What really bothered her was the way he treated the Korean children. She didn’t understand how he could be so cruel towards these poor little children. It was hard for her to imagine what kind of father he could be if he couldn’t even show compassion for children whose parents had been killed and had no family. Margaret really didn’t like thinking about Frank’s home. It made her wonder even more what kind of life she was leading. She watched Frank inspect the small child in front of him, he obviously didn’t want to be doing this. Margaret rolled her eyes and looked around the mess tent watching the other doctors give the orphans their check up. Her eyes drifted to Hawkeye, the small child he was inspecting refused to open his mouth and stuck his tongue out mischievously at Hawkeye. Looking extremely serious and slightly confused, Hawkeye slowly stuck his tongue out at the child. Margaret tried not to laugh. Typical Pierce, what a juvenile.
Yet so good with the orphans. How Margaret wished she could be like him. She was already part way there; she liked him. He was an excellent surgeon, friend, sometimes confidant, father figure, and not to mention a fantastic kisser, not that she would ever admit it.
Hawkeye looked over in the direction of Frank to make sure he wasn’t being…Frank. Margaret was looking straight at him; he was looking straight at Margaret. Quickly they turn away, what would people think if they saw them looking at each other like that?
“YOU already got one now SCRAM! Don’t you understand me? I said give it back and get lost!” Frank was desperately trying to get a lollipop off a young Korean girl who he claims already had one. “FRANK!” Margaret was getting really tired of him and his racist attitude. “What’s going on here?” Hawkeye demanded to know what was happening. “This…gook already has a lollipop and she won’t give the other one back.” Hawkeye’s blood began to boil. “FRANK, if I hear that word ONCE MORE I won’t be held responsible for my actions. Stealing candy from a baby!” “I said GIVE IT BACK!” Frank screamed at her, and she ran away in fright.
“FRANK! How could you?” “If there weren’t children here I’d deck you right now.” “Right behind you.” “She stole candy, I was getting it back. It’s not my fault!” “Not your fault? OF COURSE it’s YOUR fault!” “But I was just…” “You were just being a racist ass. I’m going to find her.” “I’m coming with you!” “But…but…” and Frank was left to continue what he was doing. Margaret…AND PIERCE!
“Meg, one of the girls took off.” “What was she wearing?” “Her hair was down and it was pink I think.” “LEE CHIN!” and Hawkeye and Margaret stand there whilst Meg Cratty was speaking in Korean to a young boy.
“Hawkeye, what’s wrong?” “One of the orphans ran off – Frank.” “Major all thumbs.” “The one and the same.” “Her name’s Soon Chi.” “I’ll start the search.” “Thanks BJ.”
“What happened?” “Doctor Burns’ beside manner went with his brains.” “What Captain Pierce is saying is the Major scared her and she ran off.” “We have people out looking now…” “No, I’ll need a jeep…” “Why? She couldn’t have gone far” “When that girl’s scared – she runs far away and hides, she’s not around the camp.” “Wouldn’t she stay close to people she knows?” “Chi was by herself for 2 years before I took her in. Her instincts still are to run away.” “Wonderful, but no, you stay here, we’ll go.” “Okay, thanks kids, but be careful – she’s been through hell and doesn’t speak good English.” “Pierce can charm his way, right?” “As always. See you later Meg” “Okay.”
“BEEJ! Margaret and I are widening the search. Meg thinks she’s run away.” “Yeah, you want me to tell Potter?” “We should really…” “Yeah” “And guys…good luck.” “Thanks BJ.”
And so the pair sped off to find little Soon Chi.
“Why didn’t we go tell Potter?” “No time…you know how dangerous it is for anyone out there, let alone a child.” “Of course I do, but that still means…” “Look, if he has a problem with it, I’ll take responsibility okay?” “You will?” “Have you seen my record?” “Quite frequently.” “So why should I care? Plus Potter’s a good egg.” “Yeah, you’re right…thanks.” “That’s what…hey what are we?” “Medical personnel.” “Well that’s what fellow medical personnel are for…except Frank. He’s just for annoying. SOON CHI”
Margaret simply rolls her eyes, but he was right. Frank was no good for anything. Only problem with annoying him was he’d annoy her too.
“SOON CHI!”
Hawkeye smiles to himself. ‘This is nice’ he thought. Margaret wasn’t…well she was yelling but not at him. She was actually being civil. She had been doing more of that lately. Ever since THAT trip to the Aid Station…he realised her qualities were more than just skin deep.
“SOON CHI!”
And Margaret had realised that Pierce wasn’t just a juvenile who was good with his hands…and his mouth.
“SOON CHI!” “SOON CHI!” The two kept yelling for another mile; Margaret was losing her voice and both were getting increasingly worried.
“Hawkeye, what if something’s happened?” “Nothing has happened” ‘she called me Hawkeye?’ he thought to himself.
“SOON CHI! SOON CHI! SOON CHI!”
“God where is she?” Margaret was feeling extremely guilty. If only she had yelled at Frank more. If only she had taken over. If only…
“SOON CHI!” Hawkeye was also feeling guilty. If only he hadn’t of taken over from Frank. If only he had knocked his block off. If only…
Suddenly a young Korean girl runs right out onto the ‘road’ screaming in broken English: ‘Pease, no hurt me!’ The pair in the jeep, swerve to miss her and the jeep skidded, crashing onto one side. The Korean girl ran over to them, but yet remained far enough away to run if it was a trap.
Hawkeye groaned in slight pain. But he was lucky; he hadn’t taken the brunt of the impact. “This is the last time I ever go driving with a woman.” Suddenly it clicked – woman – jeep – Margaret. “MARGARET!” He couldn’t see her in the jeep, nor under the jeep.
“No hurt me, pease.” The little girl looked as if she were about to cry. “Soon Chi?” he asked. She nodded and pointed to herself in reply. “No hurt…me frie…OW!” Hawkeye moved his left arm and immediately wished he hadn’t. “See – me good guy.” He held up his tags, hoping she would see. “GI Joe?” “Yeah, GI Joe” Hawkeye half smiled at her. She smiled back, now trusting he was good. Remembering that Margaret was out there, Hawkeye looked around where the jeep had crashed.
He was becoming more and more frantic and worried. “MARGARET!” he yelled out. “MARGARET!” Hawkeye was now running circles around the wreckage.
Suddenly he heard a moan a few feet away. “Margaret?!” Hawkeye ran to where he heard the noise, Soon Chi running after him.
And there she was. Crumpled up with cuts on her face. Blood seeping from her right leg and her left arm bent at a bad angle. “Pier…Hawk…?” “Shhh it’s okay, I’m here.” “Soon…” “She’s here, she’s fine. Scared but fine.” “You?” “Left arm hurts like hell…I think it’s just sprained. I don’t know what else.” “Let me se…” “No, lie down. I want to take a good look at your leg.” “Not now Pierce.” “I’m serious. You’re bleeding. It’s not a proposition.”
“AHHHH!” Margaret screamed in pain as Hawkeye tried to move her. “I take it that hurts?” “Hurt?” “Yeah sweetie hurt. You get bag?” Soon Chi looked at him confused. “Doctor Bag.” Hawkeye mimicked a bag on his shoulder with his hands and pointed to the overturned jeep. “GI Joe Bag?” “Yes” Hawkeye nodded. Soon Chi ran over to the jeep and returned with the bag.
“Hawkeye, please…it hurts,” Margaret said through tears and sobs. Hawkeye was gently examining her left hand. It looked quite bad. “Shh Margaret.” But Margaret continued to cry, Hawkeye gently stroking her hair, as it was the only part of her body that wasn’t in pain. “It’s okay, it’ll be okay.” “How? How is us los…” Margaret couldn’t say anything else, she was in too much pain.
“Margaret listen to me. It looks like you’ve smashed your left wrist. Cuts to the head and blood at your leg. I need to tear the leg off to see how bad it is, but you’ve got to promise not to slug me.” Margaret just nods.
“Here, this is gonna hurt like hell, bite down on it.” Hawkeye puts a piece of cloth in her mouth. “Ready?” Margaret nods with tears still streaming down her face. “One, Two THREE!” Hawkeye says as he rips the left leg of her pants. Margaret’s screams are muffled through the cloth as she bites down hard.
“Oh God.” Hawkeye exclaims as he surveys the damage. “You got a shard of rock stuck in deep.” “Take…out!” Margaret manages to tell him. “If I do there’s gonna be more blood…” “And if you don’t?” “You could lose it.” “TAKE IT OUT!” “Shhh, okay okay.” Hawkeye rummages through the bag, one-handed to find a large pair of tweezers, a scalpel, bandages and 2 bottles of alcohol. “Two?” “One for you, one for me. Okay, this’ll sting a helluva lot.” “No kidding. AAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!” Margaret screamed as the alcohol hit her wound. “I need you to stay still. SOON CHI?”
The little girl came up beside him and looked sadly. He smiled at her and motioned for her to sit down. She half smiled back and did just so.
“YOU BASTARD!” “I said it would sting…now stay still!” Hawkeye gave her a shot of morphine. “What are you doing?” “Morphine.” Margaret didn’t argue with him. He cut the skin on her leg back slightly and dug into to get the rock out – all with only one hand. It still hurt, but not as much.
“There.” He said triumphantly. “That was a goodie.” He exclaimed, wrapping her leg in bandages. “Hawk…Thank you.” “Twas the call of duty.” “No really…” “I know Margaret. Let’s just get back first. AIIIII!” Hawkeye tried to get himself up, but his arm wasn’t cooperating. “You need a hand?” Hawkeye looked at her and cracked up.
“I’m glad you think this is funny!” “No…I think that was the first joke I’ve ever heard you say.” “It wasn’t meant in that way.” “I know, no need to bite my head off. Yes, could I get a hand? Preferably the right one.” And so Margaret and he attempted – with two right hands – to bandage his injured hand.
“How bad’s the pain?” he asked her. “Better now with the morphine.” “Come on, let’s get your hand fixed.” And the two did the same to her hand, only putting it in a make-shift sling. After both checked the other over and finding only cuts and bruises, they sat there, along with Soon Chi, pondering what to do next.
“So what now?” “We can’t exactly walk back to camp.” “And there could be enemies anywhere.” “Thanks, really Pierce.” “I’m serious. You sure you can’t even limp?” “With pain, yes.” “Come on, we’re sitting ducks out here. Soon Chi?” The little girl’s ears perked up at the sound of her name. “Help?” she asks him. Hawkeye responds by half lifting Margaret. The young girl – who couldn’t be older than six – helped lift the injured Major.
“Ahhh shhhhiiii…” Margaret said through gritted teeth. “Come” Soon Chi said, signalling for them to follow her – into the bushes. “Where are we going?” “Safe” was all she said. “Margaret, you heard Meg. She’s got survival instincts. She knows what she’s doing.” Margaret didn’t even try to argue, her injured state had drained her and she was using all her strength to stay awake.
So along with the two bags and blankets from the jeep, the trio headed through the thick brush. It wasn’t that it was far off the road. Just between Hawkeye’s sprained arm and Margaret’s broken wrist and cut leg it was painfully slow. They continued for another minute or so until they came to a large, half hollowed tree.
“Here – sit.” Soon Chi instructed them. Margaret hissed in agony. The searing pain was coming back as the Morphine was wearing off. Soon Chi yawned and looked way past ready to sleep. Hawkeye set out one of the two blankets and doubled it over to form a makeshift bed. Soon Chi laid down and drifted off the sleep.
“She looks so peaceful doesn’t she?” laments Margaret. “Yeah. You alright?” “Besides the buggered leg, the cuts, the bruises and broken wrist, no.” “What’s on your mind?” “It’s just…it’s my fault we’re in this mess.” The statement surprised Hawkeye; no way it was her fault. “Why do you say that?” “Because I didn’t stop that idiot, jackass Frank.” “It’s not your fault. Frank was doing what he was doing best – being an asshole. It’s more my fault. I didn’t stop the jeep in time, I was the one who flipped us over…” “That was an accident. If it was anyone’s fault it’s” “Frank’s” they both said at once.
Margaret was drifting in and out of consciousness. She wanted and needed to sleep…but the fear of not waking up stopped her. “So what now? We can’t exactly hide out here the rest of the war.” “You are going to sleep…” “Hawkeye…” “We need you better if we’re ever going to get back to camp. Sleep, I’ll keep a watch.” “But what if…” “Shhh…just sleep.” With that, Margaret lay down, snuggled up to Hawkeye and drifted off. Hawkeye soon followed.
