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Around 10:00 Am the new Doctor wakes up, and is just in time for the women to use the showers, so she decided that was what she would do. She gets into the shower tent, and the Major is already there. "Morning Captain."
"Good morning Major."
"How did you sleep?"
"Alright, to say the least."
"Yeah it takes a while to get use to sleeping through the bombs." Margaret says.
"Yeah, so I figured."
"So how was your first day?"
"It was fine, but nerve-racking. I am not looking forward to today."
"Well hopefully all we'll have is post up surgeries."
"Yeah." She says.
Around 10:45, there is a knock at her makeshift door. "Come in?" She says, trying to fix her hair quickly.
"Captain."
"Yes?" She turns around and sees Hawkeye.
"The Colonel would like you to accompany me to post op, so you know how we run it before we let you loose."
"Alright, that sounds fine." She says smiling, finishing tying her hair up.
They head over to Post-op, and Frank is sitting at the desk, writing something on a chart.
"You're late Pierce." He says gruffly.
"Deduct it from my pay check." He says. "What do we have?"
"Oh Captain Miller, I didn't see you here."
Kimberly looks at him and rolls her eyes. She knows how fake it is, and she really would prefer not to know him. "Did you sleep well Captain?"
"Fine, thank you. The bombs blowing up 2 miles away really helped the experience feel real." She says, shuttering at the thought.
"Your first night is the worst, I feel." Frank says. "You know."
"Frank! The patients?" Hawkeye says to him.
"Oh right." He says, and walks around with the 2 discussing what has happened over the night. "Keep your eye on Johnson here, he has a temperature of 101.3."
"Did you miss something?" Kimberly says, looking at the chart.
"I most certainly did not!" Frank says taking offence to that comment.
"Not all fevers occur because of something missed, but in Frank's case, we better keep our eye on him." Hawkeye says to her. "When we have a fever, we treat it with penicillin till further discussion. If we have to open them up again, so be it." Hawk says. "I'd rather open them up again, than have a whole new batch come in."
"Is it true that once they get into this M*A*S*H* unit their odds of survival are upped to 96% survival?"
"Yeah, we do good work here, for meatball surgery." Hawkeye says. "Frank, you look exhausted from all your malpractice. I think you should go get some sleep." He says smiling. Frank huffs before he storms out of the Post- Op.
"Is he always that miserable?"
"Who Frank?" He asks, looking up from one of the charts at her.
"Yeah, Frank."
"Of course. I don't think he knows how to be a good sport. You get use to him though."
"So I figured." She says. For the next hour, she tries to get accustom to how the post-op works in the M*A*S*H* Unit. She has always been quick to catch on, so it did not take her long.
"Attention All Personal, we regret to inform you that lunch is now being served in the Mess Tent."
"Shall we go get some food?" Hawkeye asks her.
"Sure." She says, following him out of the Post-Op and into the Mess Tent. They get their food, and sit down at the table.
"Where's BJ?" Hawkeye asks the Corneal.
"Probably in the Swamp." He says shrugging.
"I have to talk to him about his one patient. he still has a fever, and he may have to go back into him."
"Which patient?"
"Norton. The penicillin isn't working. He's stable but I don't know how much longer we can wait till he isn't. He has already had about 5 units of blood, and something just isn't fitting." Pierce says taking a mouthful of the so called food that was in front of him. "I'll leave it up to BJ to see if he wants to go into him again or not. Speak of the Devil." Hawkeye says, as BJ walks through the mess tent. "Beej, your patient, Norton."
"Yeah what about him?" He says to his bunk mate.
"He has a fever, penicillin isn't working, and he is stable for the time being. I think you may have to go back into him.
"Norton had so many holes, I knew I probably missed one." He says sighing. "How many units of blood has he gone through?"
"5. almost on his 6th." Hawkeye says.
"Alright, let me grab a quick bite and then I'll head over. Who's the nurse on Duty?"
"Nancy."
"No, she won't do, I better go get Margaret to help on this case." He says.
"Do you need any of my help?" Kimberly asks him.
"I may. but you're on post-op duty aren't you?"
"Just observing. Let me know." She says smiling.
"Radar, can you go find Margaret for me and tell her I'll need her in the OR in about 30 minutes? Then go get Nancy and have her prep the patient."
"Yes sir." He says, walking out of the mess tent.
30 minutes later, BJ was cutting into the patient, with the help of Kimberly.
"Retract that for me would you Margaret?" He asks. "Suction." He gets it. "Ahh, there it is. I need silk." He calls, and ties up the little hole, that had gotten away from him earlier. "How's his pressure?"
"Stable. 120 over 80 pulse 70."
"Good. Did I miss anything else Kimberly?" He asks the young Doctor.
She looks around, "It doesn't seem like it. Get some more suction right around here." She says pointing around the heart. She carefully looks over the body before coming to the conclusion that they were ready to close. "You did good Dr." She says smiling, as Margaret starts to close the soldier.
"Hawkeye, what time am I on?" He says walking into the Post-op.
"At 4." He says to him, before turning his attention back to the nurse.
"Alright." He says, "See ya then," And leaves in the direction of the Swamp.
"How was the operation?"
"He just missed one small hole. He found it, closed it up, looked for more and sewed him up." She says, grabbing a chart of on soldier with head wounds. "Give him 20 CC's of morphine." She says to Nancy.
Around 4:00, right before BJ comes into the Post-Op there is an announcement over the PA System
"Attention Personal, we wounded coming in! Tons of them! All shifts please report to the OR! It's gonna be a long night people!"
"Showtime." Hawkeye says, running out of the Post-op over to the Bus that has just arrived.
"Kimberly, get on the bus and start triaging. Frank, get the Ambulance, BJ, the helicopter." He yells, running up to the chopper pad with his friend. Kimberly looks at the bus, sees Klinger heading over to help, she takes a deep breath and goes onto the bus.
"Ok, he's first." She says looking over a horribly mangled body. His chest was a mess, and he was unconscious. "Get him started on some plasma!" She says yelling at the Coremen. "He's next." Calling out. "Then Him, and the rest can wait for now." She says, only seeing minimal damage to the lower extremities. She jumps off the bus and goes into scrub up, Frank was already in one of the sinks, she takes the far side, and then Pierce and Hunnicut walks in shortly after.
"Are you ready for round two Miller?" Pierce asks her.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She says. After she's done scrubbing and in her gown, Margaret pulls the mask up over her face, and puts gloves on her. She walks into the room, and over to her table. "Alright, I need a scalpel." She says. She cuts into the man and sees his heart, spleen, liver and kidneys are a mess. "Suction." She says. "This kids a mess." She says, shaking her head.
Around an hour later, she starts working on the liver, John, who was doing anastesia says, "He's not doing well Doctor."
Her eyes looked very fearful, "What do you mean he isn't doing well? He has been fine since the beginning!"
"His pressure is down to 95 over 60, and pulse is thready, you better hurry up." He says.
Hawkeye looks back over his shoulder, "Do you need help Miller?"
"I don't know." She says rapidly working on her patient. "I can't see anything in this boy! I need more suction!" She says raising her voice.
"Pressure down to 80 over 30" John says shaking his head.
"Dammit! I am not going to loose him." She says, working as hard as she can to try and fix the boy.
Hawkeye looks back at John, who looks at him and shakes his head. "I lost the pulse." John says.
"I need adrenaline." She calls, the nurse brings it, but Hawkeye stops her. He looks at the wounds, and sees how severe they are. He sighs and says, "He done."
"You don't know that!" She says getting angry.
"Yes, I do. Klinger! Take this man away."
"No Klinger, don't!" She says. "Give me the ad."
"Captain Miller, he's gone! There are others you can save! He had so many holes its amazing he lasted that long! Learn when to quit!" He says, not angry, but more trying to get her to accept that the young men die. "You did your best! Now try your best with another person!"
"I Can Still.."
"No you can't Captain."
"How do you know that for sure Pierce!"
"Captain Miller, you are out of order." Frank says to her, actually shocked that he is in defense of Pierce.
Potter looks up at the 2, and says, "Miller, you did the best you could. Get another patient." He sees the young doctor start to protest and adds in, "That's an order Captain."
"Dammit." She says watching Klinger take the boy of just 18 away from her, she pulls off her gloves and throws them down on the ground. "Kelley I need gloves." She calls, watching her patient, with the sheet over his head roll out the door. Her next patient comes, and she stays silent, only talking when she needed the nurse to hand her something. After 12 hours of meatball surgery, they are finally done. Kimberly's mind is still on her first patient. She pulls her gloves and mask off her face, throwing them down on the ground.
"You did you're best Kimberly." Hawkeye says to her, which really struck a nerve.
"My best?! MY BEST?! You think that was my best! If it was my best he still would have been alive now wouldn't he! He would still be alive and in the Post-op right now!" She says, pushing over a surgical tray causing a loud crash on the floor. BJ and the Colonel run into the OR, just in time to have Kimberly push past them, and run out of the OR.
"What happened?" Potter demanded.
"She cares about her patients." He says, shaking his head. "She is still hung up over the patient who died 12 hours ago." He rubs his eyes.
"Where did she go?"
"My guess, is as far away from this place as she could possibly get." He says, heading into the scrub room, taking off his gown and hat.
"Someone should go talk to her." BJ says.
"Let her alone for right now. Let her come to terms with losing a patient. Then we can go and have a discussion with her." Potter says. "We've all had a long day."
"Can I buy you two a cup of coffee?" Hawkeye says smiling at the 2 doctors. "I think that's a good idea."
After the coffee, Hawkeye and BJ retire to the Swamp. About an hour after Hawkeye laid down, he couldn't sleep. He decided he should go have a talk with the new doctor. He walks over to her tent and sees her light in. Just before he knocks on her door, he hears her talking to herself, she asked, "What did I miss, or what could I have done to change what happened to this boy? Why wasn't I faster!" She says, her voice starting to crack. Hawkeye knocks on her door,
"Yes?" She calls, wiping her eyes.
"Mind if I come in?" Hawkeye asks.
"I am really not in the mood for people visiting right now." She says.
"Well, then, since you put it that way, "he says opening the makeshift door. "I couldn't help but hearing you... I want you to know, you did the best you could. You win some you lose some, that's just how it is."
"Not for me." She says, "I have only lost 1 patient before today."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that is not going to be the only patient you lose. There is nothing you can do to keep the boys from dying on your table."
"That's not true!" She says, trying not to cry in front of him.
"Yes, it is. Kimberly, you have been here for 48 hours. that is a shorter amount of time than I have had to be up at one time operating. You have only lost one patient, your lucky. My first day here, I lost 4, 4 patients out of 12, and that's less than half, and I considered that a good day."
"How can you consider 4 kids dying on you be a good day?"
"Because they go sour, and that will always happen. All you can do is try your best, save the ones you can, and not be too bothered by the ones you can't."
"Are you telling me that when a boy dies on your table you don't feel anything towards them? You have absolutely no emotion? They die and that's it?" She says, in harsh tone.
"No, that is not what I am saying. I do feel for the ones dead, and their families, but I can't let that get to me because if I get angry over every patient who dies on me, I'll go crazy. I also won't be able to be the best doctor to those who I can save."
"I'm not like that."
"Then, you'll drive yourself up a wall. This was the first one to die on you, and I can guarantee you, it will not be the last one." He says. "My first Colonel, Henry Blake, he was one hell of a guy. My friend came in hurt, my best friend, Tommy, he died on my table. That was probably the hardest thing to do is have you're friend come in and you not being able to save him. Henry came out after surgery and told me this, 'There are certain rules about a war and rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is doctors can't change rule number one.' It is words to live by in this hell. Don't beat yourself up over one kid Kimberly. Instead, think of those you saved today, not those you lost." He says, looking at her.
"Did Henry go home?" She asks.
"Half way. His plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan and he along with all the other passengers, died. He was one hell of a guy. I wished you could have met him. I wish everyone could have met him."
"How did you get use to this?" She asks him.
"It's routine. You get up, operate, go to sleep, sometimes you don't sleep. I'm a doctor, I live to help people, it's my job. It's our job." He says, hoping that his talk is getting through to her. "I better get out of here and get some sleep." He said, after the silence has occurred longer than 3 minutes. "I'll see you in a few hours." He says, opening the door.
"Hawkeye?" She says.
"Yeah?" He says turning around.
"Thanks a lot." She says smiling at him.
"Not a problem. Just don't let word get out that this talk occurred, I have a reputation to protect." He says giving one of his award winning smiles and a wink before heading outside and back to the Swamp.
"Where did you go?" BJ calls, as he comes through the door.
"I thought you were sleeping?"
"I was. I have post-op duty in a bit."
"I went to talk to Miller."
"How is she?" He asks.
"Better. I think I got through to her. Maybe I should have been a psychiatrist." He says laughing.
After about 20 minutes of silence, Radar comes in to get BJ. "Captain Hunnicut?" He calls from outside of the tent. When there was no answer, he comes into the swamp and shake BJ. "Captain Hunnicut, you're due in post- op."
"I'm up." He says, batting Radar away from him. "What time is it?"
"6am sir." He says to him.
"Ok." He says, getting off his cot. He walks over into Post-op and sees Captain Miller looking over her charts. "You're not on till 12." BJ says, making her jump a bit.
"I know." She says yawning. "I just had to check on my patients before I could sleep."
"How are they?" He asks, remembering his first days at the 4077. he did the exact same thing, stayed close to his patients, trying to give them the best care he could and making sure that they stay alive.
"Doing pretty well, except for Jacobs. He has a fever. They just started him on penicillin."
"Why don't you go get some sleep and if something happens in the next few hours, I'll be sure to get you." He says, taking the chart from her hands.
"Sounds like a plan." She says, smiling at him and heads back to her tent. She stays there until 11:00.
TBC:
Thanks for the reviews! I hope you still like the story! Keep reviewing!
Around 10:00 Am the new Doctor wakes up, and is just in time for the women to use the showers, so she decided that was what she would do. She gets into the shower tent, and the Major is already there. "Morning Captain."
"Good morning Major."
"How did you sleep?"
"Alright, to say the least."
"Yeah it takes a while to get use to sleeping through the bombs." Margaret says.
"Yeah, so I figured."
"So how was your first day?"
"It was fine, but nerve-racking. I am not looking forward to today."
"Well hopefully all we'll have is post up surgeries."
"Yeah." She says.
Around 10:45, there is a knock at her makeshift door. "Come in?" She says, trying to fix her hair quickly.
"Captain."
"Yes?" She turns around and sees Hawkeye.
"The Colonel would like you to accompany me to post op, so you know how we run it before we let you loose."
"Alright, that sounds fine." She says smiling, finishing tying her hair up.
They head over to Post-op, and Frank is sitting at the desk, writing something on a chart.
"You're late Pierce." He says gruffly.
"Deduct it from my pay check." He says. "What do we have?"
"Oh Captain Miller, I didn't see you here."
Kimberly looks at him and rolls her eyes. She knows how fake it is, and she really would prefer not to know him. "Did you sleep well Captain?"
"Fine, thank you. The bombs blowing up 2 miles away really helped the experience feel real." She says, shuttering at the thought.
"Your first night is the worst, I feel." Frank says. "You know."
"Frank! The patients?" Hawkeye says to him.
"Oh right." He says, and walks around with the 2 discussing what has happened over the night. "Keep your eye on Johnson here, he has a temperature of 101.3."
"Did you miss something?" Kimberly says, looking at the chart.
"I most certainly did not!" Frank says taking offence to that comment.
"Not all fevers occur because of something missed, but in Frank's case, we better keep our eye on him." Hawkeye says to her. "When we have a fever, we treat it with penicillin till further discussion. If we have to open them up again, so be it." Hawk says. "I'd rather open them up again, than have a whole new batch come in."
"Is it true that once they get into this M*A*S*H* unit their odds of survival are upped to 96% survival?"
"Yeah, we do good work here, for meatball surgery." Hawkeye says. "Frank, you look exhausted from all your malpractice. I think you should go get some sleep." He says smiling. Frank huffs before he storms out of the Post- Op.
"Is he always that miserable?"
"Who Frank?" He asks, looking up from one of the charts at her.
"Yeah, Frank."
"Of course. I don't think he knows how to be a good sport. You get use to him though."
"So I figured." She says. For the next hour, she tries to get accustom to how the post-op works in the M*A*S*H* Unit. She has always been quick to catch on, so it did not take her long.
"Attention All Personal, we regret to inform you that lunch is now being served in the Mess Tent."
"Shall we go get some food?" Hawkeye asks her.
"Sure." She says, following him out of the Post-Op and into the Mess Tent. They get their food, and sit down at the table.
"Where's BJ?" Hawkeye asks the Corneal.
"Probably in the Swamp." He says shrugging.
"I have to talk to him about his one patient. he still has a fever, and he may have to go back into him."
"Which patient?"
"Norton. The penicillin isn't working. He's stable but I don't know how much longer we can wait till he isn't. He has already had about 5 units of blood, and something just isn't fitting." Pierce says taking a mouthful of the so called food that was in front of him. "I'll leave it up to BJ to see if he wants to go into him again or not. Speak of the Devil." Hawkeye says, as BJ walks through the mess tent. "Beej, your patient, Norton."
"Yeah what about him?" He says to his bunk mate.
"He has a fever, penicillin isn't working, and he is stable for the time being. I think you may have to go back into him.
"Norton had so many holes, I knew I probably missed one." He says sighing. "How many units of blood has he gone through?"
"5. almost on his 6th." Hawkeye says.
"Alright, let me grab a quick bite and then I'll head over. Who's the nurse on Duty?"
"Nancy."
"No, she won't do, I better go get Margaret to help on this case." He says.
"Do you need any of my help?" Kimberly asks him.
"I may. but you're on post-op duty aren't you?"
"Just observing. Let me know." She says smiling.
"Radar, can you go find Margaret for me and tell her I'll need her in the OR in about 30 minutes? Then go get Nancy and have her prep the patient."
"Yes sir." He says, walking out of the mess tent.
30 minutes later, BJ was cutting into the patient, with the help of Kimberly.
"Retract that for me would you Margaret?" He asks. "Suction." He gets it. "Ahh, there it is. I need silk." He calls, and ties up the little hole, that had gotten away from him earlier. "How's his pressure?"
"Stable. 120 over 80 pulse 70."
"Good. Did I miss anything else Kimberly?" He asks the young Doctor.
She looks around, "It doesn't seem like it. Get some more suction right around here." She says pointing around the heart. She carefully looks over the body before coming to the conclusion that they were ready to close. "You did good Dr." She says smiling, as Margaret starts to close the soldier.
"Hawkeye, what time am I on?" He says walking into the Post-op.
"At 4." He says to him, before turning his attention back to the nurse.
"Alright." He says, "See ya then," And leaves in the direction of the Swamp.
"How was the operation?"
"He just missed one small hole. He found it, closed it up, looked for more and sewed him up." She says, grabbing a chart of on soldier with head wounds. "Give him 20 CC's of morphine." She says to Nancy.
Around 4:00, right before BJ comes into the Post-Op there is an announcement over the PA System
"Attention Personal, we wounded coming in! Tons of them! All shifts please report to the OR! It's gonna be a long night people!"
"Showtime." Hawkeye says, running out of the Post-op over to the Bus that has just arrived.
"Kimberly, get on the bus and start triaging. Frank, get the Ambulance, BJ, the helicopter." He yells, running up to the chopper pad with his friend. Kimberly looks at the bus, sees Klinger heading over to help, she takes a deep breath and goes onto the bus.
"Ok, he's first." She says looking over a horribly mangled body. His chest was a mess, and he was unconscious. "Get him started on some plasma!" She says yelling at the Coremen. "He's next." Calling out. "Then Him, and the rest can wait for now." She says, only seeing minimal damage to the lower extremities. She jumps off the bus and goes into scrub up, Frank was already in one of the sinks, she takes the far side, and then Pierce and Hunnicut walks in shortly after.
"Are you ready for round two Miller?" Pierce asks her.
"Ready as I'll ever be." She says. After she's done scrubbing and in her gown, Margaret pulls the mask up over her face, and puts gloves on her. She walks into the room, and over to her table. "Alright, I need a scalpel." She says. She cuts into the man and sees his heart, spleen, liver and kidneys are a mess. "Suction." She says. "This kids a mess." She says, shaking her head.
Around an hour later, she starts working on the liver, John, who was doing anastesia says, "He's not doing well Doctor."
Her eyes looked very fearful, "What do you mean he isn't doing well? He has been fine since the beginning!"
"His pressure is down to 95 over 60, and pulse is thready, you better hurry up." He says.
Hawkeye looks back over his shoulder, "Do you need help Miller?"
"I don't know." She says rapidly working on her patient. "I can't see anything in this boy! I need more suction!" She says raising her voice.
"Pressure down to 80 over 30" John says shaking his head.
"Dammit! I am not going to loose him." She says, working as hard as she can to try and fix the boy.
Hawkeye looks back at John, who looks at him and shakes his head. "I lost the pulse." John says.
"I need adrenaline." She calls, the nurse brings it, but Hawkeye stops her. He looks at the wounds, and sees how severe they are. He sighs and says, "He done."
"You don't know that!" She says getting angry.
"Yes, I do. Klinger! Take this man away."
"No Klinger, don't!" She says. "Give me the ad."
"Captain Miller, he's gone! There are others you can save! He had so many holes its amazing he lasted that long! Learn when to quit!" He says, not angry, but more trying to get her to accept that the young men die. "You did your best! Now try your best with another person!"
"I Can Still.."
"No you can't Captain."
"How do you know that for sure Pierce!"
"Captain Miller, you are out of order." Frank says to her, actually shocked that he is in defense of Pierce.
Potter looks up at the 2, and says, "Miller, you did the best you could. Get another patient." He sees the young doctor start to protest and adds in, "That's an order Captain."
"Dammit." She says watching Klinger take the boy of just 18 away from her, she pulls off her gloves and throws them down on the ground. "Kelley I need gloves." She calls, watching her patient, with the sheet over his head roll out the door. Her next patient comes, and she stays silent, only talking when she needed the nurse to hand her something. After 12 hours of meatball surgery, they are finally done. Kimberly's mind is still on her first patient. She pulls her gloves and mask off her face, throwing them down on the ground.
"You did you're best Kimberly." Hawkeye says to her, which really struck a nerve.
"My best?! MY BEST?! You think that was my best! If it was my best he still would have been alive now wouldn't he! He would still be alive and in the Post-op right now!" She says, pushing over a surgical tray causing a loud crash on the floor. BJ and the Colonel run into the OR, just in time to have Kimberly push past them, and run out of the OR.
"What happened?" Potter demanded.
"She cares about her patients." He says, shaking his head. "She is still hung up over the patient who died 12 hours ago." He rubs his eyes.
"Where did she go?"
"My guess, is as far away from this place as she could possibly get." He says, heading into the scrub room, taking off his gown and hat.
"Someone should go talk to her." BJ says.
"Let her alone for right now. Let her come to terms with losing a patient. Then we can go and have a discussion with her." Potter says. "We've all had a long day."
"Can I buy you two a cup of coffee?" Hawkeye says smiling at the 2 doctors. "I think that's a good idea."
After the coffee, Hawkeye and BJ retire to the Swamp. About an hour after Hawkeye laid down, he couldn't sleep. He decided he should go have a talk with the new doctor. He walks over to her tent and sees her light in. Just before he knocks on her door, he hears her talking to herself, she asked, "What did I miss, or what could I have done to change what happened to this boy? Why wasn't I faster!" She says, her voice starting to crack. Hawkeye knocks on her door,
"Yes?" She calls, wiping her eyes.
"Mind if I come in?" Hawkeye asks.
"I am really not in the mood for people visiting right now." She says.
"Well, then, since you put it that way, "he says opening the makeshift door. "I couldn't help but hearing you... I want you to know, you did the best you could. You win some you lose some, that's just how it is."
"Not for me." She says, "I have only lost 1 patient before today."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that is not going to be the only patient you lose. There is nothing you can do to keep the boys from dying on your table."
"That's not true!" She says, trying not to cry in front of him.
"Yes, it is. Kimberly, you have been here for 48 hours. that is a shorter amount of time than I have had to be up at one time operating. You have only lost one patient, your lucky. My first day here, I lost 4, 4 patients out of 12, and that's less than half, and I considered that a good day."
"How can you consider 4 kids dying on you be a good day?"
"Because they go sour, and that will always happen. All you can do is try your best, save the ones you can, and not be too bothered by the ones you can't."
"Are you telling me that when a boy dies on your table you don't feel anything towards them? You have absolutely no emotion? They die and that's it?" She says, in harsh tone.
"No, that is not what I am saying. I do feel for the ones dead, and their families, but I can't let that get to me because if I get angry over every patient who dies on me, I'll go crazy. I also won't be able to be the best doctor to those who I can save."
"I'm not like that."
"Then, you'll drive yourself up a wall. This was the first one to die on you, and I can guarantee you, it will not be the last one." He says. "My first Colonel, Henry Blake, he was one hell of a guy. My friend came in hurt, my best friend, Tommy, he died on my table. That was probably the hardest thing to do is have you're friend come in and you not being able to save him. Henry came out after surgery and told me this, 'There are certain rules about a war and rule number one is young men die. And rule number two is doctors can't change rule number one.' It is words to live by in this hell. Don't beat yourself up over one kid Kimberly. Instead, think of those you saved today, not those you lost." He says, looking at her.
"Did Henry go home?" She asks.
"Half way. His plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan and he along with all the other passengers, died. He was one hell of a guy. I wished you could have met him. I wish everyone could have met him."
"How did you get use to this?" She asks him.
"It's routine. You get up, operate, go to sleep, sometimes you don't sleep. I'm a doctor, I live to help people, it's my job. It's our job." He says, hoping that his talk is getting through to her. "I better get out of here and get some sleep." He said, after the silence has occurred longer than 3 minutes. "I'll see you in a few hours." He says, opening the door.
"Hawkeye?" She says.
"Yeah?" He says turning around.
"Thanks a lot." She says smiling at him.
"Not a problem. Just don't let word get out that this talk occurred, I have a reputation to protect." He says giving one of his award winning smiles and a wink before heading outside and back to the Swamp.
"Where did you go?" BJ calls, as he comes through the door.
"I thought you were sleeping?"
"I was. I have post-op duty in a bit."
"I went to talk to Miller."
"How is she?" He asks.
"Better. I think I got through to her. Maybe I should have been a psychiatrist." He says laughing.
After about 20 minutes of silence, Radar comes in to get BJ. "Captain Hunnicut?" He calls from outside of the tent. When there was no answer, he comes into the swamp and shake BJ. "Captain Hunnicut, you're due in post- op."
"I'm up." He says, batting Radar away from him. "What time is it?"
"6am sir." He says to him.
"Ok." He says, getting off his cot. He walks over into Post-op and sees Captain Miller looking over her charts. "You're not on till 12." BJ says, making her jump a bit.
"I know." She says yawning. "I just had to check on my patients before I could sleep."
"How are they?" He asks, remembering his first days at the 4077. he did the exact same thing, stayed close to his patients, trying to give them the best care he could and making sure that they stay alive.
"Doing pretty well, except for Jacobs. He has a fever. They just started him on penicillin."
"Why don't you go get some sleep and if something happens in the next few hours, I'll be sure to get you." He says, taking the chart from her hands.
"Sounds like a plan." She says, smiling at him and heads back to her tent. She stays there until 11:00.
TBC:
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