Hawkeye stirred quietly in the post-op bed, then ruffled the sheets a little louder, trying to get comfortable, turning over on his side and trying to curl into a little ball, mistaking the bright lights of the post- op ward to the unwelcome arrival of the morning sun in his own cozy, filth- ridden cot.

"Aaa-aoo-oow!" he jumped up suddenly, as he'd put undue pressure on the IV needle which was dripping the last of the required blood into his system.

Nurse Samden hurried over, putting her hand on his shoulder, "Hawkeye! Please lie back down!"

Hawkeye grimaced and set his feet on the floor, gripping his jabbed arm with one hand. "I'm a doctor, Julie," he reminded her, "I don't need your advice. Just give me two aspirin and I'll call myself in the morning."

He peered out the window. In fact, it was still night out, and in further fact, he had a pounding headache. Julie went to fetch the aspirin.

Hawkeye kept on rambling as she returned, "And don't forget to send me my bill. Might want to place me a phone call, too, or else I'll never get paid." He smiled at her with a wan approximation of a leer, "I'm such a deadbeat."

He took the aspirin dry, with some difficulty. "But after all, what do you expect with these lousy army wages? I can't afford the kinds of prices I charge! I bet I don't even allow credit."

He plucked the needle expertly from his arm, "I've even had to stoop to moonlighting as undertaker. And even then I have no luck! I work all day saving lives... I'm running myself out of business! See what I've driven myself to? If only I had the decency to take on a hard luck case now and again..." He was going on autopilot, more or less, the pounding in his head taking the greater part of his attention. He stood and quitted post- op with a general come-on line to Nurse Samden, and stood outside, taking a breath of fresh air to cut the fog in his brain.

A cluster of silhouettes on the shaded window of Colonel Potter's office caught his eye, and he squinted in that direction.

~