Finding The 4077th

It was a grey but dry day, with only grey clouds in the sky, the ground seemed so barren in Korea at this time. Everything seemed the same dull color of yellow, brown, and grey combined.

Hawkeye was pacing around, he was so nervous he almost climbed up the poles of the tent, Chris's potential original family was coming today. The Dutch embassy seemed very sure about this.

And he was going nuts. His mind was going crazy, about the what-ifs.

What if they wanted Chris?
What if Chris also wanted them?
What if the hypnosis doesn't work?
What if the family hates me or Chris?
What if they are just horrible people?

He didn't know at which time they would arrive and he was a nervous wreck. He also knew he needed to stay calm for Chris who was very nervous as well. But he couldn't help himself.

Christopher even cried this morning at breakfast because he didn't want to go to the latrine alone.

It already started the day before, Chris got extremely clingy, after they got the confirming phone call. He didn't leave Hawkeye's side, and he didn't want to be alone. Hawkeye couldn't even get the boy to sleep unless he was sleeping as well. Even at the movie that evening, Chris wanted Hawkeye to go with him to the other side of the mess hall to get something to drink for him and then get back.

Hawkeye just went along with it, he didn't know if he needed to be strong or understanding. He just let Chris set the lead. They will find out more tomorrow.

And now tomorrow has arrived.

They would be here today, today they would find out everything and help Chris find a way to deal with his trauma. He couldn't wait for Chris to start talking but they still had a long and difficult road ahead of them, if, of course, he was allowed to adopt Chris.

After the hypnosis, things would get worse and it would take a lot of work for Hawkeye and Chris to make things better.

And of course the adoption, that fact alone gave Hawkeye grey hairs.

After almost 6 months of waiting, he had enough.
He wanted to tell Chris he was Dad, and that he would protect him and help him. That they would go to the states together and Hawkeye would make sure Chris could be a normal kid. He always told Chris about helping and protecting him, but he wanted Chris and himself to know it would be for a lifetime and not just for now.

As he passed circles through the tent for the fourth time in a row. Trapper decided he had enough.

"Will you stop doing that, you're making me crazy." He said throwing down the magazine, he was reading while lounging on his cot, angrily.

"You will leave circles in the ground!" He spat out.
"Can't you find anything else to do? Or can't you do that somewhere other than here"

"No, I'm completely off duty today and tomorrow, Henry made sure of that. He says Sidney requested it. Which only gives me more time to get crazy about it."

Hawkeye said but he stopped pacing around, Trapper was right of course, but he needed to do something!

At least Chris could pretend to be working on his books. The child has been stuck on the same page the whole day already. But at least he had something.

Chris was a ball of nerves himself. He desperately wanted to be able to talk again but he didn't know if he was brave enough to face the memories bringing him so much pain and sadness.

He almost wished Sidney didn't come over, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Maybe he should hide somewhere, and just wait until they leave.