Writer's note : In the end, there was no need to mix the fantastic and the wordly, as I have tried to do here. A Godzilla story could have told the tale of that hospital, glimpsed at the end of the 1st movie, and its efforts to stem the bloody tide. I could have had the M*A*S*H* reunion set in 1969, set during the great Hurricane that killed so many in the Deep South. The twain didn't need to meet.

But I'm mostly happy with what I've done, here. My only regret is that I felt I lacked time to delve into the set-up and supplying of the makeshift O.R., and the operations. But Messrs. Gelbart, Metcalfe, Reynolds, and Alda, et. al., did at least 100 episodes that did that, better than I could hope to. To my mind, there was no story there. From the Movie to Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen in 1983, the O.R. was the arena where death was turned back--what could I offer, there? If I seemed to show Doctor Yamane or the U.S. Military disrespect, it was not my intention. These portrayals, are, I feel, consistent with their portrayals within these two disparate genres.

In the end, both have characters that are very widely known. Both have passionate advocates as to where the series was strong and where it was weak. Both have continuity problems that could make a grown chronicler cry. Both are also about facing the consequences of human folly. Both series also lasted a LOT longer than anyone would have thought.

With all philosophizing done, I turn to conclude this, the 1st in an eventual trilogy of Godzilla crossover stories set in late December of 1954, in doomed Tokyo. For now, though, I will show how the 4077th-A left Tokyo behind, when all was done. Godzilla is owned by Toho Studios (Who, after 1998's American foray, know all about human folly), and M*A*S*H* is the property of Fox, which shows a cartoon based on Toho's 1998 folly that is superior to the big-screen product. Go figure.

Chapter 6 - Abysayonarra, Gojira!

Dear Dad:

This is going to have to be brief. These letters are going on a junk to Taiwan. If I don't see you again, let me say it outright--I love you, Dad. Here's hoping I come back so you can bawl me out for getting all mushy. But if this 'Oxygen Destroyer' fails to kill Godzilla, then he'll come back-to finish the job. I have a story to tell you about Frank and Charles you will not believe, if we make it.

Signed,
Ben Pierce.

January 1, 1955, 11:24 AM

There were many such letters going out, to husbands, wives, parents, children, or anyone at all. The Endless O.R. was over, because it had to be. Even Hawkeye and Margaret, recipients of an unwanted gift of metabolic enhancement, were exhausted. Their supplies were gone. People all over the city were freezing, starving, or dying, because relief workers would not be sent until final word was recieved on Godzilla. The weapon had to work, for there was simply no other way for the city to survive and rebuild. As it stood now, that rebuilding would occur minus 2 million people, victims of either Godzilla or the state of chaos he unwittingly brought about.

If they survived, the beleaguered crew of the 4077th-A would have many stories to tell. In desperation, former cormen would perform tracheotomies, and learn to do them quite well, along with other minor surgery. Several former nurses were now in medical school, and attained experience that no post-grad residency could hope to offer. Those who could do nothing were given the grim job of clean-up; Igor and their one-time chef, both blessed with strong stomachs, showed their true strength by volunteering for the darkest duty of all: disposing of lost body parts. As anesthesia ran low, the screaming escalated; patients were being knocked out by blows to the head, in some cases. But no story could equal that of the man who had saved all their lives.

Six hours prior...

"Turn off the spotlight! It's coming this way!"

Sherman T. Potter hated using the huge spotlight to illuminate his O.R., but he had no choice. Electricity was a thing of the past, thanks to the thing from the past. Bright lights called it over, though, like a seagull to a lighthouse. So the only source of light had to be occasionally shut off, for fear of attracting Godzilla.

Only one problem this time. Godzilla was stil coming. Medics and wounded alike would be killed, almost instantly.

"It's the heat! He still kinda sees the heat from the lamp, even though we got it off, now!"

The panic in Radar O'Reilly's voice caused something to snap within Colonel Potter. He ran inside, and came out with a mop handle. He then flicked the spotlight back on. Trapper voiced the opinion of all.

"Colonel, are you crazy? What the hell do you think you're doing".

Potter's response, as he turned the jeep around, and began to drive off, was terse and typical of him.

"My sworn duty, McIntyre! If this don't work, it was a pleasure meeting you, son!"

"Hey, come back! Have more pleasure meeting me! You jerk! It won't look good on my resume' if 2 CO's buy the farm when I'm around!"

Ignoring Trapper's words, Colonel Potter drove the jeep, its spotlight blaring, directly towards Godzilla. It drew his attention. Placing the mop handle on the accelerator so as to keep the jeep going, he prepared to jump out.

"Henry, here's hopin' that I am NOT swapping Hawkeye stories with you, anytime soon! Although, I'm sure you have some good ones!"

In the distance, all anyone saw was Godzilla's fire breath utterly destroy the jeep, and then turn away, the distraction having worked. Their hearts sank until, 5 minutes later, Potter stumbled back to the site. There was a resounding cheer, the 1st in a good long while. Potter was not impressed with his heroism.

"I'm getting too old for this crap!"

Trapper shot back, "Thanks to you, pal, we all got a little older, just now. May we continue to do so, for the forseeable future!"

A delighted Father Mulcahy completed the thought by saying, "Amen to that, Trapper!"

This was at the tail-end of Godzilla's 2nd assault. He then returned to the water, his main attack over for quite some time. Tokyo could not survive a 3rd assault. So it was that Doctor Serizawa was convinced to use his Oxygen Destroyer. He made another choice, at that time, as well.

January 1 - 2 : 37 PM

In gratitude for the help the 4077th provided, the Mayor asked Colonel Potter if he would like to be on the boat from which the Oxygen Destroyer would be deployed. Potter said no, but asked if one of his people could go. That person was Radar O'Reilly,

"I kinda sorta gotta keep a promise I made to somebody about being there when Godzilla got killed."

He told no one he had made that promise to Godzilla.

As his friends finally rested, Radar was on the boat, waiting for Doctor Serizawa and the other man to come back. The other man, apparently Emiko Yamane's fiancee, returned. Serizawa did not, having chosen to die beneath the waters rather than let anyone abuse his horrible invention. When Father Mulcahy learned of this, he remembered Serizawa's confession and wondered whether his death was suicide or heroism, to protect the world. Worse, the pious man would always wonder something.

"Oh, Lord! Did I tell that man to end his life? Did he take my words, to protect the secret of his invention at any cost, in a way I did not mean? Did I, unthinkingly, cost the world a great man?"

Before this, though, the sleeping 4077th was awakened by a cry of primordial pain, both human and otherwordly. It was the most frightening sound that they would ever hear. It was the sound of Godzilla's death-cry.

As the creature rose one last time from the depths, its flesh and bone were once again being destroyed. It turned, and caught Radar's eye as it sank.

"You came, little one! Thank You! I do not wish to die alone! That you kept your promise means that your kind has hope! Will you do the same for my children as you do for me, now?"

Radar was not sure if he was really hearing Godzilla inside his head. But, just to be sure, he said, unspoken: "Children?"

The creature's voice spoke again : "You did not think I was the only one? There will be others. Will you be there, for them?"

In his mind, Radar saw flesh turn to bone, and bone to nothing. Godzilla was destroyed, but Radar nevertheless said, out loud this time, "I Promise."

With the crisis over, medical facilities on U.S. bases were permitted to fully intervene on behalf of Tokyo's many injured. The Army Corps of Engineers started to shore up structures that could be shored up, and tore down those that were beyond repair. Quietly, the U.S. government told the government of its ally, South Korea, that any future attempt to tie the United States' hands in such a crisis would result in unspecified consequences. The enemies of the US were told, very simply, that it would bring about the Third World War. As pictures of shattered Tokyo flooded all parts of Asia, many felt that wartime Japan had finally paid for its crimes, and so those places sent massive humanitarian aid. For all that, the city would be a decade in rebuilding. When that time was done, the rebuilt Tokyo would help lead Japan to economic stardom-until 1984, that is, when people were lead to wonder how well the Oxygen Destroyer had really worked.

On New Year's Day, 1955, the men and women of the MASH 4077th recieved wonderful news. They were going home - and more. Potter read the telegram, directly from the President Of The United States, Dwight David Eisenhower.

"Further, let it be said that the 4077th MASH is what America is all about- Imperfect souls, doing their very best in the midst of the very worst. You are all to be commended. That you did this when any number of other, more selfish options were open to you only raises you up higher, in the eyes of your countrymen. You may place yourselves very near to those first young men on Omaha Beach, whose deaths saved the world from evil. I do not feel that I diminish them in saying this, for you have carried on their courage in the face of the unspeakable. I have recieved a request, to fly you all stateside, to Los Angeles. There, you and your loved ones will stay, at government expense, at a fine hotel, for a 3-day reunion. The cuisine will be a better grade than you have recieved. I am product of the US Army, but know full well our deadliest weapon is our chefs!"

"Folks, we're all gonna get a copy of this! It's signed, Dwight David Eisenhower, and it's quite genuine. One teensy thing, though. Who made that request?"

Washington, DC, four hours prior

"Yes, I'm fine. How's Mamie? Very good, Mr. President. You did? Thanks, Ike. I always said you were the best assistant I ever had, and I meant it. The 4077th? Well, that's a story. I had gotten jaded. I was touring as many units as I could, attempting to boost morale. But it was always the same sycophantic fawning. Heh. George would've knocked them silly. Even Truman didn't put up with such nonsense. It got so, I was just passing through units, not even stopping. Then came the 4077th. As I left it, I saw something remarkable. One soldier so loved his country, he dressed up as Lady Liberty, sparklers and all! A crude image, but a wake-up call to a man like me, who had forgotten what it's all about. This man humiliated himself, to show me the way! That kind of dedication got me through the rough times, Ike. If I ever meet this Max Klinger, I'm going to tell him just that! With heart like that, that overstuffed lizard didn't stand a chance! Well, it was good talking to you, Mr. President. Is that so? Well, if they've released Bart Steele from the Sanitarium, I'd love to have him over! To you too, sir!"

With that, Former General Douglas MacArthur hung up and went to tell his wife that "Crazy Bart" was coming to dinner.

The Los Angeles Continental Hotel, January 7

It was now Radar's turn to offer up a toast. The reunion was finally going right. They were home, and they were with their families. In Los Angeles, people were already discussing a film version of the events in doomed Tokyo, possibly starring Ronald Reagan or Clark Gable as Stephen Martin.

Hawkeye and Margaret talked as though they were engaged, ut everyone had their doubts. Frank, sadly, had decided not to join them. There would be future reunions - all planned in secret - but the man who had proven he could be human stayed safe in his shell and attended virtually none of them.

Colonel Potter's heroism was the talk of the gathering. It had been hell, in Tokyo, but they had saved quite a few people from the flames. Happily, the truce between Trapper and BJ held.

Charles used his contacts to try and expedite the adoption of "Godzilla's orphans" as the children were called, in the press. Sadly, he learned one child would not be helped. The young girl whose hand he was forced to take had nevertheless succumbed to radiation poisoning. Not a few people came to the conclusion that Godzilla had been like the whole Korean war on two legs. No one from the 4077th had been lost, but they did not emerge unscathed. Having viewed the Modern Dragon, the world, for them, would never make the same amount of sense, ever again. Finally, Radar spoke.

"I would like to propose a toast, to everybody who finds themselves somewhere where they don't understand. Sometimes, you wake up and the world's gone screwy. You try to figure it out, but it still don't make no sense, and everybody's shoutin' at ya. Ya feel out of place, and ya go home, and things still aren't right. Sometimes..they never get right. So here's to everybody who finds themselves somewhere, where they don't belong. May they find that place where they do, and find peace, when they do, also!"

"Here, here, Radar! Though you mangled the King's English, you certainly told how I felt in Tokyo!" Murmurs in the room seconded Hawkeye Pierce's sentiment.

Walter O'Reilly recieved many compliments for his insightful words. He wondered how people would feel, if they knew he was not talking so much about them, as about Godzilla. Wisely, he never tried to find out.

December 24, 1995

The creature was being consumed from within, destroyed by its own nuclear energy. It had defeated the menace known as Destroyer, a mutation caused by the Oxygen Destroyer of 40 years prior. Finally, it died, passing its power to its offspring. Tokyo was spared the massive radiation surge. The Godzilla who had first appeared in 1984 was now joined with the 1st creature, from 1954. A new creature emerged from the shadows, the now-fully mature "Junior". Godzilla was dead. Long live Godzilla.

As the thing ambled off, G-Force, the UN's Anti-Godzilla force, scanned the area, the scene of the final battle. Miki Saegusa, G-Force's beautiful and powerful psychic, felt another powerful presence. She sought to investigate. She saw a young man, staring at the departing creature, and waving. He had remained a young man since becoming Immortal in 1952.

"Sir? Why are you here? This area is dangerous!"

With a psychic pull so deep it startled even her, Miki felt herself being regarded by the man.

"Wow, you're really pretty!"

Miki had once held Godzilla himself at bay for 30 seconds with her abilities, but this man held still greater power, untapped. Despite his seeming youth and farmboy looks, she didn't mind the compliment from him one bit.

"Thank you, sir! But, my face and form are not important, now. Why are you here?"

He would remain in Tokyo, for a time, and teach Miki Saegusa about the real limits of her abilities. They would also have a brief but memorable romance, before he left to seek more training, himself. That all lay in the near future. For now, Walter O'Reilly just answered her question.

"Plain and simple. I made a promise to Godzilla. And A Promise Is A Promise!"

The End

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