Margaret saw Tex uneasily staring at Charles. She rushed forward and grabbed her son-in-law, planting a big kiss on his lips. Tex was momentarily stunned but managed a big smile. Hawkeye hugged him, too and Ellie went right up to Charles and held her arms out.
"Young lady, is see Oklahoma's agreeing with you," he said before accepting the hug. There were two women that could wrap Charles around their little fingers. One was Margaret Pierce, whom he'd had a crush on since his first day at the 4077th. The other was Ellie Pierce. While she didn't have her mother's blonde hair or green eyes, there was just something about her that Charles found attractive. Besides, he's always been an Agent 99 fan...and Ellie was a dead ringer for the actress who portrayed her.
"Orrie down at the store gave us this fried chicken and some turnovers. I'm starved," Hawkeye said, pulling Margaret close. Charles relaxed his grip on Ellie and looked around a little more.
"Tell you what," Tex said. "Why don't you show them the house, baby, and I'll fix up some plates." He kissed Ellie and carried the lumpy package into the kitchen.
"Well, not much to show. Keep in mind we're kind of fixing things up as we go along," Ellie said, shooing the trio forward.
"Mom and Dad, you're on this floor in the room off the porch. Charles, we fixed up the basement room for you with a record player. There's a bathroom on this floor with a shower and there's a full one upstairs. And some of the floors aren't sanded so you might want to keep your shoes on."
Hawkeye paid little attention to the attributes of the decrepit structure. He grabbed Ellie again, hugging her and kissing her forehead. "I've missed you so much, kid," Hawkeye smiled..
Charles rolled his eyes and winced at the lumpy floors and the unpainted plaster.
"The house is a peach. I wouldn't mind skipping lunch for a little nap, though," Charles said. Ellie directed him down a narrow staircase.
Charles found the little room, which was adorned with a light, a stack of books and an old Sears record player. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes, battling the headache that had formed when the plane touched down. At least the bed was comfortable, Charles thought before he drifted off.
The rest of the family dove into the chicken. The kitchen was small and cramped with all four of them crowded around the table. Ellie noticed Margaret eating off Hawkeye's plate, a habit she'd loathed as a child. It seemed cute now.
Tex didn't mention his father's absence. Instead, he watched Margaret and Hawkeye go back and forth. Ellie was quiet and thoughtful.
"You'll never make money as a country doctor. But you'll have plenty to eat," Hawkeye said, helping himself to another piece of chicken. Margaret laid a hand on Ellie's stomach.
"Before you say anything, Ma, I'm sleeping okay, the morning sickness is almost over, I'm taking my vitamins, getting exercise and trying not to eat much of this greasy stuff," Ellie said. Margaret smiled, her eyes slightly teary.
"Oh Lord, here she goes," Hawkeye said. Tears rolled down Margaret's cheeks.
"I can't believe my baby's having a baby. Hawkeye, you were crying the other night, so can it," she said unevenly.
Tex put an arm on Margaret's shoulder. Hawkeye squeezed her hand. Ellie kept eating. She was used to her mother's mix of emotions. It did jar her, though, how old her parents looked. Her father's hair was almost completely gray. He walked with more of a pronounced limp now and was rubbing his lower lip more and more, a nervous habit. Margaret was looking as uaual in the face, but her hands were covered with wrinkles and liver spots. She was also dying her hair a lighter, almost platinum color. It scared Ellie a little bit to see them, because she could never imagine them as actually being elderly. Time was passing so quickly.
It really did seem like only yesterday Hawkeye was teaching her how to ride a bicycle. Then he was teaching her how to drive. Then he was giving her away at the altar. She loved Tex, but it was her father that came first in line.
Tex had been horrified to hear what had transpired years ago between Ellie and Margaret. He knew their relationship was shaky. Tex never knew the root of the problem, one that centered around Margaret's alcohol problem and a violent act in the Pierce's dining room.
"I don't think she meant to push me so hard. Mom just lost her temper."
It was something Ellie examined in depth on some sleepless nights. Her father's book had spilled the beans on Margaret's past, something that helped Ellie understand some of the anger her mother had worked for years to contain. Ellie wasn't afraid of Margaret any more. She felt sorry for this platinum blonde, born too early to enjoy the kind of life she was meant to have. Granted, if that had happened, Ellie and her brother Ben wouldn't exist. Sure, her parents loved each other, but what if...just what if...
The afternoon passed without an appearance from Charles. Ellie was looking all over the house for her new kitten but instead found her father asleep in the living room and Tex reading a Time magazine. Margaret was on her hands and knees scrubbing out the bathtub.
"Mom, it was clean," Ellie said, sitting on the side of the tub.
"But look at it sparkle now! Soon you won't be able to lean over and get the tough spots."
"You're on vacation. Don't worry about bathtubs. Dad's asleep downstairs. You should go see if he wants to take a walk."
Margaret kept scrubbing. Ellie shrugged and walked out.
She was just about to make another sweep of the house when the basement door swung open. Charles appeared, looking disheveled and holding the kitten.
"Is this little creature yours? It crawled up my pant leg and woke me out of a sound sleep."
"That's Tubby," Ellie said, smiling. "I know you missed lunch, so I saved you some chicken and pie."
Charles let the kitten down. Tubby scampered into the living room and launched himself up Hawkeye's leg.
"Oh my God, what the hell's going on?" Hawkeye limped in, carrying the kitten.
"I see you've decided to join us, Charles," he said, frowning.
"Yes, well, this pie is fantastic. What did you say it was?" asked Charles. It was the foul-tasting rhubarb mess Ellie and Tex had sampled the day before. She was about to laugh when the phone rang. Tex reached it first.
"Uh-huh...yeah, well, keep her feet elevated. I'll be right there. Go on and call for the ambulance for Boise City," he said, nodding and writing scribbled symptoms down on an old grocery list. Tex turned to face his family.
"That was Mr. Wright. His wife's having a heart attack. I've gotta go," he said, running to the dryer and pulling out his scrubs. Ellie helped him dress and watched as her charged out the door through the dust. In a minute, all they could see were his headlights disappearing down the road.
"What was that?" Margaret joined them, her hands pruned by the cleanser and water.
"Heart attack in town," Hawkeye said, helping Charles eat the pie.
Ellie watched them all eat. She thought of how her father made these similar house calls, even now. Charles, excepting the stint in Korea, had been in an ivory tower for his entire medical career. He couldn't understand why his son had turned down a cushy surgical job in Boston for this. But Charles was enjoying the pie, made by someone who owed their life to Tex Winchester, not his father.