CH14: Fate
Hawkeye and Margaret both had wanted to work on Candace but Potter had flat out refused instead having BJ and Nurse Able handle the child while everyone else handled the wounded. Frank was put on house arrest by the MPs until a trial was set.
Hawkeye and Margaret were working on a young solider with shrapnel in his stomach. Noises were all around.
"You know I once rode an ostrich…very hard to stay on," Colonel Potter stated.
"How did you get on the ostrich?" Father Mulchay asked.
"Can everyone just shut up!" Pierce shouted in agitation.
The room silence for several minutes.
"Captain how is she?" Margaret asked handing Hawkeye the forceps before he even asked for them.
"The blood made it look worse than it is. She's going to be okay," BJ stated, "So you can quit biting everyone's heads off Hawk."
"Shut up," Hawkeye snapped as he continued to work on his patient.
Twelve hours later the OR staff tiredly came out of surgery. It was well into night of the next day. Candace was in post-op resting easily. She hadn't woken up yet so Potter was forcing Margaret and Hawkeye to get some rest and they'd be called as soon as she did.
"Hawk…no please," Margaret stated when Pierce had started towards the swamp.
"I'm just going to grab some things baby. I can stay in the same tent with the bastard anyway. Want a roomie?" he asked giving her a small smile.
"As long as you're not messy I have a kid," Margaret smirked following him into the swamp along with BJ.
Inside the tent Frank was sitting at the tiny desk reading some medical journal. He looked up when the door opened and scowled.
"One word Frank. One word and I turn you into mulch," Hawkeye warned as he grabbed some odds and ends.
"Hunnicutt where does he think he's going?" Frank asked.
"He's staying with Margaret," BJ stated showing Margaret his latest picture of his daughter Erin.
"What! Margaret you…"
But before Frank could utter another word Hawkeye had hauled of and punched Frank so hard he was knocked out cold.
"Feel better?" BJ asked coming over to look at Pierce's hand.
"Not much," Hawkeye stated.
"Ben…Ben let's go," Margaret said softly taking his things and pulling him out of the tent.
Margaret led him to her tent and locked the door once they were inside.
Hawkeye at sat on the end of Margaret's bed and was staring at the picture Candace had on the wall of what she wanted her adopted family to look like. Everyone who saw the picture thought it was of Margaret and Hawkeye.
"Ben are you okay?" Margaret asked.
"Do you think fate sent that sweet little angel here" he asked.
"Maybe," she replied sitting down in his lap to look at the picture too.
"Mags…..marry me," he suddenly stated turning from the picture to look in her eyes.
Margaret looked at him frowning in confusion.
"I want to adopt her and let's face it they aren't going to like a single man and she needs a mother. Maggie I love you and I love Candace and I think we can make a good go of it," Hawkeye stated.
"Yes," Margaret smiled, "Yes I will marry you."
He smiled and kissed her lovingly. When they pulled back he held her face gently.
"And don't worry. I can work anywhere," he stated.
"Worry?" she frowned.
"Yes you can stay in the army and I'll work in what ever hospital is close by," he nodded.
"Well…what if I didn't want to be in the army anymore?" she asked.
"Margaret what are you saying?" he asked.
"I want to resign my commission when ever the war ends. I don't want Candace to have to hop around from place to place. If we're going to adopt her and make a family let's make a real go of it. We can settle down…maybe even have one or two of our own in a house like that," Margaret stated pointing to the picture.
"God I love you," He grinned as they fell back on Margaret's cot kissing and stroking each other.