6

Everybody in the camp had a little gift for her. Mostly it were clothing, because the only things she had were the uniform and one of Radar's pyjamas. Hawkeye and BJ gave her one of their Hawaiian shirts, Margaret gave her make-up, a Korean woman, who did the laundry in the camp, gave her a traditional Korean dress, etc. But probably the most beautiful gift came from Klinger. He gave Kyong a wonderful black evening gown, of course hand-made.

"Wear it at your first dance. And then think of us if the war isn't over by then." Max told her.

"I will think of you all anyhow every day." Kyong replied. "How could I ever forget such kind people?"

And the next morning after innumerable embraces and kisses Kyong-Lee left the camp in a jeep bound for Kimpo. It was hard for her to say good-bye to the people that cared so much for her. All of them became close friends. Especially saying good-bye to BJ, her savior, wasn't easy for her. He was in her eyes a very special person.

But now she was looking forward to live with the only person that remained from her family.

She cried when she looked down on Korea from the plane. This country was a part of her. As much as she hated the events of the last years, the war, the death of her father, brother and other friends, this country however had been her home...

Three weeks before Christmas a 21-year-old Korean girl wearing a military parka and olive drab uniform, a small duffel bag hanging over her shoulder, stood at the airport in Boston searching her grandmother. Many people glanced at her oddly but she didn't care. She finally found the person she had been looking for who welcomed her with open arms.

This Christmas party was one of the most beautiful ones in Kyong's life so far. She had a new family even though it wasn't a big one.

Four months later Kyong was in the middle of her apprenticeship to become a licensed practical nurse, worked in the Children's Medical Center in Boston and dated a pediatric surgeon who worked there also. No doubt, the girl was happy and her grandmother was like a mother to her.

She kept close contact to the MASH 4077 and wrote BJ regularly every month a long letter.

"When are you going to introduce me to this John you're always talking about?" Mrs. Collins asked her granddaughter one day.

"Grandma!" Kyong said reproachful who was on her way down the stairs and about to leave the house. "I don't even know him that well. A few weeks that's all. He's helping me with my studies and he's a really nice person." Kyong smiled when thinking of the surgeon. "And I will take it slowly. John lost his wife a couple of months ago - in October - in a car crash. Now he has to care for his two daughters on his own."

"Oh." Her grandmother looked puzzled. She didn't expect that and was sceptical. But one look into Kyong's face showed her. "You like him very much, don't you?"

"Yes." The girl looked at her grandmother smiling. "I really care for him a lot. -Well, now I have to go." She opened the front door.

"Have fun at the movies." Mrs. Collins wished her. "Hey but I would like to get to know him one day."

Kyong laughed. "Yes, don't worry!"

Then she left the house.

And that day came two months later. The curios grandma Collins met Dr. John McIntyre. The three went out for dinner to celebrate Kyong's intermediate exam. Mrs. Collins immediately liked John. He was handsome, charming and very funny and she saw that Kyong loved being with him. She wore Klinger's evening gown and off and on she glanced at him with love in her eyes. Her grandma noticed it and smiled.

"You look beautiful in this dress." Mrs. Collins then remarked and John nodded in confirm. "Where did you get it?"

Kyong laughed. "A Corporal of the MASH camp I stayed for a while in Korea gave it to me. He was wearing women's clothing. He wanted to proof that he was crazy to get out of the army."

John started to cough, something seem to stuck in his throat.

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Collins. "You look as if you had just seen a ghost."

The doctor nodded and took a gulp of his wine. Then he asked: "This Corporal wasn't accidentally Max Klinger, was he?"

Shocked Kyong looked at him eyes wide open. "How did you know? Are you a mind reader?"

John had recovered from his own shock. "You know that I have worked in a MASH."

Kyong nodded.

"And we had a Corporal Klinger who wore women's clothes. With this section 8 thing he got on our Colonel's nerves regularly. That was at the 4077th MASH." He explained.

The girl still was shocked. "Yes, yes ... right ... 4077." She stuttered. "I was there."

"I can't believe it." Mrs. Collins remarked.

"You mostly talked about BJ." John said. "And about a Colonel Potter. They didn't exist while I was there." He thought about it. "Well, Henry, our Colonel, died shortly before I left the camp. They must have replaced Frank with a new Colonel. Fortunately!"

"Who's Frank?" Kyong was curios.

John told her about Major Frank "Ferret Face" Burns.

"We weren't in the same outfit. I have never met a Frank Burns." Then she reflected. "Although, I think, Hawkeye once talked about a Ferret Face..."

She wasn't able to go on because John dropped his fork then stared at her. "Did you just say 'Hawkeye'?" He asked and couldn't believe it.

Kyong nodded. "Yeah, Captain Hawkeye Pierce. He operated on me. What's wrong? Do you know him?"

"...Know him??? Yeah, he was my best friend in Korea. We shared the tent, the booze and our sorrows for 1 ½ years. We also had to live with Frank but who cared about him?" John said. "I can't believe it... Hawkeye... how is he doing?"

"Good, as far as I know!" Kyong answered. "That's weird! You shared your tent with Hawk and Frank?"

John nodded.

"Then I'd say BJ took your place and Major Winchester - you know, he helped me getting into nursing school - must have been Franks replacement."

"Yes, I guess." John agreed. "And Radar? Did you meet Radar?"

"Sure!" Kyong grinned. "A sweet, innocent guy about my age. Had a big fight with Klinger back then."

"How come that you didn't find out earlier about both of you being at the same MASH?" Grandma Collins asked.

Kyong looked at her friend and shrugged. "Well, we didn't talk much about it. You told me almost nothing."

John nodded. "That's true. I think I wanted to forget this war as fast as possible. Didn't want to think about it anymore. I've even almost forgotten Hawkeye."