When Charles checked over Alex's arm the next morning with BJ, the two couldn't find a thing wrong that would make the nurse drop instruments like she had yesterday. Alex could hold things with ease now, and there was no sign she had difficulty just twelve hours ago.

'Weird, isn't it?' she asked, pulling her jacket back on. 'Maybe it was just a one off thing.'

'We should keep an eye on you, just in case,' Charles said, BJ nodding in agreement.

'Fine, whatever,' Alex said. 'Look, I'm sorry about last night, guys. I guess I was feeling a little useless, and didn't want to be sent home.'

'It's ok,' BJ said. 'We all get like that now and again.' Alex smiled at him thankfully.

'Hawkeye understands too, right?' she asked. BJ nodded.

'He told us you apologised for how you've been acting last night,' he said. 'He still gets worried about you at times, you know.' Alex nodded, almost like she wasn't listening and stood up.

'I might go find something to do around camp, before the next batch of wounded come in,' she said. 'Maybe try and talk Margaret into letting me back in OR.'

'I doubt she will,' Charles said unhelpfully. 'She was very angry last night.' Alex shrugged and walked out.

'Major, I understand how you feel about this, but I would like to keep Dustin for a while longer, to keep an eye on her,' Potter said.

'But she is practically useless as a nurse!' Margaret exclaimed.

'I'm not totally useless,' Alex said, leaning against the doorframe of the Colonel's office. She sauntered over to the empty chair in front of Potter's desk, and sat down, putting her feet up on the desk. 'I could teach the less experienced nurses.'

'That's my job,' Margaret said icily.

'Margaret, think about it. We're in the OR, and a soldier comes in with half his insides missing. You could be shoulder deep into someone else's stomach, or you could be on R and R. Who would be the best person to instruct a rookie nurse what to do?' Alex asked. 'After you, I'm the best nurse in the outfit.'

'Colonel! She's trying to take over my position!' Margaret said loudly.

'Is that what you're worried about? The nurses will decide they like me better than you and they want me to be head nurse instead? Come on, Margaret, you're a Major and I'm just a lieutenant. Even if I were promoted to Major, I don't want to be responsible for a whole heap of nurses,' Alex said.

'You are way out of line, Lieutenant!' Margaret yelled loudly.

'Colonel, am I way out of line?' Alex asked, turning to Potter who was sitting there quietly.

'You are certainly heading that way,' he replied.

'Colonel, a surgical nurse is the only thing I've ever been. It's the only thing I want to be. I'm not going to get a job back in the states if you send me back because Major Houlihan thinks I can't hold an instrument,' Alex said. She was desperate to have Potter on her side, but she didn't want to look like she was begging for him to agree.

'A compromise,' Potter said after a few moments thought. 'Alex will instruct new nurses on what to do in the OR. She may help doctors if there is another able nurse at that table, and I will not hear another word about it.'

'But Colonel!' Margaret protested.

'Not one word!' Potter thundered. Alex and Margaret both walked out of the Colonel's office without saying anything to each other.

'I will not put up with a rogue nurse,' Margaret said once outside. 'You will do as you're told from now on, and if you don't, I'll have you court marshaled.' With that, Margaret stormed off to her tent.

'Not my week,' Alex said, slouching towards the Mess tent. 'I'll be fighting with BJ or Klinger next.'

Kooshball Note: I realise Alex always seems to get her own way, and that makes a boring character. I'm sorry, but I am going to try and change that. And I'm sorry this is such a short chapter, but I promise a really long one, sooner or later.