The next night, I had do my rounds of the patients again. Of course, there was one I wanted to see in particular... But he could wait. I would do him last so I could stay and talk with him afterwards.
When I got to Hawkeye, he was sleeping. I tenderly brushed his hair away from his forehead. I paused and put the back of my hand to the side of his face. I quickly got a thermometer and stuck it in his mouth.
"Uh oh." It read 102°.
Hawkeye's eyes flickered open. "What's wrong?" His voice was heavy with sleep. He yawned.
"Still tired?" I asked, trying to stay calm and not think the worst.
He nodded.
"Okay, well you have a fever, but it might just be a reaction to the surgery."
"Sounds like an infection if you ask me," Frank's voice rang out from the entrance to post op.
"Good thing no one asked you," Hawkeye glared at Frank.
"An infection?" I said quietly. "How could that be? I disinfected the wounds myself."
Frank snorted. "And you were worried about me trying to kill Pierce."
"Are you suggesting that I tried to kill Hawkeye? I wouldn't do that!" I just hoped Hawkeye knew that.
"Don't tell me that, tell your sick patient."
Hawkeye sat up. "Leave her alone, Frank. Belle, get me the antibiotics."
I stood up, but Frank blocked my way. "I'm the doctor and the ranking officer here and I didn't tell you to do anything."
Margaret appeared and went to stand by Frank. "What's going on in here?"
"Winifred is interfering with my patients! She's trying to get Pierce sick so everyone will blame me!"
"You're dismissed," Margaret told me.
"But I-"
"Dismissed before Major Burns brings the MP's in here!"
"Why should he bring the military police for trying to help me?" Hawkeye protested.
Margaret looked confused. "But I thought-"
"Go back to bed, Pierce!" Frank demanded. "That's an order!"
I discreetly whispered, "I'll be back, let's just stop causing trouble."
"If you insist."
As I left the post op, I wondered if Frank was carrying out his threat by not letting me tend to Hawkeye. The infection could get worse and spread... But luckily, I had a plan.
I just hoped it would work.