Time
In The Hills
by Am-Chau Yarkona (amchau@popullus.net)
The
river is up in the hills, a mile or so away from camp. He'll see the choppers
when they come.
Hawkeye
doesn't know for sure if he's closer to the enemy up here or not: what matters
is that he's alone, and the river flows cold and actually wet. The Swamp's
become a desert in Korea's summer heat, the showers have stopped flowing, and
the last time he had a wash was when Charles dumped the dregs of a coffee mug
over him in jest.
He
strips off, says a quick prayer to a God he doesn't believe in, just in case
that'll stop someone wandering by and pinching everything, and splashes into the
water.
Hawkeye
isn't an elegant swimmer. From his vantage point in the tree, BJ watches,
suspecting from time to time that Hawkeye's style is not only scaring the fish
but irrigating the entire neighbourhood.
It's
a pleasant sight all the same—Hawkeye, relaxed, enjoying himself and the water
in a way they rarely have time to—but BJ steels himself and puts his plan into
action regardless. A further chance to see Hawkeye naked can only be worth the
effort, after all.