A/n: Written for @Adrian_Cory. Hope you like it. Sorry it took so long I just wanted to do a good job!
TW: Blood, surgery, all the stuff associated with M*A*S*H. A bit of language and unintentional transphobia.
(Y/n's POV)
"It'll be just over this ridge." The pilot said to me, It startled me because we hadn't talked the whole trip. Once we came over the ridge I saw it. My home till the war ends or I get killed. I suddenly became very nervous. I mean, what if they find out? That doesn't only spell the end of my career, but it could mean broken bones, or worse.
I snapped out of my thoughts as we started to descend onto the "helipad" if you could call it that. There were four figures dressed in the normal green fatigues. They came clearer as we landed. One woman with shoulder-length blond hair. A short man with big round glasses. Another short man, he looked older than the others, and his hat said he was a colonel. And finally a very tall man. He seemed to have grown too fast and hunched over. He was sloppily dressed and had his hands shoved into his pockets. Did I mention that he was very attractive?
"First lieutenant (Y/n) (Y/l/n) reporting for duty!" I said saluting the colonel.
"At ease Lieutenant." He replied. "I am your commanding officer, Colonel Potter. This is head nurse Major Houlihan. This is Radar, the company clerk. Finally-"
"Hi. They call me Hawkeye." The tall, handsome man said, holding out his hand. I shook it and was barely able to keep eye contact for the duration.
Colonel Potter then led the way back into camp to show me around.
"You will be sleeping with the other doctors in here." He explained.
"Oh, goodie! We get to be roomies!" Hawkeye said as I placed my bag down on my cot.
We then lost Hawkeye, and Houlihan as the tour continued.
Colonel Potter was the one one who knew about my, situation, so I was thankful.
"Colonel, if you don't mind me asking, but where may I change?" I asked sheepishly.
"Ah right. Thank you for reminding me. There is a storage room connected to the operating theater that you may use to get into your scrubs. Otherwise, you must change in your tent."
"All due respect colonel, I don't think I can do that."
"We are doing the best with what we have but we do not have the facilities to cater to your every need, lieutenant."
At this point, I read the room and decided I could figure it out on my own.
"Choppers." Radar said from behind me.
It made me jump again because I forgot he was there.
"I don't hear any choppers," I said confused.
"Give it a second," the colonel said, turning to look at the ridge I had flown over. Sure enough four choppers came screaming into sight. Colonel Potter turned at me and winked as he hurried off to meet the choppers. I followed him up the same hill and grabbed the first patient I could. Hawkeye grabbed the other end of the stretcher and led the way down to the operating theater.
Once we got down to the theater I quickly found the storage room and changed into my scrubs.
I rushed out and started on what would turn into a five-hour stint of surgery.
"How was that for your first day?" Hawkeye asked as we got washed up.
"Pretty awful, in so many ways," I said staring as the blood ran off my arm and down the drain.
"I wish I could tell you it gets better. It doesn't. The nightmares should subside in a week or two though." He said quietly.
"Phenomenal," I said handing my bloodied scrubs to the nurse.
I walked out into the now evening air to walk around camp a bit before bed.
"I can finish the tour if you would like."
I jumped not expecting Hawkeye to be next to me.
"Sure, that would be nice."
We walked around, and Hawkeye showed me the showers, latrines, the colonel's horse, etc...
Finally, we got back to the swamp. I was nervous because it was going to be the first time I was going to meet my other tent mates. If they were anything like what Hawkeye described I might be in for it.
Hawkeye opened the door for me and I walked in to see a blond-haired man with a mustache and an older, balding man.
"Ah! You must be (Y/n)!" The blond-haired one. He stood up and stretched out his hand. "The name is B.J. Hunnicutt." I shook his hand and walked over to my cot.
"I am Charles Emmerson Winchester III." The other man said, holding out his hand as well.
I shook his hand as well and took a seat on my cot. I pulled off my boots and laid back to read my book. I pulled out my favorite book "Orlando." I had read it at least a hundred times from cover to cover.
"I've never heard of that book before," Charles said as I started to read.
"Pretty new, one of my favorites though," I said looking at him over the cover.
"What is it about?" He asked. I took in a small breath. No one ever asked what it was about.
"It's about a woman's exploration of what it truly means to be a woman," I explained vaguely.
Charles nodded then turned back to his own book.
"You should let me borrow it sometime."
"Yeah, maybe," I said and tried to go back to reading and ignore the other three.
I was awoken the next morning to off-key bugle music. I threw on my boots and decided to go for a shower. I threw my towel over my shoulder and grabbed my razor.
"Are you going to take a shower?" Hawkeye asked.
"Yep," I said as I walked out the door.
"Wait up a second and I'll come with you." I stopped to wait for him outside the swamp. My fear started to set in a little. I mean there were ways of hiding my secret under layers of a military uniform. But in a shower, kinda difficult to hide anything in the shower.
Hawkeye appeared a moment later, cheery as ever. We made our way over to the showers. There was only one thing I could think of doing. Waiting for Hawkeye to finish. Make up a bullshit story of being embarrassed.
We walked into the showers and I set my stuff down.
"Aren't you going to get in? Better hurry before all the hot water is gone." He said stepping into one of the stalls.
"Maybe in a bit, this is a bit embarrassing," I said.
"Ah, first-time jitters, I get it. Better to just get it over with." He said turning to look at me.
"Nah I'm okay-"
"Come on, I won't look, promise." He said, flashing that attractive smile of his.
"Okay fine, I guess you're right," I said.
I quickly got undressed and hopped into the shower. It was nice to have a hot shower.
As I was showering I got a strange feeling of being watched. I turned to see Hawkeye staring at me. Not necessarily in an angry way but in utter confusion.
"You're a woman?" He asked.
I quickly got out of the shower and dried off. I took care of my chest and got dressed again.
"I am not a woman Hawkeye, and you promised not to fucken look," I said grabbing my stuff and walking out the door. I dropped my stuff off on my cot, grabbed my book, and walked off to find somewhere private.
This was not supposed to be how it happened. If I wanted him to know I would have told him myself. I was foolish to let him talk me into getting into that show, I just, trusted him. And look what it got me.
I tried to forget it and fell into my book again. Twilight fell before I was interrupted. It was Hawkeye.
I looked up at him then went immediately back to my bed.
"That book, Orlando, I've read it. It's about a man who becomes a woman because that is who she really is." He said as he looked down at me.
I dog-eared my page and looked up at him.
"I'm sorry I stared at you. I just, I have never met someone who is transgender." He said looking away and out at the trees.
"I understand," I whispered. "But you did promise. Not to look that is."
"I, I know I did. I couldn't help it. You are just so-" He cut himself off and shoved his hands in his pocket.
"I am just so what? Ugly, horrible, freakish." I said standing up to look him in the face.
"Beautiful. You are just so beautiful." He said looking me dead in the eyes. "From the second I saw you I knew I wanted to get to know you. Everything about you, and if being transgender is part of you, then I want to understand."
It was my turn to stare at him.
"R-Really?" I stuttered out.
He nodded then looked away again.
"I thought you were beautiful too. " I said sheepishly.
A small smile spread across his face. With a burst of confidence, I leaned forward and connected our lips. Hawkeye's hand came up and rested on my cheek.
"I didn't take you for a queer." I joked, punching his arm when we pulled apart.
"Most people don't." He said quietly rubbing his thumb across my cheekbone.
"Now come on. If we are late to supper Chef will make us go hungry." He started walking back toward camp and I followed.
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A/n: #15! I hope you all, liked this one because I absolutely adore it.