Athena Project [ M*A*S*H ]

O*N*E

Friday - March 21, 1952

Kimpo Air Base, Seoul, South Korea

She knew that as soon as she set foot in the Officers' Club, the disapproving glances would start. Nellie was no stranger to judgement. Being one of the extremely few female surgeons in the United States invited rude glances. Here in Kimpo, as long as she kept her profession under wraps, she could pass as a nurse. That would help some.

The sun had just risen about an hour ago, the same time she stepped off her flight from Tokyo. As she left the cool, breezy outdoors and stepped into the small, dark "O" Club, she stood still. A gentle korean voice hummed over the radio. To her left, the clinking of glasses signaled the bartender preparing for the day.

"One scotch." Nellie slid onto a bar stool. As the bartender reached for her drink, she looked around. Three other officers sat around the bar. Two shared a table in the corner, and another sat at the other end of the bar.

With a quick glance at her watch, she figured she had time for just this drink. Her ride to the 4077th was arriving in ten minutes. The scotch burned ever so slightly as it went down and she smiled. Nothing quite like the bite of scotch.

Nellie continued to sip on her drink as the minutes passed. The Officers' Club remained quiet, with the hum of the radio in the background the only real noise. Over at the other end of the bar, the colonel that Nellie had seen was now watching her carefully. She ventured a glance at him, raised her glass to her lips, and drank while turning away. She had no interest in catching his interest.

The watch on her wrist read 7:30. Nellie quickly paid her tab and made her way out into the air base compound. She held a suitcase in each hand. A few jeeps drove to and fro. Only two weeks into her stay in the East and she was already beginning to tire of olive drab.

As she stood looking around for nothing in particular, a jeep drove up in front of the Officers' Club. The man in the jeep looked around her before finally venturing his question when he seemed to notice her Major's clusters. "You wouldn't happen to be Major O'Hara would you?"

"That's me. Major Nellie O'Hara, surgeon." After a moment she smiled. "You seem to be expecting someone else."

He saluted. "Pardon me, Major, but you're a lot prettier than we were expecting. I don't think I've ever heard of a woman surgeon in the Army." He hopped out of the jeep. Rounding the front, he held out a hand to take her bags. "Corporal Max Klinger, MASH 4077th Company Clerk."

Nellie handed Klinger one of her two bags. "Pleasure to meet you," she said. Together they put her suitcases in the back of the jeep. "So, company clerk eh? Any inside information you can give me about the unit before I show up?" She flashed him a smile. "I like to know what I'm getting into before I jump in."

"Ah if information is what you need, I'm your man," Klinger joked. As they both hopped into the jeep, he shook his head. "Enlisted men always know the ins and outs."