BJ walked into the bar, desperate for a drink. He was in Boston with his
family, to see one of Peg's aunts, and although she was nice enough, he
didn't feel comfortable in the large house on the hill.
After taking a life saving sip from the martini the bar maid gave him, BJ glanced around. The bar was small, but obviously popular. Settling into his surroundings, BJ got ready for a long night of steady drinking.
Ever since coming back from Korea six years ago, BJ had a small drinking problem. He wasn't an alcoholic, he just couldn't sleep at night without two brandy's in him. At the very least. Another man came into the bar, and BJ watched him with interest. He had to be a resident, by the way he easily slid up to the bar, a seat between BJ and himself.
'Dry martini, please,' the man said. 'There should be dust on the olive.'
'Same for me,' BJ piped up. The other man glanced over at BJ and smiled. He was tall, well over six foot, and had brown, curly hair. At once time, he may have had a muscular body, but it had softened down quite a bit.
'John McIntyre,' the man said, holding a hand out to BJ.
'BJ Hunnicutt,' BJ said, straining to remember where he had heard the name "McIntyre".
'War buddy got me hooked on these,' John said, holding up the martini glass when the bar maid gave them their drinks.
'You were in Korea?' BJ asked. John nodded.
'Yeah,' he replied, sipping his drink. He made a face, and put the glass down. 'Had a Still, made the best martini's. I've yet to find someone who can match the ones we made.'
'Wait a minute,' BJ said, suddenly remembering. 'You're Trapper, right? From the 4077th? I was your replacement.'
'I was Trapper,' John replied. 'Dropped the nickname when I came back to the States. My wife hated me being called that. Said it reminded her about all the other women I've seen.' He paused for a second. 'You said you were my replacement?' BJ nodded enthusiastically. 'You know Hawkeye?' John asked. BJ nodded again.
'I was his tent mate, with Frank Burns for a while, then Charles Winchester,' BJ said.
'You musta been there when Hawkeye returned from R and R after I left,' John said slowly. 'How'd he take it?'
'As far as I can tell, pretty hard. Angry that you never said goodbye,' BJ said. 'He came after you, missed your plane by ten minutes.'
'I left a letter!' John said, sounding upset. 'I left it under his martini glass, where he'd find it!' Neither said anything for a while. 'Hawkeye came after me?'
'Yep. Jumped into a jeep with Radar to catch up with you. Gave me a cold welcome when we met. I was the reason Radar was coming out to Seoul, to come get me,' BJ said.
'What else did Hawkeye say about me?' John asked, moving over a seat, towards BJ.
'First few weeks he wouldn't shut up about you. It was "Trapper this" and "Trapper that". He missed you a lot,' BJ said. John nodded quietly, motioning for another drink.
'If he missed me,' John said, 'why didn't he write me?'
'He didn't think you wrote to him. I suppose he was waiting for a reason why you left without saying goodbye,' BJ replied, staring at the olive of his new martini.
'No more sad talk. What happened after I went home?' John suddenly demanded. BJ shrugged.
'A little or a lot, depends what way you look at it. Frank was CO for a while, but you probably knew that. They sent in a Colonel, really nice old man, Sherman Potter. Could drink like a mule, and allowed a little fun. Really nice guy. Margaret got married to some Donald guy, who she finally split up with. Good riddance, really. Margaret could have done so much better.' BJ paused, trying to think. 'Frank went crazy after Margaret got married, and he was sent home. Charles Winchester was brought in, some posh hot shot, who thought he was better than everyone else. Radar went home, hardship discharge, and Klinger took over as company clerk. Then the war ended. I can give you more details if that was a little too vague,' BJ said. John shook his head.
'No, that's great,' he said. He noticed an uncomfortable look on BJ's face. 'What?' he asked.
'Before the war ended, Hawkeye went a little crazy. Almost got sent home, but Sidney Freedman thought it'd be better for him to come back to camp,' BJ explained. John was silent. 'You ok?' BJ asked. John nodded.
'A little shocked, I guess. Hawkeye pretended once to be crazy to get a few days R and R, but I never thought he'd really turn nuts.'
'Klinger got married,' BJ said hurriedly, to change the topic.
'Again? What happened to Lavern?' John asked.
'Married one of his friends,' BJ explained.
'Did Klinger ever get out on a section eight?' John asked.
'No, gave up on that when he became clerk. He married this pretty Korean girl at the end of the war, and is still there, as far as I know, helping her look for her parents,' BJ said.
'Klinger? Stay in Korea! He really was crazy,' John said giving a short laugh. The laugh made BJ feel better, because he was making John forget whatever troubles he had on his mind, like Hawkeye.
'Don't forget, Klinger wanted out of the army, not the country,' BJ said. 'I'm sure he'd have liked Korea if there hadn't been a war on.' John nodded.
'Good point,' he said. Both men were on their third martini's by now, and starting to feel the affects of the alcohol.
'I should probably get back to my wife, soon,' BJ said, looking at his watch.
'My wife left me,' John said, looking sorrowful. BJ felt he should stay with John a little longer.
'So what sort of things did you do with Hawkeye?' BJ asked, knowing it was a bit of a gamble to mention Hawkeye again.
'Gambled, drank, fought over women, teased Ferret Face,' John said, smiling a little at the memories.
'Who actually came up with the name Ferret Face?' BJ asked.
'Frank. He told us one night that that was what his brother called him, and it stuck,' John said. 'Anyway, you should be getting home. It's late.' BJ looked at his watch again, and realised it was later than he thought. The bar appeared to be sending people away now.
'Did you need a ride or anything?' BJ asked. John shook his head.
'They know me here. They'll let me stay another half hour or so,' he said. BJ nodded.
'Great to meet you, John. Keep in touch, ok?' BJ asked, scribbling down his address on an old napkin. He went to the door.
'Hey, Beej,' John called. BJ stopped in the doorway. 'Call me Trapper, ok?' BJ smiled, nodded, then left. It had been a good night.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
Kooshball note: I know everyone will wonder what happened to Trapper's note. I didn't mention it in the fic, but I've decided Frank stole it. He figured that if Hawkeye forgot about Trapper, he'd become a perfect little soldier like himself. Fat chance, Ferret Face!
After taking a life saving sip from the martini the bar maid gave him, BJ glanced around. The bar was small, but obviously popular. Settling into his surroundings, BJ got ready for a long night of steady drinking.
Ever since coming back from Korea six years ago, BJ had a small drinking problem. He wasn't an alcoholic, he just couldn't sleep at night without two brandy's in him. At the very least. Another man came into the bar, and BJ watched him with interest. He had to be a resident, by the way he easily slid up to the bar, a seat between BJ and himself.
'Dry martini, please,' the man said. 'There should be dust on the olive.'
'Same for me,' BJ piped up. The other man glanced over at BJ and smiled. He was tall, well over six foot, and had brown, curly hair. At once time, he may have had a muscular body, but it had softened down quite a bit.
'John McIntyre,' the man said, holding a hand out to BJ.
'BJ Hunnicutt,' BJ said, straining to remember where he had heard the name "McIntyre".
'War buddy got me hooked on these,' John said, holding up the martini glass when the bar maid gave them their drinks.
'You were in Korea?' BJ asked. John nodded.
'Yeah,' he replied, sipping his drink. He made a face, and put the glass down. 'Had a Still, made the best martini's. I've yet to find someone who can match the ones we made.'
'Wait a minute,' BJ said, suddenly remembering. 'You're Trapper, right? From the 4077th? I was your replacement.'
'I was Trapper,' John replied. 'Dropped the nickname when I came back to the States. My wife hated me being called that. Said it reminded her about all the other women I've seen.' He paused for a second. 'You said you were my replacement?' BJ nodded enthusiastically. 'You know Hawkeye?' John asked. BJ nodded again.
'I was his tent mate, with Frank Burns for a while, then Charles Winchester,' BJ said.
'You musta been there when Hawkeye returned from R and R after I left,' John said slowly. 'How'd he take it?'
'As far as I can tell, pretty hard. Angry that you never said goodbye,' BJ said. 'He came after you, missed your plane by ten minutes.'
'I left a letter!' John said, sounding upset. 'I left it under his martini glass, where he'd find it!' Neither said anything for a while. 'Hawkeye came after me?'
'Yep. Jumped into a jeep with Radar to catch up with you. Gave me a cold welcome when we met. I was the reason Radar was coming out to Seoul, to come get me,' BJ said.
'What else did Hawkeye say about me?' John asked, moving over a seat, towards BJ.
'First few weeks he wouldn't shut up about you. It was "Trapper this" and "Trapper that". He missed you a lot,' BJ said. John nodded quietly, motioning for another drink.
'If he missed me,' John said, 'why didn't he write me?'
'He didn't think you wrote to him. I suppose he was waiting for a reason why you left without saying goodbye,' BJ replied, staring at the olive of his new martini.
'No more sad talk. What happened after I went home?' John suddenly demanded. BJ shrugged.
'A little or a lot, depends what way you look at it. Frank was CO for a while, but you probably knew that. They sent in a Colonel, really nice old man, Sherman Potter. Could drink like a mule, and allowed a little fun. Really nice guy. Margaret got married to some Donald guy, who she finally split up with. Good riddance, really. Margaret could have done so much better.' BJ paused, trying to think. 'Frank went crazy after Margaret got married, and he was sent home. Charles Winchester was brought in, some posh hot shot, who thought he was better than everyone else. Radar went home, hardship discharge, and Klinger took over as company clerk. Then the war ended. I can give you more details if that was a little too vague,' BJ said. John shook his head.
'No, that's great,' he said. He noticed an uncomfortable look on BJ's face. 'What?' he asked.
'Before the war ended, Hawkeye went a little crazy. Almost got sent home, but Sidney Freedman thought it'd be better for him to come back to camp,' BJ explained. John was silent. 'You ok?' BJ asked. John nodded.
'A little shocked, I guess. Hawkeye pretended once to be crazy to get a few days R and R, but I never thought he'd really turn nuts.'
'Klinger got married,' BJ said hurriedly, to change the topic.
'Again? What happened to Lavern?' John asked.
'Married one of his friends,' BJ explained.
'Did Klinger ever get out on a section eight?' John asked.
'No, gave up on that when he became clerk. He married this pretty Korean girl at the end of the war, and is still there, as far as I know, helping her look for her parents,' BJ said.
'Klinger? Stay in Korea! He really was crazy,' John said giving a short laugh. The laugh made BJ feel better, because he was making John forget whatever troubles he had on his mind, like Hawkeye.
'Don't forget, Klinger wanted out of the army, not the country,' BJ said. 'I'm sure he'd have liked Korea if there hadn't been a war on.' John nodded.
'Good point,' he said. Both men were on their third martini's by now, and starting to feel the affects of the alcohol.
'I should probably get back to my wife, soon,' BJ said, looking at his watch.
'My wife left me,' John said, looking sorrowful. BJ felt he should stay with John a little longer.
'So what sort of things did you do with Hawkeye?' BJ asked, knowing it was a bit of a gamble to mention Hawkeye again.
'Gambled, drank, fought over women, teased Ferret Face,' John said, smiling a little at the memories.
'Who actually came up with the name Ferret Face?' BJ asked.
'Frank. He told us one night that that was what his brother called him, and it stuck,' John said. 'Anyway, you should be getting home. It's late.' BJ looked at his watch again, and realised it was later than he thought. The bar appeared to be sending people away now.
'Did you need a ride or anything?' BJ asked. John shook his head.
'They know me here. They'll let me stay another half hour or so,' he said. BJ nodded.
'Great to meet you, John. Keep in touch, ok?' BJ asked, scribbling down his address on an old napkin. He went to the door.
'Hey, Beej,' John called. BJ stopped in the doorway. 'Call me Trapper, ok?' BJ smiled, nodded, then left. It had been a good night.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
Kooshball note: I know everyone will wonder what happened to Trapper's note. I didn't mention it in the fic, but I've decided Frank stole it. He figured that if Hawkeye forgot about Trapper, he'd become a perfect little soldier like himself. Fat chance, Ferret Face!