"Something's going on with Margaret." Hawkeye said suddenly. Col. Potter looked up. They were sitting in his office and Hawkeye had been griping about the new surgeon, Charles, for quite sometime.
Colonel Potter took a moment to switch tracks, and then responded. "What makes you think that son?"
Hawkeye sighed. "Oh come on Colonel, you don't really believe that story about her falling do you?"
"That's what she told me happened and I'm going to trust her." Hawkeye glared at him. "Oh all right. I think it's horse hockey!" He said getting agitated. "But that's what she said happened and unless you can get her to tell you something that's all we have to go on!"
Hawkeye sighed and BJ walked in. "What's going on?" He asked, looking at the worried expressions on the two men's faces.
Hawkeye looked at his friend. "Have you seen Margaret since she got back?" He asked sharply.
BJ looked confused. "No, I was on duty in post-op. Why?" Hawkeye leaned back in is chair and poured himself another drink, apparently with no intention of answering BJ.
"Colonel?" BJ was getting irritated now. Why was Hawkeye acting like such a jerk?
Potter sighed and poured BJ a drink. "She's hurt." He said as he handed BJ his drink. Hawkeye laughed cynically.
"Colonel did you even look at that eye?" Hawkeye jumped up from his chair and began pacing around the room. "It was almost swollen shut! And I'm sure that's not all that was wrong. I touched her back and she almost screamed." Hawkeye was visibly upset and BJ stared at his friend. Hawkeye never acted like this.
Hawkeye sat back down and refilled his drink. He knew the other men must be thinking he'd finally lost it. He was wondering at his behavior himself. He sighed and put his feet up on the desk.
"I'm worried about her, that's all." Hawk said quietly. BJ nodded and smiled.
"I don't blame you Hawk." He paused, "What did Margaret say about it?"
"She said she fell." Hawkeye said with a pessimistic smile.
BJ couldn't help smiling. "That's a pretty pathetic excuse."
Colonel Potter leaned forward, placing his hands in front of him on the desk. "Yes, it is. But it's the only excuse she gave us and we're going to trust her! Comprendo?"
For the following month Hawkeye kept a close eye on Margaret, especially when she left for a two day trip to Seoul. When she returned, he noticed that she was slightly out of sorts, but physically she seemed fine.
"Maybe she did fall." He remarked to BJ one evening. It had been a long morning in OR and they were exhausted.
"Yeah sure Hawk, whatever." BJ flopped down onto his cot. "Wake me when the war's over." BJ was becoming increasingly annoyed at Hawkeye's obsession with Margaret. He couldn't' get him to stop worrying about her.
"Hawk, if it's bothering you that much just go talk to her." Hawkeye looked back at him bleakly.
"I told you I tried that! She almost bit my head off!" BJ chuckled to himself. He remembered that day. Hawkeye had sat around for the rest of the day sulking.
"Did you know she's leaving again today?" Hawkeye sat up from his cot and poured himself a drink from the still.
BJ groaned. "Hawk you've told me that at least four times. Now leave me alone, I want to get some sleep."
Hawkeye put his glass down and walked toward the door. "Fine, some friend you are." He stuck out his tongue at BJ as he left.
The following morning Hawkeye woke up to a jeep pulling into the compound. He jumped up thinking it was wounded. He glanced outside of the swamp and noticed that it was Margaret. He frowned. "What is she doing back so soon?" He asked himself.
"Margaret!" He called out to her and she looked over her shoulder at him but then quickly turned around. Hawkeye pulled on a pair of pants and walked out to her.
"Margaret, why are you back so soon?" She turned her head so he couldn't see her face. She shook her head and walked away. Hawkeye quickly reached out and grabbed at her shoulder. Margaret took a gasped and grimaced. Hawkeye released her shoulder and looked at her with concern.
"What's wrong Major?" He reached down and tilted her head up. He could see that she had been crying. She also had a lot of make up on, he wondered at that. Make up was extremely scarce and he was confused as to why she would use so much of it for a jeep ride.
"Nothing's wrong." She whispered hoarsely. "I was bored and I felt like coming back. That is all Captain." She glared at him and walked away to her tent. Hawkeye sighed and began walking towards the Colonel's office. As he entered the office Radar looked up at him and quickly exited the room.
"Margaret's back." Colonel Potter looked up in surprise.
"Really? Did she say why she came back early?" Hawkeye started laughing.
"Yeah, she said she was 'bored'. I don't buy that. Hot Lips Houlihan doesn't get 'bored'" Colonel Potter frowned. He wasn't only worried about their head nurse; he was extremely troubled about their chief surgeon. He had been acting pretty loony the past month.
"You think she's hurt again, don't you?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Listen Pierce, Margaret needs to have a physical pretty soon. I'll just tell her it needs to be done within a week. Will that satisfy you?"
"Hawkeye sat down. "I suppose so." He sighed. "I want to do it."
Colonel Potter chuckled. "You know she won't let you. I'll just have to do it."
"Aw come on Colonel. Just wait until you leave for Tokyo in three days."
Potter shook his head. "That wont work Pierce, there would still be two other doctors besides you."
Hawkeye put his head in his hands and began rubbing his temples. Colonel Potter could practically see the wheels in his head turning.
"No, it might work. I could ask Beej to turn down her request." Hawk looked at Potter smiling. "He could give some lame excuse, like Peg wouldn't like it."
"What about Winchester?" The Colonel prompted.
Hawkeye stood up and began to walk toward the door. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see which of us she despises more." Colonel Potter chuckled.
"You have an incredibly devious mind Pierce."
"Thank you Colonel." He said, bowing on his way out.
"Radar!" Colonel Potter called from his office. Major Houlihan had just informed him that she wanted Captain Pierce to do the examination.
"Yes sir?" The corporal walked into the room.
"Radar, go and get Captain Pierce and…"
"He's already on his way sir."
"Thank you Radar, that's all." He looked up but Radar had already left the room. A few moments later Hawkeye walked in.
"Well Pierce, I don't know how you managed it but it worked!" Hawkeye smiled triumphantly. "She wasn't very happy about it but she wants you to do the exam."
"I assumed she would. I did my best to make Charles as annoying as possible these past few days."
Colonel Potter chuckled and shook his head as Pierce walked outside. "Devious mind Pierce…a devious mind."
"Alright Major, strip." Hawkeye grinned. Margaret was extremely uncomfortable and he was loving it.
"Jerk." He heard her mumble quietly.
He watched her with an amused smile as she unbuckled her belt. She slowly pulled her pants off and Hawkeye instantly frowned. He was boiling inside. He knew that jerk was hurting her!
Oh my God Margaret, what has he been doing to you?
She sighed and pulled her shirt off over her head. Hawkeye gasped sharply.
Oh God, he needs to be locked up! Hawkeye had rarely seen anything like this. He was up to his knees in blood almost every day but it wasn't ever anyone close to him. He smiled pathetically as he thought about how badly he had wanted to do this examination. He wanted to know if Penobscott was doing anything to her. Well, now he knew and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. He was kicking himself for trying to ignore her problems.
Hawkeye, you idiot! You should have done something!
He looked at her and saw she was staring at him. She quickly looked away and scooted onto a low metal table. Pity washed over him. She was miserable. It would be humiliating for her if everyone knew about this. He had no idea what to say. He sighed quietly. Well, right now he was her doctor. Her personal life doesn't need to mix with this examination; he could deal with that later. He forced on a perverted smile and walked over to her.
"Come on Hot Lips, let's get this examination over with."