Title: Reflections on a Time Best Forgotten...
Author: Me...Radar hunnihawk (aka, Ange.)
Rating: Oh If slash is sutable for pg:13 then this would be it.
Pairings, Suggestions of Trapper/ Frank, Frank/ Charles, Charles/ Trapper
Feedback/constructive comments...of course, please do. If you want to throw things at me for how bad it is, I learnt to duck so feel welcome.
Writers Note, Written for the wonderful Sneakyangel and the fabulous Twilightmash, without them challenging me and giving me a prod, and the beta then this story would never have been wrote. So if you like it credit them, if you don't then blame me.
I
It was at a medical conference after the war, thatFrank Burns found out three disturbing things.
The first one was that Margaret - his Margaret, the one that got away, the one that broke his heart into a
million pieces, was now married to his arch rival. The man who took great joy in making his life hell,
Hawkeye Pierce - bachelor at large, Mr take them andleave them, was now married to his Margaret. Both
being - for different reasons, the cause of Frank's nervous breakdown. And due to the nature of the
conference, both of them were going to be there.
The second thing that disturbed him was that Trapper John McIntyre would also be at said conference. The
disturbing part was that he was the reason for Frank's divorce. Ironic that Louise had accepted Margaret,
whom he had held something for, for many years, but when it came to a meaningless fling with Trapper, then
she had served him with divorce papers. Of course that was after she had read him the riot act and threw the
frying pan at him.
If that wasn't enough, then came reason number three that made him want to hide in his hotel room forever:
Charles Emerson Winchester - the Third to be precise. He was the man giving the lecture. At first, going to
the lecture had seemed such a good idea. It had given him a legitimate reason to get out of Fort Wayne and
away from a whole load of bad memories.
As Frank digested the third bit of information he was forced to remember a time he would rather forget. It
had been during R & R in Tokyo that Frank first encountered Charles. At the time he had not realised
who he was, a fellow Major, doctor and Frank just wanted some company. And the distinguished fellow in
the bar also sat alone. The man clearly had money judging by the way he was dressed, and the sipping on
expensive cognac. However as he edged closer, his already fragile mind slipped further towards the side
of insanity. Margaret's (first) marriage had really affected him and Frank now had to admit that he was
not himself. Really not, or at least not the carefully created persona that Frank himself had created for the world
to see. As much as Hawkeye and Trapper appeared to despise his by-the-book ways, he had quickly realised
something upon meeting them. They needed someone to rebel against, someone to rage against, someone to
help them keep their sanity, and they needed Frank to be that person. Henry couldn't be that person so it
was up to Frank.
In reality, Frank was unpopular at home because of a previous mistake. He and his best (and only) friend
had drunk one too many beers one night and curiosity had gotten the better of him. Only to be caught right
in the middle of the most intimate of acts by his mate's brother.
However seeing the distinguished, tall and rich gentleman in front of him had reawakened old feelings
from deep inside him, (and not so deep inside him if you get the writer's drift). Whilst he loved Margaret,
the urge to visit the alternative pleasure ahem alternative pure pleasures of the flesh, was strong.
As Frank limped over to the bar, thanks to an unfortunate incident with General Kester's wife, he
tried to work out why the gentleman in front of him seemed so familiar.
And then he realised who he was. This person was Charles Emerson Winchester (the third), son of Charles
Winchester (the second), one of the richest and most distinguished men in Boston, nay, the whole eastern
seaboard. After several beers, cognacs, and whatever they could think of, it was discovered that Frank and
Charles had a previous lover in Common. Another Mr take them and leave them: the one and only Trapper
John McIntyre.
Frank could not bear to bring himself to think about what happened next. Somehow they had ended up in
Frank's hotel room. Somehow they had ended up waking with blinding hangovers and a lack of clothes. And
somehow, Frank had, just for a few moments felt wanted, safe, loved. Yet as usual, after one of these
illicit encounters, it didn't last. Charles had vowed never to drink again, before getting dressed and
leaving Frank totally alone - as usual.
That may have been the final straw for Frank's fragile state of mind to deal with. Later that day the MP's
had finally caught up with him. He never saw Margaret, the 4077th or Charles again. Until today.
Somehow he had managed to avoid his fellow 4077th inmates that day, eating lunch alone in a cafeteria
away from the conference. During the actual conference, he had shuffled in discreetly, sitting at
the back of the room. He fled back to the hotel room as soon as possible, and was now wondering if he could
come up with a plausible reason to give his boss why he left early.
Groaning in despair after realising that there was no in-personal reason he could give, he pulled out a
bottle of cheep booze from his luggage. It was after the bottle was empty that the self-pity really kicked
in and the tears he had held back for years began to flow.
He did not hear the door open, or the soft thud of footsteps crossing the room. He did notice someone
taking the glass out of his hand and then hesitantly draping an arm around him. Frank did not care who it
was as he sobbed. The systematic hand soothingly stroking his back helped calm Frank down and when he
was done the as yet-to-be-identified person removed Frank's slippers and helped him get under the covers.
"I heard what happened. I also noticed you avoiding us, can't say I blame you. You okay?"
Frank shook his head no. And for the first time in his life, Frank truly talked. And for the first time
Hawkeye Pierce began to understand the real Frank Burns. By the time Hawkeye left, for the first time
ever, Frank did not feel used and alone.
"Thank you Pierce."
"No, thank you Frank."
Frank still had plenty of wounds, but that small exchange was the first step in helping him to heal.