8th - Writing Home
The Korean man, Toni was yet to learn his name, pulled her broken arm, waking her from a disturbed sleep.
She screamed.
"Be silent!" He snapped.
She whimpered, and he pulled a knife from his pocket. "Recognize this?" He asked, malice dripping from his words.
"It's. it's mine." She replied, teeth chattering.
He flicked the blade out. "Yes, it is. Or was at any rate." He stepped closer to her, and drew a thin line across her face. She pulled away, but he just pressed harder.
He examined the blood on the blade, wiping it off carefully. "I like things clean." He told her. Then he took her jacket off, and ripped off her sleeve.
She jerked away from him. "Leave me the hell alone!" She yelled.
He hit her, and she almost blacked out. He pressed the blade onto her arm, and watched as a trickle of blood came out. He dragged the blade down, and she moaned.
Suddenly the door burst open, and the man was lying over her, his back covered with blood.
Toni heard someone call her name, but it was lost in darkness.
---
"She's coming to."
"Toni. Toni! Squeeze my hands." There was a pause.
She opened her eyes gingerly and bit her lip.
"Keep them closed if you want."
Toni nodded, and lowered her eyelids. "What happened?"
"We came to rescue you."
"Who's 'we'?" She asked quietly.
Hawkeye smiled. "BJ, Klinger, Charles, Margaret and myself."
"Charles and Margaret?"
"I know. Miracles will never cease."
Toni nodded again. "Tell me about it."
"You go to sleep, kiddo. We will talk more later."
Toni nodded for a third time, and he stood. "I'm sorry I let you down." He said softly when he thought she was asleep.
"You didn't let anyone down." She replied faintly before finally sleeping.
He looked at her and shook his head before walking out quietly.
---
As soon as he got to the Swamp he was met by a chorus of "how is she?".
He grinned. "She's doing great."
There were cheers, and the small crowd eventually broke up, leaving BJ, Charles and Hawkeye alone in their tent.
"All's well that ends well?" BJ said, though it was more like a question.
Hawkeye lifted a glass. "To the future."
"I'll drink to that."
Charles looked at them both, then got himself a glass. "Fools need company."
They clinked glasses, and tipped their drinks.
"Charles, I must admit, you surprised me back there."
"When?"
Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "When you got her knife."
"Oh, that. Well, I heard it meant a lot to her. I wasn't about to leave it there."
"Well, we appreciate it, and I'm sure she will too. Thank you for that. Can I ask one other thing?"
"Of course. I don't guarantee an honest response however."
"Of course not. Why did you come with us? You know it wasn't your fault."
"I know." He looked into the bottom of his glass.
"You won't find the answer there. God knows Hawkeye and I have looked." Hawkeye commented.
"I guess it's knowing that if the roles were reversed she would have come for me without hesitating."
Hawk nodded.
"To friendship. And maybe even eventual trust."
They clinked glasses and swallowed again.
---
"Hawkeye." BJ called as he saw his friend leaving their tent.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately.
BJ looked grim. "Toni's missing again."
"What? How could she have left the infirmary?" Hawkeye demanded.
"I don't know. But I'm not telling anyone else, so try to keep a lid on it. Charles already knows, though. He as the one that first realized."
"Is he looking for her now?"
"Yes. He hasn't had any luck though."
Hawkeye frowned. "I think I know where I can find her." He ran out towards her lake.
"Where?" BJ called after him.
"Don't worry. I think you can call off the search."
---
He walked slowly towards the human form that sat in front of the lake.
"I'm sorry I left, but I needed some space." She said as he sat next to her silently.
"That's okay." He replied.
"Do you get attacks like that often?" She asked, her eyes on the ground.
Hawkeye frowned. "No. We got word the day before it happened that the Koreans were on the move, but we didn't want anyone to panic, beside, we thought we still had a week before they were going to come."
Toni thought about his answer. "I suppose Charles is going sick about where I am." She commented.
Hawkeye nodded, smiling. "Of course."
"Then I suppose you want me to go back with you."
He cocked his head. "That would be nice, I think."
Toni sighed and stood, keeping her head down. She offered a hand to the still-seated Hawkeye.
"You can stay a while longer, if you want." He offered.
She smiled slightly. "Thanks."
"If you don't mind my company, of course." He added as she rejoined him.
"I would never mind your company, Hawkeye." She replied.
"I don't suppose you thought more about Sid?"
Toni smiled tightly. "Actually I did."
"Well unfortunately, even if you decided not to you will probably have to see him anyway."
Her head jerked up. "Why?" She asked hotly.
"Because you were just taken prisoner and tortured." He replied evenly.
She looked at the ground again.
"Why do you do that?" Hawkeye asked.
"What?"
"Stare at the ground. When we met you had no trouble looking at me."
"Rule number two." She whispered. She hadn't realized it had made such a big impact. Maybe she really did need to talk to Sid.
"What?" Hawkeye asked, puzzled.
"The nice man gave me a set of rules to follow. Rule number two was never look them in the eye."
He gingerly put an arm around her, and with his other hand tilted her head up. "We you can forget them, here you can do whatever you want. Within reason." He added quickly, smiling.
Toni nodded, though she doubted she'd ever for get them.
---
"Why did you come for me?"
Hawkeye looked up from his charts. "We care about you, Toni."
"Why?"
He smiled and walked over to her bed, pulling a chair behind him. "Well, the harsh answer is that we have to care about everyone here, since we're doctors. But the truth is that you mean a lot to everyone here, even Charles and Margaret, and that's saying something. You've made an impression here, Toni. And like it or not, you're staying."
Toni closed her eyes for a moment. "Who operated on me?" She asked quietly.
"I did. Margaret helped me. I thought you'd rather that than anyone else. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's fine. I. I trust you, Hawk." She looked at him. "Can you do me a favour?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"My sister, Yvette, we're very close. She'll want to know what happened. Can you write to her? I don't think I'll be in any condition to write for a while. I usually write every week. If I don't she'll get worried."
"Sure. Do you want me to do it now?"
"Are you busy?"
He grinned. "For you? Never. Just let me go get some paper." He stood, and she smiled slightly.
Hawkeye returned quickly. "Here you are."
"Thanks. Alright, here goes.
Yvette.
I'm in the surgical unit right now, and the man I told you about, Hawkeye, is writing this for me. To make it short, I was captured by the enemy and now can't write my own letters. I'll leave it to Hawkeye to add a bit of his own to the end, he can give you the details. How goes teaching? I'm sure you're busy, and you're right, working here is hard. But having great friends helps a lot. Just don't let those little terrors get you down. I haven't seen Quinn again, I'm not sure if that's good or bad though. I think he felt guilty about Jack's death, and that's kind of understandable. Not that I blame him. I probably would have done the same thing in his position. I better go now, and give Hawkeye's hand a rest, he's trying to give me a dirty look but can't pull it off because I'm laughing." Toni started laughing. "I can't believe you wrote that!"
"You told me to." He said, grinning.
"I suppose. Anyway, that's all. I would like you to send her a little note, or letter if you want and explain things for me. I just can't say it out loud."
"That's fine. I'll do it now, if you want."
"Sure, thanks. And I'll read it before you send it." She poked her tongue out at him.
Dear Yvette,
I hope I spelt your name right.
I am the apparently famous Hawkeye, A.K.A Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce. To fill you in on what happened, Toni was captured and tortured by the enemy yesterday. We have since brought her back to our 'civilization' and she's begun rehabilitation therapy. While she was captured the enemy used physical torture, purely for their entertainment. I am pleased to say that she is making a complete recovery, as well as making rude gestures at me right now. Also, so will be receiving counselling, so she will be fine. Anyway, I better stop before I get into your bad books, unless of course I'm there already due to things Toni may have told you about. Keep smiling,
. Hawkeye Pierce .
"Geez, do you have to sign that so big?" Toni asked after she'd read the letter.
"Yep. Bad habit, I'll admit, but a habit none the less. I don't believe in breaking habits. Does it meet to your approval?" He asked, half sarcastically.
"Of course. 'Keep smiling'?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's how I usually finish letters to people I don't know very well."
"I see." Toni replied sceptically. She lifted her arm, and tried to stretch her fingers, but grimaced when she couldn't straighten them.
"You're doing good. Don't try to overdo things." Hawkeye said gently.
She blinked. "I know. It's just that-"
"What?"
"How can I shuffle paper with broken fingers?" She asked.
Hawkeye smiled. "Don't you worry about that. You stay in here until I say. And don't try to escape again."
She smiled at him as he stood to leave. "I'll go give these to Klinger now."
"Thanks, Hawk."
He stepped towards the door. "And Tonse, if you ever need to talk, or anything else. And if you need to." he hesitated. "Express your emotions, just call me, okay? No matter what time."
"Thank you, Hawk. That means a lot to me." She watched him leave, thinking.
The Korean man, Toni was yet to learn his name, pulled her broken arm, waking her from a disturbed sleep.
She screamed.
"Be silent!" He snapped.
She whimpered, and he pulled a knife from his pocket. "Recognize this?" He asked, malice dripping from his words.
"It's. it's mine." She replied, teeth chattering.
He flicked the blade out. "Yes, it is. Or was at any rate." He stepped closer to her, and drew a thin line across her face. She pulled away, but he just pressed harder.
He examined the blood on the blade, wiping it off carefully. "I like things clean." He told her. Then he took her jacket off, and ripped off her sleeve.
She jerked away from him. "Leave me the hell alone!" She yelled.
He hit her, and she almost blacked out. He pressed the blade onto her arm, and watched as a trickle of blood came out. He dragged the blade down, and she moaned.
Suddenly the door burst open, and the man was lying over her, his back covered with blood.
Toni heard someone call her name, but it was lost in darkness.
---
"She's coming to."
"Toni. Toni! Squeeze my hands." There was a pause.
She opened her eyes gingerly and bit her lip.
"Keep them closed if you want."
Toni nodded, and lowered her eyelids. "What happened?"
"We came to rescue you."
"Who's 'we'?" She asked quietly.
Hawkeye smiled. "BJ, Klinger, Charles, Margaret and myself."
"Charles and Margaret?"
"I know. Miracles will never cease."
Toni nodded again. "Tell me about it."
"You go to sleep, kiddo. We will talk more later."
Toni nodded for a third time, and he stood. "I'm sorry I let you down." He said softly when he thought she was asleep.
"You didn't let anyone down." She replied faintly before finally sleeping.
He looked at her and shook his head before walking out quietly.
---
As soon as he got to the Swamp he was met by a chorus of "how is she?".
He grinned. "She's doing great."
There were cheers, and the small crowd eventually broke up, leaving BJ, Charles and Hawkeye alone in their tent.
"All's well that ends well?" BJ said, though it was more like a question.
Hawkeye lifted a glass. "To the future."
"I'll drink to that."
Charles looked at them both, then got himself a glass. "Fools need company."
They clinked glasses, and tipped their drinks.
"Charles, I must admit, you surprised me back there."
"When?"
Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "When you got her knife."
"Oh, that. Well, I heard it meant a lot to her. I wasn't about to leave it there."
"Well, we appreciate it, and I'm sure she will too. Thank you for that. Can I ask one other thing?"
"Of course. I don't guarantee an honest response however."
"Of course not. Why did you come with us? You know it wasn't your fault."
"I know." He looked into the bottom of his glass.
"You won't find the answer there. God knows Hawkeye and I have looked." Hawkeye commented.
"I guess it's knowing that if the roles were reversed she would have come for me without hesitating."
Hawk nodded.
"To friendship. And maybe even eventual trust."
They clinked glasses and swallowed again.
---
"Hawkeye." BJ called as he saw his friend leaving their tent.
"What's wrong?" He asked immediately.
BJ looked grim. "Toni's missing again."
"What? How could she have left the infirmary?" Hawkeye demanded.
"I don't know. But I'm not telling anyone else, so try to keep a lid on it. Charles already knows, though. He as the one that first realized."
"Is he looking for her now?"
"Yes. He hasn't had any luck though."
Hawkeye frowned. "I think I know where I can find her." He ran out towards her lake.
"Where?" BJ called after him.
"Don't worry. I think you can call off the search."
---
He walked slowly towards the human form that sat in front of the lake.
"I'm sorry I left, but I needed some space." She said as he sat next to her silently.
"That's okay." He replied.
"Do you get attacks like that often?" She asked, her eyes on the ground.
Hawkeye frowned. "No. We got word the day before it happened that the Koreans were on the move, but we didn't want anyone to panic, beside, we thought we still had a week before they were going to come."
Toni thought about his answer. "I suppose Charles is going sick about where I am." She commented.
Hawkeye nodded, smiling. "Of course."
"Then I suppose you want me to go back with you."
He cocked his head. "That would be nice, I think."
Toni sighed and stood, keeping her head down. She offered a hand to the still-seated Hawkeye.
"You can stay a while longer, if you want." He offered.
She smiled slightly. "Thanks."
"If you don't mind my company, of course." He added as she rejoined him.
"I would never mind your company, Hawkeye." She replied.
"I don't suppose you thought more about Sid?"
Toni smiled tightly. "Actually I did."
"Well unfortunately, even if you decided not to you will probably have to see him anyway."
Her head jerked up. "Why?" She asked hotly.
"Because you were just taken prisoner and tortured." He replied evenly.
She looked at the ground again.
"Why do you do that?" Hawkeye asked.
"What?"
"Stare at the ground. When we met you had no trouble looking at me."
"Rule number two." She whispered. She hadn't realized it had made such a big impact. Maybe she really did need to talk to Sid.
"What?" Hawkeye asked, puzzled.
"The nice man gave me a set of rules to follow. Rule number two was never look them in the eye."
He gingerly put an arm around her, and with his other hand tilted her head up. "We you can forget them, here you can do whatever you want. Within reason." He added quickly, smiling.
Toni nodded, though she doubted she'd ever for get them.
---
"Why did you come for me?"
Hawkeye looked up from his charts. "We care about you, Toni."
"Why?"
He smiled and walked over to her bed, pulling a chair behind him. "Well, the harsh answer is that we have to care about everyone here, since we're doctors. But the truth is that you mean a lot to everyone here, even Charles and Margaret, and that's saying something. You've made an impression here, Toni. And like it or not, you're staying."
Toni closed her eyes for a moment. "Who operated on me?" She asked quietly.
"I did. Margaret helped me. I thought you'd rather that than anyone else. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's fine. I. I trust you, Hawk." She looked at him. "Can you do me a favour?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"My sister, Yvette, we're very close. She'll want to know what happened. Can you write to her? I don't think I'll be in any condition to write for a while. I usually write every week. If I don't she'll get worried."
"Sure. Do you want me to do it now?"
"Are you busy?"
He grinned. "For you? Never. Just let me go get some paper." He stood, and she smiled slightly.
Hawkeye returned quickly. "Here you are."
"Thanks. Alright, here goes.
Yvette.
I'm in the surgical unit right now, and the man I told you about, Hawkeye, is writing this for me. To make it short, I was captured by the enemy and now can't write my own letters. I'll leave it to Hawkeye to add a bit of his own to the end, he can give you the details. How goes teaching? I'm sure you're busy, and you're right, working here is hard. But having great friends helps a lot. Just don't let those little terrors get you down. I haven't seen Quinn again, I'm not sure if that's good or bad though. I think he felt guilty about Jack's death, and that's kind of understandable. Not that I blame him. I probably would have done the same thing in his position. I better go now, and give Hawkeye's hand a rest, he's trying to give me a dirty look but can't pull it off because I'm laughing." Toni started laughing. "I can't believe you wrote that!"
"You told me to." He said, grinning.
"I suppose. Anyway, that's all. I would like you to send her a little note, or letter if you want and explain things for me. I just can't say it out loud."
"That's fine. I'll do it now, if you want."
"Sure, thanks. And I'll read it before you send it." She poked her tongue out at him.
Dear Yvette,
I hope I spelt your name right.
I am the apparently famous Hawkeye, A.K.A Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce. To fill you in on what happened, Toni was captured and tortured by the enemy yesterday. We have since brought her back to our 'civilization' and she's begun rehabilitation therapy. While she was captured the enemy used physical torture, purely for their entertainment. I am pleased to say that she is making a complete recovery, as well as making rude gestures at me right now. Also, so will be receiving counselling, so she will be fine. Anyway, I better stop before I get into your bad books, unless of course I'm there already due to things Toni may have told you about. Keep smiling,
. Hawkeye Pierce .
"Geez, do you have to sign that so big?" Toni asked after she'd read the letter.
"Yep. Bad habit, I'll admit, but a habit none the less. I don't believe in breaking habits. Does it meet to your approval?" He asked, half sarcastically.
"Of course. 'Keep smiling'?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's how I usually finish letters to people I don't know very well."
"I see." Toni replied sceptically. She lifted her arm, and tried to stretch her fingers, but grimaced when she couldn't straighten them.
"You're doing good. Don't try to overdo things." Hawkeye said gently.
She blinked. "I know. It's just that-"
"What?"
"How can I shuffle paper with broken fingers?" She asked.
Hawkeye smiled. "Don't you worry about that. You stay in here until I say. And don't try to escape again."
She smiled at him as he stood to leave. "I'll go give these to Klinger now."
"Thanks, Hawk."
He stepped towards the door. "And Tonse, if you ever need to talk, or anything else. And if you need to." he hesitated. "Express your emotions, just call me, okay? No matter what time."
"Thank you, Hawk. That means a lot to me." She watched him leave, thinking.