THIRTY SIX
Dec. 20th: 0900 hours
My Darling,
I love you, Peg. Did you know that? Just in case you've forgotten that, I thought I'd tell you.
I'm sitting here in the mess tent, trying to keep warm. Since the main road to our camp is currently impassable, we're trying to conserve heating fuel. We are not allowed to light the heaters in our tents until we're ready for bed. So that's making the mess tent a very popular place to be at the moment.
It is five days until Christmas, Peg. And it's been five days since I last saw you. And, right now, I don't know which is the hardest to face.
I didn't realize just how hard it was going to be saying goodbye to you for a second time. However, I'm still glad we made the decision for you and Erin to come to Tokyo.
As much as I have enjoyed your letters…they just weren't enough...I needed to be able to convince myself that the two of you still existed. You and Erin are my lifelines to reality. You help to remind me that there are other things in life besides this misery and death that surrounds us here.
It was so wonderful to be able to talk to you...to see you...to be with you. And Erin! I can not believe how much she's grown! I actually got to hear my baby call me 'daddy'; and see her walk; and listen to her cute little sayings. I'm not sure if you realize how much I needed that. I love you both so much!
And I'm so grateful to Hawkeye and Sarabeth for arranging your trip. I can never repay them for giving me my sanity and my lifeline back to me!
Guess what? You are now married to a Texan! And just how did that happen, you ask? Well, this morning, Sarabeth came over to the Swamp and gave us each a package. She said that we needed to open them right away. Each of us received a small bottle filled with dirt. She laughed at our expressions when we opened that present.
She explained that the dirt was genuine Texas soil---straight from her Mama's garden. And that, by the power invested in her as a sixth-generation, native-born Texican, we were hereby adopted as Texans---whether or not we wanted to be. And that we were now entitled to all bragging rights and privileges of a resident of the biggest and the best state in the Union. But we had to keep our bottle of dirt with us at all times...or else the adoption was null and void.
Hawkeye and I immediately began speaking with an extremely exaggerated drawl. Our redheaded Texan was laughing at our accents. Charles just looked at us in exasperation. But he smiled at Sarabeth. He's been doing that a lot more since they came back from Tokyo.
I don't know what kind of war news you are getting back home. But it is bad here, Peg. Very bad. Don't worry about me, though. We're cold and miserable; bored when we're not being overloaded with casualties; and exhausted when we're finished taking care of all these people who need our help. But, we're going to be fine.
Bye, Peg. Kiss Erin for me. I love you both very much. Again, don't worry-everything's going to be okay.
B J
Hoping he was telling the truth, setting his letter aside, Captain Hunnicutt listened to some of the conversations going on around him. Not really meaning to ease-drop, it was difficult to avoid their words, however.
Hawkeye and Charles were arguing over a missing bottle of hair tonic---or was it brandy---he couldn't tell which.
Three of the nurses beside him were discussing the intensity of injuries that they were seeing.
"I've worked the emergency room in Detroit for five years and I don't believe I've ever seen anything quite so brutal," Lieutenant Thompson observed dejectedly. "It's bad enough to lob a grenade into a foxhole. But to jump in afterwards and stab everyone who's still moving..." she shuddered.
"In pre-op, while Private Marshton was waiting to be treated," Lieutenant Kellye contributed, "he told me that, if he hadn't still been able to shoot, and if that patrol hadn't arrived, they would have all been killed." She shook her head. "That's horrible!"
Lieutenant Baker added, "In Tony's last letter, he told me that this new Chinese general is responsible for all this butchery. And, now he's launched an even more aggressive campaign to gain himself more fast glory."
"Terrific; just what we needed."
Behind him, BJ could hear Lieutenants Parnelli and Hernandez also having a discussion.
"I think it's stupid to not be able to leave the camp! I wanted to go to the village to buy a scarf that I saw at the market. But, now, I can't even cross the compound without an escort," Monica complained.
"At least you got to go to Seoul on your days off!" Linda Hernandez replied, unhappily. "I finally get two days leave and I have to spend it here!"
"And, I'll tell you something else that's stupid…."
Tuning out that conversation, the doctor looked over at Corporal Klinger and Lieutenant MacAllister. Heads close together, they were discussing how to get some cartons that were sitting in the warehouse in Kimpo waiting to be transported to the 4077th.
The company clerk asked, "How about having your brother, the helicopter pilot, fly them in?"
MacAllister was shaking her head. "I can't. He's…busy, right now. Maybe we can bribe a driver to take them to Kimhbede and then we can…"
Smiling, Hunnicutt wished them luck. He turned his attention to his commanding officer. Colonel Potter was talking to Father Mulcahy, "Morale around here is lower than a snail's belly, padre. Can you suggest something?"
"I requested some new movies, Colonel. But, they're with the rest of our supplies, waiting for the roads to be cleared for traffic."
Potter frowned and muttered, "Damn!" softly.
"Perhaps we can decorate the tree early," the priest suggested. "And, since, we having the orphan's party on Christmas Eve; that should make everyone feel better."
"I hope so, Father."
B J Hunnicutt hoped so, as well. He and Peg had let Erin open a couple of gifts in Tokyo. She was really too young to understand the meanings behind them, but she had had a great time playing with the boxes and the ribbons. Seeing that gleeful smile on that cherubic face had warmed his heart. Seeing that joy reflected in the faces of the Korean children should do the same for everyone here.
The sound of a mortar shell exploding further down the road had everyone looking up and listening to the commotion. A collective groan was heard. They all knew they could be expecting casualties soon.
Captain Hunnicutt gathered up his letter and placed it inside his coat pocket. Please let everything be okay, he pleaded silently.
