BJ opened his eyes the following morning to see a quivering lump on top of Frank's cot, huddled under a blanket and shaking. To the left of that was Hawkeye, who was laying on his stomach and staring into space.
"Frank, it's light out," he mumbled suddenly, grinning lewdly at the Major, "Time to put the magazine away."
"You! You!" The blanket pile on top of Frank's cot sputtered indignantly, and eventually he threw the covers off to reveal dark circles under his eyes that perfectly matched those under Hawkeye's. Scowling, he snatched the pocket Bible off his shelf and settled back onto his cot, flipping it open to an earmarked page.
"BJ..." he rolled over and saw Hawkeye's tired face looking back at him. Hawkeye whispered in what he apparently thought was a conspiratorial tone
"My mind... it's starting to play tricks on me," the exhaustion in his voice was evident, and Frank continued to stare at the same page in his Bible, though his beady little eyes flicked regularly towards Hawkeye.
"I saw lights last night," he whispered loudly, looking frightened, "and I think they really are coming for me."
Silence.
"Pierce, "Frank sneered, though he looked worried himself, "you are a complete and total nutjob! You ought to be locked up in the loonybin!"
"Say what you want, Frank..." said Hawkeye, looking at him with wide, bloodshot blue eyes "but I know you saw them too. I know... you saw them..."
"Loony..." mumbled Frank, halfheartedly, before he got up and stormed out of the Swamp in the direction of Margaret's tent. BJ had a good laugh, but Hawkeye just stared solemnly back at him.
"Oh my God. You're serious, aren't you?" he asked, staring at Hawkeye, who simply nodded back.
"They're coming for me. The aliens are coming for me."
"Hawk..."
"ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE GOT WOUNDED! CHOPPERS ON THE PAD AND AMBULANCES IN THE COMPOUND – A FULL HOUSE FOR A FEW DAYS STRAIGHT, AND I'M NOT TALKING POKER HANDS! ALL SHIFTS NEEDED ON THE DOUBLE!"
"Clamp."
And instrument clattered to the floor somewhere, and Hawkeye jumped visibly, glancing around him. Margaret gave him a scornful look from across the room, and ordered sternly
"Pierce, keep your mind on your work!"
"They're coming for you too, Margaret! Watch your back!"
"Did you just threaten a superior officer, Captain Pierce?!" She shrieked, but Hawkeye ignored her and went on operating.
"Zale? What're you doing in here?"
Colonel Potter looked up suspiciously as the Sergeant entered, tying a mask behind his head, but the short man just shrugged.
"Cap'n Pierce requested my presence, sir. Permission to proceed to his table?" he asked with some sarcasm. Potter just scowled darkly and nodded his head.
"SHH! NOT SO LOUD!" Hawkeye said suddenly, looking extremely paranoid. He conversed in low tones with Zale, so quietly that even the assisting nurse couldn't hear, as he operated. Occasionally an odd word such as 'rubber', or 'bedsheets' could be discerned from their conversation, but nothing more.
Sergeant Zale appeared several more times during that session, but when asked about what he was up to, Hawkeye would only mutter 'just being cautious', and go back to work.
"Frank, it's light out," he mumbled suddenly, grinning lewdly at the Major, "Time to put the magazine away."
"You! You!" The blanket pile on top of Frank's cot sputtered indignantly, and eventually he threw the covers off to reveal dark circles under his eyes that perfectly matched those under Hawkeye's. Scowling, he snatched the pocket Bible off his shelf and settled back onto his cot, flipping it open to an earmarked page.
"BJ..." he rolled over and saw Hawkeye's tired face looking back at him. Hawkeye whispered in what he apparently thought was a conspiratorial tone
"My mind... it's starting to play tricks on me," the exhaustion in his voice was evident, and Frank continued to stare at the same page in his Bible, though his beady little eyes flicked regularly towards Hawkeye.
"I saw lights last night," he whispered loudly, looking frightened, "and I think they really are coming for me."
Silence.
"Pierce, "Frank sneered, though he looked worried himself, "you are a complete and total nutjob! You ought to be locked up in the loonybin!"
"Say what you want, Frank..." said Hawkeye, looking at him with wide, bloodshot blue eyes "but I know you saw them too. I know... you saw them..."
"Loony..." mumbled Frank, halfheartedly, before he got up and stormed out of the Swamp in the direction of Margaret's tent. BJ had a good laugh, but Hawkeye just stared solemnly back at him.
"Oh my God. You're serious, aren't you?" he asked, staring at Hawkeye, who simply nodded back.
"They're coming for me. The aliens are coming for me."
"Hawk..."
"ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE GOT WOUNDED! CHOPPERS ON THE PAD AND AMBULANCES IN THE COMPOUND – A FULL HOUSE FOR A FEW DAYS STRAIGHT, AND I'M NOT TALKING POKER HANDS! ALL SHIFTS NEEDED ON THE DOUBLE!"
"Clamp."
And instrument clattered to the floor somewhere, and Hawkeye jumped visibly, glancing around him. Margaret gave him a scornful look from across the room, and ordered sternly
"Pierce, keep your mind on your work!"
"They're coming for you too, Margaret! Watch your back!"
"Did you just threaten a superior officer, Captain Pierce?!" She shrieked, but Hawkeye ignored her and went on operating.
"Zale? What're you doing in here?"
Colonel Potter looked up suspiciously as the Sergeant entered, tying a mask behind his head, but the short man just shrugged.
"Cap'n Pierce requested my presence, sir. Permission to proceed to his table?" he asked with some sarcasm. Potter just scowled darkly and nodded his head.
"SHH! NOT SO LOUD!" Hawkeye said suddenly, looking extremely paranoid. He conversed in low tones with Zale, so quietly that even the assisting nurse couldn't hear, as he operated. Occasionally an odd word such as 'rubber', or 'bedsheets' could be discerned from their conversation, but nothing more.
Sergeant Zale appeared several more times during that session, but when asked about what he was up to, Hawkeye would only mutter 'just being cautious', and go back to work.