Sorry for not updating sooner. I've had the bad case of major writer's block for all my stories and on top of that I've been extremly busy. Not really an excuse I know but those are the reasons. I'll try to update this story and my other MASH stories much more frequently, again I apolgize!
Colonel Flagg sauntered to the mess tent of the MASH unite 4077 determined to investigate until he found what he was looking for. That Captain Hunnicut wounds were really a cover up for something much bigger. Communists perhaps he didn't know but he was sure to find out whatever it was. After all HQ wouldn't send him here to observe if it wasn't important. Suddenly he came to Sergeant Zale who was fixing or at least attempting to fix yet another run down jeep.
"On your feet Sergeant!" Flagg barked as he saw what rank the man was in. "Don't you know you're supposed to stand in front of a commanding officer?" He demanded when Zale got out from under the jeep so fast he hit his head in the process.
"What?" Zale asked while rubbing his head tenderly. "I mean yes sir, I do. I normally do but I was fixing this jeep you see..." Flagg nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes well..." He folded his arms. "I'll forgive you...this time."
"Er...thank you sir!" Zale shrugged cluelessly in response.
"You see lots of things that go on in this MASH unit don't you Sergeant?" Flagg asked leaning closer to him.
"Er...Yes sir lots of stuff, though not as much as I would like to see." Zale grinned at Flagg but his grin quickly faded as he saw how serious the Colonel looked.
"Yes, well I'm going to have to trust you Sergeant, and trust is not something that I can easily give. There's something fishy around here, I can smell it a mile away."
Zale looked at his arms and sniffed them.
"Sorry." He said sheepishly as he looked up. "It's the oil you see. It makes things smell."
Flagg stared at him in disgust.
"You better be careful that I don't put you on my list." When he said it though it wa smore to himself then to the Sergeant.
"What list?" Zale looked thoroughly confused and Flagg straightened himself up and stared at Zale.
"What do you know about that list? Nobody but me is supposed to know about it and I'm not even supposed to know who's on it. I thought I could trust you." Flagg shook his head in dismay. "I guess I was wrong. This is why you can never trust anyone, not even an friend. They all betray you at the end."
Zale looked deeply lost and a little hurt.
"All I did was ask about the list and you jump down my throat!" He argued. "What's the big idea?"
"The big idea is Sergeant that you better keep your mouth shut about this conversation unless you want me to staple your lips to your tongue. In fact as of now this conversation never happened."
"You mean the conversation we are in at the moment?" Zale asked, trying to work things out. Flagg stared at him and without blinking he asked simply
"What conversation?"
"Oh come on now! Be reasonable!" Zale protested and Flagg snorted.
"You know what being reasonable gets you? It gets you cut up into little pieces and sent off in a box. Does that sound nice to you?"
"Depends, how big's the box?" Zale retorted, getting rather tired of the nonsense this man was sprouting. Flagg stared at him giving him such a look he instantly regretted those words. "Kidding!" Zale raised his hands. "You know, a joke!"
"I can't afford to give out jokes." Flagg retorted.
"Boy must be a boring job." Zale answered with a hint of sympathy.
"I wouldn't know about boredom. I don't have time for feelings. Now where is Captain Pierce? I've been looking for him everywhere. I must speak with him at once."
"Oh good timing, he's just walking out of his tent." Zale pointed towards Hawkeye who stumbled out from the swamp.
"Thank you Sergeant, you've been most helpful." Flagg nodded to him.
"Good thing one of us knew what was going on." Zale remarked. "I was completely lost the whole time.
"I know." Flagg replied. "I have to keep even my allies at a loss in order to not to give away information."
"Huh." Zale shrugged. "Somehow that makes sense and at the same time I still don't have a clue what you're talking about. I don't think I ever did in the beginnin'." With that he began to whistle and got back under the jeep. Flagg watched Hawkeye as he headed towards the mess tent, the very place Flagg was about to look for him.
"Captain Pierce!" He called out as he headed towards him but Hawkeye didn't stop. Instead he continued to stumble towards the door until Flagg blocked him.
"Move aside Flagg!" Hawkeye growled. "I'm not in the mood!"
"Neither am I, and how do you know my name is Flagg?" The Colonel demanded. "Nobody's supposed to know that."
"Let me guess, you'll have to kill me first." Sighed Hawkeye.
"No, the FBI does that, not the CIA. But since I've talked to you last I've changed my name."
"Oh good, what is it now? John Wayne?" Hawkeye asked sarcastically.
"Close, Shirley Temple and by the end of the day I expect everyone to be calling me that."
"Oh I'm sure they well. It's a very catchy name." Hawkeye replied. "Now stand aside Miss. Temple, you cannot deny a surgeon his food though the God knows the army tries too."
"It's Mrs. Temple to you captain." Growled Flagg as he was brushed aside.
"Yes sir!" Hawkeye saluted him sharply. " I mean ma'am!" With that he went to the table of food and as he filled his plate Igor looked at him cautiously.
"How's Captain Hunnicut sir?"
Hawkeye shrugged.
"Don't know, haven't checked yet."
Igor looked surprised.
"You sure do have an appetite for someone who's best friend is in critical condition." He remarked casually causing Hawkeye to slam his trey down startling even Flagg.
"Hey listen! I don't need to take this crap from you! In fact I don't need to take any of this crap!" He nodded to the food. "I'm only eating to keep busy because if I sit down and do nothing I'll lose it! And right now I'm still losing it, despite my best attempts not to so would you be so kind as to shut the hell up?!" With that he grabbed his food and stormed off towards a table and slammed the trey down so hard that even Igor jumped though he saw it coming. Feeling guilty for preying Igor quickly left the tent seeing how no one else was eating lunch at the moment. Flagg stared at him as he departed at glanced at Hawkeye as he stabbed his food angrily as if he wanted to beat it more then eat it. Finally Flagg grabbed his paper and jotted down a few observations. Sensing that this was not the best time to interrogate Pierce he too quickly retreated from the mess tent leaving Hawkeye alone in his anger and guilt as he constantly thought of his best friend laying wounded in the OR and wondering if he would ever get the courage to visit him...
Kind of short I know but I'm tired, I'll try and make the next chapter longer. Please review! I live for them now :)