AN: Hello my lovelies! Just for reference, let's go over what's happened in my life since the last time I updated this story: I spent a month as an EMS candidate at the fire station before resigning to attend my wonderful new university in a completely different part of the country (never fear! I shall be reapplying to the department next year, and hopefully be qualified for leave next fall so I won't have to go through this whole process ever again!). So yeah, basically I've been busy. I did bring my M*A*S*H DVDs with me to college, however, so I will continue to have an excellent supply of inspiration, and hopefully the next few chapters will be somewhat less resistant to having themselves written.

Thank you bunches to everyone who has favorited/reviewed/followed, welcome back to all my previous readers, and simply welcome to any new ones!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Anything thing you recognize from M*A*S*H or any other source is the property of its rightful owner. I lay no claim on the characters, settings, plotlines, etc. found in M*A*S*H, although I am honored to have to opportunity to work with them throughout this fanfiction (emphasis on the "fan" part). All I own is my OCs and whatever original plotwork is related to them and their stories.

"Hawkeye," a voice whispered next to his ear. "Hey Hawkeye, wake up, I need you." Something of the urgency in its tone, coupled with the hand shaking his shoulder, roused the doctor from the fatigue- and gin-induced state of unconsciousness he had fallen into after the latest marathon OR session.

"Radar, unless the Chinese are invading or Harry Truman's cancelled the war, I don't want to hear about it until morning," the doctor complained. "Or next century. Whenever I wake up first."

"Please, Hawkeye." The shaking continued. "I really need your help. It's about Sam."

The doctor sighed and shifted his weight in the bed. "What about her? Did they find her?"

"Yes," Radar replied quickly. "Or no. Or kind of?"

"Well that was about as clear as mud, Radar," interjected Trapper, who had been woken by the exchange.

Radar took a shaky breath. "I got a letter," he murmured quietly.

Trapper and Hawkeye looked at each other. They both heard the note of fear in Radar's voice, and to be honest it frightened them as well. Hawkeye looked back over at Radar. "What happened?" he asked, sitting up on his cot.

"It's . . . it's from Sam." Radar's voice cracked on the redhead's name.

"What does she say, Radar?" Trapper asked.

"She . . . she said . . ." Radar began, struggling to talk. "She said she's coming to Korea." He spat out the last sentence as fast as he could, hoping that it would make it easier to say. It didn't.

"What was that?" Trapper asked, at the same moment that Hawkeye said, "Give me a moment Radar, I don't think I heard you correctly."

Radar just held out the letter. Hawkeye took it and began to read, and Trapper climbed out of his bunk and over to Hawkeye's to read over his shoulder. In the letter, Sam informed Radar what had happened: that she had found her brother's draft notice in the mail, that she had decided to take his place in the army, that she was posting the letter the night before she was ordered to head off to Korea, etc. There were several attempts at humor sprinkled throughout the message, but in between the lines it was possible to read the girl's fear and apprehension of what she was doing.

When they were done, both men looked up at the boy standing in front of them. Hawkeye was the first to find his voice. "Oh God, Radar, I'm so sorry."

Radar nodded. "I'm just . . . I'm so scared for her, you know? She's so sweet and I just . . . I don't want her to be hurt, you know?"

"Yeah Radar, we know," Trapper said.

They sat in silence for a time, each thinking of Radar's spunky penpal, and where she might be. The letter was dated two weeks previously, so it was almost certain that she was in Korea at that very moment.

"Wait a moment, I've got it!" Trapper snapped his fingers, his exclamation startling his companions out of their contemplations. "We could go to the Colonel!"

"What good's that gonna do, Trap?" Hawkeye asked. "It's not like he can stop her from being sent to Korea, she's already here."
"No, I know," Trapper replied. "But maybe he could find out where she is, and we can at least find out if she's okay."

Hawkeye thought about it for a moment. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Maybe he could. What do you think Radar?" He turned to look at the clerk.

"I don't know," Radar answered. "Do you really think that Colonel Blake would be able to find her?"

"I don't know," Trapper replied. "But it's worth a shot, don't you think?"

"We need you to find someone for us Henry," Hawkeye announced as he, Trapper, and Radar entered Henry's tent. "Sometime last week would be nice, but as soon as possible if that can't be managed."

"And what exactly makes you think that I'd be able to find them?" Colonel Blake snapped. He was always especially grumpy when he was woken up after a long stream of wounded.

"Well, Henry," Trapper answered, "we figured you might have some contacts in Seoul who might be able to track down one Samuel K. Wilson."

"Oh, yeah? And even if I did, why should I waste my time tracking down one particular infantryman when there are hundreds more who're dying who I do have to take care of?"

"Because it's Sam," Radar told him.

Henry looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Yes, Radar, that does tend to be the shortened form of Samuel. But why should I bother looking for this Sam when there are so many other things I have to do?"

"No, Colonel," Hawkeye said quietly, seeing Radar doing his best to choke back tears. He really is attached to her, isn't he? "It's Sam."

The Colonel gaped at him, then turned his head and gaped at Trapper and Radar, too, for good measure. Practically everyone in the camp knew about Radar's penpal; the kid would be walking on air for days after receiving one of her letters. He looked at Radar carefully, seeing the red-rimmed eyes, the sadness in his expression. He felt his stomach sink. "Pretty Sam, Radar?" The boy nodded. "What's she doing in Korea?"

"Her brother was drafted, sir," Radar told him. "She took his place."

Henry immediately shoved off his blankets and stood up. He took the pants that Hawkeye handed him and started pulling them on. "Think you feel up to putting a call in to Seoul Radar?"

"Yes, sir!" Radar replied. "Really, sir?"

"Yes, Radar, really," Henry answered. "I can't promise anything, but I can try." As Radar ran off to put the call through, he turned to Hawkeye and Trapper. "You two realize that, even if I can track her down, I might not be able to do anything to get her home?"

"We realize that, Henry," Trapper answered.

"Yeah, but Radar's going crazy not knowing where she is," Hawkeye added. "At this point, I think anything is better that that."

Henry looked at them for a moment. "Do you two ever get the impression that Radar's got feelings for this girl? More than just friendship feelings, I mean."

"Yeah," Hawkeye and Trapper chorused.

"He's got it bad," Trapper added.

Henry sighed. "I hope for his sake that we hear something, then. I can't imagine what'll happen if we don't."

Hawkeye and Trapper nodded in agreement.

Until next time, dear readers!