Izzy was wandering around the compound. She had been told she was leaving
in a weeks time, and she decided to make the most of it, in case Radar
couldn't pull off her scheme to join the army. She was dressed in her new
uniform, Klinger reassured her he had never wore it, and given up her
skirt, which the small dark haired man had made a few slight alterations to
so it fitted. Radar had introduced her to his animals, which she loved. As
a city kid, she never had much room at home for pets. Izzy couldn't help
smiling as she wandered around. Hawkeye had offered to help her find her
way around, but she told him she didn't need it. After all, she knew the
camp better than the back of her hand, although no-one knew it. She'd seen
the supply room, the OR, the mess tent, and the showers. The one place Izzy
wanted to see now was the Swamp. She walked over, and peered through the
see through canvas. Hawkeye and BJ were there, sipping martini's from
glasses. Neither had noticed her yet. Izzy knocked on the door.
'Come in,' Hawkeye said, looking up. Izzy opened the door a little and peered in cautiously to make sure Frank wasn't there. Odds were he wouldn't allow her into the Swamp.
'Hello, Izzy. What brings you here?' BJ asked.
'Just looking,' Izzy replied.
'Come sit down and talk to us,' Hawkeye said. Izzy entered the tent and moved towards the two men. Hawkeye was stretched out on his cot, and BJ was sitting on a crate, with a letter in one hand.
'Can I have one of those?' Izzy asked, pointing to the glass in Hawkeye's hand. She had never drunk before, but she was dying to try something from the Still.
'How old are you?' BJ asked.
'Eighteen,' Izzy replied.
'You still have another three years to go,' Hawkeye said, taking a sip from his glass.
'In Australia, the legal drinking age is eighteen,' Izzy said indignantly.
'We're not in Australia,' Hawkeye pointed out.
'And we're not in America, either,' Izzy countered.
'Touché,' BJ said. Hawkeye handed his glass to Izzy.
'Try it first before we pour you a full glass,' he told Izzy. The girl sipped it experimentally, and almost retched.
'It's. . . revolting,' she gasped as Hawkeye took the glass away from her.
'Means you won't be tempted to take up drinking. Your liver will thank you later,' BJ said. Izzy nodded.
'Would you like something to wash the taste out?' Hawkeye asked. Izzy nodded again.
'Here, my wife just sent these. They're a little stale, but still edible,' BJ handed a box to Izzy. Inside were chocolate biscuits. Izzy took one and bit into it thankfully. Apart from the staleness, they were very nice biscuits.
'So tell us about yourself, Izzy,' Hawkeye said.
'Not much to tell,' Izzy said around a mouthful of biscuit. 'I'm eighteen, left home and school when I was fifteen and have been on the streets since. I was hit by a car in Sydney, and woke up here.' Hawkeye and BJ glanced at each other, like they didn't believe Izzy's story, but she didn't care. It was the truth. 'What about you?' she asked. 'Where are you from? What are your family's from home like?' First Hawkeye described Crabapple cove to Izzy, then BJ talked a little about Peg, his wife, and their young daughter.
'Why do you want to stay here?' BJ asked after they finished talking about home.
'I don't know,' Izzy replied. Because I've always dreamed of being here, and now I am here, I don't want to leave, she thought to herself.
'It's a hell hole, you'd be better off going home,' Hawkeye said 'But still, it'd be interesting to have you around.' Izzy yawned.
'I might go back to Post op. I'm tired and still sore,' she said. She left the Swamp, but stopped after circling the tent to hear what BJ and Hawkeye would talk about. She crouched down on their blind side, careful not to wreak the uniform Klinger had given her, and listened.
'Come in,' Hawkeye said, looking up. Izzy opened the door a little and peered in cautiously to make sure Frank wasn't there. Odds were he wouldn't allow her into the Swamp.
'Hello, Izzy. What brings you here?' BJ asked.
'Just looking,' Izzy replied.
'Come sit down and talk to us,' Hawkeye said. Izzy entered the tent and moved towards the two men. Hawkeye was stretched out on his cot, and BJ was sitting on a crate, with a letter in one hand.
'Can I have one of those?' Izzy asked, pointing to the glass in Hawkeye's hand. She had never drunk before, but she was dying to try something from the Still.
'How old are you?' BJ asked.
'Eighteen,' Izzy replied.
'You still have another three years to go,' Hawkeye said, taking a sip from his glass.
'In Australia, the legal drinking age is eighteen,' Izzy said indignantly.
'We're not in Australia,' Hawkeye pointed out.
'And we're not in America, either,' Izzy countered.
'Touché,' BJ said. Hawkeye handed his glass to Izzy.
'Try it first before we pour you a full glass,' he told Izzy. The girl sipped it experimentally, and almost retched.
'It's. . . revolting,' she gasped as Hawkeye took the glass away from her.
'Means you won't be tempted to take up drinking. Your liver will thank you later,' BJ said. Izzy nodded.
'Would you like something to wash the taste out?' Hawkeye asked. Izzy nodded again.
'Here, my wife just sent these. They're a little stale, but still edible,' BJ handed a box to Izzy. Inside were chocolate biscuits. Izzy took one and bit into it thankfully. Apart from the staleness, they were very nice biscuits.
'So tell us about yourself, Izzy,' Hawkeye said.
'Not much to tell,' Izzy said around a mouthful of biscuit. 'I'm eighteen, left home and school when I was fifteen and have been on the streets since. I was hit by a car in Sydney, and woke up here.' Hawkeye and BJ glanced at each other, like they didn't believe Izzy's story, but she didn't care. It was the truth. 'What about you?' she asked. 'Where are you from? What are your family's from home like?' First Hawkeye described Crabapple cove to Izzy, then BJ talked a little about Peg, his wife, and their young daughter.
'Why do you want to stay here?' BJ asked after they finished talking about home.
'I don't know,' Izzy replied. Because I've always dreamed of being here, and now I am here, I don't want to leave, she thought to herself.
'It's a hell hole, you'd be better off going home,' Hawkeye said 'But still, it'd be interesting to have you around.' Izzy yawned.
'I might go back to Post op. I'm tired and still sore,' she said. She left the Swamp, but stopped after circling the tent to hear what BJ and Hawkeye would talk about. She crouched down on their blind side, careful not to wreak the uniform Klinger had given her, and listened.