�Why did they help me? Aren�t I the enemy?�
�Why do you help us? We want war over soon, too. Hawk eye almost killed trying to save my brother!� Tears came to Jo�an�s eyes and she blinked them away, but didn�t hide them. �Brother too proud�too stupid�to accept help of American.�
�Wars are stupid,� was all BJ could say.
�That what Hawk eye say. �They make people stupid.��
BJ nodded his agreement.
�You want leave?� It had been several hours since his last failed attempt at freedom.
�Very badly.�
�Strong enough?�
�Good question.� He was afraid to know. Only one way to find out�With her assistance, he rose to his feet, then he smiled.
�Head O K?�
�Hurts some,� he admitted, �but not bad.�
�Want food before leave?�
�No. I don�t want to inconvenience them any more. Will you tell them goodbye and thanks for me?�
She nodded. �You no want tell them yourself?�
�Afraid Jen�a might force me to stay.�
Jo�an smiled. �You may be correct.�
She led BJ outside and spoke some words to Sin�ye and a message to pass on to his wife. Then she took BJ to the road.
�I want to thank you for helping me. I don�t know what would have happened. I might still be there next week afraid to leave.�
�Go now. Say hi to Hawk eye from me.�
�Sure you don�t want to come and say hello to him yourself?�
�I can�t. I need stay here. Help.�
BJ nodded in understanding. �Take care of yourself.�
�You also, B J.�
He gave Jo�an a quick hug, then hurried off, his long strides covering the distance quickly. He wanted to get back to the 4077th while he still could. He rubbed stinging sweat from his eyes and tried to think about something other than the ache surrounding his head.
The time he spent walking blurred like his vision. He didn�t see the small pothole in the road and tripped, falling to his knees. A rustle from the brush startled him. His heart started pounding more than his head when a rifle came into his field of vision.
***
Frank awkwardly supported half of Hawkeye�s weight as he hopped to the operating building. �Get Potter and Margaret,� he said when they reached the door.
The Major ran off without an argument.
Hawkeye limped over to a chair in the scrub room and sat. He took a deep breath, then finally looked at his foot. He had to look away: It was swollen to twice it�s normal size and looked like it needed to be drained and heavily disinfected. He was glad he had kicked off his boots or else he would have had a worse problem on his hands, so to speak.
***
BJ blinked at the rifle as it was set next to him. Jo�an, hands now free, hauled him to his feet. �No need help, ha!� she said, retrieving her weapon.
�I�m fine. I just tripped.� BJ tried to shrug her off.
�No fine. I watch. You walk like drunk.�
�I was not.�
�Yes, too. Come, your MASH must not be far.�
He bit back an angry comment and allowed the Korean to support some of his weight. He was tired and found himself nodding off several times. Jo�an noticed and shifted his weight each time she guessed he was about to fall asleep.
They paused to rest once. The break was too short, but both were eager to be done with the trip by dinnertime.
***
Radar was outside getting a breather from watching Hawkeye as he got his foot taken care of. He caught movement that he could not yet see and ran in that direction. �BJ?�
Jo�an passed the Captain off to the concerned young man and both sunk to the ground, Radar supporting BJ�s head in his lap. �Is he okay�� He looked up and yelled with surprise when he saw Jo�an, her rifle slung over one shoulder.
�Radar, it�s okay.� BJ grabbed the Corporal�s arm so he wouldn�t run off. �She�s a friend. Can you tell Colonel Potter that I am back?�
�He�s in the OR.�
�Causalities?� Jo�an supported him as he returned to his feet.
�No, Hawkeye.�
�What! What�s wrong with him? He made it back?� He wanted to run off to the operating room, but Jo�an held onto him and kept him in place.
�He�s okay�well most of him. His ankle looks in real bad shape. It is almost the size of my softball!� Radar�s eyes got wide at the memory and he held his hands with curved fingers apart to show the size. He exaggerated a bit by showing the size of a basketball.