AWOL Ch. 11 – "Does This Look Like the Mayo Clinic to You?"
**Potters Office
"Good grief Sidney, what has happened to that boy?"
"He's in deep denial, it's hard enough for him to hear about BJ dying, it's sent him in a backwards spiral of grief for Henry and his entire past it seems like."
Potter sat down at his desk in defeat. "You gonna need to take him away?"
"I'm not so sure I want to Sherman, I think maybe he may do better here, where things are familiar and will trigger things that may help to figure out what's going on in that mind of his."
Potter showed a slight smile, "We didn't even know that before all of this…" His smiled faded. "Now Sidney I don't have to tell you how much he means to this unit, he's the backbone, our chief surgeon, please do your best work."
Sidney nodded. " I know and I will Colonel." With that he headed out leaving the Colonel to ponder his own thoughts.
** SWAMP
"Can I help you?" Margaret turned around to greet the man behind her.
Brent Stevens was taken back by her demeanor. "Easy…"
"Easy…MAJOR!" She replied sharply.
"Sorry. Major. I was just coming to see if you were okay alone…I mean you looked pretty broken up over all this."
"Broken up? You can say that." She pointed to Hawkeye. "This man…is the back bone of this unit…he keeps it together…and he's a damn good man I mean doctor."
"So I've heard…look I was only trying to help, but I can see where I'm not wanted." He started for the door.
Margaret wanted to stop him but let him leave.
"Oh Pierce, we need you back." She started to cry and struggled to keep herself composed even though no one was watching.
Frank peered into the tent from the distance. "Sheesh, he even catches her eye when he's nuts."
** Hours Later
"Sidney he's coming to." Margaret motioned to the doctor.
"Okay Margaret, have some more sedative on stand by." He replied and watched her leave.
"Hawk?"
His eyes stared to open. "Henry?" He posed the open ended question.
Sidney sighed. "Yea, it's me Henry, you were asleep quite a while there Pierce."
"Yeah, the booze can do that to ya." He replied. "Boy am I glad to see you Henry, I missed you man."
"Things were that different huh?" Sidney looked on.
"Well the wounded never stopped, the shelling still came and Radar still woke me every morning, afternoon and evening."
"So it wasn't that bad?"
"It was bad enough, I mean you weren't here to joke with, I couldn't bounce my jokes off ya like the good old days, the poker games are never the same, the operating room is quieter, and Frank tried to take over again, till that new CO came in."
"How did he do?"
"Potter? He's alright. But he can't hold his liquor like you could. I mean he's a seasoned veteran but you were the best. I'm just glad you're back Henry…what'd say we get some food, or whatever that stuff is they serve us."
"Sounds good." He hopped up and the two headed to the mess tent.
On the way, they bumped into Dr. Stevens who was walking with Margaret.
"You again!" Hawkeye said stopping to a dead halt. "When you gonna move your stuff into the SWAMP, Trappers been gone for months now."
Sidney could not believe it.
"I was just waiting for your okay." Stevens replied eyeing the Doctor.
"Yeah, go right ahead, I mean whats a tent without roommates." With that he smiled and started again towards the Mess tent. "Come on Henry, foods getting colder."
Sidney shrugged. "Move your stuff in, he's jumping back and forth, he thinks your Trappers replacement, which means he doesn't even want to remember BJ, so just go with it, we'll see how it goes."
Hawkeye walked into the mess tent and everyone stopped what they were doing.
"What I got something in my teeth?"
Sidney followed in behind causing everyone to continue on as normal.
"Hmm." Hawkeye shrugged and went on to getting his food, taking a seat next to Radar. "What's up Radar?"
"Uh, nothing sir, just enjoying the breakfast."
"Is that what this is? And here I thought I was eating last week's dinner."
Radar smiled. "You feel better Hawk?"
"I feel great…Henry's back."
Radar frowned. He couldn't take this anymore.
"Darn it Hawk, Henrys gone, he's dead…cant you see you're losing it…I can't stand by and watch you do this to yourself…wake up!" He claps his hands in Hawkeye's face.
Sidney hurried over but didn't interrupt.
"What is wrong with you Radar?" Hawkeye replied.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? Hawk, don't you see, I know you know Henry died last year in a plane crash on his way home….I know you know BJ was killed a few days ago after he went AWOL…I know you know they're gone…we need you back!"
Everyone was silent waiting for a response.
"Radar look, if you need help, I can help you, we can get Sidney up here to help you, it's gonna be okay." He reached for Radar but he bolted out of the mess tent.
"What I say?" Hawkeye shrugged and followed after Radar towards Potters office.
Sidney followed close behind.
**Potters Office
"Good grief Sidney, what has happened to that boy?"
"He's in deep denial, it's hard enough for him to hear about BJ dying, it's sent him in a backwards spiral of grief for Henry and his entire past it seems like."
Potter sat down at his desk in defeat. "You gonna need to take him away?"
"I'm not so sure I want to Sherman, I think maybe he may do better here, where things are familiar and will trigger things that may help to figure out what's going on in that mind of his."
Potter showed a slight smile, "We didn't even know that before all of this…" His smiled faded. "Now Sidney I don't have to tell you how much he means to this unit, he's the backbone, our chief surgeon, please do your best work."
Sidney nodded. " I know and I will Colonel." With that he headed out leaving the Colonel to ponder his own thoughts.
** SWAMP
"Can I help you?" Margaret turned around to greet the man behind her.
Brent Stevens was taken back by her demeanor. "Easy…"
"Easy…MAJOR!" She replied sharply.
"Sorry. Major. I was just coming to see if you were okay alone…I mean you looked pretty broken up over all this."
"Broken up? You can say that." She pointed to Hawkeye. "This man…is the back bone of this unit…he keeps it together…and he's a damn good man I mean doctor."
"So I've heard…look I was only trying to help, but I can see where I'm not wanted." He started for the door.
Margaret wanted to stop him but let him leave.
"Oh Pierce, we need you back." She started to cry and struggled to keep herself composed even though no one was watching.
Frank peered into the tent from the distance. "Sheesh, he even catches her eye when he's nuts."
** Hours Later
"Sidney he's coming to." Margaret motioned to the doctor.
"Okay Margaret, have some more sedative on stand by." He replied and watched her leave.
"Hawk?"
His eyes stared to open. "Henry?" He posed the open ended question.
Sidney sighed. "Yea, it's me Henry, you were asleep quite a while there Pierce."
"Yeah, the booze can do that to ya." He replied. "Boy am I glad to see you Henry, I missed you man."
"Things were that different huh?" Sidney looked on.
"Well the wounded never stopped, the shelling still came and Radar still woke me every morning, afternoon and evening."
"So it wasn't that bad?"
"It was bad enough, I mean you weren't here to joke with, I couldn't bounce my jokes off ya like the good old days, the poker games are never the same, the operating room is quieter, and Frank tried to take over again, till that new CO came in."
"How did he do?"
"Potter? He's alright. But he can't hold his liquor like you could. I mean he's a seasoned veteran but you were the best. I'm just glad you're back Henry…what'd say we get some food, or whatever that stuff is they serve us."
"Sounds good." He hopped up and the two headed to the mess tent.
On the way, they bumped into Dr. Stevens who was walking with Margaret.
"You again!" Hawkeye said stopping to a dead halt. "When you gonna move your stuff into the SWAMP, Trappers been gone for months now."
Sidney could not believe it.
"I was just waiting for your okay." Stevens replied eyeing the Doctor.
"Yeah, go right ahead, I mean whats a tent without roommates." With that he smiled and started again towards the Mess tent. "Come on Henry, foods getting colder."
Sidney shrugged. "Move your stuff in, he's jumping back and forth, he thinks your Trappers replacement, which means he doesn't even want to remember BJ, so just go with it, we'll see how it goes."
Hawkeye walked into the mess tent and everyone stopped what they were doing.
"What I got something in my teeth?"
Sidney followed in behind causing everyone to continue on as normal.
"Hmm." Hawkeye shrugged and went on to getting his food, taking a seat next to Radar. "What's up Radar?"
"Uh, nothing sir, just enjoying the breakfast."
"Is that what this is? And here I thought I was eating last week's dinner."
Radar smiled. "You feel better Hawk?"
"I feel great…Henry's back."
Radar frowned. He couldn't take this anymore.
"Darn it Hawk, Henrys gone, he's dead…cant you see you're losing it…I can't stand by and watch you do this to yourself…wake up!" He claps his hands in Hawkeye's face.
Sidney hurried over but didn't interrupt.
"What is wrong with you Radar?" Hawkeye replied.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me? Hawk, don't you see, I know you know Henry died last year in a plane crash on his way home….I know you know BJ was killed a few days ago after he went AWOL…I know you know they're gone…we need you back!"
Everyone was silent waiting for a response.
"Radar look, if you need help, I can help you, we can get Sidney up here to help you, it's gonna be okay." He reached for Radar but he bolted out of the mess tent.
"What I say?" Hawkeye shrugged and followed after Radar towards Potters office.
Sidney followed close behind.