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Author of 21 Stories |
'Probably not,' Hawkeye grinned. They were on the way back to the 4077th, finishing the last of the martini in the bottle Hawkeye had brought, and slightly tipsy. Hawkeye stopped the jeep bumpily as they passed the mess tent. A few people came out to greet them, and Alex stumbled out of the jeep with a little help from Klinger.
'So? What happened?' BJ demanded.
'I won,' Alex replied, leaning against the tent. She began giggling again, and tried to get her bag out of the jeep.
'I'll do it. You don't want to hurt yourself,' Radar said, reaching in and pulling the suitcase out.
'Good to have you both back. We just got news Flagg managed to have some one arrested yesterday, and we're glad it's not you,' Potter said. Alex sobered up a little.
'He actually got someone arrested?' she asked, frowning.
'Yep,' BJ replied. 'Got them on desertion.' Alex and Hawkeye glanced at each other before bursting into laughter again. Suddenly, there was the sound of a chopper coming in over the hill.
'Wounded coming in!' Radar yelled, and he rushed off to tell everyone.
'Just in time for meatball surgery,' Hawkeye grumbled.
'Come on, you've had it good for a couple of days. Time to get back into routine,' BJ said, running towards the chopper pad as three more choppers appeared from behind the hills.
'I don't think I'm sober enough to operate,' Alex complained.
'Head to the showers and sober up, then,' Potter sad, losing his good temper almost instantly at the thought of wounded. Hawkeye and Alex made their way quickly to the showers. Alex yelped when Hawkeye sprayed her with cold water.
'I miss Seoul already,' she complained, thrusting her head under the shower, not caring if her clothes got wet.
'Hey, Alex?' Radar knocked on the tent door.
'Come in, Radar,' Alex said, wondering if she'd ever get out of her cot again.
'Uh, I have some bad news,' Radar said. Alex sat up. Looks like she wouldn't be sleeping for a long time yet.
'Yep. Damn army says the 4077th has too many nurses and some other unit doesn't have enough. They picked me as one of the nurses to move,' Alex said. She tossed in another chip. 'I'll see your dollar and raise two more.'
'Fold,' BJ muttered. 'Who else knows?'
'You two, Radar, Margaret and Potter. Oh, and probably Frank,' Alex said.
'Three of a kind,' Hawkeye said.
'Full house. Pay up,' Alex grinned. Hawkeye threw his hands down in disgust.
'Why do you have to go? Why can't they send Margaret?' he asked.
'I've talked to Colonel Potter about it, and he says there isn't a lot he can do, but he was gonna try,' Alex said, scraping the pile of poker chips towards her. She took a swig of martini, looked at the glass in her hand, then pushed the chips back into the middle. 'I don't want to take your money tonight, I might just go to bed,' Alex mumbled.
'Awww, come on, Alex, stay for a few more hands,' Hawkeye said, standing up with Alex.
'I've gotta pack, anyway,' Alex said, leaving the Swamp without looking back. Hawkeye stood there for a moment, then flung his martini glass into the Swamp door.
'This damn war!' he said.
'There isn't much we can do, Hawk,' BJ said.
'I know,' Hawkeye replied, sitting on his bunk, not looking up.
'It's not your fault,' BJ continued. Hawkeye nodded this time.
'Damn war,' BJ said, staring at the poker chip pile on the table.
'Only every day you aren't working,' he said. Alex pulled a strand of hair away from her face.
'Damn war,' she said as the truck began to move off. As Hawkeye's hand slipped from hers, she suddenly realised that she might not see him again, and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.