Chapter Twelve
Korea, 1952
Sydney moved into Margaret's tent that night about a half an hour before Margaret got done in the OR. It was a lot more comfortable in some ways than her tent was, but in other ways it seemed downright stiff. She guessed it was because of what Klinger had told her about Margaret being bossy. She scolded herself for listening to the opinions of others. Margaret had usually been nice to her these past few days and she knew that Klinger and his Section Eight scams probably just got on her nerves.
"Sydney, I didn't realize you were in here." Margaret said suddenly. "Colonel Riley wasted no time moving in did he?"
"I was out of there before I could say 'Yes sir'." She shrugged. "You don't mind, do you?"
"What, you staying here? Of course not. I've been meaning to get to know you a little better ever since you got here and since I'm too anxious to sleep I figure now might be a good time."
Sydney nodded. She was too pissed to sleep. That Colonel had some nerve moving into her tent. Then she stopped herself. It wasn't really her tent. She was just there temporarily until she and Jack and Vaughn found a way back to their own time. She decided that now would be a good time to get to know the "bossy head nurse".
"You said you were anxious. Why?" She asked.
"Long night in the OR. We lost two men out of the three that flew in on the helicopter." Despite her years at the 4077th, despite the fact that she had seen death before, had lost lives herself, she still felt a bit of despair every time one of those brave men died. "Only the pilot survived." She wiped away a tear.
"That's terrible." Sydney replied. She saw then that what Klinger had said wasn't quite true. You never fully get used to a place like this.
"The one man, the one that Charles was working on, he had lost part of his arm, no one knows why exactly. Charles fought and fought to save that boy. He really tried. But he couldn't hold on. He had lost too much blood. It was no use."
"And the other man?"
"He was the one Pierce worked on. We thought he had only been shot once. It turns out that his insides were riddled with bullets. There was too much internal damage to save him." She couldn't help it anymore. The whole experience washed over her like a wave of desolation and she broke down crying.
Sydney wasn't sure what to do at first, but after a minute or so went over to Margaret and comforted her. They stood there like that for a while. Then there was a knock on the door.
"Sydney? Are you in there?" It was Jack.
Margaret's eyes perked up and she pulled away from Sydney, quickly drying her tears. She rushed to the door as if Jack were Santa Claus and she a little girl waiting for presents on Christmas Eve.
"Hello, Jack." She smiled. "Won't you come in?"
"Thank you." He nodded to her. "Sydney, why did they move you?"
"A friend of the Colonel's came and needed a place to stay." She replied, noting the look of excitement on Margaret's face. Maybe what Hawkeye and BJ thought was true: maybe she did have a thing for her father. "The Colonel Potter has called a meeting for tomorrow morning. We'll find out what's going on then."
"Oh. Right." He looked around the tent. "Well, I must say, Major, you keep a cleaner house than the people I'm staying with."
She laughed, a little too loud if Sydney did say so herself. "Why, thank you Jack." She gushed. "And please, call me Margaret."
"All right…Margaret."
The two looked at each other for a moment and Sydney thought she was going to be sick. It was weird to see her father flirting with someone. She began to think that Hawkeye and BJ were starting to be a bad influence on him. First the drinking episode and now this? What next?
"Dad." Sydney said, trying to get her father's attention. "Dad?"
"What sweetie?" He asked, not tearing his eyes away from Margaret.
"Never mind." She skulked out of the tent and ran straight into Hawkeye.
"Well," he said, "fancy meeting you here. You come here often?"
She started to walk away. "If you're here for Margaret, I wouldn't go in there. She and my father are acting like they're in a soap-" She caught herself before she said "soap opera".
"What?"
"Nothing."
He ran to catch up with her. "Actually, I'm here to see you."
"You're walking around the compound at midnight just to see me? I'm flattered Hawkeye."
"It's about your father."
"What about him?"
"Oh, nothing. Except for the fact that he threatened to kill me!"
Syd stopped dead in her tracks. "He did what?"
Hawkeye accidentally bumped into her. "Yeah, you heard me. He told me that if I didn't stay away from you he'd kill me, said that he'd killed for you before and wasn't afraid to do it again."
"That sounds like him all right."
"Then I gave him that cute line you gave me this morning about unborn kids and he said that he realized that he couldn't kill me." He pointed a finger at Margaret's tent. "And then that wacko punched me in the gut!"
"My father is not a wacko. He's just protective."
"So is a life preserver but it doesn't injure you, does it?"
Sydney looked back at the tent where Margaret and her father were getting "twitterpated", to coin a phrase. "I don't understand what his problem is. He should realize that there's no chance between us." But as she spoke those words, she knew that they were the biggest lie she had ever told in her life.
"That's what I was going to tell him. But it's kind of hard to talk when you have no oxygen left in your lungs. Boy, I'll tell you something. You Bristows are more violent than any other people I've ever met in my life."
"Flatterer." She teased, pushing him playfully. It was an action that thoroughly surprised her. She, Sydney Bristow, was flirting.
"Please promise me that this is just a unique trait and that not everyone knows how to do stuff like you guys do in the future."
"It's all part of the spy trade, Hawk. That's all I'll say."
He nodded. Sydney looked behind him again to where Jack was now standing in front of Margaret's tent. Hawkeye turned.
"Looks like one of the lovebirds is flying the coup."
"I should get going."
"Yeah, me too. I'd like to wake up with all my body parts in their rightful places."
"Goodnight Hawkeye." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "See you at the meeting."
Hawkeye looked down into her eyes for a moment. "Good night Syd." He wanted so badly to kiss her, but didn't want to repeat the Officer's Club incident. "Sleep tight."
He headed for the Swamp. Sydney watched him go. Margaret had said goodnight to Jack and noticed Sydney was still standing outside. She walked up behind her and said, "You have feelings for him, don't you?"
Sydney shrugged. "I don't know Margaret. I just don't know.
***************************
Potter's office was filled to capacity the next morning at nine o'clock. Sitting in the chairs in front of Potter's desk were Charles and Jack. Margaret, Sydney and Father Mulcahy were standing behind them, while Hawkeye and BJ were sitting on the bench by the window. Radar and Klinger stood in the corner. Behind Potter's desk were Colonel Potter and Colonel Riley.
"Mornin'." Potter said without enthusiasm. "I guess you're wondering why you're all here." He sat down in his chair. "I've been summoned to Seoul and will be gone for who knows how long."
"Why? What's wrong?" Margaret asked.
"Not quite sure. They didn't say in so many words. Colonel Riley here is going along for the ride as well. I'm leaving Hawkeye in charge." He saw that Charles was about to complain. "Can it, Winchester. He's chief-of- staff and I'm the Colonel and you aren't either so I'd suggest that you shut your trap."
"Yes Colonel." Charles seethed with rage, but said nothing more.
"Also, while I'm gone I want Klinger to help our two guests figure a way out of their predicament, Margaret to keep an eye on the third visitor, and Radar to make sure that the camp stays stocked with supplies. The rest of you can do what you normally do, I guess. At least, within reason."
"Colonel," Hawkeye said, standing up, "not to be nosy or anything, but what's going on here?"
"None of your damn business, Pierce, that's what!" He replied. "Now, I want all of you to get back to work and don't worry what's going on!"
After they had left Riley turned to Potter and nodded. "It's time."
"I know, Richard. I know. Let's just hope that this isn't the last time I get to order these boys around."
Korea, 1952
Sydney moved into Margaret's tent that night about a half an hour before Margaret got done in the OR. It was a lot more comfortable in some ways than her tent was, but in other ways it seemed downright stiff. She guessed it was because of what Klinger had told her about Margaret being bossy. She scolded herself for listening to the opinions of others. Margaret had usually been nice to her these past few days and she knew that Klinger and his Section Eight scams probably just got on her nerves.
"Sydney, I didn't realize you were in here." Margaret said suddenly. "Colonel Riley wasted no time moving in did he?"
"I was out of there before I could say 'Yes sir'." She shrugged. "You don't mind, do you?"
"What, you staying here? Of course not. I've been meaning to get to know you a little better ever since you got here and since I'm too anxious to sleep I figure now might be a good time."
Sydney nodded. She was too pissed to sleep. That Colonel had some nerve moving into her tent. Then she stopped herself. It wasn't really her tent. She was just there temporarily until she and Jack and Vaughn found a way back to their own time. She decided that now would be a good time to get to know the "bossy head nurse".
"You said you were anxious. Why?" She asked.
"Long night in the OR. We lost two men out of the three that flew in on the helicopter." Despite her years at the 4077th, despite the fact that she had seen death before, had lost lives herself, she still felt a bit of despair every time one of those brave men died. "Only the pilot survived." She wiped away a tear.
"That's terrible." Sydney replied. She saw then that what Klinger had said wasn't quite true. You never fully get used to a place like this.
"The one man, the one that Charles was working on, he had lost part of his arm, no one knows why exactly. Charles fought and fought to save that boy. He really tried. But he couldn't hold on. He had lost too much blood. It was no use."
"And the other man?"
"He was the one Pierce worked on. We thought he had only been shot once. It turns out that his insides were riddled with bullets. There was too much internal damage to save him." She couldn't help it anymore. The whole experience washed over her like a wave of desolation and she broke down crying.
Sydney wasn't sure what to do at first, but after a minute or so went over to Margaret and comforted her. They stood there like that for a while. Then there was a knock on the door.
"Sydney? Are you in there?" It was Jack.
Margaret's eyes perked up and she pulled away from Sydney, quickly drying her tears. She rushed to the door as if Jack were Santa Claus and she a little girl waiting for presents on Christmas Eve.
"Hello, Jack." She smiled. "Won't you come in?"
"Thank you." He nodded to her. "Sydney, why did they move you?"
"A friend of the Colonel's came and needed a place to stay." She replied, noting the look of excitement on Margaret's face. Maybe what Hawkeye and BJ thought was true: maybe she did have a thing for her father. "The Colonel Potter has called a meeting for tomorrow morning. We'll find out what's going on then."
"Oh. Right." He looked around the tent. "Well, I must say, Major, you keep a cleaner house than the people I'm staying with."
She laughed, a little too loud if Sydney did say so herself. "Why, thank you Jack." She gushed. "And please, call me Margaret."
"All right…Margaret."
The two looked at each other for a moment and Sydney thought she was going to be sick. It was weird to see her father flirting with someone. She began to think that Hawkeye and BJ were starting to be a bad influence on him. First the drinking episode and now this? What next?
"Dad." Sydney said, trying to get her father's attention. "Dad?"
"What sweetie?" He asked, not tearing his eyes away from Margaret.
"Never mind." She skulked out of the tent and ran straight into Hawkeye.
"Well," he said, "fancy meeting you here. You come here often?"
She started to walk away. "If you're here for Margaret, I wouldn't go in there. She and my father are acting like they're in a soap-" She caught herself before she said "soap opera".
"What?"
"Nothing."
He ran to catch up with her. "Actually, I'm here to see you."
"You're walking around the compound at midnight just to see me? I'm flattered Hawkeye."
"It's about your father."
"What about him?"
"Oh, nothing. Except for the fact that he threatened to kill me!"
Syd stopped dead in her tracks. "He did what?"
Hawkeye accidentally bumped into her. "Yeah, you heard me. He told me that if I didn't stay away from you he'd kill me, said that he'd killed for you before and wasn't afraid to do it again."
"That sounds like him all right."
"Then I gave him that cute line you gave me this morning about unborn kids and he said that he realized that he couldn't kill me." He pointed a finger at Margaret's tent. "And then that wacko punched me in the gut!"
"My father is not a wacko. He's just protective."
"So is a life preserver but it doesn't injure you, does it?"
Sydney looked back at the tent where Margaret and her father were getting "twitterpated", to coin a phrase. "I don't understand what his problem is. He should realize that there's no chance between us." But as she spoke those words, she knew that they were the biggest lie she had ever told in her life.
"That's what I was going to tell him. But it's kind of hard to talk when you have no oxygen left in your lungs. Boy, I'll tell you something. You Bristows are more violent than any other people I've ever met in my life."
"Flatterer." She teased, pushing him playfully. It was an action that thoroughly surprised her. She, Sydney Bristow, was flirting.
"Please promise me that this is just a unique trait and that not everyone knows how to do stuff like you guys do in the future."
"It's all part of the spy trade, Hawk. That's all I'll say."
He nodded. Sydney looked behind him again to where Jack was now standing in front of Margaret's tent. Hawkeye turned.
"Looks like one of the lovebirds is flying the coup."
"I should get going."
"Yeah, me too. I'd like to wake up with all my body parts in their rightful places."
"Goodnight Hawkeye." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "See you at the meeting."
Hawkeye looked down into her eyes for a moment. "Good night Syd." He wanted so badly to kiss her, but didn't want to repeat the Officer's Club incident. "Sleep tight."
He headed for the Swamp. Sydney watched him go. Margaret had said goodnight to Jack and noticed Sydney was still standing outside. She walked up behind her and said, "You have feelings for him, don't you?"
Sydney shrugged. "I don't know Margaret. I just don't know.
***************************
Potter's office was filled to capacity the next morning at nine o'clock. Sitting in the chairs in front of Potter's desk were Charles and Jack. Margaret, Sydney and Father Mulcahy were standing behind them, while Hawkeye and BJ were sitting on the bench by the window. Radar and Klinger stood in the corner. Behind Potter's desk were Colonel Potter and Colonel Riley.
"Mornin'." Potter said without enthusiasm. "I guess you're wondering why you're all here." He sat down in his chair. "I've been summoned to Seoul and will be gone for who knows how long."
"Why? What's wrong?" Margaret asked.
"Not quite sure. They didn't say in so many words. Colonel Riley here is going along for the ride as well. I'm leaving Hawkeye in charge." He saw that Charles was about to complain. "Can it, Winchester. He's chief-of- staff and I'm the Colonel and you aren't either so I'd suggest that you shut your trap."
"Yes Colonel." Charles seethed with rage, but said nothing more.
"Also, while I'm gone I want Klinger to help our two guests figure a way out of their predicament, Margaret to keep an eye on the third visitor, and Radar to make sure that the camp stays stocked with supplies. The rest of you can do what you normally do, I guess. At least, within reason."
"Colonel," Hawkeye said, standing up, "not to be nosy or anything, but what's going on here?"
"None of your damn business, Pierce, that's what!" He replied. "Now, I want all of you to get back to work and don't worry what's going on!"
After they had left Riley turned to Potter and nodded. "It's time."
"I know, Richard. I know. Let's just hope that this isn't the last time I get to order these boys around."