'I thought Trapper sent me the telegram,' Hawkeye told Alex after she had
taken him to her table in the corner.
'What? Did he go home? He never wrote me to tell me he was home!' Alex pretended to wail. She grinned. 'Is the guy who replaced him nice?'
'One of the best. BJ Hunnicutt, wish you could meet him,' Hawkeye said, sipping his martini. 'Anyway, what are you doing in the war again? Henry sent you home.'
'Yes, he did, but I decided I wanted to come back. I missed the Still,' Alex joked. Hawkeye looked over Alex the best he could in the dim lights of the bar. Alex still looked the same, though her hair was now longer, and her uniform was brand new.
'How is Henry, anyway?' Alex asked. Hawkeye looked away. 'Hawkeye?' There was fear in Alex's voice now. 'What happened?'
'He went home, a week or so before Trapper. His plane, it was shot down, and he was killed,' Hawkeye said, realizing his cheeks were wet.
'Henry. . . how could this war be so unfair!' Alex threw her glass into the wall. A few people looked over, but neither she or Hawkeye cared. She sat back as a Korean bar maid fussed over getting her a new martini while another cleaned up the mess Alex had made.
'The new Colonel is nice, though. He let me come out to see what the telegram was about,' Hawkeye said, putting a hand on Alex's arm. Alex glanced at him thankfully for changing the subject.
'How is everyone? No-one else has left, have they?' she asked.
'No, worst luck. Ferret Face and Hotlips are still at it. Frank is annoyed that Colonel Potter came to become CO instead of him,' Hawkeye said, smiling a little. 'Radar is fine, a little nervous around the new Colonel, but he's getting over it.'
'What about Klinger? Still in dresses or did he get home?' Alex asked.
'Wearing uniform and acting the perfect soldier,' Hawkeye replied. Alex gasped.
'You're kidding?' she said. 'Max Klinger does not wear uniform!' Hawkeye started laughing.
'No, I'm joking. Klinger is still trying to get a section eight,' Hawkeye said. 'In fact, we were all so sure it was Trapper, he sent me in with these papers so he could sign them, then BJ and I could sign them, and he could go home. He's going to be annoyed when he finds out he's not going home yet.' Hawkeye finished his current martini. 'So anyway, how have you been? What are you doing back in Korea?'
'Well, I went home, as you know, and went back to the hospital I was working in. Danielle, she's my little sister, she finished school last year, and is working in the same hospital. More army type guys came around, asking for nurses and doctors to send out, and we signed up,' Alex said, shrugging.
'You're crazy,' Hawkeye said, shaking his head.
'Just a little,' Alex grinned. 'I've put in a transfer for both of us to go to the 4077.' Hawkeye looked up excitedly.
'You're kidding?' he asked. 'That's great! You can meet BJ and Colonel Potter that way, and maybe even help us tease Frank!' Alex laughed at his reaction.
'Oh, there's Danielle. You can meet her. You think I'm good at poker? Wait till you see her in action,' Alex said, waving over a girl who'd just come into the bar.
'Meeting up with strange guys again, Alexia?' the girl asked when she came over. She had red hair like Alex, except it was cropped shortly around her head, and her eyes were brown instead of green. Other than that, and the absence of a scar on her left cheek, she was almost identical to Alex.
'Danielle, I've told you not to call me Alexia, and this is Hawkeye. He isn't a stranger,' Alex said, blushing a little. Danielle held out a hand to Hawkeye.
'Alexia wouldn't shut up about you the whole time she was home,' Danielle said. Suddenly, she was hopping on one leg, holding her leg where Alex had kicked her. 'Well, you wouldn't,' Danielle said defensively. She sat down opposite Hawkeye and winked.
'If I call you Dani, will you please call me Alex?' Alex asked her.
'I suppose I could,' Dani said, glaring at her older sister.
'She prefers Dani to Danielle,' Alex explained to Hawkeye. Hawkeye grinned.
'You two are so much alike,' he said.
'Take it back,' Dani told him.
'There are some major differences. She doesn't drink,' Alex said.
'And she doesn't chase guys around as much,' Dani said with a gleam in her eyes. Alex rolled her eyes, and beckoned the bar maid.
'Two martini's,' she said.
'Water for me,' Dani added. When the bar maid returned, Dani frowned at Alex and Hawkeye. 'That stuff's poison,' she said.
'Dani, Alex tells me you play poker,' Hawkeye started.
'Yeah, what about it?' Dani asked carefully.
'Hawkeye, save your money. She's the best in Korea. Learnt how to bluff from a friend who works in a casino, and has amazing luck,' Alex told him.
'You're no fun,' pouted Dani. 'Anyway, I met this guy before, and I told him I'd see him tonight, so I'll leave you two alone.' Dani got up and left.
'Nice kid,' Hawkeye said. 'Shouldn't be over here in the war though.'
'She can look after herself. It's the war that has to watch out,' Alex replied, staring at her martini. 'We act like we hate each other, but deep down, we love each other, really.'
'She seems. . . I dunno,' Hawkeye said.
'Reckless?' Alex asked. 'Yeah, that's Dani. Doesn't think before she does something. She signed up because I told her about you guys,' Alex said. 'I signed up again, because I felt like I had to look after her, now Isaac's gone, I'm the eldest.'
'Well,' Hawkeye looked at his watch, 'It's late and I need to get back to camp. Hopefully, you'll get transferred soon.' Hawkeye and Alex stood up, and Alex flung her arms around his neck before kissing him on the cheek.
'It's good to see you again,' she whispered.
'What? Did he go home? He never wrote me to tell me he was home!' Alex pretended to wail. She grinned. 'Is the guy who replaced him nice?'
'One of the best. BJ Hunnicutt, wish you could meet him,' Hawkeye said, sipping his martini. 'Anyway, what are you doing in the war again? Henry sent you home.'
'Yes, he did, but I decided I wanted to come back. I missed the Still,' Alex joked. Hawkeye looked over Alex the best he could in the dim lights of the bar. Alex still looked the same, though her hair was now longer, and her uniform was brand new.
'How is Henry, anyway?' Alex asked. Hawkeye looked away. 'Hawkeye?' There was fear in Alex's voice now. 'What happened?'
'He went home, a week or so before Trapper. His plane, it was shot down, and he was killed,' Hawkeye said, realizing his cheeks were wet.
'Henry. . . how could this war be so unfair!' Alex threw her glass into the wall. A few people looked over, but neither she or Hawkeye cared. She sat back as a Korean bar maid fussed over getting her a new martini while another cleaned up the mess Alex had made.
'The new Colonel is nice, though. He let me come out to see what the telegram was about,' Hawkeye said, putting a hand on Alex's arm. Alex glanced at him thankfully for changing the subject.
'How is everyone? No-one else has left, have they?' she asked.
'No, worst luck. Ferret Face and Hotlips are still at it. Frank is annoyed that Colonel Potter came to become CO instead of him,' Hawkeye said, smiling a little. 'Radar is fine, a little nervous around the new Colonel, but he's getting over it.'
'What about Klinger? Still in dresses or did he get home?' Alex asked.
'Wearing uniform and acting the perfect soldier,' Hawkeye replied. Alex gasped.
'You're kidding?' she said. 'Max Klinger does not wear uniform!' Hawkeye started laughing.
'No, I'm joking. Klinger is still trying to get a section eight,' Hawkeye said. 'In fact, we were all so sure it was Trapper, he sent me in with these papers so he could sign them, then BJ and I could sign them, and he could go home. He's going to be annoyed when he finds out he's not going home yet.' Hawkeye finished his current martini. 'So anyway, how have you been? What are you doing back in Korea?'
'Well, I went home, as you know, and went back to the hospital I was working in. Danielle, she's my little sister, she finished school last year, and is working in the same hospital. More army type guys came around, asking for nurses and doctors to send out, and we signed up,' Alex said, shrugging.
'You're crazy,' Hawkeye said, shaking his head.
'Just a little,' Alex grinned. 'I've put in a transfer for both of us to go to the 4077.' Hawkeye looked up excitedly.
'You're kidding?' he asked. 'That's great! You can meet BJ and Colonel Potter that way, and maybe even help us tease Frank!' Alex laughed at his reaction.
'Oh, there's Danielle. You can meet her. You think I'm good at poker? Wait till you see her in action,' Alex said, waving over a girl who'd just come into the bar.
'Meeting up with strange guys again, Alexia?' the girl asked when she came over. She had red hair like Alex, except it was cropped shortly around her head, and her eyes were brown instead of green. Other than that, and the absence of a scar on her left cheek, she was almost identical to Alex.
'Danielle, I've told you not to call me Alexia, and this is Hawkeye. He isn't a stranger,' Alex said, blushing a little. Danielle held out a hand to Hawkeye.
'Alexia wouldn't shut up about you the whole time she was home,' Danielle said. Suddenly, she was hopping on one leg, holding her leg where Alex had kicked her. 'Well, you wouldn't,' Danielle said defensively. She sat down opposite Hawkeye and winked.
'If I call you Dani, will you please call me Alex?' Alex asked her.
'I suppose I could,' Dani said, glaring at her older sister.
'She prefers Dani to Danielle,' Alex explained to Hawkeye. Hawkeye grinned.
'You two are so much alike,' he said.
'Take it back,' Dani told him.
'There are some major differences. She doesn't drink,' Alex said.
'And she doesn't chase guys around as much,' Dani said with a gleam in her eyes. Alex rolled her eyes, and beckoned the bar maid.
'Two martini's,' she said.
'Water for me,' Dani added. When the bar maid returned, Dani frowned at Alex and Hawkeye. 'That stuff's poison,' she said.
'Dani, Alex tells me you play poker,' Hawkeye started.
'Yeah, what about it?' Dani asked carefully.
'Hawkeye, save your money. She's the best in Korea. Learnt how to bluff from a friend who works in a casino, and has amazing luck,' Alex told him.
'You're no fun,' pouted Dani. 'Anyway, I met this guy before, and I told him I'd see him tonight, so I'll leave you two alone.' Dani got up and left.
'Nice kid,' Hawkeye said. 'Shouldn't be over here in the war though.'
'She can look after herself. It's the war that has to watch out,' Alex replied, staring at her martini. 'We act like we hate each other, but deep down, we love each other, really.'
'She seems. . . I dunno,' Hawkeye said.
'Reckless?' Alex asked. 'Yeah, that's Dani. Doesn't think before she does something. She signed up because I told her about you guys,' Alex said. 'I signed up again, because I felt like I had to look after her, now Isaac's gone, I'm the eldest.'
'Well,' Hawkeye looked at his watch, 'It's late and I need to get back to camp. Hopefully, you'll get transferred soon.' Hawkeye and Alex stood up, and Alex flung her arms around his neck before kissing him on the cheek.
'It's good to see you again,' she whispered.