Sorry to make you wait folks! The beach called!

********************************

His heart in his throat, Radar was halfway to Jessie's tent when the shot rang out. He skidded to a halt in the middle of the compound.

Yung Lee was half dragging Jessie across the compound, using her as a shield. The Korean had grasped her around her chest and shoulder with one arm, holding a pistol to her neck, keeping Jessie between herself and the visibly shaken guard.

Jessie tugged frantically at the girl's arm around her throat, but it wouldn't budge.

"Jessie!" Radar couldn't help himself.

Yung Lee whirled to face this new threat.

Jessie winced as the blade dug deeper into her neck.

Yung Lee pointed the gun at Radar for a moment before turning it back on Jessie.

Radar numbly backed up and put his hands in front of him. "OK, OK," he said placatingly. "Just don't hurt her, OK?"

"Great balls of fire!" Col. Potter said, racing around the corner. "What's going on here?" He halted behind Radar, spotting the two women. "Good Lord!"

Yung Lee held the blade tighter to Jessie's neck. She cried out softly as it bit further into her skin.

Panicked, Radar took a step forward, causing Yung Lee to turn the gun on him.

The terrified guard pointed his rifle at the two women.

"Private, put down that rifle!" Col. Potter commanded.

The soldier lowered the barrel hesitantly, his eyes wide with fear.

"Stop!" Yung Lee commanded at Radar, who was still slowly trying to advance towards them.

"If you don't stop right there, I'll make sure you stay in Leavenworth until you're a little old corporal!" Col. Potter threatened.

Jessie felt something warm down her neck and realized this crazy girl had already cut her. She knew she had to do something or Yung Lee would kill them both.

"Stop, Walter, please!"

Radar stopped hesitantly, his eyes never leaving hers. A breeze picked up, and Yung Lee's long gown lazily wrapped around Jessie's legs.

Stop, Walter, please!

God help them all, it was his nightmare!

His knees threatened to shake at living the terror. But, he didn't dare break down on her now.

"Now, tell me what's going on here," Col. Potter said soothingly. "If something's wrong, we'll fix it."

Yung Lee repeated her story. "If you don't give me jeep, she dies," she said, holding the gun to Jessie's temple, the blade winking menacingly.

Jessie shut her eyes and swallowed, willing herself not to be sick.

"No!" Radar yelled. He turned towards the crowd. "Colonel, do something!"

Col. Potter stayed silent, watching his company clerk closely. He hated these moments of decision that a commander was called to make. And this one was no easier than any of them.

"Klinger, go get a jeep," he finally said quietly.

Klinger started to argue, but thought better of it and slipped away.

Radar stared at the Colonel incredulously.

"Colonel, you can't be serious?" Charles said, barging his way through the crowd, saying what Radar couldn't quite find words to say. "She'll kill her, if her North Korean compatriots don't!"

"Major, we have a better chance of getting the Lieutenant out of there alive than here." Col. Potter said through clenched teeth. "If we don't get this girl what she wants, she's going to kill her anyway, and right in front of us, too!"

While Charles and Colonel Potter argued, Radar turned to face the women. His heart twisted in his chest when he saw the blood already staining Jessie's collar.

She was going to die. And he couldn't allow it, not while he had any breath in his body.

"Yung Lee, don't do this. Jessie's never hurt you. No one in this camp has hurt you. All we want to do is help you!"

Yung Lee started to reply, but the sound of a jeep pulling into the compound startled her, and she jumped at the noise.

Jessie struggled, trying to put a few centimeters between her neck and the blade.

Yung Lee pointed the gun at Klinger, who slowly exited the driver's seat, his hands in the air as he moved towards the stunned group. She drug Jessie towards the jeep.

Jessie was really starting to panic. Although Radar was a few yards away, she could tell he was also frantically trying to come up with anything to help her.

"Wait!" Radar said, moving towards the pair. He stopped when Yung Lee pointed the gun at him.

Jessie struggled in her grasp in protest, but Yung Lee held on.

Radar stuck out his chin defiantly. "Take me instead. I-I know more – umm - secrets. I could be more use to you." It was the only thing he could think to do.

The rest of camp, helpless, stared in wonder.

"No . . ." Jessie managed to choke out.

Yung Lee pointed the gun back on her and seemed to think about his offer.

Jessie held her breath and tried to get Radar to look at her. He avoided her gaze.

But, Yung Lee made up her mind. "No."

Radar slumped.

Jessie let out the breath she was holding as Yung Lee continued. "Told to get female. Can have . . . other uses."

The implied meaning hung in the air.

Jessie shut her eyes against the words. She heard the nurses gasp. Charles once again started protesting.

Poor Charles, he's only trying to help.

She knew Col. Potter was right. They did have a better chance of saving her when she didn't have Yung Lee pointing a gun at her.

But, what would be left of me to save?

Radar went pale at Yung Lee's words as he watched her drag Jessie towards the jeep, the girl's too-long white gown wrapping around them both.

The nightmare. Do something.

He straightened his back and followed.

"Corporal!" Col. Potter yelled in warning, but Radar didn't listen. He was too focused, noticing for the first time blood staining Yung Lee's kimono. He knew she couldn't hold up much longer.

"You're hurt." He tried to keep his voice from trembling. He wasn't sure where this momentary spurt of bravery had come from, and he didn't stop to think about it.

Yung Lee stopped, continuing to hold the knife at Jessie's neck.

Jessie mouthed "no" to him, but he ignored her.

"Just hand me the gun. No one's going to hurt you. We're a hospital. We're not supposed to hurt anybody. Please," he added, although politeness was certainly out of the question. But, if he thought getting down on his hands and knees would work, he'd do that, too.

The jeep's headlights shown weakly on the scene. He had moved to within several feet of the women. There was no sound as the rest of the camp held its breath.

Yung Lee pointed the gun at Radar. Still he kept moving towards them. He knew he was supposed to be scared, but the fear he felt for Jessie kept him going.

Jessie saw the gun waver for a moment. Yung Lee was just a girl, and Jessie thought she didn't really want to shoot anybody.

But, then she saw Yung Lee's grip tighten as she made her decision. The gun steadied, and Jessie saw her squeeze the trigger.

Panicked, Jessie bit Yung Lee's upper arm as hard as she could, clamping down hard.

Yung Lee jerked, and the shot went wild. Everyone hit the deck.

Cursing in Korean, Yung Lee threw Jessie to the ground, knocking the breath out of her.

Radar almost fainted with relief. His nightmare didn't end like this. Jessie was out of the girl's reach. Safe. But, she still had the gun. He had to talk her out of it.

Jessie struggled to breathe and grabbed the bumper of the jeep to hoist herself off the ground. She turned, still leaning on it for support, her heart in her throat.

It wasn't over yet. Yung Lee, obviously angry, was yelling something in Korean, rubbing her arm and moving closer to the jeep.

Radar was talking to her soothingly, trying to get the gun from her. When she stopped yelling, he thought he had gotten through to her. But, when she raised the gun and pointed it at him, he knew he was in trouble.

But, he kept moving towards her, his hand outstretched, trying his best to get her to hand it over. It was pure instinct, his desire to want to help those in trouble, animal or human, overriding his better judgement.

***********************************

They were only a few steps away. Jessie could once again see Yung Lee's trigger finger tighten.

Radar stopped mid-sentence and shut his eyes.

She heard Col. Potter shouting, but he sounded far away.

In fact, everything seemed so very, very far away. Jessie thought about yelling, but didn't think it would matter now.

She took several steps, her eyes never leaving the gun.

************************************

Radar saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but couldn't move fast enough in the split second between when she entered his line of vision and Yung Lee pulled the trigger.

She was so close that the force of the bullet knocked her backwards. He caught her as they both hit the ground.

Pandemonium erupted. Yung Lee didn't hesitate to use the confusion to her advantage. She stumbled to the jeep and jumped in, tossing the gun in the passenger seat. The jeep turned over, and she hit the gas, racing out of camp.

Col. Potter demanded a stretcher, and Margaret and the nurses rushed to pre-op.

But, Radar noticed none of it. All he saw was blood. Everywhere, it seemed. On her, on him, on the ground. Frantically, he tried to find the source of it, trying to save her when he couldn't even manage to do it in his own dreams.

She was limp, heavy against him, and so pale, he thought she was already gone.

Damn it to hell, why did she do that?

Charles was there almost immediately. He knelt in front of Radar as he cradled her, his hands pressed firmly to the wound in her chest to staunch the flow of blood slowly seeping through his fingers.

Radar wanted to say something to the doctor, but couldn't.

Charles pried his fingers away. When he did, blood flowed faster. He cursed. "Hawkeye, scrub in on this one, will you?" He pressed Radar's hands back on the wound. "Don't move them until I tell you to."

Radar just nodded numbly, his eyes pleading.

Charles had to look away, the desperate look in the younger man's eyes more than he could take. With a shaky hand, he checked her pulse. It was weak, but steady. He looked at her dog tags and breathed a sigh of relief that she had a common blood type.

The orderlies arrived with the stretcher, and Charles and Hawkeye struggled to get her on it. Radar kept his hands pressed firmly on her wounded chest as instructed.

The nurses were frantically preparing OR when they carried Jessie's stretcher into pre-op. Margaret was scrubbing up to assist as Charles barked orders.

Radar heard none of it. All he could focus on was Jessie, lying so still and pale on the stretcher. He tried not to look at his hands, which were covered in blood. Jessie's blood. He swallowed hard. His arms were numb from putting so much pressure on her wound. But, still the blood came, some of it pooling in small puddles at his feet. And she didn't move or make a sound.

He leaned in close. "C'mon, Jess, don't you die on me now," he pled. She didn't respond. But, what did he expect? He saw this happen time and time again most every night. And what did he do about it? Not one damn thing! He maneuvered his shoulder to swipe at a tear running down his cheek.

When Margaret came up behind him with a large sterile towel, he jumped.

"Here, O'Reilly, let me," she said softly.

Radar looked at Charles who nodded once. Slowly, he moved his hands, releasing pressure. Before the blood could start flowing, Margaret was there with the towel. She nodded to the orderlies, who took the stretcher into OR.

Before Radar realized it, they were gone, the doors into OR swinging.

He felt like he was swimming in a fog.

"Here, son, let's get you cleaned up," Col. Potter said from somewhere behind him.

Numbly, Radar looked down at his hands, which were covered in red. He dully wiped his hands on his shirt, but his shirt was covered in almost as much blood as his hands.

Who knew the human body could hold so much blood?

That thought just made him sicker.

He allowed himself to be led over to the washroom. Col. Potter turned on the facet and motioned for Radar to wash.

In a daze, Radar did as he was instructed. The water pooled in pink puddles at the bottom of the sink.

Jessie's blood.

The nightmare. The gun shot.

But, now he couldn't wake up.

He gripped the side of the sink, dizzy.

"Take it easy, son," Col. Potter said, grabbing his arm. "You'll be fine." He led Radar to a chair and sat him down.

Radar took deep breaths until the dizzy spell had eased. He focused on the blood stains on his clothing.

She could die.

The reality of the situation hit him, and he put his head in his hands. Col. Potter sat next to him.

"She just walked between us, right in front of the gun," he muttered. He took off his glasses and wiped at his eyes. "I thought she was safe when the girl let her go, but she wasn't. I could have stopped her, but I-I wasn't paying attention. Now -" He gestured helplessly towards the doors to OR. A curse floated through the thin walls.

They were losing her . . .

Radar couldn't realize why even Colonel Potter didn't feel the frustration and borderline panic rolling in waves from the next room. It left him riveted to the seat, eyes wide, as it ebbed and flowed.

He'd only seen Major Winchester get that upset on several occasions. They all involved the death of a patient.

They were losing her . . .

Col. Potter cleared his throat to get the corporal's attention. "You know we have the best damn doctors in Korea. If anyone can save her, it's Winchester. And let me tell you something about women. I don't care what the Bible says, they are not the weaker sex!" He slammed his fist in his other palm for emphasis. "I know plenty of females who would do just what Jessie did and not think twice about it. Including my Mildred. They bounce back faster from these sort of things than we do, you know."

But, Radar wasn't paying any attention. Too much was going on. Too damn much.

And, there wasn't anything he could do about it. But wait.

And pray.