FIC: Requiem

[pharis.livejournal.com]

Title: Requiem

Fandom: M*A*S*H

Word count: ~400

Author: Pharis

Date written: June 2007

Pairing: none

Rating: anyone

Disclaimer: Not mine, no money being made, yadda yadda yadda.

Notes: Written for the Yahoo MASH-Slash list 10-minute challenge, “Asleep.” Actually took more like 45 minutes, including some researching time.

 
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Requiem
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“Réquiem aeter ... aeternam dona ...”

Francis’s voice shook and he trailed off. He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm, tried to find that endless void of peace that should have filled him. Dear Jesus, he prayed silently, let me do this much for them. But his thoughts fell leaden inside his head. After a moment he removed the stole and turned away.

He sat down on the ruins of a water trough, facing away from the bombed orphanage. It was a lovely day, warm and clear, with perfect wisps of cloud drifting through an intensely blue sky. He stared blankly at the trees for some time, until he heard someone approaching diffidently.

“How you holding up, Father?” Francis turned his head to see Hawkeye standing at a little distance.

“Oh, thank you, Hawkeye. I’ll be back in a bit. I needed a moment to ... to collect myself.”

Hawkeye sat down next to him. “Margaret has the convoy just about ready. Two kids will be coming back to the hospital for a few days, but the others are all right.”

Francis nodded. “Yes, it could have been much worse. Thank God.” He sounded unconvincing to himself.

Hawkeye asked quietly, “What were their names, Father?”

“Haneul and Iseul were sisters. Yun Hee. Sang Min. Eun Mi was the baby.”

“And Sister Ellen.”

“It’s just ... Hawkeye, I’ve seen people die before. I’ve seen children die. And my faith tells me that they’re safe and well. They’re asleep in Christ and at peace and I’ll see them again someday.”

“Those people weren’t asleep.” Hawkeye sounded bitter. “Those people weren’t people any more. There was nothing peaceful about it.”

“They’re at peace,” Francis tried to say, but a rising sob strangled him. He took off his glasses, buried his face in his hands, and wept. Francis was embarrassed by the force of his sobs, the undignified violence of them, but Hawkeye rested a soft and undemanding hand on his shoulder and waited.

He surfaced after some endless time, surprised to see that the day was as bright and cheerful as ever. Hawkeye’s eyes were red-rimmed and wet too. Almost in unison they drew a deep sighing breath. They would go in a moment, and Francis knew he could finish his prayers now.

“How does it go, Father? ‘Requiesat in pace ...?’”

They recited it together, Hawkeye’s imperfect Latin stumbling along behind Francis’s voice, which was calm and steady now.

“Réquiem aeternam dona eis Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat eis. Requiéscant in pace.

“Amen.”

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