Chapter Nine
Korea, 1952
It wasn't until the next night that Sydney checked out the Officer's Club. Jack, who was sitting with Vaughn for a little while (which had surprised Sydney), had promised to join her a little later. As soon as she walked in the door she was bombarded by the smell of booze and vomit. It wasn't a comforting scent and she almost left. Then she saw Charles motioning for her to join him. She went up to the bar, ordered vodka, and then, with drink in hand, walked over to the Major.
"How do you do, Miss Bristow?" He asked, looking her over appreciatively. She was wearing the red- and white-striped dress today. "We haven't had much time to talk since you arrived here, have we?"
"No," she agreed, "we haven't." She was sort of glad that they hadn't considering that every time they did he would try to tell her mind-numbing stories of his life in Boston or his love of Tokyo.
"I don't know why I'm asking this question, seeing as how there's no way on Earth the answer could be yes, but are you enjoying your stay at the 4077th?"
"Actually, it hasn't been that bad. The people here are really great and very understanding." She smiled. "It's better than a lot of places I've been to in my life."
"Ah, yes. I know the feeling." He changed the subject rather quickly. "Tell me, what is it…uh…what is it like? In the future?"
"I don't think that I'm really supposed to say anything. I think that that's sort of a time-traveling rule." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure that you'll find out in your own time."
"Right. Uh, would you excuse me?"
"Yeah, sure." He left and was soon replaced by a man she hadn't seen before. He smelled strongly of gasoline and when he held out his hand it was covered in grease. "Um, hello."
"Hi. Name's Rizzo. Luther Rizzo." He shook her hand. "I've been hearing an awful lot about you and I just had to come and meet you myself."
"Well, I'm pleased to meet you." She wasn't really all that pleased but, when in Rome…
"Pleasure's all mine." He smiled cockily. "And let me tell you, if you're ever in need of a Jeep, you come see me down at the motor pool. I'll fix you right up."
"Thank you, I guess."
"Miss Bristow?" Someone behind her was calling her name. It was Igor.
"Yes?"
"This is from the man over there." In his hand was a gin and tonic. His other hand was pointing to none other than Hawkeye Pierce. He waved to her, grinning from ear to ear.
She shook her head. "Excuse me." She left the two men staring at her with their mouths hanging open. "Captain Pierce?"
"Yes, Miss Bristow?" He had been talking to BJ, but now turned to face her.
"What did I tell you about buying me a drink?"
"You said you couldn't yesterday. I figured maybe today you might be in need of a refreshing beverage so I thought, 'What the hell?'"
"When I said I couldn't I didn't mean that I couldn't yesterday. I meant that I couldn't ever."
BJ stood up. "I think I'll go finish Miss Bristow's refreshing beverage if you don't mind."
"Hawkeye, I know what you're trying to do." Sydney said after BJ had left.
"And what's that, pray tell?" His smile was about the size of a jack-o- lantern's and Sydney was tempted to stick his head on a scarecrow's body and stick him out in the middle of the nearest field.
"You're trying to…you're trying-" She faltered.
"I'm waiting."
"I don't know what you're trying to do, all right? I just wish that, whatever it is, you'd stop." She was out of there faster than BJ could down her G&T. Hawkeye quickly followed after her.
"Sydney!" He called to her. But she didn't stop, she just kept running. "Sydney!" He ran to catch up with her and by the time she had reached the Swamp he had reached her. He grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to face him.
"Let go of me!" She cried trying to twist out of his grasp.
"Not until you talk to me." He insisted.
"About what? The fact that whenever I'm around you're continuously hitting on me?"
"Is that what you think I'm doing? Hitting on you?"
"I'm not stupid." He still hadn't let go and now he had both of her arms in his hands. Sydney knew she could've easily got away but decided that kicking his ass with her Krav Maga skills wouldn't go over well with Colonel Potter.
"Did I say you were? All I said was that-"
"All you said was that you wanted to buy me a drink. You've done that. Then you said you wanted to talk and we're talking. What more do you want?" She was afraid of his answer.
"I don't know what I want Sydney." He let go of her. "I've never met anyone like you."
"Well, then maybe you should get out more." She turned on her heel and started to walk away, but Hawkeye pulled her back and kissed her roughly on the lips. Not at all like the kiss that Vaughn had given her a few days ago. She pulled away quickly, not because someone was coming, like it had been with Vaughn, but because she didn't want to be kissing Hawkeye. She found him undeniably attractive but she didn't feel right around him. There was just something about him that made her uncomfortable.
She smacked him across the cheek and he grabbed her again. Without thinking she whipped her leg around and kicked his footing out from underneath him. Then she ran off to the VIP tent.
Hawkeye lay on the ground, trying to get his breath back. He rubbed his cheek, realizing that he'd deserved everything. He'd never considered himself to be a jackass but what he'd just done had put him in the running for "Idiot of the Year".
Then it hit him.
****************************
Jack sat next to Vaughn's bed, looking him over and wondering what was going to happen if they did manage to find a way back and he still hadn't woken up yet. Michael had never been his favorite person. He tended to make stupid mistakes and caused Syd more trouble than anyone else he knew. With the exception of himself, that is.
Father Mulcahy was making his nightly rounds, checking on patients, praying with them. He had been keeping an eye on Jack for sometime now and finally resolved to go over and talk to him.
"May I talk to you for a moment?" He asked, motioning for Jack to slide down a little so that he could sit on the empty bed that served as Jack's chair. Jack nodded and moved over. For a moment there was silence. Then, "I was a little wary of you when you first came here. I didn't fully comprehend the situation. But now that I've had some time to think about it, I've come to realize that you are a prime example of God at work." He saw that Jack was a little skeptical. "But I'm speaking from the point of view of a man of the cloth, mind you."
"You think that this is just part of some master plan, don't you?" Jack asked. It was the first thing he'd said since the moment Mulcahy had walked through the door. "That the three of us are here because God wants us to do something?"
"Well…yes." He pointed at Vaughn. "Don't you find it a little strange that this man is the only one out of the three of you that hasn't regained consciousness? Even if you find a way out of here, there's no way you can leave. You're here in order to impact us somehow. Maybe to help us, maybe to warn us, maybe to change us. Who knows?" He looked Heavenward then back at Jack. "I could just be taking a random act of weirdness and turning it into an at of God, I can't tell for sure. But, I do think that this is no coincidence." He stood up to leave.
"Father?" Jack started, not looking up. He kept his eyes fixed on Vaughn. "Would you pray for him?"
Mulcahy put an arm on Jack's shoulder. "Of course, my son."
All of a sudden Jack started to sob. "I just keep thinking, what if it had been Sydney? What if she was the one lying here? I care about her, I really do. And I wish that she could see that." It had been a long time since he'd cried and it felt weird to have tears running down his face. "I've tried to rid myself of emotion. I'd been hurt before and I didn't want to start developing a relationship with Syd and then end up losing her."
"I understand, Jack." Mulcahy sat down again with him. "Just let it out. I'm here for you."
**************************
Hawkeye knocked on the door of the VIP tent. Sydney didn't answer but he knew she was in there, had saw her go in. He knocked again.
"Sydney, let me in." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Sydney, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me earlier." KNOCK KNOCK! "Sydney I know who you really are!"
The door was flung open. "And who am I?" She yelled.
"You're a secret agent!" He yelled back.
Suddenly her hand was on his mouth and she was dragging him inside. "Keep your voice down." She hissed.
"So it's true?"
"Where did you hear this from?"
"Your father. He was so drunk that he didn't know what he was saying."
"He told you that I was…"
"No, he told us that he was. But that little maneuver you pulled out there kind of gave away the game."
"You can't tell anyone about this." She told him.
"Or what? You'll have to kill me?" He cracked. She wasn't smiling. His own smile faded after a couple of seconds. "Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"Don't worry. I can keep my mouth shut." She gave him a doubtful look. "No, really. You just wait and see."
"Hawkeye…" He didn't say anything. "Hawkeye." He still wasn't talking. "Hawkeye!"
"Shh! I can't talk to anyone."
She shoved him and he fell over. As he picked himself up from the ground he asked, "Do ya think you could teach me that little kick thing?"
"No problem." She kicked her foot out again and he was down on the ground in seconds flat.
"Owww…"
Korea, 1952
It wasn't until the next night that Sydney checked out the Officer's Club. Jack, who was sitting with Vaughn for a little while (which had surprised Sydney), had promised to join her a little later. As soon as she walked in the door she was bombarded by the smell of booze and vomit. It wasn't a comforting scent and she almost left. Then she saw Charles motioning for her to join him. She went up to the bar, ordered vodka, and then, with drink in hand, walked over to the Major.
"How do you do, Miss Bristow?" He asked, looking her over appreciatively. She was wearing the red- and white-striped dress today. "We haven't had much time to talk since you arrived here, have we?"
"No," she agreed, "we haven't." She was sort of glad that they hadn't considering that every time they did he would try to tell her mind-numbing stories of his life in Boston or his love of Tokyo.
"I don't know why I'm asking this question, seeing as how there's no way on Earth the answer could be yes, but are you enjoying your stay at the 4077th?"
"Actually, it hasn't been that bad. The people here are really great and very understanding." She smiled. "It's better than a lot of places I've been to in my life."
"Ah, yes. I know the feeling." He changed the subject rather quickly. "Tell me, what is it…uh…what is it like? In the future?"
"I don't think that I'm really supposed to say anything. I think that that's sort of a time-traveling rule." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure that you'll find out in your own time."
"Right. Uh, would you excuse me?"
"Yeah, sure." He left and was soon replaced by a man she hadn't seen before. He smelled strongly of gasoline and when he held out his hand it was covered in grease. "Um, hello."
"Hi. Name's Rizzo. Luther Rizzo." He shook her hand. "I've been hearing an awful lot about you and I just had to come and meet you myself."
"Well, I'm pleased to meet you." She wasn't really all that pleased but, when in Rome…
"Pleasure's all mine." He smiled cockily. "And let me tell you, if you're ever in need of a Jeep, you come see me down at the motor pool. I'll fix you right up."
"Thank you, I guess."
"Miss Bristow?" Someone behind her was calling her name. It was Igor.
"Yes?"
"This is from the man over there." In his hand was a gin and tonic. His other hand was pointing to none other than Hawkeye Pierce. He waved to her, grinning from ear to ear.
She shook her head. "Excuse me." She left the two men staring at her with their mouths hanging open. "Captain Pierce?"
"Yes, Miss Bristow?" He had been talking to BJ, but now turned to face her.
"What did I tell you about buying me a drink?"
"You said you couldn't yesterday. I figured maybe today you might be in need of a refreshing beverage so I thought, 'What the hell?'"
"When I said I couldn't I didn't mean that I couldn't yesterday. I meant that I couldn't ever."
BJ stood up. "I think I'll go finish Miss Bristow's refreshing beverage if you don't mind."
"Hawkeye, I know what you're trying to do." Sydney said after BJ had left.
"And what's that, pray tell?" His smile was about the size of a jack-o- lantern's and Sydney was tempted to stick his head on a scarecrow's body and stick him out in the middle of the nearest field.
"You're trying to…you're trying-" She faltered.
"I'm waiting."
"I don't know what you're trying to do, all right? I just wish that, whatever it is, you'd stop." She was out of there faster than BJ could down her G&T. Hawkeye quickly followed after her.
"Sydney!" He called to her. But she didn't stop, she just kept running. "Sydney!" He ran to catch up with her and by the time she had reached the Swamp he had reached her. He grabbed her by the arm and turned her around to face him.
"Let go of me!" She cried trying to twist out of his grasp.
"Not until you talk to me." He insisted.
"About what? The fact that whenever I'm around you're continuously hitting on me?"
"Is that what you think I'm doing? Hitting on you?"
"I'm not stupid." He still hadn't let go and now he had both of her arms in his hands. Sydney knew she could've easily got away but decided that kicking his ass with her Krav Maga skills wouldn't go over well with Colonel Potter.
"Did I say you were? All I said was that-"
"All you said was that you wanted to buy me a drink. You've done that. Then you said you wanted to talk and we're talking. What more do you want?" She was afraid of his answer.
"I don't know what I want Sydney." He let go of her. "I've never met anyone like you."
"Well, then maybe you should get out more." She turned on her heel and started to walk away, but Hawkeye pulled her back and kissed her roughly on the lips. Not at all like the kiss that Vaughn had given her a few days ago. She pulled away quickly, not because someone was coming, like it had been with Vaughn, but because she didn't want to be kissing Hawkeye. She found him undeniably attractive but she didn't feel right around him. There was just something about him that made her uncomfortable.
She smacked him across the cheek and he grabbed her again. Without thinking she whipped her leg around and kicked his footing out from underneath him. Then she ran off to the VIP tent.
Hawkeye lay on the ground, trying to get his breath back. He rubbed his cheek, realizing that he'd deserved everything. He'd never considered himself to be a jackass but what he'd just done had put him in the running for "Idiot of the Year".
Then it hit him.
****************************
Jack sat next to Vaughn's bed, looking him over and wondering what was going to happen if they did manage to find a way back and he still hadn't woken up yet. Michael had never been his favorite person. He tended to make stupid mistakes and caused Syd more trouble than anyone else he knew. With the exception of himself, that is.
Father Mulcahy was making his nightly rounds, checking on patients, praying with them. He had been keeping an eye on Jack for sometime now and finally resolved to go over and talk to him.
"May I talk to you for a moment?" He asked, motioning for Jack to slide down a little so that he could sit on the empty bed that served as Jack's chair. Jack nodded and moved over. For a moment there was silence. Then, "I was a little wary of you when you first came here. I didn't fully comprehend the situation. But now that I've had some time to think about it, I've come to realize that you are a prime example of God at work." He saw that Jack was a little skeptical. "But I'm speaking from the point of view of a man of the cloth, mind you."
"You think that this is just part of some master plan, don't you?" Jack asked. It was the first thing he'd said since the moment Mulcahy had walked through the door. "That the three of us are here because God wants us to do something?"
"Well…yes." He pointed at Vaughn. "Don't you find it a little strange that this man is the only one out of the three of you that hasn't regained consciousness? Even if you find a way out of here, there's no way you can leave. You're here in order to impact us somehow. Maybe to help us, maybe to warn us, maybe to change us. Who knows?" He looked Heavenward then back at Jack. "I could just be taking a random act of weirdness and turning it into an at of God, I can't tell for sure. But, I do think that this is no coincidence." He stood up to leave.
"Father?" Jack started, not looking up. He kept his eyes fixed on Vaughn. "Would you pray for him?"
Mulcahy put an arm on Jack's shoulder. "Of course, my son."
All of a sudden Jack started to sob. "I just keep thinking, what if it had been Sydney? What if she was the one lying here? I care about her, I really do. And I wish that she could see that." It had been a long time since he'd cried and it felt weird to have tears running down his face. "I've tried to rid myself of emotion. I'd been hurt before and I didn't want to start developing a relationship with Syd and then end up losing her."
"I understand, Jack." Mulcahy sat down again with him. "Just let it out. I'm here for you."
**************************
Hawkeye knocked on the door of the VIP tent. Sydney didn't answer but he knew she was in there, had saw her go in. He knocked again.
"Sydney, let me in." KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Sydney, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me earlier." KNOCK KNOCK! "Sydney I know who you really are!"
The door was flung open. "And who am I?" She yelled.
"You're a secret agent!" He yelled back.
Suddenly her hand was on his mouth and she was dragging him inside. "Keep your voice down." She hissed.
"So it's true?"
"Where did you hear this from?"
"Your father. He was so drunk that he didn't know what he was saying."
"He told you that I was…"
"No, he told us that he was. But that little maneuver you pulled out there kind of gave away the game."
"You can't tell anyone about this." She told him.
"Or what? You'll have to kill me?" He cracked. She wasn't smiling. His own smile faded after a couple of seconds. "Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"Don't worry. I can keep my mouth shut." She gave him a doubtful look. "No, really. You just wait and see."
"Hawkeye…" He didn't say anything. "Hawkeye." He still wasn't talking. "Hawkeye!"
"Shh! I can't talk to anyone."
She shoved him and he fell over. As he picked himself up from the ground he asked, "Do ya think you could teach me that little kick thing?"
"No problem." She kicked her foot out again and he was down on the ground in seconds flat.
"Owww…"