M*A*S*H 4077th: Nurse Pierce

Chapter 12: Fade Out, Fade In (Part 2)

Winchester's demonstration was over after about an hour, minus the scrubbing periods. Hawkeye was now giving Arrow her exam so he could sign her work form.

He went through his usual routine of questions: any headaches? Dizzy spells? Nausea?...

"Ever been stabbed? Cut?" he had noticed that type of scarring on her body ever since her arrival. Had she been anyone else, he would have asked sooner. But he figured she'd tell him in her own time. Only she never did.

All her answers were no but Hawkeye didn't believe some of them. He then proceeded to stand up and walk out of Radar's room where he had done her exam semi privately...

"You... you didn't sign anything," Arrow said.

"Answer the questions honestly and I might change my mind about you working today," he shot back.

Her refusal to correct everyone and open up to a family that wanted to accept her was about to bite her.

"Fine, I'll tell you..."

Hawkeye, who had already stepped through the doors to outside, came back in.

"Is this an 'I'll tell you' because you want to, or an 'I'll tell you' because you know I won't sign until you do?"

"Couldn't it be a little bit of both?... You didn't have Sydney here on an official capacity, so he didn't take notes. But someone from a nearby table must have been listening in until I said I lost my innocence because only half the story made it through the units."

Hawkeye came to sit in front of her like he did the first night she told him about this.

"No one had any choice but to believe rape with the term I used, and since I didn't correct anyone... it snowballed."

"But that's not what happened. Is it?"

She shook her head while answering. "I was stabbed. Multiple times... and beaten. Until then, I was a somewhat happy kid and teen. I had no idea there was someone out there who had so much against orphans that he was willing to kill them. I'm ecstatic that the guy was caught. Just wish no one had to be a victim the second it happened... and that's it. That's why I have these scars. I was stabbed and beaten within an inch of my life all because someone had a problem with orphans. Doesn't seem like that big a deal until it happens to you."

She couldn't think of any other way to explain it. As a minor, she wasn't allowed in the courtroom to hear the defense. Being unable to hear both sides of the issue, she never truly had closure. She only knew what her trial advocate told her.

"Why didn't you tell me this instead of letting me believe the same as everyone else?"

"It's a family matter, Dad. It's something that should be my choice to share, not a juicy piece of gossip that spreads faster than wildfire."

Hawkeye was over the moon that the gossip he'd heard about his daughter was false. But learning she could have been taken from him for a second time before he could be there for her nearly crushed him.

With her exam now complete, Hawkeye signed the form. The stabbing was the only question he didn't believe her answer. Once again, he got more than he bargained for.

How did she pass the psych eval with a literal near death experience like that? He wondered.

He didn't have time to keep asking himself that question as he went into post-Op to check on their aneurism patient. Since Charles was now leaving, this patient was no longer under the care of the visiting surgeon.