Finding The 4077th

Taking Control

Hawkeye turned Chris back to face him and got eye contact before he said. 

“Didn't I tell you, you would be punished if you wandered off” without waiting for a nod he continued. “I get that you are afraid and want to be close! But if you can read comic books at night, you can also go back to bed and sleep!” Hawkeye said sternly, he was still holding Chris's arm.

“I don't make empty threats, mister! Do I make myself clear?”

Chris quickly nodded, he was so sorry, he didn't want to behave badly and disappoint Hawkeye, the man who started to mean everything to him. He just forgot to be scared for a moment and the comic book looked swell. He only looked at a couple of pages and didn't hear the man come in.

Hawkeye sighed, he didn't like to discipline his kid, but he would, he'd have to if Chris kept misbehaving. And he only gave a light swat to the boy's shorts, he knew he needed to be gentle with Chris. Hawkeye was glad nobody was around except for the patients, it wouldn't matter anyway because a child getting smacked in public was common. Especially if it was just a smack on the trousers. But Chris already seemed so embarrassed.

If Chris was his normal 10-year-old kid, he wouldn't have hesitated to give one or even two harder smacks, but of course, Chris was a traumatized child and seemed emotionally younger than he should be, which was normal Sidney explained in one of his letters, Chris his mind was blocked and therefore had missed some time to grow and develop, while his body didn't have that problem. He will grow out of it if they get him stable enough.

Knowing he made an impact on Chris, who seemed like his world was collapsing at the moment, he decided Chris had enough. He sighed, and put his arms around the softly crying boy and held him tight.

“It's okay kiddo. I'm not mad anymore and I still love you. I promise.” He gives the boy a kiss on his head. He felt the crying more than he heard it, Chris always cried silently or he tried to at least. Hawkeye caressed the small back and felt the crying getting less.

“So do you want to go back to bed or do you want to stay with me during my rounds?” Hawkeye asked when he noticed Chris calmed down.  

After nodding they went to the patients. Chris stayed no further than a foot away from the doctor the whole night, even after Hawkeye kept saying he could go sit down if he wanted. It almost caused some concern for the doctor but the next day Chris was back to normal, so it was just a side reaction of being punished. 

Getting his attention back to the present he noticed Father Mulcahy standing next to him.

“How's it going?” The man asked. Instead of answering Hawkeye wiped the sweat off his forehead off the man's shoulder. He had both his hands in a patient at the moment. 

“The lord helps in one way or another”  The Priest said with a smile.

The daylight almost burned Chris's eyes when he and Hawkeye left the O.R.

“Hello, you beautiful day.” Hawkeye stood there with wide arms basking in the sunlight. It has been a long session in the O.R. and he was beat! The other doctors also emerged from the building.

Frank of course started a big argument, which got the other doctors outraged and they started speaking loud, back and forth to each other.

Chris couldn't understand, they were going too fast and he only knew the simple sentences. They didn't seem to need him though, so that's okay, he would just wait. 

Radar emerged out of nowhere, to talk to the Colonel. It took the smaller man some time to be heard, but he managed after a while, and finally showed the man the message from Hammond.