Title: Anthem Of Our Dying Day

Chapter 2-Sidewalks

Disclaimer: Another day and yet. I still don't own MASH.. hmm.. imagine that! I don't own anything, actually.. not even my cat. She owns me.. --;;

A/N: Yep yep, I'm continuing. Just depends on how this chapter goes.. it could be the last one. Just depends on how well I do with it. Anyhow, I'll try to keep everyone in character, like I said before. So anyway... sorry about any mistakes I may make with anything.. I'm trying my best! So anyway.. on with the story!

As soon as I got out of surgery, I had only one thought on my mind. I had to get answers and I had to get them before I went insane. I located Radar in his usual spot, answering the phone, writing letters, etc. I could tell that he immediately became nervous when I barged in, somewhat completely enraged that I'd been lied to for so long.

"What the hell was that?!?!?" I growled as soon as I got in the room.

"What sir?" Radar always tried to play dumb when he didn't want to answer questions.

"Why is Trapper here? You told me that he had been sent home!" I exclaimed.

"Well..." Radar began.

"Tell me the truth. That's all I want to hear right now." I said.

"He was sent to Tokyo and then he was taken to the front to an aid station. We didn't want to tell you, we couldn't have you wanting to go to be there with him. We needed you here." He said all really quickly.

"I can't believe it..." I muttered, turning to face the door as if I were going to leave. "I can't believe that all this time he's been so close and yet so far away."

"I'm sorry I lied to you. We all did it for your own good and we never imagined that something like this would happen." Radar said quietly.

"Yeah yeah.." I muttered and left. I was shocked that it had happened. Kind of how I thought though. I walked across the compound over to the recovery room. I walked in to check out everyone in there to make sure everyone was all right. I walked to the bed where Trapper was.

"Hawkeye." He said quietly. I looked at him, he was obviously awake.

"Trapper." I replied, trying to fight the emotions I felt. For a long moment I just stood there and neither of us said anything.

"Never imagined I'd be back here." He said and then laughed a little. I didn't do or say anything. He just looked at me with a confused look.

"You left without even so much as a note and then I find out that I'd been lied to the whole time and you were actually just a few miles away from here and you were in more danger than we are here!!!!" I exclaimed, finally letting out some of the built up rage I was feeling. He sighed.

"I'm sorry. I knew what was going on and I didn't want you to go insane and try to come and find me. They all need you here and I couldn't risk it." He said.

"It must've all been a lie, Radar never tried to get a hold of me, did he?" I asked. He shook his head slightly.

"Radar did try to get a hold of you, and we were even going to tell you the truth but then we decided that we couldn't get you and that it would be better if you just thought I had gone home." He said. I was shocked still and didn't say anything.

"Hawkeye." I looked up to see Bj standing next to me.

"Bj. This is Trapper, remember, I told you about him." I said, looking down at Trapper.

"Ahh yes, Trapper. You were quite famous around here, I'd say." Bj said, somewhat amused. I didn't know how he felt about this but it really didn't matter. I was angry, still. I couldn't believe that I'd been lied to so much. I thought I could trust those around me, Bj was the only one who didn't know anything about it. I felt betrayed.

"Yeah, me and Hawkeye always created a disaster. We were best friends." Trapper said.

"Yeah we're pretty close friends as well." Bj said. I was starting to wonder if it was a contest to see who was my real close friend. I just stood there and listened as they made conversation between themselves.

"Well you need some rest." I finally said, getting tired of standing there. "You do need to get better." I said and began to walk away.

"Hawkeye, I really am sorry that I had everyone lie to you and that I never told you where I was going." Trapper said as I was walking away. "We had a really great friendship and it was wrong that it all happened like it did." He said. I turned back to look at him. He had laid back and closed his eyes. I almost wondered if I'd imagined him saying it but I shrugged it off and left. I headed over to the mess tent to get something to eat and to think for a bit. After I got my food and sat down I decided I wasn't hungry, so I just sat there, lost in thought. We had been close friends and now he was back here. I couldn't let him go back to the front.

I looked up as Frank walked by. Maybe it would be possible to send him away and keep Trapper here again. He was still my friend, after all, and I knew that I couldn't just stand around and wait for him to show up again or to die up there. Then I stopped thinking. That's exactly why they'd done what they'd done. They didn't want me to do anything that would hurt me. I stood up and went to find Radar. I found him in the same spot I'd found him before.

"Radar, I'm sorry." I said. He looked up at me, very obviously confused.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being so angry with you when it wasn't your fault that you all were just trying to protect me from going and doing something stupid and getting myself hurt or killed." I said, looking down at the floor.

"Oh it's okay!" He said. "I know that you were just angry because your friend just suddenly showed up again." He said. I nodded.

"Thanks." I said and left. I went to where Trapper was. I found him awake again. I thought that I really needed to apologize to him.

"Look, Trapper, I'm sorry." I said. He seemed rather shocked and confused as well.

"Why? What did you do?" He asked.

"I was unfair and angry with you for just leaving and then I was angry that everyone had lied to me. I understand that they did it for my own good. You're still my best friend, and now that I know where you are.. maybe sometime we can find some time to meet and talk." I said. He nodded.

"Good. I didn't think you'd stay angry with me.. it's just not possible." He said, smirking smugly. I laughed and turned away.

"We'll sort this all out later, when we can stand on the sidewalk and talk rather than in the middle of the road." I said and left.

A/N: This chapter sucks, doesn't it? I don't think it went how I'd originally planned it but that's okay. When I put recovery room.. I don't think that's the word for it but I couldn't remember what it was called so that's what I called it.. lol. So anyway. I might update this story again and make it like when they go and talk and meet later.. I don't know. So read and review if you wish. Like I said before, if you flame.. it'll just be deleted and I won't care. So that's it for this one.