Hawkeye ran his hand through his hair. Izzy's story was strange, and didn't
make a whole heap of sense to him, but he didn't want to have to put her
through it again. Maybe she'd hit her head a little harder than they
thought.
Izzy could tell Hawkeye didn't believe her by the look on his face, but she didn't care. She'd got it all out of her system, and Hawkeye knew about her. Sure, it would probably start rumours around camp that she was insane, and get her sent home, but there wasn't anything she could do about that.
'BJ said that before you threw that water on Frank that you took some of Ferret Face's money,' Hawkeye began tactfully. 'Why...?'
'Why'd I do it?' Izzy asked. She smiled a little. 'I "collect" money for Father Mulchay for the orphans. Just from Frank and other people I don't like. Those marines that were here a few weeks ago donated about fifty dollars through me. Plus, it keeps me in practise just in case I get sent home and have to take up stealing again.' Hawkeye smiled, feeling better. Izzy still seemed sane to him. Maybe the whole "from the future" thing was just a joke. It wouldn't be a first for someone to try and pull a fast one on him. Deciding not to dwell on it, Hawkeye burst into a huge grin.
'Come on, let's go get some dinner. You look hungry,' he said. Izzy nodded and followed Hawkeye out of the tent. Halfway across the dark compound, they passed Frank.
'Hey, Frank,' Hawkeye said.
'G'day,' Izzy added from habit.
'None of your business, you Austrian Nazi!' Frank yelled before hurrying to the Swamp.
'Since when is "G'day" Austrian? I'm from Australia!' Izzy asked Hawkeye, annoyed. Hawkeye laughed, and led her into the Mess tent.
'Frank's just annoyed because Margaret rang Donald last night and they're getting married tomorrow,' Hawkeye explained. Izzy stopped.
'Really?' she asked with interest.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
The war continued for another year or so, and in this time Izzy saw Margaret get married, Frank go crazy, Charles come to the 4077th, Margaret get divorced from Donald, Radar go home and Klinger give up his section eight. She was still no good in surgery, never got a taste for martinis from the Still and never mentioned the year 2003 again to anyone in the camp, except BJ, who took it the same way as Hawkeye, thought Izzy must really be a little nuts. Izzy had settled down into the 4077th, and almost forgot it was a TV show, so it was a shock when Hawkeye was taken away for psychiatric analysis. This meant the coming of the end of the war. She heard the rumours of the peace talks after Hawkeye was taken away, and she readied herself for everything that was due to come. She went with BJ to the psychiatric ward where Hawkeye was, and while BJ sneaked in gin to Hawkeye, Izzy had a talk to Sidney.
'The end of the war is near,' she said sullenly.
'You make it sound like a bad thing,' Sidney remarked.
'It's not,' Izzy said hurriedly. 'It's just that... I don't want to go back to Australia. Sure, I'm a year older now, but I still don't have an education, and won't be able to get a job. I don't have family, or friends, not for another forty years at least, and even then I'll be into my sixties.'
'You still believe you're from the future?' Sidney asked.
'How do you think I know the war is going to end?' Izzy asked.
'The rumours. Wishful thinking,' Sidney offered.
'I know what you're going to do with Hawkeye,' Izzy said. 'I agree with you, sending him back to the 4077 will be the best thing for him.' She stood up. 'When BJ comes out, tell him I'll be wandering around outside.' Sidney nodded and headed for Hawkeye's room. Then he stopped. He hadn't told anyone of his decision yet, he wasn't even sure if it was the right one. How did she know about it? Sidney shook his head. Maybe he should offer her therapy as well as Hawkeye. At least that way Hawkeye and Izzy would be together while they were locked up away from everyone else.
Izzy went outside and sat under a tree. Although she knew what was going to happen, she was scared about Hawkeye. What if her being there changed everything? What if Sidney decided to send Hawkeye home instead of back to camp? She jumped when BJ put his hand on her shoulder.
'Come on, we better head back to camp,' he said. Izzy nodded, standing up.
'What did they say? Hawkeye and Sidney?' Izzy demanded when they got to their jeep.
BJ just shook his head.
Izzy could tell Hawkeye didn't believe her by the look on his face, but she didn't care. She'd got it all out of her system, and Hawkeye knew about her. Sure, it would probably start rumours around camp that she was insane, and get her sent home, but there wasn't anything she could do about that.
'BJ said that before you threw that water on Frank that you took some of Ferret Face's money,' Hawkeye began tactfully. 'Why...?'
'Why'd I do it?' Izzy asked. She smiled a little. 'I "collect" money for Father Mulchay for the orphans. Just from Frank and other people I don't like. Those marines that were here a few weeks ago donated about fifty dollars through me. Plus, it keeps me in practise just in case I get sent home and have to take up stealing again.' Hawkeye smiled, feeling better. Izzy still seemed sane to him. Maybe the whole "from the future" thing was just a joke. It wouldn't be a first for someone to try and pull a fast one on him. Deciding not to dwell on it, Hawkeye burst into a huge grin.
'Come on, let's go get some dinner. You look hungry,' he said. Izzy nodded and followed Hawkeye out of the tent. Halfway across the dark compound, they passed Frank.
'Hey, Frank,' Hawkeye said.
'G'day,' Izzy added from habit.
'None of your business, you Austrian Nazi!' Frank yelled before hurrying to the Swamp.
'Since when is "G'day" Austrian? I'm from Australia!' Izzy asked Hawkeye, annoyed. Hawkeye laughed, and led her into the Mess tent.
'Frank's just annoyed because Margaret rang Donald last night and they're getting married tomorrow,' Hawkeye explained. Izzy stopped.
'Really?' she asked with interest.
**~~*~~*~~*~~**
The war continued for another year or so, and in this time Izzy saw Margaret get married, Frank go crazy, Charles come to the 4077th, Margaret get divorced from Donald, Radar go home and Klinger give up his section eight. She was still no good in surgery, never got a taste for martinis from the Still and never mentioned the year 2003 again to anyone in the camp, except BJ, who took it the same way as Hawkeye, thought Izzy must really be a little nuts. Izzy had settled down into the 4077th, and almost forgot it was a TV show, so it was a shock when Hawkeye was taken away for psychiatric analysis. This meant the coming of the end of the war. She heard the rumours of the peace talks after Hawkeye was taken away, and she readied herself for everything that was due to come. She went with BJ to the psychiatric ward where Hawkeye was, and while BJ sneaked in gin to Hawkeye, Izzy had a talk to Sidney.
'The end of the war is near,' she said sullenly.
'You make it sound like a bad thing,' Sidney remarked.
'It's not,' Izzy said hurriedly. 'It's just that... I don't want to go back to Australia. Sure, I'm a year older now, but I still don't have an education, and won't be able to get a job. I don't have family, or friends, not for another forty years at least, and even then I'll be into my sixties.'
'You still believe you're from the future?' Sidney asked.
'How do you think I know the war is going to end?' Izzy asked.
'The rumours. Wishful thinking,' Sidney offered.
'I know what you're going to do with Hawkeye,' Izzy said. 'I agree with you, sending him back to the 4077 will be the best thing for him.' She stood up. 'When BJ comes out, tell him I'll be wandering around outside.' Sidney nodded and headed for Hawkeye's room. Then he stopped. He hadn't told anyone of his decision yet, he wasn't even sure if it was the right one. How did she know about it? Sidney shook his head. Maybe he should offer her therapy as well as Hawkeye. At least that way Hawkeye and Izzy would be together while they were locked up away from everyone else.
Izzy went outside and sat under a tree. Although she knew what was going to happen, she was scared about Hawkeye. What if her being there changed everything? What if Sidney decided to send Hawkeye home instead of back to camp? She jumped when BJ put his hand on her shoulder.
'Come on, we better head back to camp,' he said. Izzy nodded, standing up.
'What did they say? Hawkeye and Sidney?' Izzy demanded when they got to their jeep.
BJ just shook his head.