This is Charles focused, I know, not the point of the story, but I felt like I did Charles a big disservice when I never explained why he was so upset about finding out Hawkeye was a slave so this is a little chapter about him, don't worry though, we go into Margaret's feelings and Sydney is in it too! Thanks to KK Duke for her suggestions.

I would also like to say to HawkSoul and her friend "who was nagging her" do NOT worry, it will come into play but you have till next chapter or the chapter after that same with the hallucinations, though there might be a treat at the end of this chapter. )

Chapter 17

In the Mind of a Winchester

Margaret stayed up all night until she finally got permission to sit with Hawkeye (she had not seen him yet). He looked bad. Both of his wrists were bandaged, the one on his right arm going up to his elbow. There was a thin line of stitches in the gash on his jaw line and forehead. His bottom lip was still split and slightly puffy. The skin on his arms that wasn't covered by bandages was bruised. The worst looking injury of all was the bruised and raw skin around his neck from the chain. Chocking back tears she fell into the chair next to his prone form. She let her hand gently rest on his slender fingers, but couldn't help but let a tear slip when he flinched away from her touch.

According to Colonel Potter, the poison will not only cause hallucinations, but has the risk of temperature swings and difficulty in breathing. She let out a shaky sigh and rested her head next to his on the bed, prepared for the long wait that lies ahead of her.

………

"The camp is in an uproar Sydney; I need you to calm thinks down a bit,"

"What else am I here for, Colonel?" The psychiatrist sighed deeply as he left the old Colonel to his thoughts. He was right; of course, the camp was in an uproar. The optimistic glad that they were all back safe and the pessimistic worried that Hawkeye was going to die, then there were the ones that had no idea what to think, whether they should rejoice or be afraid. Being a psychiatrist this was his job, he had to tell them what to do, which was going to prove to be very difficult. He, himself, didn't know what to think or do.

………

"This is degrading," Charles snapped at the enthusiastic BJ, "publicly humiliating. A Winchester does not need to be mentally examined. I am perfectly healthy in my head, and don't know Freedman to go poking and probing in my thoughts,"

"Relax, Charles," everyone in the camp has to go through it," they were both sitting in the swamp, after finally being released, but neither were happy, "Starting with Margaret, then me, then you, then Colonel Potter, and I can't forget to mention the rest of the camp in its entirety."

It was rather depressing really. Charles felt like throwing up every time he looked at the empty and still unmade bed, of Pierce. Maybe he did need some one to talk to after all.

He left BJ in the middle of a sentence and walked off. Pierce was a slave and the idea made him sick…literally. He practically ran to the latrine and emptied his stomach for the second time that day; this reminded him of a familiar memory.

……….

He was 7 years old; his father (he was not familiar enough with him to call him Dad) was watching the boats with him as they came in on the ocean into the harbor.

"Father," Charles whispered excitedly, latching onto his father's hand, "look," he pointed to as the ships came to a stop and they began to unload, the people first. He watched with fascination as people of all classes came off onto the dock, some wealthy some dressed in only rags.

"See those people in rags, Charles?" his father said pointing to the smelly looking group.

"Yes father," Charles wrinkled his noise in attempt to copy his father's disgusted look.

"Those are slaves, they're illegal here in America, but people bring them from all over and they don't have a citizenship so no one even knows they exist."

They turned away from the ships, their sails lowering as the crowds disappeared, they walked for a while before reaching the street where a cab waited, "Father, can't we walk home, it's such a nice day,"

Winchester Senior wrinkled his nose, "you walk, if you think it's so nice," he snapped and the cab drove off leaving the wide-eyed 7-year-old behind.

He did not mean to upset his father, and looking back on it now, he was only a block or so away from his house, his father was just teaching him a lesson that he learned quickly, never suggest anything to Winchester Senior. It made his father feel as if he was being question on his motives.

The 7-year-old looked around, trembling. It was almost dark; he was still standing on the side of the road.

"'Oiy there?" a female voice said in surprise when she bumped into him.

He spun around quickly. There was 'one of them'; she looked to be his age, maybe a little older. She was tall, and if not for the vile smell and the ragged clothes she would be pretty, "sorry there," she said in a distinct Scottish accent.

She got a good look at him then looked sheepish, "I mean, sorry, sir, that was clumsy of me," she tried to walk on, but he stopped her.

"Wait, uh….help me please," he sounded so childish.

She looked at him for a moment, "help? You lost, eh?"

"Yes, please I got lost," he said, it was still getting darker; the sun was dipping down behind the buildings.

The girl's green eyes and red hair glistened in the stray rays of the setting sun.

Looking him up and down, she smiled, "sure, find you a nice copper you can talk to."

They walked back towards the boats not talking. They soon reached where the police were guarding the boat entrance, "you better go ahead," she said, "I'm an immigrant 'member, they don't like my kind, 'sides, my master will be expecting me," she turned as if to leave.

"Thank you," he called out after her retreating back.

She turned and smiled at him and in that brief moment he was in love, "I'll be back tomorrow, meet me here, alright?"

He nodded, dumb-founded.

………

He smiled remembering, she did keep her promise, everyday, minus Sundays, they met at the dock and talked, some times they walked sometimes they just sat and watched the steam boats and the cars go by. He remembered every time she came, she had a new bruise. Sometimes a black eye, a split lip, she never mentioned it and neither did he. It was an untold fact that she was a slave, an illegal immigrant that people brought over to sell.

The only time that she ever implied of being a slave was when he speculated about how skinny she was. She told him her 'master' gave her a pill to make her skinny. Charles new now that he was a doctor that some pills (very cheap medicine) causes people to loose their appetites and after doing some research he found that master's often gave their slaves these pills so they wouldn't have to feed them as much. It was much cheaper and very cruel. It often destroys a person's eating habit for life.

He shuddered as his stomach emptied again, the same thing happened to Pierce and he never knew. He may have acted different towards him if he knew, but Charles knew Pierce would never have breathed a word. Often times she would try to hide her bruises, she was ashamed and so was Pierce.

………

Margaret woke up to a movement above her head. Slowly coming too, she looked up to see a very distressed Hawkeye. His eyes were clenched shut and he was shaking.

"Hawkeye," she whispered, "Colonel!" she screamed as he began to violently thrash. His breath was coming in short gasps.

A moment later Colonel Potter rushed in, he grabbed Hawkeye's wrists to force him down.

That just upset him more. A second later he was kicking his legs, screaming, trying desperately to get out of Potter's grip.

BJ was there in a second, holding down his legs, "we're going to need to sedate him, MARGARET!"

Margaret was already there. Ripping the sleeve off Hawkeye she slid the needle in. A moment later Hawkeye went limp.

End Chapter 17

Yeah I got it up, not sure if I liked how I wrote Charles, he seemed like he was from the 1800s or something, but whatever. I will update as soon as I can and for those of you who read my other MASH story, it will be up in a few days at least. I am having a little problem getting inspiration so if ANYONE has ANY ideas, please tell me I can use as much help as I can get.

Update soon.

Or I'll try to anyway.