'What are you still doing here? You were to be shipped home!' Frank yelled
at breakfast the next morning. The major wasn't happy that morning, Hawkeye
and BJ had kept him awake all night with that infernal tune Izzy had been
whistling yesterday, and now the girl was sitting with his two tent mates,
when she was supposed to be halfway back home.
'I have been shipped home,' Izzy replied. 'Korea is now my home. Until the war ends of course.' Colonel Potter walked into the tent at that moment, and Frank went to complain to him.
'That girl was meant to be home by now!' Frank said.
'No, she's part of the army,' Potter replied.
'What?' Frank yelled.
'I signed her papers yesterday,' Potter added.
'But it takes weeks for all that to be organised,' Frank said, slightly more calm.
'What, you think I've been sitting around doing nothing the whole time I've been here?' Izzy asked.
'That's enough,' Potter said, knowing it turn into a huge fight if he didn't step in. Izzy turned smugly back to Hawkeye and BJ as Frank and the colonel went to get their breakfasts. BJ and Hawkeye laughed.
'You sure gave Frank a run for his money,' BJ said.
'How about I send him for a longer run? Maybe to North Korea,' Izzy suggested.
'Silly kid,' Hawkeye said, laughing. Izzy glanced over to were Frank was now going. He sat beside Margaret, and by the expression on his face, he was telling her about the unfairness of Izzy having to stay. Margaret got a strange look of pleasure on her face, and walked away from Frank, while he was in mid sentence. She came up to Izzy and sneered down at her.
'Now you're part of the army, you have to salute me, because I'm a superior officer,' Margaret said with a hint of triumph.
'How do you know you're the superior? You don't know my rank, yet,' Izzy said.
'Izzy made Lieutenant Colonel, didn't you know, Major? You have salute her,' Hawkeye said.
'Oh what utter tripe,' Margaret scoffed, but Izzy saw a flicker of uncertainty cross the Major's face.
'I'll let it slide this time, Major, but next time I expect a salute, without reminding!' Izzy exclaimed. Margaret frowned and went back to Frank. Izzy turned and grinned at Hawkeye and BJ again. 'How long until she works out I'm only a private?' Izzy asked.
'I'll give it two minutes,' BJ said.
'Three days,' Hawkeye said. 'Plus.'
'An hour,' Izzy said. All three turned as Potter walked past the Majors. Margaret asked him something they couldn't hear, and Potter stopped to reply. When he had continued on to sit at an empty table, Margaret caught Izzy's eye and smiled the way a cartoon lion might when he has a rabbit or something cornered.
'Well, I guess I win,' BJ said, but Izzy could tell he was disappointed. It would have been fun to get Margaret to salute her every time they saw each other.
'Come on, Private Izzy Parker,' Hawkeye said, standing up. 'Let's go back to the Swamp and hide Frank's bible.'
'Right behind you, Hawkeye,' Izzy grinned. It felt good to be a part of the 4077th, it really did, even though now she could get into trouble for the mischief she caused.
'I have been shipped home,' Izzy replied. 'Korea is now my home. Until the war ends of course.' Colonel Potter walked into the tent at that moment, and Frank went to complain to him.
'That girl was meant to be home by now!' Frank said.
'No, she's part of the army,' Potter replied.
'What?' Frank yelled.
'I signed her papers yesterday,' Potter added.
'But it takes weeks for all that to be organised,' Frank said, slightly more calm.
'What, you think I've been sitting around doing nothing the whole time I've been here?' Izzy asked.
'That's enough,' Potter said, knowing it turn into a huge fight if he didn't step in. Izzy turned smugly back to Hawkeye and BJ as Frank and the colonel went to get their breakfasts. BJ and Hawkeye laughed.
'You sure gave Frank a run for his money,' BJ said.
'How about I send him for a longer run? Maybe to North Korea,' Izzy suggested.
'Silly kid,' Hawkeye said, laughing. Izzy glanced over to were Frank was now going. He sat beside Margaret, and by the expression on his face, he was telling her about the unfairness of Izzy having to stay. Margaret got a strange look of pleasure on her face, and walked away from Frank, while he was in mid sentence. She came up to Izzy and sneered down at her.
'Now you're part of the army, you have to salute me, because I'm a superior officer,' Margaret said with a hint of triumph.
'How do you know you're the superior? You don't know my rank, yet,' Izzy said.
'Izzy made Lieutenant Colonel, didn't you know, Major? You have salute her,' Hawkeye said.
'Oh what utter tripe,' Margaret scoffed, but Izzy saw a flicker of uncertainty cross the Major's face.
'I'll let it slide this time, Major, but next time I expect a salute, without reminding!' Izzy exclaimed. Margaret frowned and went back to Frank. Izzy turned and grinned at Hawkeye and BJ again. 'How long until she works out I'm only a private?' Izzy asked.
'I'll give it two minutes,' BJ said.
'Three days,' Hawkeye said. 'Plus.'
'An hour,' Izzy said. All three turned as Potter walked past the Majors. Margaret asked him something they couldn't hear, and Potter stopped to reply. When he had continued on to sit at an empty table, Margaret caught Izzy's eye and smiled the way a cartoon lion might when he has a rabbit or something cornered.
'Well, I guess I win,' BJ said, but Izzy could tell he was disappointed. It would have been fun to get Margaret to salute her every time they saw each other.
'Come on, Private Izzy Parker,' Hawkeye said, standing up. 'Let's go back to the Swamp and hide Frank's bible.'
'Right behind you, Hawkeye,' Izzy grinned. It felt good to be a part of the 4077th, it really did, even though now she could get into trouble for the mischief she caused.