"Finally!" the young woman barked as Hawkeye arrived on the scene. She cradled the boy's head in her hands, not wanting to hurt him any further on the rough ground. "You the doctor?"
"That's me," Hawkeye said distractedly, pulling at the boy's shirt to get a look at his injuries. "What happened?"
"Landmine, I think. His leg's hurt pretty bad too. I bandaged him up as best I could but I couldn't stop the bleeding altogether."
"You did a good job," Hawkeye said, looking up at her for the first time. He frowned as he noticed the blood all over her shirt and neck. "Are you injured?"
"Nothing serious. The blood's mostly his," she said with a worried look at the boy. Her voice was steely and resolute as she spoke, but Hawkeye couldn't help but notice her shaking hands and white face.
"Don't worry, he'll pull through," he assured her, then yelled, "BJ!"
BJ arrived and Klinger quickly followed, having found a stretcher and Colonel Potter on their way. The Colonel looked on the scene as he arrived and for a brief moment stopped, just staring at what lay before him. Of all the lousy rotten things to happen in this war, he thought to himself, surely the worst must be innocent bystanders like this tiny kid getting ripped apart. God, he looked about two years old. Colonel Potter looked up at BJ then, and as their eyes met he knew the younger man must be thinking the same thing.
"Alright, let's get this kid into OR," Hawkeye said sharply. Klinger took one end of the stretcher and BJ the other; they lifted the boy easily - he was so light. "Gently, Klinger, for crying out loud!"
"Sorry Captain, I guess I don't know my own strength," Klinger said, cringing. BJ, Klinger, and the boy on the stretcher disappeared into the OR. Hawkeye hesitated, turning back to Colonel Potter.
"Colonel, would you take a look at her? She may be in shock," Hawkeye said quietly, with an appraising glance at the young woman who brought in their patient.
"On it, son," Colonel Potter replied swiftly, and turned his attention to the girl who was now trying to stand up. "Easy, easy," he said, giving her a hand.
"We need a nurse," Hawkeye said, but as soon as the words left his mouth Radar was almost at his side, having been woken up by the commotion outside his quarters. Already he was in action, knowing his part in the circus by heart.
"I'll get Major Houlihan," he said, and took off running to her tent.
Hawkeye took a deep breath and went quickly to scrub up. That poor little kid, he thought. This damn ugly war just keeps getting uglier.
