Kooshball: Well, my computer is dying, so don't be surprised if this is the last chapter you see for a little while. Hopefully my computer will be back soon!
'Come on, slowly, slowly...' Hawkeye and BJ were helping Alex into a wheelchair.
'What are you doing with my patient?' Charles demanded.
'Taking her for a walk,' BJ replied.
'I forbid you to move her!' Charles said.
'Come on, Charlie, just a little drive around camp? I'll be back in an hour or so,' Alex pleaded. Charles looked annoyed at being called "Charlie", but even his steely glare couldn't stop Hawkeye and BJ wheel Alex out of the post op.
'Jefferson,' Charles barked. The nurse looked up from reading to one of the sick men.
'Yes, sir?' she asked.
'Follow the two Captains to make sure Lieutenant Dustin isn't hurt,' Charles said.
'Right away, sir,' Jefferson said before apologizing to the solider in bed. She walked quickly to the door and looked around for Hawkeye and BJ with Alex. She didn't know if it was because Charles wanted to make sure his patient was ok, or if he had grown attached to Alex like the rest of the camp, or even a little of both that had made him order Jefferson to follow Alex. She spotted them going into the Mess tent, Alex heartily greeting Father Mulcahy. She followed them in, and sat at the table next to them, so she could hear and see what they were saying.
'It's been a long time, Alex,' Father Mulcahy said. 'How is your sister and your mother?'
'Dani is doing great. Took on a secretary job at a factory and seems to like it well enough. Mom is still worried about me being in Korea, but what can you do?' Alex replied.
'That's very good,' Father Mulcahy said as Hawkeye and BJ sat down again, with a tray of food for the three of them.
'How's your eye?' Hawkeye asked.
'Sore, though not as much as the rest of me,' Alex replied. 'When can I take the bandage off?'
'Not for a while. There was some pretty bad damage, but Captain Anderson is a good doctor and an old pal of mine. He said you might even still be able to see,' BJ replied. Alex nodded, not being as optimistic.
'So much has changed since I was here,' she said. 'Radar and Frank have gone home, Klinger has stopped wearing his dresses. That new doctor, Major Winchester, what's his story?'
'Charles came from Boston, and was a private doctor for a General. He was sent here permanently, and been complaining loudly ever since,' Hawkeye said.
'He's quite a good doctor, though,' Father Mulcahy interrupted.
'He did a great job on my arm,' Alex added. 'He doesn't seem too bad. I mean, he's gotta be easier than Frank?' BJ and Hawkeye glanced at each other.
'We could have picked a better tent mate,' Hawkeye said.
'What have you been doing in the last year? You said you'd write, but you didn't,' BJ said.
'I wrote once!' Alex exclaimed.
'Once,' BJ said.
'Not much to tell, really. Went to the proper hospital, had the heck blown outta me and wound up here,' Alex said.
'How did you cut yourself?' Hawkeye asked, reaching a hand out as if to touch her shoulder lightly. Alex moved out of his range uncomfortably.
'Falling piece of tin cut my shoulder, I think. Cut me clean open,' she said. 'And a rafter fell on my leg. The sprain was from running over to the building before, and it hurt like crazy until I was knocked out. I faired better than the nurse to my right. She died almost instantly.' Jefferson shivered at her table. She hated hearing other's near death experiences.
'I haven't seen Margaret yet, you know. I'm always asleep when she's on shift,' Alex said suddenly, changing the subject.
'You want to see Margaret?' Hawkeye and BJ said in surprise at the same time.
'I've been told she's changed,' Alex said.
'Well, she did want to see Alex,' Hawkeye said slowly to BJ.
'Come on, then,' BJ said, standing up and positioning himself behind Alex's wheelchair. 'We'll go find Margaret.' Jefferson also stood up and followed them, a few metres behind. It was half way across the compound when Hawkeye noticed her, and laughed. He whispered something to BJ and Alex.
'Well, he has every right to have someone follow me, if I'm with you two,' Alex said.
'Come on, Jefferson, catch up,' BJ yelled to the nurse. Blushing, Jefferson jogged toward the group and strolled beside the wheelchair.
'How did you know I was following you?' she asked.
'You came into the mess tent with us, but you didn't eat anything there,' Hawkeye said. 'Not that you'd want to, anyway. Then you followed us out and headed in the same direction.'
'How did you know it wasn't just coincidence?' Jefferson asked.
'You were also on duty in Post op and weren't due off for another two hours,' BJ grinned.
'It's ok, if I had a patient taken out of Post op by these two, I'd have someone follow them too,' Alex smiled up at Jefferson. Jefferson blushed again and stayed quiet while the other three chatted.
'So what's Dani been up to? Is she still chasing men?' Hawkeye asked. Alex nodded.
'Has her eye on a co-worker at the moment. He seems nice, has taken her out once or twice,' she said. They reached Major Houlihan's tent, and Hawkeye gave Frank's old "secret" knock. The door was flung open by Margaret, her hair in curlers and glaring.
'Who is it?' she demanded.
'Major Houlihan,' Alex saluted promptly as well as she could.
'Alex!' Margaret cheered up instantly.
'I haven't had a chance to see you since I arrived, and I thought, since Hawkeye and BJ are wheeling me around, now would be a good a time as any,' Alex explained.
'I'll look after her, Captains,' Margaret said, moving behind the wheelchair and pushing into her tent.
'Better let Jefferson go in with you. Charles will make living hell for her if you don't,' BJ said.
'For some strange reason, he didn't trust us with his patient,' Hawkeye said, grinning. Alex laughed, and Margaret nodded.
'Fine, come in, Jefferson,' she said.
'See you guys next shift,' Alex called through the closing door.
'Now,' Margaret said excitedly, sitting on her cot. 'What have you been up to?'