“You look horrible,” Margaret woke up. “Why don’t you go get some sleep?”
“Because I don’t want you to be here by yourself, besides Junior will pick that exact time to make his first appearance,” she couldn’t help but smile (comments like that reassured her that it was going to be OK). “There’s that smile. It hasn’t been around lately; I’ve missed it. So how are we feeling?” he stroked her hand over her extremely swollen stomach.
“I’m tired, board, and I want to go home.”
“I know, but Dr. Strauss wants you here just in case.”
“You worry too much, you know that?” she cupped his jaw and pulled him to her.
“It’s in my job description,” he said each work in between pecks.
“Oohh,” she pulled away with a flush of pain.
“What?” he jumped up.
She had to sit herself up. Her back hurt. The baby was kicking and punching her in the ribs. She was only seven and a half months pregnant, and she was bigger than Sara was with Jimmy. The doctor told her he wanted to keep an eye on her; he was concerned with how fast she was progressing. She was able to have a lovely, but cozy (small) hospital room in Portland. She hated it. All they let her do was sit in bed. She felt so useless. The pregnancy was weighing on her. She was exhausted. The doctor said that all the nutrients she consumed went straight to the baby. He ordered her to eat so much at a time even if she wasn’t hungry.
She didn’t dare tell Hawkeye. He was worried enough as it was. He had been there with her the entire time. Daniel had been taking care of things at home. He was enjoying being back at work, just not the reason why. Both men were deeply concerned about her. Hawkeye, in fact, was frantic; he had come home to find her collapsed on the couch. He hadn’t been an arm’s length away since.
“It hurts,” she cringed with pain.
“Here,” he flipped off his shoes and crawled into the hospital bed with her. He sat behind her and held her close. He hated to see her in such pain. He had seen women have hard pregnancies, but they were never his wife with his child. He was so happy when she told him. He couldn’t believe that they were going to have a baby. She and Sara had been working on the nursery. It was beautiful; the room was white with a crib and books and toys and a changing table and a small closet and just about everything else new parents would think of needing. He had Bill Kochman make the most comfortable rocking chair, with a match. One was hers and one was his. He had remembered every word B.J. had told him about missing out and he promised himself that it wouldn’t happen to him. Now he just prayed that the baby would come. He could see Margaret getting weaker and weaker. He wanted it to come so it and Margaret could become healthy again.
“Looks like you’re in good hands, Margaret,” Sara said softly as she removed her heavy coat.
“Ah!” she cringed again. “Hawkeye, this isn’t right.”
“It’s going to be OK,” he reassured her giving Sara a concerned look.
“No, Hawkeye this doesn’t feel right,” she was scared out of her wits.
“Sara, go find Dr. Strauss, quick,” he could feel Margaret’s breathing become stressed and shallowed.
Sara went as fast as she could. Margaret was in bad shape; she was very worried about her friend. Margaret confessed that she was scared for the baby and made her promise not to tell Hawkeye; something she very rarely asked her to do. Only one other time had she made her promise to keep something from him.
Day and a half later:
“What time is it, now?” Hawkeye violently paced the length of the waiting room.
“Five minutes since the last time you asked me,” she said calmly.
“Sorry, it’s just that I’m so…,” he trailed off running a shaky hand through his messed up air.
“I know,” she put a soft hand on his shoulder.
He gave her a grateful smile. He could just imagine how nervous he would be if she wasn’t there with him. He had bags under his eyes; he was so worried and exhausted.
“Dr. Pierce,” Dr. Strauss walked into the room.
Hawkeye jumped over a table to get to the doorway where the short stout doctor was standing. It had been more than thirty hours since they’d heard anything.
“Congratulations Dr. Pierce, you’re a father,” the doctor shook his hand. “Your wife is fine; she and your son and daughter are taking a well deserved rest.”
“S-s-son and daughter?” his face went white.
“Yup we found a stowaway in there. Why don’t you come and meet them, Doctor.” Strauss led him to Margaret’s room.
Sara stayed behind. She so wanted to see them and Margaret, but she figured she had better let him have his time first. She went to go call Molly, the telephone operator; she would have the business all over town in two seconds flat.
“Here we are. Go on in,” Strauss turned the handle for him.
Hawkeye slowly pushed the door open. He didn’t want to disturb anything. “Hello, anybody home?” he gave a cute smirk as he came in.
“Hi,” she said with an alluring smile. She as looked as exhausted as she felt. “There are two little Pierces here who want to meet you,” she was holding both of them in her arms.
“I guess we use both names,” he stood in front of the door watching them. He was in awe; it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen. Two little people that he and Margaret made.
“Hawkeye, they don’t bite,” she noticed that he was keeping his distance.
“Uh, yeah,” he pulled a chair up next to her. He was uneasy. He wasn’t sure if he trusted himself. He had been trying to become more at ease around infants, but his fear was taking over; he was trying not to let it show.
“Do you want to hold them?” she was hoping he would say yes. She didn’t want to pressure him, but she didn’t want to just let him off the hook either. She could tell that he was thinking; he was a bit pale and his eyes weren’t fixated on any particular thing. “Here, my arms are tiered,” she was already moving to hand them over. She trusted him; she had to.
They were in his arms before he could say any thing. They were so small, he felt like he might break them. He was concentrating on them. He didn’t trust himself. Their red faces were scrunched up, then his little boy yawned. His mouth was as open as his skin and jaw would let him, he made fists and stretched out his limbs and squealed a breath with it. As soon as the bitten lip smile came to Hawkeye’s face, a few tears of absolute joy swelled up.
“Alexander Ryan, Katharine Marie, meet your father,” Margaret watched them. She had the same loving tears streaking down her face. He was going to be OK; he may have some trouble, but she could feel it deep inside her that it was going to be all right.
February 5th 1958
The phone rang. Hawkeye and Margaret were fast asleep on the couch (the Chausable had capsized in the freezing waters and they had been helping everyone getting rooms and taken care of); they slept right through it. Daniel was upstairs with a sick Jessica. He had already put the twins to bed, and he was trying to get the little squiggle-worm to sleep. He put her down in her crib to go and get it.
“Jess go?” she asked with a very stuffed up nose.
“Not this time,” but before he got past the end of the crib it stopped ringing. Whoever it was must have given up or Molly had put through the wrong number.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Hello?”
“Uh, hi there,” a slightly confused voice answered. “Is this the Pierce residence?”
“Yes,” the little voice said very assured of herself.
“Oh, well is Hawkeye there?”
“Daddy? Yeah,”
“Daddy?” he said quickly. “Can I talk to him?”
“No.”
“No?” he said as a sarcastic adult to a child, “why not?”
“’Cuz him and Mommy are seeping,” she leaned in the chair to make sure.
“Kat! I can’t find it! Hey! That’s not fair!” a little boy whined.
“Shh!” she hushed him loudly. “Mister, where’s your house?” they had just been learning where things were around town from their grandfather.
“I live in California. Where do you live, sweetheart?” he couldn’t believe he was talking to Hawkeye’s daughter.
“I live in Cabple Cove. Mommy says it’s the best place in the world to live. Grandpa lives here too, but my other grandpa lives everywhere,” she rambled. She liked the phone. It made her feel more grown up.
The man on the other end couldn’t believe Hawkeye was married and had kids. He hadn’t talked to him in ages. He tried calling a few times, but the operator was always telling him that the Pierces were in Portland. He thought she meant Hawkeye and his dad, not Mrs. and little Pierces.
“Are you two playing with a that phone again?” Hawkeye interrupted her.
“Nuh’uh, Daddy,” she shook her head.
“She did it!” the little boy confessed.
“Did not!” she yelled at him.
“Did too!”
“I think it’s way past your bed time,”
“But I’m talking to the funny man from Calfonia,” she pleaded.
“The funny man from Calfonia, I thought you weren’t playing with the phone?” he gave her one of those looks. “Bed time.”
“Awh, Daddy we went to bed last night,” Alex complained.
“Come on monsters,” he picked her up and went for Alex.
“Will you tell us a story?” Kat asked hoping to stay awake.
Hawkeye took the phone away from her, “We’ll see,” he hung it up and grabbed Alex too.
“Hello! Hello!” BJ was almost yelling.
“Please sir, there is no need for yelling,” the operator said very politely with bleeding ears.
“Sorry ma’am. Can I get that number again?”
“If it isn’t an emergency, the Pierce residence is off limits after eight, sir. Sorry.”
“May I ask, why?”
“Well the baby’s been sick, but then again whether those children are sick or not, they are more than a handful. I swear our Hawkeye has gotten a taste of his own medicine ten fold. Oh, but I do feel bad for that wife of his; I don’t know how she does it.” She was gossiping with the laughs and exaggeration takes on words.
“When did he get married?” he asked out of the blue.
“Oh, it must have been ages ago. An absolute Godsend, though; when Hawkeye got home from the war, he wasn’t the same. When she came, she brought back the spark in his eyes. A miracle worker she is. Oops, sir, I’m going to have to cut you off,” she flipped the switch.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Meanwhile at the Pierce home, Hawkeye had the twins’ book open. They were asleep. They were so peaceful that way; they were terrors when they were awake, but he only had himself and Margaret’s attitudes to blame. Kat and Alex were as ornery and stubborn as their parents. He could only imagine what would happen if Jess ended up the same way.
He put the book down on the dresser with a large yawn, went to the door, double-checked to make sure they were asleep and shut off the light. A warm smile came to his face and he shut the door.
“You know, someday I’m going to get to the end of that book. How’s Jess?” he caught his dad in the hall.
“She’s fine. You worry too much; her fever’s gone and she’s been bouncing off the walls all afternoon. Those kids are giving you a good run for your money.”
“You would know, Dad,” he gave his father a good chuckle and a pat on the back. “Sleep well.”
Daniel went to his room to read and then go to sleep. Hawkeye continued down the hall. He could hear Margaret’s voice coming from Jess’ room. She couldn’t carry a tune if her life depended on it, but somehow she sounded like an angel when she sang the kids to sleep. He quietly snuck into the room. Jess was just falling asleep. He could see her fighting to keep her eyelids open; she was losing fast.
“Looks like someone’s feeling better,” he whispered to his wife.
“I think she’s just fine,” the toddler gave a gurgle with bubbles at her lips. “See,” she gave him joyous look.
“You know she takes after you more everyday,” he said to her sarcastically.
“I was just about to say the same thing, bubble lips,” she played her finger on his chest.
February 6th 1958
“Sorry BJ, I haven’t heard from Hawkeye or Major Houlihan,” Klinger responded to the question. “I thought that you of any of us would have.”
“Every time I try to get a hold of him, he’s in Portland. But last night I tried and his daughter answered the phone,” BJ was trying to find out all he could.
“You’re pulling my leg,” Klinger couldn’t believe it. “Hawkeye Pierce? With kids?”
“That’s exactly what I thought. I asked the operator to get the number again, but she said the Pierce residence was off limits after eight.”
“Why did you have to get the number again?”
“He thought that she was playing with the phone and just put it back on the hook.”
“Wow. This is the news of the year – the century.”
“The millennium if we knew what his story was,” he sighed, “You and Soon-Lee are coming, right?” he went to a more cheerful tone.
“Wouldn’t miss that party for the all the packed beef in the world,” Klinger made a quick pause, “BJ, I gotta go. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Thanks Max, see you in six months.” BJ hung up the phone.
Klinger did the same. He tapped it with the thought of Hawkeye having children.
“Who was that Max?” Soon-Lee was picking up a truck off the middle of the kitchen table.
“BJ; he wanted to know if I’d heard form Captain Pierce or Major Houlihan.”
“Oh, how are they?” she assumed BJ had told Max something. Her face lit up. She always wondered about them. They were the only ones she and Max had never heard from since the end of the war.
“I guess Hawkeye’s married and the Major is…”
“That’s wonderful,” she knew it; she just knew it. Women’s intuition is never wrong.
“What are you talking about?”
“Major Houlihan and Captain Pierce, it’s about time they got together.”
“You’re crazy,” was his response. He was shocked to hear her say that. They had talked about them, but never did that come up before.
“You’re one to talk Max,” she gave him the sarcastic look. “Didn’t you notice they always had their hands around each other all the time or that they shared amazing stares or that they always sat next to or across from the other?”
He looked at her. She had a very sincere face. She was smiling calmly hoping he would realize it. He thought about it; they did hold a certain demeanor about one another. That first time they went to the front (he woke up to find them huddled together), they were civil to each other and almost friends, but then there were all the other things that happened too. They were colleagues, enemies, and good friends. They were all just good friends.
“Naw, they’d kill each other,” he concluded knowing how they behaved together. The endless name calling, the bickering, the egos; they were puzzle pieces that would never fit together.
________________________________________________________________________
“As a matter of fact, I understand that Margaret was here in Boston. She and a protégé of mine were spending a well spent couple of weeks, yet she disappeared on him.”
“Really? When did this happen?”
“I have just recently met the man, though if I remember correctly, he mentioned it being the autumn of ‘53.”
“You didn’t know she was there?”
“Boston is quite a large city, Hunnicutt, but I am a bit offended that she didn’t come for a chat,” he was actually really hurt that she hadn’t let him know she was there.
“What about Hawkeye?” BJ was getting a bit excited. Charles was the closest one in geography and Hawkeye did have connections in Boston himself.
“You mean you haven’t?” Charles was amazed.
“No. He’s never home.”
“Surely Pierce must be reveling in his Crabapple Cove?” he could hear that BJ was upset and he said it very politely and truthfully.
“He probably is, with his wife and kids,” BJ said sourly. He was upset that Hawkeye never told him, but even more so with himself for not trying harder. So much happened after he got home that that part of his life become almost a blurry memory.
“Wife and children? Pierce?” he began to laugh.
________________________________________________________________________
“Margaret quit the army. I was talkin’ to an old buddy about worse times and he asked if I knew that Margaret Houlihan quit the army right after the ‘police action’,” he mocked the title. That’s what everyone referred to it as, not a war, a police action.
“Well that probably explains why they wouldn’t tell me where she was. I never would have guessed that she’d quit the army; thought she’d stay there until the end of time.”
“Came a shock to me too, Son. What were you saying about Pierce?”
“He’s married.”
“Married!?! Well I’ll be,” Sherman Potter was just as surprised as everyone else.
“Yup, he’s even got kids.”
“Bet he’s getting a rude awakening. I’d never thought I’d see the day when Benjamin Franklin Pierce was married and raisin’ kids. So who’s the girl that lassoed that boy into family mode?” he felt very proud that the boy had a family. He was young and naive and immature and prankish and kind and sincere and honorable; Sherman was very proud to have met him. He wished he had heard from him; he had heard from just about everybody except him and Margaret.
“Don’t know. All I got was here-say from the telephone operator. Said that he’s getting a taste of his own medicine. She called her a God-send, a miracle that the woman could manage Hawkeye’s children.”
“She’d have to be,” the older man chuckled.
April 7th 1958
“Watch your hands!” Margaret shook a spoon at him.
“Sorry,” he was messing around, “I just can’t help myself.” He teased her.
“I have to get this cake done for your daughter’s birthday and you have only one thing on your mind?” she gave him an annoyed, yet amused smile.
“My daughter? I thought she was the milk man’s?”
Margaret’s mouth dropped. He just wouldn’t stop. Her smile was still there. It turned into more of a smirk when she threw a spoonful of batter at him. “Serves you right.”
He took his finger and pulled it from his forehead and nose and ate it. He did deserve it; he liked fooling with her. He loved making her laugh. “I think you used too much salt.”
“You’re hopeless,” she went back to the cake.
“Thank you,” he began going through the mail he had just brought in. There was a bit more than usual. “Let’s see. A postcard from your dad, a birthday card for Jess from your mom and one from your sis – hey look,” he got excited, “a letter from Beej.”
“From BJ?” she was just as thrilled, “well don’t just sit there open it,” she hurried him.
“Yes ma’am,” he responded to her order.
“Hawkeye, You are a difficult person to get a hold of. Not as difficult as Margaret, but still difficult. I’ve tried calling, but you’re always in Portland or something like that. So, I just figured I’d try writing rather than calling. Did you know that on July 27th, this July 27th, we’ve been home for five years? A whole five years can you believe it? It doesn’t seem possible does it? Anyway, I’m getting everyone together here at the new house. Bring your Dad and anyone else you think you should bring. Let me know, I can’t wait to hear from you. By the way, do you have any idea where Margaret could be? Colonel Potter said she quit the army, unbelievable isn’t it? And Charles said that he had heard she was in Boston for a while, but it’s like she just fell off the planet. Hope to see you soon, BJ. PS – you should never hang up your phone unless you’re sure there’s no one on the other end.”
He read the last part like a question. He never hung up on anybody, “What is he talking…” it hit him.
“What?” she saw the quirky smile on his face.
“The funny man from ‘Calfonia’,” he pointed to the letter.
“Oh, you didn’t.”
“I think I did.”
“Five years,” she sat down.
“What?” he barely heard what she whispered.
“Sometimes it feels a hundred years away and then it seems like it was yesterday. The death, the destruction, the audacity of it all.”
“Hey you’re beginning to sing an all too familiar tune there,” he didn’t want the thought to depress them. He knew exactly how she felt. Sometimes he would wake up thinking he was still in the Swamp.
“You know a few good things came out of that hell hole. Hey, it’s Jess’ birthday,” he tried to cheer her up and get her mind off of it.
“Like what?” she couldn’t believe he could say that. Memories were flowing back to her. She couldn’t think of anything that she enjoyed other than the people she became dear friends with.
“Well, BJ changed my perspective on marriage, Charles cooled my ego, you helped me to understand women,”
“What are you talking about? You still don’t understand about women.”
He smiled a little. “Maybe not, but you came out of your disciplined olive-drab shell. Klinger got married, twice, one he meant. But the most important one in my book is, us.”
“Us?” she gave him a lost look.
“Miraculously if it weren’t for that ‘Police Action’, my dear Mrs. Pierce, we would have never met,” he wiped her beginning tears and kissed her forehead.
“You’re right,” she said softly. She had never thought about it that way. “I hate it when you’re right,” she put her arms around his neck.
They began to laugh. They had grown up so much in the last four years. They were in charge of an office, husband and wife, and even parents, yet they were still the same people. The same, only wiser and more experienced.
Hawkeye stopped the joyous hearty chuckle. He had an evil grin on his face. The whole thing started from an idea that evolved into an elaborate plot. The chuckling was replaced by a devilish cackling.
“What?” she knew he was planning something. Margaret hadn’t heard that that one in quite a while. Though she hadn’t heard it that deep and sincere since before they came home from Korea.
“I just had a brilliant idea,” he grinned with an ever-prankish spark.
“Please, you’re killing me with suspense,” she said very sarcastically.
“We should have them come here,” the large smirk was plastered on his face.
“This little piece of Americana is as boring as Pierce made it out to be,” Charles already missed the hustle and bustle of Boston.
“The infamous Crabapple Cove sure has lived up to its reputation, hasn’t it?” Father Frances John Patrick Mulcahy was eagerly observing the town they had all heard so much about.
“Excuse me, but do you know where I can find Dr. Pierce?” BJ energetically asked two elderly gentlemen smoking outside of the post office.
“Daniel or Hawkeye?” one took his pipe out of his mouth with a welcoming smile.
“Hawkeye,” BJ said with excitedly.
“Let’s see,” he had to think about it a bit, “’spose he’d be at the office this morning.”
“Better hurry though,” the second man interrupted, “he’s got folks coming in from out of town. Told me as he was going in that he was going taking off early.”
“Could you please tell us where his office is?”
“Hmm, well, you see that brown building there?” he pointed down and across the street, “It’s the blue one next to it. Can’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” BJ and the others went on their way.
“It must be an entire town of them,” Charles insinuated as they were out of earshot.
“Seems Hawkeye has done very well for himself,” the Father noted. “Daniel Pierce, MD. Benjamin Franklin Pierce, MD,” he read the gold on the glass panel of the door.
“Odd looking doormat,” BJ gestured to the silly looking Airedale sleeping at the door. “Move it pooch,” he gently kicked (more of a push) the drowsy dog out of the way.
“We’ve gone back in time,” Charles chuckled at the seemingly unprofessional office. He was too used to the whites of the halls in Boston.
It was small and chummy. There was an empty front desk and a hallway that seemed to loop around a centered room. The walls were basic wood planks with pictures of babies, children, weddings, and just about anything the people of Crabapple Cove wanted to be shown off. Right behind the desk there was a framed Crabapple Cove Currier dated July 29th 1953 with large print that read, “The War is Over!”
“Cozy,” BJ was enjoying being in Hawkeye’s world again.
The door hadn’t bee closed all the way. There was a small crack just big enough for the dog to open it; he wriggled through his way the three men and skipped down the hall merry as could be. The men followed him; into an opened door directly across from one that had a sign that read, “the sulfas in the living room between the end tables”.
Hawkeye was putting the finishing touches on the last of his paperwork. He was so excited that everyone was coming. He regretted not keeping in touch, but he never had the time or motivation to do so. He constantly thought about them; he wondered how they were doing and how their lives changed; he also thought about the other things about the war that disturbed him. That part of him was put on hold with anticipation for the moment; he was in such a hurry to finish that he tossed his pen on the floor.
The dog sneaked in as he was bent over in his chair grabbing for his pen. He was surprised to get a slimy tongue licking his face from his nose to his chin; the desk rattled with the impact of Hawkeye’s head.
“Ah, Howler!” he yelled, “Out! Get Out!”
The dog only gave him a sad look trying not to understand that he was in trouble. Hawkeye instinctively checked his head with his palm. The spectators were laughing to themselves; they were about ready to explode.
“How many times do I have to tell them kids?! Stupid dog,” he shook his head and locked a stare with the mutt.
They couldn’t hold it in anymore; laughter boiled from their teeth. The corners of their mouths were shot so high that it was making their eyes water.
“That animal takes orders as well as you did, Hawk.”
Hawkeye just realized part of his surrogate family standing in his office. They looked exactly the same; they all had a bit of gray starting around their ears, but they looked the same. “I didn’t think you were coming till later?” he stood up and moved to the front of his desk.
“We decided to ambush you,” BJ hugged his long lost friend.
“Well, you sure did catch me with my pants down,” he was absolutely giddy.
“Pierce, please spare us. It has been a wonderful existence without you camaraderie,” Charles joked.
“You haven’t changed a bit you big gallout,” he gave a hug to Charles who gave him a hearty pat on the back in return. “How have you been, Father?”
“Never better, Hawkeye. BJ tells us your married,” Mulcahy was the first to jump the gun.
“Yup,” he shook his finger to show off his ring. “Four years, six months, and counting,” he said proudly.
“And where is the poor woman that you no doubt tricked into marrying you?” Charles was very curious.
“She’s at home getting the last few things together.”
“You must have a very understanding wife,” BJ spoke from experience. “Oh, did you ever get a hold of Margaret?” the thought just occurred to him.
Hawkeye cracked one of those mischievous smiles; the first comment would be too easy. They were going to jump out of their skins when they found out. “Oh, yes.”
“Is she coming?” BJ was amazed. He had tried every thread; even Colonel Potter tried to find her with all his friends in high places, but they couldn’t find her anywhere.
“Are you kidding? She wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
“Did you know she’s married?” the Father asked. “Sherman sent me a letter that he had heard that her father said that she had married some, and I quote,” he caught himself before he went on, “ ‘some jackass doctor that didn’t know his buns from his brains’.”
“Oh, I have no doubt that Alvin Houlihan would say such a thing about his son-in-law,” Hawkeye knew his father-in-law wasn’t crazy about him, but they had grown to know a bit more about the other and they were civil to one another – plain and simple.
“Sounds as if you have some inside information,” BJ saw the trickster look trademark on his friends face.
“Believe me, you’re going to love him,” he waved his hand in strict confidence.
The group was laughing and enjoying each other. It was great for all of them to do just that. They were quickly and inevitably interrupted.
“Don’t run,” a voice warned the stampeding feet into a fast walk.
“Daddy!” Five children burst into the room; one threw herself at Hawkeye making him pick her up.
“You didn’t wake us up,” one of the little boys pulled on his pants on the opposite side his sister.
“I know. I had to come in early to get some things done.”
“Fishing early,” the little brunette remembered from the night before.
“Ah, here you are,” Hawkeye’s father came into the room. He didn’t expect there to be a meeting going on. “We’re not interrupting anything are we?”
“Dad, I’d like you to meet the boys from the 4077th; BJ Hunnicutt, Father Frances John Patrick Mulcahy, and Charles Emerson Winchester III.”
Daniel was interested in these men that had been through so much with both Hawkeye and Margaret. He had heard stories upon stories (most within the last few weeks) about them. He was warmly greeted by the three visitors.
“Daddy, you weren’t at breakfast,” Kat drilled her father while the strange strangers were talking with their grandpa. He told them that he would be home before breakfast.
“I know, I was here longer than I thought I would be,” he explained.
“Mommy put yours in the trash,” Alex told him flat out.
It made Hawkeye grit his teeth. He knew she was running around in circles trying to get everything ready and together. He had come to the office to catch up on some work he had left undone; there was more than expected there to be and he lost track of time.
“So much for the very understanding wife,” Charles chuckled.
“Oh, she’s not mad. Her temper flared, but you know she gets.” Daniel thought that Hawkeye had exaggerated in his description of her; the first time he saw her get really mad, she frightened him. But he learned that she got over things quickly and that her bark was worse than her bite, and that her temper had cooled from boiling to lukewarm. She rarely did it now and only did it toward Hawkeye, when the kids weren’t around, who somehow knew how to take it. Though in the past few weeks she was stressed and more vocal.
“Can we go outside?” Jimmy asked being board of the conversation.
“Well aren’t you going to say hello to the gentlemen?” Hawkeye knew they wanted to get out of there so bad.
“Hi.” They said quickly.
“Boys,” they really wanted out of there, “this is the gang. The strapping young men here are Jimmy and Alex, and the lovely ladies are Chelsea, Kat, and wiggle worm here is Jess,” he saw the smiles on his friends’ faces. They couldn’t believe it.
“Very peased to meet you,” Jess bobbed her head at every word making sure not to forget any. She held out her little hand with the fingers extended; she was leaning so far forward she was about ready to fall out of her father’s arms.
“Hi, there,” BJ shook Jess’ hand that barely fit into his fingers and did the same for the others.
“A pleasure, I’m sure,” Charles was surprisingly taken by her cheerfulness and bouncing curls.
“Well, hello little ones,” Father Mulcahy could see what they had inherited from their father.
“Please Daddy?” Kat asked with ants in her pants.
“Do you promise to stay clean?” he eyed them.
They all nodded their heads in compliance; they had received explicit instructions to stay clean and dry from their mothers before they left the house.
“All right, go,” he saw them turn on their heels before he even finished.
“Down?” Jess turned to face him.
“Are you sure?” he played with her.
She nodded her head up and down locking eyes with him, “Oh, all right then,” he put her down.
She immediately saw Howler. She knew he wasn’t allowed inside the office; she had gotten in trouble for bringing him in many times before. “Oh, Howler,” she went over and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re not allowed. Outside,” she dragged him out, but he was happily following.
“So where’s Peg? You do know you were supposed to bring her,” Hawkeye teased.
They were gawking at the newly absent children. It was hard to believe that Hawkeye Pierce, of all people, would have children; they knew he was very caring and great with them, but him being a father was a hard concept to grasp.
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