I don't own M*A*S*H, just the original characters and the story line.
Becca and Freddy spent the rest of the day talking. She learned that he had been delayed behind her for about one week for some reason before he showed up in this time. He told her about getting shot and how painful it was, she told him about the people she had met. It was nice talking to Freddy again.
They also discussed what could have possibly gone wrong with the machine. In theory the two components should have combined effortlessly and worked, but instead they exploded and sent the two of them backwards in time. There was no reasonable explanation and they were trying to figure out if 1950's technology could be altered to create a similar effect and sent them home.
Charles would walk by periodically and Freddy couldn't help but noticed how Becca's gaze would be fixed upon the man and her attention split between the conversation and Dr. Winchester. She looked so sad in those moments.
When Charles went off-duty, BJ came on. BJ stopped by and checked on Freddy before leaving the two alone again. Freddy watched to see if Becca did the same with BJ, but she didn't even spare him a glace. Finally Freddy decided to broach the subject.
"Why did you stare at Dr. Winchester like that?"
Becca seemed startled by the question. Freddy watched, fascinated, as her cheeks filled with color. He had never seen Becca's cheeks this pink outside of the daily group exercise requirements in the morning and evenings each day. It was interesting to watch.
"It's...complicated," Becca replied. Freddy knew that there had to be more to the story than that.
Freddy had known Becca for a long time. They had pushed through the levels together as they lived next door to each other. Becca was the poster child for World Order policies. She worshiped everyday, followed the diet and exercise regulations, she enjoyed learning the multiple languages and never complained about any of it. Freddy used to complain all the time, but never Becca.
The fact that something in her had changed several weeks separation from the World Order was both fascinating and worrisome.
That she didn't want to discuss the issue with him only made Freddy worry more.
"Becca," he said softly. "We are partners. We have always been honest with each other. That is why our working relationship works so well. Don't start hiding things from me now."
Becca stared at Freddy, her dearest friend and lab partner. Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Freddy looked surprised and she couldn't blame him. She hadn't cried in front of him since she was a young girl.
"Oh Freddy," she said softly through the tears. "It's the worst thing ever. I've...fallen in love. It hurts so much."
Becca's hands came up and covered her face as she sobbed. Freddy couldn't help the worry that filled him at seeing her like this. Whatever this love was, Freddy already knew he wanted no part of it. He reached out and placed his hand on her knee, drawing her tear filled eyes back to him.
"Can't one of the doctors help you?"
Becca shook her head firmly. "There is no cure for this."
Freddy really wanted nothing to do with this love now. He grabbed one of her hands and squeezed. "Please...explain this to me. Let me help you."
So she did.
Becca told Freddy everything. She told him about waking up in Korea and meeting Charles and Colonel Potter. She told him about her time at the camp and the new words she learned, she explained about her fear of Hawkeye and her talks with Margaret. She explained her feelings for Charles and how he didn't feel the same about her.
Freddy was patient at Becca laid her agony out for him. He asked questions to clear up things he didn't understand, but otherwise he remained silent. By the end of her story, Freddy had a pretty clear understanding of what was going on.
"So, you believe that Dr. Winchester pushed you away because he has no interest in you?"
Becca nodded. "That's the only logical explanation. Besides, I have to return to 2152. I don't have a place here."
Freddy sighed. "That's assuming we can find a way back."
Becca froze. "Why wouldn't we? You said that it was possible."
Freddy looked at Becca seriously. "In theory it may be, but as you and I are the only ones who know how the original machines I tried so foolishly to combine work and, provided I'm correct that they were severely damaged in the explosion that send us here, there isn't anyone in 2152 who can repair them. Without some sort of beacon to hone in on any attempt to return home is unlikely."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that if we were to attempt a jump forwards in time without some sort of homing signal, the chances are just as good for us to end up in another time period, or trapped outside of time entirely." Freddy reached out and took Becca's hand. "We may never see home again."
Potter was pretty upset with his doctors.
Winchester was more anti-social than ever, Hawkeye seemed to be hunting for nurses at a more alarming rate than normal and BJ had been acting like a mother hen over both of them.
He had even noticed a change in Becca.
He wasn't quite sure what had changed since Margaret had talked to the girl. He had hoped that her friend being found and recovering in Post-OP would bring up her spirits, but that wasn't the case. Becca never smiled or laughed like she used to and had pulled away from nearly everyone else. She made appearances at meal times, but usually spent her time in Post-OP with Freddy.
In addition to all that, the weather was starting to cool down. Becca had been with them all summer, but winter was coming and Potter knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
Potter called a staff meeting and pulled in all his senior staff to figure out what he was going to do and to stop all that was going on.
As soon as they were all seated, Potter turned to the the doctors he had seated in front of him specifically. He looked over his desk like a principal about to discipline the troublemakers.
"Before we start, I want to know what the hell is going on with the three of you."
"Pardon Colonel," BJ replied, genuinely confused .
"Ms. Coals hasn't been herself lately, everyone has noticed. She's spent all her time in Post-OP with her buddy there and has closed herself off from the rest of the camp. In addition, the three of you have been acting out of the ordinary, even for you Pierce, and I'm done trying to guess what happened. You three are going to spell it out for me."
It was Charles who spoke. "Colonel, if the girl has chosen to alienate herself from the camp who are we to stop her? She isn't a nurse or vital to our operation here and, as far as I'm concerned, the sooner she can find a way back to her time and get out of our way, the better."
Charles crossed his arms firmly with a bravado he didn't feel. He didn't want Becca to leave, hated the whole idea of it. But there was no way in hell he was going to admit to that to anyone in this room.
Potter stared at Charles intently, with such focus that Charles actually turned away from him. The man was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He would see right through this false front Charles was putting up and Charles didn't want to see the look on his face. It also saved him from looking at those two buffoons seated next to him.
"Hawkeye, what do you think the issue is here?"
Charles felt the wave of jealousy roll over him. Hawkeye had talked to Becca earlier, Charles had seen then them talking in the Mess Tent, and he wanted to punch the man for even approaching her.
"Honestly Colonel, I don't know. She barely spoke to me to begin with after I did finally get to her to do so. She doesn't talk much with BJ either. From what I can tell, the only people she has really interacted with have been Charles and Margaret."
Potter nodded and turned to Margaret. "Margaret?"
She shrugged. "The last time I spoke with Becca was over two weeks ago. She stopped coming to see me after Charles took her to see Freddy."
Charles could feel the eyes on him. He chose to ignore them. He wasn't going to talk about Becca anymore. His goal was to forget about her, to let these feelings for her die, to fight his attraction.
"You don't have anything to add, Major?"
Charles turned back to Potter. "I've said all I am going to say on the matter. She has been reunited with her friend and I'm sure the two of them will figure out a way home. Chances are she is just trying to distance herself from everyone to make it less painful when she leaves."
It wasn't going to be less painful. Charles already knew that Becca leaving was going to destroy him.
Potter didn't buy what he was saying, Charles could see it in the older man's eyes. He said nothing more, but prayed that this meeting would be over soon. He wanted to forget about Becca and if she left that would make it easier to do so. If she wasn't walking around camp he wouldn't want to call out to her. If she wasn't sleeping in the next cot he wouldn't want to hold her. If she wasn't in his sight all the time he wouldn't want...her.
"In any case something will have to be done about the both of them soon," Potter said turning back to the group as a whole. "Winter is coming and we just don't have enough to go around as it is. We barely have enough for the wounded in the winter and we have a lot more issues at that time as well."
"But what can be done? We can't just throw them out," Father Mulchay said softly.
Potter nodded. "I'm afraid that there is only one course of action we could take. We have to contact I-Corps and report them to the higher ups. Chances are they will be picked up and taken to a POW or refugee camp."
"What!" Hawkeye cried out. "But they aren't soldiers and they aren't refugees. That makes no sense."
Potter nodded. "I know that and you know that, but the army doesn't. As far as they are concerned these two are unknown citizens which makes them refugees with no place to go."
Hawkeye said something else, but Charles didn't hear him. The thought of Becca in a refugee camp, freezing cold, getting sick, possibly being hurt or worse. The idea was so appalling that he almost cried out. There had to be another solution, some other way to protect her.
"What if I sent them to my home in Boston?"
Charles hadn't realized he had spoken until all eyes were on him. He took a deep breath and continued on.
"If we send them to Boston then they will be out of this country and won't be subjected to the terrible conditions here. We won't wonder or worry about them being treated as prisoners in a place where they don't even belong. My sister, Honoria, would be thrilled to have another woman to speak with and it would give them more time to figure out what they are going to do in this time or find a way back to theirs."
Charles couldn't believe he was suggesting this. To be lusting over Becca while she was standing right in front of him, where he could chalk it up to loneliness or temporary insanity, but the thought of her in his home, sleeping in his bed, wearing clothes worthy of a Boston lady. That thought was enticing and so very dangerous.
He could already see her in his head, her blonde strands laid out on his bedspread, her green eyes sparkling as she walked through his garden, feel her body pressed again his own...
It was a dangerous game he was playing, but the thought of her ending up in a refugee camp was so horrible he couldn't stand it.
Neither she nor Freddy would survive the winter here and the thought of her death sent such a shock wave of pain through him that he was surprised he was still able to sit upright in the chair.
His love for her was already so all-consuming that Charles knew he would never love another.
He knew that he would eventually end up in loveless marriage arranged by his grandmother. She would have the final say in who Charles married. As much as he wanted Becca, he had resigned himself to that fact.
With Becca out of his sight, perhaps he would be able to move forward with his future, even if it was one without her.