Disclaimer: How many people on here have been sued because they don't say that these people aren't theirs?
A/N: Oh God... it's finally done... Haha, yeah. This chapter took a long time to get out because of a reason that, for once, is not entirely my fault. Yay! My computer decided to go into hibernation for the summer (aka it crashed), and not only did I loose what I had started of this chapter, but also the internet and so forth. Yaddy-yadda, we all know the story of the broken computer. On with the good stuff!
This is the last chapter to this story; the one of which I started on July 28th, 2004; almost two years ago! It's a good story (man... I got 81 reviews for this thing so far!). But, as always, wait to judge until you read this last chapter. Which, although may not be the best chapter in the entire world, is half decent. So... Read and review! ThAnKs!
"Oh God no," BJ's voice gasped and caught in his throat.
The body was so still and lifeless. BJ became scared to move or breath in fear that the moment would pass. The moment that hung in the air when his best friend lay in front of him with the slim, unsure possibility that he may still be alive.
"Please Hawk," BJ prayed as he moved a shaking, dirty hand down towards his neck.
BJ's own heart skipped a beat as he found the pale, almost grey skin was warm to the touch. But still no heart beat pulsed under his fingers and mere seconds seemed to take hours to pass.
"Come on, please," select tears filled up and rolled down BJ's flushed cheeks, "Please don't do this Hawk. Don't do this to me. Don't do this to everyone that loves you. Don't… don't leave us. Please…"
One beat.
Not even BJ expected himself to jump in surprise and excitement as suddenly he fumbled to move everything away from the doctor. One beat would work for him, and even though he didn't know how hurt Hawkeye was, a smile spread across his face.
"Hawk," BJ spoke loudly after clearing the things away, "Hawk, it's BJ. Can you hear me?"
BJ turned his head sideways and leaned in close to Hawkeye's face. It took only one true moment for him to feel the shallow breathing.
"That's good, that's good," BJ spoke encouragingly, his head turning viciously around in a vein attempt to spot anyone, "Keep breathing. Everything will be ok. I promise."
No one was in sight and BJ knew then that he'd have to help Hawkeye before the war found them. Margaret had taken the jeep back, and consequently all of their supplies. He'd have to make do.
It took only a few moments to see that the most threatening and gut wrenching injury was a large, oozing gash to the side of his head. A broken arm seemed to scream out for attention as well as a 'new' elbow was attached to him somewhere between his forearm and wrist. A few cuts and bruises later, BJ had done all he could until Hawkeye himself told him where and how bad it hurt.
"Hawkeye--" BJ patted Hawkeye's cheek, "Hawk buddy, you gotta wake up now."
No answer.
"Hawk wake up," BJ spoke louder.
No answer came, and BJ struggled to think of a way to wake his friend up, or even get some sort of response. Glancing around in the debris, it took just a second before BJ found a stray nail. He picked it up, and wincing at the upcoming task, stuck the dirty and rusted nail in his mouth. Forcing back the gags which threatened him, BJ attempted to clean off the nail as much as possible in his mouth. Pulling it out, he saw a significant lesser amount of dirt.
"Last thing I need is for you to die from blood poisoning," BJ mumbled spitting on the ground to get the lasting taste out of his mouth.
Taking a deep, apologetic sigh, he pulled up Hawkeye's good arm, and placed the nail gently down on the skin.
"Sorry about this Hawk, but it's the only way," BJ mumbled and pressed the nail in until a small trickle of blood came up.
Slowly he ran it up the arm; a nice size cut marking it's path down the skin. He'd only gotten an inch before a loud moan escaped from Hawkeye's mouth and his eyebrows furrowed up in pain.
"Hawkeye," BJ suddenly cried out, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Hawkeye mumbled but stayed unconscious.
"Hawk, don't make me do that again," BJ threatened.
BJ studied the face of Hawkeye, and though the pained look stayed, there was no lasting awareness. Not wanting to use the nail anymore, BJ found himself almost smiling at a way to wake his stubborn friend. Wiping his hands on his shirt, BJ reached out a hand towards the badly broken arm. Part of the bone stuck out at an old angle like a splinter in the skin.
It wouldn't take much to cause the same, if not more, pain than the nail did. BJ was right on that fact as all he did was merely touch the protruding, blood covered bone and Hawkeye's whole body twitched. Slowly Hawkeye's swollen and bruised eyes opened, and BJ grinned triumphantly.
"Remind me to… smack… you later--" Hawkeye's muffled, strained voice rung out.
BJ laughed and leaned back; his head turned towards the sky, and tears freely coming down his face.
"No problem," he laughed, "Oh God, you can do anything you want as long as you don't do this again."
"What?" Hawkeye breathed.
"Scare the crap out of me," BJ smiled down at Hawkeye now.
Hawkeye forced a smile to his lips, "That could be… messy."
BJ grinned widely, "Can you move?"
"Move what?" Hawkeye groaned; everything hurt so much.
"Anything," BJ responded bluntly.
Taking a deep breath to ease the pain in his arm, Hawkeye leaned his good arm against the ground and slowly hoisted himself to a sitting position; groaning painfully the whole time.
"Don't push yourself," BJ scolded, "If you can't move, that's ok. I can get someone."
"No, I'm good," Hawkeye shook his head stubbornly while trying to get more comfortable on the debris strewn ground.
A loud, ominous explosion echoed off in the distance, and suddenly BJ was reminded that they were, in fact, sitting in the middle of a war. He knew at that point that either he'd have to run and try to get help or try to get them both to safety.
"Hawk we have to do one of two things," BJ attempted to explain it all, "Either I can go and try to get some help, and bring it back here, or we both are going to go and get somewhere where we aren't in front row seats to the war."
"Do you honestly think you'd leave me alone?" Hawkeye smiled.
BJ pondered this a moment, "Good point. Think you can stand ok?"
"There's one way to find out," Hawkeye mumbled, reaching out a bloodied hand to BJ; who'd quickly stood to his feet.
BJ braced himself for a loud cry of pain from his friend has he pulled firmly on the extended hand. He found himself sighing with relief when no such sound came out, but on the contrary, Hawkeye seemed to be able to balance on his own two feet.
"You ok to walk?" BJ questioned.
"Give me a minute," Hawkeye panted in pain; holding onto BJ's arm for support as he felt his stomach flip harshly inside him.
Sure enough, less than a minute later, BJ had slowly and steadily worked Hawkeye out of the rubble someone once called a home, and onto the gravel someone once called a road. It would be a long, painful walk back.
…
"Time?" Colonel Potter asked Klinger as they stood outside of the mess tent.
"Umm," Klinger lifted the frill on the cuff of his dress to glance at his watch, "Just before… err---"
"What is it this time Klinger?" Colonel Potter sighed dramatically.
"Uhh Sir, what comes after seven?" Klinger pondered.
"Twenty hundred?" Colonel Potter prompted.
"Yes," Klinger looked back up at his commanding officer, "It's just before twenty hundred hour Sir."
Colonel Potter sighed; dreading the inevitable coming of casualties, "Have they got everyone to the new OR tent?"
"Yes," Klinger nodded.
"Alright," Colonel Potter took off his hat and ran his hand through his thinning grey hair before replacing it half heartily on his head, "I want to talk to Major's Winchester and Houlihan and Radar."
No words were spoken as Klinger walked off down the dusty 4077 path. Colonel Potter knew he had to send someone out to find BJ, and at the same time hoped that Radar would know when the casualties were due there. It took a moment for the three to arrive in front of him.
"Radar--"
"The casualties are due here within the next hour," Radar quickly spoke, staring down at a clipboard in his hands.
A small smile cracked at the corner of Colonel Potter's lips, "Thank you Radar. Margaret and Charles, I'm afraid Hunnicut is still missing right now. We have to figure out a way to get his kester back here."
"I'm sorry," Margaret spoke quietly.
Charles placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's not your fault."
"It is," select tears rolled down Margaret's cheeks, "Everything. If I had only helped Hawkeye find a cure then he wouldn't have left. And then I left BJ alone…"
Colonel Potter was about to respond to this when a loud burst of noise came from the other side of the compound. With a quick, confused gasp, the four of them rushed across the familiar grounds.
"It's BJ!" someone cried from inside the circle of people, "And Hawkeye!"
These last words barely registered, and Colonel Potter found himself halting in his tracks.
"Did--" Margaret stumbled over her words, "Did they say Hawkeye?"
"Colonel!" BJ's voice boomed out as he pushed his way through the people, "Margaret!"
"Sir it is BJ!" Radar cried out, running around the halted officers and towards BJ; who was supporting Hawkeye by one arm, "And Hawkeye!"
"Oh my God!" Margaret burst out into tears, grabbing onto Charles and burying her face into his shirt.
Charles held onto her tight, his own eyes wide as he could only stare. Colonel Potter on the other hand immediately had a huge smile on his face as he took a bounding leap towards the stumbling doctors.
"Hunnicut," Colonel Potter's voice cracked, "Pierce."
BJ was smiling with tears coming freely down his dirty face, "Colonel, take him to the OR. He needs some fixing up."
"B--" Colonel Potter started but was quickly interrupted.
"Beej, what about you?" it was Hawkeye who spoke, and suddenly everyone standing around them was silent.
"I'll be fine," BJ looked at his friend, "Go with Potter, I'll be there in a minute."
Fore BJ had seen Margaret burst into tears and collapse onto Charles. Slowly he walked over to the two majors; ignoring the suddenly loud talking surrounding him.
"Beat it Charlie," BJ smiled at Charles.
"If you don't mind--" Charles began, taken aback.
"Go help Potter," BJ supplied more professionally, "Hawk's got a bad broken arm and a laceration on his head. A fever started about two hours ago, so I'm thinking an infection is starting somewhere."
"Alright," Charles obliged and hesitantly walked off.
"BJ," Margaret's voice quivered out a moment later, "BJ, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you or stay with you."
"Aww, we got used to that from you with Ferret Face," BJ joked.
Margaret laughed softly, "And Pierce; will he be ok?"
BJ sighed; clearly relieved, "I think so. Nothing seems too bad. His head was kind of worrying, but Hawk will probably just drink that off."
"He will not!" Margaret suddenly cried out, appalled.
"Try and stop him," BJ grinned.
"Watch me buster," Margaret stated and walked off towards the OR tent, bellowing Hawkeye's name at the top of her lungs.
BJ smiled to himself; everything really was going to be ok.
…
"How are you feeling?" BJ questioned from his reclined position on his cot; a hand drawn picture from Erin in his hands.
"Oh fine," Hawkeye nodded from his own bed.
"Ready to talk about what happened yet?" BJ asked sitting up now, and abandoning the picture.
"What do you mean?" Hawkeye attempted, unsuccessfully to act innocent.
"What happened?" BJ asked, and after a moment of silence elaborated, "Hawk, one minute I fall asleep with you asleep in your cot in the tent, and the next thing I know you're on a casualty list! Something must have happened."
Hawkeye remembered what had happened; and knew he'd never forget. The question was whether to tell BJ or not. He'd been Hawkeye's best friend since Trapper left, and the last thing, he knew, BJ wanted to think was that he was completely insane. That was Sidney's job.
"Beej," Hawkeye thought his words over carefully, "Do you ever think about what you'd do if you had the choice to live or die?"
BJ gave a small laugh, "You sure you're feeling ok there Hawk?"
"I'm serious," Hawkeye insisted, "Lets say that you got hurt. And had the choice whether to choose to live or die. What would you choose?"
"That's pretty simple," BJ reluctantly played along, "I have a wife and kids. I'd want to live to be here for them."
"But what about your Mom?" Hawkeye pressed, "She died last winter right?" silently BJ nodded, "Well, wouldn't you want to be with her?"
BJ thought about this a moment before replying, "Wherever Mom is, I know she'll always be waiting for me. She'll always be there. But Peg, and Erin, they're here right now. I need them more than they need me right now."
"That's good," Hawkeye nodded, "Took me a hell of a lot longer to figure something like that out."
"What's that?" BJ furrowed his eyebrows as he picked back up his daughters masterpiece; dreaming of the day when he'd see the artist again.
"Nothing," Hawkeye smiled and laid down on the cot; staring at the canvas ceiling.
BJ had worded it perfectly. Though, Hawkeye grudgingly realized, BJ had taken far less time to figure it out. It wasn't because of all of his friends and family needing him and caring for him that Hawkeye had choose to live. On the contrary, it was because he needed them even more.
The End.
A/N: (sob, sob)... that's all folks. That was the end of this story. Did you like it? Are you completely and thouroughly pissed off at me for taking my time on this thing? Hey, give me this at least; after everything that's happened in the past two years; at least I've finished the story! I hope you all will still review this last chapter! If I get to 100 reviews, I'll do another story (haha-- the odds of that happening are... well... slim to nill I'll bet). Either way, thanks for sticking around, and let me know what you thought of a) this chapter and b) the story! You've read, now review! ThAnKs!