Athena Project [ M*A*S*H ]

S*E*V*E*N

A constant ache settled in the back of Nellie's head when she woke up the next morning. The alarm clock on her side table woke her at seven. She grabbed her towel and toiletries. Nothing like a shower to start the day. Nellie slipped on her olive drab undershirt and underwear before covering herself with her lilac bathrobe.

As she walked across the compound the brown and white dog she heard was named Irving trotted down the road. Nellie cracked a smile. Thankfully the showers were unoccupied. She relished the touch of the warm water. After a good ten minutes and a much needed hair wash, she dried off and made her way back across camp.

She tried to wring her hair out as much as she could. Once she had clean fatigues on, she went to breakfast. Powdered eggs, toast, and coffee were plopped onto her tray. She ate quickly. Then she went to find Klinger.

Nellie slipped into the clerical office. Klinger sat at his desk on the phone, sweet talking someone into getting them a hundred extra specimen bottles. Glancing up at her, he nodded.

"You get me those specimen bottles, and I'll see that you get fifty rolls of the best toilet paper." He grinned. "Yeah. Yeah. Right. Talk to you later." The phone call ended. Klinger turned to Nellie. "What can I do for you Major?"

Nellie smirked. Folding her arms, she walked over to his desk and leaned against the side. "I need a favor. And it has to stay just between us."

"Speak and it shall be yours."

"Yesterday I was reminded that April first is rapidly approaching." She saw his face light up. With a glance around them, she lowered her voice. "I have an idea. But I need some soap."

"Soap?" Klinger looked at her in concern. "If the joke is making Hawkeye bathe, you'd need more than just soap."

Nellie laughed. She shook her head. "No. All I need from you is three bars of the soap we all use around here. The rest is up to me."

"Three bars of soap? Consider them yours. I thought you were going to have a real challenge for me!"

"Thanks, Klinger. You can leave them in my tent. But don't tell anyone!"

With a quick smile, Nellie left the office and made her way into Post Op. Ten of the beds were occupied. Most of the men lay quietly, staring up at the ceiling. A few of the less serious cases sat eating breakfast. One young man lay reading a Superman comic.

Kellye sat at the nurse's desk. Yawning, she glanced up at Nellie. "Good morning, doctor!"

"Morning," said Nellie. She moved some damp strands of hair out of her face. Leaning against the wall, she looked around. "It's peaceful in here."

"Only until Hawkeye shows up."

Nellie laughed. She shook her head. Before she could respond, however, the man in question entered Post Op from the other door.

"Good morning, gents and germs," he sing-songed. "Lie at attention. Be ready for inspection!" When Hawkeye caught sight of Nellie, he made his way over. He became more serious. "Anything of note, Kellye?"

"No, doctor. Everyone's been normal. Private Greene is still unconscious, but his pulse and pressure are regular." Kellye moved over to the first bed near the desk.

Private Charlie Greene. Nellie looked at him. His freckled face was framed by sandy blonde hair. A set of bandages had been wrapped around his chest. He'd been Hawkeye's first patient.

"Right. Good." He picked up Greene's chart and looked at it. Then he showed it to Nellie. "The charts are pretty simple. It's the kind of thing you'd see in a trauma ward back home. Keep them updated during your shifts." Then he turned to Kellye. "Kellye you can go. Get some sleep. Margaret's busy doing something for the Colonel. We'll bring her up to speed."