12 - Sword Fights at the Lake
Despite not eating for two days she only picked at her food.
"Are you too used to that junk they serve at 4077?" Sid joked.
She looked at him and smiled. "That must be it." She glanced around and saw Hawkeye walk in. Out of habit she waved to him.
He glanced at her, hesitated, then sat with them.
"Toni, I'm sorry-"
"It's okay, Hawkeye." She replied instantly.
"I'm glad you joined us, Captain. I have some good news for you."
"Oh?"
"You're going back to 4077."
Hawkeye stared at him. "What?" He asked.
"You're going back to 4077."
"When?" Toni and Hawkeye asked simultaneously.
"Whenever Toni and you are ready to leave. I'll be coming with you."
"That's great!" Toni exclaimed. "Hawk, go pack!"
He smiled. "Sure, I'll be back in a minute." He stood, and seemed about to say something else, then walked from the table.
Sid smiled at her, about to say something.
.and Toni felt the man grab her from behind, and tried to turn. He hit her with his rifle, and Potter's door opened, revealing Max, with a knife in his hand. "Leave her alone!" He yelled, lunging for the man holding her, and his comrades shot him, leaving bloody holes in his dress. Toni felt the world go dark.
.and she jerked awake on the floor of the cafeteria, with Sid's concerned face in her line of vision. Klinger is alive! It didn't happen either!
"Toni, are you alright?" Sid asked, pulling her to her feet and helping her sit at the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" She asked.
Sidney frowned. "I don't know. Did you have another flashback?"
Klinger's bloody corpse flashed into her mind and she suppressed a shudder. "No." She lied. "I'm fine." She stood. "Are you ready to come?"
"I'll meet you at reception, I have to get some clothes packed."
"Yes, sir." Toni tuned and walked out.
---
"She so cute! What are you going to do with her?" Toni asked, tickling the infant's foot.
"We'll take her to one of the orphanages near here."
Sid entered and caught sight of the child. "You may not want Captain Pierce to see that." He commented.
Toni frowned, but gave the baby back to the receptionist. "Take care of her?" She asked.
"Of course. I'm sure you'll be able to visit her in a few weeks, once she's been tested at the Orphanage."
Toni smiled at the woman, and had one last look at the infant before the woman took her into another room.
"Are we ready to go?" Hawkeye asked, enter with one bag over his shoulder.
"Yeh, sure thing. Are you ready?" Toni asked quietly.
Hawk shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, won't we." He remarked, stepping outside the building that had kept him captive for what felt like weeks. He glanced back once he was in the jeep, then shook his head gently and faced the road.
Toni got into the driver's seat and Sid gave her an odd look.
"Are you alright to drive?" Sid asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I keep telling you that." She replied, grinning.
Sidney nodded, though she could tell he didn't believe her.
The trip back to 4077 was silent. Hawkeye smiled slightly at the sign, "Welcome to 4077, The Best Care In The World", but he stiffened slightly when they drove in and passed BJ, who didn't say anything to welcome his friend back.
"Hey Father, how are you?" Hawkeye called.
Mulcahy didn't reply, but smiled when he saw the trio. "Hawkeye! How have you been?" He asked loudly.
"Oh, you know, up and down. And a bit sideways sometimes. But I'm back now, so all is good." "Yes, I agree." The Father said, then nodded to the other two and wandered off.
Hawkeye jumped from the jeep before it stopped fully, and froze suddenly. "What is that?" He asked Toni.
"That is a tank." She replied.
"What the hell is a tank doing in a M*A*SH unit!?" Hawkeye demanded.
Toni grimaced. "Well, you see-"
"I go crazy, and the whole war cracks up." He muttered. "Why has no one gotten rid of it yet?!"
"Uh, well, Potter had orders not to."
"Okay, let's recap. I leave, I come back. BJ's pissed at me, though understandable, there's a tank in the middle of the camp, and Potter's following orders. Am I right so far?"
"Two gold stars." Toni muttered.
They were walking passed the OR with Sidney slightly behind them when suddenly there was an explosive noise, and the ground rocked.
"Dammit! Ben, come in here. Sidney, you too!" Toni called over the noise, pulling them towards a supply room.
They dove in as a second shell dropped, and were greeted by other refuge- seekers.
"Pierce, you're back." Potter commented over the noise.
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Can you tell me who parked that tank in the no-tank zone? Someone will have to tow it away."
Sherman sighed. "I know, but-"
He was disrupted by a third shell. Sherm stood. "Alright folks, that's three, let's go and-"
A fourth shell dropped, and he fell back down.
"What happened to their pattern?" Mulcahy asked.
"That's what I want to know." Charles spat.
"That's it. Someone has to do something sane. And I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but that's gonna be me. Those shells are pissing me off already." Hawkeye said, standing up.
"Pierce, sit down." Sidney ordered.
"Sorry, Major. Not gonna happen. Someone has to move that tank. And seeing how everyone is following orders around here I may as well do it." Hawkeye almost fell as another shell dropped, but he kept his feet and turned to leave, despite Toni's pleas to come back.
"Take your seat, Pierce." Potter ordered in what had to be the sternest voice Hawkeye had heard him use.
"Uh-uh. Sorry. I can take umbrage, I can take the cake, I can take the A- Train, I can take two and call me in the morning, but I cannot take this sitting down. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take five." He replied, leaving the supply room.
---
He leaped out of the tank quickly, and stood, watching 4077 for a moment before a shell that dropped one meter from where he stood jerked him back into action.
Potter, Toni, Sid and Klinger watched him as nurses congratulated him, and he shook it off jokingly.
Toni wondered if she was the only one that realized his jokes were sarcastic, and that he was acting the way his natural defence came to him, all jokes. Then she took a glance at Sid's un-amused face and knew he realized the same thing.
"Sid, I think you should have another talk to him." Potter commented.
"I was planning on it." The other man replied dryly.
Toni sighed, and walked over to her tent. After half an hour of staring at the roof she got up and retrieved her sword from it's customary spot behind her desk.
She smiled and picked up the other one, too. She'd had Yvette mail it to her when Hawkeye had expressed an interest in learning how to use it. That had been two months ago. A very long two months ago, but she suspected he'd be there now, waiting for her.
She out them both gently into their respective bags, then walked to the algae-covered swamp. As she had suspected he was there, facing the swamp, with his back to her.
He turned as she approached though, and accepted Rebekka's sword from her.
They stretched together, by now they had their movements so coordinated Hawkeye could have been Toni's shadow, then warmed up using the same movements.
Finally Toni nodded, and they saluted each other, then stood ready, neither moving, waiting for the other to strike.
.Rebekka snapped her sword to her, and she parried the blow, turning her parry into a thrust, that Rebekka dodged.
.Hawkeye followed the dodge with a quick forward roll, forcing Toni to step forward to continue her attack.
... and Toni dropped to one knee as Rebekka stood, slashing at her friend's unprotected arm. Rebekka pulled her arm free just in time.
...But Toni saw some blood seep through her friend's shirt. Hawkeye responded with an attack of his own, bringing his sword up.
. Toni knelt again and put her sword up, parallel to the ground, above her head. She timed it perfectly, and as Rebekka's sword hit her she pushed upward.
. making an almost deafening crash as the two blades struck. Hawkeye got thrown slightly off balance, and Toni took her opportunity, using her advantage of being lower to kick out with her right leg.
. and Rebekka went flying backward, the sword landing five meters from where she lay. . Hawkeye grabbed for the sword, but Toni kicked it away, and held her blade's tip against his throat.
"I yield." He commented dryly, peeling off his shirt to examine the gash she'd made.
"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry. Are you alright?" She asked, dropping to her knees to help him.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He replied, sitting up.
She helped him up carefully. "Let's get you back to the OR. I'll clean it up for you."
"Alright, just let me put this back on." He said, pulling his shirt back on.
Toni smiled, then helped him up. Carefully she put their blades away, wiping hers on the grass to get rid of Hawkeye's blood.
Despite not eating for two days she only picked at her food.
"Are you too used to that junk they serve at 4077?" Sid joked.
She looked at him and smiled. "That must be it." She glanced around and saw Hawkeye walk in. Out of habit she waved to him.
He glanced at her, hesitated, then sat with them.
"Toni, I'm sorry-"
"It's okay, Hawkeye." She replied instantly.
"I'm glad you joined us, Captain. I have some good news for you."
"Oh?"
"You're going back to 4077."
Hawkeye stared at him. "What?" He asked.
"You're going back to 4077."
"When?" Toni and Hawkeye asked simultaneously.
"Whenever Toni and you are ready to leave. I'll be coming with you."
"That's great!" Toni exclaimed. "Hawk, go pack!"
He smiled. "Sure, I'll be back in a minute." He stood, and seemed about to say something else, then walked from the table.
Sid smiled at her, about to say something.
.and Toni felt the man grab her from behind, and tried to turn. He hit her with his rifle, and Potter's door opened, revealing Max, with a knife in his hand. "Leave her alone!" He yelled, lunging for the man holding her, and his comrades shot him, leaving bloody holes in his dress. Toni felt the world go dark.
.and she jerked awake on the floor of the cafeteria, with Sid's concerned face in her line of vision. Klinger is alive! It didn't happen either!
"Toni, are you alright?" Sid asked, pulling her to her feet and helping her sit at the table.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" She asked.
Sidney frowned. "I don't know. Did you have another flashback?"
Klinger's bloody corpse flashed into her mind and she suppressed a shudder. "No." She lied. "I'm fine." She stood. "Are you ready to come?"
"I'll meet you at reception, I have to get some clothes packed."
"Yes, sir." Toni tuned and walked out.
---
"She so cute! What are you going to do with her?" Toni asked, tickling the infant's foot.
"We'll take her to one of the orphanages near here."
Sid entered and caught sight of the child. "You may not want Captain Pierce to see that." He commented.
Toni frowned, but gave the baby back to the receptionist. "Take care of her?" She asked.
"Of course. I'm sure you'll be able to visit her in a few weeks, once she's been tested at the Orphanage."
Toni smiled at the woman, and had one last look at the infant before the woman took her into another room.
"Are we ready to go?" Hawkeye asked, enter with one bag over his shoulder.
"Yeh, sure thing. Are you ready?" Toni asked quietly.
Hawk shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, won't we." He remarked, stepping outside the building that had kept him captive for what felt like weeks. He glanced back once he was in the jeep, then shook his head gently and faced the road.
Toni got into the driver's seat and Sid gave her an odd look.
"Are you alright to drive?" Sid asked her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I keep telling you that." She replied, grinning.
Sidney nodded, though she could tell he didn't believe her.
The trip back to 4077 was silent. Hawkeye smiled slightly at the sign, "Welcome to 4077, The Best Care In The World", but he stiffened slightly when they drove in and passed BJ, who didn't say anything to welcome his friend back.
"Hey Father, how are you?" Hawkeye called.
Mulcahy didn't reply, but smiled when he saw the trio. "Hawkeye! How have you been?" He asked loudly.
"Oh, you know, up and down. And a bit sideways sometimes. But I'm back now, so all is good." "Yes, I agree." The Father said, then nodded to the other two and wandered off.
Hawkeye jumped from the jeep before it stopped fully, and froze suddenly. "What is that?" He asked Toni.
"That is a tank." She replied.
"What the hell is a tank doing in a M*A*SH unit!?" Hawkeye demanded.
Toni grimaced. "Well, you see-"
"I go crazy, and the whole war cracks up." He muttered. "Why has no one gotten rid of it yet?!"
"Uh, well, Potter had orders not to."
"Okay, let's recap. I leave, I come back. BJ's pissed at me, though understandable, there's a tank in the middle of the camp, and Potter's following orders. Am I right so far?"
"Two gold stars." Toni muttered.
They were walking passed the OR with Sidney slightly behind them when suddenly there was an explosive noise, and the ground rocked.
"Dammit! Ben, come in here. Sidney, you too!" Toni called over the noise, pulling them towards a supply room.
They dove in as a second shell dropped, and were greeted by other refuge- seekers.
"Pierce, you're back." Potter commented over the noise.
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Can you tell me who parked that tank in the no-tank zone? Someone will have to tow it away."
Sherman sighed. "I know, but-"
He was disrupted by a third shell. Sherm stood. "Alright folks, that's three, let's go and-"
A fourth shell dropped, and he fell back down.
"What happened to their pattern?" Mulcahy asked.
"That's what I want to know." Charles spat.
"That's it. Someone has to do something sane. And I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but that's gonna be me. Those shells are pissing me off already." Hawkeye said, standing up.
"Pierce, sit down." Sidney ordered.
"Sorry, Major. Not gonna happen. Someone has to move that tank. And seeing how everyone is following orders around here I may as well do it." Hawkeye almost fell as another shell dropped, but he kept his feet and turned to leave, despite Toni's pleas to come back.
"Take your seat, Pierce." Potter ordered in what had to be the sternest voice Hawkeye had heard him use.
"Uh-uh. Sorry. I can take umbrage, I can take the cake, I can take the A- Train, I can take two and call me in the morning, but I cannot take this sitting down. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take five." He replied, leaving the supply room.
---
He leaped out of the tank quickly, and stood, watching 4077 for a moment before a shell that dropped one meter from where he stood jerked him back into action.
Potter, Toni, Sid and Klinger watched him as nurses congratulated him, and he shook it off jokingly.
Toni wondered if she was the only one that realized his jokes were sarcastic, and that he was acting the way his natural defence came to him, all jokes. Then she took a glance at Sid's un-amused face and knew he realized the same thing.
"Sid, I think you should have another talk to him." Potter commented.
"I was planning on it." The other man replied dryly.
Toni sighed, and walked over to her tent. After half an hour of staring at the roof she got up and retrieved her sword from it's customary spot behind her desk.
She smiled and picked up the other one, too. She'd had Yvette mail it to her when Hawkeye had expressed an interest in learning how to use it. That had been two months ago. A very long two months ago, but she suspected he'd be there now, waiting for her.
She out them both gently into their respective bags, then walked to the algae-covered swamp. As she had suspected he was there, facing the swamp, with his back to her.
He turned as she approached though, and accepted Rebekka's sword from her.
They stretched together, by now they had their movements so coordinated Hawkeye could have been Toni's shadow, then warmed up using the same movements.
Finally Toni nodded, and they saluted each other, then stood ready, neither moving, waiting for the other to strike.
.Rebekka snapped her sword to her, and she parried the blow, turning her parry into a thrust, that Rebekka dodged.
.Hawkeye followed the dodge with a quick forward roll, forcing Toni to step forward to continue her attack.
... and Toni dropped to one knee as Rebekka stood, slashing at her friend's unprotected arm. Rebekka pulled her arm free just in time.
...But Toni saw some blood seep through her friend's shirt. Hawkeye responded with an attack of his own, bringing his sword up.
. Toni knelt again and put her sword up, parallel to the ground, above her head. She timed it perfectly, and as Rebekka's sword hit her she pushed upward.
. making an almost deafening crash as the two blades struck. Hawkeye got thrown slightly off balance, and Toni took her opportunity, using her advantage of being lower to kick out with her right leg.
. and Rebekka went flying backward, the sword landing five meters from where she lay. . Hawkeye grabbed for the sword, but Toni kicked it away, and held her blade's tip against his throat.
"I yield." He commented dryly, peeling off his shirt to examine the gash she'd made.
"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry. Are you alright?" She asked, dropping to her knees to help him.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He replied, sitting up.
She helped him up carefully. "Let's get you back to the OR. I'll clean it up for you."
"Alright, just let me put this back on." He said, pulling his shirt back on.
Toni smiled, then helped him up. Carefully she put their blades away, wiping hers on the grass to get rid of Hawkeye's blood.