Okay, readers! Here is the eleventh chapter of this story!
Now, this is where the story incorporates more elements! In addition to Andrew and Margaret working things out amongst each other, they are also put into a rather perilous situation thanks to the North Koreans, which resulted in the 8063 bugging-out of their area because of them and the Chinese Communists. On top of that, Margaret will snap at Andrew a couple of times in this chapter to make it more realistic; since he has been avoiding her and she is hurt by the whole ordeal, so she takes her anger out on him. Things will get better, and she will apologize to him for it later on.
But for now, what will be in store for these two? What treacherous trials will come their way? And will they stick together and keep each other safe while out in the wilderness? Find out right now folks!
OUT ON THE OPEN ROAD - IN SOUTH KOREA:
On the open road, somewhere outside the M*A*S*H 4077, we see a jeep driving down the road, with Andrew driving it and Margaret sitting in the passenger seat. Andrew had seen the map and directions that Colonel Potter gave him and memorized it like a compass. To him, it wasn't a far ride to the 8063rd. It was just a good 15 minutes away from the 4077. This should be a piece of cake.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the problem Andrew was having at all. No, his problem involved the head nurse sitting right next to him. To him, this was so painfully awkward. It was like going on a date with an ex-girlfriend, and Andrew never even had a girlfriend. He couldn't help but feel a tad uncomfortable by this.
Damn it, why am I feeling so uncomfortable by this?! This is really awkward! Andrew thought painfully. Margaret hasn't even said a word to me since we boarded this jeep!
He took a glance to see Margaret just staring at the road, looking rather emotionless.
Well, the least I can do is keep our spirits up and break the ice.
After a few moments of thinking about what to say, he cleared his throat and decided to say something.
"So uh...I've been meaning to ask," he started cautiously. "How have you been doing...Margaret?"
That caught her attention as she slowly turned to face him, giving him a blank look.
"Seriously? That's all you have to ask me," she said with an annoyed tone. "How am I doing?"
Andrew couldn't help but flinch at the tone she was giving him, but he decided to give her a response.
"Well, actually, I was just-"
"Look, Andrew, unless you have something important, don't talk to me," she snapped before looking at the road again, saying in a bitter tone. "Not until you tell me why you've been avoiding me this whole time..."
Ouch. That was very harsh, Margaret. Andrew frowned in disappointment, having expected that. I guess I can't blame her for being upset with me. After all, I did avoid her this whole time. But I can't let that stop me. I got to try to make things right with her.
Not saying another word, the major continued to drive to the 8063rd, hoping to find the right time to clear the air between them.
Sadly, after a few more minutes of driving, Andrew felt something wrong with the jeep. He never drove one before, but he noticed that something was wrong under the hood as it was thrashing and steaming over. Seeing that it wasn't safe to drive it in this condition, Andrew brought the vehicle to a halt. Margaret saw him bring it to a halt and was not impressed by it.
"What did you stop the jeep for?!" She yelled at him.
Andrew took a deep breath and said. "Margaret, I think that there's something wrong with the jeep. It's steaming under the hood."
"You mean we're stuck here!?" The head nurse shouted exaggeratedly.
"Now relax, don't put our hopes down," Andrew tried to ease the tension. "I can check it out and find out what the problem is."
"And how would you know?" She raised an eyebrow towards him.
"I worked at a gas station once." Andrew deadpanned before getting out of the jeep and headed towards the hood, which he then lifted and inspected.
He saw the source of the problem. It involved the jeep's radiator, and it came as a shocker.
"Uh oh, I think I know what the problem is," Andrew revealed to her. "The jeep's radiator is boiling over. We're gonna need to fill it up with some water to get us moving again."
"Well then fill it up with some water!" Margaret told him.
Andrew didn't say a word as he went over to the trunk of the jeep, as Margaret had a rather impatient look on her face. Andrew opened the trunk and found the red tank that was filled with water...except that it wasn't, since it was empty. Not a single trace of water was in it.
"That Klinger! Can't he do anything right!?" Andrew yelled in frustration.
"What did he do this time," she gave him a curious look.
"He forgot to fill up the tank with water," Andrew said dryly.
"So it's like I said, WE'RE STUCK HERE!" She screamed, growing agitated again.
"Now please calm down. I can promise you that we are going to get out of here, even if we don't have water," Andrew tried to calm her nerves. "We'll just have to improvise."
"With what?"
"Let's see what that dope packed us for beverages."
Andrew went over to the backpack with the drinks in it. All he found was four bottles of whiskey. Andrew was rather disturbed by this. Klinger couldn't have been serious about providing them with this type of beverage. Was he expecting the both of them to get drunk while in the wilderness? When he has to drive the compound's jeep no less?
Real smart Klinger... Andrew groaned, rolling his eyes as he took two of the large bottles out. These will have to do for the jeep's radiator.
Smashing the top parts off by slamming it onto the side of the jeep, he then took the opened bottles of whiskey and went towards the jeep's radiator. From there, he dumping the whiskey into the radiator one by one. To his luck, once both bottles were emptied, the radiator stopped boiling over, it was no longer steaming, and now he could drive this baby again to the 8063rd.
"Okay, the radiator is running again, so we can get to the 8063rd," Andrew told the head nurse.
"Great! Now we can go," the head nurse was grateful for this. "So come on!"
"Alright," Andrew sighed, tossing the two empty bottles to the side, not having a use for either of them.
From there, he went back into the driver's seat and continued to drive to the 8063rd, with no further complications in the jeep...
After a few more minutes, they finally made it to the 8063rd...or what was left of it. All of the tents were gone, and it was completely deserted. The only thing standing was the sign, the intercom, and the OR building. As soon as Andrew parked onto the curve, he got up and grabbed all four backpacks. As he did so, he looked kinda puzzled by what was going on.
"Uh, this is the 8063rd, is it?" Andrew scratched the rim of his cap. "Because I could've sworn that this M*A*S*H unit had some tents lying out and that there were people present here."
Margaret, on the other hand, was able to immediately piece together what happened. This has happened to her before.
"Oh for crying out loud, THEY BUGGED OUT ON US!" She screamed in anger.
"Bugged out?" Andrew gave her an incredulous look, the four backpacks over his back. "Are you trying to tell me that they relocated to another area?"
"YES!" Margaret wasted no time in yelling that out.
By the expression on Major Peterson's face, he wasn't any happier about this than Major Houlihan was.
"Well that's just great," Andrew huffed sarcastically. "So this means that we drove all the way out here for nothing."
"Well, what do you suppose we do now, Andrew," she asked with agitation.
Andrew had to pinch the bridge of his nose as he thought of a solution. The easiest solution would be to head back to the 4077 and forget all about it. But he wasn't going to give up that easily. He had to work things out with Margaret, with just the two of them alone. Going back to the M*A*S*H 4077 would bring back the same tension that they had to get away from. So he had to try something else.
Letting out a sigh, he went back to the driver's seat door. "I guess we should just drive around a bit until we find out where they relocated."
"So that's the answer, huh? Keep driving around in circles until we find their new location," Margaret wasn't impressed by his decision.
"We really don't have much of a choice," Andrew sighed, opening the door. "We've come this far, and I doubt it's a good idea to turn back now. So let's just find the new location."
The head nurse didn't say another word as Andrew got back into the driver's seat, with the four backpacks on his bag, as he then closed the door, buckled up, and drove out of what was the 8063rd. He had to wonder where they moved to, as he drove down a path to who knows where. Andrew had to do some thinking about this. The people at the 8063rd couldn't have bugged out from here without a reason. There had to be an explanation for all of this.
I have to wonder why they bugged out. They must've had a perfectly good reason for ditching this place. Andrew thought, thinking about the Korean War and glancing at the head nurse in the passenger's seat. Well whatever it is, I should be careful. There's no telling if Margaret and I will run into any North Koreans! They might have something to do with why the 8063rd bugged out like this...
Oh, he had no idea how right he was there...
IN COLONEL POTTER'S OFFICE - AT THE 4077:
"YOU WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BUGGED OUT!" Sherman Potter bellowed through the phone in his office.
Believe it or not, the 8063rd had just called the colonel to let them know that they moved to a new location. And he was incredibly displeased by it.
"So you dingbats thought it'd be best to inform me about this after I sent my doctor and my nurse over to your M*A*S*H unit?" Colonel Potter queried in annoyance.
The answer that he got from the caller was not good enough for him. This was becoming outrageous with each passing second.
"What in Sam Hill gave you a reason to bug out of the 8063rd anyway?" Potter asked, rubbing his temple.
The answer he got was a pretty understandable one since it involved an impending danger to the M*A*S*H 8063rd. But at the same time, he was outraged since Andrew and Margaret were riding into dangerous territory; likely to get killed on what seemed to be a suicide mission.
"Well you best hope that I don't get down there and catch you in a fox hole," Potter warned the caller. "Otherwise, you'll have more to worry about than just some North Koreans and Chinese Communists!"
With that, he slammed the phone back into the socket and stood up. Storming into the company clerk's office, he then gave a direct order.
"Klinger! I want you to get a hold of the jeep that Majors Peterson and Houlihan are riding in, on the double," he commanded. "They are about to ride into enemy territory and they have to be warned about it before it's too late!"
"I'm trying as hard as I can sir," Klinger was trying to mess with it ahead of schedule. "But the frequency setting between here and their jeep has been jammed!"
"Well un-jam it and get them on the horn, pronto Corporal," Potter hollered. "This is a red alert we are dealing with, and we don't want them KILLED by some North Koreans!"
"Right away sir!" Klinger obliged as Potter went back into his office.
To be honest, Klinger was trying his best to get a hold of Andrew. The man and the head nurse were in a perilous situation. The last thing the company clerk wanted was for Andrew Peterson to get killed, especially when he hasn't properly apologized for it, and wasn't forgiven for it. If he were to be killed, Klinger would never forgive himself for his idiotic stunt.
With that, Klinger kept trying to reach him, to no avail. He had to wonder what the two majors were up to at the moment...
MEANWHILE, OUT ON THE OPEN ROAD:
Speaking of whom, Andrew was driving the jeep to an unknown location, with Margaret not saying a word about this. Andrew had no idea what was going on, or if they'd get to their destination. Were they really lost? Was this some kind of test to see if he and Margaret still care for each other? And what of the horrible feat that resulted in the 8063rd bugging out? All these questions and many others remained unanswered in his head.
I guess I'll find it eventually. After all, I just have to follow the yellow brick road, and it should get us to our destination. Andrew thought as he continued driving with the four backpacks on his back.
He continued to drive aimlessly down the road for several more minutes, hoping to find a sign of a compound nearby.
Eventually, the jeep came to a stop when they saw a few North Koreans standing in their path. Once it came to a complete halt, Andrew took notice that these were North Korean soldiers that they were dealing with. Could they be responsible for what happened at the 8063rd?
"Uh, pardon us for driving like this, but we are trying to get to the 8063rd, or where they relocated," Andrew tried to remain calm and rational about this. "And we would like to continue going there without stirring up any conflicts with you guys."
"So move it busters!" Margaret hissed at them, not in the mood for this.
This didn't sit well with the North Korean Soldiers, for once both of them were done talking, they drew out their guns and aimed them at the two majors. Following instincts, Andrew and Margaret had their hands up. Perhaps something bad was going to happen to them after all.
"Now please, there's no need to shoot us," Andrew said stoically. "Let's be reasonable about this, shall we?"
It was then the leading North Korean soldier who spoke the Korean language.
"지프를 포기하세요! 아니면 우리는 강제로 쏠 것입니다!" The North Korean shouted. [Translation: Give up your jeep! Or we'll be forced to shoot!]
Neither of the majors knew what he was saying since they couldn't speak Korean.
"Uhhh, Margaret, I don't know what they're saying," he said, seeing how the guns were aimed at them, with them getting ready to pull the triggers on them. "But I think they want us to get out of the jeep, or else they'll open fire on us."
Margaret said nothing as she looked at the North Korean soldiers, wondering if they'd really shoot them.
"당장 나가!" The leader warned them, pointing his gun at them. [Translation: Get out, now!]
Andrew knew that they were serious about shooting them. He wasn't going to get himself killed like this, and he especially wasn't going to let Margaret turn herself into target practice for their rifles.
"Come on Margaret," Andrew warned through a forced smile.
Before she knew it, Andrew had to grab her arm and force her out of the jeep right away. In a matter of seconds, the two majors were standing to the side as the North Korean soldiers got into the jeep, and stole it.
They drove off with it, leaving the two majors in the dust, as they both lowered their hands. Andrew was relieved that neither of them became a target practice by some North Koreans, especially since he still had their four backpacks on his back, which were on the whole time. Margaret, on the other hand, was very livid about what Andrew just did.
"You idiot," she snapped at him. "How could you do such a stupid thing!?"
"Hey! They had guns, alright," he defended. "They were ready to shoot us if we didn't leave! All I'm saying is that I don't want either of us to get a taste of bullets and have them turn us into Swiss cheese!"
"Well, you could have at least signaled someone and called for help!" Margaret howled at him, flailing her arms about.
"And risk having you get shot on target where you'll drop dead? Not a chance," Andrew said in a very calm tone. "Besides, I think your life is more important to me than the jeep."
Margaret was a little shocked by what he just said to her. Did he just say that her life is more valuable to him than the unit's jeep? Was he willing to sacrifice the jeep if it meant keeping her alive?
So he does care for me? Margaret thought, although she still wasn't entirely convinced. After all, he hasn't explained why he avoided her before leaving the 4077 to go on this trip.
"Okay," she sighed, shaking her head. "So what do we do now?"
"Well I don't see any taxi cabs coming within a hundred miles," Andrew told her. "I guess we're gonna have to walk on foot."
"Doesn't look like we have a choice..." Margaret grumbled, already walking on foot, with Andrew catching up behind her.
As they started, Andrew was thinking. He knew that Margaret would snap at him like that, and he remained calm during it. As he promised the colonel, he was being patient and understanding with the head nurse, and he wasn't going to stop now. He needed to show her how much she means to him, and what he just did and said was only the first part of it. There was more danger ahead for them, and he knew exactly what he had to do from here on out.
Margaret, I'll protect you no matter what. No matter what it takes, I will fix this relationship between us... That thought rang through his head as they began walking down the road...
BACK AT THE 4077 - IN THE COMPANY CLERK'S OFFICE:
"Did you get a hold of the jeep yet, Klinger?" Potter asked him rather impatiently.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news sir," Klinger was dreading this moment. "All the frequencies between here and the jeep have been cut off. I can no longer get a signal out to the jeep."
"What in tarnation do you think happened, Corporal," the colonel queried with irritation.
"I don't know sir," Klinger shrugged his shoulders. "But I'm more than convinced that they were ambushed by North Koreans, and that they forced them to fork over their jeep, or else they would shoot them."
Colonel Potter had every right to be both worried and irate about all of this. Worried because there's a chance that Andrew and Margaret could get killed, and irate because this could have been avoided if the 8063rd called him about bugging out before he sent out both of his majors to that unit.
"Well ain't this a fine howdy-do," he yelled. "My two majors are out in enemy territory, and we have no way of getting a hold of them! I'll tell you, Corporal, many instances like this happened to me before, but this one really takes the cake!"
"So, what are we going to do now," Klinger asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"I'll tell you what's going to be done," Potter declared. "I'm gonna get on the phone and get a hold of I-Corps, and see if they can send out some choppers out to search the area and see if they can find signs of Andrew and Margaret! Klinger, I want you to go to the Swamp and inform the boys about what has happened to the two majors!"
"Yes sir! I'll get on it right away," Klinger obeyed as he ran outside and headed to the Swamp to inform Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles about the bad news that has come up.
"Colonel, is there something I can do?" Father Mulcahy asked, having heard parts of the conversation, and walked in while the colonel was making the command.
"Yes. Just hope and pray that Majors Peterson and Houlihan get out of this alive," Colonel Potter suggested.
"Why? Is something the matter," the Padre asked, looking a little concerned.
"Let's just say that we lost contact with the two majors, they likely had their jeep stolen, and now they're wandering into enemy territory while trying to find where the 8063 relocated to upon bugging out," Colonel Potter explained matter-of-factly.
"Oh dear," Father Mulcahy had a dreadful expression by that. "That is terrible news."
"Amen to that, Padre," Colonel Potter nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get a hold of I-Corps and see if they can send out a search team by choppers to see if they can find Majors Peterson and Houlihan."
Father Mulcahy simply nodded as Colonel Potter went into his office to get a hold of I-Corps. It seems that dark days were hovering right over them with this predicament...
ELSEWHERE, ON THE OPEN ROAD:
Meanwhile, the two majors were still walking down that road to see if they can find any signs of where the 8063rd moved to. Sadly, no such thing was in sight. They didn't stop though. They'd have to find something eventually.
As they were doing that, Andrew couldn't help but wonder about the predicament that they were into. Had it not been for a swarm of pervertic doctors, he would have confronted Margaret about his crush on her, and then they would have settled it properly. Instead, he had to hide from everyone, including the head nurse, which caused some friction between the two of them.
But he had to forget about that. What was important now was that he tries to settle things with Margaret before the two of them could further split apart. That's the whole reason Colonel Potter picked the two of them. They certainly had a lot on their chests, and they needed to discuss it with each other. He had to ponder about how everything that happened to him and the head nurse was really a test to help them get close to each other again, if not more.
Colonel Potter is right. I do have a lot to show for Margaret, and she is the best thing that ever happened to me. Andrew had a small smile upon having that thought. It turned back into a frown as he saw the head nurse still not in the mood for talking. I just hope that she'll be able to work things out between us.
Letting out a soft sigh, he continued to walk without making any discussion.
After a few minutes, Andrew had come to a stop when he saw what was ahead of them; an open field. He recognized this kind of situation from when he was in the army. If his memory serves correctly, then that field was no ordinary field to walk through. If anything, it seemed to be a minefield, which has mines ready to explode once they are touched. Likely set up by the North Koreans.
Not taking any chances, he came to a direct halt. He was so insistent that he got Margaret to come to a halt too. She was pretty irritated by this.
"What are you stopping us for now," she snapped once again.
"I'll tell you," he remained in a cool state. "That field we are heading to is dangerous."
"How could it be dangerous," she lashed out at him. "It's just a field!"
"Not just a field," he murmured. "It's a minefield."
"Minefield? How do you know for sure?"
"Watch," without hesitating, Andrew picked up a nearby rock that was right next to his feet and hurled it right towards the open field.
Just as he predicted, once the rock hit the field, an explosion went off that came from hitting a mine. Margaret was in complete shock as she saw this. For the second time, Andrew saved the two of them from impending danger.
"Okay. So you were right about it being a minefield," she admitted before groaning. "But now which way should we go?"
"Hmmm..." Andrew thought for a moment before pointing in another direction. "Let's go this way."
She only shrugged her shoulders as she went in the direction that he pointed in, with the major following after her. Not another word was uttered as they continued forward.
Eventually, they came to a road that had Korean forests located on both sides of the road. But what really caught Andrew's attention was the jeep that was turned over to the side, and had smoking coming from the bottom of it.
What in the world is a jeep doing all the way out here? He thought as he inspected the jeep, realizing that it wasn't the 4077's jeep. That's definitely not the jeep that we rode in that was stolen by North Korean soldiers.
Shaking his head, Andrew could only continue to follow Margaret Houlihan down this new road that they were traveling down.
However, he came to another stop. This time, it was because he felt a disturbance in this area. There was no one else around besides himself and Margaret, but he swore he heard a bunch of people moving in the forests on both sides. Something told him that they weren't alone and that a group was watching him and the head nurse right now.
Margaret had kept walking, but stopped and turned around to see that Andrew had come to a halt. She had no idea what it was about this time, but she decided to walk on over to him to ask him.
"What is it this time? Is a North Korean grenade about to be thrown at us," she snorted, expressing mild irritation as she stood in front of him.
Andrew did not respond. He had been staring off into the trees to figure out who was watching them. They couldn't have been spies. Otherwise, they would have noticed it by now. They might have been North Korean Guerrillas, or Chinese Communists, or a combination of both. Just the eerieness of this situation was enough to give him the creeps.
"Andrew?" For the first time since this fiasco started, Margaret sounded genuinely concerned for him.
Suddenly, Andrew looked at her in the face and expressed what he was feeling.
"Margaret? I think we are in terrible danger," he told her.
"Danger?" She seemed confused. "What danger? I don't see anyone!"
"That's exactly it," Andrew got to his point. "I think we are being spied on. Possibly by North Korean Guerrillas. Or Chinese Communists."
She was in disbelief. It was enough when he knew what a minefield looked like, but now there's this?
Furrowing her eyebrows, she then scoffed. "How can you be so sure that they are guerrillas!?"
Just then, several gunshots were fired and bullets went right over their heads.
"That's how," Andrew said, remaining calm, as Margaret's expression was replaced with dread and fear.
"Who are they firing at?!" She cried.
"They aren't firing at ducks, I can assure you that much! So they are likely firing at us!" Andrew told her. "We have to get out of here!"
"Okay! But stay down! Stay down!" She encouraged him to get down on his stomach. "Stay down, and they won't hit you!"
"Alright, but you have to stay down with me," he told her to follow his lead. "And stick right behind me at all times so you won't get hit either. Understand?"
She only nodded as the both of them got onto their stomachs and started to crawl away to safety, with Margaret sticking close behind him, as the gunfire continued above them.
They were hoping that they could make it to shelter soon. If these three terrors that they encountered so far were anything to go back, then there were likely more North Koreans around the area, possibly out for their blood, or anyone else's blood that dares to enter their territory.
The gunshots continued to fire away as the two majors crawled on their stomachs to find shelter for safety. Andrew felt one of the bullets grazing just above the tip of his left arm, as it created a small minor wound there. He didn't care about it though. His only concern was to make sure that Margaret was safe and sound with him, and that she wouldn't get hit by any bullets.
He had to glance behind his back to make sure that she was still there. She was right behind him the entire time, much to his relief.
Eventually, he felt more relief when up ahead, they saw a place to take shelter in; a South Korean home, which seemed to be deserted. He and Margaret can hide out there and make sure they stay safe.
"Margaret look! It's a South Korean home," Andrew pointed towards it. "That place looks good enough to take shelter! We can stay there!"
Margaret did not argue with him. After all, they needed to stay somewhere safe unless they want to get caught in the crossfire. And with no jeep or chopper to ride in, there was no way of getting out of here quickly. So staying there was the only option for now.
When they approached the home, they got onto their feet, but they still kept low while walking, to avoid getting struck by anymore bullets. Once they went into the home, they stayed down until all the bullets ceased and desist. Fortunately for them, it stopped and the two majors found themselves panting for a few minutes before regaining themselves.
"Huff...Huff...Margaret, are you okay?" Andrew asked the head nurse, closing the door behind them.
"Yeah...I think so," she panted while answering his question.
"Good," he sighed as he checked out the home. "It looks like nobody is living here. Seems that whoever lived here must've vacated from the premise before the North Koreans claimed this home as part of their territory."
The head nurse only nodded as she then noticed something wrong with Andrew's left arm. It's been wounded, albeit on the minor side. Still, it got her full attention.
"Oh my god, Andrew," she pointed to his left arm. "You're left arm has been wounded."
"Oh," Andrew looked at it and felt it was no big deal. "It's nothing."
"No! It's 'not' nothing! It looks like it hurts a lot," she shook her head. "That wound is going to get infected unless it's treated! And I'm going to treat it for you!"
"No Margaret! That won't be necessary," he shook his head.
"Of course it's necessary," she refused to back down. "The longer it's left untreated, the worse it's going to get! Now give me my nursing backpack so I can clean that wound out for you."
Andrew gave her her nursing backpack that he had on, but he still didn't think it was a big deal. "Oh Margaret, you don't have to do this for me."
"But I want to help you! I don't want you to suffer like this," she said, eerily mirroring Andrew's insistence from before. "And besides, you are my partner in OR, and I'm not going to let you lose a limb. Not if I have anything to say about it."
As she got out some supplies like a bottle of freshwater, a cloth, and some other nursing stuff, Andrew felt a bit shocked by what she was doing, and what she said.
Whoa. This seems familiar. Andrew thought with amusement about how she was going through all this trouble for him. Except we swapped positions.
"Okay, Andrew. Now, this is going to sting for just a minute, but I can assure you that it should help. Alright," she told him about the medical stuff she was planning on applying to it.
"I'll be fine, really," he couldn't help but give her a tiny smile at this.
She accepted that as an answer as she went to treating it. It did sting a bit, but Andrew was able to put up with it, as she was just trying to help him.
As she was doing so, Andrew couldn't help but think about this whole thing. Even though she chewed his head off several times on this trip, which he couldn't blame her for doing, she still felt it inside of herself to help him like this.
I can't believe it. Even after all the moments since we been on this trip where Margaret snapped at me for minor annoyances, showing how angry she was at me, and feeling displeasure from it all, she decided to go through all this hassle just to treat the wound on my left arm. And she even referred to me as her partner in OR. Andrew thought. Maybe there might be some hope for us after all...
After what seemed to be several moments, she was finished treating the wound, and the result was a white silk-looking bandage wrapped around the wound, sharing the resemblance of a ribbon. Andrew had to admire the outcome, as well as feel appreciation for all of this.
"There. Does that feel better," she asked him.
"Uhhh...yeah," Andrew nodded, feeling a little flattered by her gesture. "Thanks for that. I really appreciate it."
"Yeah...you're welcome Andrew," she said to him in a rather forlorn tone as she put the stuff she used back into her backpack as she put it down.
Andrew's face dropped to a frown when he noticed that she was sounding sad. Although he decided not to acknowledge it right now.
"Well, I guess we can stay here for tonight," he told her, placing the other three backpacks onto the floor. "And tomorrow, we can figure a way out of this mess...right?"
"Right..."
What shocked Andrew was that she no longer had anger in her voice. It was replaced by a hint of sadness. She must have gotten most of that anger out during those times that she snapped at him. Something about her tone reeked of despair. And he knew exactly what it was about.
Andrew knew he had to talk to her about it. Things had to get out in the open between them. And since it was only the two of them here, this was probably the best place for them to talk it out. He decided to wait until later to do so, but he needed to set things right before the night is over.
I just hope that once we talk things over, then all of this conflict can finally be put to an end. And we can be close again. Andrew thought. I miss spending time with her. And I will do anything to get things back to the way they are. Maybe bring us even closer. Whenever I will do it, I hope we can do it and not get ourselves killed...
And so Andrew settled down in the house, as did Margaret. They weren't going to talk about everything until later on tonight...
IN COLONEL POTTER'S OFFICE - AT THE M*A*S*H 4077:
"I see," Colonel Potter was on the phone in his office, with Klinger, Hawkeye, BJ, Charles, and Father Mulcahy accompanying him. "I understand. Yes. Alright. Well, thanks for calling."
He then hung up as the call was finished. Klinger then decided to ask him the appropriate question.
"So, was there any luck?" Klinger asked.
Colonel Potter could only shake his head. "No dice. They had choppers everywhere searching the location, but they came up with nothing."
The others had taken in what he just said, and some grim implications rampaged through their thoughts.
"So is it safe to say that both of them are..." Hawkeye tried to say, but he was unable to.
"Now let's not jump the gun Pierce," Potter told him. "It hasn't been confirmed that they are dead."
"The Colonel's right," Father Mulcahy. "All we can do is hope and pray that Majors Peterson and Houlihan make it back safe and sound and that they are still alive."
"Not that we'd need to Padre if it wasn't for some dumb boob who started this whole nonsense," Charles grumbled.
"Excuse me," Klinger looked at Charles with a look of annoyance. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean dummy," Winchester scoffed. "You and your testing the intercom microphone! Ha! What a phooey!"
"I'll have you know that I've worked on operating intercoms before being drafted here Winchester," Klinger glared at him. "And it's not an easy thing to manage, coming from a gruff boar such as yourself."
"What did you say, cretin," Charles growled at him, almost ready to start something.
"People please," Father Mulcahy interjected. "Now is not the time for some petty arguing! Now is the time to hope and pray for two fine personnel that remain in our outfit!"
"I'd like to agree with you Father," BJ started. "But I'd like to say who really started this mess."
He shot a look at Hawkeye, which indicating that Pierce was at fault. Hawkeye caught on fast and replied.
"And what is that suppose to mean Beej," he glowered at him.
"Come on Hawk," BJ started, standing his ground. "I'm talking about how you wouldn't stop teasing Andrew with his feelings for Margaret. And then it escalated further."
"And what does that have to do with anything?" Hawkeye queried.
"How about the fact that you continued to badger him about it instead of staying out of it like I suggested," Hunnicutt brought up.
Pierce could only let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, right. Yeah, it's my fault that Andrew hid from us and is now gone along with Margaret."
"You're at fault?" Klinger stepped in. "I was the idiot who forgot to turn off the intercom microphone when Andrew told me that he has a crush on Margaret!"
"And that makes one more moronic boob of the world," Charles retorted.
"You know, you shouldn't talk to me like that," Klinger glowered. "I can place curses on you than you couldn't even dream of."
"I'd like to see you try," Winchester rolled his eyes.
"Face it, Hawkeye," BJ argued. "You started this whole thing!"
"Ah no," Hawkeye denied. "That was Charles' lousy opera records!"
"How dare you," Charles hissed, clearly offended by that insult.
Suddenly, arguments erupted amongst the four of them as to how this whole mess started. Father Mulcahy was trying desperately to get the arguing to stop but to no avail. Sherman Potter saw that things were escalating in his office, and he had to get it to stop right now.
"QUIET! I SAY QUIET!" He bellowed, getting everyone to stop their petty argument.
"This arguing isn't getting us anywhere," Potter shook his head. "It's not going to solve anything. It's not going to make everything better. And it's not going to bring them back safe and sound."
"The colonel is right," Father Mulcahy spoke up. "You all need to control yourselves! What we should do is have faith that both of them will make it back; happy and alive."
"I'm sorry Father," Klinger buried his face into his palms. "I just wish I had turned that intercom microphone off before he came into my office. What a fool I've been."
Colonel Potter sighed at how Klinger has been acting, as well as how he was putting himself down like this.
"Look Klinger, I'll tell you what, tomorrow I'll put in another call for a search team to find them." Colonel Potter assured him.
"Okay," Klinger said, showing his face again. "I hope they come back alive."
"We all do Corporal," Sherman Potter told him. "The least we can do is wait patiently."
"I guess you're right sir," Klinger only nodded at that.
Nothing but silence clouded the office. They had to wonder if the two majors were alright out there in enemy territory. Hoping that they'd make things work between them was the least of their concern at the moment. They hoped that they will survive this whole ordeal. They hoped that a lot of things come out okay with them.
Hope was the only thing that could be on their minds at that moment...
END OF CHAPTER 11...
Now you see where all this drama is leading to. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter too.
Anyway, it looks like things got a little dangerous here, considering all the impending threats that Andrew and Margaret had encountered thus far, and the others at the 4077 are worried for their safety. This is also the first time I incorporated anything written in Korean into this story.
The next chapter is gonna show Andrew and Margaret finally talk this out, and some other things will be shared amongst them. How will it go for them? Will they be able to work things out between each other? Find out next time!
For now, only leave a review if you want. Constructive criticism is only acceptable if it's friendly. And positive reviews are welcome anytime.
Otherwise, that's all that I have for now! So until next time, I hope you look forward to what's coming next. And on that note, thanks for reading guys!
