Things had turned back to normal for a while. It was a very busy period and they needed to work long hours and for once again Hawkeye was glad he allowed Chris inside the OR again, otherwise the boy would have been alone for almost two days straight. Chris's demeanor changed for the better, he wasn't as angry all the time and even though he was just sitting in the O.R it had made a big difference.
It also helped Hawkeye's mood. He hadn't realized how moody and stressed he was and how much he missed having his kid around him. Just hearing him laugh or giggle at his jokes made all the difference. It did lighten the mood of the whole O.R immensely.
Today they had been working for almost the whole day again and even though the boy spent most of that time sitting in the O.R, he seemed happy. After the long day, they went to the showers before he had to send Chris to bed. He and the other doctors needed to wash away the dirt and blood from this session.
Hawkeye was singing an opera tune loudly while he was soaping himself up. The warm water felt great after such long hours of standing in front of an operating table.
Chris grinned at his dad, he had just showered himself and was already dressed in his superman pajamas he had gotten from Radar a couple of days ago with the light blue bathrobe his dad ordered for him. It was his favorite color and he was overjoyed when it was delivered.
He didn't want to leave yet as everyone from the Swamp was there and thankfully his dad didn't seem to mind. Chris giggled loudly as BJ started singing as well.
With a loud opera voice, he sang.
# La donna e mobile. Oh what I ate today #
Hawkeye started laughing as BJ continued. # Pasta fazul and army gruel #
Hawkeye clapped his hands before he joined in again singing but to a whole different tune.
Charles walked over as he combed the little hair he had, the man looked not amused.
"Do you realize that you are singing two entirely different operas and they are both out of tune? "
"Don't blame me, I didn't write this stuff." Hawkeye said as the door from the showers opened and Colonel Potter walked in.
"I need a volunteer for a business trip. " The man said, looking over at the three doctors.
"Business trip?" BJ asked.
Potter explains to them that the 8063rd wants to see a demonstration of the 4077th's arterial transplant procedure, and since it was Hawkeye who has performed most of them, he's assigned to go.
"I thought you were looking for volunteers? " Hawkeye said. He wasn't happy at all by being chosen to do this. He also had Chris to think about. The last time they separated, Chris spent hours walking back to the 4077th, all on his own through enemy territory and Hawkeye didn't want any repeat like that.
" I was breaking it to you gently. " Potter said.
"But Colonel... Why me? " Hawkeye tried and quickly glanced at his son. Chris looked back at him with big eyes full of terror. He already looked very pale and he could see the boy trembling from here.
Chris sniffed as his eyes got glossy. The thought that Hawkeye would leave without him did almost hurt. It horrified him, he couldn't lose the man. He didn't want his dad to go but he also clearly remembered the punishment he got for walking back last time, and he didn't want to repeat that.
Potter cleared his throat and said "And don't worry about your boy, I'll keep a good eye on him. " Potter gave the pale child a stern look. "After last time, I'm not letting him out of my sight. Even if I have to take him to the woodshed myself."
Chris's eyes got huge and he looked back at his dad. He had heard that expression before and he understood the meaning of it. His dad didn't make any objections to what the man said and that scared him a little. His dad wouldn't be okay with the Colonel spanking him, would he? He nervously wiped off his clammy hands on his new bathrobe.
Hawkeye wasn't about to allow the Colonel to discipline his child but Chris didn't need to know that, maybe this would keep the boy more in line. He would try anything to keep his son safe and he needed his kid to stay here in the 4077th out of harm's way at all costs.
"You leave in the morning at 0800, so pack up your old kit bag and give us a little smile. " Potter said.
"I'm not so sure I love this. " Hawkeye replied with a frown.
"And pick a nurse to go with you. " Potter added.
"I'm not so sure I hate it either." Hawkeye said and grinned at BJ who laughed.
Chris definitely hated it, and he felt angry that his dad was joking about it. It wasn't funny at all. He was trying very hard not to cry and all he wanted right now was his dad.
The Colonel left as Hawkeye got out from under the shower to get dressed. Chris wanted to hold on to the man the moment he got out but his dad kept him at a distance while he was drying himself off.
Tears sprung in Chris's eyes as he waited impatiently for his dad to get dressed. Nervously fidgeting with the band of his bathrobe. The moment his dad had his bathrobe on, Chris wrapped himself around the man's waist and buried his face against the soft fabric of his robe.
Hawkeye sighed sadly as he developed Chris into a hug. The boy already seemed inconsolable, and that worried him. Hawkeye had no choice but to walk back with the child clinging around his waist. He tried soothing him but nothing seemed to work. Chris didn't react at all to what he was saying. He would try to make Chris understand that he had no choice in the matter. He needed to explain to the boy what was about to happen and he needed to make it crystal clear that Chris needed to stay here on the unit during his absence.
Putting Chris to bed after that was proven to be difficult. Chris didn't want to let go and it took some stern words and even a threat for a smack on the boy's bottom before Chris finally listened and let go.
Chris didn't say anything at all, the moment he had to let go of his dad he grabbed his pillow and buried his face in it to sob softly.
Hawkeye sat down on his cot next to Chris's. He stroked the soft hair of the sobbing boy's head gently and explained what the plan was. He needed to go and Chris needed to stay. Potter and BJ would keep an eye on him and he should behave his best. He told him it was only for a couple of hours at most, he would be back in the evening at the latest.
It took almost an hour but finally, the soft sobbing stopped and Chris seemed to be asleep.
Hawkeye sighed tiredly and went to get himself a drink. This was going to be a problem.
The next morning they had the jeep ready. Hawkeye wanted to choose the nurse who would come with him, but Margaret insisted she was the one going, and she left no room for arguments. So she was already waiting in the car while reading a letter she got from her husband. She gasped outraged at the content and quickly put the paper away. She didn't look happy at all.
Hawkeye talked with the Colonel earlier. Just about how to deal with Chris while he was gone. The man wouldn't discipline the boy but they both decided not to let Chris know that.
Chris hadn't said a word since he heard about the plan of Hawkeye leaving and aside from being very pale and trembling he looked relatively okay.
Hawkeye put his arms on the child's shoulders and looked into those big glossy eyes. "It's gonna be alright, Kiddo. I promise. "
Chris let out a soft sob and he started crying. "Don't go!" He mumbled softly. "P-Please. "
With a tired sigh, Hawkeye put his hands gently on the boy's head and bought their foreheads together. "I promise I'll be back soon. " He tried but Chris kept crying softly while he mumbled over and over again.
"Don't leave, Papa… please. " The small boy sobbed in fear.
"Shhh… it'll be alright. " Hawkeye cooed in a soothing voice as he wiped away the tears from his son's face. With all the strength he had, he pulled away slowly and looked into the bright blue eyes that were looking at him so desperately. His son looked so sad. "I'll be back soon, I promise."
With one last kiss on the boy's forehead, he handed the child to colonel Potter. Hawkeye had to pry Chris away from him with a little more force than he wanted but the boy was resisting.
The Colonel quickly put an arm around the boy as Hawkeye stepped into the jeep and he and Margaret drove off. Chris tried struggling a bit as the jeep started to drive away but the colonel was too strong and told him in a stern voice to stop it. Tears rolled down his cheek as he watched his dad drive away.
Hawkeye felt dreadful as he watched his crying son in the distance. He hated this, he really did but he just didn't have a choice in the matter. He kept looking back to look at Chris as he drove off. He wanted to see with his own eyes that the boy stayed behind and hadn't sneaked into the jeep. There wasn't even room for the boy in the jeep, but he didn't want to take any chances. He sighed as they drove past the corner and out of view. He prayed for his kid to stay there, the last thing he needed and wanted was his almost eleven-year-old walking alone to the 8063rd to follow him.
Chris let out another soft sob and the Colonel squeezed his shoulder gently. "It's gonna be okay, Son. " The older man said and he gently but firmly guided the child back to his office. He needed to work and Chris was not allowed out of his sight. He refused to let the boy slip away again like the last time. It didn't only scare the horseshoes off of him, it had also hurt his pride more than he wanted to admit. He was a proud grandfather and he knew how to raise kids, but then again this was a whole different situation.
Radar had collected some of Chris's things from the Swamp and moved them to the Colonel's office so that the boy could stay close to them and have something to do. Hawkeye and Margaret would be back later today so at least Chris wouldn't have to go to bed without his dad.
The Colonel had asked Radar and some of the remaining officers to watch over the boy and they all knew he wasn't allowed to be alone at all. They had to make sure they knew exactly where the child was at all times.
Potter went to his office and guided Chris to a chair next to his. He gently sat the boy down and sat down himself behind his desk as well.
Radar came in with some comics and some of the child's notebooks and put them in front of him. Radar talked happily, trying to cheer him up, but Chris didn't react to a single thing. He just sat there staring into nothing.
Chris saw Radar, but he didn't care. His fear and anxiety are the only things on his mind. He needed to find his dad, he couldn't lose the man. He would never feel safe again.
Hawkeye had told the Colonel earlier that he thought it would be best if they ignored the weird behavior of the boy during his absence. Chris didn't need extra attention on the fact that he was a bit weird. The colonel looked at the quiet, space staring child. It was weird, and he didn't have any idea of what to do with him besides keeping him in sight.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Margaret were arguing with each other. Of course, the nurse didn't like his jokes and she had no trouble letting her opinion be known.
"Look there's no reason we can't pass the time pleasantly. " Hawkeye tried. "Why don't you read me your letter? " he said. He saw her read it earlier and she didn't seem happy at all with the content of it.
Margaret gave him a foul look that would've made Radar run for the hills. "Why don't you eat your steering wheel? "She snapped.
Hawkeye snickers. "I'm just trying to be friendly," he said.
The words had just left his mouth as a mortar exploded in front of their jeep. Margaret screamed as Hawkeye slammed the steering wheel to the right trying to avoid the newly made hole in the road. He stopped the jeep and quickly drove backward.
"What are you doing? " Margaret screeched. "KEEP MOVING! " more explosions went off around them
"You watch how fast I move once l turn around! " Hawkeye snapped back. He wasn't planning on dying today and they were definitely being shot at.
"Don't turn around, go straight ahead! " Margaret snapped. "They're not going to hit anything! "
"They're hitting the road! " Hawkeye yelled back. "You don't call that anything?" He was still desperately trying to find a place to turn around but it looked hopeless. The road was too small and being shot at with mortars made it very difficult to think.
" What are you going to do? Go backward all the way home? " Margaret yelled over the sound of several explosions.
A bomb landed close behind the jeep and the explosion of it made Margaret scream in fear.
Hawkeye quickly drove forwards until a bomb landed again very close to their right wheel. He quickly drove backward again.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED? " Margaret screamed. " Get this car in gear and start driving that way! "
"BUT THEY'RE SHOOTING AT US! " Hawkeye screamed back.
"IGNORE THEM!" She yelled before a loud explosion on her right made her scream in fear.
"OKAY!" Hawkeye yelled as he jammed on the gas panel and drove fast forwards, screaming for his life.
Around the same time in Radar's office, Radar was on the phone with the 8063rd. The connection was very poor and they were having difficulties understanding each other, so the clerk had
The 8063rd told the clerk they had bugged out. The Chinese and the North Koreans started getting too close, so the whole camp packed up and left before they had a chance to call the 4077th and tell them not to send Hawkeye and Margaret.
Chris was sitting next to the colonel when he heard Radar in the other room. He felt like a bucket of ice water fell over him after he heard that the 8063rd had bugged out. He stopped thinking and jumped up. He had almost made it out of the door before he felt a firm hand grab his bicep.
The Colonel quickly entered the office to give the clerk an angry look. He had a firm hold on to Chris's arm. The boy looked pale and his eyes were red. Radar hadn't been quiet and Chris's little escape attempt didn't improve the colonel's mood.
Hawkeye and Margaret made it safely to the 8063rd only to find out they were completely alone and abandoned. All tents were gone and the only thing left was a big empty space with some small things left behind. Hawkeye looked at the empty as dread filled him. The whole camp left, they must have bugged out which meant they are behind enemy lines right now. He was scared but also very relieved Chris wasn't with them. He quickly started the jeep again and turned around to go back home. They drove for a while before more bombs started to fall. Hawkeye quickly tries to avoid getting hit but in that process, he gets thrown off their course.
"Why are you taking this road?" Margaret complained.
"Because they're not shelling it!" Hawkeye snapped back.
They drove for a short while but to make things worse the jeep broke down and completely stopped moving. They sat there for a second letting the events sink in before Margaret snapped to him that he had to get out to fix the car.
"Yeah, sure. No problem. " Hawkeye said as he got out of the jeep to look at the vehicle. He looked at it for a second before he brutally started kicking the front of the jeep repeatedly.
"What are you doing?" Margaret replied, very irritated. "You need to look under the hood! "
Hawkeye looked at the hood as he had no idea how to even open the thing. "This thing, right?" he asked Margaret. The woman sighed deeply and got out as well.
They managed to get the hood open but even Margaret couldn't fix the problem. So as she was kicking the jeep repeatedly Hawkeye heard Korean voices. He quickly told Margaret to be quiet. She heard the voices too and they quickly got his doctor's bag out of the jeep and ran to the shrubbery to hide.
A small group of North Koreans approached, and they quickly walked to the jeep. One man started to fix the jeep as another one walked around to keep an eye out.
Hawkeye and Margaret watched helplessly as the four soldiers managed to fix the jeep, get it going, jumped in, and while they were laughing and cheering, drove off.
They got out from under their hiding space and Margaret gave him a hateful look.
"I hope you're not going to blame me for this! " Hawkeye responded.
"How can a grown man be so mechanically incompetent! " she snapped back, she wasn't screaming but it came close.
"I take a lot of cabs," Hawkeye answers. He knew he wasn't a handy guy. He couldn't even fix the chain of his bike if he wanted to as a kid. And he had to admit he couldn't fix it now as an adult.
While Margaret and Hawkeye were doing that, Colonel Potter was trying to call everyone he knew to help them.
Chris was pale and kept glancing at the door like he wanted to make a run for it. He felt completely panicked and it made it difficult to think. The only thing on his mind was getting to his dad. He wanted to go and find him but the adults were always there to prevent him.
BJ was pacing around nervously as Potter was having a heated discussion on the phone. He had told BJ to watch the boy but the man kept pacing, so Potter was glad he had also put Radar in the other room to watch the door. If the boy ran away now he wouldn't be fast enough to grab him.
The phone call ended and Potter moved quickly closer to the boy just in case he needed to grab him. He told them the army didn't want to send a chopper to search for them. There would be heavy combat in that area and a chopper would give away their location.
After hearing that information Chris let out a soft sob and BJ quickly put his arms around him to calm them both. Potter noticed the child didn't step away but he also didn't react to the affection. It was definitely strange behavior but he was no psychologist. He just needed to keep the child close and keep an eye on him. And if anything should happen to Hawkeye, it was his responsibility to get the child safely to the US. A task he wasn't looking forward to if it would arise.
Several miles away, Hawkeye and Margaret had walked for a while and found a little abandoned house, it wasn't much but it was still standing and it was safer than staying in the open.
As they entered and put down their stuff Hawkeye saw through the window a wounded man laying on the ground outside. He grabbed his bag again and went outside to try to help the man. Margaret wasn't completely in agreement with him but he didn't care.
As he got closer he noticed the man was already dead. Before he had any more time to think about it another mortar exploded near. Several more explosions started and he quickly ran back into the building.
He told Margaret that the man was already dead but before she could respond a shell hit the side of the building. Hawkeye didn't think about it as he threw his body over Margaret's and dropped to the floor. The building crumbled around them, and several stone and wood pieces fell with force.
They stayed like this for a second to calm down after the trembling stopped. Hawkeye was laying on top of Margaret and she snapped at him to get up.
He tried to move but felt something sticking out in his leg. With some effort, Margaret managed to crawl from under him to look at it. There was a big piece of wood sticking out on his upper leg. Almost at the undercurve of his behind.
Hawkeye tried to stay still as Margaret tore his pants at the spot. She warns him that it's going to hurt and indeed it hurts like hell. Explosions sounded close in the background as he screamed in pain as she removed it and started to clean the wound.
Back at the 4077th, Potter and BJ are trying desperately to get some of the higher-ups to send out some search planes to look for Hawkeye and Margaret, but due to a combination of stupidity and incompetence, it takes forever just to get some of the brass on the phone.
It was already evening when Klinger finally told them they finally had the General on the phone. They wasted no time and ran to the phone with Chris behind them. BJ held his hand and guided him toward the office. The man refused to let go, no matter how much Chris tried to get away.
Inside the office, they find out Charles had already talked to the General, and nothing was said about the two missing people. The man had only talked about getting himself out of the army.
BJ couldn't control himself and started yelling at the other doctor. He let go of Chris's arm and grabbed the chair backrest with a firm grip. He was afraid that if he let go he would take a swing at the other man. Thankfully Potter was just as angry and he made that point very clearly.
Chris felt BJ let go of him and quietly moved away. He didn't run at first but the moment he was out the door he made a sprint for it. He needed to find his dad no matter what was happening. And he needed to do it now. The boy ran toward the road his dad drove away from, and stopped for a second to look for any tire tracks.
That second was proven enough for BJ to find the boy. Chris heard heavy footsteps behind him and saw BJ running towards him. His panic rose and he turned and ran as fast as he could following the road. The footsteps got closer and Chris peeked behind Him, BJ was quickly closing in. The tall lean doctor was way faster than him no matter how hard he ran and it didn't take long for the man to grab him.
BJ grabbed him around his waist, and almost fell over him when the child stopped moving.
The second BJ had a hold of him he became stoic, he knew BJ and the colonel weren't as mean as those people he knew. There he wasn't allowed to move or object, and his fear made him immediately comply with that.
BJ stood there confused for a second before he picked the boy up around his waist and carried him back under his arm. He didn't want to take any risk of Chris getting loose again. To see the child run away toward enemy territory has to be one of the scariest things he ever witnessed. The kid almost seems suicidal with how regardless he was for his safety.
Chris let himself be carried, he wasn't brave enough to object anyway. Or strong enough to fight the man. Even if he was as strong he had just proven not being fast enough as well.
BJ carried the child inside Colonel Potter's office and put him on his feet. Chris just looked into nothing and remained quiet. 'Maybe he's pretending not to be here.' BJ wondered as he looked at the boy. Chris was slightly trembling and seemed oblivious to his surroundings.
BJ hadn't had much time to think about it as the Colonel exploded in outrage at the boy's escape attempt.
Chris kept his eyes on the wall behind the yelling Colonel, he was too scared to think so he simply stopped thinking and tried to block what was happening around him. That always helped him with those people and it will help him now until he finds a way to get to his dad. He didn't pay any attention to what the man was saying but he heard some words like "stupid and careless "
The colonel sat down with a tired sigh, this seemed so pointless, the boy wasn't even listening. He just hoped Hawkeye and Margaret were okay.
The night set in and Hawkeye and Margaret spent several hours talking. Hawkeye's wound was clean and wrapped and thankfully it didn't hurt as much as he thought. He had found some Korean whiskey earlier and now the bottle was almost empty. He missed his kid and worried if Chris was safe and still at their unit. The thought of his son walking outside during this combat was almost making him crazy.
His thoughts got interrupted by a loud bang that made the whole building shake. Margaret screamed in fear and even Hawkeye screamed as several pieces of debris fell. They jumped together and huddled close to hide. Hawkeye shielded Margaret from the falling rubble.
When it became quiet again as the last piece of debris landed, Hawkeye looked up and looked straight into Margaret's eyes. They were very close and he felt her breath on his face. She looked terrified. With the alcohol running through his system he didn't think and moved closer. Margaret met him halfway and they melted together into a passionate kiss.
During dinner, Chris completely refused to eat. They tried everything they could think of but nothing worked. They tried to be funny, they tried being gentle, they tried being stern but the boy didn't react to a single thing. He just sat there staring into nothing.
Chris looked at Radar who was trying to talk to him but thinking was difficult and his stomach was upset. It felt like everything was swirling inside of him and his stomach felt like a rock. Chris just wished they would leave him alone, his thoughts and emotions were racing through him and the only thing he wanted at the moment was to find his dad. But he didn't have any chance of getting away like this.
As the night fell they found out it was difficult to put Chris into bed. The boy had attached himself to Radar after sunset and hadn't let go since. They couldn't even convince the child to put on his pj's. It worried the two doctors until Radar told them Chris did the same thing in Hawkeye's absence a while ago and turned out fine after the doctor returned.
The colonel had no choice but to wait for the boy to fall asleep. He didn't want to take any chances so he ordered two enlisted men to stand guard on each side of the tent. Just in case.
Radar didn't know what else to do than lie on his bed with Chris wrapped around him. The boy looked so pale and tired and he hoped the boy would fall asleep soon so he could go to work. He kept talking softly to Chris, the way he'd seen Hawkeye do many times and it seems to work as slowly the boy drifted off to sleep.
He waited for several minutes before he got up, but the moment he tried to remove the small arms from his waist, Chris woke up. The boy grabbed him tighter and sniffed loudly.
Chris held on for dear life, he was so scared. He couldn't think or feel anything else. His dad was missing and there was nothing he could do about it. He had given up hope to make a run for it now that it was dark out and now he simply felt helpless. Helpless and terrified.
The Colonel had no choice but to relieve Radar from his work and put Klinger on the task. There wasn't any work Radar could do with Chris clinging to him. Better to let them both sleep. He went to the clerk's office to fetch Radar's teddy bear. As he entered the Swamp again he saw that they were both asleep. Chris mumbled softly in his sleep and snuggled closer to the clerk. Potter couldn't help but smile at the sight, it was sweet. They looked so peaceful and even though it wouldn't last, it made him happy. He placed the bear into Radar's arms and the man automatically pulled the stuffed animal close.
Hawkeye stirred as the sun hit his face, he slowly woke up and immediately noticed Margaret's body pressed close to him. He was confused for a second as last night's events slowly emerged. They drank a lot, talked a lot, and kissed a lot. He just wished he could remember what came after that kissing.
Margaret woke up as well and smiled at him lovely. Hawkeye smiled back a little awkwardly. Margaret was acting strange and it made him a little nervous, made worse when she even called him darling and it made him have the urge to flee.
Chris is startled awake by voices. BJ and Charles were whispering to each other as they got ready for work. The door closed softly behind them as they left before it became quiet again.
He heard soft snoring and felt the chest he was snuggling with going up and down in a steady rhythm. Radar was still fast asleep. Chris didn't want to wake up, the realization of his dad still missing brought back all the emotions that had been sleeping.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Margaret had to leave their hiding place quickly after a Korean soldier found them. The man was badly wounded and died before he or they could do anything. After the soldier found the building they decided it was better to leave in case someone else came along. They walked for a bit and now they were hiding in the shrubbery in the pouring rain. They had parkas to protect them, but just like most stuff the army sent them, they were no match for the heavy downpour.
Chris didn't remember much from the day as it went by. He still couldn't think clearly. He remembered vaguely that Radar tried to make him eat something, and he tried walking off a couple of times but other than that it was a bit of a blur.
Radar was watching him constantly and got really upset earlier when he tried to get away for the second time. Chris knew he was being weird and was probably annoying his friend a lot today and yesterday, and he hated it. He tried to calm down a little and act normally but nothing seemed to help.
The door slammed open and Colonel Potter rushed in with BJ close behind him.
"I'm telling you, Colonel! I saw them! " BJ said as he and the Colonel rushed to the phone.
Chris perked up after hearing that and looked up at BJ.
Potter started calling the 3086th, to tell them where they should look for their missing people.
BJ noticed the small boy looking at him intensely. "Did you hear that, Chris? I've seen them, I know where they are!"
The man put his hands on the wide eyed boy's shoulders and gave him a wide grin. He saw the understanding in the boy's eyes and Chris seemed to lite up. "R-really? "
It was barely a whisper and the small high voice sounded rough, but BJ was overjoyed Chris at least said something. "Yes! Really! " He assured the boy as he developed the child in a hug. Chris let out a squeak at the sudden contact, his heart was pounding. He knew BJ and he liked the affection but it still scared him. Essentially when it was sudden.
Hawkeye was seriously regretting getting himself into this mess. First, he kissed Margaret, which was a mistake. Last night he was drunk, cold, and scared, it hadn't meant anything more than comfort, at least to him. Margaret on the other hand seemed to think they were in a relationship of some sort. And secondly, he didn't feel much safer here than he did inside that building. And third, he was very worried about his son, Chris must be very upset.
Margaret was stroking his face before she snuggled close to him. "What are we going to tell Donald? " she asked.
"Tell Donald? Tell him what? " Hawkeye asked. He had a feeling where this conversation was going and he needed to put a stop to it.
"Well, about us... About what happened last night. " she looked at him with slight irritation and confusion.
Hawkeye shrugged "Well? What do you usually tell him? " the moment the words were out of his mouth he knew it was a mistake. Margaret's face turned downright murderous.
"WHAT DO I USUALLY TELL HIM?! " she shrieked way louder than he wanted. He tried to keep her quiet but she wasn't interested in complying.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!? " she yelled. Hawkeye was trying desperately to make her shut up.
Between his telling her to be quiet and her outraged screaming he heard voices.
"Margaret! I hear voices! " He whispered furiously. It took a couple of hasty tries but Margaret finally stopped to listen. They hid lower into the heavy shadows of the bushes.
Clear footsteps were coming their way. They held their breath as two shoes stopped right in front of them.
A hand opened up the branches and a flashlight blinded them for a second. The strange man, who thankfully was an American, asked for their names and told them he was a member of the 8063rd. Hawkeye could almost cheer loudly at the news, they were finally safe. Everything was going to be fine.
He looked over at Margaret and he could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't as happy and had finally reached her boiling point. She was furious with him.
Everyone was overjoyed at the good news the two had been found. It would still take several hours before they would arrive back at the 4077th as they still needed to perform the surgery at the 8063rd.
Chris was a nervous mess, now that his dad was found he couldn't wait for the man to get home. He still didn't feel like talking as his fear and nerves were still there and it seemed to upset Radar a bit. The clerk tried to get him to talk and eat something, but his stomach felt like stone, even the thought of food made him nauseous. He was a bit sad he made his friend upset but the need to be quiet and hide away was stronger than his need to keep his friends happy.
At least he had something to keep him occupied. BJ was planning on a welcome-back party and asked if Chris wanted to help. He still had difficulties with thinking clearly and it took longer than he wanted, but he managed to help a little with some of the decorations.
It was already dark when the jeep arrived. Hawkeye's eyes found Chris the moment the unit came into view and he let out a deep breath he wasn't realizing he had been holding. Chris ran towards the jeep the moment it came into view but BJ grabbed him before he got run over.
Hawkeye parked the jeep in the middle of the compound in the middle of almost everyone, who was there waiting for their arrival. BJ let go of Chris the moment the jeep stood still and the man lifted Margaret out of the back of the jeep.
His son flew him around the waist at the same moment he wanted to take his first step outside the jeep. Hawkeye caught him in time but fell backward back into his seat with a laugh. He developed the crying child in his arms as relief filled him. Chris was completely safe, they would be fine.
Chris sobbed as he buried his face against his dad. All his fears and anxieties needed to get out. He was overjoyed his dad was back but he had been extremely scared and sad. He just needed the comfort the man gave, he needed to feel safe again. His dad held him tighter. "Shhh. Hey, Kiddo, I'm right here. " His dad said, rubbing Chris's back soothingly. Hawkeye kissed him on the top of his head and it made him smile through his tears.
It was a bit difficult but Hawkeye managed to get out of the jeep with Chris around his waist and walked a bit awkwardly to the mess hall. He was limping a bit because of his wound and Chris clinging to him didn't help at all. He didn't mind, of course, he knew the boy had a couple of rough days. BJ carried Margeret into the tent and put her down to sit on one of the tables. Above the table, there is a big banner with the text welcome back. And there were several decorations.
Hawkeye sat down carefully on the table next to Margaret. Chris was clinging his waist tightly but seemed to be calming down a little even though the boy was still sobbing softly. He kept rubbing the boy's back soothingly as he told everyone what had happened. He told them about the abandoned house and the Koreans they encountered. In turn, they told him about the problems they had getting someone on the phone to help. They also told him Chris had a difficult time with him being away, and that the boy hadn't eaten anything in days. As well as several escape attempts.
"Christopher, really?!" Hawkeye said disappointed. He nudged the boy in his side to get a reaction. He wasn't really mad or disappointed, he knew Chris would at least try to escape once.
Chris moved a little away from the poking hand of his father. The boy kept his arms around his waist and haf his face buried against it. " I-I'm s-s-sorry" Chris mumbled.
It sounded muffled and Hawkeye barely heard it. But at least Chris felt good enough to speak already. "I bet you are, Mister. " He said sternly. He didn't want to punish his son today, or any other day. He knew he had to be stern sometimes but today he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He will however have a long serious talk about it with the boy. "We talk about this later, is that understood? " He felt Chris nod against him and decided to let the boy wonder about his fate for a bit, maybe it will help next time to make Chris behave better.
"Wasn't it scary? Being out there all alone together. " Radar asked the two.
"Yeah. I bet you guys were happy to be found" BJ added with a grin.
"Oh, for sure, it was terrible. You guys don't know how happy I was to be rescued. " Hawkeye said.
Margaret shot him a glare but Hawkeye didn't notice and just kept going.
"Boy! Am I glad you found us. " He said with a chuckle.
"Excuse me" Margaret interrupts his snickering. Hawkeye looked at her just in time to see her hand fly to his face. She slapped his cheek hard, so hard he fell backward from the table. Margaret stood up and stormed out right after she hit her mark. Chris let out a shocked gasp as his dad fell. The boy tried to catch him and thankfully BJ also had the same idea and grabbed Hawkeye before he seriously hurt himself and Chris.
"Hell hath no fury as a woman sustained. " Potter said as he, Radar, and BJ helped him upright.
Hawkeye nodded and felt his cheek, it felt like there should be a big red handprint. He needed to talk with Margaret, he really liked her as a friend and he didn't want to lose that. He looked down at Chris and looked into those big blue eyes filled with fear and decided he should get the boy fed first.