Inside the hospital was a mad house as enlisted and regular army men and women both ran around trying to get things ready before the wounded began to pour in. The nurses were gowning up and checking supplies while the doctors, minus Hawkeye, helped get the soldiers prepped and ready for surgery.
Pierce watched the madness around him with little concern. The 4077th had the best survival record out of all the MASH and Aid Stations in all of South Korea. So that meant that each and every person knew what to do and when to do it. "We got a good bunch here." He said to himself as a nurse helped him get ready. She removed his robe and helped him scrub up. Next she helped him into his surgical gown, one of many that would be used before the wave of wounded stopped. With a fake smile Hawkeye entered into the operating room and prepared for his first soldier. It all came natural but it wasn't something that he enjoyed. Meatball surgery, as he referred to it, wasn't anything to brag about. They just patched the kids up enough to get them to Seoul or back to the front. "Ok boys and girls. Let us see what the North Korean's have sent us today." Hawkeye stated before he went to work on the soldier in front of him. "Man. He can't be more than 15, I bet he lied about his age to get in on the fun. After all, our parents did teach us to share." He was full of wise ass remarks which was expected of him. He kept morale up and didn't stop for a second to think of the trouble he could get into after ignoring the command of several superior officers to shut up or pipe down. Little did those superior officers know that Hawkeye didn't have to listen to them not because he was a smart ass but because he was the same rank as them.
Hour and a Half Later
The number of wounded hadn't been as bad as was reported and they were down to the non-severe cases which could be handled in little time or even by one of the older, more experienced nurses. So this left Hawkeye and Henry free as Frank and Trapper still worked.
Hawkeye leaned against a nearby wall as he yawned. This had to be the shortest round of surgery that any of them performed in all the time that they were stationed in Korean. "Henry, I didn't get to mention this to you earlier but there is a General stopping by." He looked at his watch. "He'll be hear in about half an hour, give or take a few minutes or so."
Henry eyed his head surgeon. "A General. What General?" He blinked in confusion. Usually it was Radar that told him of arriving brass.
"General Martin Hopkins, Henry. He's in charge of most of the Seoul sector now a days. He's real big down there but he used to be a field surgeon in World War 2 so he gives lectures once or twice a year about new techniques."
"That's every nice Pierce but why wasn't it Radar telling me about this. He is the company clerk and local-know-it-all-before-it-happens boy." Henry asked as he began to pulled his blood stained surgical gown off and tossed it into the Landry bin.
"Well. That is a mighty fine question, Henry. You see. The thing is...I met him about 6 months ago when I was on R and R down in Seoul. I caught the end part of his lecture. He isn't here on official business that's why Radar doesn't know about it. His personal assistant Chow Zein stopped by right before we got the wounded and told me about his arrival. I was on my way to tell you when duty called." Hawkeye was beginning to remove his surgical gown also until he caught a glimpse of the brass on his collar in a nearby facet. So he stops and goes back to his leaning.
"This doesn't make sense Pierce. Why would a General just pop in, unofficially. Is he crazy? No one willing comes out here unless they are knocked out or dragged." Henry wasn't buying Hawkeyes story.
Meanwhile in the OR, Trapper was operating on a simple stomach wound when the boy began to hemorrhage and he couldn't get it stopped. His eyes darted to his gas passer which happened to be the head nurse. "Go get Hawkeye and tell him we have a emergency. I need his help if we want this kid to live." He worked frantically trying to get the bleeding stopped while waiting on Hawkeye.
Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan rushed away from the patient and out into the wash room where she breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Hawkeye hadn't retired for the evening. "Captain. Trapper needs you. He got a bad bleeder and can't get it stopped." She pulled a clean surgical gown out of a nearby pile and held it open.
Hawkeye blinked as the Major suddenly appeared. "What? A bleeder? I thought Trap only had minor stomach wound. It should of been a in and out job." He was a little anxious at this point in and time and rather snappy. "Alright. Lead the way." He quickly pulled off his dirty gown and tossed it into the laundry bin and yanks the clean one out of her hands, putting it on himself. His back turned to her and Henry the whole time. "Ok then. Henry, don't panic over this little visitation. Just ask him to join you for a drink and everything should be fine." He began to scrub his hands before drying them and entering the OR where gloves were placed on his hands. "Ok Trap. Let me handle this. You go chase a nurse or something." He stepped up to the place were Trapper once stood and looked down at the wound. "Piece of cake. Walk in the park. Easy as pie." He stated barking out which instruments that he needed to the nurse assisting him which was Margaret. He ignored all the complaining made by Frank as he finally got the bleeding to stop and closed the guy up. "Klinger, anymore out there?" When the black haired, purple dress, Corporal shook his head no, Hawkeye nodded and motioned for the patient to be carried into post-op. "Alright boys and girls. That ends our latest show on how to stop internal bleeding in under a hour." He winks at Margaret as he heads for the doors only to be stopped by the object of his wink.
"What was that about earlier when you told Blake to ask him to join him in a drink and everything will be fine? Who is him?" Margaret was in full military tone at this point in the game.
Hawkeye pushed past her and began to pull his gloves and gown off, tossing both into the laundry bin, forgetting about the shinny things on his collar. "Listen Margaret. No need to get your pants in a uproar. We're just being visited by a General. Nothing to major, Major. Now if you'll excuse me. I have some gin to visit." He turned to face her before he began to speak and never noticed where her eyes were staring.
"What is the meaning of this, Captain. Impersonating a officer could get you 10 years in the stockade" The Major had clearly noticed the new shinny gold maple leaf on his collar.
Hawkeye blinked and then felt like running himself over with a jeep. "I am well aware of that, Major. I know the sentences for almost every single offence know in the Army." With that he turned and marched out of the hospital, ignoring her angry shouts. He really wasn't in a good mood right now.