The Ears of the Storm
What's Up Doc Alternative Ending

by Paris

Author's Note: Okay so I had this thought. The story is an alternate ending to "What's Up Doc," with a twist. You have to bear with me, because I have never done something like this before. Also there are two parts when I don't do what I have been doing, because it is about things that happen when the ears aren't there. Also omit everything that has happened after this episode, because I will take you to the end of the war in my own way quicker than the TV show. I am not exactly sure what the wording was on the episodes, so just live with my improv. Okay here it goes.

"Come on Pierce," she said a bit agitated. She was my mother.

"I'm sorry Margaret, really I am trying my best," his voice was pleasing. He sounded kind.

"It's okay, I am just," my mother said. I felt us pacing.

"Margaret," he said to her calmly, "Come here."

We moved towards his voice. "What is it Pierce, for God's sake!" She sounded annoyed yet very scared.

"Margaret," the man whose name seemed to be Pierce said, "It's positive."

She started to sob. "A baby," she tried to sound cheerful. It was because of me that my mother was in such distress. We ran out of the room. She was crying so hard when we made it into her tent. She collapsed on her cot.

There was a knock at the door. "Margaret can I come in?" It was the voice of Pierce asking with concern. My mother sat silent. "Margaret I know you are in there," he said, "If you want to talk, or if you don't want to talk whatever. I won't tell anyone what I know. You have my word. You need to talk things through with Donald. Your husband should know. I'll be in the Swamp if you want to talk."

"Hawkeye," she sobbed, after I heard the door closed. "I am so confused." She cried harder.

We got up from the bed, and left the tent. We walked. "Hawkeye," my mother whispered. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," it was the man named Pierce.

"Not here," my mother said to him. Her voice was not as strong as it usually was.

"Okay, Margaret, wherever you want to go," Pierce said to her.

"I guess my tent is fine," my mother told him. We walked back, and Pierce felt very close to us.

When we got in we sat down. "Pierce, how accurate was that test?"

"It isn't the best," he laughed. I liked his laugh. "There aren't very many pregnant GIs in Korea." "Very funny," my mother said unamused.

"If your asking if it could be wrong, the answer is yes," Pierce told her, "If you wanted to find out for sure, Potter can send you to Seoul. It wouldn't be a bad idea. You could meet Donald there, and find out together."

"Hawkeye," she said sincerely, "Will you come with me?"

"What? Margaret, I, I," he stuttered, "I really don't have the place."

"As my doctor," my mother said. "I don't want anyone else. You are the best, and I couldn't trust anyone that wasn't you."

"I don't know," Hawkeye said, "Potter might not let us both go."

"If not as my doctor," my mother said, "Hawkeye, would you go as my friend?"

"Margaret," Hawkeye said, "I am right behind you. What did Donald say?"

"I haven't talked to him yet," my mother said. The subject of Donald made her voice tense up. "Shall we talk to the Colonel?"

"Sure," he said. We walked across the compound. "Radar, can we see the Colonel?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yessir, the Colonel is in his office," said someone with a squeaky voice. We walked into the office and took a seat. "What can I do you for?" An older man asked.

"Colonel," Hawkeye started, speaking for my mother, "I would really like to take Margaret into Seoul to run some more tests."

"Pierce," the elder man said, "You think this is necessary?

"The test here was inconclusive," Hawkeye pointed out.

"Yes, I understand Margaret needs to go, but why you?" Potter asked, "I can't have my best doctor and best nurse leave like that."

"Colonel," my mother spoke up, "It would mean so much to me if Captain Pierce was my doctor. I really don't think I could trust anyone else."

"If that's what you need Margaret, then I won't deny you Pierce's company," Potter said sounding a bit confused. He seemed to have a soft spot for my mother.

"I can get you a pass to leave in the morning. Talk to Radar about making your plans."

"Thank you Colonel," my mother said to him.

At oh seven hundred hours, the next morning we loaded my mother's luggage onto the jeep. "Take good care of her Pierce," Colonel Potter told Hawkeye.

"I will," he told him.

"Good luck Margaret," another man said, "May whatever you want happen."

"Thank you BJ," my mother said to him.

"Hawkeye," BJ said, "Bring this lady back home to us. We all love her." With that we were off. The trip was bumpy, and rather quiet. My mother sat next to Pierce who was driving the jeep to Seoul.

"You want to talk about anything?" Pierce asked. "You've been awfully quiet? You okay? Other than the fact we had to stop four times for you to get out and throw up? Don't cry Margaret, please."

It was too late. My mother was sobbing.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked her. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Okay," she said softly.

"Do you want this baby?" He asked gently, "I didn't think that you and Donald were having the best marriage."

"I want children," Margaret told him, "Lots of them, a house full of them in fact. I want a career too. Is that too much to ask? If I want one I can't have the other!"

"What about Donald?"

"We never spoke of children."

The rest of the ride was quite. I think I may have fallen asleep. When I woke up, Hawkeye was fighting with someone. "What do you mean you only have one room? We booked two. Major Margaret Houlihan and Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce."

"No sir," the man spoke broken English, "One room left, in whole place. You in luck. Honeymoon sweet."

"We'll take it," my mother interjected. I could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"You lucky man," he told Hawkeye, "She not only beautiful, but she have brain too, you have fun tonight, Joe."

"Let's go," Hawkeye whispered to my mother. We walked up stairs and entered the room. "Not much of a room, hey?"

"Yes but there is a bed and a shower," my mother said sounding relieved.

"Only one bed," Hawkeye pointed out. "I will sleep on the floor. Why don't you go take a shower. You'll feel better. Margaret, you look like hell."

My mother listened to him. She then took a shower. She cried, "Why? Why me? Why him? Why now? Why does he have to be so charming, and caring? Why couldn't we have just talked that night in the hut? Damn it! Why am I so in love with him? Why did my husband have to be such a jackass?" She continued to cry and ramble on. Nothing seemed to make sense.

"I am going to take a shower," Hawkeye told her, "Get some rest we have an appointment early tomorrow."

"Hawkeye wait," there was a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Margaret what is it?" He asked her.

"Come here, please sit with me a minute," she said nervously, "We have to talk."

"Margaret, what's wrong?" He was concerned.

"Hawkeye," she started to cry. "It's Donald."

"What about Donald?" Hawkeye asked sincerely.

"I guess it isn't just Donald," my mother tried to explain. "It is me, and this baby."


Stories | Forward