Wrong Place for Thinking

by Lenka

Author's note: This is my first attempt at fanfiction that I actually managed to complete. Also, English is not my mother tongue, so don't be too critical, please.

"Hey Trap, where are you going?" Hawkeye asked as he was woken up by Trapper leaving the Swamp in the middle of the night.

"I need to do some thinking and I can't here. Frank's snoring too loudly." Trapper answered.

"What's bothering you?"

"The last letter from Louise. Maybe I will tell you later. Now sleep."

"OK. And try not to wake me up when you return. It's hard to fall asleep when Frank snores."

"I'll do my best." Trapper said and left.

His wife had sent him another letter where she was voicing her doubts about Trapper's fidelity. Or at least Trapper thought so. She wrote that she would never be able to forgive him had she found out that he was sleeping with other women. One woman from their neighborhood, Mrs. Humphries, learned that her husband had a mistress and asked him about that and he kicked her out of his house saying that she was nothing but a burden to him.

Now Trapper got really scared. Though he was fooling around a lot here, he really loved his wife and their two girls. He would never kick Louise out like that man but knew that she might be the one. When Louise got really upset she had no mercy with anyone.

His consciousness was hard on him, he knew he should stop but it was difficult for him. Looking at the others, what did he see? Henry keeping company with a nurse, Frank meeting "secretly" Major Houlihan, Hawkeye having a different nurse probably every week. Well, Hawk was not married but still. How was he supposed to remain faithful here? He was not Father Mulcahy!

There were so many thoughts in Trapper's head and he did not know how to decide. He needed to be alone. Frank's snoring, Hawkeye's tossing on the bed, everything reminded him of where he was, what he was doing and what he should not be doing.

The night was dark, it was new moon and it was cloudy, so there were no stars either. Everything was so still and quiet outside. Trapper decided that a walk would help him to sort his thoughts and maybe decide what to do.

Trapper passed Klinger on his night watch and went further. After a while he sat under a tree and continued thinking about his problem. He came up with all the ifs and was considering pros and cons of all the possibilities and finally he decided. It will be hard for him but he has to stop. Louise was too smart and one day she would find out. He has to stop when there is still a chance for him. He doesn't want to risk the love of his wife and their daughters anymore.

He got up satisfied with his decision and headed back to the camp. But when he had been absorbed in his thoughts, Trapper was never paying attention to where he went. He made several steps and then the mine exploded.


Hawkeye woke up when he heard that terrible sound. He immediately started to think about the worst. He quickly left his tent as well as several other people.

"Klinger, where's Trapper?"

"I don't know, sir. He went out of the camp and I don't think that he knew where he was going, either. He even didn't hear me when I was talking to him."

"No, this can't be true, we must find him. Bring the light. Bring the light!" Hawkeye was now becoming agitated and yelling at the people.

"Trapper! Trapper, where are you?" he started looking for his friend.

Suddenly one of the enlisted men saw a leg lying on the road. "Captain. Doctor Pierce, I found him." He called at Hawkeye. "A part of him." He whispered for himself.

"Where is he? Is he fine or injured? Stretcher, bring the stretcher." Now there was a glimmer of hope that his worst fears are not true.

"Ah, Captain, I think that you should come and see yourself." The man said quietly.

Hawkeye was there in no time and saw the leg. And other parts of Trapper's body nearby. "Noooo!" He was about to run into the mine field too, he had to see Trapper's face before he could believe it.

"Pierce, stop!" Henry put a hand on Hawkeye's shoulder before he could enter the mine field.

"It can't be true, it can't be true." Hawkeye was shaking as he started to cry.

"Pierce, come with me." Henry wanted to take him away from that place. They walked a little towards the camp when Hawkeye saw Frank, who woke up and was now going to find out for himself what happened.

Hawkeye jumped to Frank and started to strangle him. "You killed him!" He yelled at Frank. "You killed him, killed him with your snoring." He was now furious, venturing his anger and despair. "He had to go outside because he couldn't bear your snoring. And now he is dead! You killed him! Are you satisfied now?"

Frank was trying to free himself from Hawkeye with the help of Henry and some other men who heard and saw that. When they got Hawkeye off Frank's throat, Frank threatened him. "I'll have you court martialled for this. It was assaulting a superior officer."

"Shut up, Burns." Henry didn't want to discuss this with him. "Is this the only thing you think of?" Then he turned to the men: "Take Pierce away and tell the nurse to give him some sedative." Then turning again to Frank: "And you go fly a kite, Frank. I don't want to hear anything about that now."

"But sir..." Frank was trying to protest.

"Away. And that's the end of discussion!"


In the next few days Hawkeye repeated his attacks on Frank accusing him of killing Trapper, so Henry had to call for Sidney. The situation was bad enough as it was and this was not helping much. When Sidney saw Hawkeye and learned what happened, he decided that he and Hawkeye should take a little trip to Tokyo.

The next day two new doctors arrived ...

The End

Note: I know that it is a little morbid, but I was really bored and this is what came to my mind. I hope you were still able to enjoy the story and if you have any kind of comment, let me know on lenka.sim@centrum.cz.


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