Disclaimer: Look at the one on the first chapter.
Chapter Two: The Discovery
Margaret was sitting on her cot, thinking. She didn't know why she was awake, but for some reason she couldn't fall back asleep. So, that's why she was just sitting, thinking.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps from outside. She listened, then got up and poked her head outside. She saw a figure walking over towards the edge of the camp. Although it was dark, she knew it was Hawkeye. As she continued watching, she saw him glance around quickly, the sit down. Curious as to why he was outside so late (or rather early) in the morning, she put her robe on, then slowly walked over to where he was sitting. He didn't hear he approaching. She came behind him and said hesitantly, "Hawkeye?"
When he heard her, he started. He quickly turned away and wiped at his eyes. Margaret was amazed. Could Pierce have been crying? No, he couldn't have. He must have just had something in his eye. She couldn't picture Hawkeye, who always seemed so strong, crying. She sat down next to him.
"So, Pierce, what are you doing outside so late?" Margaret asked.
"I couldn't sleep, needed air. I've got something on my mind that I needed to think about. Nothing much. I could ask you the same question, Major." His voice was unusually quiet and rough. Maybe he was crying, Margaret thought. She was determined to find out what was matter with him.
She saw a picture on the ground next to him, and picked it up. Immediately he tensed. She looked at the picture. There was a little boy, a man, and a woman standing together. She looked at the little boy. It was unmistakably Hawkeye. He was probably about eight or nine years old.
She glanced over at him. She asked quietly, "Is that you in the picture?" He nodded slowly.
There was a question she wanted to ask him, but she hesitated. She wasn't sure how he would react to being asked. Finally, she asked him softly, "Is that woman your mother?" She knew his mother had died, but didn't know how or when. Hawkeye almost never spoke of his mother, only his dad. She knew that he still greatly felt the pin of her death.
Hawkeye didn't say anything for a few moments. He didn't move, or even blink. Finally, he closed his eyes and whispered, his voice full of sadness, "Yes."
After hearing that answer, she had an idea as to why he was sitting out here. "Hawkeye, please tell me why you're out here. Is something wrong? Why are you so upset?"
Hawkeye finally turned and looked at her. There were tears shining in his eyes. "I'm not upset Margaret. And nothing's wrong. I just wanted to be alone for a while."
"Hawkeye, I know something's wrong. I'm not that stupid. Please, tell me. You've seen me upset before, and you helped me. Let me help you." She paused a minute, then asked, very quietly, "Does this have to do with your mother?" She felt him flinch. He closed his eyes again. He didn't say anything. Margaret was about to say something when he said, "Yes, this has to do with my mother."
Margaret asked, "Do you want to tell me?"
He was silent for a minute, then spoke. She could hear the tears in his voice. "My mother was diagnosed with cancer. There was no treatment available. She died very quickly." He finally opened his eves, and stared straight ahead, now refusing to look at her. "I was ten. My dad didn't tell me until it was too late, By the time I found out my mother was dying, she was already dead." He paused a minute, swallowed back his emotions, trying to hide them, as he so often did. "I never got to say goodbye."
Margaret gasped. "Oh Hawkeye, I'm so sorry."
He blinked rapidly a few times. "Today is the anniversary of the day she died. 5:37 PM, on August 28, 1936." Margaret hesitated, then turned him to face her. There were tears in his eyes, threatening to overflow. One trickled down his cheek. She reached up, wiped it away, then hugged him. "Hawkeye, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Do you want me to leave?" She felt him shake his head no, then he said, "You don't have to, unless you want to." Now she shook her head. "No, I'll stay here with you. You helped me when I needed, it, and now it's time for me to do the same for you. Hawkeye," she added hesitantly, "It's okay to cry." She held him tighter. He started to shake, and she knew then that he was crying.
After a few minutes, she felt him pull away. He wiped at his eyes, then took a deep breath. He looked her in the eye, and said, "Thank you Margaret." She looked right back at him. "Anytime Hawk. I'm glad I could help. Lord knows you've helped me enough." He gave her a shaky smile and said, "Well, we should go back and get some sleep. Radar says to expect wounded coming in the morning." She nodded, and they both stood up.
They started walking back. He walked her over to her tent. When they got there, he paused a minute, then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Margaret." She smiled at him. "Goodnight Hawkeye." He started towards the Swamp, then suddenly turned back. "Margaret, you're the only one in the camp who really knows about this. Bj doesn't even know. Please don't tell anyone." Margaret nodded. "I won't, don't worry." She hugged him, and said, "Goodnight Hawkeye."
"Goodnight Margaret." Then he turned back and walked towards the Swamp. Margaret went into her tent. The two soon fell asleep.
.
Chapter Two: The Discovery
Margaret was sitting on her cot, thinking. She didn't know why she was awake, but for some reason she couldn't fall back asleep. So, that's why she was just sitting, thinking.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps from outside. She listened, then got up and poked her head outside. She saw a figure walking over towards the edge of the camp. Although it was dark, she knew it was Hawkeye. As she continued watching, she saw him glance around quickly, the sit down. Curious as to why he was outside so late (or rather early) in the morning, she put her robe on, then slowly walked over to where he was sitting. He didn't hear he approaching. She came behind him and said hesitantly, "Hawkeye?"
When he heard her, he started. He quickly turned away and wiped at his eyes. Margaret was amazed. Could Pierce have been crying? No, he couldn't have. He must have just had something in his eye. She couldn't picture Hawkeye, who always seemed so strong, crying. She sat down next to him.
"So, Pierce, what are you doing outside so late?" Margaret asked.
"I couldn't sleep, needed air. I've got something on my mind that I needed to think about. Nothing much. I could ask you the same question, Major." His voice was unusually quiet and rough. Maybe he was crying, Margaret thought. She was determined to find out what was matter with him.
She saw a picture on the ground next to him, and picked it up. Immediately he tensed. She looked at the picture. There was a little boy, a man, and a woman standing together. She looked at the little boy. It was unmistakably Hawkeye. He was probably about eight or nine years old.
She glanced over at him. She asked quietly, "Is that you in the picture?" He nodded slowly.
There was a question she wanted to ask him, but she hesitated. She wasn't sure how he would react to being asked. Finally, she asked him softly, "Is that woman your mother?" She knew his mother had died, but didn't know how or when. Hawkeye almost never spoke of his mother, only his dad. She knew that he still greatly felt the pin of her death.
Hawkeye didn't say anything for a few moments. He didn't move, or even blink. Finally, he closed his eyes and whispered, his voice full of sadness, "Yes."
After hearing that answer, she had an idea as to why he was sitting out here. "Hawkeye, please tell me why you're out here. Is something wrong? Why are you so upset?"
Hawkeye finally turned and looked at her. There were tears shining in his eyes. "I'm not upset Margaret. And nothing's wrong. I just wanted to be alone for a while."
"Hawkeye, I know something's wrong. I'm not that stupid. Please, tell me. You've seen me upset before, and you helped me. Let me help you." She paused a minute, then asked, very quietly, "Does this have to do with your mother?" She felt him flinch. He closed his eyes again. He didn't say anything. Margaret was about to say something when he said, "Yes, this has to do with my mother."
Margaret asked, "Do you want to tell me?"
He was silent for a minute, then spoke. She could hear the tears in his voice. "My mother was diagnosed with cancer. There was no treatment available. She died very quickly." He finally opened his eves, and stared straight ahead, now refusing to look at her. "I was ten. My dad didn't tell me until it was too late, By the time I found out my mother was dying, she was already dead." He paused a minute, swallowed back his emotions, trying to hide them, as he so often did. "I never got to say goodbye."
Margaret gasped. "Oh Hawkeye, I'm so sorry."
He blinked rapidly a few times. "Today is the anniversary of the day she died. 5:37 PM, on August 28, 1936." Margaret hesitated, then turned him to face her. There were tears in his eyes, threatening to overflow. One trickled down his cheek. She reached up, wiped it away, then hugged him. "Hawkeye, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. Do you want me to leave?" She felt him shake his head no, then he said, "You don't have to, unless you want to." Now she shook her head. "No, I'll stay here with you. You helped me when I needed, it, and now it's time for me to do the same for you. Hawkeye," she added hesitantly, "It's okay to cry." She held him tighter. He started to shake, and she knew then that he was crying.
After a few minutes, she felt him pull away. He wiped at his eyes, then took a deep breath. He looked her in the eye, and said, "Thank you Margaret." She looked right back at him. "Anytime Hawk. I'm glad I could help. Lord knows you've helped me enough." He gave her a shaky smile and said, "Well, we should go back and get some sleep. Radar says to expect wounded coming in the morning." She nodded, and they both stood up.
They started walking back. He walked her over to her tent. When they got there, he paused a minute, then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Margaret." She smiled at him. "Goodnight Hawkeye." He started towards the Swamp, then suddenly turned back. "Margaret, you're the only one in the camp who really knows about this. Bj doesn't even know. Please don't tell anyone." Margaret nodded. "I won't, don't worry." She hugged him, and said, "Goodnight Hawkeye."
"Goodnight Margaret." Then he turned back and walked towards the Swamp. Margaret went into her tent. The two soon fell asleep.
.
