AFTER GOOD-BYE
This story takes place right after 'Good-bye, Farewell & Amen'.
July 30, 1953 – Kimpo Air Base - Korea
It was 6:00 a.m. Captain Hawkeye Pierce sat on a bench outside a hanger at the Kimpo Airport waiting for his flight back to the states. The war was finally over and after three years in hell, he was going home at last. He started thinking about all the things he missed about home, his father, his friends, hot and cold running water and lobster. Great big juicy lobster. His thoughts of home were interrupted by the sound of someone calling his name. "Captain Pierce, Captain B.F. Pierce."
"I'm Pierce." Hawkeye stood up. "What can I do for you, Corporal."
"This just came for you, sir." The eager Corporal handed Hawkeye a piece of paper.
"What's this?" Hawkeye took the paper from the Corporal and looked at it with disbelief.
"Orders from I-corp. They need you at the 8063rd."
"This is some kind of joke! You can't be serious." Hawkeye shook his head in disbelief. "Corporal, in case you hadn't heard, the war is over."
"No joke, sir. There are still some minor skirmishes going on in the area and they're expecting heavy casualties. They need a surgeon and you're it. There's a chopper waiting over there." The corporal pointed in the direction of a chopper that was waiting to take off.
A Lieutenant walked up to Hawkeye and saluted. "Are you Pierce?"
"Yeah." Hawkeye looked at the Lieutenant and saluted with a wave of his fingers.
"Sir, your plane is ready to leave."
"Thank you, Lieutenant." Hawkeye picked up his bags. "Corporal, you can tell I-Corp for me that they can take their orders and stuff it. I'm going home." He shouted. "It's not enough that I have spent three years of my life in this Hell Hole. Now they want to send me back." He paused. "No, sir. You can tell I-Corp they can find someone else." That said, he walked toward the waiting airplane.
"But Captain Pierce," the corporal shouted after him but Hawkeye ignored him and kept walking. He was halfway to the plane when he stopped. He knew that he couldn't go, not with wounded on the way. No matter how much he hated Korea and the army for sending him there, he was a doctor above all else and he knew that if he didn't go, those soldiers could die. "Corporal," he shouted as he turned and walked toward the waiting chopper, "I need you to send a telegram for me?"
"Yes, sir"
"To Dr. Daniel Pierce – Crabapple Cove, Maine. Dear Dad. Stop. Departure delayed. Stop. Will call soon. Stop. Your son, Hawkeye. Stop." Hawkeye looked up at the corporal. "You got that?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, send it as soon as you can." He climbed into the chopper and off he went to return to the nightmare he had just left.
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During the short flight to the 8063rd Hawkeye wasn't thinking about going home but about the one person he thought he would never see again, Margaret Houlihan. He smiled slightly at the thought of seeing her. It had only been a day since they had said good-bye at the 4077th but it seemed like an eternity. He had tried not to think about her, tried not to think about how much he cared about her. He kept telling himself they were friends and only friends. But he knew that wasn't true. He had feelings for her that ran much deeper than friendship. He loved her. He had loved her for a long time. Ever since that night they spent together in that burned out hut. Damn! He thought to himself. We're friends and that's all we will ever be. He tried thinking about other things like his father and home but everything brought him back to her. So he just sat there and watched the landscape below fly by.
"How much further, Lieutenant?" He finally asked the pilot.
"No far, sir. The 8063rd is just over the next hill." The pilot responded. "We should be landing in just a few minutes."
Hawkeye continued to watch below. As they flew over the hill he could see the chopper pad and the camp compound of the 8063rd. As they got closer, Hawkeye saw a jeep waiting and the commanding officer, Colonel William Harrison, siting in the driver's seat. The chopper landed and he climbed out of the chopper with his bags. He walked over to the jeep ducking his head down to avoid the chopper blades.
"Hawkeye! " The Colonel was surprised to see him. "What are you doing here? You're the last person I expected to see get off that chopper."
"How ya doing, Colonel." Hawkeye shook the Colonel's hand. He had worked with Colonel Harrison a couple of times over the past three years. "I heard you were having a little after the war party and since I was in the neighborhood, I thought I would drop in." Hawkeye said in his usual sarcastic tone. He threw his bags in the jeep and climbed in.
"Same old Hawkeye." The Colonel laughed. "I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor." The Colonel climbed in the driver's seat and drove them down to the camp.
"I heard you were expecting casualties." Hawkeye said as the Colonel stopped the jeep in front of the office.
"Yea, and lots of them." The Colonel sighed and then climbed out of the jeep.
"How soon?" Hawkeye inquired as he jumped out of the jeep and grabbed his bags.
"Anytime. Actually, the wounded started coming in last night. I think I-Corp forgot to tell someone that the war is over. They've been fighting in the hills all day." Colonel Harrison escorted Hawkeye to his office.
"You know what I think. I think the whole thing was a practical joke that MacArthur played on the Chinese and we just got caught in it." Hawkeye sat down and put his feet up on the Colonel's desk.
"Sorry to drag you back here Hawkeye, but we're short-handed. I'm the only surgeon."
"I don't understand. Where's Charles? He should have been here two days ago."
"He's gone." The Colonel sat down.
"He's what?" Hawkeye put his feet on the floor and leaned forward toward the Colonel's desk. He couldn't believe what he had heard.
"He left for home yesterday morning before the casualties started arriving."
"That's just great, everybody gets to go home but me!" Hawkeye said angrily as he stood up.
"Not everybody." A familiar voice said.
Hawkeye turned and look behind him in disbelief. "Beej, what are you doing here?"
"The same as you, I'm guessing." He said as he dropped his bags on the floor. "What's going on here, Colonel?" BJ sat down. "I was all ready to board a plane for home, for the second time I might add, when this eager little Corporal came running up to me with an invitation to a surgery party." BJ paused. "I don't know what the hell's going on here."
"I understand how you feel Hunnicut, but there is nothing I can do about it." The Colonel sighed. "Now, why don't you two take your stuff to the surgeons tent and then meet me back in post-op."
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"Do you believe that Charles? We get sent back here and he gets sent home." Hawkeye opened the tent door and threw his stuff on the first bunk. "You know, we're never going to get out of here." He started ranting in his usual manner. "They declare a cease fire but we're still here. They tell us we can go home, but we're still here. This is never going to end." He sat down on the bunk. "I was THIS close to getting out of here!"
"You, what about me?" BJ threw his bag on the floor and sat down on his bunk. "I was almost out of here for the second time. At this rate, Erin will be a teenager before I see her again." BJ put his head in his hands.
Hawkeye gave himself an imaginary kick. No matter how much he missed his father, it couldn't compare to how much BJ missed Erin. He had missed out on Erin's entire lifetime. "Beej, I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you. Is there anything I can do?" He felt badly for his friend.
"No, but thanks. How about you? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I sent my dad a telegram from Kimpo to let him know I wasn't coming home and I'll try calling him later." Hawkeye looked outside at the people walking by.
BJ watched Hawkeye for a minute or two. He knew that Hawkeye wasn't thinking about his father. It was obvious he was thinking about Margaret. Every time someone walked by the tent he knew Hawkeye was looking to see if it was her. "Have you seen her yet?"
"Seen who yet?" Hawkeye asked and pretended to not know who he was talking about.
"Come on Hawk." BJ looked at him. "You don't have to pretend with me."
Hawkeye knew that it was useless to try to avoid talking about her. So he sighed in defeat and answered. "No, not yet." He stood up and walked around. "What am I going to do?" He sat back down. "I honestly didn't expect to see her again."
"I still say you should tell her how you feel."
BJ was right and Hawkeye knew it. He should tell her, but how? He thought to himself for a moment then looked around at the olive drab tent. It looked nothing like 'The Swamp'. Hawkeye slapped his knees and jumped to his feet. "You know what this place needs?" He was desperate to change the subject.
"Ah, new drapes? BJ went along. He knew Hawkeye didn't want to talk about Margaret.
"No." Hawkeye looked at BJ in that devilish way he had and laughed as he always did when he had a prank on his mind.
"Um, a fresh coat of paint!" BJ looked around.
"You're getting warmer. The still."
"Hey, you're right. But do you really think we're going to be here that long."
"Whether were here a day, a week, a month or a year, it doesn't mater." Hawkeye continued. "We need it. It's our life line. It's out escape. It's the well of life." He pulled BJ off his bunk. "It's just what we need. It wouldn't be 'The Swamp' without it." Hawkeye laughed.
"Hey, that reminds me." BJ snapped his fingers and turned around. He picked up his bag, opened it and reached inside. "I have something that will make this place seem a little more like home." He turned around and was holding the sign that had hung on the door of their tent at the 4077th, "The Swamp".
"That's great Beej, just what the place needs." They walked outside to hang it on the door. "Do you think we should say something?"
"I don't know, like what?" BJ shrugged his shoulders.
Hawkeye thought for a moment. "I know," he cleared his throat. "By the powers vested in me, by the state of Chaos and Disorder, I hereby proclaim this to be 'The Swamp'." He hung the sign on the door.
"Beautiful." BJ clapped. "Com'on, we'd better get over to post-op." They started walking to post-op. "Have you seen anyone else from 4077th?"
"Just you." Hawkeye was getting nervous. He was thinking about Margaret. What if she's in there? He thought. They walked into post-op and Hawkeye immediately began looking around for her but she wasn't there. He let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't ready to see her. He looked around again and noticed that nearly all the beds were occupied. "Damn!"
"Yeah, I know what you mean." BJ was looking around as well. "By the looks of things you'd never know the war was over."
"Hawkeye! BJ! What you doing here?" Nurse Kelley stood up from where she had just finished checking a patients blood pressure and walked over and hugged each of them.
"How you doing Kelly?" BJ smiled
"It's good to see you." Hawkeye was glad to see another familiar face. "Where's Colonel Harrison?"
"I'm fine. The Colonel's over there checking on a patient."
They walked to the far end of the room where the Colonel was sitting next to a patient. "Colonel, we're here." Hawkeye sat down on the empty cot across from the Colonel. "Where do you want us to start?"
"Just a minute." The Colonel got up and walked to Kelley. "Kelley, start Patterson on Streptomycin and check him every hour."
"Yes, sir." Kelley took the chart from the Colonel.
"Okay." The Colonel turned to Hawkeye and BJ. "Hawkeye, I want you to stay here with me and BJ, I need you to head over to the supply room and help Major Houlihan inventory the supplies."
Hawkeye looked like he had been shot. Just the sound of her name sent Hawkeye's head spinning.
"Will do, Colonel." BJ stood up and looked at Hawkeye who looked nervous. "Hawk, you okay?"
"Yeah." He said, trying to sound convincing. "I'm fine."
"Okay, I'll see you later." BJ left post-op and the Colonel began going over the patient's with Hawkeye.
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BJ walked across the compound to the supply room. He was worried about Hawkeye. He knew seeing Margaret again would be difficult especially after all the two of them had been through. Hawkeye had told him about what had happened between them that night they spent in the abandoned hut. Hawkeye had also told him how much he loved her. "This is going to be tough." BJ said.
BJ walked into the supply room and there was Margaret with her back to him counting supplies. "Excuse me Major, need some help?"
Margaret jumped, startled by the familiar voice. She looked at the tall figure standing in the doorway. She couldn't believe her eyes. "BJ!" She walked up to him and gave him a hug. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on your way home."
"It's a long story. Right now, I'm hear to help you with the inventory." BJ smiled.
"Great, I could use the help." Margaret was glad to see him. Next to Hawkeye, BJ was her closest friend. They began counting supplies and BJ told her the story about how had ended up there.
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"Check his temperature every 15 minutes and if the fever gets any higher, let me know." Hawkeye handed the chart back to Nurse Kelley and returned to the post-op desk.
"Hawkeye, things are pretty quiet in here. I think I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep."
"Sure Colonel, no problem." Hawkeye put down the chart he was looking at and turned toward the Colonel.
"Keep an eye on Markson. He's running a low-grade fever. It might be secondary infection."
"No problem Colonel. You gets some rest. I can handle this." He stood up and walked toward the door with the Colonel. "Besides BJ should be back here soon."
"Good night." The Colonel walked out of post-op and Hawkeye returned to the desk and tried looking through patient charts but he couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was Margaret. He hadn't seen her yet but he knew that he would. It was a small camp and he couldn't avoid her forever. His thoughts were interrupted by Nurse Kelley.
"Captain Pierce."
Hawkeye got up and walked to were she was standing. "What is it Kelley?"
"It's Lieutenant Markson. His fever is up to 103."
"How are his vitals?"
"Pulse is 120 and BP is 145 over 60". Kelley handed him the chart.
Hawkeye sat down next to the bed. "How ya doing, Markson?"
"Not too good, sir." Markson had beads of sweat on his face. "I've got cold chills real bad and my stomach hurts."
Hawkeye looked at the chart. "I'm not surprised. According to your chart it looks like you swallowed a tank." Hawkeye grinned. "Didn't anyone tell you that too much iron in your diet is not good for you?"
"Well you know how army food is." Markson started to laugh but it hurt and he groaned slightly and shivered.
"Well, the chills are from the fever. You probably have a slight secondary infection."
"Am I going to be, alright?"
"You're going to be just fine." Hawkeye reassured him. "We're going to give you some penicillin to help with the infection." Hawkeye stood up and made some notes on Markson's chart. "You take it easy and I'll check on you in a little while."
"Yes sir." Markson smiled and closed his eyes.
Hawkeye and Kelley walked back to the desk. "Draw some blood and do a white count and get him started on penicillin, usual dosage."
"Yes, doctor." Kelley left to get the penicillin.
Hawkeye returned to the desk. He tried to continue his paperwork but it was no use. All he could think about was Margaret and the fact that she was just across the compound. He wondered what she and BJ were talking about.
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Back in the supply room BJ and Margaret were inventorying the supplies and BJ was finishing his story about how he had been sent back there. "And then imagine my surprise when I walked into the Colonel's office and saw Hawkeye sitting there." BJ started laughing.
"Hawkeye's here?" Margaret said. The butterflies fluttered in her stomach and made her nauseous.
"Yeah, he's over in post-op with Colonel Harrison." BJ could the see distress on her face and in her eyes. He had known for a long time that she was in love with Hawkeye, even though she had never said anything. He could tell by the way that she had acted whenever he was around. Her face would light up whenever he walked into a room. And when Hawkeye would hit on one of the nurses, she would always act so mad and disgusted, but she was really just jealous. BJ had tried, many times, to get them together with no success and then when they said good-bye he didn't think Hawkeye would let her go but he did. But now, they would have another chance. This is just what they need. BJ thought to himself and smiled.
Margaret didn't see the smile on BJ's face. She was lost in thought about Hawkeye. He's here? She thought to herself. Her first instinct was to run out of the supply room and over to post-op to see for herself that he was really here but she stopped herself. No, I'm not going to do it. She thought to herself. We're just friends. She told herself but deep down she knew that wasn't true. She loved him very much.
She thought about that night they spent together in that abandoned hut. She remembered how he held her and kissed her and how safe she felt in his arms. She also remembered the next morning and how he had pushed her away. She admitted it was partly her fault. All her talk about how they would have a wonderful life together and how she was going to make him into the perfect solider must have scared him. What was I thinking? She asked to herself.
After they returned to the 4077th, she didn't want to admit to herself that she had feelings for him. She was still married and she was determined to make her marriage work. Then when her divorce was final, she had tried telling him how she felt but every time she tried he had made it very clear that he wanted to just be friends. So she followed his lead and kept their relationship to being friends and only friends.
No one knew the agony she had gone through this past month. It had been terrible for her. First the bus incident, then he was sent to the psychiatric hospital. She didn't know if he was ever going to come back and he did, he was only a shadow of the man she had once known. Fear and sadness had replaced the laughter and mischief that used to shine in his eyes. She had tried many times to talk to him but he always pushed her away. Then there was the good-bye kiss. She hadn't planned on kissing him but when the time came to say good-bye, it was all she wanted to do. She remembered how good it felt to be in his arms again. She didn't want to let him go. But she did. She had thought that kiss was the end for them. She never expected to see him again and until this very moment she hadn't realized how much she missed him. She felt tears well up in her eyes and the a hand touched her shoulder and she snapped back to reality.
"Margaret. Margaret?"
"What. Oh, I'm sorry BJ?" She looked at him and tried to smile.
"Are you okay? You look like you're about to cry." He knew she was thinking about Hawkeye.
"I'm fine." She got up. She didn't want talk about Hawkeye, especially to BJ. She knew she could trust him but he was Hawkeye's best friend and she didn't want to put him in an awkward situation by telling him about her feelings.
"Are you sure?" He was concerned
"Yes." She smiled and tried to sound convincing. "Now, where were we?"
He knew she didn't want to talk about it and he knew better than to push it. So he figured the best was to just continue with the inventory. "We were counting the bandages?"
It took them nearly 3 hours to finish the inventory. When they were done, they were both exhausted. BJ sat down on an old wooden crate. "Pull up a crate and have a seat." He motioned to another crate next to him.
She moved the crate in front of him and sat facing him. She avoided making eye contact and he knew why. They sat there in silence for a few minutes until finally, BJ couldn't take it anymore. "I can't do this. I can't sit here and pretend I don't know what's going on. Margaret, I know you have feelings for Hawkeye."
"We're just friends." Margaret tried to sound convincing.
"Come on Margaret it's me, BJ. You don't have to pretend with me."
His look of understanding and sincerity touched her deeply. She knew that she couldn't lie to him. She put her head in hands and started to cry. "I don't know what to do BJ. I never expected to see him again. I love him so much." It scared her to say it out loud.
"Margaret, have you told him?"
"I tried to a couple of times. But he made it very clear that he just wanted to be friends. Then after he came back from the psychiatric hospital things just weren't the same. I wanted so much to comfort him and help him but he just pushed me away." She started to cry again. "I wanted to tell him the other day when we said good-bye but I just couldn't."
"Margaret, I really think you should talk to him and tell him how you feel." BJ stood up.
"I can't." She shook her head. "He just wants to be friends and I think that it's for the best." She paused. "Besides, I don't think he feels the same about me."
"You don't really believe that, do you?"
She didn't say anything she just stood up and walked to the other side of the supply room.
"Come on Margaret, I was there, remember. I saw the kiss." He got up and walked to where she was standing. "That wasn't just a kiss between two good friends. That was a kiss between two people who care for each other deeply."
"It was just a simple good-bye kiss. It didn't mean anything." She was angry.
He looked at her and smiled. "Who are you trying to convince," he paused before turning toward the door, "you or me?" He walked out of the supply room.
He was right. She was trying to convince herself. What should I do? She asked herself. She paced back and forth. Then, all of a sudden she stopped. She looked up and smiled. She had an idea, but she was going to need BJ's help if it was going to work. She ran out of the supply room to find him.
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Hawkeye sat at the post-op desk trying to concentrate on paperwork but all he could think about was Margaret. They had been through so much together. Next to BJ, she was probably his closest friend and Hawkeye valued their friendship very much. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize it.
He thought about all the times he had seen her so upset because Donald had done or said something. It had taken every ounce of strength he had to keep from running up to her, putting his arms around her and telling her how much he loved her.
When Margaret's divorce was final, Hawkeye wanted to tell her but he didn't dare. She was so upset and fragile and very untrusting. He figured she would think it was just another one of his practical jokes and probably hit him. So he decided they should just be friends.
As time went on and she became stronger and more like the old Margaret, he wanted nothing more than to tell her how much he loved her. But every time he tried, they ended up in some stupid argument. The divorce had done something to her. She used to be so confident and so sure of herself. And thanks to Donald she didn't trust anyone anymore, especially men. He wanted to kill Donald Penobscot for the hell he had put her through.
Then there was the bus incident on the Fourth of July and his subsequent trip to the Army wacky farm. After his return, he didn't have the courage to tell her. Margaret had approached Hawkeye numerous times to talk to him but he couldn't face her. He couldn't face anyone. He was still having trouble coming to terms with what had happened. Oh, he knew that baby's death wasn't his fault. Sydney Freedman had helped him realize that. But just the same it was something he would carry with him for t he rest of his life.
Then the war was over and it was time to say good-bye. He never liked good-byes and this was going to particularly hard because he knew he was going to have to say goodbye first to the best friend he ever had and also to the woman he loved knowing he would never see either of them again. BJ, who had known for a long time how he felt about Margaret, had told him on numerous occasions to tell her how he felt but he just couldn't work up the courage. Then, as Hawkeye watched Klinger and Soon-Lee say their wedding vows, he couldn't help but think about Margaret. And as she was saying good bye to Charles, BJ and Colonel Potter he realized that he couldn't let her go without telling her in some way just how he felt. He thought about what he wanted to say but everything seemed so cliché. So he kissed her. The kiss lasted an eternity and he didn't want it to end. Finally they pulled away, said good-bye and she climbed in the jeep and she was gone . He was sure that he would never see her again, or so he thought.
BJ walked into post-op. He walked to the far end of the room where Hawkeye was sitting. "Any special cases I need to know about?" When Hawkeye didn't answer BJ put his hand on Hawkeye's shoulder.
Hawkeye jumped. "Uh, oh." Hawkeye looked at BJ.
"Sorry, Hawk. I didn't mean to scare you." BJ sat down in a chair next to Hawkeye. "Are there any special cases I need to know about?"
"Jus Lieutenant t Markson. Secondary infection. He's running a fever. I've given him penicillin and ordered some blood test." Hawkeye ran his fingers through his graying hair. Hawkeye stood up and began briefing BJ on each patient's condition. When they were done, Hawkeye walked back to the desk and sat down.
BJ sat down in the chair next to the desk and looked at his watch.
"It's dinner time. Do you want to walk over to the mess tent and get something to eat?"
"That's okay, I'm not hungry." He looked off across the room.
"Neither am I." He noticed that Hawkeye wasn't paying attention to him. "Hawk, you okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I don't know, you seem a little preoccupied."
"Well, considering everything that has happened today..."
"Are you sure it isn't something else or maybe someone else?"
"Wh-What do you mean?" Hawkeye looked at BJ with an inquisitive smile.
"Margaret." BJ looked at Hawkeye.
Just the sound of her name struck him like a bullet. "What about Margaret?" Hawkeye asked nonchalantly.
"I just left her in the supply room and I think you should talk to her, Hawk. This may be your last chance." BJ could see the anxiety in his friend's face. "Come on, Hawk. You can't avoid her forever."
Hawkeye leaned forward on the desk. "Beej, I don't know what to do. I didn't expect to see her again." He sighed. "I-I don't know." He paused. "What am I going to do?"
BJ didn't answer. He just stood up, took Hawkeye by the arm and pulled him to his feet. "Why don't you go back to the swamp and get some sleep. You look exhausted." He led him to the post-op doors. "I'll take care of post-op."
"Now that's the best offer I have had all day. Thanks Beej."
BJ just smiled. "Hey, what are friends for."
Hawkeye stood outside of post-op for a few minutes just staring into the evening sky. He sighed. "What am I going to do?" He said quietly. He didn't really want to go back to the swamp. He knew that if he went back to the swamp he would just lay there and think about Margaret. He didn't want to think about her. He didn't even want to hear her name. He was about to walk to the mess tent to get something to eat when he heard noises coming from the swamp. He went to investigate. As he opened the door he couldn't believe his eyes. There was Margaret standing over a table and setting down plates.
When Margaret heard to door open she turned and looked at Hawkeye, "Hi there stranger. Long time no see." She smiled shyly.
He didn't say anything. He just stood their staring at her. He couldn't believe she was standing right in front of him.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Margaret moved toward him.
He reached out took her in his arms and hugged her. "Margaret, what are you doing here?" He didn't know what else to say as he let her go.
"I thought I would bring you something to eat." She continued to smile. "Here, sit down." She pointed to a chair. "I know it's not much. Just bologna sandwiches but it's better than what they are serving in the mess tent."
"Margaret, this is great." He pulled out a chair for her before he sat down. "It good to see you, Margaret."
"It's good to see you too." She said as she poured each of them a glass of wine.
As they ate, they talked about the events of the past few days. They completely avoided the subject of their feelings. Then they talked about the weather and about the happenings at the 8063rd. They even talked about the 4077th recalling things like Frank Burns and Colonel Flagg.
"…and then when insisted that we close our eyes so we wouldn't see him leave." Margaret was laughing so hard her side ached.
Hawkeye was laughing just as hard. "Yeah, thanks to that broken leg he got when he went through the window, we had to put up with him for another week. If we hadn't kept him sedated I don't think any of us would have made it through with our sanity intact."
Margaret frowned at his comment about sanity. She had a flashback to the bus incident. Hawkeye saw the look on her face and knew what she was thinking about. "Margaret, I'm all right." He reassured her.
"I know you are. It's just…" She stopped herself before she said anything else and looked down at her plate.
"It's just what?" He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face so he could see into her eyes. She had tears in her eyes.
"Nothing." She pushed his hand away and stood up. "Forget it." She walked to the other side of the tent.
"I'm not going to forget it." He stood up and walked over to her. She had her back to him. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. She was crying now. Instinctively, he put his arms around her to comfort her. She melted in his arms.
They stood there just holding each other. She felt safe in his arms. She felt confident. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to tell him how much she loved him. Even if he didn't return her love. She had to tell him. "Hawkeye," she said quietly. "I love you!"
He pulled back and look at her. Had he heard her right? Did she say that she loved him?
She searched his eyes for some clue as to what he was thinking. Would he reject her? Had she made a mistake in telling him?
He looked into her eyes and smiled. She smiled back at him. Then he kissed her. "I love you, too." He said. There were tears in his eyes. They kissed again and again.
"You don't know how long I have waited to hear you say that." She embraced him tightly. She was happy. He loved her and nothing else mattered.
"I wanted to tell you so many times but whenever I tried…" He paused. "I don't know, the time never seemed to be right." He moved her toward his bed and they sat down. "To be honest, I was afraid." He paused again and looked down at the floor. "I was afraid you didn't love me."
"Is that why you kept pushing me away, because you were afraid I didn't love you?" She took his face in her hands and turned it toward her.
"The thought had crossed my mind." He answered sarcastically.
"We must be the prize dopes of all times." Margaret smiled sweetly. "Here you were afraid to tell me because you thought I didn't love you and I was afraid to tell you because I thought you didn't love me." She put her arms around him and they hugged.
The sat there for a few minutes just holding each other. It felt so good to hold her again. "Hey, I just thought of something. How did you know I was going to be here? The Colonel had me scheduled in post-op all night." He pulled back and looked at her and she just smiled. "Oh, let me guess. BJ."
She nodded.
"That's why he was so anxious to get me out of post-op." He smiled. "I have to remember to thank him." He kissed her. He couldn't believe she was really here. He laid back on the bed and Margaret laid down next to him and put her head on his chest. She told him about the conversation she had with BJ in the supply room and how it was that conversation that made her realize that she had to tell him no mater what.
They kissed again. She moved her arms around his neck and he moved his hands down her back.
"Attention, attention…" a voice over the PA said. All personnel, incoming wounded. All surgical staff report to triage."
"Oh no. Perfect timing." He looked at her and smiled.
"It was only a matter of time before they arrived." She looked up at him. "I'm surprised we had this much time." She was just as disappointed as he was. She stood up and held out her hand to help him up. "Come on, we'd better get going."
He took her hand and got up. They walked out of the Swamp and walked to where the ambulances had pulled in and stopped.
BJ looked up from where he was working on a patient to see Hawkeye and Margaret walk out of the Swamp together.
"BJ." Kelley said. "What about this one?"
"What?" BJ turned his attention back to the wounded. "Oh, superficial he can wait."
"Captain Pierce over her." Another nurse called.
Hawkeye rushed to where a nurse was kneeling over a wounded soldier. He knelt down and lifted the bandage off the soldier's stomach. "He's got a belly full of shrapnel. Okay, get him into per-op, Stat." He got up and moved to another soldier. "This one took it right in the chest. I need a liter here. Get this man to O.R. I'll take him first. BJ, what have you got?" He walked to where BJ was standing.
"Mostly superficial. Nurse, get this man to post-op. I'll bandage his leg there. What have you got?"
"I've got a bad chest wound and a belly wound. Can you take the belly?"
"Sure, let's get scrubbed." And they walked into the building.
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It was dark outside when BJ, Margaret and Hawkeye walked out of O.R. They were all exhausted. "What time is it?" Margaret asked as she stretched her arm above her head.
"It's midnight. We were only in there 7 hours but it feels like we were in there for 17.
"7 hours, that's all." She was surprised she was this exhausted after such a short O.R. session.
"Why don't we all go back to the Swamp and finish off that bottle of wine Margaret brought?" Hawkeye suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Margaret agreed. "BJ, what about you?"
"Lead the way." He followed Hawkeye and Margaret to the Swamp.
They talked and laughed for hours. Reminiscing about all the good times that had had together.
"I'll never forget that time you put BJ in the nurses quarters without any clothes and then had them make that fake incoming wounded announcement." Margaret laughed hysterically.
"What about that time Klinger jumped in the bathtub with you." BJ pointed to Margaret. "I don't think I have ever seen you move so fast." They all laughed.
"Oh my God. That was so embarrassing." She looked at Hawkeye. "Well, this has been fun but it's getting late." She stood up. "I'm going to go take a shower and then I am going to get some sleep." She kissed Hawkeye and left.
BJ looked at Hawkeye who was staring at the closed door. "Well?" BJ said.
"Well what?" Hawkeye smiled innocently.
"What happened?"
"She loves me." He smiled. "Beej, how can I ever thank you? If it hadn't been for you this would have never happened."
"It was Margaret's plan, I just helped." BJ tried to pass it off as if it was no big deal.
"No, she told me about your conversation in the supply room. She said that it was you and your little speech that helped her to make her decided to tell me." Hawkeye smiled and held up his glass to make a toast. "To BJ Hunnicutt. The best friend a guy could have."
BJ raised his glass and touched it to Hawkeye's then they both drank. "Now if you will excuse me." Hawkeye got up. "I think I will take a walk."
"Should I wait up?" BJ knew the answer.
Hawkeye just looked at him and smiled. Then he walked out of the swamp and went to find Margaret.
BJ leaned back on his bunk and stared at the roof of the tent. He was happy for Hawkeye and Margaret but at the same time he was a little sad. He started thinking about Peg and Erin. He missed them so much. He rolled over and picked up a pen and a pad of paper and wrote a letter to Peg. BJ told her all about being sent to the 8063rd and he told her about Hawkeye and Margaret finally getting together. After he finished his letter he rolled over and went to sleep.
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Hawkeye walked to Margaret's tent.
Margaret was sitting in front of her mirror brushing her hair when Hawkeye knocked on her door. "Who is it?" She got up and moved to the door.
"It's Hawkeye, can I come in?"
"Of course." She opened the door to let him in. "What are you doing here? I figured you would be asleep by now."
"I couldn't sleep with giving you a good night kiss." He took her in his arms and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around him as he pulled her close to him and their kiss deepened. He let her go and started to walk toward the door. "Don't go." She grabbed his arm and he turned around. "Please stay." She led him over to her bed. She sat down and looked up.
He sat down next and looked at her. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe this was happening. His mind raced. She loved him and he knew that no mater what happened everything was going to be okay. He realized that he didn't want to be away from her, ever. "Margaret." He took her hand. "You know that I love you and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"
Margaret just stared at him. Did he say what she thought he had said? Did he just ask her to marry him? "What did you say?"
"I said, will you marry me?" He couldn't believe that he had said it either.
She didn't say anything. She just looked at him with tears in her eyes then threw her arms around him and cried.
"Does that mean yes?" He was desperate for an answer.
She drew back and looked at him. "Yes."
He embraced her. He was so happy. He leaned back on the bed pulling her down with him and kissed her.
"I love you." Margaret said breaking the kiss. "And I want to be with you, for the rest of my life."
He smiled brightly before he kissed her again. "I love you too, for the rest my life."