THIRTY ONE


Dec. 9th: 0900 hours

Major Winchester's expectations of peace and quiet didn't last very long. The truck carrying Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt had almost reached the Kimpo base, when the ambulances and helicopters began arriving at the 4077th.

Three hours later, the transport truck deposited a sack of mail, and the replacement surgeon, Captain Browne, at their doorstep. The mail was hauled to the company clerk's office for later sorting and the surgeon was quickly guided to the area for OR scrubbing.


"Klinger," Colonel Potter spoke to his company clerk as the man helped to carry another litter into the operating room, "did you reach the 8063rd?"

"I did, Colonel," Corporal Klinger reported. "They're overrun, too. They said they had planned to send their overflow to us. It's the same story at the 4068th."

"What about the 8055th? Or the 1034th?" Potter asked. He was moving to the next table as his patient was removed to the recovery room.

He and Major Winchester were working two tables at a time---directing a surgical nurse on the procedures at one table---while they operated on a patient at their own location. Captain Browne, even with Lieutenant MacAllister's assistance, was struggling to keep up the pace at his own table. They had been working this way for hours already. Pre-op was filled with wounded men still waiting to be treated.

"I can't locate the 1034th. The 8055th CO said they might be able to take some of the wounded. He wants to talk to you," the company clerk replied.

"Rig up a line in here, Klinger. I can't leave the OR."

"Right away, sir. I'll…"

A hissed curse from the senior nurse interrupted him. "Hernandez, hand me a cardiac clamp," she ordered as a stream of arterial blood squirted up her surgical apron and across her mask and face. "I need a surgeon here...fast!"

"Coming," Major Winchester replied. "Tie that, Smith. And pack the area until I get back." He moved to the other operating table. The two nurses shifted positions to give him more room.

"There was a piece of shrapnel lodged next to the aorta," Major Houlihan informed the doctor as she maintained her grip on the clamp. "When I removed it, the bleeding started. The fragment must have been acting like the fabled finger-in-the-dike."

The surgeon looked into the chest cavity as Lieutenant Parnelli, the circulating nurse for this session, helped him put on fresh gloves. "Hernandez, prepare several sutures. We're going to have to work fast," Winchester instructed. "Ready?"

"Yes, sir," both nurses answered.

Winchester held out his hand. A suture set was quickly placed in it. "Very well; let's see how nimble our fingers are, shall we?"


"Colonel, I have Captain Pierce on the line," the company clerk announced. "He wants to tell you about the Hunnicutts."

"Did everyone arrive safely?" Father Mulcahy asked. He was delivering cups of broth and bologna sandwiches to those in the operating room who could take a minute to rest.

"Yes, sir, they did. The captain sounds very cheerful about it."

"Put it on the speaker, Klinger," the commanding officer directed. "We could all use some cheer."

"Klinger? Colonel Potter? Can you hear me?" Hawkeye Pierce's voice echoed oddly over the operating room speakers.

"We can hear you, Pierce. Go ahead," said the colonel. He took a bite from the sandwich that was being held for him and remembered how much he disliked bologna. He chewed hungrily, any way. "How are the Hunnicutts?"

"Just great! B J kept asking why we were heading to into town, instead of stopping at the base. I told him I just wanted to see the hotel that Charles raves about so much—when he isn't raving about..." The man's voice faded before returning, "…even though B J was insisting we really shouldn't stop here."

"Inside the lobby, there was this absolutely gorgeous woman, with blonde hair, standing there. Believe me; Peg is even more beautiful than any of her pictures! And B J was just standing there; like he was frozen in place. He just seemed to stop breathing. I had to push him towards to her." Everyone could hear the excitement in the caller's voice, "Then, this tremendous grin started growing across his face. And he grabbed Peg up in a hug so tight; I swear I heard her ribs creak."

"Erin was holding onto an older woman's hand. She brought her towards B J. But Erin was shy. Peg told her: 'This is your daddy. Go tell him hello.' After a moment's hesitation, she came toddling over to him and held out her arms for him to pick her up. He swung her up and around and both of them began to laugh."

"Everyone in the hotel lobby began to clap and cheer. It was great! This was the best surprise ever! I didn't think we'd be able to keep it a secret, but we did. And it gets better. It seems that Mrs. Granbury, and some of the other officer's wives here, have decided to host a reception for B J and Peg. They've set up this huge banquet for us and we're even going to have champagne…"

"Pierce," Colonel Potter interrupted, "You tell Hunnicutt and his missus to enjoy their time together. And you get your keister on the first plane leaving Tokyo in the morning! We need you here. 4077th, out," he signaled to Klinger to end the call. A party—with champagne—after these long hours in the operating room, that's all his people needed to hear.

He hadn't cut off that message quickly enough, however. The nurse acting as rover grumbled, "How come they get buckets of champagne when all we get are buckets of blood?"

"We're just lucky, I guess," Lieutenant MacAllister commented before adding, "Parnelli, we need more 4-0 silk and gauze over here."


The last case was finally delivered to the recovery room. Three extremely tired surgeons were sitting on the benches in their changing room. Accompanying them, the camp priest was leaning against a wall. They were all exhausted.

"Assembly line surgery," Major Winchester commented as he struggled to remove his scrub top. "I must remember to thank Colonel Baldwin for sending me here and for turning a skilled surgeon into a factory worker."

"Don't forget to thank the North Koreans, and the Chinese, too." Potter replied. He was rubbing the small of his back. "I don't know what hurts more; my feet or my back."

"I've already thanked God that it's finally over," Mulcahy observed.

"Thank Him for me, too. If I see another perforated bowel," Captain Browne yawned, "I'm going to scream. I should have listened to my father and become a garbage collector."

Lieutenant MacAllister was standing in the nurse's changing area, smoothing her hair back into its braid. Overhearing their remarks, she limped over to the men's side of the room and knocked. Hearing permission to enter, she pushed aside the curtain and spoke to the men, "Colonel, Klinger had a chance to sort out the mail. You have a package from Mrs. Potter. It feels like a couple of books. They're waiting for you in your tent."

"Bless the dear girl," the commander remarked. He tossed his bloody operating room gear in a nearby hamper.

MacAllister added, "And, gentlemen, since the Swamp was commandeered for a post-op ward, your cots have been set up in the alcove next to the OR. May I suggest all of y'all get some sleep?"

"That's a very good suggestion," Potter replied. "But, I need to speak to Major Houlihan, first."

"She's in post-op #2. I'll get her, sir."

"Send someone to get her, lieutenant," the senior doctor directed. "And sit down. You need to stay off that ankle."


"Major Houlihan, your nurses worked very hard during this OR session. They did a good job. Tell them I said that," Colonel Potter informed the woman.

The head nurse smiled, "Thank you, sir. I will." Along with the rest of the medical personnel, she was showing signs of fatigue. There were still flecks of dried blood on her face.

The commanding officer continued, "I'm revising the surgeon's duty schedule. I'll be on-call for the first post-op shift. Browne can pull the second shift duty. Winchester has the third. Pierce, when he arrives, can take over after that."

"Yes, sir," Houlihan nodded. "Colonel, Lieutenant MacAllister and I can handle everything else that needs to be done around here. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Forcing himself to his feet, the colonel said, "That advice sounds better every time I hear it. I believe I'll take the hint and take a cat nap, too. Good night, all."

MacAllister, quipped, "Dog-tired, are you, sir?"

"Sheep-ishly, I have to admit that," the man grinned in return.

"Sounds like you're using horse sense to me," Father Mulcahy contributed.

With a laugh, Potter added, "Of course. I'm no bird brain."

"This place is a zoo," observed Charles Winchester dryly.

"More like a barnyard," the Texan laughed.

Major Houlihan shook her head in exasperation. "Come on, MacAllister. We have work to do."

"Yes, ma'am," the red-haired nurse followed her senior officer. She paused long enough to call over her shoulder, "Ya'll be cow-ful in the hallway. We've got some unpacked boxes stored out there and I don't want y'all to have any ox-idents."

Rolling his eyes at her, Charles Winchester commented, "Never fear, lieutenant, I shall be exceedingly careful," he replied.

Laughing, the woman left the area.

Colonel Potter was smiling, "Her merriment does help, doesn't it?"

"I agree. A real spirit rooster," the priest offered.