Again, I am not happy about this chapter. I am posting it anyway. I am not in a great mood and cannot be bothered with fixing it. Anybody has any suggestions, you are welcome to let me know. Next chapter might be up tomorrow or on Thursday. I have written it but its worse than this one!

Chapter 19

BJ was lying on his cot and Frank was sitting, polishing his shoes.

"Don't forget to polish the sole, Frank!"

"Go suck a catfish, Pierce!"

Good thing I remembered Potter's request.

And I had forgotten to post the letter.

Great!

This one can wait. I lied back down and started looking at the Frolicking Nudists latest edition.

"Degenerate!"

"What did you say?" Maybe this was the extreme boredom I was suffering from that I actually looked forward to having a conversation with Frank.

"Pierce! I have never seen a morally defunct human like you. At least now Hunnicut is acting smart, by avoiding you!"

"Frank! Don't bite off more than you can chew. If I am being nice to you these days, does not mean I will stay that way forever. So don't push your luck. And what BJ and I do has absolutely nothing to do with you so keep your trap shut!"

"Hunnicut is not McIntyre! He is smart. And not a moral degenerate like you and him. And you know that too. So ..."

"Frank! Leave me out of your discussion. And shut up. I am trying to sleep!" Came the reply from BJ. Frank had struck a nerve.

Nahh!

BJ knew nobody compared him to Trapper. Especially me. That was not the reason. I knew it. But damn Frank. He had to open his big mouth and utter nonsense.

"Pierce!" suddenly the booming voice tore me out of my reverie. It was Potter. And Margaret was in his tow.

Just what I needed!

"Yes Col.?"

"Major Houlihan says you are jaundiced and in denial."

"Major is a ...she is seeing things. I don't have jaundice. I am a doctor and I haven't noticed any jaundice. Nobody else in the camp has noticed anybody with jaundice or Hepatitis for quite a long time now. How can I have jaundice? "

"Why not do it a little scientifically? Step outside!" Came the order.

I did as was told. And now I was worried. All those patients I had come across. ...

And practically the whole camp? I was the Korean version of Typhoid Mary in Army drag. Even the thought was scary.

"Affirmative! Maj., draw some blood and send it for serology and do a liver panel. Pierce, you are confined to isolation till further notice. I will make arrangements for you to be flown to Japan for next few weeks. Anything you need will be sent to you. You stay put. Compende?"

"Just like that? Thats what they call summary judgment by a kangaroo court! And why Japan? What's wrong with 4077? Have you guys turned into Frank overnight? I don't think I can take more than one. I don't think I can take even one!"

Potter looked at me with those doleful eyes before reminding me , "Son, you better watch it before angering your CO. Now be a good boy and pack a small bag. And be our guest of honor for next few days. Now MOVE!"

"But Col. Potter..." I started before realizing some stirring on the bunk next to mine. BJ was coming back to life. I also realized the whine I had started. It was very disturbing but I could not figure out why really?

Good thing Potter cut me in the middle.

"Pierce! That's the SOP. If you do have Hepatitis, you go to Japan. Now stop your whining and get moving."

"SOP-shessopeee, I don't care. You want me to die? Of boredom? Its bad enough to be invited to a war. Now you are trying to tell me that I got dressed up for nothing? I am not going to Japan. Either keep me here or send me home. I will try to return as soon as I am up to it. Scout's honor!" How did they salute? Two fingers and a thumb? No, that was ridiculous. I could see Col. Potter's color change as he tried to keep his anger at bay. What had I done now? Everybody was mad at me lately!

"So you wanna stay here?"

" NO, I wanna go home but if I HAVE to stay somewhere on this continent, I would rather stay where me and the neighboring rats are on first name basis. I hate to break in new bunk mates."

"That was uncalled for, Pierce. Col. Potter, you heard that? He called me and Hunnicut rats! I will not take this lying down." Came the never-dying whine from Frank. Now that I remembered, when I started whining, it was the memory of Frank's whine that stopped me in my tracks. Margaret was standing quiet up until now.

"Shut up, Maj. Burns! He is sick and does not want to leave his unit. Some people do have a bond with others, unlike some who are just full of themselves." Retorted Margaret, somewhat scathingly.

"Yeah, shut up Frank or I will kiss you on your mouth and make you my new bunk mate in isolation. Then we can both go to Japan together!"

"Shut up Pierce. Burns, you need to lighten up a little! Pierce, if you want to stay, you will have to follow every order that I give you."

"Provided its reasonable!"

"You are in no position to dictate conditions. And definitely not in calling my orders unreasonable. Now do you agree or I send you packing?"

What the hell! He was not going to make me give up anything important. Though, on reflection, the way things were between me and BJ... It was like losing my best friend twice in less than six months. And this time, I could see him leave and not be able to stop it.

But there were other people too. This place just couldn't be as bad as Japan.

"Fine!" And shoved some stuff in my duffel bag before heading out.

"BJ..." I was going to ask him to come visit me everyday but then just shut up, " nothing! See ya."

"Major Houlihan, will you make sure that he behaves. Get the blood and send it for serology. I need to have a talk with Hunnicut and Burns."

"Col. I need to know what you are going to tell them behind my back. I am alive, you know. You cannot ignore your head cutter while conferring with the rooky and the malpractitioner! Hey, that could be the title of my new book. Or maybe my new movie?"

"PIERCE, LEAVE OR I WILL BUNDLE YOU TO JAPAN!"

I made an angry groan before finally leaving the Swamp. I was looking forward to a few weeks of complete relaxation. Maybe I would stop feeling tired after all the rest that awaited me.

VIP tent was dark. And depressing. I dropped my duffle bag on the floor and lied down on the cot. Not two minutes later, I heard a soft knock. My first visitor!

"Its open, Margaret. Just like the door to my heart."

"Hmmmmph. Roll up your sleeve. I need to draw blood. So be careful with your mouth." She looked worried. And it was not me. I had noticed the strain earlier when I went to talk to her about assigning nurses.

"What is wrong?" I asked, solemnly. And felt the jab in my arm. "OW, you stabbed me. I was careful with my mouth and you still stabbed me." Boy that hurt. But the look on her face did not say that it was intentional.

"Sorry, Pierce. I got distracted. Just hold on!" She took four vials of blood before she looked up.

"Yeah? You were saying?"

"You really were distracted, weren't you? Something to do with your Donald?" I asked as tentatively as I was capable of. The problem was simple. I was not blessed with the art and gift of tact.

"Nothing's wrong. And even if it was, why do you care? Just mind your own business and try to get better soon. We have only two surgeons left now and fighting can pick up anytime!" She was evasive. That wasn't new. I figured it was not any of my business to interfere. We were not really friends. And even my friend was giving me flak. Maybe I was being too intrusive. People needed their space!

"Nice Margaret! Very nice. I think a couple of weeks rest should be enough. See you soon!"

"Pierce! How long since you have been feeling sick?"

"Since midnight Eastern. Why?"

"I am amazed how nobody noticed anything. As I recall, you get anorexia and other constitutional symptoms before you develop jaundice. Is everything alright between you and BJ?" Right to the point. I could not tell her I was asking myself the same thing!

"Yes, everything is alright, Major darling. And even if it wasn't, why do you care? Just mind your own business and try to make others better soon. We have only one Head Nurse left and fighting can pick up anytime!" That evoked a smile. I liked that.

"Did you eat lunch today?"

"I don't think so. And I am not hungry either. So don't bother! Now go before I change my mind about locking the door. You don't wanna be locked in with the dark prince, do you?"

She left in such a hurry as if I was really going to lock her in with me. Did she really think I was that crazy?

Now my thoughts reverted to her again. Why did she have to be so evasive? I would not have cared in the past but maybe we had grown out of that nonsensical hatred for each other. But we were not friends either.
Shaking her off my mind, I realized the question she had raised about nobody noticing anything. Maybe I was evasive too. And not just with her. It had been almost ten days since I started using antacid for my ulcer, that being my initial and final diagnosis. Did it really matter if I told anybody about something like this? I was not a child. And certainly, BJ was not my father. And what could he have done anyway? His case was different. I could have helped him. But if he had known that I was unwell, he could not have helped me.

If guilt was pervasive, which I knew for a fact it was, then why was I comparing his evasion with mine?

Damn IT!

Suddenly, I was not sleepy anymore. Just tired.. Bone tired. Maybe the anticipation of prolonged rest-without-recreation had made my body less needy. I kinda knew I would be seeing Potter and BJ soon. Who would come first was anybody's guess.

I closed my eyes, already bored to death!