Chapter Three

FLASHBACK CONTINUES

"Hey, watch it!" Igor yelled at Klinger as accidently bumped him into. The M.A.S.H. 4077 was having a party to celebrate Ellen Chapin's birthday and the mess hall, which had been cleared of most of its tables, was pretty well full.

"I didn't bump into you!" Klinger snapped back. He might have punched him too, only Trapper John stepped in between the two, doing his best not to laugh. He was sure Igor and Klinger had a secret pack to act like enemies in public just so they could get away with pulling stings behind everyone's back. Of course, he couldn't prove it, as he had no hard evidence, just a gut feeling. Still, BJ didn't want the birthday party to be spoiled.

"Come on you two, separate. Here comes the birthday girl." Trapper John pointed in the direction Ellen was coming from.

"Fine," Igor scowled at Klinger, "but keep that knucklehead away from me!"

"Why you…" Klinger went to grab Igor, only to find Trapper John pulling him to the other side of the tent.

Father Mulcahy couldn't help but smile at the banter between the two corpsmen as he figured it was just the men's way of dealing with the stress of the war. However, when he too saw Ellen, he started moving through the crowd that was gathered. After their talk, he wanted to check on how she doing and if she'd come to terms with her younger brother entering the priesthood. Though, he couldn't help but chuckle inside as he again got a picture of Hawkeye in priest's clothing.

"Hello, Ellen." Father Mulcahy smiled and walked up to the young woman once everyone else had shouted Happy Birthday, sang to her, she'd cut her cake and she'd sat down at one of the few tables that had been left behind. "How are you doing?" He asked the question, as he sat down across from her. Everyone else was dancing and talking up a storm.

Ellen could see the unspoken questions, the ones Francis Mulcahy would have asked had they not been around other people. It made her feel good to know he was concerned enough to ask. Then again, the good father was genuinely concerned about everyone in his care. "I'm doing okay, really. Maybe, when this over, we can walk around the compound and talk?" She put her fork down as she glanced around the room. By doing so she sent a clear message, she didn't want to worry about being overheard.

"Of course," Father Mulcahy would have said more, only Hawkeye walked up and, unknowingly, interrupted.

"I might have failed to get you to go out with me," he smiled from ear to ear as he looked at Nurse Chapin, "only do you think you could still find it in you to give me at least one dance?"

Ellen wasn't blind and inwardly shook her head. Hawkeye might not be admitting it to himself, but he was still secretly hoping to get her to change her mind. She could feel it. Still, it was her birthday, and he was actually talking in a non pushy tone of voice. "One dance," she answered as she stood up, "as I have told more than once person, I'm not too good of a dancer."

While Ellen danced with Hawkeye, Colonel Blake sat down across from Francis and began talking to Father Mulcahy. The good priest did his best to pay attention; well, close enough to be able to give appropriate comments and answers. It was easy though, not with wondering what Ellen needed to talk about that could not be discussed at the birthday party. Needless to say; he was more than relieved when the good colonel stood up and left. Once he was along, Father Mulcahy slipped out of the mess hall. If he was to spend time walking, listening and talking to Ellen, he had things he needed to get done first.

Ellen saw the good father leave the party and wished she could join him. She had never been huge on large gatherings and the other nurses had gone overboard with this one. Of course, being too polite to say anything, Ellen was simply grinning and bearing it. Though, first chance she got, Ellen left the party.

She hadn't gone very far when Father Mulcahy appeared. He'd finished with his 'to do' list and was ready for the walk he'd promised her. At first they simply walked in silence, watching others who paid the two no mind. Why should they? He was a priest, and she was a hardworking, dependable and trustworthy nurse.

Finally Ellen broke the silence. "I wrote to my brother. I told him I might not agree with his decision, but that I'd give him my blessing and support if he decided he was serious enough to follow through on what he said he wanted to do."

Father Mulcahy, who could see the young woman was still struggling with her feelings over the issue, nodded towards his tent. "Maybe we should talk in there." He would not have suggested it, but there really was too many people appearing in the compound and the noise lever was rising.

Like the good father, Ellen knew the noise would make it impossible low and still be heard. "Maybe you're right." She replied as she followed him inside his tent and again sat down. Once inside she looked at the one man who she knew would listen to her without repeating anything she might say.

"I wrote the words Father, but I still fear the day I go home. I mean, if I can't get my feelings to change, how will I give him the support he really needs? That is, if he doesn't back out or drop out…if he changes." Ellen sat back in the chair.

Father Mulcahy turned up the palms of his hands as he sat on the side of his cot; the other chair had a busted leg and he was waiting for it to be replaced. "You just love him. As far as changing," he gave her an amused smiled, "Priests are human too. Just because we enter the priesthood and take vows means we are automatically changed. However, we still laugh, cry, work, play and other things. Your brother is your brother. If any changes do occur, let's hope it would be only in the fact that he'll let it help him become a better person. Not that you have to become a priest for that to happen."

"He'll change; I told you he's more like Hawkeye than anything. It will feel strange to him not to have some girl on his arm. How can he just turn off his feelings like that?" She asked the question without thinking. The moment the words were out of her mouth, Ellen wished she could take them back. It's like she was that naïve.

Father Mulcahy's eyes widened in shock. It had never occurred to him that she might think a man turned his feelings off simply because they became priests. "He can't and he'll have to face that fact and deal with it, along with all the other vows he will take. Believe me we are all tested at one time or another." He answered a bit more bluntly than he meant to. That being the case, he wasn't surprised to see a bit of shock enter her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound…well," she stammered more than a bit embarrassed at her blunder.

"It's okay," Father Mulcahy reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, "we all speak before we think at times, as I just proved myself."

Ellen had to steady herself and fight to keep control as he touched her simply because she was shocked by the feelings that rolled over her as he did so. She'd never thought a priest would affect her so. "I best go." She stood up looking rather uneasy. "Thanks for your time and for understanding."

"No problem," Father Mulcahy, who, like Ellen, found himself in the same boat as Ellen, even if he didn't know what she'd felt. "Like I said, I'm here anytime you want to talk." He watched her leave and then headed for the showers.