Kooshball Note: You wanted more Izzy, you've got more Izzy!
This one is just the first five ways combined into one to make a new chapter/story. I think one or two people wanted to see Izzy after the war in Crab Apple Cove, so that's where it's been set.
First Person Perspective – Izzy's POV
'Hawkeye! Why hasn't the spare room been set up?' I yelled down the stairs. Hawkeye ducked out from the kitchen.
'I haven't had time,' he replied. I rolled my eyes and went to the linen cupboard.
'Can't trust him to do anything,' I muttered, pulling sheets out. Hawkeye had planned a 4077th reunion and we had offered beds to BJ, Trapper, and Klinger. Charles, Radar, Father Mulcahy and Margaret were also coming, but they had chosen to stay in the small bed and breakfast at Crab Apple Cove. It would be the most business it would see for a while. Neither Frank or Colonel Potter had been able to make it, though the Potter's had sent their regards.
'Where's Daniel?' I yelled out, wrestling with the sheets, trying to get them onto one of the beds.
'He had to go to the shop for something,' Hawkeye replied, entering the spare room. 'Need help?'
'No, I thought I'd just leave the bed like it is,' I replied sarcastically, stepping away from the bed. The sheets were crooked, the pillows were on the floor, and the mattress was half off the base of the bed. Between us, Hawkeye and I fixed it up.
'You're lucky I'd already fixed my room for BJ and Peg,' I told him as we headed down the stairs.
'I'm sorry, I've just been busy,' Hawkeye apologised again.
'Doing what, playing cards?' I teased. Hawkeye grinned me. It had been about three or four years since we'd left Korea and come to Crab Apple Cove. I'd grown my hair long since then, worn in a ponytail. Men my age couldn't keep their eyes off me, but Hawkeye still made sure they kept their hands off me.
There was a knock at the door.
'I'll get it!' Hawkeye hollered, and we both ran to the door, fighting each other off playfully to greet the first arrival to the reunion. When the door was eventually opened, Trapper greeted us with his trademark grin.
'What's new?' he asked, giving me a quick hug.
'Oh, you know, the usual stuff. Izzy forgot to make your bed, so I had to make it just then,' Hawkeye said, slapping his old pal on the back.
'I forgot?' I asked, punching Hawkeye lightly on the arm. Trapper laughed.
'Izzy, how could you?' he said.
After half an hour of reminisce between Hawkeye and Trapper, BJ and his family arrived.
'Hi, BJ, Hawk's in the lounge,' I instructed him.
'Hey, Izzy. Thanks,' BJ said, pulling a suitcase just inside the door.
'How are you, Izzy?' Peg asked as BJ disappeared around the corner.
'I'm great, Peggy. Hello, Erin,' I knelt down to give Erin a quick hug.
'Hello, Auntie Izzy,' Erin said shyly.
'This must be little Mike,' I cooed at the young baby boy in Peg's arms. Peg nodded.
'You can hold him, if you want,' Peg offered. I shook her head hurriedly.
'No, that's ok. Babies don't like me,' I told her. Peg, Erin and Mike went to sit with the three war buddies, to listen to their stories, while I struggled to get the Hunnicutt's suitcase upstairs and into my bedroom. I had given up my room because it was bigger than the spare room, and Hawkeye hadn't wanted to give up his own room. Instead of my own bed, I was sleeping down stairs on the couch in the study. Half way down stairs again when the doorbell rang again. Outside, Klinger and Radar were waiting.
'Hi guys!' I yelled excitedly, throwing myself onto them both. I hadn't seen Klinger since Korea, and hadn't seen Radar since he visited when I first arrived at Crab Apple Cove.
'Take it easy, Izzy! Lemme get a good look at you,' Klinger said, pushing me away a little.
'You're looking great,' Radar blushed. I grinned. Radar was still the nervous, naive little guy he was when he left Korea.
'Hawkeye and the rest of them are in the lounge room. I'll handle the bags,' I said. I turned towards the lounge room, and raised my voice. 'Since no-one else has offered any help!' There was laughter from the lounge room, and BJ stuck his head out the doorway.
'I'm sorry, Izzy, do you want me to take our things upstairs?' he asked, looking like he felt bad about forgetting his manners.
'Too late, I've already done it. It doesn't matter, Beej, I'm just trying to make Hawkeye feel bad,' I smiled. BJ grinned back, nodded and went back into the lounge room. Radar followed him.
'I'll help,' Klinger said, picking up the suitcase he had brought. 'Where do you want it?'
'Well, if it's ok with you, we were going to put you in the lounge room, on the fold out couch. So for now, we'll just put your bag in their somewhere, outta the way,' I told him. Klinger nodded, and he followed me into the lounge room, dragging his bag.
'Hey, Klinger,' Hawkeye said with a grin. Klinger nodded in welcome to everyone, and he sat in the last seat. I sat on a cushion on the floor, legs crossed. Later on, Margaret and Charles would join us soon, and the fun could begin.
Second Person Perspective – Erin's POV
You get bored listening to your daddy's and everyone's stories after a little while. For a girl of your age, war stories about people you've never met with jokes that you don't understand get dull very quickly. Auntie Izzy noticed you looking around, not paying any attention to the adults around you, and she beckons you over.
'You bored?' Auntie Izzy asks when you go sit on her lap. You like Auntie Izzy, her voice sounds different to other people's. You daddy says that it's because she's from Australia, but you have no idea where that is. You've only met Auntie Izzy twice before this, but you've found that she's fun and interesting.
'Can I go outside and play?' you ask. Auntie Izzy smiles and nods.
'Come on, let's go outside,' she says. She leads you outside, but no before going to a cupboard in the main hall to pick up a box. You know that the box is filled with toys, cars, dolls, baseballs, and everything else imaginable. Auntie Izzy encourages you to play with the cars and the balls, to "break the girl stereotype", whatever that is. Daddy says she has very different ideas to most other people, but he says that's ok, because Auntie Izzy is different from most other people in lots of ways.
'Tell me about Australia,' you ask when you get outside. Auntie Izzy looks surprised, but she sits down on the swinging chair on the back porch, and lifts you onto her knee.
'What do you want to know?' she asks.
'What sort of animals live there?' you ask. You love animals, especially your cat, Mittens, back at home. Mommy says you'll probably end up being a animal doctor one day.
'Well, Australia has kangaroos,' Auntie Izzy starts slowly.
'What's a kang-o-roo?' you ask.
'A kangaroo,' Auntie Izzy corrects you.
'Kangaroo,' you say slowly. Auntie Izzy nods.
'Yes, a kangaroo is a big animal,' Auntie Izzy pauses to think.
'As big as daddy?' you ask.
'Umm, no, I don't think so,' Auntie Izzy says. To anyone else, it's obvious that Auntie Izzy has no idea how big a kangaroo is, but to you, she knows everything about Australia. After all, that's where she came from, so she should know all about it.
'They hop around on their back legs, and look a little like a dog,' Auntie Izzy continues.
'I like dogs,' you tell Auntie Izzy.
'So do I,' Auntie Izzy says. 'Well, a kangaroo jumps around in the desert, and has a pouch where it keeps it's babies.' You imagine a large dog on it's back legs with your baby brother in bag on it's back.
'What else is there?' you demand.
'There are koala's, they look like a big grey teddy bear,' Auntie Izzy says.
'Are they big?' you ask. Auntie Izzy laughs.
'No. Koala's are only as big as your little brother,' she explains. You nod. That makes sense. Everyone else comes out then.
'Whatcha doing?' one of the tall men ask. You've never seen him before today, so you don't answer. Instead, you snuggle into Auntie Izzy a little more.
'Telling Erin about the animals in Australia,' Auntie Izzy replies. 'She wanted to know about them.' Mommy laughs.
'She loves animals,' she says.
'Izzy, come help me organise drinks for everyone,' Uncle Hawkeye says from the doorway. Auntie Izzy sighs.
'Is that all I'm good for, making drinks?' she asks, standing up with you in her arms. She hands you to daddy, and goes inside.
'You've got two beautiful children, BJ,' one of the short men says. You've never seen him before today either, so you pretend not to see him.
'Thanks, Klinger. Erin is a bit shy now she's older, but she's very clever. And baby Mike is always getting into mischief,' daddy says.
'Drinks are ready,' Uncle Hawkeye calls through the window. Everyone goes inside, and daddy leaves you with Auntie Izzy again, and you go into the lounge room while the rest of the adults stay in the kitchen.
'Tell me a story,' you say.
'What sort of story?' Auntie Izzy asks. You shrug. You hadn't thought that far ahead. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. 'Let's go see who's at the door,' Auntie Izzy says, and you both go to the door. A man and a woman stand there.
'Hello, Izzy,' the woman says.
'Hello,' the man says.
'I'd give you a hug, but it's kinda hard when you have a girl in your arms,' Auntie Izzy tells them.
'She's not yours, is she, Izzy?' the woman asks, surprised.
'No, she's BJ's. I'm just her Auntie,' Auntie Izzy replied.
'Oh, so this is Erin,' the woman says. 'Hello, Erin. She looks so much like her father.'
'Erin, this is Margaret and Charles,' Auntie Izzy says. You recognise the names, and say the first thing that comes to your head.
'Hotlips and Charlie,' you say. Auntie Izzy starts laughing, and has to put you down, she's laughing so hard. The man looks annoyed, and you feel you've done the wrong thing.
'BJ has obviously been telling her about you,' Auntie Izzy laughs. 'He's in the kitchen if you want to have a word with him. To the end of the hallway, and turn right.'
'Thank you, Izzy,' the mans says, and he marches down toward the kitchen.
'He isn't going to hurt daddy, is he?' you ask. The man looked very angry.
'No, just have a talk,' Auntie Izzy says as you hear yelling coming from the kitchen. 'I'd better go make sure they are just talking,' Auntie Izzy says, picking you up, and walking towards the kitchen. The woman follows you and Auntie Izzy.
'I didn't think she'd actually call you that, Charles, I just called you Charlie because it was easier for her to pronounce when she started talking properly,' daddy is saying.
'Charles, calm down. She's just a kid,' Auntie Izzy says to the man named Charlie. 'She didn't realise she'd upset you so much.' Charlie stops yelling, and looks at you.
'I suppose it is funny,' he says as if he is still angry.
'See, problem solved,' Auntie Izzy says. 'If I hear any more yelling, you'll both be kicked out of the house.' Then she takes you back to the lounge room. The woman follows you.
'It was funny,' she says when you and Auntie Izzy sit down. She sits in another chair, and looks at Auntie Izzy. 'You've grown so much,' she says. Auntie Izzy just grins.
'I'd say the same to you, Margaret, but it looks like you haven't aged a day since I saw you last,' she says. They both laugh.
'What about my story?' you ask.
'I'm sorry, Erin, I almost forgot. Did you think of what story you wanted to hear?' Auntie Izzy asked. You shake your head. 'I'll think one up then.' She looks up at the woman. 'You don't mind, do you, Margaret?'
'No, go ahead, I'll listen too,' she says. Usually, grown ups don't like stories, but tonight, everyone was listening to them.
Auntie Izzy then tells you a story about a girl whose mommy doesn't like her very much and how the girl runs away and is hurt badly. She falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she in a hospital, miles and miles away from where she fell asleep. She has lots of doctors, and they all love her like her mommy should have and they adopt her.
'How did you come up with that?' Margaret asks when the story is finished.
'It's my story. It's what happened to me, more or less,' Auntie Izzy replied, shrugging. You don't understand what she means, so when Daddy takes you to bed later on, you ask him about it.
'Auntie Izzy told me a story before,' you say.
'Was it good?' daddy asks.
'It was about a girl who runs away and is hurt. She wakes up in a hospital and the doctors adopt her. She told Margaret that it was her story,' you say. Daddy stops for a moment, and continues tucking you into the small bed in the corner of Auntie Izzy's room.
'That's what happened to Auntie Izzy, a long time ago. I was one of the doctors to adopt her,' Daddy says.
'Daddy,' you say as he goes to leave.
'Yes?' he stops at the door.
'What does "adopt" mean?'
Descriptive
Father Mulcahy knocks at the door. He knows he is late, but he also knows no-one will mind. A young woman with blonde hair answers the door. She looks excited, but Mulcahy is sure he has the wrong house. The woman is chattering away, then motions for him to go inside. Mulcahy tells the woman he must have the wrong house and sorry to disturb her, but the woman shakes her head and pulls him into the house. She picks up a piece of paper, and scribbles on it. She gives it to Father Mulcahy.
"Hi Father Mulcahy, it's Izzy. I guess you didn't recognise me."
Father Mulcahy looks up from the scrap of paper and stares at the woman. She grins at him and he can suddenly see the resemblance of the girl he knew in Korea. Mulcahy apologizes for his lateness and not recognizing Izzy, but Izzy waves her hand to stop the apologies. She leads him into the lounge room where a large group of people are sitting. There's Margaret, Charles and who must be BJ's wife on one lounge, and Klinger, Hawkeye, Radar, BJ, Trapper and someone who could only be Daniel, Hawkeye's father, sitting on an assortment of chairs around the room. Izzy left the room and brought back a chair from the kitchen for Mulcahy to sit on before perching herself on the arm of Hawkeye's chair. She says something, and everyone laughs. Father Mulcahy laughs gently along, not sure how many people knew he was deaf.
Father Mulcahy asks how everyone has been, wishing he could hear their replies. All he can do is nod and smile to everyone's talking. The talking goes on for a few hours before questions are directed at him. Daniel stares strangely at Father Mulcahy when his question goes ignored. Izzy stands up quickly, and pulls Father Mulcahy into the kitchen, followed by BJ, leaving everyone else to talk about the price of housing in their home towns.
BJ and Izzy start talking quickly to each other, and BJ picks up a pen and paper.
"Did you tell Izzy you were deaf?" he wrote. Father Mulcahy shook his head. BJ asked Izzy something and she talked animatedly to BJ for a moment. Father Mulcahy had first thought Izzy and everyone else had been told by BJ that he was deaf, but it didn't seem that way now.
He told them then and there that he didn't want anyone else to know he was deaf. BJ and Izzy didn't speak for a while.
Izzy suddenly got that glint in her eye that Father Mulcahy had seen once or twice before, which meant she had an idea.
For the rest of the night, the group played charades.
Non-description
'Morning, Izzy.'
'Morning, Klinger. Sofa not too uncomfortable?'
'No, it was fine. What's for breakfast?'
'I don't know, what are you cooking?'
'Ha ha, Izzy.'
'I thought it was funny.'
'Thanks BJ. I didn't even hear you come in.'
'Are you still seeing Sidney Freedman, Izzy?'
'You're seeing Sidney? What for?'
'Yeah, I'm still seeing him, Beej. Sidney decided that I needed, ahem, supervision. I see him once a month because he has some stupid idea that I'm crazy.'
'I have to agree with him, Izzy. Why else would you say you came from the future?'
'What!?'
'No-one else knows, Klinger, except Hawkeye, BJ, Trapper, Daniel and Sidney, so I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone.'
'Klinger, tell Izzy it's impossible to be from the future.'
'What year?'
'You're not helping, Klinger.'
'Sorry, BJ.'
'How do you explain the fact that I knew about Father Mulcahy being deaf... I never said that! Klinger, you didn't hear that!'
'Father Mulcahy's deaf? Since when?'
'End of the war. You can keep that under your skirt as well, Klinger.'
'Ha ha, BJ.'
'Sorry.'
'Why are you grinning then?'
'I'm going to tell Hawkeye we're ready for breakfast. I'm sick of doing everything this weekend. It's his house, too, so he can help.'
'You tell him, Izzy.'
'Ok. See you in a minute.'
'You think Hawkeye will cook us breakfast?'
'Hawkeye? Not a chance in hell.'
'Hey, I cooked in Korea. I could cook breakfast.'
'You cooked in Korea, but that doesn't mean it was edible, Klinger.'
'Hey, I was working with Army regulation ingredients.'
'Sure, blame the food. Besides, Hawkeye might not want you to cook in his kitchen anyway.'
'Well, if he doesn't like my cooking, we'll use it as an excuse for him to cook.'
'Good idea, Klinger.'
'Thanks.'
'You're still not cooking.'
Third Person perspective
'So where are the rest of the group?' Hawkeye asked casually around seven o'clock.
'Margaret, Radar, Charles and Father Mulcahy only meant to stay in Crab Apple Cove one night, and Peg has taken Erin and Mike to the cinemas,' Klinger replied.
'What a waste. All we did last night was play charades,' Trapper complained. 'Who's idea was that again?'
'Father Mulcahy suggested it,' Izzy said smoothly, closing her eyes. She had been tired out earlier that day playing with Mike and Erin.
'Well, what did you want to do last night?' Daniel Pierce asked.
'Play poker, what else?' Hawkeye said.
'At least we could talk during poker,' Trapper agreed.
'We'll play now,' BJ said. He took a pack of cards out of his pocket. 'Who's in?'
'Yeah, alright,' was the general murmur around the living room.
'No, I'm right,' Izzy said, moving into a more comfortable position on the arm chair.
'Awww, come on, Izzy,' BJ said.
'It'll be fun,' Klinger added. Trapper was already dealing the cards.
'In a few hands, ok? I want to have a doze,' Izzy muttered. Hawkeye shrugged.
'Her loss,' he said.
'Yes, it is my loss. If I play,' Izzy replied. Everyone laughed.
'Izzy, come play,' BJ said after half an hour. Izzy sighed, looked up, then got up.
'Fine,' she said, as if she had been asked to do some huge chore. 'I'm not going to fall asleep sitting like that anyway.'
Later, Trapper was first, closely followed by Hawkeye, not so closely followed by BJ, and Daniel and Izzy were fighting for last place.
'Can I deal?' Izzy asked.
'Why not?' BJ said, handing Izzy the deck. Izzy took the cards in her hands, and with a unmatched finesse, shuffled the cards.
'What?' Izzy asked when she realised everyone was looking at her.
'That was amazing. Do it again,' Trapper said. Izzy shuffled the cards again, still be the exceptional ease she had the first time.
'If I tried shuffling like that, I'd drop the lot,' Klinger said mournfully.
'How'd you learn how to do that?' Hawkeye demanded. 'I thought you were no good at cards!'
'I'm not,' Izzy said, shuffling again. 'At school, the year before I left, people would go to the library or some other room away from the teacher's to play blackjack. One taught me how to shuffle like this, but never taught me how to play the actual games.' She handed the deck to Hawkeye for him to deal, and they continued to play.
'What is your son's name again, BJ?' Daniel Pierce asked.
'Mike Farrell Hunnicutt,' BJ said proudly, as Izzy sipped her drink. She started spluttering and coughing.
'Izzy, are you ok?' everyone wanted to know once she had finished.
'Yeah, sorry, not concentrating. Mike has a very nice name, Beej, very suitable,' Izzy smiled weakly across the table. She excused herself and went upstairs to do something.
'She's acting very strange again, Hawk. Maybe we should give Sidney a call,' Trapper said.
'Am I the only person who didn't know Izzy was having therapy?' Klinger asked.
'Izzy's fine, she's always a little strange like that,' Daniel Pierce said. 'She makes little predictions, though I don't think any have come true yet.'
'And last night while playing charades, she kept on doing books and movies we hadn't even heard of, like, what was it? Shrak or something as ridiculous,' BJ said.
'Remember she said I looked just like some actor called Jamie Farr? I've never heard of him, and she says he played a character very similar to me. I'd like to see this Farr guy wear what I wore during the war!' Klinger exclaimed.
'Sidney says she seems very sane, and there's no reason to take her away from society,' Hawkeye said restrainedly. 'Can we talk about something else now?'
The room was silent when Izzy came back from upstairs.
'What?' she asked.
'Nothing,' Hawkeye said a little too quickly. Izzy glanced at the men at the table, and each of them avoided her gaze. She sighed.
'Ok, it's obvious you were talking about me. Can we forget whatever you were talking about?' she asked. For the rest of the night, the group played in utter silence.
First person perspective – Izzy's POV (Just to wrap it up)
I stand by the Hunnicutt's door as they get ready to leave. Trapper left the day before, but Klinger had to wait until his plane arrived at the airport in a few hours. BJ would have given him a lift, except Klinger had insisted he catch a taxi. And Peg had wanted to stop off at an old friends house before they got home anyway.
'Bye, Auntie Izzy,' Erin yells out before the car door shuts.
'Thanks for having us,' Peg says, giving me a hug. I grin at her.
'No problem. Any time you and Beej want a holiday to yourself, send Erin and Mike my way. They're fantastic kids,' I reply. BJ hands the dribbling Mike to Peg before saying goodbye to Hawkeye, Klinger and I.
'Great to see ya, bud,' BJ says to Hawkeye, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
'Back at you, Beej,' Hawkeye replies, punching BJ a little harder back.
'You need to come more often,' I say, stepping in before it can turn into a huge wrestling match.
'We'll try,' BJ promises, kissing me on the cheek. 'Say hi to Soon Lee for me,' he says to Klinger before getting into the car. We all wave until the car has disappeared around the corner.
'What now?' Hawkeye asks.
'I've got a few hours, yet,' Klinger reminds him.
'You should go help Daniel. I'm sure he's tired from having to run the office by himself for the last few days,' I tell Hawkeye. 'I'll make sure Klinger gets to the airport on time, and come by later.' Hawkeye nods.
'I'll see you later, Izzy,' he tells me, heading towards his car. I'm still not sure what it is, though he's told me about a million times. I stole in Sydney, but had no interest in cars.
'So what have you been doing since Korea?' Klinger asks as we head inside. I keep forgetting I hadn't had a good chance to talk to him properly as I was entertaining Erin and Mike.
'Not a lot,' I shrug.
'You could have told me about seeing Sidney,' Klinger says as we reach the living room.
'Are you still hung up on that?' I ask, sitting on the well worn armchair. Klinger is still looking left out. 'It's not such a big deal. I go to Sidney once a month, and we talk about anything that has happened.'
'Did you really come from the future?' Klinger asks me, leaning forward,
'You would have killed to try that on Colonel Potter before Radar left, wouldn't you?' I ask him, grinning. Klinger nods enthusiastically. 'I... when I was in Sydney, I got hit... by a car. I woke up, in Korea, 1951. When I had been hit by the car, it was 2003.' Klinger is nodding in an understanding manner. 'What, no ringing the mental institute? No "you're crazy, stay away from me" speech?' I ask, genuinely surprised. Klinger shook his head.
'If you say you came from the future, I believe you. I mean, you'd have all sorts of time travelling stuff in the future, right?' he asked.
'Not in 2003,' I reply with a smile. Someone actually believed me. Klinger shrugged.
'Maybe not any you knew about anyway,' he pointed out.
'What, so some scientist just picked me off the road and decided to send me into the past for the hell of it?' I ask him. Klinger shrugs.
'Maybe he was only meant to send you back far enough to stop yourself from being hit by the car,' he said. Maybe Klinger hadn't been kidding when he told everyone he was nuts in Korea.
'The future isn't that great,' I tell Klinger. 'Faster cars, worse wars, more expensive items, harder schools. I wouldn't get too excited yet.' Klinger nods like he trusts me, and I wonder if he really believes me. We talk about it for a few hours, before I glance at the clock on the mantel.
'You should be heading for the airport,' I say, standing up. Klinger nods. I ring a taxi, and it's there within five minutes.
'It's good to see ya again, kid,' Klinger hugs me tight out the front of the house.
'Same,' I reply, wishing he wasn't going yet.
'Come to Toledo for Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or something,' he says, kissing me on the cheek like BJ and Trapper had done. I nod, wondering if Hawkeye and I could get away from the practise for long enough. I watch him get into the taxi, and then wave out the back window as it drives away. After it's gone, I start walking towards the office Hawkeye had set up two weeks after Korea. It was time to get back to work.
Kooshball: Ok, the end was a little crappy, but it's a long chapter (for those always asking for more). There is more to come of Five Ways readers groan so keep an eye out for them.