'Was Ferret Face angry?' she asked.
'Major Burns? Furious. Didn't think anyone would desert the camp while he was running it,' Klinger said. Alex laughed.
'Won't you be missed?' she asked through her giggles.
'Me, be missed? Nah, without my dresses, I'm nobody,' Klinger replied. The two stood up eventually.
'We should go back,' Alex said.
'Yeah,' Klinger replied. 'I'm looking forward to having a nap when we get back. I drove all night to get here.'
'I'll drive,' Alex said getting into the jeep. Klinger got into the back and they drove off, Klinger trying to doze, but being waken up by every pot hole Alex hit.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
MP's caught Alex and Klinger half way and took them back to the 4077.
'Henry? What are you doing back? You weren't due back for another couple of days!' Alex said when she saw who was running the camp again.
'I had to come back when I found out I had two personnel AWOL,' Henry replied, glancing at Klinger.
'Well, if Frank had given me the days off I had asked for, none of this would have happened,' Alex said, sitting in a chair and leaning back. Alex and Klinger retold the whole story to Henry, and the Colonel looked thoughtful.
'Well, I won't punish either of you this time. But if it happens again. . .' Henry said.
'Ok, we won't do it again,' Klinger said.
'Dismissed. Oh, and Klinger? I've had your dresses sent back to your tent,' Henry said. Klinger's face lit up and he saluted Henry before leaving.
'You're a saint, sir!' he said before running out. Alex followed Klinger out the office door to leave Henry alone to write a letter home.