Chapter 56
Major John Hawke was grateful he was able to stay in the VIP tent with a much older version of his best friend for he knew the antics of the doctors in the Swamp. He made up the cot one handed as he chatted with Dom.
"So…where am I in the future? Am I with Sinjin?" he wondered.
Dom sat down on the cot and let out a deep sad sigh as his smile melted.
John came to attention, "What is it?"
"You know that boat you wanted to get?" he asked.
"The boat! What about it?" he pressed.
Dom confessed, "You got that boat and it was real good at first. Then one night a storm came up, Sinjin pulled String out of the water and you and Maggie went down the boat. I raised the boys after that."
John sat on the cot in silence for a moment. He then reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a brochure of the very boat he wanted to buy for his family. He grasped the edge and tore it up with his teeth.
Dom's eyes settled on the piece of the paper as John leaned over and tossed them in a trash can near the cot. "That was your dream boat."
"Sounds more like a nightmare now." he informed.
"You're not going to get the boat?" he asked wondering if he just changed the course of history.
He shook his head, "My wife told me she wasn't comfortable with the idea. I thought she was being nervous. Not worth it if it kills us." He then asked, "Something is not adding up for me though. Sam is my granddaughter and that man is my son. They seem close to the same age. What am I missing?"
"There are two engines. The first one is in the year 2022. That one ripped a hole through time and connected to 1984. That's my time. Me, String and Caitlin are all from 1984. We went ahead to 2022 to help Sam with the second engine, the one in that brought us here." He figured, "I know this is complicated. I'm living it and I have to think my way through it."
John stated, "I follow it. When you add points of time an equations you have to think it through a bit more. Like advanced physics. Two engines! I got that. The first engine is in the year 2022 and is stationary I assume."
He nodded, "It's in my hangar. After I pass, it goes to my niece. She marries Sinjin and they have Sam. The airfield is defunct in 2022 so they let Sam use it to build the first engine. I was standing in the hangar working on some parts. It was 1984 and then suddenly I felt a shockwave. I thought an earthquake hit. I turn around there is Sam putting out a fire on her engine. She looked up at me and asked who I was and how I got in the hangar. I was asking her the same thing. Turns out that I went through a wormhole to the future and I spent 3 days there with Sinjin and his family. They didn't even want to send me back. They wanted to keep me. Apparently, I will die in year and a half when someone plants a bomb in a chopper. I'm a stunt pilot. But String and I fly top secret missions in Airwolf. Some bad guys will try to take us out. String will be wounded for life. Sinjin sent his daughter to change that. Then we found out there are other time travel programs and some aliens messing around with us. The wormhole acts like a door between Sam's time and mine. We can just come and go as we please. In Sam's time, Airwolf is old and outdated and they fly her at air shows. We thought it would be a good platform to test the second engine. We were trying to fly from California to New York City. If it worked with would have made that flight in seconds. Instead, we ended up here and we don't know what went wrong."
"I don't know enough about advanced physics to help you out of this, Dom. I will do whatever you ask but I don't think I can fix it." he told him.
"Sam can fix it!" he assured. "She just needs some time. What's really strange is I was thinking about our days in Korea and about these jokers at the 4077th right before it happened. I kind of wonder if I jinxed the flight." he confessed. "You remember the foo fighters we saw?"
John shivered, "I remember."
"They came back. Been buzzing Airwolf. One buzzed Sam. Thing went right through her head." he informed.
John looked him dead in the eye, "You don't remember everything that happened that night, do you?"
"Remember what?" he asked him.
He recalled, "We were flying over the channel on our way back. Those foo fighters started buzzing us."
"I remember that!" Dom stated. "They followed us all the way across the channel."
"No, they stopped our planes! Dom, the whole squadron was paused mid-flight. I could looked around but I could not move. The radio went silent. Our planes just hung in the air like an ornament. We were lifted out of the planes into a beam of white light. We went into some kind of craft. There were these frail looking beings inside. They brought us each to some kind of exam table and they ran test on us. Then they sent us back into the planes…like we never left. I looked at my watch when I could move again and it was right on time. Like time stood still. We kept on flying and the orbs left us."
Dom blinked, "I don't remember that at all."
"I know." he nodded. "I'm the only one who remembers."
"What are these things and what do they want with us?" Dom asked himself.
John stated, "Been asking myself that same question ever since."
Dom suggested, "Tomorrow morning we tell String and Sam what you remember. In Sam's time there is a lot more information about aliens. Maybe she can find more information once she get's back."
"I will." He laid down on the cot, "Get some sleep."
Dom agreed, "You too, John." He laid down and closed his eyes wondering what happened to his squadron the night the orbs buzzed the planes crossing the channel.
Morning
Caitlin rose with the nurses to find Sam was gone from her cot. She glanced about concerned. "Anyone seen Sam?" she asked the nurses as she put the surplus uniform on in a hurry.
A red headed nurse replied, "She left the tent about fifteen minutes ago. Not sure where she was going."
Concerned Caitlin tied the black boots and quickly stepped outside. She looked around the camp trying to find her. She walked through the camp searching for any signs of her friend. She then spied Sam coming back into camp and carrying an MRE in one hand. She jogged over to her.
"Sam! Where did you go?" she asked concerned.
"I went to Airwolf to get Hawkeye the breakfast menu." she held up the bag. "I thought this would make his day."
Caitlin grasped the MRE and asked, "Why did you do that?"
She explained, "You saw what they went through yesterday. Those doctors were operating on wounded for sixteen hours straight. I thought it would be a good pick me up for them." she explained.
"I suppose it would." she had to agree. "Just don't sneak out of the tent like that. I woke up and your were gone."
"I just got up a little early so I could get to the chopper before breakfast." she replied. "I was only gone a minute."
"I know but…we're in the middle of a war zone and we have no support from Sinjin here. No backup!" she reminded her. "We can't just go back to the hangar like before. I was worried."
"I didn't mean to make you worry." she apologized. "Guess I never thought of that. I was just thinking of all those wounded men and how the doctors were arms deep in blood and I wanted to do something nice for them."
Caitlin wrapped an arm over her shoulder and began to walk back to the mess tent. "Yesterday was like nothing I had ever seen before. I'm sure Captain Pierce will love it." She grinned, "Least we found someone who like MRE's more than you."
Sam confessed, "I kind of wish we had the wormhole here and we could go through, get cinnamon rolls and KFC and bring it back for them."
"Has KFC even been invented yet?" Caitlin wondered.
"I don't know." she shrugged. "I think fast food started in the 50's."
Caitlin admitted, "Never thought I would miss fast food."
"Me too." she agreed as they got to the tent.
They entered the mess tent and found Hawkeye and BJ already at the table with their powdered eggs slopped on a tray.
Hawkeye glanced up and noticed a brown bag in Caitlin's hand. He motioned, "Please tell me that's the sausage patty."
BJ looked up from his tray. He grew excited, "It's the brown bag!" He moved the tray aside excited to have something different to eat for breakfast.
Caitlin and Sam came to the table. Caitlin took the honor, "Captains! Sam and I thought you two might like something different for breakfast. Menu number 17. Maple sausage patty, hash browns with bacon, peppers and onions, granola with milk and blueberries, maple muffin top, smoked almonds, grape flavored drink, maple syrup and an accessory packet." She presented the bag to the doctors much like a child to be examined.
Hawkeye grabbed the bag with excitement. The day just got so much better for the two doctors. He opened the bag with delicate precision as he spoke to Caitlin and Sam. He looked up with puppy dog eyes and confessed, "I think I'm in love."
BJ agreed, "They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Hawkeye disagreed, "Through his taste buds."
Sam observed as they gently removed each item from the bag much like a treasure. She giggled, "Enjoy! I'm going to get some eggs." She excused herself.
Caitlin smiled, "Have fun, Captains." She motioned and then followed Sam to the line.
Hawkeye and BJ dissected the items in the bag much like a science project. "Muffin top!" BJ read the package.
Hawkeye stated, "We need a clean tray."
Before the doctor could get another tray Margaret Houlihann entered the tent and spied the brown bag and packages. She marched to the table, "What are you two clowns doing now? You got another one of those rations." she demanded to know.
Hawkeye became protective of his prize, "None of your business, Margaret."
She picked up the empty bag, "MRE. Menu 17!"
"Breakfast!" BJ told her. "Caitlin and Sam gave it to us. It's one of the new rations in development."
Hawkeye added, "And you can't have any. They gave it to us." He teased her much like a little boy.
"In development?" She usually got inside information from her father but heard nothing of such a ration.
"Colonel Santini told us." BJ added. "Need some water for the ration flameless heater and a new tray." He stood up, "Be right back."
As BJ left to get the tray and cold water, Charles Winchester the Third walked into the tent next. He spied the mess the doctors were making at the table. He walked over so see what they had. "Pierce! What are you and Hunnicutt doing?"
Margaret stated, "Apparently they got their hands on some new rations in development."
Hawkeye was ever so gleeful, "And they gave it to me and BJ to try."
"They?" Charles asked.
"The two new lieutenants." he motioned towards Caitlin and Sam. "They save the good stuff for the top secret projects." he figured.
Charles picked up the bag and examined it closer. The graphics, the material was all far more advanced than anything he had seen. He found some kind of date code as well but wasn't sure just what he was reading. "Hmm…" he pondered the bag in his mind. As the doctors opened the packages of food he took the time to closely inspect the packaging material. He noticed some packages had a silver like lining as well. He rubbed the material between his fingers trying to determine what it could be made of.
"What do you suppose this packaging material is made of?" he asked the pair.
Hawkeye shrugged, "Don't know; don't care." He was determined to have a sausage patty meal.
"I wonder who the manufacturer is?" Charles debated in his mind who could make the packaging for he saw much potential with the new material.
BJ asked, "Does it matter?"
Charles held the empty packaging before the men, "If you can preserve food in a pouch…a light weight pouch, that one can simply rip open, then you would have a market for food preservation and packaging. This material could be used for other packaging as well."
Hawkeye figured, "And you want to know who is making the packaging so you can buy stock in the company."
"But of course." he agreed. "This is revolutionary packaging, Pierce. Think about the implications. How it can change the field of medicine. You can take a sterilized instrument and seal it in a bag like this."
Hawkeye looked to BJ, "This packaging is really advanced, isn't it?"
"Like the chopper sitting outside camp." he agreed. BJ confessed, "Gotta admit. I'm curious as to what is inside that chopper."
Charles added, "And the fact they won't let any near it."
"Makes ya wonder what they are hiding." Margaret agreed. She watched as the two doctors continued to prepare their breakfast.
Next into the tent was Stringfellow Hawke with Major John Hawke followed by the company Father. She cocked her head as she noticed how similar the two men looked when standing next to one another. She asked, "I wonder if they are brothers?"
String spied the MRE bag and knew Sam gave the doctors another ration. He rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He was thankful they did not have a wormhole connecting the MASH unit to the future for he knew that the crew would use it to get treats for the doctors. He walked with his father to the line grateful to spend time with the man once more.
John Hawke asked, "You have a girl, String?"
He glanced at Caitlin for just a moment.
John looked over at the young woman. "Nice." he nodded. He found String had the same taste in women as he did. "What happens to my cabin?"
"I own it." he reported.
He asked, "You get those paintings too?"
"I did." he confirmed.
"Dom told me about the boat last night. I changed my mind. I'm not going to get it." he informed.
String paused for a moment for he understood that could change the course of history. He then recalled why Sinjin sent Sam back with Dom in the first place. He couldn't counter the suggestion. He confessed, "In that case, when I get back home…I hope to see you there."
"I promise…you will." he assured.
Meanwhile, the company clerk, Radar O'Rielly had made his way through the line with his tray. He went to the doctor's table and found they had yet another ration. He greeted, "Morning Captains. Majors." He took his seat. He glanced over, "Sam give you another MRE?"
Hawkeye nodded as he slopped the patty onto the tray. "She and O'Shannessy did."
Charles stated, "Don't you find these rations to be most unusual, Corporal?" He noticed Radar was on first name bases with one of the women from the crew.
Radar nodded, "And how! They have a whole bunch of those meals in the chopper." He then winced as he realized he might have exposed the fact Sam let him see inside the high tech beast.
BJ paused and asked, "You saw inside the chopper, Radar?"
He blushed, "Just a little."
Hawkeye asked, "What's in it?"
"I shouldn't say. I don't want to get Sam in trouble." he stated concerned.
Charles asked, "Lieutenant Beckett let you see inside it?"
He bashfully nodded, "She let sit in it."
Margaret asked, "What's inside it?"
He explained, "There are two pilot's seat like the choppers that bring wounded here. But the inside is bigger and there is an engineer's station with all these gadgets and these really small looking television screens. She let me wear a helmet that had this dark glass and it would lit up with crosshairs. There is another folding seat and a compartment for storage. I saw a whole big box of those rations in the compartment. Sam said she didn't like the one she gave Captain Pierce yesterday. She didn't think you would like it either, sir. I guess she was surprised by how much you liked it."
Charles asked alarmed, "Crosshairs? Does that chopper have guns?"
"She said the guns don't work anymore." he replied.
Hawkeye stated, "I didn't see any guns on that? Did anyone else see any guns?"
Margaret stated, "They could have the guns concealed."
"Sam said they disabled the guns." he repeated.
Hawkeye asked, "Did she show you the guns?"
"No," he confessed. "She let me sit in the pilot's seat and showed me the engineer's station."
Margaret stated, "If that chopper is armed, we need to know. It could make the camp a legitimate target for the enemy."
Radar stated, "She said the guns are disabled. I believe her."
Hawkeye stated, "I know you have a little crush on her, Radar but we do need to know if that chopper has weapons."
He gave a depressed look, "You think it could have guns that can shoot?"
Margaret stated, "We don't know anything about that chopper and we do need some answers."