Chapter 2- (Peg's letter and a phone call)

Beej headed back to the Swamp. After fixing himself a so-called martini, he stretched out on his cot again. From under the pillow came the letter. "Darling BJ," he read again silently, "My darling BJ, well, that has a funny sound lately. I received a telephone call the other day, dear, it disturbed me, I had to send Erin to her room for no reason so she wouldn't see me cry and wonder why. The call was from a nurse, a Carrie Donovan. Apparently she's pregnant, BJ. And she says it's yours. BJ, I don't know what to do, I just can't believe it. I love you, please tell me it's not true. Love, always, your wife, Peg."

"What the hell am I going to do?" Beej wondered out loud as Hawkeye entered the Swamp behind him.

"I thought you were going to the Officer's Club?" BJ asked. "I was, but I got this distinct feeling that something was not right. Is everything OK? And don't give me some cock and bull story, because I know you." Hawk said.

BJ sat there for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. He took a long swig of his drink and began. "Do you remember a nurse by the name of Carrie Donovan?"

"Ya... pretty little thing" Hawk said with a grin on his face.

"Well, do you remember me telling you about her.....and me?"

"Oh...OH!!! THAT Carrie Donovan. Ya! What's up?"

"Well...She called Peg."

"Oh No! Did she tell her about you two?" Hawk asked.

"Ummmm ya...and some other stuff."

"Like what? That you had breakfast together?"

"Not exactly. Hawk, she's pregnant"

Hawkeye's jaw dropped to the floor. "Is it yours?"

"She's claiming it is"

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. I would like to somehow get in touch with Carrie and figure this all out."

"Well lets go do that right now. Suggested Hawkeye.

"I'm not so sure..."

"C'mon"

The two walked across the compound and into the office. "Radar. Radar!" Hawk woke up the sleeping clerk. "I don't want to go to school mom. The cows can milk themselves!" Hawk and Beej just looked at each other and shrugged. "Radar, c'mon get up we have to place a call to Carrie Donovan in the U.S."

"Aww geez guys! It's 2am!" Radar complained.

"It's important Radar" Hawk said in a sincere voice.

"OK, OK...but you owe me!"

"OK anything... just place that call"

"Sparky?? Hi...I KNOW it's late. I need to place a call to a" Radar whispered to hawk, "what's her name?"

"Carrie Donovan"

"A Carrie Donovan in the US....uh huh...OK. He's placing it through now"

He handed the phone over to BJ and he thought to himself "what the hell am I going to say?" Beej could feel his whole body shake as he put the phone to his ear. His mouth went dry and mind was juggled with thoughts. "Hello?" a girl's voice came through the ear piece. He couldn't talk, he couldn't even think of anything except Peg, crying.

"I'm going to hang up now," the impatient voice said.

"Carrie?" he finally spoke.

"BJ? Hi," She said excited to hear him.

"Carrie," he sighed, "is it true? You're pregnant?"

Her voice got softer, more serious, "Yeah, I'm pregnant, 7 months."

"And... is it, um..."

"...Yours?"

"Yeah."

"I believe so BJ, I'm sorry, I know you're married and this isn't what you wanted, it isn't what I wanted, oh, how'd I let this happen?" she was to the verge of tears, trying to hold them back. This wasn't the first time she'd cried over this baby, and wouldn't be the last.

Beej couldn't speak, he was frozen, part in fear of what it would mean to Peg and Erin, part in fear of what it would mean to Carrie. "How can this be? What am I going to do with this child? Will they be accepted in my family? Will they be accepted by Carrie's?" he thought to himself, his mind racing.

"Beej? Beej? Are you there?" she asked, worried.

"Oh, um, yeah I'm here, just in shock, I guess."

"Um, sir, we're going to lose the connection soon, sir," Radar warned quietly.

"Carrie, listen, I've got to go now, I'll write you a letter, OK? We'll talk," Beej offered.

"Yeah, I'll write too, Be-" she responded as the line went dead.

Beej hung up the phone and put his head in his hands, Hawk put his hand on Beej's shoulder trying to comfort him. "Buy you a drink, soldier?" Hawk tried. Beej looked up at him,

"Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea."