Burns Family Saga

[captain-lubey.livejournal.com]

Title: Daughter To Father
Author: captain_lubey
Rating: E
Disclaimer: I don’t own MASH
Author’s Notes: This is a five part mini series based around the Burns family. Each part will include a small fic from each person’s POV. Part 3 Loretta
Summary: Song fic, Frank’s youngest daughter is waiting for a letter from her daddy all the way from Korea.

I wait for the postman to bring me a letter
I wait for the good Lord to make me feel better

Loretta Burns sat on the front porch of her home eagerly awaiting the mail. She was hoping to get a letter from her daddy since she hadn’t heard from him in almost two months.
The sound of a motor in the distance made the seven-year-old look up but to her disappointment it was only the neighbour’s car driving past. Loretta sighed and rested her head in her hands once again. Her daddy had gone to war seven months ago and she missed him terribly.

And I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders
Family in crisis that only grows older

*flashback*
Loretta poured herself a glass of milk and downed it in three gulps. After navigating through the dark kitchen to get to the sink she heard the sound of keys rattling in the distance.
Abandoning her glass, Loretta carefully walked through the lounge room into the entrance hall where her daddy was trying desperately to be quiet.
Loretta approached her father apprehensively. ‘Daddy?’
Her daddy jumped a mile in the air and hissed at Loretta through his teeth.
‘Shh you’ll wake your mother.’
Loretta noticed that her daddy smelt of perfume and not the kind her mummy wore.
‘Daddy, why were you late?’
Loretta’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness and she could see her daddy’s blue eyes narrowing.
‘I had to work late Amelia now go to bed it’s midnight.’
Loretta frowned and felt extremely hurt. ‘But daddy I’m not-‘
‘Good night, Amelia.’
Noting the finality in her daddy’s voice Loretta hung her head and trudged upstairs desperately trying to ignore the tears that had begun to fall.

Why'd you have to go?
Why'd you have to go?
Why'd you have to go?

‘Girls, I have something to tell you.’
Loretta and her sisters gave Daddy their full attention.
‘In two weeks I’m going to Korea to fight communism.’
Loretta’s eldest sister Elizabeth raised her eye brows. ‘Are you going to die, dad?’
Daddy surveyed Elizabeth for a moment. ‘I’m not going to lie to you Elizabeth, it is very dangerous and I might not come home.’
Loretta didn’t like that at all. If Daddy died than she would never be able to get to know him better. Loretta always felt that when she got older her daddy would pay more attention to her like he did Elizabeth and Amelia. She supposed it was only fair, they were older than her.
‘Please don’t go daddy.’ Begged Loretta.
Daddy frowned. ‘Loretta that is not very patriotic. What have I taught you about communism?’
Loretta sighed. ‘It’s the Red Meanie.’
Daddy sighed this time but in exasperation. ‘No, it’s the Red Menace. Can’t you get anything right?’
Mummy frowned. ‘Shut up Frank.’
Daddy was silent after that.

Daughter to father, daughter to father
I am broken but I am hoping
Daughter to father, daughter to father
I am crying, a part of me is dying and
These are, these are
The confessions of a broken heart

*end flashback*
Loretta continued to stare up the empty street hoping for some sign of the mail truck. She sighed and began playing with the gold bracelet on her left wrist. Daddy had sent it to Loretta for Christmas. He told her that he bought it in a place called Seoul.
The package had arrived two weeks late but Mummy had said that was because overseas mail was incredibly slow.
‘Loretta, why are you sitting out here by yourself?’
Loretta looked up into the face of her sister Amelia. She looked so much like Daddy that it was rather painful to face her.
‘I’m waiting for the mail.’ Replied Loretta.
‘Do you miss Dad?’ asked Amelia.
Loretta nodded and proceeded once again to look up the street.

I wear all your old clothes, the old polo sweater
I dream of another you the one who would never
Never leave me alone to pick up the pieces
A daddy to hold me, that’s what I needed

*flashback*
Loretta awoke with a start. Her dream had been very unusual. Daddy had been shot in the head and sent home to get better. When he got home he had a different personality a bit like the Captain Pierce Daddy kept complaining about in his letters to Mummy.
What had scared Loretta was the fact that she had liked her new daddy better than the old one.
The seven-year-old climbed out of bed and went to her chest of drawers. Loretta opened the top draw and took out one of Daddy’s shirts before getting back into bed.
Loretta held the shirt close and inhaled the scent of starch, lint and the faintest hint of her Daddy’s after shave. She missed him terribly and holding his shirt made her feel as though he were near. Loretta closed her blue eyes against the blur of tears that threatened to fall and went back to sleep.

So why'd you have to go?
Why'd you have to go?
Why'd you have to go?

*end flashback*
Loretta looked down the road again and saw with great delight that the mail truck was turning into her street. Her face broke into a smile and she practically leapt of the porch and down to the side walk.

Daughter to father, daughter to father
I don’t know you, but I still want to
Daughter to father, daughter to father
Tell me the truth, did you ever love me
Cause these are, these are
The confessions of a broken heart
Of a broken heart

*flashback*
The airport was bustling with departing soldiers and civilians. Loretta watched as Daddy kissed Mummy on the lips and gave her a hug. The seven-year-old was trying to stop herself from crying. She planned on giving Daddy a huge hug for the road.
Daddy kissed Elizabeth and Amelia on the cheeks and when he got to Loretta she launched herself onto him in an affectionate hug.
‘I’m gonna miss you, Daddy.’
Daddy pet Loretta on the head and when she stopped hugging him he kissed her briefly on the cheek.
‘Bye girls.’ Daddy waved to his family and headed towards the terminal.
‘I love you, Daddy!’ Loretta cried after him but she never got a response.

I love you, I love you
I love you, I, I love you,
Daughter to father
Daughter to father
I don’t know you
But I still want to
Daughter to father
Daughter to father
Tell me the truth
Did you ever love me?
Did you ever love me?
These are... the confessions of a broken heart

Ohhhh... yeah

*end flashback*
The mail truck got closer and Loretta found herself getting rather excited at the prospect of finally getting a letter from Daddy.
But to her dismay, the mail truck did not stop at the Burns’s house. It kept going until it stopped the next house.
The youngest Burns sighed heavily. ‘I guess he has forgotten about me.’
Loretta turned and made her way back to the house slowly.
In the entrance hall she picked up the black and white photo of her Daddy and threw it on the floor.
‘Happy birthday…Frank.’

And I wait for the postman to bring me a letter 

The song I used was Confessions of a Broken Heart by Lindsay Lohan