Been a while. Was busy. Life happened. This is a filler basically, for me to build up towards a finale. Hang in there IF you are reading. If not, oh well!

Feedback would be welcome, all the more so because I am not expecting it. Or am I?

Chapter 42

Frank was not there. He probably hadn't returned. I wondered who he was whining to these days. Back in the day, it used to be Margaret but now she was in my corner. In fact, she was in any corner that did not belong to Frank – except for that remark about him in the mess tent.

I had run out of toothpaste and it had been a few days since I shaved. It was time to dive into a footlocker. And one that did not belong to me. I was sure the gentleman from Indiana would come through for me. I opened his footlocker and found two cans of Burma Shave and one tube of Crest. There was also a monogrammed towel. I remembered my dire need for a towel.

Perfect!

Before closing it, I thought about putting stuff back in his locker. That was the least I could do. After some readjustment and folding, I was finished with my work. Admiring my handiwork, I started shaving.

I heard the door open and Frank entering the Swamp. He was humming something, out of tune. A productive breakfast, it seemed like.

"Hello Frank."

"Very clever, Pierce." He snickered. I looked at him in the mirror, his hands in his pockets and the smug smile plastered. And then the shoe fell. I could barely keep a straight face.

"PIERCE!"

"Yo." I raised my right hand to mark my presence.

"What have you done to my..." He rushed towards my cot. I moved in front of him to stop him from doing whatever he was planning on doing.

"Get out of my way, Pierce. I don't want to hit a sick man."

"Who are you calling sick, Frank? And I don't hit women, except for that one occasion... But what does that have to do with ..."

"You Stole My Cot."

"No I did not!"

"Yes you did.

"Frank, you are making less sense then I knew was possible. And thats saying something."

"Pierce, get out of the way. I know you did something to my cot. Where is it? Tell me or...Or..."

"Or what Frank? And by the way, do you feel the warmth in this tent? You think heater works on spit? You need wood, ya know."

"You Did Not!"

"I did not what, Frank?"

"YOU BURNED MY COT."

"I DID NOT." I said in my best indignant impersonation and turned my face to get back to shaving.

"Pierce! I have had it up to here with your attitude."

"Upto where, Frank? I was not looking." I turned towards him to see exactly upto where but he seemed as humorless as ever. I doubted if I could improve on nature. He was standing next to his cot or the space where his cot was supposed to be.

"Oh go stuff a goose, Pierce."

"Clever, Frank. By the way I borrowed some toothpaste from you. I knew you wouldn't mind, me being your bunky and all."

He made some chicken like noises before opening his footlocker. And then he shot me a scathing glance before pulling out his disassembled cot from inside.

"You gotta give me credit for being imaginative, Frank!"

He made some more noises before getting to assemble his cot.

"Need some help, buddy?"

"Pierce, one of these days, you will really regret every single thing you have done since coming here."

"I know I will have your shoulder to lean on, you big lug." I winked at him before using the fresh towel to wipe the residual foam.

"You think you are so smart and clever and...and..."

"Thats as smart as I can hope from you so don't tax your mind."

"Where is rest of my stuff?"

"What stuff? I just took a towel, some toothpaste and some shaving foam. I did not see anything else worth using in your locker. Have you been hiding things from me, Frank?"

"You...you...you animal!"

"Hey, watch your mouth. A man can only take so much!"

I lied on my cot. I could not afford to leave the tent for fear of retribution.

He continued to assemble his cot. Once he was finished with that, he stood by it to admire his handiwork. I kept staring at him. Finally, he loudly lauded himself with an appreciative hmmmm. I could not take this anymore.

"If only you could show this level of craftsmanship in the OR, Frank." I smiled at him sweetly.

"Last few weeks have been pure heaven. If only they had sent you to Seoul for the duration, this war would have been so much more fun."

"Only a pervasive caricature of a surgeon like yourself could take pleasure in the war."

"Oh give me a break with your sermons, Pierce. As it happens, I had along night and would like to have some rest."

"Long night, Frank? Who shared its longevity with you?"

"Mind your own beeswax, Captain." I saw some color raise to his cheeks. That was interesting and worth investigating unless...

"Lt. O'Hara, I presume."

"None of your..."

"You are married, in case you did not remember."

"And you are not my priest. She does not mind either."

"So it is her. You are a weasel, you know that."

"Why are you so concerned? She does not even like you."

I did not answer that. I knew she did not like me and I also knew I was the one bullying her but did she have any idea that the guy she was spending time with was absolutely not worth any of it? Or that, he did not care a dimeabout her? Against my better judgment I decided to butt in. I knew it was a bad idea but even then, I could not see that happening without having anything to say about that. What was the worst that could happen? That she would not listen? My not saying anything would mean the same thing.

"She told me abolut your tries to make a move at her. Seems she has a moral core. She has no use for degenerates like you."

"Sure!"

"I know you will try to make her life miserable just like you did with Margaret but I can tell you, she is much stronger than Margaret. She won't let you..."

"Will you please shut up, Frank?"

"Big Romeo does not take rejection well now, does he."

"Shut up Frank or I will surgically remove that smug smirk off your face."

"Hah." He snorted before lying on his cot. I was not even looking at him anymore. I was not jealous of Frank. I just thought that girl was smarter than this. She surely deserved better, even with all the air of selfrighteousness that she displayed. And all the dislike she had for my treatment for Frank. She deserved better than Frank. Everybody except current Mrs. Burns deserved somebody, hell, anybody better than Frank.

Maybe after my lunch date. With that, my mind shifted towards the beautiful Brendt whose first name eluded me. Maybe I would ask her at lunch.