There really is a Bridget "Knocko" in MASH. She's in the book written by Robert Hooker that had started it all. She was Bridget McCarthy and was described as 'five foot, eight of solid maple.' She didn't take any lip and they knew she could take out any of them in a head-on.

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Somewhere around midnight I got my first taste of the surgical part of MASH. I was paired with Hawkeye because he was the doctor with the most experience and I the nurse with less. We worked for 12 hours straight until it was noon. Through out the whole time Hawkeye kept making passes at me until Major Houlihan told him to shut up or else. And he did and he only spoke to me when he needed an instrument. I was thankful that she had told him to stop because he was starting to get a bit annoying.

When we were done I was exhausted. After all it was my first time in a MASH surgery. I first went to the mess tent and got some gruel down to keep up my strength. But then I realized that I had my shift that afternoon. I groaned and dragged my self to the shack that we used for patients getting better. Luckily the doctor for that shift was B.J. we chatted a bit until one of the patients called one of us.

One of the soldiers who called me had had shrapnel to the stomach and he was doing just fine. He asked me to write a letter to his parents. The boy was just barely 18. I took out a pad of paper and a pen and wrote out his letter.

Dear Ma and Pa,

I'm fine over here. I did get shot in the stomach though, but the doctors here say I'll be just fine. All of them here are nice except the North Koreans of course. Soon I'll be back up in the front, which is better than some guys. A buddy of mine Tom got shot near the heart and almost died but the doctors worked really hard to save him. You would like him. He's alike like Dave before the car crash. Well I've got to go. Talk to ya soon.

John Milkins

He asked if I could mail it for him and I said I would. I put the young soldier's letter in a pocket of my uniform and checked on my next patient.

When I was done I went to the office to give Radar my letter to send out. When I got there I found Radar sweeping up some dust that flown in from earlier.

"Hey Radar. I see every things put back together."

Radar jumped and turned. "Oh it's you Bridgette." He put the broom away and started to fiddle around with some papers on his desk.

"I also see that you've started to call me my given name," I teased.

"What can I do for you?" asked Radar as he kept looking at Potter's office.

Just then Potter walked out from his office. "Radar don't forget to announce the movie tonight."

"Yes sir." Potter walked back into his office and I could hear him get a dram from his cabinet.

"Excuse me," he said to me and turned on the P.A. system. "Attention. The movie tonight will be showing at 22 hundred tonight. It will be John Wayne in 'Hell Town' pardon my language. That will be all." He clicked it off and continued to shuffle papers acting as if I wasn't there.

"Radar I would like to mail this letter for one of the soldiers in post-op."

"All letters go there." He pointed to a bin near the door and I put the letter in the bin.

As I turned to leave I turned around with my hand on the door. "Hey Radar. You going with anyone tonight to the movie?"

Radar looked at me as if I was crazy. "What?"

I started to blush. "Well I was just wondering if you would like to go together with me. As friends of course."

Radar gulped and closed his mouth. "Sure."

I smiled. "Okay see ya tonight." I gave him a little wave and whisked out of there fast. When I got out of the door I leaned against the wall and tried to control my blushing and breathing. I had never asked a guy out before even if it was strictly friendship. It was usually the guy who asked.

As I walked back to my tent to try to get a few minutes sleep I first ran into Hawkeye. He spotted me first and made a beeline to me.

"Hey," he said casually as he leaned against a wall in my path.

"Hey yourself," I smiled.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me. But of course we won't be there for the movie." His eyes twinkled invitingly but I had to reluctantly decline.

He stood up offended. "It isn't Charles you're going with. Is it?" I could see that he looked threatened by Charles being a possible wooer.

"No it isn't Charles. Just a friend."

He looked at me suspiciously. "Is it one of the nurses?" I shook my head. "One of the doctors?" Again I shook my head. "Who else do you know here?" Then he caught on and smiled and shook his head. "Radar?" I nodded my head. He started laughing. "Well that's okay. See you at the movies." He left chuckling to himself.

I looked after him with a bemused, confused look and smiled to myself. I really liked the view from here.

I continued to walk to my tent when Charles popped out of nowhere. I gave a little jump and placed my hand on my heart. "Charles you scared me."

"Sorry Bridgette. I was just wondering if I could interest you on a date to the movie tonight. I know it isn't any grand film but it should be adequate."

I shook my head sadly. "Sorry. I already have a date."

"Not that womanizing fleabag Pierce."

"No, Radar. We're going as friends though. Maybe next time."

He gave a graceful nod and walked to the Swamp to get a book.

Finally I got to my tent without any more interruptions. But when I had settled down to take a quick nap Kristen asked me if I was going to the movie. I looked at my watch. "Oh my gosh I haven't gotten any sleep since midnight last night."

"Well you don't have to go," said Kristen as she checked herself in a mirror.

"But I'm going with someone."

"Oh?" she said as if she knew the answer. "Hawkeye?" I shook my head. "Charles?" Again I shook my head. She turned to me with a puzzled look on my face. "Who?"

I blushed. "Radar. But we're going as friends nothing more."

"But you're blushing."

I blushed some more and threw my pillow at her. It hit her in the face and she laughed. "Ooh, someone likes Radar."

"I do not. He's just a friend."

She got up and opened the door. She winked and said, "Yeah right," and left before I could through something else at her.

I grumbled and started to brush my hair quickly. In the end it was really fluffy because I was taking all my frustration out on it. I was trying to flatten it a bit when a knock came at the door. I got up and opened it. And there stood Radar with a small bouquet of local flowers. He thrust them at me.

"Here I picked you some flowers."

"Thanks Radar. I'll put these in some water later."

I checked myself in the mirror one last time before linking arms with Radar who looked like he would rather be somewhere else. We made our way to the mess tent where the movie was going to be. On the way I kept hearing people whistle at us and saying, "Hey, Knocko you going out with Radar?"

We just blushed and took our seats near the front of the tent. Colonel Potter, Father Mulcahy, Hawkeye and B.J soon joined us. The whole time Radar kept fidgeting and glancing around nervously.

"What's the matter Radar?" I asked in the middle of the movie.

"I've never really been out with a girl before," he whispered back.

"But we're just friends Radar."

"Even friends."

People behind us shhhed us during our discussion and we were quiet for the rest of the movie.

After the movie was over Radar walked me back to my tent. "Thanks Radar for going to the movie with me."

"It was my pleasure." Radar was speaking more confidently with me now. I had seen Hawkeye sneak him some gin he had brought with him at the movies. Radar apparently can get drunk much faster than anyone else I know.

I smiled at him and he smiled back then he leaned forward and kissed me. At first I was quite startled. I thought we were just friends but I guessed the drink was talking and just let him kiss me. I twined my arms around his neck and his arms found themselves around my waist. But then I heard Hawkeye and B.J. walking our way!

I quickly stopped the kiss and stepped back a few paces. I was still blushing when the Swamp rats rounded the corner. Hawkeye saw Radar standing there in the middle of the path with a grin on his face then saw me standing a ways away trying to hide my face with a handkerchief. He quickly put them together and burst out laughing, which made me blush even more. B.J. stopped walking and watched his buddy go into fits of laughter.

"What? Did I miss something?" Then he noticed Radar and me and managed to stifle the laughter into just a chuckle.

With them laughing at us made Radar start to feel uncomfortable. I saw him start to shuffle away to the office and was glad he could at least get away. I couldn't because the two fools were in my way.

After a few seconds of no stopping I started to see red. "Shut up!" I said.

B.J. immediately shut up and looked at me uneasily. "We didn't mean anything Bridgette. We just thought it was a bit funny. Okay we're done now. Aren't we Hawk?"

Hawkeye was still laughing and was clutching his sides. "Yeah, yeah."

I continued to glare at him then something just snapped inside me. I lunged at him and was about to give him a good hard punch but he was lucky B.J. was there and caught me before I could get to him.

When he saw B.J. struggling to hold onto me when I tried to get at him he shut up real quick. When I saw he wasn't laughing any more I stopped struggling and my hair hung in front of my face. I stood panting when B.J. slowly let go of me. I stood up straighter and cleared my face. Hawkeye looked at me as if I was a viper ready to strike.

I smiled. "You were lucky B.J. was there to help you or else you would have been in a world of hurt buddy. Now if you'll excuse me I need to catch up on some much needed sleep." I walked between them and they gave me a wide berth. As I walked by Hawkeye I gave him a wink a left them staring after me.

I could hear them behind me when B.J. said, "That was a close one Hawkeye. You might want to stay out of her sights for awhile or else you'd end up on her hit list."

I could feel Hawkeye's gaze on me and I faintly heard him say with a smile, "I like them feisty though."

I walked into the nurses' tent and closed the door behind me and leaned against it. I saw Kristen sitting on her cot doing her nails. She looked up and smiled. "Have a nice time?"

I smiled back. "Yeah, but Radar got a bit drunk. Hawkeye kept giving him gin."

I laid down and grinned to myself. This is going to be interesting to see how all this plays out.