What War Will Do to You - Ch. 3
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Both surgeons stopped scrubbing...
"Wha-what?" Hawkeye finally uttered.
She fidgeted with her gloves and looked up from the floor.
"Major...who is it?" Frank interjected now suddenly concerned with the whole situation.
"Father..."
Both their stomachs churned and they didn't want her to finish. Hawkeye closed his eyes and listened...
"Fath-Father Mulcahy...he didn't.."
"Alright Margaret, is Radar prepped?" Hawkeye didn't let her finish,there was another body in there, he wasn't going to lose.
"Yes" she replied simply.
"Trapper assist me."
Trapper however didn't budge. "Trap! Assist me dammit!"
He shook his head and turned off the water, following after his friends. As the two burst through the doors, they stopped in their tracks.
"Get him out of here Corporal." Hawkeye ordered solemly and approached Radar. "Is he under?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright..." He took a deep breath. "Scalpel..."
"Scalpel" came the reply. And so it was for the next twenty minutes. The entire camp seemed to be held to a halt as the two doctors operated. It was longest twenty minutes the 4077th ever waited for.
The surgeons lifted their hands from the body. "Get him into post op." was the order. As the two slowly walked to de clothe not a word was spoken to either of them, let a lone between them.
The snapping off of the gloves was the only sound heard at the 4077th in that instant.
The two doctors entered post op and began to take charge.
"Klinger you are the new company clerk, until Radar is well enough...call I corp, get the certificate of death for the Father, get the exact time from Major Houlihan."
"And call General Mitchell, formal charges must be made!" Frank added.
"Against who Frank?" Trapper asked stepping forward.
"The kid of course, he killed the Father...not to mention an Korean soldier...that's murder!"
"He was out of his skull Frank..." Trapper replied quickly.
"He's right Trap." Hawkeye added which caused the entire room to fall silent.
"You agreeing with me Pierce?" Frank asked preparing to be humiliated which always seemed to follow when Pierce agreed with him on anything.
"I mean, he did kill two people, it's only fair that uh...it be investigated by the MP's"
Frank smiled and headed out of post op into the office.
"Hawk are you nuts? They'll through the kid in the stockade!" Trapper got right in his face.
"Back off Trap! It just might get the kid sent home and out of this hell hole! There is no way around it! I've been in this damn mans army for long enough to know that when a soldier kills a prisoner and the camp priest, someone is gonna have something to say about it...this is one secret that can't be kept Trap...face it...all of you...face it! Now everyone get some sleep! Fixing for a load of wounded tomorrow!" He waved them all away and followed after Frank into the office.
Trapper stared for a moment at Radar then retreated to the office as well.
"Frank call tomorrow morning. It's the middle of the night!" Trapper pleaded. "We don't need fifty MP's running around here, it's been one hell of a night."
"They need to come now McIntyre, the longer we wait to less evidence there is!"
"Evidence? Frank there were thirty witnesses!" Trapper snapped.
Hawkeye stepped in. "Frank, listen, we got the gun locked up, you can get up and call fist thing in the morning, which on my watch is in four hours, so go take a little power nap and you'll be fully energized by morning."
"Thanks Pierce, I just may do that."
"Good...good night Frank." Hawkeye offered and watched as he left.
"Moron." Trapper replied solemnly. He turned to face Hawkeye but he wasnt there. He heard the doors swing shut to Henry's office and followed inside.
Hawkeye sat at Henry's desk looking around the office.
"One hell of a night huh Trap?"
"Yeah, one I could have done without."
"I'm waiting ya know..."
"For what?"
"For someone to wake me up from this reoccurring nightmare I'm in."
"I wish I could partner but this sick play on reality is really starting to piss me off."
Hawkeye nodded. "Think we'll sleep tonight?"
"Nah, what's the point, morale is so non existent the whole camp can sleep for the both of us." He sat up on the corner of the desk.
"Damn Trap, you think we could of done something more...grabbed the gun...talked with him some more...anything?"
Trapper shook his head. "What happened happened Hawk...you know that. Shoot, you've heard it enough times."
He slowly nodded his head up and down. "And to think when that kid wakes up...the horror, I mean I don't even want to think about it."
"Then dont...let's drink." Trapper offered.
"Can't...got this camp to take care of."
"Major Burns is the CO...he can handle it..." He caught a glean eye from his friend. "Then again..."
He took a deep breath. "Gotta make sure Klingers getting that certificate done..." Hawkeye stopped and stared at his friend shaking his head.
"What is it Hawk?"
"Just thinking...who's gonna give the last rights to the Father?"
Trapper was silent as the two walked out, then turned back for a moment shaking head in disbelief in what just passed and what lied ahead. --
"Klinger, we're gonna have a memorial service for the Father and Henry, make an announcement...after Dinner tonight at the center of camp."
"Yes sir." He picked up the mic and began to speak. "By order of Captain Hawkeye Pierce, after dinner tonight there will be a memorial service held in honor of Father Mulcahy and Colonel Blake in the center of camp. Whether you attend dinner of not, please be present, that is all."
"Thanks Klinger, nice and depressing." Hawkeye replied starting to leave.
"Sure was one announcement I never thought I'd have to make."
"That's the thing Klinger, one day we have our chaplain and Co, next day they're gone...hell I suppose wont be much richer than this." He shrugged and walked out, running right into Frank.
"Captain, how dare you make such an event without my permission."
"Buzz off Frank, I'm tired." He walked passed and entered the SWAMP, leaving Frank fuming.
Trapper laid silently on his cot. "The kid up yet?"
"No, he's still out."
"Sure is going to be one interesting conversation to say the least?"
"I'd say the least." Hawkeye replied flopping down on his cot. "Trap, I think I'm depressed." He said in a mono tone.
"I second that."
Hawkeye sat up. "I cant sleep...I'm going for a walk."
Trapper nodded. "Want some company?" He got no reply as he watched his friend get up. As he reached for the door her turned back.
"Yeah, Henry and the Father would be nice." He closed the door behind him leaving his bunk mate to contemplate his words.
-- Hawkeye found himself outside the Chaplains tent and made his way in. He walked around the room glancing at the Catholic symbols that covered the room. Stopping at a new shipment of Korean printed Bibles that just came in and remembered the priest telling him how he was going to give them to each Korean soldier that came through. He smiled a bit and grabbed the box, making it his own personal endeavor.
He went to supply and retrieved some empty boxes and retreated back to the Fathers tent to being packing his things.
"Thought you might be here." Trapper entered and began to grab a few things to put in the boxes.
"I got it."
"Yeah...I know." He replied, but still continued to help pack the priest things.
Hawkeye proceeded to toss the things in the boxes with more force, causing Trapper to notice.
"Easy Hawk."
"Sorry, I'm just mad as all hell right now. I can't believe he shot him. Can you believe he show him? I keep going over it in my mind when I'm packing this stuff, I mean he just shot him I couldn't believe it."
"Yeah that's what I was going over when I was laying in the Swamp, I did a good job of not thinking about it for like an hour but now my brain wont stop thinking about it."
"I know what you mean." came the reply.
Suddenly Klinger came through the door. "Sirs, I've been looking all over for you."
"What is it Klinger?" Hawkeye asked tossing another khaki green shirt into a box.
"The kid's awake."
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