Okay, readers. Here is the 51st chapter of this story!
Now, after doing some thinking, I have come up with some kind of a concept and set up for this chapter. In this chapter, a grown Korean woman and her daughter stop by the 4077, since the mother is pregnant and should go into labor any day now, the daughter translates for her mom since her mom only speaks Korean, things are set up for the Korean mother to get comfortable in Post-Op until she goes into labor, and some other stuff will take place. How will all this go? Who will keep their eyes on the Korean mother with her daughter? When will the mother go into labor? And how will everyone else feel about the mother staying at the M*A*S*H 4077? Find out right now!
AT THE M*A*S*H 4077 - 13:36
It was a nice afternoon at the M*A*S*H 4077. Casualties had shown up earlier that day, and the fine surgeons and nurses just got done with the OR. In particular, Hawkeye, Trapper, and Henry were seen walking out of the OR building, with their Scrub uniforms on with stains of blood on parts of them. By the looks of it, they were pretty much exhausted. Though it's to be expected since they spent countless hours of meatball surgery.
"Welp, I don't mind telling you guys, but I'm bushed," Henry moaned.
"I'll say," Hawkeye yawned before facing his buddy. "How long were we in there for anyway?"
"Last I checked my watch, I say we were in there for about...8 hours," Trapper looked at his watch in a tired-out manner. "Excluding the breaks we had and when Frank felt like using a scalpel on his patient."
"Oh gee, I must've overslept and operated in my sleep," Hawkeye murmured sarcastically. "Has it been 8 hours? Feels more like it's been 32 hours straight."
"Amazing how fast time flies, huh," Trapper huffed in exasperation. "The worst part is we weren't having fun at all. Putting people's bodies together on a gurney is never fun."
"You can say that again Trap," Hawkeye stretched his arms out. "The war never waits for anybody."
"Don't I know it," Trapper retorted.
"Alright you two, the important part is that we're done," Henry informed them. "So let's not get our horse's patoot in a fling and simmer down."
"Henry, that's the smartest thing that you've said all day," Hawkeye snorted. "Where did you come up with that suggestion?"
"Probably came from the squirrels that crawled up his pants legs," Trapper deadpanned while crossing his arms. "It comes from the fatigue of having to run this squirrel cage."
Henry looked like he was about to say something about that, judging by his expression. But before he could say anything, Klinger came running to the scene, wearing his best gown as he had some important news to tell him.
"Colonel Blake sir," Klinger started. "I've got to talk with you about something important!"
"Oh, Klinger," Henry groaned, not in the mood for this. "Whatever it is, can it wait until later, where I can forget all about it?"
"But sir! This can't wait!" Klinger cried. "There's a pregnant lady here!"
"Oh no...For Pete's sake," Henry grumbled, as he didn't want to deal with this. "Not again Klinger..."
"Klinger, whoever the lucky man is, you have to marry him," Hawkeye teased dryly.
"I'm not kidding around this time," Klinger defended.
"Sure didn't seem like it to me," Trapper rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious McIntyre," Klinger got to the point. "There's a Korean woman in your office right now Colonel Blake, along with her daughter. I was told that the mother is pregnant and is expected to go into labor any day now!"
"Oh boy," Henry sighed. "A pregnant Korean woman who ready to go into labor whenever...And she happens to show up at our doorstep. Just what the doctor ordered."
"I think this is just what the maternity doctor ordered," Hawkeye corrected. "I never thought that we were a maternity hospital."
"I never took part in a maternity practice before," Trapper commented. "I've only seen what the doctors did back at home."
"Now listen you guys, we're gonna get to the bottom of this," Henry instructed. "But I should let you two know that I have delivered a couple of babies in my time, mainly in Bloomington, Illinois."
"Not to mention that one time where we had a deluge in casualties, and they were shell firing at our sector," Hawkeye reminded him. "It was the time Frank had a hernia that needed to be taken care of."
"I'll never forget the moment where you told him that he and Margaret are the proud parents of a five-pound baby hernia," Trapper said in a rather sardonic manner.
"Alright, can the tomfoolery you two," Henry told them. "Klinger, are they still in my office?"
"Yes sir. They want you to go see them immediately," Klinger informed him.
"Okay doke then, that's just what we'll do," Henry sighed before facing the captains. "Alrighty guys, let's head to my office, and see what this is about."
"Maybe we can have a drink together while we're at it," Hawkeye suggested.
"I could drown out the horrors of the war that's going on," Trapper said dryly. "If we're lucky, this lady may not go into labor until this damn war is over. That kid shouldn't have to live through this."
"We know that Trapper," Hawkeye said. "We just have to see this for ourselves before we jump to conclusions."
"If you two are about done with the wisecracks, I'd like for us to check this out for myself," Henry informed them. "Now let's go see what this Korean woman has to deliver to us, and see what we can do for her."
They didn't say anything else as they headed to Henry's office, to see this for themselves. They hoped that there could be a simple resolution to this issue, without the need of turning the 4077 into a maternity hospital. That was a given...
IN COLONEL BLAKE'S OFFICE:
Meanwhile, in Henry's office, we see two Korean women waiting for the Colonel to show up. One of them happened to be the mother and she was wearing the typical Korean rags for clothes since they resided in a poverty-driven home. Also worth noting was that the mother was sitting down in a chair, and her stomach was a clear sign that she was pregnant.
As for the daughter, she chose to stay standing up as she had her hair in a ponytail, and was wearing similar clothes that her mother was wearing, only smaller. It was clear by the expression on her face that she was worried and concerned for her mother's well-being. She assumed that anything could happen at any moment.
Fortunately for them, help had arrived as Klinger stepped into the office and directed Henry, Hawkeye, and Trapper into the former's office.
"Madame! Your help has arrived!" Klinger declared dramatically as he moved aside for Henry Blake to enter his office and see the Korean women for himself.
"Thank you, Klinger. That'll be all," Henry told him. "I'll take over from here. Dismissed."
"Yes sir," Klinger gave him a quick salute, before storming out the door, as Hawkeye and Trapper watched him leave.
"Not a bad way to make an exit stage right," Hawkeye retorted.
"I was hoping for the left, to be honest," Trapper snorted.
"Ahem, anyway ma'am, you'll have to forgive Klinger," Henry told the mother. "He prefers to dress like that since he's bucking for a Section 8. This place gets to him."
Neither of them said a word as Henry laughed awkwardly, seeing that they weren't laughing along, as he then cleared his throat and got to the point.
"Okay, uh, ma'am, and ma'am," Henry greeted. "We were just informed that you two fine Korean women have some sort of an issue. A pregnancy issue to be precise. So uh, would you mind telling me what's the problem prezactly?"
It was then the mother started speaking to them. However, she was speaking in the Korean language, which proved to be difficult for the doctors to work with. Hawkeye and Trapper exchanged confused looks before looking at the two Korean women.
"You know, now would be a swell time for us to learn how to speak the Korean language," Hawkeye commented.
"It also wouldn't be a bad time to get us subtitles for a translation," Trapper huffed dryly.
"Yeah, we're sorry ma'am," Henry apologized. "But we don't speak Korean. Only English. We speak English. American language."
"You'll have to forgive mother," the daughter commented on her mom's behalf. "She can only speak Korean. She can't speak English or any other language."
"Don't worry, we get that all the time thanks to Korean homes getting bombed by our side," Hawkeye said. "That and the other side."
"Anyway, we would like to have your names before we get anything else," Henry suggested.
"Gladly. My name's Choon-Hee," the daughter named Choon-Hee introduced herself before introducing her mother's name. "And mother's name is Hyun-Joo."
"Okay. So that's a start," Henry sighed. "Nice to meet you uh...Choon-Hee. And you too Hyun-Joo."
"Anyway Choon-Hee," Hawkeye asked for a favor. "Would you ask your mother what kind of pregnancy problems she's been having?"
"Alright," Choon-Hee turned to her mother and spoke. "Eotteon jonglyuui imsin munjeleul gyeokk-eossseubnikka, eomeoni?"
"Naneun saenglileul nohchyeossgo, gutoleul dongbanhageona dongbanhaji anh-eun meseukkeoum, baenyo jeung-ga mich piloleul gyeongheomhaessseubnida," the mother answered in Korean.
"What'd she say?" Hawkeye queried.
"She's had missed periods, nausea with and without vomiting, increased urination, and fatigue," Choon-Hee revealed as she translated for her mother.
"Ttohan uulham, paengmangam, gabyeoun banjeom, gyeonglyeon, byeonbi, eumsig hyeom-o mich komaghim-i iss-eossseubnida."
"She's also been feeling mood swings, bloating, light spots, cramps, constipation, lack of appetite, and nasal congestion."
"Naneun jigeumkkaji amu munje eobs-i 6 gaewol dong-an ileon sig-eulo neukkigo issseubnida."
"She's been feeling this way for 6 months with no problems until recently."
"Ije god jintong-e deul-eogal geos gat-ayo."
"She has this feeling that she'll go into labor any day now."
"So in other words, she is pregnant," Henry took a guess.
"Yes sir," Choon-Hee nodded. "We came here because you guys are good doctors and we need your help."
"Well, there you have it," Hawkeye commented dryly. "We got a pregnant woman on our hands. That means we'll have to turn in our surgeon pins and exchange them for maternity badges."
"I prefer to get mine in solid gold," Trapper said sarcastically.
"Okay. Let's remain steady you two," Henry informed them. "We're not exactly pregnancy doctors ma'am. I've delivered several babies back in Bloomington, but the rest of us aren't."
"Please mister. Please help us," Choon-Hee begged. "We aren't asking for a lot. Only to help my mother when she goes into labor. We don't ask for anything in return. Just that you help us out. So please do something doctor."
"Well..." Henry was a little hesitant until he saw the pleading look on Choon-Hee's face. "I suppose we could try to do something about it. I guess it couldn't hurt this once if we put delivering babies in our practice here at the ol' four-oh-double-seven."
"Why not," Hawkeye shrugged. "I could always learn and see just how babies come into the world."
"I could always get experience on the woman's uterus," Trapper told him. "My wife gave birth twice back at home, so I don't have a problem with it."
"And my wife had given birth three times," Henry sighed. "Alrighty then, Ms. uh...Choon-Hee. We'll see what we can do to help out."
"Thank you, mister," Choon-Hee thanked them. "I promise you won't regret this."
"I'm pretty sure I won't," Hawkeye said with that teasing smile on his face.
"I'll buy that," Trapper said dully. "Not like this isn't anything new for us, since Korean women are getting pregnant every day in the middle of this hell hole that's the Korean War."
"Yeah. We're always willing to help out you Korean since this place is a sewage dump," Hawkeye told them. "We get Koreans all the time. Korean kids, the elderly, G.I, and now a pregnant soon-to-be mother of two."
"Which reminds me," Trapper remembered something. "I wonder who the father of this expected Korean child is supposed to be..."
"Let's just hope that the father doesn't happen to be another G.I. American solder," Hawkeye retorted. "We get enough of that around here as it is, especially since they likely have families back in the states."
"You can say that again," Trapper encouraged rhetorically.
"Alrighty then. I'm glad that we got that taken care of," Henry got their attention. "So Choon-Hee? We can reserve your mother Hyun-Joo a spot in Post-Op for her to stay until the baby has been delivered."
"Yes mister," Choon-Lee nodded.
"Meanwhile, I'll have to make sure the arrangements for Post-Op have been made," Henry walked over and opened the door to Radar's office, just as Radar entered his office with a clipboard in his hand. "Radar?!"
"Post-Op's been checked sir," Radar told him. "An available bed's available for a Korean woman."
"Well, thanks a bunch for that," Henry thanked him. "That's how we expect the book to go."
"Ah, pardon us. You haven't been introduced to our company clerk," Hawkeye said. "Choon-Hee? This happens to be Corporal Radar O'Reilly; our company clerk, P.A. operator, and a small addition to our big portion of Korea."
"You should see him in the mess tent. He has the appetite to eat whatever dreck they serve," Trapper brought up. "Not to mention he beat several of us at poker."
"Quit it guys," Radar grumbled under his breath. "Knock it off."
Of course, neither of them paid attention to what he was saying, as they brought something else up with them.
"You should have seen him the last time a Korean mother came here with a baby," Hawkeye told her. "One of the local Korean villagers named Choon Hi came here with a baby, claiming Radar to be the father of the child."
"It would seem that little Radar here was a frequent visitor to her village," Trapper added casually. "He didn't turn out to be the father since his blood type was different from the mother and child. We don't expect Radar to be the father of this soon-to-be-born child, but we won't be surprised if he is. Seeing how Radar was eventually able to come to the possibility of being the baby's father."
"Guys..." Radar warned them to stop it.
"Uh, what the captains are trying to say is if they're wondering if Radar here is the father of the soon-to-be child," Henry elaborated in such an awkward tone.
Choon-Hee understood what Henry was asking for, so she turned to her mother and asked in Korean. "I sangbyeong-i abeojiga doelkkayo?"
Fortunately for them, Hyun-Joo started shaking her head as she spoke. "Aniyo. Aniyo. Geu salam-i anibnida. Geuneun abeojiga anida!"
"She says that it's not him and that he's not the father," Choon-Hee informed them.
"Told ya guys," Radar remarked. "I'm not him."
"Well, you can't win 'em all," Hawkeye shrugged with a teasing smirk.
"You win a few, you lose a few," Trapper also shrugged casually.
"Well that just about narrows down the possibilities," Henry commented. "Do you have any idea where the real husband might be ma'am?"
"Sadly to say, we do not," Choon-Hee said as her mother shook her head to support her answer. "The father to this soon-to-be-born child is likely no longer in the area, or even in Korea."
"Yeah, it's likely he's back in the states by now," Hawkeye huffed. "Either that, or he was shipped to another unit further away from the front. Regardless, there's no luck on getting a hold of whoever it is."
"It's true," Trapper had that cynical tone in his voice. "The only thing I can think of that is worse than this war is the notion that soldiers have a fling with a Korean woman, then bail out of the area when said Korean woman is pregnant. It's just as bad as these kids becoming orphans with no place to stay but at the orphanage."
"Look, I don't know who the father is, but that's not important right now," Henry groaned. "We have to do something about this Korean mother before she goes into labor. And the best thing to do...is to escort her to Post-Op, where she'll stay in the one available bed that's there."
"Well, it doesn't look like we have a choice," Hawkeye said. "We'll have to escort them to Post-Op where Hyun-Joo will be staying."
"Let's hope her water doesn't break on the way over there," Trapper deadpanned. "Choon-Hee, would you help with escorting Hyun-Joo?"
"Okay. But only on condition that I stay with mother," Choon-Hee exclaimed. "She might need me when she does go into labor."
"Probably the smartest choice for us to go with," Hawkeye nodded. "Alright, let's get the Korean woman to Post-Op."
"Right. The sooner, the better," Trapper remarked as Choon-Hee helped Hyun-Joo onto her feet and they were about to head for Post-Op.
However, before they could go any further, Andrew and Margaret came into Henry's office with something to tell to the Colonel.
"Colonel Blake, I need to make a complaint with you," Margaret spoke sternly.
"Oh Major," Henry groaned. "Whatever it is, write it down so I can forget about it later."
"Colonel?!" Margaret started to raise her voice. "The surgical tables in OR are in shambles. The people who are assigned to clean up in OR have been slacking again! I want you to do something about it."
"Well, what do you expect me to do Major? Blackmail them?" Henry grumbled at this.
"No. But it would help if you got a couple of enlisted men to clean up the shambled mess in OR," Andrew told him in a calm tone. "The sooner that gets done, the better."
"Okay, Peterson. Okay," Henry sighed. "I'll get some enlisted men to do that as soon as we bring this Korean lady into Post-Op."
This caught Andrew's attention, as he took notice of the two Korean women while raising an eyebrow. "Who are they?"
"Andrew, I'd like to introduce to you two Korean women that I've cordially paid us a visit at the 4077," Hawkeye answered. "This young girl is Choon-Hee. And this is Hyun-Joo. She is the mother of Choon-Hee, and is also gonna be an expecting mother of a second child."
"Wait a minute, expecting mother of a second child," Andrew was shocked. "Are you telling me that she's pregnant?"
"That's the only kind there is," Trapper snorted. "We're trying to get her to Post-Op before her water breaks."
"Well, why didn't you say so?" Margaret commented. "The nursing staff and I had started a program last week in regards to giving baby birthing lessons. After all the lectures, we could use an actual demonstration."
"And besides, I've read up on some books on how to handle pregnancy, and how to deliver a baby," Andrew revealed to them. "But it's better to wait until she gets into labor. For now, I guess we should get her into Post-Op."
"Oh, sure Andrew. We could use an extra hand," Hawkeye said.
"The more the merrier as they say," Trapper remarked.
"Yeah," Andrew rolled his eyes before remembering something. "Oh. Before I forget, Choon-Hee, Hyun Joo, I'm Major Andrew Peterson, and this is Major Margaret Houlihan. And it's a pleasure to have you here at the 4077."
"We are glad to have you both here," Margaret said politely with that smile. "Now, why don't we get her to Post-Op?"
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "We better go now before something happens."
Seeing that there was no need to argue, they left Henry's office with the two Korean women following them as they headed for Post-Op. This was only the beginning of this scenario when it comes to properly deliver babies...
IN POST-OP:
It didn't take long for the Korean mother to get herself comfortable in the spare bed that was in Post-Op, with her daughter watching over her, occasionally sitting on a stool placed next to her bed. She would oftentimes take her mother's hand and grasp it while rubbing it gently to show her support.
Meanwhile, Andrew and Margaret had to leave temporarily to get a book and instructions on handling pregnancy and getting babies delivered. And Henry went back to his office while Radar tried to find some enlisted men to take care of the mess on the surgical tables in the OR. This had to be done before Henry finds himself on the receiving end of Margaret going over her head for the umpteenth time.
That only left Hawkeye and Trapper, who supervised the two Korean women since they were the only other ones there at the moment. They even had a form on a clipboard that was filled out, stating that the mother was expecting a child. This was done to keep the doctors and nurses from being thrown off from seeing a pregnant Korean woman in Post-Op without a medical form being filled out.
"Well, I'm glad that's been taken care of," Hawkeye sighed. "Soon enough, we'll be the first to witness the birth of a baby boy or girl."
"Tell me about it. I've seen it done before," Trapper retorted. "So how long are we talking?"
"Well, from what I've read, she could go into labor at any time," Hawkeye answered. "Meaning it might happen in five minutes, an hour, 6 hours, a day, or even several weeks. It might take a month."
"I don't think she's got that long," Trapper huffed. "She looks like she's gonna push the baby out right now."
"You're telling me. This is an unpredictable process," Hawkeye moaned. "My only suggestion is that we wait until something happens. Then we'll take action."
"So what do we do in the meantime?" Trapper queried.
"I suggest that we just keep an eye on her and her daughter," Hawkeye suggested. "It's that one second where something happens that we have to be ready for."
"Smart thinkin'," Trapper retorted while rolling his eyes. "Did you pick that up from a bread box?"
"No, actually, I got it from a full box of Cracker Jacks." Hawkeye deadpanned. "I found it this morning."
"Sure you did," Trapper said sarcastically.
Hawkeye was just about to say something else, but before he could, someone else entered Post-Op. Said person happened to be Frank Burns, who had that usual scowl on his face, as he saw Hawkeye and Trapper.
"Captains Pierce and McIntyre!" Frank howled as he stomped over to them.
"Uh oh," Hawkeye groaned before looking towards Choon-Hee. "Choon-Hee, may I introduce to you and your mother, Major Frank Marion Burns. Worse surgeon and does malpractice with a scalpel, and is the biggest weasel in our outfit."
"We tend to call him Ferret Face around these parts, and you'll see why in a moment," Trapper warned her. "Trust me, you'll get used to him. Although, you might not be here long enough to know everything about him unless of course, he decides to show how rotten he is."
"I see," Choon-Hee didn't have much to say about it. "Thanks for the heads up."
"Anytime," Hawkeye said with a grin.
"Pierce! McIntyre!" Frank came face to face with them. "I got a report from one of the nurses that you worked on that patient; the one with the open fragment wound."
"Gee, I can't imagine how word got out so fast," Hawkeye snorted. "You know how plenty of the nurses here takes an interest in gossiping."
"Don't play dumb with me Pierce," barked Frank. "He was my patient! You operated on him behind my back!"
"All the more reason for us to operate on him ourselves," Trapper retorted. "You being his doctor is a good excuse to do it."
"Quit it, McIntyre," Frank warned him. "You two should have seen me before doing so! It's part of regulations."
"Well you know how we feel about regulations," Hawkeye told him snidely. "Besides, it's just in me to help save lives, disregarding your by-the-book attitude to do so."
Frank was about to fire up another retort to counter that. But before he could, he noticed the Korean woman in bed with the daughter right next to her.
"What's that Korean woman doing in Post-Op?" Frank asked suspiciously.
"Well Frank, we always wanted to practice checking in a Korean woman to a hospital in case something like this happens in the states," Hawkeye told him sardonically.
Frank completely ignored him as he got a good look at the Korean woman's stomach. Seeing how bloated it looked, Frank was quick to figure out what was wrong with her.
"Is that Korean woman pregnant?" Frank queried with an agitated tone in his voice.
"No Frank. We stuff a big balloon under her shirt so she'd look that way," Trapper retorted in the most sarcastic tone he could muster up. "Of course she's pregnant!"
"What's a pregnant woman doing in Post-Op!? Better yet, what's she doing here, at the 4077?!" Frank was irritated. "Last I checked, this is an army hospital! Not a maternity clinic!"
"Okay, Frank. When the next batch of wounded come here and one of the soldiers happens to be pregnant, then we'll come to you," Hawkeye was pretty agitated. "Then you can help out by handling the pregnant solder."
"Don't get snotty with me Pierce! We can't treat pregnant women here!" Frank argued. "Regulations state that handling pregnant women is not in our practice! Therefore, this woman is not our problem! So I insist that we get her out of here! This Korean woman has to go, and that's a direct order!"
"Oh sure Frank," Hawkeye sneered sarcastically. "Better yet, why don't you go up the road and open your 'own' hospital were you could perform an abortion on this Korean lady. That should be up your alley."
"You sicken me Pierce," Frank snarled. "You happen to be the biggest degenerate to have ever hit Korea! It'll be the day when this war finally disposes of you and McIntyre so we could have a more decent running war in this country!"
"Well Frank, let's face it, you can never get rid of us," Trapper shrugged with that smirk. "The draft board insists that we stay with you. So blame them if you must."
"Yeah. We got that invitation to come to this costume party by the draft board, at the request of Harry Truman," Hawkeye added a similar remark. "None of us asked to be here Frank. It just comes naturally."
"Oh, go soak your head!" Frank scoffed as he turned around and was planning on leaving Post-Op.
"Hey Frank," Trapper called out to him, getting Frank to turn around and face him. "I'll tell you what? The next time the 4077 has several babies being given birth, you can dress up as a stork, take the babies, put them in a sack, take a shortcut through the minefield, and then go from house to house in a nearby village to deliver the babies. How's that sound Ferret Face?"
Frank knew he was messing with him, so he gave Trapper that usual scowl and scoffed. "You guys are the worst!"
It was then Frank turned around and stormed for the door. Before he walked out though, he ran into Andrew and Margaret; the former of which had a book in his hands on what to do to prepare for going into labor. Andrew seemed surprised by this, as did Margaret, but he still greeted him anyway.
"Oh. Hey Frank," Andrew then asked him. "Did you see the Korean mother who's pregnant and is about to have a baby?"
"Ah, buzz off," Frank sneered before storming out of Post-op.
Andrew wasn't expecting that kind of a reaction and was shocked about it. He then decided to look towards the captains with a simple question. "What's wrong with him?"
"Oh Andrew, he's just upset that we're turning this army hospital into a maternity clinic," Hawkeye had that joking tone in his voice. "He is irritated that we're delivering babies in a combat medical unit."
"In other words, today we have one Korean mother. Tomorrow, we'll have a whole bunch of pregnant Korean mothers waiting to give birth," Trapper told him in a very dry tone. "He thinks it's degrading, so he's feeling sore and would rather run his 'own' hospital to allow abortions."
Andrew had to shake his head since he had no comments in regards to that. Margaret was also taking that in and figured that Frank didn't have to be acting like this, especially since he's been in a similar position before, or that's what she thinks at least.
"Should we tell Frank that he already has three children of his own," Margaret wondered. "All of which are grown up?"
"Along with the fact that he has a wife at home already," Andrew added.
"Nah, let him be clueless about it for all we care," Hawkeye dismissed it. "Let's keep it a secret from him for suspense. Then when he remembers about it later, we'll know."
"You have to admit, Frank is as predictable as a rock," Trapper added. "You can tell when something's gonna happen with him when it happens."
"Don't we know it," Andrew and Margaret said in unison.
"Well anyway, what brings you two back to this luxurious paradise called Post-Op," Hawkeye wondered.
"Oh, well I came back because I found the book that I was looking for," Andrew recalled as he showed it to them. "This book has everything there is to know about pregnancy and how to prepare for going into labor. It ought to be helpful for when this Korean woman gives birth to a newborn baby."
"My, that is an impressive discovery," Hawkeye had that faux smile on his face. "It must've taken you all night to figure that out."
"Where did you find that book, in the back of a supply tent?" Trapper asked in a snide manner.
"I found it in the dresser inside of my tent," Andrew deadpanned, giving them a look of annoyance. "But enough about that. Shall we get started?"
"Whenever you are Andrew," Hawkeye shrugged.
"Makes no difference to me when we start," Trapper joined in on the shrugging. "You can start by the time the war is over if you want."
Andrew and Margaret could only roll their eyes as they approached them while Andrew flipped through the book and looked through the pages by the time they were in front of the bed that the Korean mother was lying down in.
"Alright Andrew, what does the good book say?" Hawkeye asked.
"Hold on a minute," Andrew told him as he turned through the pages until he found the right one. "Ah-ha! Here it is! This happens to be a list of things that should be done when your pregnant, right before you go into labor, to help make you physically and mentally prepared for when you do go into labor."
"Well, don't leave us hanging Andrew," Trapper encouraged. "Tell us what they are."
"Very well then," Andrew sighed as he began to read and explain. "One of the things that can be done is take a childbirth class. It'll help with giving different relaxation techniques, how to breathe, various labor positions, pain relief options, and some other tips on how to prepare yourself when you give birth."
"You know, I just mentioned how we started a childbirth class program last week, and this might be useful," Margaret commented. "We did a practice session just the other day to get my nurses to learn about childbirth."
"The one where you used Radar as a practicing mother," Hawkeye queried teasing. "We all know Radar's no girl."
"If you ask me, the only thing Radar can give birth to is a teddy bear," Trapper retorted.
"Alright, let's not get off-topic guys," Andrew got their attention. "There are plenty of things that Hyun-Joo here can do for preparation."
"Andrew's right. There's plenty of work that has to be done before this mother goes into labor," Margaret agreed with him. "Would you mind continuing for us, darling?"
"I'll be glad to, dear," Andrew smiled with a nod before looking at the book again. "Ahem, getting enough shuteye before it happens will help you feel rested and refreshed. So, try hitting the hay a little early and taking a nap when you need one."
"Good idea, except that the war keeps people here from taking naps in the first place," Hawkeye brought up. "What with the heavy artillery and shell firing, not to mention the incoming wounded that arrive when you least expect it."
"Yeah. Getting sleep around here would be like being informed that you got enough rotation points to the point where you're sent home," Trapper huffed. "It's not gonna happen."
"As I was saying," Andrew rolled his eyes and disregarded that. "Fueling your soon-to-labor body with healthy meals is another suggestion. Eating nutrient-dense pregnancy foods such as lean meats, lentils, yogurt, wild salmon, nuts, veggies, and whole grains prove to be effective."
"You'd best forget about that," Hawkeye snorted. "The best food that came out of this camp was the trash that the rats and cockroaches eat. The food in the mess tent is lousy to most of us."
"The food is no good here, and it won't help those who are pregnant," Trapper added dryly. "Unless you happen to be someone named Radar, you won't enjoy it. Then again, Radar isn't a girl, and wouldn't get pregnant."
Andrew gave the captains a dirty look for yet another rude interruption before he continued.
"Keeping active and getting regular exercise during pregnancy can also help out," Andrew read. "Even if you take your time while doing it, you can still stick to a routine, whether it's walking, swimming, low-impact dance classes, or gentle yoga. If possible, aim for 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week."
"Why don't we give Frank a call? He could help out with that," Hawkeye encouraged sardonically. "Then again, he might give her athlete's foot as a result, since he's had that all his life."
"Ain't nothing worse than being given physical exercises courtesy of Frank Burns," Trapper added unenthusiastically.
"Which brings me to the part about relaxation," Andrew growled at how the captains constantly interrupted him with wisecracks about his explanations. "Practicing mindfulness via mediation, yoga or deep breathing can help train your mind to stay focused and relaxed on the big day. Stretching and other similar techniques can all be used to ease fear and anxiety."
"You should talk to Margaret about yoga. She does it every day," Hawkeye suggested. "She feels so vital and alive whenever she does it."
"Not to mention obscene," Trapper said.
"You know Captains, the Major is giving a good and reasonable explanation from the book, and you two think it's funny to make wisecracks about the suggestions that he makes," Margaret glowered at them. "So if you wouldn't mind, Andrew is trying to help us out."
"Thank you, Margaret," Andrew gave her a sincere thanks. "Anyway, this next one isn't really necessary, but it says something about filling out the hospital paperwork that you need to submit before you arrive, and making sure it has a signature."
"In that case, Radar can trick Henry into signing it," Hawkeye suggested once again. "If there's anyone who could be fooled into signing something, it's Henry."
"I can't keep track of how many initials Henry wrote on all the forms since we've all been stationed here," Trapper admitted.
"Alright! That's enough!" Andrew snapped. "I can't expect to read these suggestions if you two aren't gonna take them seriously!"
"We do take it seriously Andrew," Hawkeye told him. "It's just that some of them seem foolish. And we're trying to keep our spirits up."
"Ah, forget it you two," Andrew grumbled. "There's nothing else in here that could be a helpful suggestion anyway. So just forget it."
"Well, you heard him," Hawkeye gestured. "That's all there is to know about preparing for labor."
"You should have said something sooner when I was asked to do manual labor," Trapper joked dryly.
"Yeah," Andrew wanted them to get back on topic. "Let's just focus on helping the Korean woman so when she goes into labor, it's not a hassle, and that we're ready for when it happens."
"Yeah, for when the rats end up giving birth to more offspring and adding to the pests in this sewage dump. Right Trap?"
"Right Hawk. Then there's the increasing population of cockroaches. But what can you expect from a hell hole such as this?"
"Alright, I think we should get to work now," Andrew demanded.
"Andrew's right," Margaret agreed with him. "Let's get this over with."
They didn't say anything else as they thought about how to get through with this. They were aware that they didn't have much time left before the Korean mother gives birth to a newborn baby, so they had to work fast on this...
IN THE MESS TENT - 14:28
It didn't take long, but the mess tent was arranged a little to set up one of those childbirth class programs for the Korean mother to take with her daughter accompanying her. In addition to them, the entire nursing staff was also there to watch a demonstration take place in case they were ever in a situation like that.
Of course, Margaret was gonna give the lecture to them since she was the one who started this program. And Andrew was also assisting her with it since he graciously volunteered for it. And finally, they had a chart that showed the woman's body, specifically where the uterus is, so the nurses could see where the baby is developing.
"Okay girls, today I'm gonna give another childbirth class to help prepare you nurses for when you do become mothers of children of your own," Margaret said calmly. "Today we have two special guests joining us since one of them is pregnant. So this'll help with preparing her for labor. Also, I've got Major Peterson here to assist me. Isn't that right Major?"
"Yes Major Houlihan," Andrew nodded as he directed the nurses to the chart. "Now this part here ladies is the uterus; the main female hormone-responsive, secondary sex organ of the reproductive system. It is within this organ that the fetus develops during gestation."
"Yes," Margaret then continued. "Now, when you feel like you are going into labor, the contractions are getting strong. So what you girls should do when you feel one, is that you take a deep breath and push."
Choon-Hee was shown explaining this to her mother in Korean and helping her practice the demonstration while Margaret gave the lecture. Meanwhile, the nurses were heard talking about this, some of them were heard giggling.
"Wow. I can't believe that women end up going through this when they're pregnant," Nurse Baker said. "Makes me wonder if sex with my boyfriend is out of the question."
"I can't believe that I even thought about getting pregnant," Nurse Able giggled. "Babies are adorable, so I guess that's why the thought entered my mind."
"You're not the only one Able," Nurse Bigelow commented. "Someday it would be great to be a mother."
"Now girls, I know how you all feel about this. But I can assure you that it's nothing to get excited about," Margaret said. "Anyway, between them, you relax and breathe normally."
Choon-Hee convinced her mother to relax and breathe normally to help ease any tension that she might be feeling.
"Now, we're getting near the finish line. Andrew if you wouldn't mind changing the picture on the chart," Margaret stated as Andrew did just that. "Now as this chart shows, the woman is starting to give birth."
Some of the nurses were a little uncomfortable from this and cringed. Others had stronger stomachs and seemed amused by this.
"I know nurses. I know," Margaret had her hands up. "But this part is imperative for the childbirth process. Another contraction and you can see the baby's head appear. So you take a deep breath and push."
Choon-Hee explained this to Hyun-Joo while getting her to lie comfortably on her back, take deep breaths and make some pushes.
"Now girls, as you gently rotate the baby's head, the shoulder will appear," Margaret explained as Andrew changed the chart again; this one showing the baby being born. "And once the shoulders are delivered, the rest of the body slips through easily."
"And there you go. Your baby is born," Andrew finished up for her.
The nurses let out awes and other sounds to show how interested they were in seeing the baby. Of course, the process was rather painful from how it was explained and shown. Despite that, a couple of the nurses were intrigued and wondered if they could get pregnant sooner.
Because of the class, Hyun-Joo was getting herself to take deep breathes, relax and apply pain relief options into her stomach, with Choon-Hee's help of course.
"Alright nurses, that's essentially how childbirth works," Margaret told them. "I would like to know if any of you have any questions at all in regards to the fears of getting pregnant and if you are wanting to become a mother."
The nurses didn't have any questions as they were pretty satisfied and informed with what they were told from this class, along with seeing the charts that were shown.
It was at that moment that the mess tent door opened up and entering was Hawkeye, who was shown knocking on the door upon entering.
"Knock knock. Can a guy intrude?" he wondered.
"Make that two guys," Trapper added as he stepped into the mess tent.
"Captains what are you doing in here," Margaret queried with annoyance. "This is a nurses-only seminar."
"Try telling that to Andrew," Hawkeye pointed out. "He doesn't look anything like a nurse."
"If anything, he's more of a man than a woman," Trapper said dully.
"I'll have you two know that I was giving Margaret a hand with her class," Andrew told them in slight agitation. "Now would you mind taking your shenanigans elsewhere?"
"Well don't mind us Major. We were just wanting to give a demonstration with one of the nurses," Hawkeye told him as he approached Able and scooped her onto her feet. "I call Lieutenant Able."
"And I call Lieutenant Baker," Trapper approached Baker before getting her onto her feet.
The two Captains then pressed their lips against the lips of the nurse that they scooped up individually. Strangely enough, neither Able nor Baker struggled against it as they felt themselves melt into their embrace and returned the kiss.
"Knock it off you two," Andrew growled. "We're trying to help prepare that Korean mother for when she is in labor."
"We know, but can a guy have a nurse and share some love with her," Hawkeye said, separating his lips from Able.
"I guess that this is a no kissing area," Trapper retorted as he removed his lips from Baker.
"You would be correct," Margaret sneered. "Now get out."
"Margaret, no need to get feisty with us," Hawkeye had his hands up as Margaret grabbed hold of a riding crop. "We're just doctors."
"Yeah, take it easy," Trapper said in agreement. "That crop ain't gonna help anyone."
"OUT!" Margaret screamed as she started whipping them with it. "OUT!"
"I guess we better exit stage right," Trapper retorted frantically as they let go of their nurses and made a beeline for the door.
"We shall not return!" Hawkeye declared as they stormed out of the mess tent.
"OUT!" Margaret howled as she saw them leave. "Nurses, I'd like to apologize for the disruption."
"No trouble at all Major," Able said with a dreamy smile on her face. "I always knew Hawkeye was a kisser, but wow. What a keeper."
"I could say the same about Trapper," Baker agreed with an identical dreamy smile. "He's such a lady's man."
"Alright now, do any of you have any questions at all?" Margaret had to double-check, resulting in the nurses shaking their heads. "Very well then, that concludes today's lesson. You are all dismissed."
The nurses took that as their cue to leave and go back to their usual details, leaving Andrew and Margaret alone with the two Korean women in the mess tent.
"Now that that's been taken care of, what do you say we help Choon-Hee in getting her mother out of the mess tent," Andrew suggested to his fiancee.
"Good idea Andrew," Margaret nodded her head. "We better help her out of here."
And that's what they did. They helped Choon-Hee escort her mother out of the mess tent since they were done with the childbirth class that was held for today. One could only wonder how the rest of the day will go for everyone at the M*A*S*H 4077...
OUTSIDE IN THE COMPOUND - 15:03
We now see Frank giving one of his drill instructions, essentially trying to get the Korean mother to keep moving and get some exercise into her body. Choon-Hee was there to help her out and participated in it. Unfortunately, thanks to Frank's way of doing things, it was of little help as the mother was having trouble with keeping up with him.
"Hup, two, three, four! Hup, two, three, four," Frank hollered as he drilled. "Get those arms up! To the rear, march! To the front, MARCH!"
Hyun-Joo struggled to stretch her arms out like Frank was instructing, with Choon translating that to her for her to understand. It was easier said than done since she wasn't able to keep up with him.
"Okay! Keep those arms up! Suck in that gut," Frank barked. "Keep the blood going! And hup, two, three, four!"
"Mister, can we stop," Choon-Hee wondered. "Mother can't go on!"
"I'll tell you when to stop, so don't interrupt my drilling," Frank yelled. "Shall we continue?"
"But mister, my mother is tired," Choon-Hee reasoned. "She's exhausted from keeping herself moving. She needs to rest."
"Now you listen here, I'm in charge of this exercise," Frank warned her. "You are in the U.S. Army, not the Mayo Clinic! And what I say goes! So don't question my authority!"
"Mister! Mother can't go on!" Choon-Hee begged. "Please allow her to stop! She's tired!"
"Well tough toenails. I don't give a whit about how tired your mother is," Frank scowled. "Now quit arguing with me, because this'll go a lot easier if you quit gripping and just do as I tell you!"
Choon-Hee was on the verge of crying as Frank continued his little drilling exercises. Fortunately for Choon, relief came when Hawkeye and Trapper came over and saw what Frank was doing with the two Korean women. They got his attention by making snide comments.
"Hey, Frank? What are you doing?" Hawkeye queried while smirking. "Giving your usual drilling exercises again with the civilians?"
"I didn't know the army was able to enlist Korean women," Trapper wondered in a faux-dumb tone.
"Hmph," Frank huffed as he stopped the exercise and looked at the captains. "For your information you two, I am giving this Korean mother the exercises that she wanted. So I'm giving it to her."
"Frank, she wanted simple exercise to help with pregnancy, not to join up and do drill exercises," Hawkeye told him.
"Besides, I think the mother has had enough," Trapper motioned him to the tired-out mother. "I don't think she can keep up with your exercises any longer Frank. Come to think of it, I don't see how any of us can keep up."
"Oh, she's goldbricking," Frank scoffed. "It doesn't take an idiot to know that."
"Good point Frank. We already have one," Trapper retorted sarcastically. "This is definitely up your alley."
"Alright Choon, let's get your mother back into Post-Op to rest," Hawkeye said as he and Trapper approached Hyun-Joo and helped Choon get her to Post-Op.
"HALT! Nobody leaves until my exercises are done," Frank bellowed. "And that's an order!"
"Frank, why don't you take those exercises and practice them in the minefield," Hawkeye suggested.
"It would do you and the rest of us a whole hell of a lot of good," Trapper added.
"Oh, you guys," Frank huffed in annoyance. "It's little wonder why this war has been ruined! Thanks to you two!"
With one last glare, Frank then turned around and stormed back to the Swamp. Choon-Hee looked a little guilty by this.
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked.
"Nah, don't worry about ol' Ferret Face," Hawkeye dismissed. "He'll get over it."
"He just has his intestines tied up in a knot. He's sore at us," Trapper assured her. "After all, he's got constant athlete's foot. So don't sweat it."
"Well, alright," Choon-Hee accepted. "Shall we get our mother into Post-Op?"
"Yeah. Come on Trap, let's help her out," Hawkeye said.
"Right Hawk," Trapper nodded. "It'll do a lot of good for us and the rest of this hell hole."
Without another word, the two captains helped the Korean mother to Post-Op with Choon-Hee's help, as the mother was gonna try to rest it off for a bit. It was only a matter of time before Hyun-Joo would go into labor and her expecting baby would finally be born...
IN COLONEL BLAKE'S OFFICE - 15:39
While the captains were taking care of that, Henry was just in his office, drinking some brandy. After having gotten some enlisted men to clean up the surgical tables in OR, it was probably the best thing that he could do at the moment.
He had thought about that Korean pregnant woman from time to time, but that was being taken care of. And he wasn't needed for assistance at the moment, so in the meantime, he decided to take it easy in his office.
Of course, this came to an end when Radar entered his office with a clipboard and a pen in his hands. He was intending on getting the Colonel to sign some forms.
"Uh, 'cuse me? Sir?" Radar got his attention.
"What is it Radar," Henry sighed. "Are we getting casualties?"
"No sir," Radar shook his head. "Just need you to sign some forms."
"Oh Radar," Henry shook his head. "Need me to sign more requisition forms?"
"No sir, that's not it Colonel," Radar told him.
"Well, what is it then?" Henry queried impatiently.
"Just some forms 'pproving of delivering Korean baby from mother in Post-Op," Radar explained. "So we can do operation sir."
"Oh, but Radar, that isn't necessary," Henry stood up and told him. "I mean we already know she's gonna go into labor, and we decided to help her with delivering the baby."
"Well yes sir. But these forms show that we got permission. To do it," Radar remarked. "In case the general comes and finds out. If Major Burns finks us out."
"Oh for Pete's sake. That Frank is gonna drive me dippy," Henry groaned. "The last thing we need is a snooping general to see how we don't do things."
"What should I do 'bout the forms sir?" Radar queried.
"You give me that clipboard and pen, and...I'll sign the forms like you wanted me to," Henry instructed.
"Yes, sir," Radar complied as he handed Henry the clipboard and pen so he could sign them.
Henry sat back down while Radar walked over to his side to show him where he should sign the forms.
"'Kay sir, just sign here," Radar pointed to the line.
"Alrighty then," Henry signed his name on the line that Radar pointed to.
Radar then flipped the page to another form to sign. "Now sign your initials here."
"Alrighty," Henry complied as he put his initials on the line.
It was then Radar flipped the page over to the last form that needs filling out a signature. "Just put initials to initialize your initials, sir."
"Initialize my initials? Radar, what does that mean?" Henry gave him an incredulous look. "I mean is that necessary around here?"
"I've heard about it sir," Radar proclaimed. "It helps with 'pproving forms Colonel Blake."
"Welp, guess it's not in me to complain about it, so I guess it can be done," Henry sighed before putting his initials on the last form. "There. All done. Initials have been written, and I initialized my initials. That's done Radar. I filled them all out."
"Good sir," Radar smiled as he took the clipboard and pen back. "Thanks for that. 'Preciate it, sir."
"No problem Radar," Henry said as Radar walked for his office. "And Radar?"
"Yes sir?"
"Did you need my initials instead of my full name?"
"Why sure sir. It helps with knowin' who you're exactly."
"That's good enough of an answer for me," Henry smiled as he got settled back down at his desk. "Alrighty, your dismissed Radar."
"Roger sir," Radar gave him a salute before he walked out and went back into his office.
As soon as he was gone, Henry drank some more of his brandy before he started thinking about that Korean mother again. There was a chance that she'd go into labor at any minute, and she could use all the help that could be gotten at the 4077, and that included him.
Seeing that he should be ready for when it happens, Henry finished up the last of his brandy before stepping out of his office and headed for Post-Op. He along with the only senior medical staff was more than ready to help Hyun-Joo with delivering the baby once she goes into labor...
BACK IN POST-OP - 15:50
At this point, the Korean mother was back in her bed in Post-Op with her daughter right by her side. Hawkeye and Trapper had been examining the mother in case her water finally breaks, as Andrew and Margaret decided to check up on her.
"How's the patient doing?" Margaret asked them.
"Pretty good all things considered," Hawkeye answered. "No fever, no abdominal pains, nothing. Blood pressure is normal, and her pulse is where it should be."
"She's currently taking it easy by resting it off," Trapper informed her. "The cooks came by earlier with some of the dreck from the mess tent. Any lean meats, lentils, yogurt, wild salmon, nuts, veggies, and whole grains they could find, they gave it to her. How much good that'll do her though, I'm pretty sure it won't."
"Alright, just as long as your following the procedure before she goes into labor," Andrew commented.
"Trust us, Andrew, we wouldn't dare to make things worse for Hyun-Joo here before she gives birth," Hawkeye promised. "It's just not in our system."
"Well, that's good, I guess," Andrew said uncertainly, but he decided not to say anything about it as it remained silent for several more minutes.
It was at this moment where Henry Blake came into Post-Op just to check up on the Korean lady. Henry got their attention with a simple question.
"Hello there folks. How's the expecting mother coming along?"
"She's just fine Henry," Hawkeye answered. "We should be glad that she doesn't have a double hernia."
"That would've spelled disaster for the mother and the baby," Trapper added.
"I see," Henry nodded before looking at the two Majors. "And how have you been taking care of her."
"Well we did everything we had to," Andrew told him. "Margaret and I gave a childbirth class for them with all the nurses, she did some exercises with Frank, no matter how bad it was, and she's been fed all the foods that she has to eat."
"Currently she's been resting in bed as she should be," Margaret commented. "For the most part, things have been going pretty smoothly around here Colonel."
"Well that's good to know Majors," Henry smiled sheepishly. "Because Radar made me fill out some forms to show that helping with delivering a baby has been approved and that no complaints are made by the general."
"Radar made you fill out some forms again sir," Andrew gave him a puzzled look.
"You bet he did," Henry admitted. "And the last two forms required my initials instead of my full name, with the last one being signed to initialize the initials."
"Initialize the initials," Andrew raised an eyebrow along with Margaret. "What does that mean?"
"How should I know," Henry shrugged. "I only sign the papers. Not type them out."
"I see," Margaret said simply. "Very well Colonel, that's acceptable enough."
"Glad to hear you say that Major," Henry commented as he said nothing else.
It was then that Hyun-Joo started grunting and shaking as if something finally burst inside of her. This got Choon-Hee concerned as she begged for the doctors and head nurse to check it out.
"Doctors! Doctors! Come quick," she cried. "Something's wrong with mother!"
And that's what the doctors did as they and Margaret surrounded the Korean mother. It didn't take long for them to figure out just what was going on with her.
"Well, what do you know," Trapper retorted. "Her water finally broke."
"She's gone into labor," Margaret remarked. "We're gonna need to get her into OR."
"We'll have to deliver the baby in there," Andrew stated.
"Good idea you two. Nurse," Hawkeye declared as he called for one of the nurses. "Get a couple of other nurses to help Hyun-Joo into OR! And make sure she remains comfortable once she's lying down on the gurney in OR!"
"Yes doctor," the nurse obliged as she ran off to get a couple of other nurses to escort the Korean mother into OR.
"Okay. Now in the meantime, I suggest we all scrub up," Henry made a suggestion. "We're gonna need all the help we can get to getting this baby delivered into the world."
"Should we get Frank to help out?" Andrew questioned.
"Are you kidding Andrew?" Trapper snorted. "Frank would be able to help out if he wasn't present."
"Yeah. The best way for Frank to help is to not help us at all." Hawkeye agreed.
"Alright. Then Frank shouldn't be gotten," Andrew accepted that as an answer. "That makes sense."
"We better get scrubbed up," Margaret insisted as three nurses came over to escort the Korean mother into OR. "There's no telling how long it'll be before the baby comes out, or how much time this'll take us."
"Right, let's get a move on," Hawkeye said as they all went to scrub up, except for Henry, at least for the moment.
"Anything I can do to help out Colonel," that came from Father Mulcahy, who heard parts of it and said something once the others left Post-Op.
"If I were you, Father, I'd pray for the little bundle of joy to be born," Henry suggested. "We're about to deliver a Korean baby into the world."
"Oh, well gloriosky indeed," Father Mulcahy expressed his joy out of that. "A newborn is gonna be born into the world. One of God's children. Colonel, that's exactly what I'm going to do."
"Glad to hear it, Father," Henry complimented before heading for the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to scrub up. We all have to take part in making sure the baby gets delivered into the room."
"Oh, well, by all means, don't let me stop you, sir," Father Mulcahy said sheepishly. "I'll be in there momentarily."
"Right Father," Henry sighed as he left Post-Op to join the others in scrubbing up.
Father Mulcahy decided to leave Post-Op as well, to see the newborn get delivered into the world. This was gonna be a crazy experience for everyone involved...
IN THE OR - 17:03
By this point, the surgeons and head nurse were well into the session in OR where they had to deliver the baby. Quite some time had passed since then, and they had already gotten well into the first stage of the vaginal delivery procedure.
Being the brilliant surgeons they are, they had already shortened and opened up the cervix, in which they had followed the cervical effacement and cervical dilation processes, using whatever surgical tool that they had at their disposal.
Of course, this was required since she was now in labor, and they had to follow through the active phase.
As time went by in OR, they check for three to four contractions every ten minutes, the rupture of the membranes, and cervical dilation of 3 to 4 cm. Andrew had also gotten a spare bucket to put the placenta in once the baby has been delivered.
Meanwhile, Choon-Hee, who was masked up, was standing by her mothers' side to make sure she'll get by this okay. She had hoped that the surgeons knew what they were doing.
"Doctors, how's she doing?" She asked them.
"Your mother doing alright," Hawkeye assured her. "Right now, we're getting close to the fetal expulsion. Which means we're close to the birth being imminent."
"All we gotta do is to check for crowning," Henry exclaimed. "Because once the cervix dilates, the baby's head moves down the birth canal where we'll be able to see it."
"Which would mean that the pressure on the cervix is increasing at a high level," Trapper proclaimed. "And that the soon-to-be mother might have the sensation of the pelvic pressure."
"In other words, when she gets to that point, she'll get the urge to start pushing the baby out," Andrew had to elaborate for her.
"We also have to be careful with the child though," Margaret told her. "We have to make sure the cord isn't around the baby's neck and that it has to be moved."
And that's when we'll take care of the placenta, and that it gets delivered in about 10 or 15 minutes after the baby is delivered," Andrew remarked. "And what Margaret was referring to in regards to the cord is the umbilical cord. Since it could get stuck around the child's neck, we shouldn't pull on it, even after the baby is born."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about darling," Margaret gave him a smirk from behind the mask. "Other than that, the baby will be just fine."
"Geez Margaret, how do you know so much about this," Hawkeye egged. "You should have told me about this kind of stuff."
"It just so happens that I've delivered babies before Dr. Pierce," Margaret deadpanned. "Not to mention I'm a woman, and I can understand from a woman's point of view when it comes to this sort of thing."
"Why? You've been pregnant before Hot Lips?" Trapper asked.
"N-N-No," Margaret blushed under her mask as she furrowed her eyebrows at him. "That's none of your business Dr. McIntyre."
"Admit it, you'd love to have a child with Andrew over there," Hawkeye teased. "You two would have the most precious bundle of joy for a baby."
Now, this got both Andrew and Margaret to blush profusely, which was hidden thanks to the mask.
"Hey, do you mind not talking about us like this? We're trying to deliver a baby here," Andrew told them.
"He's right Pierce and McIntyre," Henry remarked. "Now's not the time for your usual tomfoolery. A baby is gonna be born at any moment."
They were about to say something else, but before they could, the Korean mother was yelping something in Korean, which result from some great pain in the vaginal area of her body. While this got Choon-Hee concerned, the doctors knew what this meant; now she was entering the second stage of the delivery, which is the fetal expulsion.
"I-Is that supposed to happen?" Choon queried worriedly.
"It'll be just fine. She'll be fine," Margaret assured her. "She's getting ready to push the baby."
"It should be stimulated by prostaglandins and oxytocin," Hawkeye said. "The cervix should be fully dilated, and we should be able to see the baby's head."
"Because if it didn't, then the child would have a hard time sliding out," Trapper retorted.
"Alright, since I've done this kind of thing before, I'm gonna help with guiding the baby out of the mother," Henry said. "Pierce and McIntyre, make sure the mother remains calm and under control, so we can get the baby out. Peterson and Houlihan, help the mother to push slowly for the baby to come out."
None of them argued with that as they went on ahead and did what they had to do. Hawkeye and Trapper made sure the mother remained calm and at ease while Andrew and Margaret push their hands on the mother's stomach to get her to push gently and slowly. Meanwhile, Henry did the messy part by making sure the baby can get guided out of the Korean mother.
"Alright, we managed to get her to settle down a little," Hawkeye remarked.
"Yeah," Trapper huffed. "Lord knows how long we'll be able to do it. Uh, no offense intended Father."
"Well, no offense is taken," Father Mulcahy stated in understanding.
"Alrighty then. I'm about ready to guide the baby out by its shoulders," Henry said. "Just make sure the mother pushes gently."
"Yes Colonel," Andrew and Margaret said in unison as they were standing side by side on the mother's left side as their hands were on the mother's chest. "Alright Hyun-Joo, push. Push."
The two Majors gently pressed their hands down on her chest in an attempt to get her to push, which she did while letting out some pants and huffs. It was a slow process, but they were getting some outstanding results, as they continued to do that for several more minutes.
Following Henry's direction, they made sure that the mother pushed in a very gentle manner and not to rush through things. They had to double-check to make sure that the umbilical cord wasn't wrapped around the baby's neck. By the time the baby's head came out, the mother had to stop pushing. What followed next was a loud shrill scream in Korean from the mother, which resulted from the amount of agonizing pain she felt from having given birth. This got Choon-Hee concerned, but the surgeons and the head nurse made sure the mother could remain calm for this part.
"Alrighty. That's all set," Henry felt sweat on his forehead. "Major Houlihan, get me a bulb syringe."
"Bulb syringe," Margaret complied as she gave it to Henry, who used it to clean the baby's nose and mouth.
"Now the hard part has been taken care of," Henry sighed. "Father? Get me something to wrap up this newborn baby in."
"Why yes sir," Father Mulcahy said. "I'll be glad to."
"Wait, does this mean...?" Choon-Hee was unable to finish her comment.
"That's right, miss. Your mother just had a baby delivered to the world." Henry told her.
"Really," Choon-Hee looked at him with uncertainty.
"Yup. And from what I'm seeing, it's a 5-pound baby girl," Henry said as Father Mulcahy came in with a blanket for the baby. "If you ask me, your mother should be proud of getting herself a second daughter."
"Here's the blanket you wanted Colonel," the Father handed it over.
"Thanks, Father," Henry took the blanket and wrapped it around the baby's body from head to toe, with the only part exposed being the face.
"Oh gloriosky, she is beautiful," Father Mulcahy admitted. "Congratulations on having a beautiful baby girl."
"Thank you. And my mother thanks you all two for being such fine doctors," Choon-Hee thanked.
"Now we just have to wait for the placenta to come out," Hawkeye stated. "Which we'll take care of when it's ready to be delivered."
"We'll just have to be patient." Andrew shrugged.
As they waited, they heard the baby crying while Henry was holding her, cooing and admiring her as any father would. It didn't take long for Hawkeye and Trapper to see the baby for themselves.
"Well, what do you know," Hawkeye smiled. "She is a bundle of joy after all."
"It makes me glad to be a father," Trapper agreed. "I already have two daughters back at home."
"You're not the only one McIntyre," Henry admitted. "I have two daughters and a son back in Bloomington Illinois."
"We know that Henry," Hawkeye told him.
"Well it's a good thing that the baby was properly delivered," Andrew said in satisfaction.
"Yeah," Margaret agreed with a smile. "Can I see the baby?"
"Well sure Major, just come on over to see her for yourselves." Henry didn't have a problem with that.
Margaret walked over to see the baby, with Andrew accompanying her to see the baby girl for themselves. Needless to say, they were fascinated and overjoyed by what they saw.
"Wow. She's so cute, and beautiful," Margaret said in awe.
"I'll say," Andrew agreed. "I bet she'll grow up to be a strong Korean woman."
"Colonel? Can I hold the baby girl?" Margaret requested.
"Why, so you could be mean to her," Hawkeye queried freshly.
Margaret reacted by giving him a dirty look. "There was no need for that comment Pierce. I happen to love little children."
"In that case, my wife could use a babysitter in Boston whenever this war is over, assuming that there is an end to it," Trapper offered.
"Now guys, what Houlihan does is her business, and we have no right in poking our noses into it," Henry proclaimed.
"Probably because our noses are covered by our masks," Hawkeye said dryly.
"You know what I mean Pierce," Henry retorted. "Anyway Major, you are welcome to hold the baby until the mother wants her back."
Henry then handed the baby to Margaret, wrapped in a blanket and everything. Margaret held her close and looked at her in admiration while making cooing sounds and speaking sweetly to her.
"Hi there," Margaret cooed. "Well, aren't you a precious little girl? You'll grow up to be beautiful and strong like your mother."
"Yeah," Andrew joined in as he also coddled the baby by gently rubbing his index finger on the cheek. "You're so adorable. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."
The baby made some gurgling noises as a result and ended up sucking on Andrew's index finger. Naturally, Andrew didn't react to it.
"Awe, Andrew," she gushed slightly. "She seems to like you."
"I notice," Andrew smiled. "Yes. That's my finger."
The two of them spent the next several minutes treating the baby as if she were one of their own, while Hawkeye and Trapper watched this for themselves, somewhat fascinated by this.
"Can you believe that Trap? Can you believe that?" Hawkeye commented. "Andrew and Margaret are acting like they're the parents of that baby."
"It just goes to show Hawk that Hot Lips can act like a mommy when it comes to dealing with babies," Trapper said. "And Andrew can act as a daddy too."
"In that case, I can already picture the children that they'll have when the war is over," Hawkeye smirked under his mask. "Their children will look a lot like them."
"That would make them a big happy family," Trapper had a smirk forming at the notion.
"Exactly," Hawkeye nodded.
"Alrighty now, we really should be ready for when the placenta gets delivered," Henry reminded them. "That still needs to be taken care of."
"Right Henry," Hawkeye and Trapper nodded as they waited for the placenta to come while Andrew and Margaret admired the baby, while Hyun-Joo was shown with her eyes closed, likely exhausted from giving birth, with Choon by her side, rubbing her hand.
Eventually, the placenta was delivered, and the surgeons worked on disposing of it properly, using the surgical tools that they had possession of, and then tossed it into the bucket that was brought into OR. It was at this moment where the mother started to wake up and wanted something from the doctors and head nurse.
"Naneun agileul wonhanda. nae agileul gajgo sip-eoyo," she told her daughter in Korean, to which Choon decided to pass it onto the others in English.
"Mother wants to have her baby folks," Choon told them. "Can she have her back?"
"Well alright. She's your baby," Margaret seemed reluctant, but she complied by giving Hyun-Joo her baby back, which she took with her arms and kept the baby in her arms.
"By the way Choon-Hee, what is your mother gonna name her?" Andrew queried.
"Hmmm..." Choon-Hee mused before asking her mother in Korean. "Geunyeoui ileum-eun mueos-ibnikka?"
"Naneun geunyeoui ileum-eul alilago jieossda," the mother told her in Korean. "Ari."
"She's calling her Ari," Choon explained. "It's a Korean name for pretty, lovely, and beautiful."
"Ah, that's a nice name," Hawkeye complimented. "And it fits too."
"I'll say," Trapper agreed with a smirk under the mask. "The name is just as beautiful as she is."
"I like it," Andrew admitted.
"Me too," Margaret said.
"Agi bunman-eul dowajusyeoseo gamsahabnida," the Korean mother said graciously.
"Mother wants to thank you all for helping her out with delivering the baby," Choon translated for them.
"Well, it was nothing," Andrew said modestly. "It's just how we doctors do things."
"Yeah, this is only our second best as surgeons," Hawkeye commented.
"Believe me, we've done better," Trapper added.
"It was our honor to help you deliver a baby ma'am," Margaret stated.
"Welp, it comes naturally with the best doctor hands in Bloomington," Henry told her sheepishly.
The Korean mother didn't say anything else as she and her daughter continued to admire the baby and their latest addition to their family.
Meanwhile, Andrew and Margaret kept looking at the baby as they started realizing what they were experiencing at the moment they coddled the baby. It would seem that they got a glimpse and taste of parenthood.
"You know something, Margaret? When that baby was sucking on my finger, I felt like I was experiencing a taste of fatherhood." Andrew mused.
"That's strange," Margaret agreed. "When I was holding the baby in my arms, I was experiencing motherhood."
"Just think you two, when you two have your own home in the state, you'll start to have babies of your own," Hawkeye commented.
"Then you'll be like a mother and a father while living together," Trapper agreed. "Face it, you two are gonna have fun with having sex to the point where Hot Lips gets pregnant."
Andrew and Margaret said nothing about that as they blushed under their masks. Was it true that they wanted to have sex after they get married and return to the states? Did Margaret want to be pregnant with a child that's hers and Andrew's?
Whatever the answer to that question was, it was their business and affair, and they would decide on it on their own, regardless of how much they lust at the notion of making love together.
They said nothing else as they admired their work of getting a baby delivered into the world. Many strange things have happened at the M*A*S*H 4077 before, but this was something else. They had no idea what else could happen.
All they could do was wait and see for themselves. That's for sure...
END OF CHAPTER 51...
Whew. This chapter took a lot of time for me to write and publish. Between coming up with ideas for this concept, along with humor and lines, and forcing myself to write, it was quite tasking. Still, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter.
Now as you can see, I've been running ragged with a lack of ideas for this story, and 51 chapters in, this would be expected. And that's another reason for the slow production of this story since I can't think of anything overnight. So I hope you all understand that.
Aside from that, I can't think of anything else to say in this author's note. That being said, I'm trying to come up with something for the next chapter, idea-wise. I'm thinking about the camp having some wartime fun since morale is low, or something like that. I haven't come up with a concrete idea yet, but I should figure something out. You'll have to find out what it is next time folks.
For now, only if you want, you can leave a review for this chapter. I don't care what kind of a review it is, since this story is lengthy by this point.
Otherwise, that's all I have. So until next time, I hope you take care of yourselves. And on that note, thanks again for reading folks!