"Oh come on Henry, you can't let them do this to her!"
"So she put Burns in his place, so what!? Give her a slap on the wrist!"
Henry Blake sat his desk puffing at his cigar. He too had seen Vivi's actions and while he should have intervened, he couldn't. Something was telling him not to.
"I don't even want to do that." Henry said. "But Burns and Houlihan want her gone."
"I don't think Margaret wants her gone." Trap said.
Henry and Hawkeye turned to him.
"I saw it." Trap said. "She felt for Vivi and the kid, but then Frank blows his horn and she's back to Hot Lips."
Henry stubbed out his cigar.
"How is the kid by the way?" Henry asked.
"A mess." Hawkeye said. "Not only is she refusing to eat, but she keeps asking for Vivi."
"We had to put her on a feeding tube." Trap said.
"The other nurses are trying to help, but Vivi is the only one she wants."
"Think Sydney Freeman should come around?" Henry asked. "Counsel the girl?"
"But we would still need a translator and Vivi is the only one in camp who can help."
"SIR!" Radar said.
"What is it Radar?"
"General Hammond here to see you!" He said nervously.
Henry all but jumped from his desk.
"THE GENERAL!" Henry yelled. "NOW!?"
"Apparently he is making a surprise visit on the count of Majors Houlihan and Burns!"
"OH BY GOLLY!"
Hawkeye and Trapper just sat there as in walked the portly Brigadier General Hamilton Hammond with Houlihan and Burns trailing after him.
Henry could become such a blundering fool when it came to the higher ups.
"Henry." The general said saluting.
Henry saluted in turn while Hawk and Trap just gave a subtle touch of the forehead.
"I hear you have a spirited nurse." He said. Hawk got up and let him sit.
"Spirited!" Burns said. "She is a downright little brat!"
"Ah yes, Major Burns cannot stand when people besides him throw a tantrum." Hawk said.
"She was completely insubordinate and rude." Margaret added. "It disappoints me because she showed so much promise."
"She still shows promise." Trap said.
"And then some!" Hawk added. "You're just upset Frank, because she told you what for and she was right!"
"Cool it you two." Henry whispered.
"I demand she be sent away and stripped of all her medals and standings." Burns said. "And her pension of course!"
"Now listen everyone." Henry said. "I'm sorry General Hammond that you are involved in this. Lieutenant McCullough just ruffled some feathers. It happens from time to time."
"Ruffled some feathers, unbelievable." Margaret said. "See General we felt it best you to handle this situation. Otherwise Colonel Blake would probably promote her to Captain."
"On stop it Margaret!" Hawk yelled. "That nurse has been the closest you have had to one not being manipulated by the likes of me and Trap. She obeys your every command, she salutes, she hardly utters a word in OR unless she has your permission! You should be here with us defending her instead of Burns!"
"General, Lieutenant McCullough is military grade through and through." Trap said to Hammond. I mean she has been sitting on the edge of her bed for the last three days when she is not on duty, which has been reduced to bed pan cleaning and has not argued it one bit. She knew what she did and was prepared to take the punishment."
"Which she should not have done in the first place!" Burns yelled.
"General, I am sorry." Henry said.
"No, no let them speak." He said watching the commotion.
"She only did it because you thought it best to mock a girl whose parents were lying dead in the compound. Trap pointed at Frank. " And Vivi was right, how dare you insult that poor kid while she is hysterical! Korean or not, she needed compassion, which Vivi gave, not your big mouth! "
"By the way General Hammond, did you happen to know that Vivi speaks Korean?" Hawk added. "She was the only one who could comfort that child. But the Majors here added further punishment to Vivi banning her from seeing the girl who is throwing her own protest. She won't eat a thing."
"She speaks Korean?" Hammond asked.
"She learned it back in the states, from a shopkeeper she said."
"I bet she's a Red." Frank yelled. "That's why she is here and why defends those no good commie louses!"
"Those commie louses could probably perform better surgery than you Mr. Stitch and Go!" Hawk yelled.
He turned to Trap.
"Tell 'em Hawk."
"Henry, General." Hawk said. "We had causalities on the night Vivi first came here. She has been so lucky to be assigned to assist Major Burns. Well, a few nights ago how Vivi said she was considered a walking X-Ray Machine?"
Henry nodded.
"She is." He said. "Her first night, Vivi noticed Burnsy here left a chunk of shrapnel in a kid's arm. But being the good little soldier she was, she did feel it best to not go against her commanding officer."
Margaret gave him a look while Burns gaped.
"You said that was you who noticed it Pierce?" She said. "When you took him to X-ray on your shift."
"We lied." Trap said.
"Vivi tried to tell you Henry, but then when these two barged in to give you their daily scolding, Vivi gave up."
"So she told you two instead?" Hammond asked.
"Who else could she go to?"
"She could have told me!" Margaret said.
"Oh right." Pierce said. "And know that you would believe Burns over a her and lose your respect? You are lucky Margaret that there is at least one nurse in this place that actually believes in your rhetoric. She just doesn't let it consume her."
"And it just happens to be the one you are ready to throw to the wolves." Trap said.
Margaret was speechless. Not only was Vivi a good nurse, Vivi actually cared about her opinion? She actually valued her belief in the military?
"Boy Howdy." Henry said sitting down.
"You haven't heard the howdy." Hawk said. "Vivi requested we did not mention her name if the subject came up. She did not want the credit, as much as she deserved it. The only thing she cared about was keeping herself safe in the eyes of Houlihan and Burns here."
"And the one time she goes against them, or rather you, Burns, for a damn good reason." Trap said. "They think her dirt. Like Hawk said, you should be here defending her Margaret. God knows she has done it once or twice for you."
Burns could see Margaret was faltering.
"Don't listen to them Major." He said. "They are just trying to play you for a fool."
"The only fool here is you, Burns." Hawk said. "Go ask her Margaret, or ask the nurses, or the other doctors if you don't believe us."
"SHE WAS INSUBORDINATE TO AN OFFICER!" Burns yelled. "SHE NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED."
"She's been punished enough."
Everyone turned to see Henry looking at them with serious eyes.
"I agree." General Hammond said.
"GENERAL!"
"Oh come off it Burns!" He yelled. "In light of this new evidence I see no further action needs to be taken in the reprimanding of Lieutenant McCullough. Yes, she acted in haste, but it was also an emotional moment. Lord knows the death of a child's parents can be tough on anyone around."
"But, but." Frank stuttered.
"And if I were you Major Burns." The general continued. "I would operate on your patients more carefully. The sheer fact that a nurse can notice shrapnel instead of the surgeon does not bode well for your reputation.
Trap and Hawk grinned.
"So she can return to duty?" Hawk asked. "Regular duty?"
Hammond nodded.
"HA HA!" Trap laughed clapping his hands.
"And duty means now." Hawk said. "There's a little girl who is literally dying to see her!"
They all but ran out of the room.
"I would like to meet this nurse." Hammond said. "Major Houlihan?"
Margaret looked at him.
"Would you care to join me?" He said extending his arm. Margaret smiled a little and took it.
"Don't be too hard on yourself." He whispered to her. "The fact that she respects you shows me what a fine job you are doing."
Of course he would hope for a liaison with her later, but in that moment he wasn't trying to get into her tent. He knew Margaret got a lot of flack for her hard charging personality, but it was part of what made the 4077 so successful. It came with the job. He just wished she didn't support Frank Burns so much.
"Oh general!" Henry said. "Hold on a minute, I'll join you!"
Frank Burns was left alone in Henry's office. He was seething. That nurse had all but made a mockery of him and worst yet, she had all but weaseled her way out of punishment, at least in the way he saw fit.
One way or another, she would pay.