Setting the torch on top of the footlocker lid, Radar quietly tip-toed towards the tent window and peeked out. The entire camp was quiet. The remainder of the snow softly fell on the other tents that were pitched into the Korean soil. It looked so peaceful, but yet so small. It started snowing earlier that evening and everybody went to bed hours before their usual time, getting warm as much as they could. The only souls that stirred in night were the nurses in Post-Op and Radar.
Satisfied that he wouldn't be disturbed-- although why anyone, other than him, would want to visit the Colonel's tent, returned back to the locker and fiddled with the lock and key.
His hand shook as he opened the lid. He didn't feel right going into other people's tents and going through their things; but this was different, this was his other family, and he needed to find out as much as he could.
There wasn't much in the locker, just a bundle of letters that Mrs. Blake had sent to her husband, souvenirs from his numerous visits to Tokyo and Seoul, his hometown newspaper from four months ago that was used as padding for the packages that he got from home and a small collection of nudist magazines. Intrigued, he opened one up, but quickly closed the book and chucked it back in blushing bright red at the not-so-modest picture that he saw.
As he dug deeper in the locker he noticed the glint of a silver corner of a photo album and took it out. On the front it read "Precious Blake Family Memories" in gold leaf print.
He carefully opened it and the first thing he saw were baby pictures of Henry's kids. The older photo's were of Molly; the "first" born. Looking further and further through the album, snapshots of Janie started to appear, as well as birth certificates, finger paintings, drawings, ribbons and school photo's.
Nearing towards the end he saw wedding pictures of Henry and Lorraine. The biggest photo out of the lot was a group shot. On one side was the family of the groom and the other, the brides. Henry had a big goofy smile on his face and was looking mighty proud.
Radar found himself staring at Lorraine. She was an attractive woman with shoulder length straight blond hair, very slim build, tall and bright blue eyes. Even though the photo was black and white, he could imagine how bright they were, she was the complete opposite of his own mother in the days before he was born.
Underneath the photo were the words "Saint Andrews, December 10th 1932."
"Oh man, Colonel Blake wasn't even married two weeks when he cheated on Lorraine with ma." Radar said out loud shaking his head in disappointment and anger, and he quickly turned the pages, not wanting to look at any more of the wedding.
On the last page were photos of Molly and Janie together. Molly looked a lot like her mother; tall, blond haired, blue eyed with the same facial features. Janie on the other hand looked the complete opposite; even though she had some slight features from both parents, she looked more like a second or third cousin.
While her sister had blond hair and blue eyes, Janie had light brown hair with curls at the ends, and light brown to hazel eyes.
Radar felt somewhat more connected to this young girl in the sense that they both don't look anything like their father, and it wasn't until now that he realized that he was a big brother. He grinned from ear to ear. He always wanted a younger brother or sister, someone to give advice to and protect and look after, and now he's got two half sisters and one the way.
He smiled at the thought of not being the youngest. 'Gee, it'll be real nifty' he thought. 'I won't be the baby anymore.'
Radar closed the album, but opened it again to the last page. Peeling back the delicate film used to protect the photo's, he removed the snapshot of his two younger half siblings and carefully hid it in his wallet.
"I'll return it later" he announced to himself.
Replacing all the contents in the footlocker and securing the lid with the padlock, Radar returned back to his office with the warm thoughts of an extended family.
"Yes, as soon a Colonel Blake gets back, I'll tell him, I bet he'll be real pleased. Sure he'll be shocked at first, but I know him better than anybody else in this camp, he'll get over it fast and we'll be one big happy family." He settled back into bed smiling as he eventually dosed off.
**********
Two days later Henry returned back from Tokyo in a pleasant mood. Radar greeted the chopper and took the Colonel's bags.
"How was the trip, sir?!" he yelled over the chopper engines. Henry didn't hear him.
Leslie was giggling away in the back seat as she tickled the back of Henry's neck. It was quite obvious how trip went and it annoyed Radar every time the Lieutenant drew the Colonel's attention away from him, so he drove fast, making the dry soil fly up from underneath the tires.
They skidded to a halt in camp and Radar tried to get 5 minutes alone with Henry, but Hawkeye and Trapper entered the office and casually propped their feet up on the desk.
With a glass of vodka in one hand and a cigar each that the Colonel bought a box of in the other, they listened to the details of the meeting with the General and his wife. Every now and then laughter could be heard floating from the closed office doors.
Three hours later the Captains left the office drunk, and not a moment too soon Major's Burns and Houlihan came barging in with a list of complaints and charges that they were planning on filing against Hawkeye and Trapper.
It wasn't until nearly midnight before Radar could get him alone, and he was determined to tell Henry there and then.
"Sir, I need to talk to you"
"Oh Radar, can't it wait until morning? I'm sure the daily reports aren't going anywhere"
"Uh, well, actually.."
Henry cut him off. "Did you know that Major's Burns and Houlihan wanted to file charges against those two Swamp rats for pulling a face at them yesterday at breakfast?"
"Uh no sir, listen I ...." Henry cut him off again.
"It took me nearly two hours to get those two creeps to drop the stupid charges"
"Yeah, I know sir. I need to talk to you about someth..." He tried to get in before the Colonel could cut him off, but it was no good. Henry kept talking.
"They actually want to send Captain Pierce to a funny farm becau..." But Radar cut in.
"You're my father."
Henry didn't hear him as he kept blabbering on about the two Major's.
This time, Radar got annoyed.
"WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME, YOU'RE MY REAL FATHER!"
**********
CHAPTER SEVEN: Young Corporals And Snow Don't Mix
Straight away Radar wished he didn't say anything. His face went bright red when Henry's glass slipped out of his hands and landed on the floor. Out of pure habit, Radar ran to a file cabinet and opened a draw that had the label 'D, E and F' and pulled out a dustpan and brush. Henry stopped him, on his way to clean up the mess.
"W-what did you just say?" Henry stammered angrily, not really knowing why he felt angry. Maybe because he was so tired after traveling and having 'Hot-lips' and 'Ferret Face' bugging' his ass about the two delinquent Captains; or perhaps because he thought that his young Company Clerk was pulling his leg.
What ever it was, Henry didn't like it.
Radar lowered his eyes to the floor. He could hear the snow storm getting worse. Although it was below zero, he felt hot and sweaty.
"Uh, uh nothin' Sir, I didn't say anything" He took off for the door, but Henry moved fast, and he blocked Radar's escape route.
"Don't lie to me Radar, I know you too well, explain to me why you just said that I was your real father?"
Radar looked to floor again, he felt so ashamed that he blurted his secret out like that. He wondered if anyone else in the camp heard him too. 'Nah, the snow storm is gettin' worse, no one heard'
"Radar, tell me now, that's an order."
Radar slowly peeled his eyes away from the floor boards and burned them deeply into Henry's. Henry's heart skipped a beat when he looked back.
'Those eye's' He thought to himself 'I've seen those eye's before. That unusual dark chocolate brown color, they seem so familiar so, so...' His thoughts were interrupted by a young, nervous, timid voice.
"Three weeks after I was assigned to this unit I received a package from my mother, so I wrote her back, thanking her for the stuff and also to tell her that I arrived safely. In my letter I also told her about Hawkeye, Trapper, the camp and you. Two months after sending that letter, I didn't get a reply, not one thing and I panicked thinking that something might've happened to her, so I called home."
Radar paused to take a deep breath, he didn't want to continue, but the Colonel was waiting. "Go on" Blake encouraged sternly.
Sighing, he continued, "It took two hours to get a line through, but Sparky finally got Ottumwa. When my mother got to the phone, she sounded real nervous and I demanded that she tell me why she hadn't sent any letters since my first one. She told me about when your car broke down in Ottumwa almost 19 years ago and you stayed for a week. On Christmas Eve you and her...." He trailed off, feeling that nauseated feeling wash over him like it did when he first found out.
Henry took a step back away from Radar, his face went pale, his stomach went cold and his hands shook. He suddenly remembered where he saw those eyes and straight away he wished he didn't.
"Impossible, you can't be my son, we were so careful!" Henry yelled, pacing the room. He opened his liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Vodka, drinking it without a glass. When finally finished the three big gulps, he turned to Radar.
"How can she be sure that you're mine anyway? She was married. Oh boy, what's my wife gonna say? She'll never forgive me; she'll take my kids away. Why did you have to tell me Radar, why couldn't you have just kept it to yourself!?"
Radar stepped back, heart broken; he could feel the tears prickling in his eyes. Henry's half drunken anger at the news was mixed with the biggest shock of his life, and he took it out on the wrong person. But Radar didn't tolerate it.
"H-how dare you blame this on me! It wasn't my fault that you cheated on your wife, and my mother cheating her husband, I kept the secret for as long as I could, but it was eatin' away at me!. For once, I was thinking of myself. Both you and my mother chose to do what you did and I'm sorry that it disgusts you knowing that I was the end result!" Radar paused and took a deep breath. Henry was shocked at the Corporal's uncharacteristic outburst, and before he even had a chance to say anything, Radar took off out of the office.
"Radar, wait!" Henry called out, as he went after him, but he slipped on the broken glass, and sprained his ankle.
The snow fell heavily as Radar ran through the compound. He didn't want to see anybody, and he sure as hell didn't want to go back to the office. He knew that he could never face Henry again, and the only answer that seemed to make sense at the time was to steal a jeep and take off for Seoul. Where he would go after arriving there, he didn't know.
Just outside of the Mess tent, he saw a parked jeep. It belonged to a pair of M.P's seeking shelter away from the snow storm. One of the guards accidentally left his keys in the ignition and Radar took the opportunity to make his escape. He jumped in and sped off down the road, passing Henry as he limped out off his office.
"RADAR, WAIT!" He screamed over the wind, but he ignored the Colonel.
**********
Radar let the tears run down his face, and they froze in the freezing conditions.
'He hates me, he hates me!' He thought to himself. 'Colonel Blake was right; I should've just kept it to myself. I ruined his family because I had to open my big mouth. His wife will never forgive him'
Radar wasn't any more than 5 miles down the road when the jeep started to splatter and jolt. He managed to go another mile and a half before it stopped, and it was quickly covered in snow.
"Oh no, oh no!" Radar yelled as he jumped out of the vehicle, running to the front and popping open the hood. The engine was frozen.
"What am I gonna do?! I'm stranded in the middle of no-where, and in the middle of a snow storm. How can I be so stupid by going AWOL in weather like this?"
There was nothing Radar could do. The snow fell fast and thick and the wind blew in hard. All he could do was sit and wait it out. There was no way he could walk back to camp; it was too dark and too cold. He pulled the thick jacket around him tight and wrapped the scarf around his neck even tighter.
It was two hours later and the snow storm was at its worst. Radar felt numb, and he was semi-conscious.
'I'm gonna die, and I didn't even get to meet my two younger sisters' He thought as he slowly and painfully pulled his wallet from out of his pocket. His fingers were so numb that he couldn't even feel the woolen gloves that he was wearing.
Radar carefully took the picture of Mollie and Janie out. The two little girls in the photo seemed to smile warmly at him, and he smiled back.
"I'm you're big brother, but you'll never get to meet me, but I promise I'll watch over you. Goodbye Mollie, goodbye Janie." Radar kissed his fingers and pressed it gently against the photo. He gripped the picture tight as darkness settled in and finally, he couldn't feel the cold.
**********
CHAPTER EIGHT: Henry, Are You Nuts?!
Henry watched helplessly as Radar sped off out of the camp at a dangerous speed. He yelled out to him again but the howling wind was deafening and the jeep was quickly out of clear range.
"Aww, dammit, where the hell is he going?!" Henry tried to get up off the ground, but his ankle was swelling something fierce. Since the snow was falling rapidly he didn't have a choice but to move.
"Ouch, easy does it, ouch!" Henry winced as he carefully lifted himself up using the outside wall for support. With one careful step at a time he managed to finally drag himself into the Post-Op ward where Leslie Scorch was on duty.
"Hello, someone, a little help" Henry called out. A second later Leslie looked up from the paper work piled on the desk at the Nurse's station.
"Henry dear, what happened?" she asked, helping the limping Colonel onto an empty cot.
"Oh, no biggie, I just went to go get a cup of coffee from the Mess tent and I slipped on some ice." Henry lied. Leslie carefully slipped off his snow-covered boot and wet sock. The ankle was twice its normal size.
Leslie gently examined the swelling area. "I think it's broken, dear. I better get Captain Pierce to look at it."
Henry panicked. He didn't want Hawkeye knowing the reasons why his ankle was injured in the first place. He knew that Hawkeye would kill him. "NO! I mean, no I don't think it's broken I think its just sprained. No need to get Pierce."
"But Henry-" Leslie was cut off when the Colonel tried to stand up. He accidentally put weight on the injury and cried out in pain.
"Ok, you win." Henry's face was pale from the shooting pain, "But don't get Pierce, get McIntyre"
Leslie, relieved that he saw it her way, raced off towards to The Swamp, leaving him with his own thoughts.
'Oh golly, what have I done. Radar comes to me with what might have been the worse thing to find out in his life, and I yell and shout like HotLips on a good day. I'm a damn fool, if he dies out there it'll be my fault.'
A moment later a very tired and annoyed looking Captain McIntyre entered the ward.
Trapper had his mustard-coloured robe wrapped over his fatigues with an army jacket over the robe. "You better not be drunk Henry, otherwise I'll break the other ankle"
"Oh, can it, will ya McIntyre, just look at the damn ankle."
Trapper, irritated from broken sleep wheeled Henry to the x-ray room. When the x-ray was ready the pair moved to the OR where Trapper helped the Colonel onto one of the tables. After a quick look over at the x-ray Trapper said, "There's no fractures, not even a hairline. I think you just sprained it"
"I told Leslie that, but she wouldn't listen I just wanted it wrapped. I have things to do." Henry replied anxiously. He wanted to get away fast to go find Radar. He had a bad feeling.
"Yeah, well, you have stay off it for a few days, you know that." Trapper gathered up half a dozen bandages and filled a syringe.
"What's that?" Henry asked quickly.
"Don't panic, its just some morphine to help you with the pain."
"No! I don't want it."
Trapper looked bewildered. "Henry, you sound like a two year old. It's going to be very painful without it"
"I don't care, I have to stay awake"
Trapper gave up and proceeded with bandaging Henry's swollen foot. An awkward silence filled the room as the pair listened to the wind outside. Trapper noticed while he was working that Henry seemed anxious and restless. He had the feeling that there was more to it than just the sprained ankle.
"Henry," Trapper asked calmly, "What's really wrong?"
"Wrong? What are you talking about, there's nothing really wrong. My ankle just hurts ok? Can't a guy have a hurt ankle without having another guy poking his nose in the other guys business?"
Trapper felt amused at Henry's Radar-like answer. "Is that why you keep looking at the clock and then at the window?"
The Colonel felt panicked, "No, I just wanted to see what the time was, that's all."
"Then why do you keep moving like you just ate last weeks chili?"
"As I said before, I just wanted to see what the time was" Henry defended.
"Henry, c'mon, you have that same look Radar gets when he lies."
The Colonel cringed and directed his eyes to the floor. Trapper stopped bandaging. "What is it? I haven't seen you this nervous since General Hammond busted our butts for having that party to raise money for Ho-John."
Henry took a deep breath. "If I tell you what it is, do you promise not to say anything to Pierce...or to anyone else?"
Trapper began to bandage again, only more slowly. He saw the seriousness that Henry rarely showed, and agreed not to say anything.
"I, uh, um, about nineteen years ago I was on my way back from visiting my folks in California. I drove there because trains make me nervous. I was nearly half way through Iowa when my car started to play up. You see, my car at the time was second hand and had a lot of work done on it and, and..."
"Henry," Trapper interrupted, "You're babbling"
"Oh, right, well as I was saying my car died on me and it was in the middle of winter, actually, it was about a week from Christmas day. The car stopped right outside this small town called Ottumwa."
"Ottumwa, isn't that Radar's home town?"
"Yes, it is, will ya stop interrupting for five minutes, McIntyre?"
"Sorry"
"Since it was bitter cold and I had nowhere to stay I started off to find someone who knew if there was a motel in town. Since it was getting dark I stopped at the first house I saw. A nice young woman answered the door, and well, from there we seemed to hit it off. I wanted to be back in Illinios with Lorraine for Christmas but the car was going to take a week to get fixed. To tell you the truth though, I really wasn't in a hurry. Edna, that's her name, treated me so well. Boy, could she cook. She made me pies and roasts and cakes."
"Henry, the point remember?"
"Oh, yeah. Anyway the car wasn't going to be ready until Christmas day, which meant Christmas Eve was the last night I was going to be spending with Edna. Well in the short time I was there, I sorta fell in love with her." Henry looked to the floor, expecting Trapper to say something. Trapper didn't and he continued, "Well, that night she walked me to my room and I kissed her. I asked her to, um, well, you know...And we did. The next day I had to leave. I never saw her again. After a few years I sort of forgot about her. Then suddenly this evening Radar comes to me looking nervous wanting to tell me something. I wasn't listening and he.."
"He what, Henry?" Trapper had an uneasy feeling as to where the story was heading.
"He blurted out that I was his biological father."
Trapper dropped the roll of bandages, shocked. "What did you say?" Henry didn't say anything. "Did you just say that Radar is your son?!"
"Shh, keep it down, any louder and Chinese will hear ya"
"Are you sure? Is he sure?" Trapper whispered.
"Yeah," Henry replied, "Edna's husband and her other children had been out of town for a while before I showed up. They weren't due back til New Years Eve. He's definitely mine."
The Captain stood dumbfounded. "How could you not know that Radar was your son? I mean, didn't she contact you afterwards about him? And what about her surname? Think about it, Radar O'Reilly, Enda O'Reilly, Ottumwa, small town, Iowa.."
"All right, All right, I get the point. For starters she never said her surname and secondly it was a long time ago. As I said before, I forgot about her years ago. It never really clicked when Radar first told me about his hometown, anyway, that's not the point. When Radar came in my office to tell me I was already wound up after spending two hours arguing with Burns and Houlihan about those charges that they wanted to lay on you guys. I had a lot to drink. When the kid blurted it out I was shocked. I yelled at him and asked him why he couldn't have kept it to himself. He yelled back and took off in a jeep. I went to go after him, but I slipped on some broken glass. I think he's heading up to Seoul."
Trapper could feel the anger bubble in his blood. "You yelled and practically blamed him?! Are you nuts, you should know better than that. No wonder you asked for me instead of Hawkeye, he would've punched your lights out!"
"I know. I feel awful"
"Damn straight you should!" Trapper now paced back and forth the OR. "We have to go find him, Henry. It's coming down thick out there. Army jeeps aren't good for conditions like this; he'll freeze to death before he gets to Seoul. We've got to get to him before the cold does."
**********
CHAPTER NINE: The Rescue
Henry sat on the table in deep thought. Trapper still paced the OR, thinking. 'I can't believe that Radar is Henry's son. I mean, they always seemed like father and son, but I would never have imagined, not even in my wildest dream that, they really were. Poor Radar'
"Whatcha' thinking McIntyre?"
"Nothing." Trapper went back and finished bandaging Henry's leg. He disappeared for a moment and returned with a pair of crutches. "Here, c'mon, lets go to the Mess tent and figure out a plan."
Helping Henry off the table, they went back to the Post-Op where Leslie greeted them.
"Hen-I mean, Colonel Blake, sir, are you Ok?"
"Yes, Nurse Scorch, I'm fine," Henry responded, trying not to give away the fact that he and the nurse are more than just good friends. "Thank you for asking."
"C'mon Henry, you can practice your subtlety later, right now we have more important things to worry about." Trapper dragged him out and the pair slowly made their way through the snow covered compound. Henry, trying to get used to walking with crutches, concentrated on not letting himself slip on the ice covered parts.
The atmosphere inside the Mess Tent was generally bleak. There wasn't a smile on any of the faces of the dozen or so people that came in to escape the bitter cold. When Henry sat down and Trapper got the coffee, the Colonel heard a group of three nurses talking quietly amongst themselves.
"If I were at home right now, my husband would be keeping me warm. Not this cup of stale coffee." A red headed nurse said.
The Brunette that sat across asked, "How long has John been home for?"
The redhead replied, "About a week, he was shipped out the day after he received his Purple Heart. He can't wait for me to come home. I'm just so relieved that he's not out there in this weather."
Her two other friends nodded with agreement. "Yeah, I would hate it if any of my loved ones were out there in this cold." The third nurse added.
Henry cringed with guilt.
"Come on girls, let's go. I have Post-Op duty at six. I want to get at least a few hours sleep."
'God, please let him be Ok.' He thought, watching the nurse's leave. It was nearly 1.30 in the morning, and the only people left were Henry, Trapper, five enlisted men and two MP's.
Trapper returned with two mugs and sat down. He passed one to Henry and took a sip from his own.
Nothing was said for a few minutes while the two men sat and sipped their coffees. Gradually, one by one, the enlisted men left and soon, only the two doctors and the MP's remained.
"You don't look anything like him, Henry." Trapper spoke up suddenly.
"Who, Radar?" Henry asked.
"No, Hawkeye. Of course Radar," Trapper said sarcastically, "who else?"
Henry looked into his sludge mug. "Oh, yeah, of course," he replied with an embarrassed chuckle, "He looks a lot like his mother."
"Yeah, I sorta figured. What does she look like..or looked like?"
Henry half smiled. "Short, long brown wavy hair and the deepest, warmest brown eyes imaginable. Almost like chocolate they were. She was very kind and caring. Took me in without question. Radar's just like his mother. Last night, when I looked into those brown eyes of his, I saw her."
Trapper continued to drink and Henry tried to ignore the pain that his ankle was dishing out. More silence passed as they finished their coffees. Henry looked at his watch. Trapper noticed how nervous the Colonel looked.
"Listen, Henry, do you know what the numbers on the jeep he stole, were?" Trapper said.
"Nope," Henry replied, "He was too fast, I didn't get a chance to look."
"The jeeps have a radio each, right?"
"Yeah, but lately we've been having trouble with them. Some of the locals and Black Marketeers have been stealing them for the parts. So right now, some jeeps have them and some don't."
"Oh." Trapper muttered, watching the two MP's leaving the tent. As the first man stepped out of the door, into windy night, he stopped suddenly.
"What the hell" he shouted, "the jeep is missing!"
"Huh, what do you mean it's missing?" the second one asked.
"I mean it's gone, vanished, disappeared, stolen!" he replied angrily.
Trapper and Henry looked at the two men and then at each other. "Radar" they said in unison.
The second guard patted himself down. "Oh damn, I must've left the key in the ignition!"
The Colonel and Captain got up and walked over to them.
"Sergeants," Henry asked anxiously, "Does your jeep have a radio in it?"
"Uh yes, sir" The first MP answered.
"Does it work?" Trapper piped up.
"Yes sir, it does, why?"
"We need to contact the driver. He's on his way Seoul."
"He'll never make it, sir."
"Why is that, Sergeant?" Henry asked.
For starters it's blowing frenzy out there, the engine will freeze. And secondly, that jeep only had about five miles worth of gas left in it."
Henry's stomach went ice cold. 'Oh, Jesus' he thought.
Trapper excused the MP's and sat Henry down.
"Oh boy, this isn't good, we've got to get Radar, now! It's been nearly two hours since he took off. I'm willing to bet that the jeep has broken down by now. He have to go get him!" Henry stood up.
"No, sit down, you can't go like that. I'll go, wait here while I'll get Hawkeye."
Henry panicked, "No, please, don't get Hawkeye. You know what he's like. He'll have no reservations striking me if he finds out what I said to Radar. Take someone else."
Trapper was annoyed at Henry's sudden selfishness. But he knew that Henry was right about his friend. "Ok, who then? We may not have a choice."
"How about Klinger?" Colonel Blake offered.
"No, he's in Tokyo on R and R. Remember? We can't trust Ferret Face, what about Hot Lips?"
"What, are you kidding, McIntyre? That'd be like sticking my balls in a bear trap. She'll put the kid on report for stealing the jeep and get me in trouble with General Hammond. Go get Father Mulcahy, he's the only one we can trust."
Trapper agreed, and took off in the direction of the chaplain's tent, returning two minutes later with the confused Priest.
"My word, Colonel, what is the matter? Trapper said that there was an emergency, and that I was needed. Is it one of the patients?"
"No Father," Henry said quickly, "we don't have time to explain right now. Radar took off in a jeep last night and it might have broken down. I need you and Captain McIntyre to go out there and find him before he freezes to death. I'd go myself, but I sprained my ankle chasing after him. Can you go?"
Father Mulcahy looked at Henry with fear in his eyes. "Of course I can, Colonel!" he turned to Trapper, "Lets go!"
Trapper quickly gathered up some thermal blankets, his first aid bag and a torch while Father Mulcahy signed out a jeep, pulling down the top to keep out the snow. He drove it to the front of the Hospital and Trapper jumped in.
"Ok, let's go, Father, we think Radar headed off to Seoul. The jeep had no gas, so he shouldn't be that far."
"Why did Radar take off in the first place, if you don't mind me asking?" Father Mulcahy yelled over the noise from the wind outside.
"Henry blamed him for something that he shouldn't have, and yelled at him." Trapper paused, can I trust you with a secret, Father?"
"Of course you can, my son"
"Henry is Radar's biological father."
The priest fell silent as he drove along the icy dirt road. 'So the poor boy told him' he thought.
"Father?"
"I know" Mulcahy simply said.
"You know? How, when?"
"Radar told me about a week ago. I can't tell you any more because he told me in confession."
Trapper was stunned. He wanted to press the priest for more information, but couldn't.
They sat silent for a minute. Just as they came over a little hill, Father Mulcahy pointed out into the distance.
"Look, over there!" He shouted.
"It's a jeep, it has to be Radar!" Trapper shouted back.
When they arrived, Mulcahy skidded to a halt and the pair ran to snow-covered vehicle. Trapper ripped the top off, and shone his torch around. Inside, there was a person slumped over unconscious in the front seat.
"Radar, can you hear me kid?" Trapper said, as he pressed his fingers to the pulse point on Radar's neck. It was faint.
"Is he still with us?" Father Mulcahy asked anxiously.
"Yeah, just. We've got to get him back to camp, now."
Trapper gently lifted the Corporal's light body from the vehicle and carried him to the back seat of the other jeep. He wrapped three thermal blankets around Radar's small body and held him tight against his own, trying to keep him warm.
"Ok, Father, let's go!" Trapper called out to the priest. The engine roared to life as Mulcahy backed down the mud road and did a U-turn. The wheels skidded in the large mud puddles as jeep took off in the direction of the 4077th.
**********
CHAPTER TEN: Lost Then Found
The wet snow flew high up in the air hitting the sides of the jeep as Father Mulcahy drove as fast as he could in the direction of the camp. Even though the plastic top covering the jeep kept out the snow and wind, the cold seemed to penetrate right through and he shivered violently.
Using one hand he pulled his thick jacket across his chest tight. The Padre's thoughts wandered back to the day when Radar confessed to him that Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake was his father. And that his mother knew all along and didn't tell either of them. When he saw his young friend's eyes fill with tears, letting one slip down his red cheek, he felt a stab of sorrow for the poor boy.
"Aw, dammit!"
The sudden words snapped Father Mulcahy back to reality.
"What is Trapper?" He asked looking back quickly and then at road ahead of him.
"It's Radar, he stopped breathing!"
"Oh good Lord!" The priest cried.
"How far away from camp are we, Father?"
Father Mulcahy's forehead wrinkled in thought. "About three and a half, four miles."
"Damn, we're too far, he'll never make it!"
"Do you want me to pull over?"
Trapper shook his head as he pulled a stethoscope from his First Aid bag, sticking the earpieces in his ears. He listened to Radar's chest. There wasn't a beat. "No, not yet, his heart has stopped, we'll have to resuscitate him and we can't do it on the icy road. There should be an old shack about a hundred yards down the road, pull over there. I just hope it's still around. The last time I saw it was about three months ago."
Mulcahy nodded his head and stepped on the pedal. "Yes, a family of six used to live there. They've been gone a while." He turned around and looked back at the Captain and corporal. He could see Radar's lips turning bluer than before. The Priest quickly prayed.
"Dear, Lord, please protect this young man and see him through this terrible ordeal. Amen."
He fixed his eyes on the road again watching out for the old shack in the orange headlights. A few seconds later, the lights passed over a broken down fence and he hit the breaks.
"Ok, Father, give me a hand!"
Father Mulcahy lifted Radar from the jeep as Trapper jumped out. The doctor grabbed his bag and the set of torches and ran into hut followed by Father Mulcahy carrying Radar. Trapper flashed his torch around. The hut was a mess. A small table with three of its four legs missing lay on its side and two broken chairs along with it. There was broken glass and pottery and straw mats were randomly scattered around the floor. One wall was half demolished and some of the roof along with it. Trapper was surprised that even though the little hut was nearly destroyed, it kept out most of the snow and wind. Even if it didn't, he wouldn't have had a choice.
As Father Mulcahy came in, Trapper quickly kicked the broken glass away and instructed the priest to lay Radar on the floor. The thermal blankets were still wrapped around the Corporal's body and Trapper pulled the layers away. Next, he unbuttoned Radar's jacket and shirt, exposing the thin t- shirt underneath. Trapper tipped Radar's head back and placed an ear near his mouth and nose to listen for any signs of breathing. He couldn't hear or feel anything.
"Damn, Ok, Father, I know this question may sound stupid but, have you ever preformed Cardiopulmon-I mean, CPR before?"
"No," Mulcahy said quickly, "But I have seen Hawkeye do it many times, I sort of remember some of it"
"Ok, good, we both will to do it then. The longer we delay it; the chances of successfully reviving him will be nil. What I need you to do," Trapper quickly instructed, "is tip his head back and pinch his nose. Cover his mouth with yours and blow until you see his chest rise. You'll have to do this twice for two seconds. I'll start doing the chest compressions, and I'll tell you when to blow again, got it?"
Father Mulcahy nervously nodded, "Y-yes, I think so"
"Good" Trapper said.
As instructed, Father Mulcahy knelt down and tipped Radar's head back and gently pinched his nose. He then opened Radar's mouth slightly and waited for Trapper to tell him when to start. Trapper knelt down too and placed his left palm over Radar's chest and his right palm on top of his left hand. "Ok, Father, now."
Scared out of his mind, he did as Trapper told and blew his warm breath into Radar. His eye's widened with surprised when he saw Radar's chest rise, then fall.
"Good, Father, again!"
The Priest repeated the process for the second time and watched as Trapper started the compressions.
He counted off, "One, two, three, four, five...." he stopped and placed his stethoscope on Radar's chest.
"Well?" Mulcahy asked worriedly.
Trapper moved up and placed his ear near the young man's mouth and nose. "Nothing, keep going"
Father Mulcahy breathed again and Trapper then compressed. During the compressions he heard a cracking sound. His eyes filled with fear.
"Don't worry, Father," Trapper panted as he pressed, "It's just his ribs, it's normal....four, five. Blow!"
The pair repeated the process for ten minutes without luck. Trapper placed his stethoscope on Radar's chest for the last time and listened and then felt for a pulse. He sighed heavily and sat back "It's no use, Father, he's gone."
Father Mulcahy sunk back and bowed his head for a second and then looked up. "No, we mustn't give up, we've got to keep trying!"
"Father-"
"No, Trapper" the priest cut in, "please, keep going it's not his time yet, I just know it!"
"Father Mulcahy, it's been too long, it would take a miracle to bring him back" Trapper said gently. But the priest wouldn't listen. "Please, Trapper" he begged, "trust me". The doctor gave in. "Ok, Father. A few more times, but I'm telling you though, it's not gonna work."
The pair took their positions. Father Mulcahy, feeling unusually confident this time, once again blew his warm breath into Radar's chest cavity and watched Trapper pump down five times. The priest took Radar's left hand into his. "Please, Lord, protect this life and show him the way. Encourage young Radar to return to us, Amen."
"Again, Father, blow!" Father Mulcahy did and looked to Trapper. Trapper listened for a second time and shook his head. "Nope, sorry Father," Father Mulcahy hung his head. "He's too far---wait a minute!" Trapper shouted, "I hear something!"
The priest's head snapped up, "What? What is it?!"
"A very faint beat!" Trapper felt Radar's neck.
"Are you sure?!" Father Mulcahy asked astounded.
Trapper nodded excitedly, "Yes, he's got a pulse, but how? He was dead!"
Radar's chest rose and fell slightly, his breathing was irregular, but he was alive. Just.
"Amazing" Father Mulcahy whispered.
"I guess miracles do happen, Father" Trapper awed in disbelief.
"I guess they do, Trapper" The padre replied smiling. "I guess they do."
**********
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Priorities
Trapper stared down at the now breathing young man that lay before him in total disbelief at the possibility that his friend was actually alive. Father Mulcahy who, looked a little pale, put a shaky hand on Trapper's shoulder.
"Let's go, Trapper. We need to get Radar back."
Trapper snapped back to reality when he realised why he was there and what was happening.
"Uh-uh, yeah. Come on Father, help me get him back to the jeep, our main priority is getting him back to camp."
Father Mulcahy nodded. Trapper quickly buttoned Radar's shirt and jacket and wrapped the thermal blankets around his body. As he did so, he noticed something gripped in Radar's right hand.
"What's this?"
"What's, what Trapper?"
Trapper unclenched Radar's gloved hand and peeled off a crumpled black and white photo.
"Oh, boy," he said recognising the faces in the photo. He passed it to Father Mulcahy who took a look at it and sighed sadly.
"It's Colonel Blake's children. I wonder how he got it. The poor boy."
"I don't know Father, but all I do know is that we've gotta get out of here now. This place looks like its gonna fall any second."
Trapper picked Radar up and carried him to the back seat of the vehicle. Father Mulcahy soon followed and quickly wiped the snow-covered windshield and jumped into the driver seat. As he turned the key in the ignition, the jeep spluttered and stoped. He tried it again and as before it refused start.
"Oh, come on," The priest begged, "don't do this now, god bless it, don't..please!"
"Father, what's the matter?" Trapper's half worried voice called out from the back seat.
"The jeep," Father Mulcahy turned the key again, "It won't st-". His words were cut short by the roar of the engine. "Never mind." And with that the army vehicle took off into the distance.
The drive back was short, but it felt like forever. The wind outside was deafening, but neither man seemed to notice. The priest pinned his eyes to the road, concentrating hard just in case something came out in front of him. Although what creature or creatures, other than himself, Trapper and Radar, would be out in this ridiculously cold weather he wasn't sure. His main focus was getting to camp, and God help him, he was going to deliver his two friends there.
Trapper, on the other hand, watched Radar like a Hawk. The corporal's breathing seemed to regulate and he stirred a bit. Trapper took his coat off and wrapped it around his patient's body.
Every now and then he would stick his stethoscope in his ears to listen to Radar's chest. Satisfied that he was going to be ok for the time being, and most likely live through this ordeal. But it wasn't just Radar's physical aspect that he was worried about, it was how Radar was going to cope with dealing with Henry afterwards that got his stomach into knots.
Trapper shook off his negative thoughts. 'Nah, Radar's a tough kid. He'll be fine.' But he wasn't entirely convinced.
A few minutes passed before Father Mulcahy pointed out the camp. "Look, Trapper, we're here." He sped under the 'MASH 4077th Best Care Anywhere' sign and skidded to a halt just out side the main building.
Father Mulcahy jumped from the vehicle and ripped the top off. Trapper passed Radar to the priest as he scrambled from the back.
"Come on, Father, to the O.R!"
The pair raced into the Post-Op where Leslie and Henry were sitting and chatting quietly. They never heard the jeep pull up outside but Henry heard the sound of Trapper's voice and Mulcahy panting as they came bursting through the doors.
"McIntyre, Father, is he alright?! What happened out there, is he alive?!" Henry quickly limped after them. Father Mulcahy placed Radar on the table and Trapper switched the overhead lights on, sending a stream of warmth over the now semi-conscious and shivering corporal.
"Leslie I need oxygen, Father Mulcahy, get me some more blankets, quick!" Henry's panicked eyes shot down to Radar. "Radar, pal, can you hear me?"
Radar's eyes fluttered open momentarily staring into Henry's. Henry smiled slightly, but it fell when the corporal closed them again, now unconsciousness.
Henry turned to Trapper who was quickly pulling off Radar's wet gear. "What the hell happened out there?" In the background Leslie and Father Mulcahy gathered the items that Trapper asked for.
"We found him slumped over in the front seat of his jeep unconsciousness. We took him back to our jeep and headed off towards camp, but five minutes after we left he stoped breathing and we pulled over to an abandoned hut."
Henry's eyes widened with fear as he helped Trapper remove Radar's cloths. "What!? Oh golly."
"Father Mulcahy and I tried to resuscitate him for nearly ten minutes, but he didn't show any signs of life and we gave up."
Henry looked sick as he reached for Radar's shirt. His hands shook, and he couldn't get the buttons undone.
"Then how..."
"Father Mulcahy refuse to give up, and he bullied me to keep going"
The priest smiled weakly at Trapper.
"We continued for a few more minutes without luck and decided that he was too far gone. But just as I gave Radar one last check over I heard a faint beat."
Henry's eyes widened even more.
"If it wasn't for Father Mulcahy here," Trapper glanced up at Mulcahy as he pulled the last wet article of clothing off Radar's body, and wrapping as many blankets around him as possible, "the kid would have been in a body bag."
Trapper, Leslie and Henry continued to stabilise Radar. His blood pressure and temperature rose slightly during the early hours of the morning, which was a sign that Radar was on his way to recovery.
Sometime later Leslie dressed the unconscious corporal in all the layers of clothing that she could find in his worn-out duffle bag. She then went back to her paperwork at the nurse's station. Leaving Henry alone for a while.
Henry stood in front of Radar's cot. He picked the chart up and looked over it. Although he knew his 'new found son' was going to be ok, he was still worried. The Colonel replaced the clipboard back on the bed frame and pulled up stool beside the cot. For a long while he just stared blankly. Guilt ran over him like a freight train. Eventually he spoke.
"I'm sorry Radar, I'm sorry that I yelled at you. You are entirely blameless and you almost died because of my stupidity." He could feel the tears stinging his eyes.
Henry carefully reached under the blanket and pulled out Radar's right hand. He held it in his own. Even though Radar was wearing gloves, Henry could feel how ice cold it was. He gently rubbed it in between his own, blowing his warm breath onto it.
"I'll tell ya, you're lucky kid for not getting frostbite out there. I'm glad that you were smart enough to stay inside the jeep and didn't go wandering around in the snow. I don't think I could have ever forgiven myself if you lost any fingers or toes...or yourself."
Henry stopped his rambling realising that Radar probably couldn't hear him anyway. He took a look at the smaller hand that was in his. Radar's brown glove had numerous holes and tears in it. Looking closer at Radar's clothing, he saw that most of the corporal's army issue had lots of holes and general wear-and-tear.
"Oh gee, this is awful. I can't believe I never noticed this before. He must've had this set of issue since Boot Camp, why didn't he ever requisition another set?"
Henry got up and headed towards his own office. On the desk were various piles of paperwork. He rummaged through the large pile of papers that needed to be signed. The further he dug down, the older they got. On the very bottom Henry found a requisition form that was three months old. It was for a new set of army issue. Radar's name was at the bottom with his size written in and the clothing that he needed-all winter issue. At the very bottom it had Radar's signature and Sergeant Zale's. The next space was blank; it was for the commanding officer's signature. Henry never got around signing it. Another rush of guilt washed over him.
"Oh Radar," Henry looked blankly at the form, "I'm so sorry."
**********
Trapper slowly trudged through the snow as he headed back for The Swamp. The Korean morning sky was still dark, but soon it would be dawn and the camp will be alive. Trapper didn't care, he was just too damn tired.
Carefully opening the door, he crept inside hoping not to wake Frank and Hawkeye. He kicked off his snowy boots beside his cot and collapsed onto his bed. Trapper reached over and poured himself a Martini and slowly sipped away at it. He refilled the glass three more times and he stared up at the mouldy ceiling. His mind raced over the events that happened and it scared him to think that he almost lost a friend.
"Ok, spill, who was she?" Hawkeye's voice in the darkness interrupted his thoughts. Trapper didn't answer; he sat quietly and drank away.
"Oh, come on Trap, tell me, you were gone all night. I want every dirty perverted detail."
Trapper didn't answer. He didn't know whether or not to tell Hawkeye about the drama that unfolded during the last couple of hours. In the end he decided to, but his mind was so tired, half drunk and mixed up that it came out wrong.
"Radar died this morning." Trapper regretted that straight away. A second later he heard the sound of flesh hitting the tin light shade above Hawkeye's bed and language more colourful than a rainbow.
A moment later the light shade lit up with a horrified looking Hawkeye underneath.
Trapper sighed, "Sorry, it wasn't meant to come out like that. Radar's all right now." Trapper sighed again, "Let me explain."
**********
CHAPTER TWELVE: Too Much For One Morning ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A/N ~*~: means flashback. I couldn't get the jerk to italic. I didn't feel like arguing with it lol. Also, some mild language. So...yeah...um, enjoy!*
Henry didn't exactly know how long he stared at the requisition form for. It felt like hours. He read it over and over again, with a fresh pang of guilt ripping through his gut each time. "Why don't I remember this form? Why....why? He slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. It was three months old, he must've signed at least five thousand forms since his arrival and the establishment of the 4077th just over five months before. But still, anything that concerned Radar's well being, he would've remembered. 'Come on Henry, think, think!'
He looked toward his liquor cabinet for a answer, instead he found a half empty bottle of Pierce and McIntyre's home brewed "White lightening" as he affectionately called it. Henry unlocked the antique cabinet and pushed aside some of the empty bottles.
'Gee, there sure is a lot of empty ones here lately, maybe I should lay off the booze?' He wondered, but quickly dismissed it when he found his prize.
Popping the cork, the familiar aroma filled the air around him. Not bothering with his orange mug, he drank the liquid fire, warming his throat. Henry sat back in his chair and propped his swollen ankle on the desk.
"Ahh, that's better," he said out loud. His ankle burned, but the alcohol seemed to drown out the pain. He sat back even further, trying to get comfy in his chair, but as he did so, he lost his balance and crashed to the floor with a hard thud.
"Ow, oh, damn, God, my ankle!" Henry grabbed his bandaged foot in the hope of trying to calm it down. As he did so, the bottle of gin that he had been drinking from rolled off the desk and smashed on the floor beside him. The clear liquid leaked into the floorboards and it brought back a sudden flood of memories from three months before...
~*~
Radar knocked gently on the office doors with a requisition form clutched in his left hand. "Uh, sir, are you busy?" He opened one of them slightly and looked in. There was no one to be found. It was almost midnight and Colonel Blake would normally be in his office having a drink or two. But Radar just shrugged it off; assuming Henry went to the Officer's Club, also for enlisted personnel, instead.
Crossing the compound, he heard the familiar sounds of music coming from the small building and stuck his head in. As predicted, Henry was there; drunk as a skunk. Radar didn't make a move toward him, but listened at the door.
"Do you know that my wife Lorraine is pregnant?" Henry slurred at the Korean bartender.
"No, Colonel Brake, I did not know. Many humble returns" The Korean man barley spoke any English, but he knew more than some of the other locals.
Henry smiled briefly, but it quickly fell. "Yeah, and I won't be there with her. Instead, I'm stuck here with a bunch of wise-ass doctors, two regulation-lovin' Major's and a near-sighted, five-foot nothing Corporal who sleeps with a teddy bear!"
Radar's chest tightened at the harsh words that came drunkenly from Henry's mouth. A lump formed in his throat and he felt tears prick his eyes.
Henry continued, "What the hell is a kid like that doing over here anyway? I mean, ok, he may be eighteen-barely, but, but.." Henry noticed the bartender looking past him. Henry looked back too.
"Huh?"
Radar turned around and slowly walked away. Henry turned back to the Korean man. Before he could say anything, he passed out on the bar...
~*~
Henry sat numb on the floor in shock. He didn't remember the incident, or even saying any of those things when he woke up the next day. Radar never told him; not that he expected the Corporal to do so. "I must've been so drunk...." Henry looked toward the liquor cabinet.
"Twice now that kid has been hurt by me and my alcoholic mouth. Never again!" Henry got up and opened the window, and threw the key outside, into the snow.
******
Hawkeye's face changed from terrified into angry. "You damn well better explain to me why you said what you just said!"
Trapper sighed for the third time since entering The Swamp. He got up, filled a martini glass, and held it out to his friend. Hawkeye pushed it away and grabbed the beaker instead, drinking almost the entire contents. Trapper took the beaker and set it down on the table. Hawkeye stared into space, trying to focus. "Tell me," he slurred. Trapper sat down on his own bed and looked at his friend.
"I promised Henry that I wouldn't tell, but I don't give a shit anymore. To make a long story short, about nineteen years ago Henry was passing through this small town in Iowa and his car died on him. It was night time, and in the middle of winter so Henry went to look for a place to stay. He found a farmhouse and a lady answered the door. She let him stay for the night, but it ended up being a week. She was married with children, but her husband and kids were away visiting relatives for a few weeks. Henry and Edna- that's her name, ended up having sex, and Henry had to go the next day. She fell pregnant, but never told him. She pretended that the baby was her husband's. He never knew any better. He died thinking that the baby was his. The child never knew either. And guess who that child, who still looks like a child, but old enough to be drafted, is?"
"...Radar" Hawkeye simply said, shocked.
Trapper nodded, "Yeah, but the best is yet to come" He said sarcastically.
Hawkeye raised his eyebrows. "...what?"
"I don't know the full details, and neither does Henry, but somehow Radar found out that Henry was his biological father. The kid confronted Henry, and Henry yelled and blamed him. He said something about why Radar couldn't have kept his mouth shut. Radar yelled back and took off in a jeep for Seoul and got stranded in the snow. Henry explained what happened and me, and Father Mulcahy went out to look for him. We found him about ten minutes away from camp, unconscious in the jeep. On our way back to camp he stoped breathing, so we both tried to resuscitate him. We tried, but couldn't." Trapper looked back at Hawkeye, who looked pale.
"But Father Mulcahy was persistent, so we tried again. Just before we gave up for the second time, I heard a beat and felt a pulse. We raced back and Henry and I managed to stabilize him."
Trapper paused and looked back at his friend. Hawkeye's now pale face was red with rage. "I can't believe it...That son-of-a-bitch....He blamed that kid for his own mistake!"
Hawkeye got up and paced the tent, fists clenched. He swayed a little and he tried to gather his thoughts. "I always knew Henry was a bit of a-" he stopped in mid sentence, and barged out of The Swamp.
Trapper followed the black-haired doctor. "Dammit, where the hell is he going!?"
"What's going on here, Captain McIntyre?!" Trapper heard Margaret's angry voice coming from the door of her tent. She was fully dressed and ready for her early morning shift.
"Get lost Hotlips, its none of your business!" he yelled back in reply. A look of shock and anger filled her cold blue eyes. "How dare you! How dare you speak to me like that!" Trapper didn't say anything and she followed him.
Hawkeye burst through the outside doors and entered Henry's office. Henry scrambled up and leaned against his desk. He saw a look of anger on Hawkeye's face that he'd never seen before.
"Is it true?" Hawkeye said simply. He held onto the door for support.
"W-what's, what true?" Henry asked.
"That Radar is your biological son, and you blamed him for it"
Henry looked down ashamed. "...Yeah, not that its any of your business--" He was cut off by a drunken punch. Henry fell hard on the floor for the second time that night, and was light-headed from the blow. Hawkeye himself, was surprised at his own violent action, but quickly got over it.
"That was for Radar." He walked over to the confused and sore Colonel and made a grab for his collar, but was suddenly pulled away by two sets of arms.
"Pierce, what the hell are you doing!?" Margaret's furious voice screeched as she and Trapper pulled him through the doors.
Hawkeye didn't answer, it was all too much for him, his mouth opened and closed for a few moments, and then passed out in their arms.
******
To Be Continued...
