TWENTY FOUR


Dec. 2nd: 2100 hours

"I'm sorry, little sister. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was mad. And I wasn't thinking," Fannin MacAllister apologized. He gently touched the red marks that were still showing on her arm.

"That's for sure and for certain!" Sarabeth remarked with mild vexation. "Big brother, I'm not the only one you should apologize to."

"You're right," the man admitted. He straightened his shoulders and faced the older officer. "Major, I apologize. I should not have called you out and caused you harm. And I should have trusted my sister. I'm sorry. I apologize to both of y'all for my idiotic actions; and for my imbecilic words; and for my stupidity, in general."

"While I don't agree with your methods," the physician replied, "I do understand your motives. I will, however, expect you to remember what I said," Winchester spoke firmly.

"I will remember that," the Texan grinned. "And I will make it right with the restaurant. The next time you are in Tokyo, the White Lotus is going to welcome you with open arms."

"And just how are you going to manage that?" the younger MacAllister asked. "They were pretty emphatic about us never darkening their doorstep again."

"I don't know." Fannin shrugged, "I'll finagle something."

"Make sure you do." Sarabeth embraced her brother and smiled at him with forgiveness. "Oh well. At least, you've provided me with some new experiences: I've never been thrown out of a restaurant before and I've never had to run away from the police before, either."

"Neither have I," Charles Winchester admitted. "And I don't believe I shall write home about this episode, either."

The woman smiled at him, "No, I don't reckon I'll tell Mama about this one. However, Fannin," with an arched eyebrow, Sarabeth looked at her sibling and said, sternly, "I would like to know what brought all this on."

The three were sitting at a table in themess hall. Despite the nurse's objections, the doctor had insisted that they return to the base hospital to take x-rays of her wrist. As she had insisted, there was no lasting damage.

With a sigh, the older Texan stood. He gathered a coffee pitcher from a side table and refilled their cups as he began his explanation, "Crockett had asked me to stop by the 4077th to deliver that movie reel he had promised you, and to give Kellye that pair of stockings you sent to him."

Despite her severe expression, Sarabeth grinned, "I am so glad they were for her! I was beginning to wonder about our big brother."

"So was I," Fannin replied. "Anyway, I had radioed in, asking Kellye to meet me at the helicopter pad. Instead, that shy, little nurse, Linda, and Monica Parnelli were there. Linda explained that Kellye was on duty but that she would relay any messages. I gave her the packages. She started back down the hill but Parnelli stayed behind. And, Lordy, did she give me an earful! All kinds of spiteful comments and nasty insinuations about what y'all were doing here."

"You should have considered the source, brother mine." Sarabeth remarked.

"I didn't really believe her…until I talked to Klinger. He confirmed that you were in Tokyo and he gave me the name of the hotel you were staying at. I called but you weren't listed on the register."

"That's because Charles made…," the woman started to explain.

"I know that---now," her brother replied. "I didn't know that---then. So, I caught the first flight out. When I arrived this afternoon, I started hunting for you. Y'all weren't here at the base; or at the hotel. I called all of the clubs and restaurants until I found one that had a table reserved for Winchester. And then I came to get you."

"Fannin," Sarabeth set down her mug, "were you working on any other assignments for Crockett when you left?"

"I was supposed to report back to him after I dropped off the packages. I did call to let him know that I had to get to Tokyo right away."

"Then, you best call his outfit again to let him know everything's all right, before he comes after both of us."

"Too late," the older MacAllister replied. He pulled out a message he had received while the medical officers were waiting for the radiograph results and read it out loud: "What the hell is going on, pilot? If the littlest one needs help, holler and I'll come. If you're just AWOL, I'm fixing to nail your hide to the barn wall!"

"Sounds like our big brother is a wee bit miffed at you," the woman observed.

Fannin grinned, "Being a middle brother is so much fun. I get to annoy both my little sister and my big brother."

"Yes, but since all I'd do is chunk rocks at you or take a broom to you; and since he can have you locked in leg irons, you might want to not annoy Crockett near as much as you annoy me," Sarabeth admonished and then sighed, "Brother mine, what am I going to do with you?"

He shrugged, "I reckon you'll visit me in the stockade, sister mine."

"Yes, I am looking forward to visiting my hotheaded brother in Leavenworth."

"The colonel seems like a reasonable man. Perhaps," Major Winchester interrupted, "there is some way to rectify the situation so that trips to...Kansas...will not be necessary."

"Sounds like a good idea." Sarabeth grinned at him. She turned to her brother. "Here's what we're going to do. I'll call Crocket and tell him everything's all right. I'm also going to tell him it's my turn to pin your ears back and that you'll be there tomorrow after I get through with you."

Captain MacAllister groaned. He recognized that particular tone, "What do you have planned for me, little sister?"

"Nothing too strenuous, big brother. I just want you to be at the base bank at 0800 hours, tomorrow, when I close my account. There's someone there I want you to meet," her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "Meanwhile, since the PX is still open; you get a couple of those mystery books that Crockett likes to read. And tomorrow, you take those books; stop by the 4077th to pick up my last two rib eyes, and that tin of fudge on my desk to give to him---along with a very sincere apology. You hear me, big brother?"

"I hear you," the Texan agreed. "But I'm not looking forward to it."

"Sarabeth, are Yankees invited to this introduction?" Winchester asked in amusement.

"Absolutely. I was going to ask if you would come with us. I reckon Captain Cartier won't even let me in his office without you shepherding me. I know your lectures start at 9 am but I reckon we should be finished before then."

The major smiled, "I am looking forward to conducting business with him again."

"Yes, we are definitely going to conduct some business with him. And now, Charles, I know you need to finish preparing your notes; and I still have some unfinished business with my brother. So, if you will excuse us, I'll meet you back at the hotel."

"You will stop by to let me know that you have arrived without further harm, won't you?" the man asked.

"We sure will." Fannin answered for her.


Standing, with her hands on her hips, Sarabeth stared at her sibling.

""What?" He asked innocently.

"Don't ever do that again," she lifted an eyebrow at him in warning, "you hear me?'

"Nope. I'm always going to come to your rescue, little sister," the man commented and grinned, "But, I will make sure you need rescuing first," he pledged. Seeing the necklace that was glistening against the brown colors of her Class A uniform, he reached to look at it better. "Very pretty. What's this?"

"That, brother mine," she answered, "is a Texas bluebonnet." A strange shadow of amusement flashed across his face and disappeared quickly. She grinned at him, "You can say what you were thinking."

"All right. Sister mine, I have seen many a bluebonnet...but I have never seen one quite like that."

"Neither have I," Sarabeth admitted. "Something must have gotten lost in the translation. But Charles thinks it's one. And don't you dare tell him differently!"