The next morning when Emma woke up, she found that she was laying next to Hawkeye. She really admired Hawkeye. How could she not? After all he had saved her. Emma sat up slowly so that she wouldn't wake Hawkeye. When she sat up, Hawkeye mumbled a little, but didn't wake up. Emma looked around the tent, and saw that Frank wasn't there. Trapper was though. In fact he was just sitting up too.
"Morning Shadow, I mean Emma," Trapper said. He jsut couldn't get out of the habbit of calling her Shadow. Emma didn't seem to mind though. She jsut ignored it.
"Morning Trapper." Emma replied. Hawkeye woke up then too. He sat up and streched like always. Emma looked behind her at Hawkeye. "Hey, Hawk."
"Hey, Trapper. Hi Emma." Hawkeye yawned.
"Hi." Emma said cheerily.
"I couldn't help but notice that you called Emma shadow." Hawkeye said to Trapper. "I like it. It suits her. What do you say Emma, wanna be called Shadow?"
"Yeah. I like it too." Shadow replied. Now she felt as if she belonged. After all almost everyone else had a nickname. Radar, Hawkeye, Trapper, lots of them.
"Come on, let's see the trash that's being served as breakfast today." Hawkeye said. Emma jumped up, and agreed. She hadn't eaten for a while. Hawkeye stood up slowly. He wasn't very eager to go to the mess tent. Trapper was even slower, both he and Hawkeye knew that the food was bad, really bad I should say. Too bad Shadow didn't yet, but in time she would. Hawkeye walked out the door first, followed by Shadow, Last came Trapper.
They walked side by side to the Mess tent as if they had done it every day since the war started. Hawkeye got the door first and held it open for Shadow.
"After you," Said Hawkeye. When Emma was through the door, Hawkeye still held it open for Trapper. "After you."
"No, after you." Trapper replied.
"No, no I insist. After you." Hawkeye insisted.
"No, no. Before me." Trapper said, hoping it would work. Luckily Hawkeye was tired.
"Fine, fine." Hawkeye said and walked through the door. Trapper chuckled to himself, and followed Hawkeye. They walked across the tent to join Shadow in the line. She was up next, which was a bad thing. It was bad because Hawkeye and Trapper weren't exactly eager to eat the 'food'.
"Well, hello. Whose this?" Klinger asked. Shadow stared up at him in puzzlement. Klinger was wearing a light blue dress with matching shoes. This was usual, seeing as Klinger wanted a section eight to get out of the Army. Unfortunatly for him, it wasn't working.
"This is Shadow, Klinger. She'll be here a couple days." Trapper explained.
"I see. Welcome aboard young Shadow." Klinger proclaimed loudly, giving Shadow a salute. Shadow giggled a little. Klinger gave her a laddle full of what looked like gravy. It didn't look very appetizing to say the least. Shadow waited for Hawkeye and sat at a table with him, and Trapper.
Hawkeye spooned up some food and stared at it as if it was the most disgusting thing in the world; which it probably was. He causisly sniffed it, then slowly put it in his mouth. It was all a show for Shadow, and it worked marvoulesly. Shadow gigled before taking a bite of her own food. As soon as it was in her mouth, her expression changed to one of horror at how bad the food tasted. She slowed it, then coughed.
"See, told you it was bad." Hawkeye said lightly elbowing Shadow's shoulder.
"It's worse than what I'm used to. Ugh... Nasty." Shadow gagged out.
"Yeah, it's always like that. That was our first reaction to it too. Right Hawk?" Trapper said looking down at Shadow.
"Sure was. After the first bite it doesn't taste as bad, but still really bad." Hawkeye said, taking another bite of his food. Shadow slowly did the same. She didn't keep it in her mouth long, she swallowed it almost as soon as it was in her mouth. Hawkeye was right. the second bite tasted a little better.
Radar came over to the table with his own tray of the slop that the army tried to pass as food. He sat across from Shadow. He looked up at her and asked, "What did you think?"
"I think it's awful. I honestly don't know how you people eat this everyday." Shadow said. Radar laughed a little. He liked Shadow. He wasn't the youngest in camp anymore.
"Guess what Radar?" Hawkeye asked. Radar looked over at him. "Your not the only one with your talent. Shadow had a dream last night about what happened after her dad got shot. We're gonna go check it out, but it's probably what happened. Would you wanna keep an eye on Shadow while me and Trapper are gone?"
"Yeah, sure Hawkeye. So she can do it too?" Radar replied.
"She sure can, only she does it through dreams." Trapper said. While all this was happening, Shadow was shoveling down food as fast as she could trying to get it down before she could actually taste it. Hawkeye observed this with interest.
"I think Shadow's got the right idea. Shovel down the food before you can taste it. She's a genious!" Hawkeye exclaimed.
"I would do that, but I don't have enough courage." Trapper chuckled. Hawkeye agreed.
After they were done they went to Henry's office. Hawkeye and Trapper needed permission to get a jeep. Henry was sitting at his desk when they went in.
"Hey Hen, we need a jeep." Trapper said.
"Why?" Henry asked turning to face him.
"Shadow had a dream about her dad last night, that might have happened. We promised her we'd check it out." Hawkeye replied putting his hand on Shadow's shoulder.
"So we're calling her Shadow now? Well, anyway." Henry sighed. "Alright, but make it quick."
"Thanks Hen." Hawkeye said. Trapper, Hawkeye, and Shadow walked out to find Radar. He was over taking care of his animals. Shadow walked over to one of the cages and looked inside. There were a couple rabits in the cage.
"Hey Radar we're ready to leave." Hawkeye said.
"Alright. See you later." Radar said. Hawkeye and Trapper went to get a jeep. Radar walked over to Shadow and started telling her about his pets.
The jeep Shadow and her dad had traveled in wasn't far out of camp. THey found half-way in a ditch, with a body lying beside it. The body was Shadow's father. He was sprwaled out on the ground and was robbed of almost everything but, his pants and shirt. What happened in Shadow's dream had actually happened.
They went to take a closer look at the body. Shadow had been right, he had been shot through the heart and had probably died instantly. The jeep had been raided too.
"Poor kid." Trapper said, obviously talking about Shadow.
"Yeah. All of her family's gone, and not a cent to her name." Hawkeye said. After that they returned to the camp.
Shadow was helping Radar feed his pets. He was feeding a hamster, while Shadow was feeding the two rabits. Shadow was speaking softly to the the rabits as she gave them carrots and lettuce. Hawkeye and Trapper came up to her.
"Come on, let's go talk to Henry." Hawkeye said softly, putting his hand on Shadow's shoulder. Shadow paled a little but nodded her head. Radar stood and watched them go. Hawkeye and Trapper took Shadow to Henry's office. They didn't bother to knock, they just walked in.
"How'd it go?" Henry asked.
Hawkeye sighed before speaking. "We found the body spread out by the jeep, robbed of everythng but clothes. Even his boots were stolen. They also took parts from the jeep. Shadow's got a radar too."
Henry looked down at his desk and nodded. Shadow couldn't hold back any longer; she threw her arms around Hawkeye nad burried her face in his chest. Hawkeye rubbed her back and let her cry.
"You know what this means Hawk. She has to go to the orphanage." Henry said. Hawkeye's head shot up to look at Henry.
"She can't go there!" Hawkeye exclaimed.
"We have no choice Hawkeye. Frank and Margret will be on my case until she goes. She'd have to go eventually." Henry said. He barely got the sentence out, when Frank and Margret walked in. "What is it Frank?"
"I was just coming in here to talk to you, and couldn't help but hear that Hawkeye's little shadow will be leaving us." Frank sneered. Shadow dug her face further into Hawkye's chest.
"Come on Hen, she has to stay." Trapper begged. He was really taking a liking to Shadow.
"There's no other way. I'm sorry Hawk, but there's nothing I can do." Henry said. Just then Hawkeye got an idea.
"Maybe not you, but I can do something. I'll adopt her." Hawkeye said. Shadow lifted her head to look at him.
"Oh, come on!" Frank shouted.
"Why not? She's an American citizen. The Army can't say no." Hawkeye said. Henry smiled at Hawkeye's genious plan. Hawkeye was right, nothing was stopping him from becoming a father.
"Alright, I'll allow it. Radar!" Henry called to the company clerk only to find he was already walking through the door.
"I'll send for the papers right away sir." Radar said. Henry nodded wondering how Radar could do that. Shadow looked up at Hawkeye and hugged him tightly. Hawkeyeput his arms around her protectivly. It was a touching moment.
A few moments later Radar came in with the papers. It turned out that there was some in his desk. Don't ask me why they were there, they just were. Hawkeye bent over Henry's desk and started filling out the papers.
"What's your middle name?" Hawkeye asked.
"Jean." Shadow replied. Hawkeye finished filling out the papers and the adoption was official. Hawkeye was now a father.