AN: Hello, finally back around. Not that any of you care cause this is my first fiction in MASH. Something I had to write. I'm working on another one but right now it has been put on hold, cause sadly enough I have 10 stories that are waiting to be sent out into the fanfiction world. And if I don't get them out soon I'm going to be driven nuts. So Enjoy ladies and gents, and don't forget. Drink it young... even if it is only iced tea.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own MASH. Though I really truly wish I did. Cause it's so awesome. So I said it, you no sue, we all be happy, thanks to you!
The End and Beginning of Hawkeye
By Wyltk
The man coughed loudly hands clenched in the sheets of the ugly white hospital room. Beside him a heart monitor beeped off the seconds left to his life. Finally he settled back his ragged coughs easing as his lungs again settled. He had refused oxygen and was glad of it.
A number of people filled the room most of them talking mutedly, occasionally turning to address him. He was enjoying they're steady flow of war stories, and family stories. It was strange to find he was dying only thirteen years after the war ended.
He had never found a wife, or any other significant other. Then again, perhaps he knew he wasn't going to live long enough to fully enjoy them. It didn't matter. Not right now. Not when he had all his closet friends in the world surrounding his bedside.
A riot of laughter filled the room and he turned his head to stare at Beej and Trapper laughing together as if they hadn't just met a day ago and had been friends for years.
"Hawk! Remember that time we trapped Frank in a fox hole with the jeep?" he laughed in a gruff voice and Frank made a protesting 'oh' from across the room. Margret turned laughing eyes at Frank from where she sat talking to Potter.
Father Mulchany sat by the window praying every now and again turning around to smiled at Hawkeye. Everyone knew he couldn't hear what they were saying, but that didn't stop him from laughing when he caught the tail end of a lip read story.
His own father was talking to Charles and Klinger, laughing mercilessly in their faces. And Radar, Radar was staying close by Hawkeyes side. A small boy was sitting in his lap who could be no more then five. Henry Hawkeye O'Riley, named after two of his fathers favorite memories in the war. He lavished in the attention he was getting from everyone in the room.
I began to cough again this time much more violently. I managed to grab a tissue and fake I was wiping my mouth as I hid the blood I had just coughed up. Everyone stopped to watch me wearily before I smiled. A few smiled back coming over from they're private conversations to gather at my bedside.
"Hey Hawk, wish I had one of your old martini's, I could use a drink right now."
"You know I brought the still over? You can go back and have a drink after the reception."
"You're not going to die Hawk."
"Heck no but we can fake it and see if I could get a wife out of the deal."
Trapper and Beej laughed and I managed a smile at them.
"It's been a long time you guys. I missed ya."
My voice was getting softer, I could feel my world fading away. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I wondered if this was what all those men I put under felt like, the men who didn't make it.
I began coughing again, this time I couldn't hide the blood that dripped from my hand. I heard BJ gasp reaching towards me to hit the nurse button. I grabbed his hand just before he hit the button and shook my head.
"Don't beej. Just let me... go..." Another cough, more blood.
"Get a nurse in here!" that was Klinger in the hall. Everyone was gathering around me and I almost laughed, in fact I did.
"And here I would have thought Frank would have been the first to die. Electric chair for malpractice." They didn't laugh. They would later. I smiled. "You know not many people said goodbye to me." I looked pointedly at Beej and Trapper. "But I want you all to know that I said goodbye. And bury me with a martini glass. I'm going to need a drink after seeing all your ugly... faces." I gulped and choked.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I saw a nurse rush in. I was already gone...
Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce
MASH 4077 Korean War
Best surgeon anywhere, Best man anywhere
May he always have a martini in one hand and a girl in the other.
"This was the real Hawkeye father?"
"Yea, B. F. Pierce, Hawk. You would have liked him, always joking."
"Wish I could have met him, dad."
"You did, Hawk. You did."
AN: There! Heh! It did end a lot differently but it also had about three different endings, so I chose this one. Hope you enjoyed.
Wyltk