A/N: This story has been floating in my imagination for several months and I'm happy that I'm finally able to share it. All comments are appreciated! Written in honor of the 50th anniversary of this wonderful show; September 17, 2022


It happened-of all places-in the produce department of Murphy's Market; Denver's most prominent grocery store. And the something that happened was a big

something. Something that Margaret Houlihan never imagined. How, she wondered, had she gotten here?

A little over a year had passed since the Korean War had come to an end, and by unforeseen circumstances, she'd found herself back in the United States in an

unfamiliar city; Denver, Colorado. Who knew that of all the places in the world that she'd end up here? Denver was frigidly cold in the winter, almost unbearably

hot in the summer and crowded year round. The thing that the residents of the Mile High City found most exciting was the presence of the sports teams. The

thought made her roll her eyes. Wasn't there more to life than basketball and football and whatever other kind of sports were around? She found it sad that

people seemed to appreciate sports more than the city itself. Denver, and the entire state of Colorado, were incredibly beautiful, with the snow capped

mountains, abundance of trees and the fresh air, not to mention, the gorgeous changing seasons.

But more importantly, for Margaret anyway, Denver had become more than her home. It was a place of opportunity. The moment she arrived word that she'd

been hired as Head Nurse at Denver's Region Eight Medical Center, she knew that she'd finally made it.

She suspected that there was bound to be some resentment among the other nurses, whom Margaret was certain were well-deserving of promotion to Head

Nurse. But if they held any grudges, they never showed it. Margaret was careful not to let her temper or her ego get the best of her, as it often had in Korea.

She wished she'd been more supportive and friendly. Perhaps the nurses would have included her in their gab sessions, or at least would have wanted to be

friends with her, but sadly, it never happened. Her actions at the 4077 had cost her the respect of her nurses (and in some cases, the doctors) and she'd learned

a good lesson from it. Now she was determined to treat the nurses at Region Eight with respect; as equals and only use her authority when it was necessary.

The position of Head Nurse wasn't an easy one to obtain and she knew how lucky she was. She wouldn't even have the position if it weren't for a glowing report

from Sherman Potter. She owed that dear, wonderful man more than she could ever repay him.

But her life in Denver was much more than nursing. In fact, it was a huge adjustment, learning to find7 her way around in a city she'd never been to. Or, if she'd

been there before she was too young to remember. And new experiences were always good, weren't they?

But with new experiences came adjustment and that was the most difficult thing of all. No longer could she depend on Radar or Klinger to cut through a lot of

red tape to get her whatever she needed. There was no going to the mess tent at all hours of the night knowing that there would be something available to eat,

even if it was largely inedible, as all Army food was. Now her world consisted of trips to the grocery store, post office and even the dreaded shopping centers. No

more luxuries like perfume from Tokyo or Seoul in run down jeeps. She drove herself wherever she needed to go. And the funny thing was that it seemed that

the dirt roads of Uijeongbu were, at times, safer than the streets of Denver.

At first she'd done her best to avoid shopping at all costs, choosing instead to frequent cafes and restaurants. But even with her salary, eating out was beginning

to take a toll on her bank account. Truth be told, she'd much rather prepare her own meals and enjoy them in the comfort of her home instead of some noisy

restaurant with bad service.

So here she was on a rare day off, standing in the produce section of Murphy's Market. Instead of making a decision between liver and fish, she was faced with

a decision of Granny Smith or Red Delicious apples. In all honesty, the choices presented to her were overwhelming.

To give her mind a rest, she reached into her purse for her wallet. She touched the soft brown leather and opened the metal clasp. The sight made her smile.

Yes, her valuable coupons were all there, lined up like soldiers, waiting to be put to good use. But then her thumb brushed across something else.

Curious, she forgot about the coupons and removed the small pink piece of paper that was folded in quarters. Carefully she unfolded it. The blue ink was faded,

but the handwriting was unmistakable; the pen strokes etched in her heart. The sight of it produced a feeling that she'd long forgotten.

And a memory surfaced.