Hawkeye wheeled me into Henry's office from the Mess Tent for the meeting a few days after the Thanksgiving holiday. However, it was not the day I told Dean was going to be the day of the meeting, but the day afterward, as things were postponed due to other happenings in the camp and General Clayton apparently. I mailed my letter to him the day I wrote it, hoping it'll reach him soon, since he's in Korea and patrolling the area we're in supposedly. I was desperate to see him, no matter what condition I was in, and I was in a wheelchair!
However, I was happy being pushed around the camp, especially after a "good" meal in the Mess Tent (if you want to call it that) and a healing shoulder. However, my mood changed quickly when reaching Henry's office (from being happy to being totally hopeless) because I knew what this was. It was another showdown. I knew that it was only the beginning and that there were more battles to be fought before that particular war can be over.
All present and accounted for when Hawkeye and I entered: Radar, Henry, Simmons, General Clayton, Margaret, Frank and Trapper. The only people who were running late were me and Hawkeye. We were the last people in for the meeting and that annoyed some people. Others were more than happy to see us (namely Trapper and Henry).
"Pierce, you're late!" Henry mentioned, trying to be the CO and impressing the general.
"We had to make a stop in the Mess Tent," Hawkeye replied, smiling and defiant as usual. "The patient needed her meal. Would you like a full report on her progress, Doctor Dad?"
"Can it, Pierce," Frank interjected, addressing Hawkeye's smartass comment and watching him sit down next to me at a corner of Henry's desk, Trapper next to him. "We have more important business to conduct."
"Oh, yes, you do, Major Burns, and I better see some results today because all I see is some questions left unanswered."
The voice was behind me, but I knew it anywhere. It was Dean. It was my newly promoted brother, Dean, and he had come into town just in the neck of time!
I saw Trapper and Hawkeye smile at each other (I knew they had something to do with this by the looks of it), but I saw that some of the other officers cringe, save for General Clayton (a bit puzzled) and Henry (smiling and happy and beaming with pride). Radar, with a clipboard to write the moments of the meeting down, slinked into another corner of the office, overwhelmed by too many officers in the room. And I can tell just by the look on Radar's face that too many egos were going to clash and clash soon. It was best for him to stay away.
"Who are you?" General Clayton asked. "You're not of this unit."
"No, I'm not," Dean replied, coming up from behind me and saluting Henry and General Clayton and then Majors Simmons, Houlihan and Burns, who were all his superior officers by time alone. "I'm Major Dean Morrison of the 43rd Regiment Company, RA 19843072, stationed within the area to protect M*A*S*H 4077th, when commanded to by my superiors, Sir."
Then, Dean came up from behind me and kissed me on the cheek as he twisted around me, making me blush as I turned to face him. "Hello, my little sister. How are you feeling?"
Simmons looked at me first and then Dean, his former icy stares dulled down to nothing more than infuriating. He knew that we had the upper hand somehow and was saying nothing until he had to. Now seemed to be the best time though, when personal feelings distracted from the true message behind this meeting.
"This is an outrage!" Simmons then yelled, not scaring me anymore with his glares. "Your formality with the prisoner is not within regulations, section –"
"Quiet down, Major Simmons," General Clayton interrupted. "This is a family matter of course and the major is here to support her sister. There are no regulations against that."
"Not to mention, Major, I have every right to be here," Dean added as Henry greeted him quite warmly. Although my brother smiled and almost hugged Henry (he then remembered the situation at hand), he still had to put his two cents in. "And I say that with hesitation, considering you are neither an officer nor gentleman. My sister is not a prisoner any longer and neither is Captain Pierce. They've been set free."
"There are no forms signed to say otherwise," Simmons countered, a grin on his face.
"Oh, shut it, Major!" Margaret yelled, pulling out some papers out of nowhere it seemed. "I got them readied and Colonel Blake signed them the day the two were released from their tent arrest. Here, General Clayton. You can see for yourself that everything is in order and that Captains Pierce and Morrison are reinstated to their duties, despite physical and mental disabilities to their persons, as you can see in the second page."
"Hear, hear," Trapper added, raising his hand in an imaginary toast.
"I can drink to that." Dean beamed with pleasure, alert always, and always was there when a drink was to be made and a toast to be had. Not that he was an alcoholic like our parents, but in the way that he liked to have a little fun sometimes and to celebrate good times.
"Shut up, all of you," General Clayton ordered, looking to Margaret and putting out his hand for the paperwork. As Margaret handed over her paperwork, I looked upon it as a statement, as she was defending me and Hawkeye. It was a miracle of some variety and I took it as it went because it might not come again.
As General Clayton looked over the paperwork and kept himself busy by silently reading it, I looked at Hawkeye, using our newly-developed bond (one that almost could read each other's faces, but not the minds). He then looked at me, knowing what I was doing, and glanced away from my eyes. He was hiding something from me. I knew something was afoot.
"Physical and mental disabilities"? I mentally asked him with facial expressions that he alone could read. What is Margaret talking about? There's nothing wrong with my mind unless you're not ok.
Hawkeye just shrugged his shoulders, telling me silently to be quiet and that it all was nothing to worry about, especially for me. However, I wasn't going to let it go. If he wanted to drop it and make it out to be nothing, then fine. However, I was anxious and was ready to do anything for him. I really was worried about him.
What had happened to Hawkeye in those days we were in that supply tent under arrest? Is he ok?
"I can see that everything is in order here," General Clayton finally declared out loud, passing the paperwork to Henry, who passed it to Dean (he passed it back to Radar, who tucked it under his arm, to file later, as he was writing in his notes, under "Disaster"). "However, the only thing that remains a mystery is how this all played out. I heard that both Pierce and Morrison had unmilitary behavior uncharacteristic in Army officers. Pierce, why don't you start?"
Hawkeye sighed, sitting up straight and telling everybody in the office, as Radar continued to write in his little corner, about how we came from surgery and there was Major Simmons, giving us some respect and then talking about improving the camp. He did mention that both he and Trapper were out of uniform (still in their white scrubs, issued by the US Army) and that both were lazily relaxing in the Swamp, me listening to the two majors talk.
"He and Major Insanity talked some more," Hawkeye added, "and Major Bastard here –"
"I don't like this name-calling, Pierce!" Frank called out.
Henry and General Clayton even looked at Hawkeye annoyed. They allowed him to continue nonetheless though, without a word of reproach.
"As I was saying, Major Bastard here said it was time to dismantle the Oasis of the Desert," Hawkeye continued. "Trapper and I here said not to because it was ours and was approved by yours truly, General. And then Captain Morrison defended it and was sent to her tent arrest. I said we had no orders from our lovely commanding officer, Henry, and we were told he was transferred to Seoul."
"He only spent a few days relaxing before I reinstated him here," General Clayton added. "But please continue, Pierce."
Hawkeye sighed again, joking around about how he was sent away to tent arrest with me because they were not enough tents in the camp for two people under detention. Then, he went into details, more serious this time around. Within hours that he was sentenced, he entered our new quarters and found me, facedown on the ground bleeding. Within that time we were together, he tried caring me the best way he could, but could do nothing until Trapper threw him his medical supplies, even if that was against regulations. Then, when I woke up, he tried to put lower my fever, but didn't think of a way how until he thought of blankets and staying close to me until we were discovered two nights after being put on tent arrest.
Finally, I learned of the conversation with the MP, Sergeant Grant. He was just following his orders by shooting me when I was talking trash about Frank. He was the one who dismantled the still, only to put it back together in the Supply Room for Trapper to use because the latter begged it of the MP. Finally, how he told Hawkeye that his orders were that Hawkeye was not to leave the tent unless told to, but the times he was to was when the wounded were coming. And Grant told Hawkeye that everybody was in surgery and was ordered to keep the two of us inside the tent despite those orders otherwise, on pain of death.
"And who ordered Sergeant Grant?" General Clayton asked gently.
"General, you're looking at him next to you," Hawkeye answered, pointing his chin at Simmons.
Everybody then stared at Simmons, who stood his own ground immediately, especially after Dean gave him a murderous stare (as well as Henry, Trapper and Hawkeye). General Clayton said nothing, but listened patiently enough…for a general, that is. I was sure that he needed to hear both side of the issue before handing out his justice.
"I was following Army regulations and rules," Simmons sneered, defending himself soundly in front of everyone, so it seemed (except most of us knew that it was bullshit). "Both Captains Pierce and Morrison were insolent and I punished them by the book. It was not my fault that Captain Morrison was shot. She should not have been drunk to begin with, had not the alcohol been around and in her uniform. Regulations say under section ten, article three –"
"I don't want to hear it, Major," Henry said, telling him to shut up for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Henry, Henry, let him finish, if he can't stop reciting by the book," General Clayton cautioned, to both Henry and Simmons.
Simmons smiled. "Sergeant Grant acted upon his own accord in all ways, even keeping them in the tent when I ordered them both on duty when the rooster said to," he continued, grinning still, even with a predator's teeth showing. "He shot Captain Morrison, even though he was within his rights to. She was a wild drunk who was going to hurt him."
I knew that Simmons was lying within an instant by the smirk on his face and the way he said the words. First off, I'm not a "wild drunk". Honestly, I may black out, but I'm usually happy or mouthing off about something, depending on my mood before I drank, and then going to sleep shortly afterward. The second thing is, no military personnel in the Army can shoot unless it's by an officer's orders, to the enemy or when totally threatened. A drunken woman is NOT grounds to shoot. Even I knew that.
Hawkeye and Trapper knew it too. Hawkeye crossed his arms as Trapper asked, "Who else knows about this, Major?"
Margaret looked like she wanted to say something to answer Trapper's question (God knows she had no trouble saying things on her mind), but kept quiet for some reason. She must have known something about Sergeant Grant, but could not because of…what? Blackmail? Major Simmons? Frank Burns? Who knew what was going on in her mind?
Why, Margaret, stay quiet? I asked myself as I saw this. Tell us something if you know that this creep is hiding something or lying! Keep the truth alive!
"Do you have anything else to add?" General Clayton asked Majors Burns and Houlihan when the question was left unanswered (and ignored, I thought). When both shook their heads (surely lying to hide something), the general looked pleased, as if his life had been made easier by this lack of voices. "Fine, then. I declare this investigation is over. Captains Morrison and Pierce are no longer under arrest and only acted the way they always do. Major Simmons, you're innocent and cleared of all charges unless we receive something else. Majors Burns and Houlihan only took control of the camp, as they should when the commanding officer is not around, and will not be charged with anything."
Dean was about to protest about something, but did not for some reason and kept his silence well. He, however, glared at Major Simmons with such venom that I thought that my older brother wanted to strangle him then and there. Hawkeye and Trapper looked like they wanted to do the same. They looked so pissed off about Simmons' acquittal that they were willing to bet who in the camp will kill him next. As I've heard in the past few weeks, not too many people in the camp were pleased with this transfer and talked openly about poison, shooting and stabbing, despite us being in the medical profession.
"I'm heading to the Officers' Club," General Clayton announced about a minute later as Radar concluded his notes and handed them to Henry to sign that he initialed or initial that he signed. "Henry, join me after you're done signing the paperwork. Major Simmons, Houlihan, Burns, Morrison, will you join me? Captains Pierce, McIntyre and Morrison?"
"I think I will decline, General Clayton, Sir," Simmons answered respectfully, the same man I first saw him as before he went Regular Army on us. "I have a long shift in Post-Op in a few minutes and would not like to miss it."
"Very well," General Clayton replied, smiling when Margaret, Henry and Frank were joining him, accepting the open invitation.
"I think I'll stay out," Dean said, speaking for me, Hawkeye and Trapper all and we all knew it. "I want to spend some time with my sister and talk with her about some news from home. Is that fine with you, General?"
"Yes, yes, Major Morrison, go ahead." General Clayton smiled. "I'm sure Pierce and McIntyre will enjoy your company as well."
And with that, everyone prepared to leave. As the company left for their duties or pleasures elsewhere, leaving the four of us, plus Radar, in the office (and he left a minute later even because of his own duties), Dean spoke again and this time, he was not happy. I could even see it on his face, it was so obvious.
"Oh, Jeanie, that was a close one," Dean began. "You got to play better with others, you know that?"
"That's what we all say!" Trapper added, laughing with Hawkeye.
"Oh, but Dean," I protested. "You can't blame me. I couldn't help it, being the defender of the good and all. He was being the bully, you see, and I had to stand up for myself. Somebody had to stop him from pushing the other kids off of the swings."
"And you've got a bigger mouth than we realized. Oh, yes, I know." Dean sighed, wheeling my chair around to face the doors. "Come on, little sister, let's get you someplace. Now, where are we going? I need to get away from that scumbag and talk to you somewhere more private."
"To our quarters, dear Sir," Hawkeye exclaimed, getting up with Trapper.
"To a tent we have dubbed 'The Swamp', appropriately enough," Trapper added. "Free gin for all and olives enough to share!"
"Ok, then, let's go to 'The Swamp' to drink," Dean replied, knowing from my letters what it meant and acting stupid.
"And hopefully, we can enjoy the still again," I said, smiling. "I know we got it back today from Henry. So, let's say, we make a toast to dirty socks, good commanding officers and the return of my brother to the next stink hole he has to be in?"