Sorry, I'm late for Christmas, but as the idea occured to me I couldn't resist it. Sorry for my language, I'm not a native speaker. I know that both my story can be dull and the language is poor, but I desperately need your appreciation, just a little... Please R&R and be kind. But comment some mistakes, I need to practice my English, and you are the best teachers for me now))))

This is the first chapter, please read and tell me what you think. If it may have the future life I will continue. If it doesn't deserve your appreciation... so be it. But I hope it does, at least a bit of it.)))

Enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't own MASH, I don't get money, I'm just writing.

Thank you all for the feedbacks! Shame on me! Numerals is the first rule you learn when you study a language((( Concentrating on various grammatical constructions I completely forgot about them. Thanks a lot again! I tried to correct these VERY stupid mistakes.

A Very Frosty Christmas

Chapter 1

"Four oh double seven, Colonel Potter."

"Hello Colonel, it's me, Hawkeye." The old man cleared his throat and listened intently trying to catch the familiar voice through all the static.

"Ah Pierce, how're you doing? Aren't you done yet?"

"Yes I'm done, let me report you that all the wounded are under control, so are the nurses," Hawkeye chuckled "the replacement surgeon arrives this morning and now I'm free to go back."

"Good, we're waiting for you, the conference's tonight remember? So drive carefully please because we need you along with your money."

"Ah Colonel, you know that caution is my middle name."

"Very funny Pierce, I'm serious, the winter is really cold and the road is dangerously icy" said Potter.

"Don't worry Colonel, see you tonight." Hawkeye hung up.

Captain BJ Hunnicutt closed his eyes and inhaled the frozen air. The day was really good, much better than the previous one. The whole camp seemed to enjoy this, though frosty, but windless and quiet weather. For the first time of the last week the young surgeon felt the merriment of the approaching holidays fill his heart and mind. They've just finished a particularly long shift which appeared to be a great challenge without Hawkeye. BJ was tired of Colonel's constant grumblings that they were short-handed and it was definitely the wrong time to be so kind and spare their surgeon. Charles's comments were not any better, because the man considered the day to be lost without reminding everyone that without Pierce's stupid jokes he cost two good surgeons. The most precious moment was when, at the end of their 72nd hour of endless operations, Winchester finally admitted the prematurity of his former opinion. "I must confess Hunnicutt" he announced when he and BJ were alone in the Swamp "…that despite my outstanding skills, we still need Pierce here." BJ only smirked and didn't say anything, he was too tired.

The man woke up from his thought when he realized that he had subconsciously entered the main building and was now standing in front of his CO office. BJ knocked and entered without receiving the invitation.

"How are the things in the 8063rd?" he asked.

"He's coming back." said Potter.

"Excellent, I'll make the still ready to meet one of its masters" with a large grin BJ went back to his tent.

On the way to the Swamp BJ met corporal Klinger "Mail sir!" the Lebanese showed the envelopes in his hands.

"Thank you Klinger." said BJ taking his mail "anything else? I'm in a hurry I need to prepare the still, our boy is coming home."

"Good, Hawkeye is coming back, can you take his letter then?" said Klinger

"Why not?" The surgeon put a rather thick envelope with the Maine postmark on it into his pocket and continued on his way. He was not, however, destined to reach the Swamp because the PA system turned to life "Attention all personnel, incoming wounded a long shift folks, again."

"Damn it!" said BJ "I hoped that I could sleep till the end of the war."

The three surgeons hurried to the compound for the triage. "Go to the scrub room sons, I can handle this." said Potter. BJ and Charles nodded and went to the washing room.

"I wish Pierce come back soon, or we won't finish till the end of the month" said Charles taking off his jacket "besides, my fingers wouldn't move properly, I'm absolutely frozen!"

"Me too" said BJ "I feel like a snowman."

The surgeons were so exhausted, that they had seized to count the patients long before the mid afternoon.

"How are you doing boys?" asked the colonel.

"Fine Colonel" answered BJ "I feel better than my patient anyway."

"Good for you Hunnicutt, and my back is killing me." groaned Charles. "One day! Just one day!" he exclaimed afterwards "We'd had one day to catch our breaths before this hell began again!"

Nobody found the strength and also desire to respond.

"We're expecting another batch of wounded in several hours." said Potter.

"How long have we been here?" asked BJ. He didn't even notice how the bright and sunny day had been replaced by a pitchy dark night. "Why am I so naïve?" he thought "How could I expect peaceful Christmas holidays?"

Meanwhile, Margaret looked at the clock hanging above the door. "The wounded came at 8am and, if I'm not mistaken, it's almost 10pm now."

"We've been here for 12 hours, luckily, except yours Hunnicutt, we have only two patients left and both are minor cases." said Potter.

"I hope we'll take a couple of hours for a nap" murmured BJ. "Hawkeye was supposed to arrive 8 hours ago. I think he's peacefully sleeping in the Swamp now, so our next shift won't be such an ordeal." he finished happily.

"Amen" said Potter.

"And I think that Pierce had to help us here, we're all exhausted" yawed Charles.

"Oh shut up Winchester!" exclaimed Potter "Pierce had been working for a week without any rest at the 8063rd. He deserved a good long sleep." Charles didn't reply, but looked gloomily at his CO and turned back to his patient.

"Colonel, I'm afraid I need an assistance here", said BJ. "the boy is in a bad shape, I can't handle him alone." The surgeon tried desperately to stop a very severe bleeding, but it was not the only one, the kid's artery was like a sieve.

"Sorry son, I'm a bit busy right now, I need at least five minutes to finish here." said Potter. "what about you Winchester?" he asked.

"No Colonel, right now I'm in the middle of a resection" said Charles. "I think it's high time to wake our sleeping prince."

"You're right." answered Potter "Klinger, go and wake Pierce. We need him here" he said to the corporal.

"Right away sir" said the Lebanese.

When Klinger entered the tent, he found it absolutely empty, Hawkeye was not there. Trying to find the surgeon, the corporal searched the whole camp: the showers and the latrines, the officers' club and the mess tent. Captain Pierce was nowhere in sight.

Maxwell Klinger was placing a call to the 8063rd unit when Colonel Potter, Major Winchester and Captain Hunnicutt emerged from the surgery, still wearing their scrubs. The corporal noticed that BJ was actually shivering, his white gown was brightly red, so were Potter's and Winchester's. They seemed to be worried and very depressed. Potter carefully led Hunnicutt to Klinger's cot and settled him down wrapping a thin blanket round his shoulders.

"What are you doing Klinger?" asked Potter, his anger growing. "Where have you been? Where is Pierce? The kid died, we couldn't save him." he added more quietly. BJ put his hand on the old man's shoulder, Charles gave a nervous start and had seemed to collect himself before he showed his sympathy toward his tired colleagues. Having murmured that he had to be in the post-op, the man disappeared in the neighboring room.

"I'm very sorry sir that you didn't get the help in time." Klinger said ruefully.

"Never mind son, it's not your fault. And not yours!" he added after BJ's nervous sigh "The boy didn't have a chance, Hunnicutt, you did everything you could."

"I understand it Colonel, but it doesn't help me much." BJ said rubbing his face.

"I understand this also son, and order you to go to the shower and have your well-deserved rest after that." the older man said.

"Good idea sir," yawned the surgeon "but first I want to share a glass of gin with Hawkeye, I hope he got the still ready by now…" BJ's gaze fell upon Klinger, and his voice broke when he saw the corporal's worried face. "What happened Klinger? Where's Hawkeye?" he asked.

"Didn't he even drop in at the OR?" Klinger asked hopefully.

"He never appeared neither in the OR nor in the scrub-room" was Potter's brief reply, then the old man's eyes filled with horror "You want to say that…"

"…that I didn't find him, and nobody saw him returning to the camp or going somewhere or sleeping…" Klinger said. "I even called the nearest checkpoint and they swear that Captain Pierce never passed them." he concluded. "I was just about to call to the 8063rd when you entered."

"Go ahead son" said Potter. While Klinger was dialing Potter and BJ were just looking at the corporal, paralyzed with horror. After a brief conversation with the unit's company clerk, Klinger hang up and turned his eyes to the officers, his face blank and white.

"He…" the corporal paused to take a sigh "…left early in the morning."

BJ felt his legs give way, so he had to lean on the wall to keep himself steady and not to fall on his knees, he deeply regretted standing up from the cot.

"Easy son, it'll be okay" said Potter, patting BJ's shoulder.

"Inform the MPs, try to find out what might have happened." he addressed to Klinger.

"Yes sir." he answered.

"Come on son, let's have a drink." Potter led BJ to his office, "you need to calm down, I'm worried too, but I try not to lose control."

"I'm not worried, I'm scared Colonel." BJ said, taking the glass. The man couldn't even drink, his hands were shaking. His eyes passed the glass cabinet in the corner and rested on the wall behind Potter's desk. "You painted a new picture." he said simply.

Potter looked at his surgeon and didn't find any more words of comfort. Instead he just nodded "I finished it yesterday, couldn't sleep."

BJ raised his eyebrow. "After all those wounded?"

"It took only two hours, worked better than any sedative."

BJ forced a weak smile and continued staring into space. Potter couldn't take it anymore.

"I know it's tough son, but there's nothing we can do right now, just wait for the news from the MPs." Potter said.

"But what if it is too late?" the younger man's face was white with horror.

Potter looked at him with concern, he couldn't see one of his surgeons like this, finally he made a decision. "Let's distract you, go to the post-op and help Major Houlighan. I'll inform you as soon as the news come out."

BJ nodded and left the office. He didn't tell Margaret about Hawkeye's absence, he decided not to worry her without possessing the definite information. Margaret was busy organizing the transportation of the patients to Tokyo and the 121st hospital, and didn't notice BJ's odd behavior.

To be continued...