Back at camp
"Jeez, Hawk. Let me give you something to sleep. You're no good to anyone if you're like this.?" B.J. Called out as he tossed and turned from his own bed.
"All you all right?" Charles asked with the best of intentions, well, for Charles anyhow. B.J. cringed. That would certainly not help matters.
B.J. knew that it wouldn't do any good. Once Hawkeye couldn't sleep, there wasn't anything in the world that could help. One time the whole camp banded together to try to get him to sleep, to no avail.
"I'm just fine. We just finished up a slew of wounded that would exhaust 30 men. I haven't had a day off in 7 days. Klinger's been missing for five hours now. We'd send out a search party if we thought that would do any good. And now I have Dr. Dolittle here on my case. I'd say everything's just peachy."
Just then Radar knocked on the door, then entered.
":Letter from home for B.J. . Magazine for Hawkeye. Sorry it's taken me so long." He said, sincerely.
"I didn't get anything?" Charles asked indignantly.
"I'm very sorry, sir. I left it up front. I'll bring it to you right away."
"Charles can walk up there in an hour and get it himself." Hawkeye replied before Charles could protest. "Can't you?" Then he walked over and patted Radar on the shoulder.
"You look like you haven't slept in days. How long have you been awake?" Hawkeye questioned as he stood up. He threw his magazine on his bed.
"Probably as long as you have, sir" . But it's okay. I'm sorry, but I really have to deliver the rest of this mail."
"Okay, I understand. And Radar, try to get some rest." Hawkeye sympathized. But everyone knew it wasn't the inconvenience that was bothering him. The diligent and somewhat timid friend was taking on additional responsibility without complaining, something that could be counted on from Radar.
"Who's that from?, Peg?" Hawkeye could tell who it was from by the smile on his best friend's face. His best friend had been practically been counting the hours until his letter from home arrived. But Hawk had to say something to break the tension in the room.
"Yes. I got the letter from Erin I told you about. Want to see it?"
"Sure. Let me finish this game of darts." But before Hawkeye could pick up a dart for the game he was about to start someone desperately knocked on the door.
"Radar. Go get some rest!" Both men said at the same time.
Only it wasn't Radar. An exhausted Max Klinger opened the door and would have collapsed if he hadn't needed to save two lives.