"...and so concludes the annual meeting, now held every two and a half months," Colonel Potter finished. "Before you all go off, I have one more announcement. Captain Pierce, the 8055th needs you and a nurse of your selection to demonstrate our arterial transplant technique."
"We just did that," Hawkeye protested.
"Class dismissed," said Colonel Potter. "Hawkeye, pick your partner for the field trip sometime today."
Hawkeye stood up. "I summon thee, Jaclyn Waters."
"You want me to come along on this...this road trip?" I asked.
"As long as you fit into my duffel bag." He grinned. "Colonel Potter," Hawkeye said, "I present you with the nurse of choice."
Colonel Potter nodded. "You know the technique, Jaclyn?"
"Yes, I've assisted on two," I said. "One was back in the states, at the hospital I interned at."
"Dandy," said the colonel. "You leave at seven-thirty sharp, tomorrow."
At seven-twenty, I was out by the jeep. But there was one vital piece missing--Hawkeye.
I stormed over to the Swamp.
"WAKE UP!" I shouted directly in Hawkeye's ear. "We have to leave in nine minutes and you're sleeping!"
"Am not," he mumbled to his pillow.
I whipped the blankets off of Hawkeye. In the forty-fivedegree weather, that could get anybody up.
But not Hawk.
I looked around the tent for something, ANYTHING to get him up. And then my eyes rested on...
The still.
I poured some gin into a large glass and tossed the liquid onto the Captain's face.
Hawkeye jumped in the air. "Okay, truce, I'm up! I'm up!"
"Get your gear," I said. "The Korean tour leaves in seven and a half minutes."
Our Korean tour left at exactly seven-thirty.
The 8055th was a 45 minute ride away, so we entertained ourselves by talking about our hometowns.
Suddenly, the jeep hit a large bump and it flipped.