2

Minutes later Hawkeye came. "How's she doing?"

"Okay, she just woke up. But she needs at least one more pint of blood before we can operate." BJ didn't budge from her side.

"Beej, you should take a nap. Klinger told me that you worked two days non-stop at the aid station." Pierce suggested.

"No, I can't sleep anyway right now. I'll do the anaesthesia, OK?"

Hawkeye nodded, stepped over to the litter and looked at the girl.

"I'd say we operate in an hour." He said. "God, how old is she, about 18 ... 19?"

BJ looked at her. "I don't know. Around that."

Suddenly the girl moved her head, smiled weakly and said in English: " ... 21 ...".

Hawkeye grinned at her. "Okay, 21. Don't worry, you are in the best hospital around here. We'll fix you real fast. You'll be back dancing in no time."

She murmured something in Korean and closed her eyes again.

"Beej, I have to talk to you. Let's go outside." Hawkeye said. "Margaret, could you keep an eye on that girl?"

"Yes, Captain." Major Houlihan came over.

Outside Hawkeye took BJ to task. He turned around and eyed Hunnicutt aghastly.

"Tell me. Klinger told me something I just can't believe. Is that true?"

BJ grinned. "What has he told you?" He asked hypocritically.

Pierce grabbed Hunnicutt's shoulder and shook him. "Don't pretend not knowing. Are you totally crazy? Walking into a minefield just like that. You could have been killed!"

"I know." The other surgeon nodded. "But what was I supposed to do? Leave her out there and let her die? I think you would do the same thing."

Hawk put his hands down and said: "Yes maybe but nevertheless... I'm glad that you came out okay! Don't ever do that again. I don't want to sit here alone playing practical jokes with Charles. It's always more fun to share the laughter with a friend!"

BJ smiled and Hawkeye laughed his unique laughter.

It wasn't that funny anymore in the OR. Hawkeye was operating with Margaret's assistance and BJ was the gas passer. Outside the door Klinger, Potter and Father Mulcahy were waiting. Charles came into that room after he had taken care of the wounded soldiers who had been on the truck.

"What's going on in here?" He was confused. "Something interesting happening?"

"Shh... Why don't you just shut up, Major?" Potter said angry. "Pierce is operating on that Korean girl BJ saved. And we don't need your comments!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Winchester apologized . "I thought the operation was over already."

"They had a couple of complications." Klinger whispered. "They almost lost her."

"Oh."

Three hours later BJ, Hawkeye and Margaret left the OR tired and exhausted.

"God, that was almost worse than the usual 24 hour shift." Pierce said and threw his coat in a laundry basket.

"So, how did it go?" Potter waited for them in the changing room.

"All in all not bad." BJ yawned.

"The girl had more metal in her body than a jeep." Hawkeye said angry. "How I hate land mines! How I hate this war! She is 21 years old. She should be out there on a party dancing with a boy and not be attacked by snipers who drove her to jump into a minefield." He rushed through the door.

"Pierce!" Potter shouted after him.

"Let him go, Colonel." BJ said. "I think he's right!"

"Yes, I know." The Colonel replied and followed BJ outside.

While both helped themselves to a drink in the Swamp Hawkeye was in the post-op ward.

"Why don't you go into the Swamp, Pierce?" Margaret suggested when she saw him standing next to the girl's bed. "I'll take care of her. You should take a nap." She approached him smiling.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea." Hawkeye rubbed his eyes. Then he put a hand on Margaret's shoulder. "Call me or BJ when something is wrong with her. She's not out of the wood yet."

"Sure, Captain. And now get out of here!"

Laughing Hawkeye left the room and headed for his tent.

As soon as he arrived he found BJ, Potter, Klinger and Winchester sitting together.

"Hey, what's going on in here? A secret party?" Pierce asked and poured himself a Martini.

"Klinger just told us about Hunnicutt's glorious deed." Charles, who was a little drunk, explained.

BJ rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." Hawkeye nodded. "Wow, that was a big deed. In my opinion it was the biggest stupidity!"

The Colonel nodded confirmingly. "In the name of Sweet Fanny Adams that is darn true! Everybody around here is really glad that you came out alive."

"Okay, okay, guys. I just hope it was worth it and the girl pulls through." BJ replied thoughtful.

"We all hope that." Klinger said and raised his glass. "May she be up and recovered really soon!"

They clinked glasses.

It was almost morning when they all tired and drunk hit their sacks. Just good that they didn't expect any wounded in the next few days.

Klinger was the first one who recognized that the Korean girl was awake when he entered the post-op around noon. She murmured something in her native language. Max approached her bed.

"Are you thirsty?" He asked.

She nodded weakly.

"Lieutenant, could you bring her a glass of water?" Klinger told nurse Able who was on duty.

"Sure, in a minute." She replied and then came with the water.

"How is she?" Klinger asked in low voice.

"Looks good. She'll be all right soon." The nurse soothed him.

The girl drank and then sank back into her pillow. Just at that moment Hawkeye entered.

"Hey, hey, hey, she's not fit yet but that doesn't stop her from flirting." He joked and grinned.

The girl smiled a little then looked at Klinger with her tired eyes. She didn't seem totally awake yet. She asked something in Korean.

Klinger knew a little of that language. He looked down.

"What's wrong, Max?" Pierce asked.

"She wants to know what happened to her brother and her father." Klinger translated. Startled he added in a low voice: "They didn't survive the minefield."

When both faced her again they realized that she was crying.

"Now I remember ... the explosions ... and their screams..." She sobbed in fluent English. "Oh my God, Kim was only 14 years old."

Klinger and Hawkeye glanced at each other confused about her language. But just at the moment when they wanted to ask her they saw she had cried herself into sleep.

By late afternoon Hawkeye, who was still on duty, and Potter were standing at the Korean's bed and studying her medical report.

"How is she, Pierce?" The Colonel asked.

"Quite good under these circumstances." The Captain said. "I'm just worried because she has temperature."

"Hope it's no severe postoperative infection." Potter said.

Hawkeye nodded. "But she had so many shell fragments in her bowels. Maybe I missed something. I hope not, I don't want to open her up again."

Slowly their patient opened her eyes and tried to smile.

"Hi docs. How am I today?" She asked.

Hawkeye came closer. "Oh, pretty good." He said.

"Is that the truth? I heard something about an infection."

"Well." Hawkeye began. "You're not out of the wood, yet but you have the best doctor in the world. Isn't that right, Colonel?" He grinned.