Chapter 27
Uijeongbu Korea; May 30th; 1952
"Did you hear that?" Ellie Marie sat up in her bed. By the way the light was coming through the window she could tell it was just after sunrise.
"Hear what…" Ginger groaned from the top bunk across the room.
"It sounded like…..wait listen! There it is again! Is that a baby?"
Kelly's head appeared from the bunk right over hers. She looked down blearily at her.
"What are you—-" She stopped mid sentence and looked as the sound came again. "It is a baby."
"Probably just one of the local washer women in camp to pick up laundry." Bigalow yawned.
"At 0600?" Ellie Marie questioned, the baby cried again. "I'm gonna go see what's going on."
"Better you than me." Bigalow muttered, and rolled back over.
Ellie Marie wrapped her bathrobe around herself and stepped outside. The compound was completely deserted. She looked around trying to place the source of the noise and realized it was coming from the direction of the Swamp. She walked to the door and knocked.
"Come in!" B.J. answered. She entered and came face to face with Hawkeye holding a tiny squirming baby in his arms.
"Be careful with her Pierce!" Charles snapped from his seat on his bed, "That's not a bag of laundry!"
"I know what I'm doing! She loves me. Look at that smile…" Hawkeye cooed to the baby.
"Gas…" B.J. muttered.
"Gas my foot!" Hawkeye shot back, "How come it wasn't gas when she smiled at you?"
"I dunno Hawk, some people inspire love, some people inspire gas."
"Do you fellas want to fill in a couple blanks here?" Ellie Marie asked, still looking at the baby, "seems like your newest roommate might have lied about her age to the recruiters."
"We just found her on our doorstep." Hawkeye said, still not taking his eyes from the baby.
"The mother left a note." Charles explained, "her father is an American soldier who doesn't seem to be in the picture any longer, and the mother said she can no longer care for her."
"Oh poor darling…." Ellie Marie said, "can I hold her?" Hawkeye wrapped his arms tighter around the baby at the suggestion, and Ellie Marie put her hands on her hips.
"Captain I'm aware as an only child the concept of sharing doesn't come easy to you, but it's something you need to work on. Share the baby."
He paused for another minute before transferring her into Ellie Marie's arms.
"Oh, you are absolutely perfect, aren't you?" She said, touching the baby's chubby cheek, "does she have a name?"
"Letter didn't give one." B.J. said, as all the men came to stand around her, seemingly unable to stay away from the sweet little girl.
"You know if her mother left her there sometime last night she's probably getting hungry." Ellie Marie pointed out.
"We've got a guy on it." Hawkeye said.
"Move over move over!" A voice called from the compound as Klinger, Major Houlihan, and Colonel Potter all came to the door at the same time.
"I heard tell we have a new little visitor to camp." Colonel Potter said.
"We do…" Ellie Marie said, "a very hungry little visitor."
"Have no fear my love, the milkman cometh!" Klinger said, and he held up a rubber glove that he'd filled with milk and tied off.
"Cometh over here milkman." B.J. said, taking the glove from him.
"Klinger, that thing looks ridiculous." Major Houlihan said.
"Ridiculous in the eye of the beholder Major." He retorted.
"Give the lad his due Margaret." Colonel Potter said, "It bears a striking resemblance to the business end of a Guernsey."
"Works like one too." B.J. commented, squeezing the index finger with a small hole in it and watching the milk spray out.
"Precisely." Klinger said, "I'm no fool."
"Ok Ellie. Give the little squirt a squirt." The Colonel said.
B.J held the glove up while Ellie Marie directed the finger with the hole into the baby's mouth where she immediately began to drink hungrily.
"That's a good girl…" Ellie said softly. Klinger came up and put an arm around her waist as they watched her drink.
"Man she really is something isn't she." He said.
"She really is." Ellie Marie agreed.
"Hey watch it…." Hawkeye said, "I see that look in your eyes. Don't start thinking you get to keep her just cuz you're the only engaged couple around here."
"Don't be ridiculous Pierce, she's not a pair of loafers, no one gets to keep her." Charles said.
"But if they did, it would make sense for it to be the person who could provide for her and give her anything she ever needed." He cooed at the baby.
"I've talked to all our sentries. They didn't see anyone coming in or out of the camp." The Colonel said.
"I guess for now she'll just remain our little mystery." B.J. said, cupping her head with his hand.
"Ellie as soon as the little tyke finishes her breakfast and, uh, other necessities. She ought to have a physical." Colonel Potter said.
"Excellent idea Colonel. I would be happy to handle it." Charles offered.
"Since when is she your patient?" B.J. countered.
"Hunnicutt, my expertise is not merely limited to brilliant surgery. I happen to be one of the finest pediatricians extant." Charles said.
"Poop on your extant! I've got a kid of my own, I know where all the parts are!" B.J. shot back.
"Poop on both of you! It's finders keepers!" Hawkeye said, trying to take the baby back from Ellie.
"I am about to make a Solomon-like decision!" Colonel Potter cut across them, "I'll cut Winchester in half, ignore the two of you, and do it myself."
He took the baby out of Ellie Marie's arms and gave her a gentle pat on the back that elicited a loud burp.
"See now that's gas." Hawkeye said.
———-
"Fit as the proverbial fiddle." Colonel Potter said an hour later as he finished the physical and wrapped the baby back in her blanket.
"Of course she is." Ellie Marie said. letting the baby grab her finger, "She's absolutely perfect."
"Gotta hand it to her Momma." The Colonel said, "This child may have been abandoned, but she sure wasn't neglected."
"Yeah, I'm sure it's no cinch getting up in the middle of the night for the 2 o'clock bombing." Hawkeye said, picking the baby up off the exam table.
"I ransacked the laundry and found some stuff the kid can wear!" Klinger said, coming through the door and holding up an extra small t-shirt."
"Thank heaven for skinny nurses." Hawkeye muttered.
"How about that Klinger? He'll give you the shirt off of someone else's back." B.J. teased.
"And I cut up some sheets and pillowcases for…ya know unmentionables." Klinger continued.
"Very thoughtful Klinger." said Colonel Potter, "and probably not a minute too soon."
"Well sir, I understand babies." Klinger said with a smile and a shrug, "it's the gypsy in my soul." He walked over to where Hawkeye was standing and traced a finger down the baby's cheek affectionately, "Let me hold her?" He asked.
"I dunno Corporal…." Hawkeye said.
"What? You don't trust me with her?" Klinger said, sounding offended.
"It's not you I'm worried about Klinger, it's your fiancé." Hawkeye said, shooting her a teasing smile, "with the way she's devouring you with her eyes right now I'm worried if I give you this baby she might actually burst into flames."
"Oh shut up." Ellie Marie said, but she blushed furiously because he was completely correct in his assessment.
Hawkeye transferred the baby easily to Klinger who tucked her expertly into the crook of his arm and gently swayed her back and forth.
"Hey…you do that very well Klinger." The Colonel said.
"Fairly well…." Hawkeye grumbled.
"Of course I do sir….Desert dwellers are very affectionate people." He shot Ellie Marie a wink, and for the first time in a very long time it made her heart stutter slightly. The sight of him being such a natural with the baby was doing all sorts of things to her emotions.
"Klinger!" Major Houlihan came angrily stomping into the room. He instinctively pulled the baby closer and gently shushed her.
"I heard what you did you lowlife!" Margaret snapped, "You swiped my best pajama shirts!"
"Pull your horns in Margaret." The Colonel said, "Klinger commandeered your jammies for the papoose."
"Oh…." Margaret softened immediately, "well for her I can sleep in my bottoms." She said, walking over to stand by Klinger and watch her sleep.
"And if you're not warm enough, call me. I'm the tops." Hawkeye quipped.
"Forget it tops." Margaret said, shooting him a look, before holding her arms out to Klinger, "Give me the baby Klinger."
"Come on Major….I just got her myself." Klinger complained.
"That's an order Corporal." She said flatly.
"Just give him another minute Margaret…" Ellie Marie said.
"Don't mind Ellie Marie, Margaret." Hawkeye teased, "she's just over here working herself into a tizzy watching her fiancé playing daddy."
Ellie Marie aimed an elbow at his ribs, as Margaret held her arms out expectantly to Klinger who gave her one more sulking look, holding the baby closer to his chest.
"Klinger! Present baby!" Hawkeye commanded, and he reluctantly handed her over to the Major.
"It's enough to drive a man to Officer's Candidate School…." He grumbled as he walked over and wrapped his arms around Ellie's Marie waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Hello there sweetheart." Margaret cooed to the baby, "I'm your Auntie Margaret."
"Why Auntie Margaret…I had no idea you were so maternal…." Hawkeye teased, "I can just see you now. With a house full of little teeny majorettes."
"Any word about who she is or where she's from yet?" Margaret asked.
"Nary a clue." Colonel Potter said, "Captain Hunnicutt and Major Winchester are checking the local villages, but I think they're whistling up a rope. Her mother's too cagey, slipping in and out with nobody seeing her. Didn't even leave us the child's name."
"So we'll just keep her till she's old enough to talk, and then she'll tell us herself." Hawkeye said.
"You know we should name her something." Margaret said.
"I agree." said Ellie Marie.
"She's mysterious, like the shifting sand…" Klinger said, "let's call her Scheherazade!"
"Seems a little exotic." Colonel Potter chuckled.
"Just a tad." Ellie Marie agreed, she turned her head to look at Klinger, "and I'm realizing you and I may need to have a discussion about baby names sooner rather than later." They all laughed.
"We'll keep working on it." Colonel Potter said, "in the meantime we've got to find a place for this little lady to bunk."
"She'll stay in my tent." Margaret said at once.
"No fair Margaret!" Hawkeye said at once, "Who put you in charge of guest accommodations?"
"Oh Pierce come on! My tent is warm, and pleasant, it's a home! That gutter you're in is a festival of old sneakers, dirty laundry, and yesterday's booze!"
"That's what makes it perfect! She can't mess it up!" Hawkeye retorted.
"I heard the stork dropped off a package while I was gone!" Father Mulcahy said, coming into the room.
"Good morning Padre!" The Colonel said, "This little lady seems to be alone in the world. Do you think the good sisters at the orphanage can help out?"
"I'm sure they can, Colonel." The Father answered, "The first rule of orphanages and Irish families is, 'There's always room for one more.'"
"Isn't she lovely?" Margaret said, holding her out for the father to see.
"Oh yes. Quite nice." The Father responded.
"Nice?" Klinger bristled defensively, "She's gorgeous!"
Ellie gave him an affectionate squeeze.
"Yeah Father, doesn't she at least deserve a 'wow!' or a 'Holy smokes!'? Where's the ooos and aaahs?" Hawkeye agreed.
"Is this child of mixed parents?" Father Mulcahy asked.
"All we know is there was one of each. Is that mixed enough?" Hawkeye asked.
"Her father's American and her mother's Korean." Colonel Potter confirmed.
"I was afraid of that." Father Mulcahy said gravely.
"Why is that a problem Father?" Ellie Marie asked.
"Yeah we want to get her in an orphanage not a country club." Klinger added.
"The orphanage will take her of course, but that won't help her much." Father Mulcahy explained, "The problems faced by the children of American soldiers and Korean women are very serious. When the people of the villages find out about them, the lives of the children and the mothers become a horror. They're outcasts. Little boys are emasculated, and little girls killed outright."
"My God…." Ellie whispered, and Klinger's arms tightened around her.
"Even in the orphanage, the other Korean children will be very cruel to her. And when she grows up she'll be ostracized from every segment of Korean society." The Father continued sadly, "this child has no future here at all. She'll end up a virtual slave, or worse."
"There has to be somebody who can help this kid!" Hawkeye said angrily.
"I'm afraid not…" The Father answered, "Her only hope and that's slim at best, would be sanctuary in one of the old Catholic missions."
"We'll take it." The Colonel said, "Slim is better than none."
"What do we do? Where are these places?" Klinger asked.
"There's one not too far off." The father responded, "Armies have fought around it for centuries and left it untouched. The monks will keep her cloistered, educate her, and in 15 or 20 years working with their other monasteries abroad, perhaps they can get her out of Korea."
"With all due respect Father, that doesn't sound like much of a life." Ellie Marie said.
"It isn't." He agreed, "but it's the best we can do."
"No it's not. She's half American. We'll send her to America." Hawkeye said, and he got up and walked purposefully out the door.
———-
"Alright ladies. This happens to be my family secret! Handed down from father to son." Klinger said, to all the nurses who were watching with rapt attention as he prepared a cloth diaper to wrap around the baby.
"Pay attention now!" He continued, "The popo must be placed dead center."
"The popo?" Ginger questioned with a giggle.
"Yes. The popo." He confirmed, "Notice the neat folds and the snug fit in the hips and thighs. Guaranteed not to slip, slide, or blow off during the most violent of desert storms. There you are my dear." He finished tucking in the diaper and picked up the baby, kissing her on top of the head. "You're the proud wearer of a Lebanese serape."
"I think you just figured out who's going to be in charge of diaper duty." Bigalow said, giving Ellie Marie a nudge, and they all laughed.
"You did do a wonderful job, Klinger." Margaret agreed, "You're going to make a marvelous father."
"Thanks Major." He said quietly, still enamored with the sleeping baby in his arms, "I can't wait." He looked up at Ellie Marie, and she smiled back.
"It'd be swell to have a little boy…." He said, almost to himself, "Not that there's anything wrong with girls!" He added quickly, looking up at the nurses, "I love girls, my best friend is one." He winked at Ellie Marie, and they all chuckled appreciatively, "but a son….someone I can take to Mud Hen games, shoot a rack of 8 ball with, go bowling. Then again….." He gently caressed the sleeping baby's head, "I could get very attached to a baby girl…."
"Alright Corporal…" Margaret said softly, "it's time for our little angel to go to sleep." She took the sleeping baby gently from his arms and placed her in the makeshift bassinet next to her bed.
"I guess I'll say goodnight to all you lovely ladies then." Klinger said with a smile, "you comin up to the office G?"
"In a little bit." She said.
He looked down at the baby and sighed one more time. He leaned down and kissed her head.
"Sleep well gorgeous." He said, and then he headed out the door.
"Ellie…." Ginger said, turning and giving her a pointed look.
"What?" Ellie Marie said blushing slightly.
"I mean this as respectfully as possible, but how the hell are you keeping your hands off that man today??" Ginger said.
"What do you mean?" Ellie Marie said laughing.
"Oh my gosh…..the way he is with her." Kelly said, "He's so confident, and…."
"Sexy." Bigalow finished, "It's very sexy." Ellie Marie's mouth dropped open.
"Megan Bigalow!" She said. And they all collapsed into giggles, including Major Houlihan.
"She's right though." Ginger agreed, "I refuse to believe you haven't spent this entire day thinking about how much you wanna make that man a Daddy, Cuz to be honest, if you don't. I will."
Her statement produced another round of laughter.
"Not necessary Ginger." Ellie Marie said with a smile, "I have every intention of making that happen just as soon as I can, and several times over I might add. But yeah…..I'm not too proud to admit, he's reeking havoc on my hormones today. I always knew he'd be an amazing father. But seeing it first hand is….something else."
"So what are you still doing down here?" Margaret asked with a smirk.
"Major Houlihan…." Ellie Marie said, in a scandalized voice, but she smiled.
"She's got a point." Baker said.
Ellie Marie shook her head, but then she stood up and headed for the door with a guilty smile. When she got to the main office, Max was sitting with his feet up on his desk reading a magazine. When she came in he looked up at her and smiled.
"Hey baby." He said warmly.
She walked directly to him and tilted his head back kissing him fiercely. He responded in kind immediately, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down into his lap and burying one hand in her hair so he could pull her down and kiss her harder. She kept on kissing him with all the strength she had, and enjoying how fully he reciprocated until she started to feel light headed. She pulled back slightly resting her forehead against his.
"Holy Toledo…." He said softly, still breathing hard, "not sure what I did to earn that, but I'm gonna need you to tell me so I can do it again." She giggled.
"You mean besides spending the entire day today showing off what an absolutely amazing father you're going to be." She said, running her thumb across his bottom lip.
"Really?" He said with a smirk, "me being good with the baby gets you this hot?"
"Hate to break it to you Max…" She said, leaning over and kissing him again, gently nipping his lip and making him shiver, "watching you be a pro with that baby, and fawn over her, has got every nurse in this camp swooning. I just happen to be the only one who gets to do something about it."
"Wow….who'd have thunk it?" He said with a grin.
———-
"So what did you find out?" Margaret asked the next day as they all sat in her tent, and the Colonel gently rocked the crib that the baby was in.
"We talked to the Red Cross, we talked to the Army. No dice." B.J. said.
"Red cross says it's not their jurisdiction. The Army says it's not their problem." Hawkeye explained.
"How can it not be their problem?" Ellie Marie asked, "she's the child of a U.S. soldier!"
"Yeah we made that argument too, they didn't find it very compelling." He said.
"He gave us the forms for a DF C 139, which allows for the adoption of indigenous persons by American citizens." B.J. said, "I was thinking I'd just go ahead and adopt her myself as long as Peg was on board, but you have to have all the child's information, and then it has to pass through every branch of the army imaginable and then the Korean government on top of that. It could take years to get her out of the country and home, and that's if it happened at all."
"What if….there was an American couple here in Korea who wanted to adopt her, and were willing to stay for as long as it takes?" Ellie Marie asked, and as she did she looked up at Klinger who gave her the answer she needed in the form of an encouraging smile.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Margaret asked.
"Yeah I think we are." Klinger answered.
"But you guys aren't even married yet." Hawkeye said.
"That's the easy part." Klinger said with a shrug, "It's just a 'do you take this woman' and 'do you take this man' from the Father and then a signature from him and one from the Colonel on the marriage license. I could have the paperwork filled out and sent by tomorrow and could have the license a few days after that. We could be legally married by this time next week ."
"But what about your giant Lebanese wedding to end all weddings?" Colonel Potter asked.
"It's not like we can't still do it up right and have a big celebration later." Ellie Marie said, "but if it means we can give this little angel the life she deserves, it's worth it."
"As absolutely beautiful as that is." B.J. said, "Unfortunately it wouldn't help. We still don't have the necessary information about her family history to get any forms past the red tape."
Ellie Marie's momentary excitement deflated inside her.
"I think it may be time to reconsider the idea of the monastery." Father Mulcahy said gently.
"No" Hawkeye said, "Not yet. There has to be something we can do. Someone out there who has the power to do something has to care what happens to this baby girl, and I'm going to find them. Colonel, I'd like to take a shot at the U.S consulate in Tokyo."
"Ok Pierce." The Colonel said, "nothing much going on here anyway. There's only one fly in the ointment."
"What's that?"
"You're packing a full load of rude."
"Oh that's nice…."
"What I mean is, those consulate folks are the kind of people who put skivvies on their lamb chops. This mission calls for sophistication, for the kind of person who speaks fluent hoi polloi." The Colonel explained, looking pointedly at Charles who smiled.
"Ugh but I don't wanna….." Hawkeye groaned.
———
"Sorry if I kinda sprung that whole adopting baby girl thing on you earlier." Ellie Marie said, lifting her head from Klinger's chest to look at him.
"Are you kidding me?" He said with a smile, "I've been thinking about it pretty much every second since I walked into the Swamp and saw you holding her. It broke my heart a little when B.J said it wouldn't work."
"Mine too. I just wish there was something more we could do for her." She said, laying back down against his side, "she deserves so much more than what she's getting."
"You never know. Maybe Hawkeye and the Major will bring back some good news from Tokyo." Klinger said, rubbing her back. After another moment he spoke again."Hey baby, can I ask you something?"
"Always." She said, rolling over to look at him and kissing his shoulder.
"Well….this whole thing with baby girl, kinda got me thinking. You know how she's half Korean, and half American. And cuz of that it seems like she doesn't really fit either place. It made me wonder….does it bother you at all that our kids are going to be half Lebanese?"
Ellie Marie sat up and looked down at him.
"Max…..why would you even think that? I love your culture, you know that. Of course it doesn't bother me."
"I know you do." He said, "and you know how much I love you for it. I love that you learned to speak Arabic, and you care about my family traditions. I just think about it sometimes….the things people say to me, 'camel breath' 'desert dweller' 'bedouin bozo' I've heard it all my life but it never really bothered me because I know who I am. I make jokes about my desert heritage but it really is something I'm proud of."
"I know it is love."
"And I want my kids to have that too, but let's be honest, people as a whole can kinda stink, especially when someone doesn't seem to fit in the neat little boxes they've made. I look at baby girl and I wonder, what if our kids don't feel accepted by my people because they're only half Lebanese, and they don't feel accepted by yours because they are half Lebanese?"
Ellie Marie sighed and put her hand against his chest where he covered it with his.
"I understand where you're coming from Sweetheart, but I think you're not taking one big thing into consideration." She said, "baby girl isn't in the situation she's in because she's half Korean and half American, she's in that situation because she's a mixed race orphan. If her father had stayed and taken care of her and her mother things would have been completely different. Our children are going to grow up in a home where they learn to embrace and be proud of all the beautiful parts of both of the cultures they come from. And considering how quickly both of our mothers jumped at the chance to learn about and be accepting of the others' differences? I know our children are going to grow up surrounded by nothing but unconditional love. What else could you ask for?"
"You make it sound so perfect." He said.
"I'm sure it won't be perfect. Nothing ever is." She replied, "but I know we'll always do our best to give our children the happiest, fullest life we can." He smiled, and pulled her in to kiss her.
"God I can't wait to start building that life with you." He said softly. She kissed him back, and rested her forehead against his.
"So now I have a question for you." She said
"Shoot."
"Were you serious today?" She asked, "when you said if we wanted to, we could be married within a few days. Is that really all it takes?"
"Yeah pretty much." He said, "All the fancy stuff with weddings is just for tradition. When it comes to the army, if you've got a priest, your C.O.s blessing, and the right form it's about as straightforward as you can get. Why? You thinking about it?" He kissed her shoulder and trailed his fingers down her side to her hip.
"Of course not…." She said, "I know how much the big wedding means to you, and I want it too, to celebrate and have our families there. It's just….sometimes I think about how nice it would be, to be your wife. To fall asleep like this every night. And wake up to you everyday."
He sat up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply, and laid her on her back as he did so he was over top of her.
"You just say the word baby, and we'll do it." He said, "I don't need some fancy wedding, it's not the wedding I care about. It's the life I get to have with you."
"Max…." She said softly, putting her hand on his cheek, he turned his face into it and gently kissed the band of her engagement ring, "man do I like you and love you doll face….."
He grinned.
"Right back atcha gorgeous." He said, as he leaned down to kiss her again.
———-
"Well….we'd best be off." Father Mulcahy said somberly the next evening.
They'd all been heartbroken when Hawkeye and Charles had returned around midday with the news that not even the American consulate had any solutions as to how they could get baby girl out of Korea. In the end, they had all agreed with heavy hearts that their best course of action was to send her to the monastery as the Father had suggested.
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing Father?" Margaret said, still holding the baby tightly in her arms, "I'm not too crazy about a monastery you have to visit in the dead of night."
"Major, it has to be done this way. To preserve their secrecy." The Father explained gently.
"Well….you better get going." Colonel Potter said. He walked over and took the baby from Margaret's arms, kissing her lightly on the head, "So long honey." He said softly, "take good care of yourself."
"I'm gonna miss you baby girl." Ellie Marie whispered tearfully as she kissed the baby's cheek.
"So long angel…." Klinger said gently, "thanks for stopping by."
"Bye bye little one…" Hawkeye said, "for someone who passed through so fast you sure turned this place upside down." Colonel Potter handed the baby to Father Mulcahy, who climbed into the passenger seat of the jeep.
"Ok Beej. Take your time and be careful." Hawkeye said, to B.J. who was in the driver's seat.
"You got it." He said, and the three of them drove off into the night.