A/N- Okay, we'll have happy things, for a while ;)
Sara noticed an odd change in Hawkeye when she was finally free of bed rest and allowed to leave the quarantine ward. It was interesting, he seemed to her more lively and upbeat, the Hawkeye she had known before...before he had adopted her. Of course the girl didn't mind, in fact she rather liked having the old Hawk back, The slogan of the officers club had been unofficially changed to "Every Night is Ladies night at the officers club... except Mondays." So every Tuesday through Sunday Trapper, Hawkeye and often Henry would drag her to the club and get Mister Kwang to create some ridiculously new alcoholic, over the top sweet, colourful beverage for her to try. Because, as Henry had explained through his second banana daiquiri, his words slurring, 'The only resasons you gots sick in the fiiirst place was because you havunt drunk enough.'
"That's right Colonel, tell me how many fingers am I holding up?"
"Um hmm... 7?"
Sara looked at her hand, two, "Close enough, but I don't think you should have anything else to drink."
"Fair enough." Henry said with a sluggish shrug, "Where's Pierce?"
"Oh he's out stalking nurses." Trapper said with a playful grin as he downed the last of his martini, "Gotta love happy hour."
Heads turned as the door to the officers club opened to reveal a decked out Corporal Klinger. Sara had to hide a smirk beneath her hand, in the months she had been at the 4077th the young girl had never truly gotten a grip on Klinger's insane efforts to get out of the army, she was certain there were easier ways than dressing like a woman. Still, there he stood, in all his red evening gown cross strap glory, not the least embarrassed and looking quite handsome... or cute, which ever worked best.
"Nice dress Klinger." Sara said with a grin as the corporal sat down on a bar stood next to her and adjusted the strap on his shoulder.
"It's driving me insane," He said, "the stupid cloth is woven with metallic string, its so itchy!"
"Beauty is pain," replied Sara with a shrug and a small chuckle, "But honestly, you think this is going to bring you any closer to a section eight?"
"It will once I send this photo of me plus profile to Hollywood." He responded as he passed her a picture of him in the dress holding an umbrella, once more Sara had to suppress a laugh.
"How on earth is this going to help you?"
"The producer Im sending it to is a cousin of General Clayton, hopefully..."
"He'll get freaked out enough and ask his cousin to get you out of the army?"
"No, set me up in his next big picture, that'll get me out of here."
Sara thought about that for a moment and decided it was better not to question his plan and instead smile and nod, which she did rather too hastily. Klinger saw her wariness in his plan and pouted in disappointment.
"You don't think it's going to work?"
"Would you like me to be brutally honest or lie and be sickly kind?"
"Both."
"Well," Sara said slowly, "I think you're more likely to be arrested for stalking than get a section eight... at the same time you may be about to be married into a very good family."
Klinger laughed, "Yeah, not my best thought out plan is it?"
"Not really." Sara replied with good humour as she took a sip of her drink.
"So how are you feeling anyways?" The corporal asked suddenly, "You're looking better."
"Feeling a lot better too." Sara replied lively, "I think it was just flu or something, I haven't felt this great in ages," It was Klinger's turn to look uncertain, "Honesty," Sara smiled, "Geez, you and Trapper seemed convinced that I'm feeling like crap! Im not, really!"
Klinger laughed, "Okay, okay, just looking out for you kid, this dump would be lonely if we had to send you to Seoul or somewhere to get treated for whatever. Try to stay healthy okay?"
"I will," Sara replied as she stuck out her tongue at him and glared, "You need to relax just a bit, have a drink or something!"
They talked late into the night, Trapper didn't say much to either Klinger or Sara, choosing to instead remain silent and observe her in her surroundings. She was certainly content at the 4077th but did part of her long to be back home? He doubted it, if she did... maybe something proper could be arranged, at least it would give Trapper a little more time to convince Hawkeye not to give her up.
When the last light of day disappeared into night the officers club slowly began to empty of it's contents, slightly tipsy nurses helped enlisted me back to their tents (where the nurses would usually stay) Radar had come and managed to drag Henry back towards his tent and It was up to Sara to make sure Trapper returned to the Swamp without causing some sort of crime, he was of course not so drunk that he would do something stupid, but certainly drunk enough to be babbling on about nothingness.
"I wont let it happen..." He said through a hiccup.
"That's good Trap," Sara said as she rolled her eyes, convinced that he was merely rambling on about some small trivial thing.
"I'm serious.. I'll talk to the guy for ya..."
"Thanks Trapper."
"You can always go back and live with Louise... Cathy and Becky would love a big sister..."
"Thanks Trapper."
"Hawkeye's just being an idiot'salll..." His words began slurring together.
"Hawkeye does that a lot."
"He wouldn't really, don't worry about it, I'll talk to him."
By then they had reached the Swamp, Sara was relieved when Trapper slunk through the door and fell down on his cot. Hawkeye was already laying on his reading a book which was obviously concealing a dirty magazine.
"Woa, what happened to him?" Hawkeye asked as he sat up and looked at Trapper who was now half draped over his cot and appeared to be drooling.
"Need you ask?" Sara replied as she fell back onto her cot with a sigh, "Where were you all night?"
"Just showing that new nurse around."
"Ah," Sara grinned, would this be showing or "showing"?" She made little quotation marks in the air.
"I can't tell you, you're too young and innocent to be faced with such moral things like "showing" a nurse around." Hawkeye said with an evil smile as he too made the quotation marks in the air. "How are you feeling?"
"What is with everyone asking me how I feel?" Sara demanded angrily, "You're the sixth person tonight!"
"Really? Who else?"
"Klinger, Trapper, Radar, Henry, Hot Lips and surprisingly enough.. Frank."
"I'm right here you know!"
"If I cant see him, then he cant see me." Sara whispered with a low chuckle.
"So how are you feeling?"
"Fine, great! Grand, whatever. I'm feeling much better!" She sat up at raised an eyebrow at Hawkeye, "Why, is there something I should know?"
"Nope," Hawkeye replied honestly, 'You just looked so bad for a while and made such a quick recovery, Guess it's a bit shocking."
"Yeah, well... I guess I'm just growing immune to bad luck or something." She said with a laugh. There was a moment of silence, the loud crack of thunder overhead roared through the air as the sky became lit up with flashes of light.
"Great," Hawkeye muttered darkly, "A thunder storm, now we really will be in cold, wet, rainy Korea."
"Cheer up!" Sara said brightly, "It could be worse!"
The loud ripping of seams came from over head, both looked up just in time to see a patch of tent over Trapper's cot break, rain water came pouring down all over the man. He jumped and gave a yell as the water eased off a little but continued to stream down. Needless to say, Hawkeye and Sara were rolling on their cots in fits of laughter.
xXx
'Attention all personnel, incoming allied casualties. Both shifts report to the OR, it's going to be a rough day. A reminder that Corporal Devon Lex is looking for a partner for Waltzing classes in Seoul, its free ride girls! Also, as order from Colonel Henry Blake, please do not run in the compound, we've already lost two nurses to the mud people.'
Sara rolled her eyes as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her face, trapper was sleeping on his bed once again, a bucket was cleverly balanced on his stomach which was collecting the rain water as it continued to fall through the opening in the Swamp's roof. Frank and Hawkeye were already sitting up and pulling their boots on, Trapper remained unmoving.
"Hawk?" He looked at Sara who was motioning at the sleeping man, "What should we do about Trapper?"
The doctor sighed and walked over to his friend, Sara could quite easily see the wheels turning in his head as an evil idea formed.
"You're not going to-." But before she could finish the sentence Hawkeye grabbed the bucket and lifted it up, the lack of weight on his chest caused Trapper to sit up alert, before he could react, Frank found himself covered from head to toe by water, an empty bucket in Hawkeye's hand.
"Wow, did not see that coming." Sara said with a sly grin.
"What was that for?!" Frank demanded.
"I'm sorry Frank," Hawkeye said, "I just needed some way to wake up Trapper, he's allergic to water."
"So how is getting me wet helping to wake him up?"
"Well, you don't expect me to throw it at Sara do you?"
"Face it Frank, he just loves you too much." Trapper said as he jammed his feet into his boots. "Alright, it's surgery time."
Neither the doctors nor Sara knew what to expect when they opened the door to the Swamp and peered out into the world. The sky was dark, rain clouds blocked out the blood red sun that often shone due to the smoke from the not so far away fighting. Silvery white rain cascaded down in sheets onto the compound ground, leaving the once dry and cracked earth was now muddy and half black against the sheer rain and clouds.
"Oh... my." Was all Sara could manage as she gazed over the compound, "Do we make a run for it or what?"
"I think someone moved the camp onto a quick sand trap." Trapper muttered, "Im not sure running will help... at all."
"Well come on you scaredy cats!" Frank said with his evil mocking tone, "Or are you afraid of a little rain?"
"I'm more afraid of being swallowed by the pool of mud which someone has inconveniently placed outside our tent." Hawkeye replied, "Ah well." He shrugged and stepped out into the fierce rain and wind. He was swiftly followed by Frank, Trapper and Sara, all of whom were finding it a challenge just to move three feet, more than once Trapper had to grip Sara's wrist to keep her from falling back into the mud where she would undoubtedly remain stuck until she could be properly rescued.
Eventually they reached the pre-op ward, Frank was a few feet behind them, whining and complaining that no one was waiting for him, to make good on her constant teasing Sara waited patiently in the rain until he caught up. The ferret-like doctor gave her a grateful nod, clearly not wanting to acknowledge that she had actually done something reasonable.
The ward was full, completely and utterly full. It would certainly be a long day. This was what kept Sara going, the fear and adrenaline, the perfect imagery of human beings, no matter which side they supported saving others. They worked in the most difficult situations but still they pulled through...
"Clamp... God look at this kid, he's got enough shrapnel in him to make us two new sets of instruments," Hawkeye muttered as Sara passed him the, "There are bleeders everywhere, Lap sponge."
"Lap sponge."
"Hey Radar, how many more are out there?" Trapper called from one table over.
"At least ten more out in pre op, HQ said we could be expecting more in the next fourteen hours!" The young man said quickly from behind his white surgical mask.
"Oh thats just... Sh-." Trapper swore violently, "Clamp, hurry!"
"There aren't any clean ones!" the nurse standing next to him said swiftly.
"Sara, get over here, I need your baby finger!"
"Korton, help out Pierce!" Margaret snapped as Sara quickly exchanged her bloody gloves for a new pair and raced over to Trapper's side where he proceeded to (and quite unexpectedly) take his smallest finger and thrust it into the artery of the man laying in front of him who's blood had just been spraying everywhere.
"Geez... Someone get those instruments clean!" Henry snapped from the last table where he was assisting Frank, "And fast!"
Sara gave a shiver as she felt the blood from the man's clipped artery speed past her finger and back down it's proper line.
"You okay honey?" Trapper asked.
"Yeah, fine..."