M*A*S*H Page #5

LIEUTENANT SCORCH

Second pint.

HAWKEYE:

Duke...

Duke has just examined a patient. He takes a step towards

Hawkeye.

HAWKEYE:

This kid's ready but we won't know

all the damage till we get in and

see what's happened. What have you

got?

DUKE:

Nothing can't wait. Shall we check

it out with the Major?

He indicates a Major who is standing a short distance away,

looking like a boss but not actually doing anything. Also in

Admitting Ward are, Murrhardt, Lieutenant Dish, PFC Seidman,

Corporal Judson.

HAWKEYE:

Naw, I already found out. The only

thing he doesn't like about being in

charge is making decisions.

TIME LAPSE:

INT. OPERATING ROOM – NIGHT

NOTE:
All principal cast should be available for all operating

scenes.

There are three operations going on at once. Here all

personnel wear white caps and masks and it is hard to identify

individuals except that at close range we can distinguish

Hawkeye by his glasses and Duke by his eyes and his build.

They are working together with great efficiency and an

instinctive collaboration that seems to require no verbal

exchange. What we see them do, without necessarily recognizing

the portion of anatomy involved, is to cut out a section of

bowel damaged by a shell fragment, and start sewing the

divided ends together.

TIME LAPSE:

INT. OPERATING ROOM – NIGHT

Hawkeye and Duke are working together on the last stages of

a leg amputation. This time there is no doubt about the

surgical process we are watching; we see the almost severed

leg and the process of controlling bleeding; then the limb

is actually separated from its stump and handed by Duke to a

corpsman. Hawkeye speaks to the nurse standing behind him.

HAWKEYE:

Hot pack.

Watching her dip the pack into a warm solution and wring it

out, he recognizes, despite cap and mask, that it is

Lieutenant Dish. His eyes linger on hers for a brief moment.

TIME LAPSE:

EXT. OUTSIDE OPERATING ROOM – NIGHT

Lieutenant Dish comes out of the Operating Room, tears in

her eyes, trying to control her sobs, and moves just outside

the circle of light from the fixture over the entrance. There,

no longer under observation, she lets herself cry. Hawkeye

comes out the door, registers surprise at the sight of her

just as if he hadn't followed her out. He moves to her side

and puts a comforting arm around her.

She looks up just long enough to see who it is, then buries

her head on his shoulder as his other arm goes around her.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

Isn't this ridiculous, Doctor? Six

months I've been here and there are

still times when I can't stand it. I

just go to pieces.

HAWKEYE:

There's nothing ridiculous about it.

(turns her face up to

his)

A kid like you...

She doesn't move her head from the way he has arranged it,

and her lips are very close to his. He kisses her and it

turns out, from the ardent way she responds, that's what she

wanted him to do.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

Thank you, Captain Pierce.

(her voice full of

need)

It's been so long.

HAWKEYE:

No trouble at all.

(then)

Hawkeye.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

How did you get called that?

HAWKEYE:

'The Last of the Mohicans.' Only

book my father ever read.

He kisses her again and again she clings to him.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

You're getting a workout, you and

Captain Forrest, your first night.

HAWKEYE:

It isn't always this rough?

LIEUTENANT DISH:

Oh, no. We have dull stretches every

week or so, thank God, when there's

nothing to do after midnight.

HAWKEYE:

They don't have to be dull. I mean

if you and me put our minds

together...

LIEUTENANT DISH:

Our minds?

HAWKEYE:

For a start. I just have a hunch...

well, it isn't entirely a hunch...

LIEUTENANT DISH:

You're an attractive man.

HAWKEYE:

You have a certain modest charm

yourself.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

(continuing her own

thoughts)

But I'm married.

HAWKEYE:

Something else we have in common.

LIEUTENANT DISH:

Very happily married.

HAWKEYE:

Same here.

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