Enjoy!
Getting used to being single again, Margaret relishes her freedom until Donald refuses to give her her money. She is seething and cannot wait until the accounts are separated. In the midst of her waiting, a war correspondent comes to interview Charles and then ends up sleeping with Margaret. Finally feeling free, the nurse gently lets the reporter know that she is not interested in a relationship. A few days later she gets her own bank account again. That same week reporter Clete Roberts comes by to interview the camp. Everyone is crazy about a break in the monotony and between shifts different medical personnel and staff sit down with the reporter.
"'Our Head Nurse is really something. Major Houlihan, Margaret'," Hawkeye remarks during his interview. With only a hint of a smile, the surgeon asks, "'Did I mention she's really something?'"
"How?" Roberts asks. Deciding to keep the fun parts to himself, Hawkeye explains, "She's very dedicated. To the army, to us. She's good enough to be a doctor, honestly. Margaret, uh, she's fantastic. We couldn't run the camp without her."
Catching her looking at him, Hawkeye blows a flirty kiss in her direction. He can tell she is less annoyed than the beginning of the war, because she tries hard not to laugh at him. Still holding his gaze, Margaret mouths a thank you before ducking out of the tent. Later as she is interviewed, Margaret takes Hawkeye's words into consideration as she explains how much she learns about herself adding, "'I feel as old as I'm ever going to get. Older than I ever intended to be. And, I really can't wait to go home.'"
However, as she says the last words, a part of her realizes she does not really have a home. Thankfully, she is is easily able to leave after her interview. Distracted during her shift, Margaret quickly finds Hawkeye after Post Op duty. Thankful he is alone outside the mess tent, Margaret walks swiftly over to him and hugs him. Hugging her back, a confused Hawkeye asks if she is okay. He can feel her nod against his shirt before she lets herself out of the embrace.
"Did you mean it?" She asks him once she is looking at him. With a smirk, Hawkeye teases, "You're going to have to be more specific."
Swallowing, Margaret elaborates, "When you said I was really something. When you were being interviewed."
Tucking her hair back behind her ear, Hawkeye smiles widely.
"I sounded like a crazy person, Margaret. What do you think?" He asks. Seeing a tear escape her, Hawkeye asks what is really wrong. Her voice choked, the nurse answers, "I don't have a home."
Her face crumbling, she repeats, "I don't have a home."
As Margaret begins to cry, Hawkeye takes her in his arms. They stand still until his shirt is drenched and she apologizes.
"It's fine," He states. "You've been through a lot in the past few months. I'm hear for all your crying needs. Just say the word."
She quickly wants to take Hawkeye up on his offer when she is found under scrutiny by the U.S. government for Communism.
"'How could you think such a thing?'" Margaret yells once she is accused in Colonel Potter's office by Congressional Aide Williamson. "'I've always done my best to be a model American! I'm a commissioned officer in the United States Army.'"
Instead of helping her case, Williamson quickly explains how Communists have been found in both the State and Justice Departments.
"'At Woolworth's you'll find them in the Notions Department'," Hawkeye sarcastically jokes still trying to figure out how Margaret can be accused of Communism. Instead of a response or snide comment, Hawkeye finds the investigator is serious and soon asks Margaret about a man who happens to be an old boyfriend from college. Hawkeye gives a weary glance to B.J. from across the room. B.J. merely rolls his eyes as the stupid questions keep coming. They both want to help, but know there is nothing they can do except support her. However, as the questions become ludicrous, both Hawkeye and B.J. try to defend her. Finally, Williamson leaves the office telling Margaret he wants names of her old friends. The rest of the day she keeps to herself until B.J. and Hawkeye ask to sit with her during dinner.
"'Are you sure you want to be seen with me?'" The Head Nurse questions. Sitting by her, Hawkeye and B.J. listen as Margaret tells them about her friends and remarks, "'Those people meant an awful lot to me. How could I put them through a thing like this?'"
"'Hey, you can fight this guy'," Hawkeye states as B.J. adds, "'We'll help you get a good lawyer.'"
"'I can't do that. All I can do is resign my commission'," Margaret admits. When her friends object, the nurse states, "'It's not me. It's my father. He was so proud of me when I made Major. If I go before that committee? Win or lose, I'll be publicly humiliated. Maybe I could live with that but I could never live with what that would do to my father.'"
Upset by Margaret's lack of fight, Hawkeye tells her so. Eyes filling with tears, Margaret replies before excusing herself, "'I have no choice.'"
Leaving B.J. at the table, Hawkeye heads toward Margaret's tent to see how she is. Just as she lets him inside, Margaret hears a knock on her tent door. To the nurse's dismay, Williamson is on the other side to ask her a few more questions. Speechless, Margaret watches Williamson breeze into her tent and comment on Hawkeye's presence.
"I'm here for moral support," The surgeon quips trying to keep himself from punching the man. Nodding, Williamson motions for Margaret to sit in her vanity chair.
"How would you describe the gap in your military profile?" Williamson asks with no preamble. Margaret's mind flashes to an image of her son as Hawkeye interjects, "I thought this was about Wally?"
Unconsciously, the nurse glances at Hawkeye who nods his silent encouragement. Although he has no idea their son existed, Margaret takes comfort in his gaze.
"Answer the question," Williamson prods. With a deep breath, the head nurse lies, "I wanted to become a civilian. Obviously, it didn't work out."
She remembers making sure not even the Army knows about Michael.
"Or you were working with the enemy!" Williamson accuses. Margaret merely scoffs trying to picture an innocent baby the enemy. The nurse stands up hoping to leave, but instead, Williamson begins to accuse her of joining Wally Chrighton in the last few years.
"I haven't seen him since college!" Margaret defends. Part of her questions if Colonel Flagg is supposed to magically appear. It takes all of her self control not to make the comment. Once the investigator leaves, Hawkeye watches Margaret's face crumble. He goes to hug her, but the nurse shakes her head and walks away from him. Nodding, Hawkeye goes to leave. Entering The Swamp where both his bunk mates are, the Chief Surgeon exclaims, "Williamson came after Margaret in her tent!"
"What?" B.J. asks. "Did he not get enough of her earlier today?"
Smiling, Hawkeye yells, "Beej, I could kiss you! Charles, we need you to help with a plan we have to get Margaret out of this Communist mess."
Grinning, Charles asks, "How can I help?"
After informing Margaret of their plan, the men head off to the Officer's Club for drinks and soon defend Margaret to Williamson albeit with her past as "Hot Lips". The seed planted, the men watch Williamson walk out of the bar and hopefully head toward Margaret's tent. Margaret makes sure Klinger is properly stowed away in her closet when she hears a knock on her tent door. Opening it, she finds Williamson on the other side. When he tells her how her friends support and defend her, Margaret agrees when Williamson asks to go over the case again. Letting him in, the nurse knows the plan will work. She lets Williamson pretend he is seducing her and is thankful it only lasts for a minute before Klinger interrupts them leaving Hawkeye, B.J., and Charles to enter her tent. Once they explain that they will blackmail Williamson if he does not let the charges go, victory is granted to the MASH unit as Williamson exits Margaret's tent. Cheering, Hawkeye immediately holds out his arms to hug Margaret. She almost kisses him in joy, but quickly changes tactics.
"You're a really good friend," She whispers in his ear wishing he could be more. Smiling at the woman, Hawkeye answers, "So are you. Congratulations."
Review!
