A Stickier Wicket
Chapter 3
1
A/N-Okay, this chapter has sat long enough. I'm posting it, but I don't really like it. I don't know if I'll update this fic again or not. We'll see.
Trapper headed for the mess tent. When he arrived, it was mostly vacant, except for a couple of nurses braving the coffee and some donuts.
Trapper grabbed a couple of donuts that probably were fresh in the beginning of World War II, and went for the coffee despite Hawkeye's warning and his own better judgement. The only reason he took the coffee at all was to make the donuts halfway edible. He settled down at the table and went to work at making his donut palpable.
"So, I hear you had a date with the infamous "Trapper John" McIntyre last night." Trapper looked up at the sound of his name. He looked around cautiously, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. It wasn't often he got an opinion about his "abilities" without hearing it whispered to him in the heat of passion. Trapper glanced over his shoulder, and seen two nurses sitting at the next table, with their backs to him. The blonde was Lieutenant Carter, he knew. He recognized the brunette as the nurse who he had been with last night when they "missed the movies together." What was her name again? Trapper rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking. Oh, yeah, Baker. He worried a little bit about the fact that he couldn't remember much more about last night than that when the conversation between the two nurses resumed, snapping Trapper back to the present.
"Yeah, I did." Baker said enthusiastically.
"So, how was he?" The other nurse asked. "I've always wondered about...well...you know."
Trapper smiled to himself. He knew that he had quite the reputation for being a ladies man, and now he was just going to find out exactly what the ladies thought of him.
Baker smiled. "It was great! He is so passionate, and romantic, and he says all the rights things." Trapper didn't try to hide his smile as he took a sip of his coffee. Hearing about his exploits like this made him feel better. He could have any girl he wanted. He didn't need Hawkeye, when he had powers like this over women. Trapper listened intently as Baker continued to her very enthralled friend.
"But, there was something kind of strange that happened. Before I went out with Trapper last night."
"What?" Carter asked. Trapper paused in mid-bite.
"Well, I went to the Supply tent to look for Hawkeye, because someone had said that he was living there for a while, and we were supposed to have a date last night."
"Didn't Hawkeye move out of the Swamp because he was worried about a patient?" the lieutenant asked.
"Yeah, Private Thompson Anyway, when I went in there, Hawkeye was laying on the bed with his hat over his eyes. I gave him a kiss, and he said the strangest thing." Baker looked down at her cup.
"What? What did he say?" The blonde nurse inquired.
Baker looked up, and then glanced around quickly, still not seeing Trapper. "He said...'I thought I told you to leave me alone, Trapper'. How strange is that?" She looked confused.
Trapper was glad that he had swallowed his coffee, because he surely would have choked on it. As it was, he almost dropped his cup. What did she say? Hawkeye wouldn't say such a thing. Or would he? Trapper's mind was reeling. What did it mean? Carter responded to Baker's question.
"Oh, Carrie, relax. Hawkeye was probably just making a joke. He is known for his quick wit, you know."
"I know, Linda. It was just weird. You don't think...him and Trapper are...you know?" Baker looked concerned. Trapper's blood ran cold. Did someone else know what he thought, how he was? Was he really that transparent?
"Are you kidding?" Carter laughed. "Hawkeye and Trapper are two of the straightest, red-blooded American men I've ever met. They go after every nurse in camp, and neither one would go after you if they were after each other. Trust me, Hawkeye was just kidding you." The blonde nurse patted Baker on the hand.
"Yeah...you're right. I'm just overreacting. I guess I'm find out for sure next week. I have a date with Hawkeye next Thursday. He can prove to me then that he's all man." Baker smiled at that thought.
"Oh, trust me, Carrie, he is...he is." And with that, the girls laughed and the conversation turned to other topics.
Trapper felt ill, and he didn't think it was the coffee. He set down his cup, and got up quickly to exit the mess tent. As he went to leave, he literally ran into Father Mulcahy.
"Trapper! Are you all right, my son? You look flush, and yet pale at the same time." The Father's face was full of concern. "Maybe you'd better go back to the Swamp and lie down."
The Swamp was the last place he wanted to go right now. He just wanted to go somewhere nice and quiet and try to clear his head.
"Maybe in a bit, Father. I think I'm going to go for a walk and relax." He headed off to find a quiet place.
"Okay, my son. God Bless." And with that, Father Mulcahy went into the mess tent.