Here we go. Yet another chapter. And the last one for now. If I get in the mood tonight, I might write more. If not, I don't know when I might post next.
All reviews are appreciated. I asked you guys something about the momentum of the story. Guess you don't care either way. No problem, neither do I!
This one is a relatively lighter episode of my story. Who knows, tomorrow I write a full dramatic chapter?
Anyway, read on. And lemme know what you think.
Chapter 17
Think of the devil...
I had barely stepped out of the post op and into Radar's office when the door to his office flew open and in came my favorite Major. Was it wise to try to harness a tempest? Or even stand its way?
My good sense and survivor instincts prevailed. I decided to stand aside and seek her attention from a distance but she had eyes only for Radar who was holding the receiver mumbling something.
"I'll take it from here, Cpl. You can leave now!"
"But sir...Major, this is my office. And my room. And Sparky is still trying to get the call through here. Too much static on the line."
"Either you leave on your own, Corporal or I will personally escort you out. And I won't be very nice. Now LEAVE!" She was not in a very good mood. Nobody was in a good mood these days except me. And I decided to spread the good cheer and try to save my little Andy.
"MARGARET! Its cold outside. Sure you won't feel it, all hot and bothered as you are, but look at this tiny specimen of a human being. Don't throw him out. I promise he won't snoop on your conversation. Right Tinker Bell?" I put an arm around Radar while trying to assuage Margaret's temper over this tiny specimen of efficiency and snoopery. Maybe people don't deserve a good cheer. Or a knight in shining red robes. Margaret could have fried me with her glare while Radar pulled away so fast, he probably took away half my arm muscles with him and next thing I knew, he was out of the office. So much for being nice!
"Thank you, Pierce!", a genuine thanks. Wow. Wait! She thought I did this to make him leave? She could not believe me to be this devious now, could she? But this needed the kind of attention that I did not have time to spare so returning to my original problem.
"Margaret, I need to ask you about..."
"Yes, this is Maj. Houlihan. I need to speak with Col. Penobscot. WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE IS NOT HERE. HE JUST CALLED ME AND NOW YOU SAY HE IS NOT HERE? FIND HIM. YES, I WILL HOLD." And then she realized I was waiting to talk to her.
"Whatever it is Pierce, it can wait. I need to talk to him. Alone. So leave! And don't slam the door on your way out.Yes, This is...Donald! Hi, honey. How are you? I have been waiting for your call since such a long time...PIERCE! Hold on Donald, honey. PIERCE, LEAVE THIS OFFICE NOW OR..."
The speed with which she switched between Donald and me, between love and acid, between ice and fire, between drool and screech never ceased to amaze me. Donald Penobscot was one person I envied and pitied at the same time. Maybe once she was done with her call, I try my luck again.
With that thought, I re-entered my home away from home-away-from-home, the post-op. O'Hara raised her eyebrows. I doubted if she hadn't heard the kicking and screaming emanating from the office a few seconds ago. Her smile confirmed my suspicions.
"Seems you caught her at a bad time. She has been rather nasty lately. Has she always been this hard and harsh?" Coming from her, this statement did not go well with me. Who was she to judge...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CANNOT DO IT. YOU PROMISED...You promised me." came the rebuttal from outer office.
"Well, she has been here for over a year now. Sometimes, this place gets to some of us!"
" I did not mean it that way, Ben. All nursing staff and hospital detail seems intimidated or scared of her. Personally, I think she is a terrific nurse. I have so much to learn from her." Too bad I was not a lobster. Or Frank's fingers. This much butter just for Margaret? And she wasn't even here. O'Hara was another specimen of the confusion God put in while making women!
"Yeah, she is the best one I have ever seen. And yes, she is scary. Now I am going to try and be brave one last time." And with that, I stepped into the outer office again.
She was intently listening to what was being said and did not notice me.
"FINE!" And with that, she slammed the phone down.
"Something wrong, Margaret? If you are trying to scare him away, I can help you with that!"
"You...You... You men!"
" Yeah, yeah, yeah we men. We are all alike. I know the song and dance. Just wanted to ask you why you told O'Hara to keep an eye on Hendricks? Did something happen today that Frank forgot to mention in his daily note?"
"What? O'Hara? And Hendricks? I am busting my butt here, trying to talk to my fiance and all you can do is..."
"Yeah, ask about my patient, afraid he might be Frank's latest notch on his gravedigger's shovel. So? Why did you ask her to..."
"I did not ask her to do anything. Why would I tell her to do that? Hendricks is your patient, right? The one with a lot of damage on the right side? His blood pressure was fluctuant but in safe range all day. And his stomas are working fine too. I was a little concerned about Major Woods. He is a big gun and Fr... Maj. Burns removed his chest tube a little earlier then expected. He did not like my suggestion to clamp it or wait before you had him looked over. The idiot!" That was strange. And unusual. And disturbing. What was wrong with O'Hara? She did not seem diabolical.
"Maybe I misheard. Anyway, anytime you want to get rid of Donald, let me know. I realized after you got engaged how interesting a woman you can be. Keep me posted so I don't have to snoop around."
"You ..." And Bang! The door slammed again. And then opened and in came my favorite soldier figurine.
"Cap'n Pierce, Sir!" He saluted me. Boy, he was mad!
"Corporal O'Reilly, Little wonder!" I imitated him, except for the salute. They could never teach me how to salute in Basic. Or boyscouts. Maybe thats why I was thrown out of the camp when I was eleven?
And then Radar's color changed to orange. Grime and the multiple layers of Korea on his face changed the redness of a blood surge to a dull orange.
"Hawkeye!" Indignation. I loved it. Probably the funnest moment of the whole day for me. Maybe the whole week?
"Ray-Daar!" I imitated him again. But he did not react any further. According to him, he was not a physically emotional person and so I was not afraid of being punched by him. That would be humiliating! Seemingly, he had given up on being mad at me. Some things were more important than staying mad at me!
"Hey, you know I heard the whole fight. Boy she is mad when she is scary! I am glad I am not Donald Col. Penobscot."
"I knew I could count on you. You and your tiny ears make me so proud! So what did you hear that you were not supposed to be hearing?"
"She wanted him to come over here and meet you guys. He said something like he could not. His General was keeping him busy or something. Said he had to stay in Tokyo. Or maybe even fly stateside."
"And how do you know what he said? You were outside the whole time. I know it since I was in here half the time."
"I just figured." And shrugged his trademark shrug. Good thing he liked me. I wouldn't want to cross his path. For a non-devious person, he sure was diabolical in his own innocent way!
I had to talk to Margaret about assigning somewhat experienced nurses next time some complicated casualty came to our OR. But now was not really a good time. And why did she want Donald to come see us? If anything, she had reason for him to stay away. Between Frank, BJ and Trapper, she had seldom seen a day in peace. And then there was me. Had she finally gone bananas? That woman never ceased to amaze me.
"What's for dinner?" I asked Radar.
"I am going to the mess now. Want me to get you something?"
"Nah! I need to prep myself before putting myself through that torture. Just take notes on what's on menu and ask Father Mulcahy or BJ what food really is like. Only then will I go there. And yeah, see if BJ is awake. If not, please wake him before mess is closed for dinner. I don't want him to miss the pain that rest have to deal with. That would be unfair to the rest."
"You want me to wake him? From sleep? For dinner? He is crazy, you know. Almost as crazy as you. And he can be physically emotional when mad. I have seen him punch Father Mulcahy's punching bag. Boy you sure ask me to do difficult things."
"When did he punch the bag? And why did you not tell me? I would have put Frank in that bag."
"Oh, I don't know. Before the deluge? When he got letter from home."
"Did you read that letter? Cummon, I need to know!"
"NO. I never read his mail Or yours." Came the heated reply.
"OK, don't get into a tizzy! Let me know when he gets another one from home. Now go before they start painting the walls with that gruel."
With that, I returned to Post-op.
It was quiet. I checked on Woods once more. Good air entry in both lungs. Maybe a chest X-Ray before he was sent back to where ever he was supposed to go after his discharge from hospital. I made an entry into his chart and looked Hendricks over next. He was doing well for a kid with his kinda injuries. It was a colossal mess inside him and I could not get my own hopes up all the way.
P.S. Am caught up in work right now. Wrote something but it sucks so no posting till further orders!
PPS: Sorry for reposting the same chapter but I wanted to let those who are reading this that I would be away and for some reason, I could not upload the edited chapter so had to delete it completely and repost the same thing. Still stuck, though I might post a new one tonight/today?