M*A*S*H 4077 By Taylor Froelich and Sammi Simonar

Day 8: M*A*S*H Compound, Post-Op, 0830 Hours

Day 8: M*A*S*H Compound, Post-Op, 0830 Hours

The next morning after an inedible breakfast in the mess hall, Hawkeye and B.J. went to talk to Colonel Potter, and Jess headed into post-op to visit her cousin.

"Hey Dalli," Jess said as she sat on the edge of her cousin's cot.

"Hey Jess," Dalli greeted her cousin.

"Jess," Dalli said after a slight pause, "You should get the bandage changed on your arm."

"I know. Hawkeye said he was going to look at it and that it might be almost completely healed," Jess says, a little excited because if she was getting better that meant that Dalli was too most likely.

"Lucky you," Dalli says sarcastically, "but I'm still tied down like an animal," she adds grumpily.

Just then Colonel Potter comes into post-op, followed by Hawkeye and B.J.

"Good news, Dalli. You get those restraining straps off today, Colonel Potter approved," B.J. says as Hawkeye takes Jess aside to change the bandage on her arm.

"You're kidding, right? I thought I was too dangerous," Dalli says sarcastically, not really believing them. She'd been held down by the restraining straps for two days since she had woken up from her concussion, and didn't expect the doctors would take them off anytime soon.

"No but there are some conditions," Colonel Potter started.

Dalli sighed and rolled her eyes, she knew that a whole new set of restrictions was coming her way.

"First off, no more acting up," Colonel Potter said sternly. "This is still the army, you need to do what you're told, no objections. You're on bed rest for at least another week, and I expect you to cooperate with me and any other doctors or nurses," he continues listing her restrictions.

Dalli sighed and said sarcastically, "I get the point, dad. Now will you get these stupid things off of me?" she asks, irritated, gesturing to the elastic straps still stretched across her body, pinning her to the cot.

Hawkeye, at Dalli's sarcastic use of the word 'dad', turns his attention to her from re-bandaging Jess's arm. He still hadn't told the girls that he was their uncle. Dalli's father had been Pierce's brother, and Jess's mom his sister.

Colonel Potter sighs and gives Dalli a stern look before Hunnicutt helps him take off the straps.

Dalli immediately sits up, stretching, and says, "Geez, I feel like a zombie rising from the grave. I thought you guys were doctors, you're not supposed to kill me."

Jess grins and goes back over by her cousin now that Pierce had finished re-bandaging her arm, Dalli was always in a much better mood when she got her way.

"Hawk, you gotta tell them," B.J. whispers.

"I know, but I'm just worried about their reactions," Hawkeye answered in hushed tones.

Jess herself knew that Hawkeye looked familiar but she couldn't place where she had seen him before.

To Hawkeye, Jess looked like his sister, her mom, but she didn't act like her at all. I have to tell them soon, Hawkeye thought to himself as he checked on the other patients.

"Dalli, do you think Winchester will leave me alone?" Jess asked her cousin.

Dalli shrugged and answered, "I don't know, he might, he might not."

Jess sighed as she looked at her arm.

"I promise, if he comes within a twenty foot radius, I'll kill him," Dalli says, and she meant it, for the most part.

"Dalli," Jess started, glancing at her cousin before her gaze returned to Hawkeye, "Is it just me or have we seen Hawkeye before?"

"Which one is that again?" Dalli asks, having only been awake for two days and still having a concussion, she kept getting the doctor's mixed up.

"The one with the black hair, over there," Jess says, pointing to Pierce who is talking to Major Houlihan.

"Don't ask me, I'm the one with the head injury. It seems like I can't remember anything anymore," Dalli says, first sarcastic and then telling the truth.

Jess glances at her cousin worriedly, after Dalli's injury she had noticed that her cousin hadn't been acting quite like herself.

Dalli groans and leans back against the pillows.

"I can't believe I have to stay in this stupid bed for another week. I seriously think the muscles in my legs are starting to atrophy," Dalli says sarcastically.

"Someone knows big words," B.J. commented with a chuckle having heard what Dalli said.

"And someone knows how to denigrate people just because they don't seem as smart as he assumed," Dalli retorted.

B.J. looked surprised that she had talked back to him like that, but he didn't say anything.