CH 21: Insanity or Not
Just a few days after the tank incident, Potter loaded everyone up in some buses and took them to a lake for a day of fun and sun. The Mashers all had a great time and were relaxed until the way home. They picked up a few refuges. Minutes later some soldiers got on and they were told to be quiet as North Koreans were in the vicinity.
The atmosphere was tense as everyone waited a baby belonging to one of the refugees began to cry.
"Would you shut that kid up," Hawkeye hissed at the woman.
He turned his back to head back to the front of the bus, as he was walking up and down the aisle, when everyone heard a muffled gurgle then silence.
They all turned and saw the mother silently crying as she held her dead baby in her arms. Pierce's eyes widen in dismay as something pulled at his wrist.
He shook his head staring in horror at the mother who'd killed her child on his words practically.
He finally looked down at the urgent pulling at his wrist and saw his own daughter crying holding onto his hand. He stared at her then at his wife wondering if he could do the same if he had to. No, he decided he couldn't.
"Please daddy," Candace whispered as she kept pulling on his wrist.
Hawkeye sat down by Margaret and Candace scrambled into his lap and held onto him tight burying her face in his clothing to make herself quieter as she clung and cried to him mostly from fright.
Margaret wrapped her arms around one of Hawkeye's arms and put her head on his shoulder scared herself; although, she was more scared of what Hawkeye might do from having seen the woman kill her child.
When the danger was over and they all got home the Pierce family went straight into their tent.
"Ben…I…it wasn't your fault. She did what she thought she had to," Margaret stated. Hawkeye just nodded.
"Daddy," Candace called softly.
Hawkeye stared at Candace a minute before grabbing her up in his arms and holding him to her like a life line.
"Candy sweetie I am going to get you out of this hell and you're going to school you're going to be a normal child. You're going to have those brothers and sisters you want to," he stated.
Candace hugged him tightly, "I believe you daddy."
Hawkeye looked over Candace shoulder at Margaret and pulled her close to him.
"I'm coming home every night Margaret. Our children will have us both for anything they need. We're going to be the best All American family anyone has ever seen. If I hadn't have had you two tonight I think my perspective of this would have made me go mad," he admitted.
Margaret kissed his lips lovingly.
"I love you Ben," she whispered.
"I love you more than anything Maggie and we're going to make a life together I just know we're meant to be," he stated. She smiled and nodded.