On the morning of August thirteenth, I heard an excited shout from downstairs.

"What's going on?" I asked as I ran down the staircase, still in my pajamas.

There stood Hawkeye and his father.

"Jaclyn," he said.

I stepped toward him. "You're back."

Dr. Pierce turned his back politely as Hawkeye kissed me.

"Well," I said as we drew apart, "are you ready for some real food?"

"Are you kidding?" he asked. "I haven't eaten since 1951--I'm starving!"

He put his arm around my shoulders as we headed into the kitchen.

XXX

The rest of the day was spent with Hawkeye telling us about what had happened in the war. I noticed when he got to the end that he was quite vague on details. Dr. Pierce and I didn't press him, though.

At dinner, I sprang my surprise on Hawkeye.

"You know," I began, "in March I found out something very interesting."

Hawkeye looked up expectantly while Dr. Pierce smiled down at his plate.

"I'm pregnant."

"You're..." Hawkeye choked. "Excuse me."

He shoved back his chair and ran outside.

We sat in stunned silence for ten seconds.

"I think I'd better see what's wrong." I stood up and went outside.

Hawkeye was leaning against the porch, breathing heavily. His face was pasty white and sweaty.

"Hawk, what's wrong?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have ran out like that."

"Tell me what's wrong," I insisted.

"It's nothing. Just drop it," he snapped.

I let out an exasperated breath.

We both sat down on a bench and stared out at the water. It was dusk and chilly, but I didn't want to move.

"I'm sorry," I finally said.

"Jac..." he trailed off. "Do you really want to know?"

"If you want to tell me."

He paused before beginning. "We were on a bus, going back to the camp, after the Fourth of July celebration at the beach. We had to pull of the road and shut off the lights and...a woman...she smothered her baby."

"Oh, Ben." I wrapped my arms around him.

XXX

I woke up the next morning in the guest bedroom. The clock said it was six-thirty.

Waking up so early in the morning is not a good thing for me. I began to think about Hawkeye and me--how we had some things in common, and some things were so radically different.

That was when I decided I had to talk to him.

Dr. Pierce had showed me Hawkeye's room (pretty big, lots of books). I knocked on the door softly.

When I heard no sound, I opened it and went in.

"Hawkeye," I said, "I need to talk to you."

"Hrmmmmahh." He rolled over.

I shook his shoulders.

"Captain, what a pleasant surprise," he said with his eyes still shut.

"How'd you know it was me?" I asked. "Besides, I'm not a captain anymore."

"Dad never knocks." He opened his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Why?"

"You look like you haven't slept at all."

I looked in the mirror above the dresser and found he was right.

"I need to talk to you," I said.

He sat up. "I had a feeling you did."

"This is something I've been thinking about since...well, since I got sent home." I stopped and took in a deep breath. "I don't think that we're...this is really hard."

Hawkeye put his arms around me. "I think I know what you're going to say. I've been thinking the same thing."

I looked at him. "And do you agree with what you're thinking?"

"Marriages in wartime don't work. We're two seperate people that wouldn't give each other a second glance if we hadn't been forced together by Korea," answered Hawkeye.

"You're right." I closed my eyes briefly, wishing this were all a dream.

But it wasn't.