Chapter 2: The Letters
Hawkeye was up at four the next morning, an hour before anyone else usually woke up, the rest of his night was snippets but nothing to terrible, nothing he wasn't used too. Before leaving the SWAMP he grabbed a piece of paper and pencil to write to his dad.
He sat crossed legged on a hill that overlooked all of 4077Mash paper resting on his knee. He opened a letter he had received the day before to read:
-Ben
Hello, son, I am afraid I have some bad news, and I hate to open a letter like this, but it is important. Donny Jackson, was released from jail yesterday, he convinced the jury that what he did to you he would never do again. Listen, Ben, I know what you are thinking, he paid the jury or something but it's not true. He doesn't know where you are, he can't find you, and he can't hurt, so please listen to me, don't do anything. Just relax, at first I didn't want to tell you, but I thought it was for the best that you know, and didn't find out from another source so please, if you need to talk to someone, talk to me, have Radar hook of a transmit on the radio or something.
Anyway, I hate to drop that on you right away but I didn't want to procrastinate.
I have another letter for you, from Jennie and Dean, will all miss you terrible and can't wait for this blasted war to end so you can come home to us.
We Love You – Dad
That last bit was supposed to be uplifting, but if anything made him more depressed. Jennie was his best friend from school and Dean her husband, he didn't know what he would have done without them for support during High School, or when he mom died.
Hawkeye took out the blank sheet of paper and began to write:
-Dad
You don't have to worry about me, honestly, I am okay. Yes, it was quite a shock when I read the letter, but I got over it, besides with the war and its worst right now we have so many wounded coming in everyday it keeps my mind off of it.
The 4077 is at its lowest right now, medical supplies are low and we are losing more and more patients everyday because we have to save the supplies for those who really need it.
It breaks my heart sometimes to see so many kids being pulled into this war, right now I don't care who wins; lives are being lost unnecessarily. I watch 12 year old Koreans die because we aren't aloud to 'waste' are medicines on them.
But medic reinforcements are coming in, in the next few days things should be better.
Send my love to Jennie and Dean and can you send me some more paper, I am running low, that's why I can't write to them.
As Always, with love - Hawkeye