TWENTY SIX
Dec 3rd: 1230 hours
Inside the Records Room at Tokyo General Hospital, Lieutenant MacAllister was annoyed. She started another search through a stack of medical reports. "It's a good thing I'm not in charge of these files! If I were, someone would be listening to me pitch a fit!" She was speaking out loud to herself as she hunted through another box of folders. "This is the most disorganized, disordered disaster I have ever..."
"Are you dis-gusted? Very dis-stressing," her tirade was cut short by the amused voice of Major Winchester. He had arrived at the doorway and had overheard her comments.
"I don't care to dis-cuss it," she told him with a grin. "Cuss it? Most definitely!"
The man from Boston smiled at her words. "I have finished imparting my knowledge to the nurses during this morning's session," he announced. "Would you care to visit the mess hall? I doubt that they will be serving octopus, however."
"And I was so looking forward to it," the woman laughed. "Let's dis-perse!"
Later that afternoon, Major Winchester was waiting in the Doctor's Lounge for Lieutenant MacAllister to arrive. He was enjoying a game of cribbage with another physician when a knock at the door announced her arrival. Abandoning the game, with apologies, he hurried to meet the nurse who was standing outside the room.
"Howdy, Major," she smiled at him. "How did your lectures go?
"It is difficult to describe and discuss the type of injuries we have encountered with anyone who has never been assigned to a MASH unit. None the less, I do think I was successful in conveying the methods of treatment in a combat area."
"Did you...? Never mind," the woman decided to withdraw her question.
"Did I remember what you told me earlier? That 'most nurses were not stupid little twits like Parnelli'; and that 'they learned better if talked to...not down to'? Yes, I remembered and I did try to follow your advice."
"Thanks for remembering," she informed him with a grin.
"How about you, my dear?" he responded. "Are you finished with your fact finding mission?"
"Yes. At least; as much as I could uncover from that mess. There are still some patient records that I can't find documentation that they ever even arrived here. But, I did find most of them."
"Then we can begin our tour of Tokyo."
The lieutenant was doubtful. "I'm not real sure I want to tour this town. There are too many Japanese soldiers walking around."
"I will be right beside you, Sarabeth," Winchester promised. "You have nothing to be frightened of.
The Texan shook her head. "You don't understand, Charles. I'm not afraid of them. I'm afraid of what I would do to them! Bowie was tortured and murdered by those bas…soldiers," she spoke harshly. "It took a long time for my brother to die and he was in terrible agony the whole time. That's something I can NEVER forget and I can NEVER forgive. And I really don't want to be around them."
"Very well then; we'll skip the sight seeing. However, I do know of a couple of stores near the base that specialize in carved wood and ivory. I have found several exquisite pieces there. You can shop for those Christmas presents you said you'd like to purchase. "And," Charles Winchester added with a grin, "in the process, with all of the gifts you are hoping to find for your family and for the people at the 4077th, you can make Captain Cartier very unhappy."
"Now, that's something I can enjoy doing!" the woman remarked. "Let's go. We're burning daylight."
"Just remember, my dear," the man cautioned. "I am to make certain that you do not squander your money," he teased.
She raised an eyebrow in warning. "You had best watch it, mister," she advised with a mischievous grin. "You are within shin-kicking distance, you know."
"What time do we need to leave for the ballet, tonight?" Sarabeth MacAllister asked. Returning to their hotel, she and Charles Winchester were climbing the stairs to their floor. Both were carrying armloads full of packages.
"Since we will need to find a taxi; no later than 7:30 pm."
The lieutenant checked her watch. "Great! I have time for another soaking in that tub," Sarabeth exclaimed gleefully. "I still haven't decided if it will be suitable for Peg Hunnicutt!"
"I really enjoyed that performance, Charles! Thank you for taking me to see it. It makes me wish I had spent my life practicing pirouettes instead of chasing cattle." The red-haired woman told him as she whirled around in imitation of a ballerina. She stumbled and then grinned at him. "Except that, I never have been able to balance on my tippy-toes for very long."
Winchester, observing her antics, smiled at her. He poured them both a drink. He carried the glasses over to MacAllister who was standing near his window. She accepted the drink he offered. Standing there together, sipping their brandy, the two stared at the lights of the city. Content, the woman said, "This is a very good ending to a very good evening."
"Indeed," the man agreed.
"Being in Tokyo suits you, Charles. You're more relaxed here. And I've seen you smile more today than I have ever seen you do in Korea."
"Tokyo General Hospital," the medical officer mused. He thought again of the white brick walls, immaculate lawns, wrought iron fences; and more importantly, of those modern, well equipped operating rooms. "Now you can see why I would prefer to be stationed here; rather than at the tin barn we call a hospital."
"It's not bad," the nurse acknowledged. "One thing about metal barns, though...they do catch your a-tin-tion."
"Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless," the man shook his head in fond exasperation and the woman laughed.
"Seriously, though, Charles; you've been able to save more lives back in Korea, than you could ever save here, or even in Boston, for that matter," MacAllister announced. "I'll probably get Klinger's section eight for saying this; however, I'll be glad to get back. I know we have more rats than bandages; but almost every day, we're helping someone. Americans, Australians, Koreans, Chinese; men, women and children---we're doing a good job mending broken and battered bodies. And I'm proud to be a part of that."
"Actually," Charles Winchester was surprised to hear his own admission, "so am I."
