Once In A Lullaby
By Blue Saphire
San Francisco June 1953
Margaret took a deep breath and walked into her lawyer's office. Smiling slightly with her hand resting comfortable on her stomach, that had expanded greatly since she got pregnant. She looked at the man sitting behind the desk busing himself with work. The older man looked up and smiled at the pregnant woman standing in front of him.
Tom Carter's smile grew wider as he walked over to her placing a hand on her back. "How are you doing?" He asked guiding her to a chair.
"I could be better, but all things considered, I'm alright."
"How's the baby?"
"I went in for a check-up yesterday, we're both healthy and on track."
"Good. Shall we get down to business?" Margaret nodded placing a hand on her swollen belly. Tom smiled and continued. "Well your divorce is finale. Donald agreed to everything."
"Everything?"
"Everything. I was there when he signed."
"I'm divorced?"
"You're divorced. Now I want to know, what are you going to do?"
"Well I'm living with my mother. Once I give birth and the baby gets older, I'll get a job."
"Okay as long as you know what you're going to do."
"I do, thanks for caring."
"No problem. You mean a great deal to me. I've known you since you were little."
"I know Tom." Margaret smiled.
The two talked for a while more before Margaret left. She walked out of the office and downstairs to wait for her ride.
She walked outside and saw her brother-in-law. He was a tall dark haired man with bright green eyes. Standing at an even six feet he had a large smile spread across his face.
Margaret and her sister Elaine looked so different. Elaine was a little shorter than Margaret was, but with the same delicate bone structure. She had chocolate brown eyes and curly dark brown hair. Margaret on the other hand was a blonde with ice blue eyes that sparkled. They both shared the same smile and David loved it.
He walked straight over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
"How did it go?"
"I'm divorced." Margaret said with a tone that David couldn't distinguish.
"It's what you wanted right?"
"Yes and what he wanted. It was mutual I guess."
"You hungry?"
"I'm always hungry. I'm in my third trimester. I'm also huge and uncomfortable."
"Margaret you're not huge, you're pregnant."
"I know that David." Margaret said shortly.
"Come on lets get something to eat."
"Okay. Where's Elaine and the baby?"
"Elaine and Mercy are meeting us for lunch."
"What about mom?"
"She'll be there. Come on, you're nine months pregnant, this is the only time till the baby is grown you'll be able to get out of the house."
"Okay, just because I want to see my niece. She must be huge now." Margaret was excited to see her niece. David had come a week before when he was transferred, and Elaine and Mercy stayed behind tying up lose ends.
"Yeah. Mercy is growing like a weed." Margaret smiled. Mercy Elizabeth Kings just turned one. Elaine and her husband David came to California when David was transferred. Elaine loved it; she could spend time with her older sister before the baby came. When Kate found out Margaret was pregnant she moved in with her to help her eldest daughter with life.
David helped Margaret into the car and made sure she was comfortable before getting in himself. He went through the same thing with Elaine, except Elaine was more concerned about her appearance than Margaret was.
They drove to a small café to meet everyone for lunch. Elaine, Mercy and Kate were all inside waiting for them. Elaine, David and Mercy came this morning while Margaret was at an appointment. She knew they were coming and was excited to see her baby sister.
They walked in and Elaine saw her very pregnant older sister and ran over to her, giving her a hug, in the middle of the café.
"How are you?" Elaine asked letting go of her sister and looking at her very round belly. "Oh look at that. What do you think it is?"
"I'm pretty sure it's a girl. But you never know it could be a boy."
"It's a mother's intuition. Believe me, David thought Mercy was a boy, I thought she was a girl and I was right. And mom said she knew both of us were girls." Elaine said as they walked over to the table. Mercy was sitting comfortably in Kate's arms. When the little girl saw her aunt, the same smile that Kate, Elaine and Margaret all shared spread across her face. Margaret sat down and took the one-year-old in her arms.
"Elaine, she's getting so big."
"I know. Remember when she was just a new born?"
"I was still in Korea, but I saw the pictures." Margaret smiled looking at the little girl in her arms. "She's such a little beauty."
"Looks like you and Elaine when you were babies." Kate said running a finger over the baby's cheek.
"Mom, me and Elaine look nothing alike." Margaret pointed out.
"Not now, but when you were her age, you looked almost identical. It wasn't till Elaine turned two her hair went brown. And I have pictures to prove it." Kate added with a smirk.
"Molly's right mom, we look nothing alike."
"Elaine, you two only share the smile right now. But like I told your sister, you looked alike when you were younger. Ask your father."
"Yeah Molly ask Daddy. You're Daddy's little girl."
"Elaine, shut up. Daddy is coming soon; he wants to be there when the baby is born."
"Daddy didn't come when Mercy was born." Elaine said somewhat left out.
"Daddy was at work Elaine, he would have done anything to be with you, and you know it. He loves you just as much as he loves me."
"I know Molly." Elaine said taking her baby away from her sister, when she started getting fussy. "Don't you love that as soon as the baby gets fussy you can get rid of her?"
"Sure do." Margaret smiled as she laid a hand on her stomach.
"How you doing with the baby anyway?"
"I'm doing good. It's been hard, but Mom's here."
"That I am. How did your meeting with Tom go today?"
"We're divorced. Donald signed and agreed to everything."
"Good. Now what do you say we eat something? I don't know about you but I'm starving." Kate said picking up a breadstick. Elaine and Margaret both laughed as their mother tried to get David to eat one.
The five spent the rest of the afternoon together. After lunch, David took Mercy back to Margaret's house and put her down for a nap while Kate, Elaine and Margaret went baby shopping. They found some clothes for Mercy and some for the coming baby.
When they arrived back at the house, they found David in the kitchen cooking and playing with the baby. Kate sent Margaret to go lie down until dinner. She was feeling really tired from shopping, and Kate knew it wasn't ordinary weakness. The baby would be coming soon and it was in the best interest to keep the mother-to-be as calm and relaxed as possible.
Over the next few days David painted the nursery a very nice shade of yellow, and while Margaret and the baby were in the hospital he would either sponge dab it blue or pink. Depending on the sex of the baby. He set the entire room up and put together the crib, and anything Margaret told him needed to be done.
The following Tuesday Al arrived with a hug for his two children. He was sure to be careful of Margaret, but hugged Elaine so tight she almost went blue. Mercy saw her grandfather and claimed him as hers and only hers. She would start to cry when Elaine tried to take her away, so Al volunteered to take care of everything. He watched Margaret like a hawk making sure she was okay.
On Thursday June 30, Margaret went into labor. David started to call Korea when she went into labor, so as soon as they found out the name and sex of the child the staff at the 4077th would know.
Five hours later at noon June 30 1953 Margaret gave birth to a healthy eight and a half-pound baby girl. It was around one o'clock when David got through to the M*A*S*H unit.
Korea; June 30, 1953
"Hello 4077th M*A*S*H how may we help you?" Corporal Maxwell Q Klinger said cheerfully answering the phone.
"Hi, I'm Major David Kings calling from San Francisco California."
"What can I do for you Major?" Klinger asked as he flipped through some files.
"I'm Margaret Houlihan's brother-in-law."
"How's the Major doing?" Klinger asked happily as Hawkeye walked in. "Captain, Major Houlihan's brother-in-law is on the phone."
"Keep him on, I'll get everyone." Hawkeye said dashing out of the office.
"Well Major, I'm supposed to keep you on till Captain Pierce comes back. How's everything in the states?"
"Going good. Listen I only have about ten more minutes."
"No problem Major, everyone is here." Klinger said happily as the most of the camp filed into the office or just outside. "I'm going to put you through the intercom system so everyone can here." Klinger flipped a few switches and then picked up the phone. "Okay Major, spill it."
"Well at Twelve o'clock June 30, 1953 Margaret Houlihan gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She weighed in at eight pounds five ounces. At twenty inches long. The baby's name is Haylie Madylin." She wanted the baby to be strong to picked a name suitable, Haylie was the first one that came to mind; and Madylin was her grandmother's name, she died when Margaret was a teenager. Madylin the one she always called when Al was busy.
The whole camp cheered and jumped up and down hugging one another. They had all been devastated when she was discharged and a new head nurse came. Sybil Dixon was less then enthused with the interruption of their day. And how concerned and happy Hawkeye was about this woman.
"Both Margaret and Haylie are just fine and are now sleeping." David added with a smile. Hawkeye ran to the phone and picked it up, and turned off the intercom.
"David, how's Margaret handling everything?" he asked in a concerned tone.
"Just fine. But listen I have to go now."
"Okay, tell Margaret that Hawkeye Pierce loves her."
"Pierce." David said for a moment then smiled to himself. "Margaret says she loves you, and thank you for all your help." David smiled. "Now I really must go, nice talking to you."
"You too. Give Margaret a kiss and a hug from all of us her. And tell her we love her."
"I will." David said as the line was cut.
San Francisco California; June 30, 1953
David took a deep breath and walked into his sister-in-law's room. She was sitting up now watching her father inspect the new baby. Haylie was wrapped tightly in a pink blanket, which Al had undone checking out her fingers and toes.
"She's prefect Margaret." Al smiled running his finger over the baby's smooth skin. "She's going to have the same smile your mother, sister and niece do. It must be the Sulivan genes."
"Must be." Margaret smiled and looked at David. "Look at her. Isn't she the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?"
"She ties with Mercy." David said with a smile. "Well everyone now knows."
"What do you mean?" Margaret asked looking at him thoroughly confused.
"At the 4077th. They all know about Haylie."
"How do they know?"
"I placed the call when you went into labor, it came through only ten minutes ago. I told everyone. And they send their love, hugs and kisses." Margaret smiled and hugged the teddy bear she was clutching.
"As that call went through I call Walter O'Rielly and John McIntyre. The one who calls himself Radar is very happy for you and wishes you the best. Dr. McIntyre says he'll try his best to come and see you and he says he misses you. I also called Donald."
"And?"
"He says congratulations and he doesn't want the child to know about him."
"No problem."
"The whole Army knows as well. I called my CO and he's prouder than ever. He decided to call everyone he knows. Hell I bet the president even knows." David said with a laugh Margaret laughed with him and looked at the door. Elaine walked in with a smile.
"I just talked to Uncle Bob."
"And what did he say?" Margaret asked eagerly.
"He says he's very proud of you and if you need anything to call him. He even said if you want he'll hire you are Boston Mercy. Working around what you feel is proper."
"You're joking?"
"Nope. He even says he'll get you an apartment to move straight into as soon as you're ready."
Margaret looked at her father with a smile. "Go ahead Honey, Bob will take care of you."
"Mom what do you think?"
"I think that Bob and Betsy can help if you need it Molly."
"We just had the room painted though."
"Don't worry Margaret, your sister will want to live in the house, wont you Elaine?"
"I would love to! I cant stand any more of those army houses." Elaine smiled sitting down on her sister's bed.
"Then I'm going to Boston?"
"You sure are."
"I want to wait till Haylie is a little older first. At least a month, I don't want to travel to the other half of the country with a new born."
"I understand. I'll call Bob later okay?"
"Thanks Mom." Margaret smiled leaning back still clutching the teddy bear. Al looked at his daughter and then at his granddaughter. He handed the newborn to her mother and kissed Margaret on the top of the head.
Margaret had never felt so much joy in her life; Haylie being born was what kept her going. That little girl was now her world. She knew life was now going to be more difficult but she was up for the challenge, the challenge of raising a daughter who reminded her so much of the people she left behind.
Korea; July 1st 1953
Hawkeye sat quietly on his cot thinking about things when Sybil Dixon walked in and sat on his cot.
"Hi Honey."
"Hey Sybil. What's up?"
"What was that interruption about today?"
"Our previous head nurse, she was discharged when she got pregnant. Her brother-in-law was telling us about the baby."
"Oh, well that's nice. What do you say we head over to the O Club?"
"Not tonight Sybil. I'm kind of sleepy."
"You sure?"
"Positive. I'll see you in the morning okay?" Sybil smiled and gave her fiancee a kiss and got up and left. "Bye."
"Bye." Sybil said as she walked out. Something about that Margaret Houlihan woman made the love of her life seem so lost and confused. She shook it out of her head and went to bed.
Hawkeye lay awake until BJ strolled in with a smile on his face.
"I thought you and Sybil had a date tonight?"
"I'm too tired,"
"Margaret?"
"Yeah, Jesus Beej, she didn't have to go! She's now a single mother and none of us are there to help."
"Hawk listen, Margaret's a big girl and you know that if she needs help, she'll ask."
"I know, but I just feel so helpless. Hell! I love her!"
"I know you did. And if you still do, why are you and Sybil together?" That simple question had struck Hawkeye. He thought about it, but couldn't come up with an answer. "You love both of them don't you?"
"The way I love Sybil is different than the way I love Margaret. With Sybil its like we should be together. But with Margaret its like I cant live without knowing she's in love with the love of her life, and perfectly happy. It's also like I cant live without her. Its like we belong together no matter what happens."
BJ smiled at his best friend and said nothing. It was up to him what to do. Love like he never loved before, or love the woman that might not be the one.
Life had changed for everyone. With Margaret leaving, and Sybil coming, Hawkeye's feelings for each woman were more difficult. Everyone knew that he loved Margaret more than anything; it was obvious to anyone who looked at them. Then there was Sybil; everyone looked at them like they should be together, but not belonging to one another.
On July twenty-sixth everyone watched as Sybil and Hawkeye got married. Everyone's feelings and emotions were tied in two different thoughts.
BJ watched in pain as he felt his best friend was making the biggest mistake a person could make.
Colonel Potter refused to come to the wedding, feeling that the woman he thought of as a daughter should be the one in the white dress.
Klinger was there out of respect for his friend, and only respect. He never said anything to the couple but thought that this marriage was untrue.
Father Mulchay was there to perform the ceremony, but never once said that the couple in front of him was meant to be.
The nurses were confused but came to the wedding, wishing that the head nurse was not Sybil but the best nurse anyone of them have ever met or saw in their lives.
The enlisted men attended but thought the same thing as the nurses. The two didn't belong together.
Charles was there out of friendship to the man. He didn't approve of the wedding between the two individuals, but out of pure kindness did not express his feelings.
Hawkeye knew what was going through his friend's minds. And he wasn't going to disagree, but then why was he marrying Sybil? Something about her reminded him of the woman he loved more than life itself. But why did he love Sybil?
†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡†•‡
I want to thank you for reading and I would appreciate some reviews so I know if I should continue. Thanks again and I will take all flames and blow them out. Lol. :D
~~Blue Saphire