Having Bonnie here is almost like having you here. We all live in such close quarters that it's often like having one huge family. We squabble sometimes, but we always make up because we are stuck with each other. But Bonnie is like a sister to me.

She reminds me of you, actually. The way she talks sometimes makes me feel like I am talking to you. She even looks like you, with her auburn hair and fair skin. Sometimes when it's late and everyone in the tent is sleeping, I look over and I can imagine it's you sleeping in the cot across the room and it is like I am at home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know, you have to talk to him sometime. It's a small place, it's not as though you can avoid him forever."

"Sometime," Jo said, "but not now."

"Soon," Bonnie told her. "I can't keep fending him off."

"I know Bonnie. I know. I just can't right now."

They walked into the mess tent together and joined the line. Each holding a tray, they waited to be served. The man behind the so-called food scooped out something that looked suspiciously like beans, but Jo doubted that was really what they were. As they left the line, Hawkeye waved to them. Jo turned and headed for a table that was nearly full.

"Jo, that table is full," said Bonnie, exasperated. "Why can't we just sit over there with Hawkeye and B.J.?"

"Bonnie, please?" Jo pleaded.

Bonnie clenched her teeth. "Fine," she grumbled and they squeezed in between some nurses and enlisted men at the other table.

Neither nurse ate much food. They pushed the mush around their plates and sipped on lukewarm coffee in near silence. Finally Bonnie stood up.

"I'm going to grab a shower before my shift starts," she announced and walked off before Jo could object.

Jo pushed herself up from the table and was about to turn around when she felt someone standing behind her.

"Lieutenant?"

Jo let out a breath. The voice did not belong to Hawkeye. "Yes Radar?"

"Uh, I have your mail here."

"Thank you Radar."

"I also have Lieutenant MacNeil's mail here too, but I can't find her anywhere."

"She's in the shower Radar."

"Oh," came the soft reply. Radar squirmed. "Well, maybe you could take her this letter."

"Fine. Leave it with me. I'll make sure she gets it."

"Gee, thanks Lieutenant." Radar said passing a second letter to Jo.

Jo returned her tray and left for her tent, letters in hand. Inside she set the letter for Bonnie on her cot and was about to sit on her own cot to read the letter when she noticed that the letter wasn't addressed to Bonnie.

It was addressed to Lieutenant MacNeil, but it was not addressed to Lieutenant Bonnie MacNeil. Jo examined the careful script. The name on the envelope was Lieutenant Mary E. MacNeil.

Jo thought about tracking Radar down to return the letter, but thought better of going out into the compound alone. Ever since her date with Hawkeye, Jo had avoided being alone so that Hawkeye couldn't corner her.

Instead she settled herself on her own bunk and began to read her own letter.

The door flew open.

"Ugh!" complained Bonnie. "I think it's been years since I've had a hot shower, but somehow I still manage to be disappointed when the water comes out cold."

Jo looked up and smiled.

"News from home?" Bonnie asked, nodding to the letter in Jo's hands.

"Yes. A letter from my sister."

Bonnie began towelling her hair vigorously.

"Wait - before I forget. Radar gave me a letter. Told me it was for you, but it's addressed to a Mary MacNeil. Do you know who that is?"

Bonnie gave a laugh. "That's me."

"You never told me that Bonnie wasn't your real name," Jo accused.

Bonnie smiled. "My father used to call me his 'bonnie lass.' I guess it stuck and it got shortened to Bonnie. My given name is Mary Elizabeth. Until I came here only my family called me Bonnie."

"So, why did we get this honour?"

"It makes me feel more like I'm at home. While I'm here, these people are the closest I have to family."

"I know what you mean."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She's right, you know. And I know it too. She has that unnerving way of telling me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. Especially when I don't want to hear it. Just like you do, Victoria.

I need to talk to Hawkeye. Clear the air, so to speak. Obviously I can't keep avoiding him. Eventually we will bump into each other, have to work side by side. I am just so self-conscious when I am with him. I don't know why I should care what he thinks of me, but I do. There is something about him. I can't quite describe it. As much as he hates being here, he is the heart of this place. I can't imagine it here without him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a knock at the door. Jo fought the urge to hide under the covers like she did as a small child. She sat still on the cot, so Bonnie stood up.

"I'll get it," she offered sarcastically.

Bonnie opened the door and stood in the opening. Jo listened to the conversation from her place on her cot.

"She's, um, out," Bonnie said, glancing back at Jo and Jo could tell who was at the door.

"She's in there, isn't she?" Hawkeye asked Bonnie. His hand came around the door and pulled it open. He stepped in. "Mind if I come in?" he asked belatedly.

Bonnie shrugged and mouthed "Sorry," to Jo.

Hawkeye sat down on a cot, across from Jo. "Look, I just want to talk," he told her. "I promise to keep my hands to myself."

"Well, I'll give you two some privacy," said Bonnie, leaving the tent before Jo could stop her.

Jo looked at her feet and scuffed her boots on the ground.

"I get the distinct impression that you've been avoiding me. Maybe that's because you've been avoiding me." Hawkeye paused, as though he expected Jo to respond. When she remained silent, he continued. "If I did something wrong, I want to know about it so I can apologize."

"Captain," Jo sighed.

"So, now we're back to addressing each other by rank. Tell me then, Lieutenant. What exactly is wrong? First you agree to go out with me, you even come to my tent, but every time I touch you, you act as though I've hurt you. Plus I had to bribe your bodyguard just to sit down alone with you to talk."

Jo's back stiffened, and so did her voice. "Captain," she said. "I am not that kind of girl. I don't know what you were expecting. Some people here think that because we are in a different place we are entitled to become different people." Jo knew she had started to lecture, but she could not stop herself. Even as she spoke she heard her father's voice echoing in her head. "I will not betray my values."

Jo thought she could actually see Hawkeye blush. Her own cheeks burned crimson with anger and humiliation. Hawkeye stood then; his arms and legs seemed lankier than usual as he shifted from side to side.

"Well," he said. "Glad to have cleared that up. I'm sorry for whatever I might have done to offend your sense of morality. In my own defence though, you did agree to go out with me. Don't get up. I'll see myself out."

"Well," Jo moaned when she was alone in the tent once again, "I think that went well, don't you?"