What War Will Do to You -Final Chapter

By: Trivette Lover Heather

AN: I'm back. Life has been crazy, but may I just take this opportunity to say... PISTONS NBA CHAMPS!!!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS....OF THE WORLD!! LAKERS THIS! Glad I got that out. Sorry for the shout out, but I'm too excited. Bring on the Parade!
Now on to the fiction, I am attempting to finish up a few stories I have laying around. I apologize for the wait. I did have a little writers block with this one. Enjoy! --

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Sip after sip, minute after minute, the two friends sat aimlessly, racking their brains on how to pull their friend out of this.

Occasionally Trapper would sit up and catch Hawkeye's attention, but it was only to pour himself another glass of gin.

"Damn Trap, this stuff," setting his glass down on ground, "...isn't even working." He finished shaking his head.

"I feel like an author with writer's block." he replied, not faltering and taking another sip.

That comment caught Hawkeye's attention. "Trap that's it!"

"What's it?"

Hawkeye stood up. "Trapper John McIntyre, get your pen ready, we are gonna write till our fingers fall off."

Trapper looked at his friend confused. "Forgive me for my ignorance, but, uh, what are you talking about?"

"We're going on strike."

His friend set his glass down. "You mean we're going to the stockade...? What are you nuts?"

Hawkeye grinned. "We will refuse to operate until they remove the charges."

"And if they call our bluff?"

He thought for a second. "Then we will do the only logical thing, left to do...fold"

"I see, so everyone writes threatening letters, saying we're on strike, which will hopefully scare HQ into forfeiting the charges on Radar." Trapper concluded. "It'll work." Hawkeye said firmly.

Trapper smirked half heartedly.

"It'll work." Hawkeye repeated. "It'll work."

--

Within hours, the plan was in full swing, discreet meeting were held on what exactly to write and the format needed. Hawkeye had told Frank the meetings were finally to reform our camp into a more military efficient outfit.

After time passed, the camp was left praying that no wounded would come until Hawkeye's plan fell through.

Radar was left under guard and had decided no speech was best. He refused to even talk to Hawkeye.

One day passed and the two bunkmates sat silently awaiting any reply to their attempted strike.

"Attention! Chopper on Heli-pad! No wounded. That is all"

Hawkeye and Trapper jumped up and headed outside.

"An answer to prayer?" Hawkeye offered.

"Which one?" Trapper replied, as the two headed towards the General.

A salute almost scared the captains as the General began. "Captain Pierce and MacIntyre no doubt?"

"The ones and onlys." Hawkeye said, standing at attention.

"I see you two were the ones behind this strike."

"Actually Colonel, our entire camp is behind this strike." Trapper waved his hand to the group which had started to form.

"You people are not serious?"

Hawkeye made a serious face. "Does this face look not serious to you?"

"Well Captain, we will just see about this, where is your commanding officer?"

Trapper cringed as Frank stormed towards the General, saluting immediately.

"What do you have to say for this unit!?"

"Excuse me sir?" Frank replied confused.

"I said, what do you have to say about this...catastrophe."

"General I assure you, we are conducting meetings as we speak, to make this unit more military efficient..."

"Nonsense! You call going on strike, military efficiency?! I'm fixing to take away your clusters!"

Frank stepped back. "Strike? General, I don't know what you are talking about."

"As commanding officer, you should know every thing that goes on in your unit. You are a disgrace to the US Army not to mention our forces in Korea. Now I expect you to step down from your duty IMMEDIATELY! Directly after the young man who you are pressing charges against are dropped!"

"General...I..."

"I will not hear it! Making your unit go to such extreme measures for a Corporal who was simplys stricken with grief, this is war Major! Tragedies exist, and much to our detriment as a country, morons like you are put in charge of a unit with such loyalty to each other. I for one am appalled at such an event. Never have I heard of it! Never! A unit going on strike on behalf of their fellow soldier in arms, brilliant in my eyes. Makes me want to write home about it."

Hawkeye almost took his shirt off and ran around camp with his arms raised.

"Told you it would work."

Trapper could not believe it. "It worked...it actually worked!"

As Frank and the General continued to converse, Hawkeye turned to the group that had gathered. "IT WORKED!!"

"Hey Hey" Trapper yelled as the camp began to celebrate.

Margaret even broke a smile. Hawkeye raced over to Radars bedside.

"Radar, the charges are dropped, it's over kid."

Radar looked up confused. "Over?"

"O-V-E-R...OVER!" "I'm not going to prison?"

"Not in this war!" Hawkeye yelped as he grabbed the kid's hand shaking it vigorously. As many as they could fit into post op, gathered around Radars bed, cheering.

Frank begged for forgiveness at the Generals side until he left. However, as soon as the General left he began to make arrangements for a regular army man to be put in charge of the unit.

A week had passed, and it was business as usual at the 4077th. Everyone was adjusting to the new CO and Trappers absence. But things had gone back to normal, as expected Radar had a rough go of it for a while, but the SWAMP door was always open.

Frank still hadn't forgiven anyone for the secret meetings and Margaret's heart seemed to have softened an inch through the whole ordeal.

The Father was remembered honorably along with Henry. The camp was really beginning to change, but for the better. A new surgeon had arrived, along with a new chaplain. The tide had turned once again at the 4077th, and each person learned another dreaded lesson, in What War Will Do to You.

– THE END

Sorry for the delay. I would love any comments! Take care -TLH ‡