"Doctor," Marissa opened the door and hesitantly stepped inside. "Hawkeye, Dr. Millson is here from pediatrics, she needs to talk to you." Hawkeye only nodded as he poured himself another drink from his "secret" stash of booze in the bottom drawer of his filing cabinet.

"Hello Hawkeye." Heather Millson said seriously as she walked into his office. "How are you doing?" Hawkeye didn't answer.

"What is it you want Heather?"

"I can't fool you can I?" She said sarcastically. She paused and then continued. "I understand you knew the young woman that died today?" He nodded. "Good, I was hoping you would know the little girl that was with her. She refuses to talk to anyone."

Hawkeye's head jerked up. "The little girl?" Suddenly Hawkeye realized what she was talking about; Bridget! "Where is she?" He demanded his eyes wide. Startled Heather began to stutter.

"Well…she is…is…uh…she's…uh…pediatrics…"

Hawkeye didn't need to know anymore. He ran as fast as he could to the stairwell at the end of the hall. He flew up the stairs, two at a time to the third floor of the hospital. Normally he hated coming here. He couldn't stand being around so many sick, helpless, children. Now he didn't even notice his surroundings. He ran to the nearest nurses' station.

"Where is she?" He demanded. The nurses looked at him curiously.

"Who Doctor?"

"Bridget." The looked at him blankly and he corrected himself. "The little girl that was in the accident five days ago." The nurse nodded.

"Room 327; but you can't…" Hawkeye didn't pay any attention to her words. He was running down the corridor as fast as he could. He stopped at room 327 and quietly opened the door. He saw her form in the darkened room curled up under the blanket; her back to him. He could hear her crying softly.

"Bridget," he called. She jerked up and whirled around to face him. When she saw his face she jumped out of bed and ran to him, jumping into his arms. He sat down and stroked her back until she stopped crying. He pulled her back and looked into her face, she had a bruise on her forehead and a few small cuts but other than that she was perfectly fine. She was smiling.

"I missed you." She said quietly. Her voice was hoarse but she had calmed down considerably.

Hawkeye poked her in the side and she squealed. "I missed you too Freckles."

A nurse popped her head in and smiled when she saw Bridget sitting up.

"You look better." She commented. Bridget only smiled in reply. The nurse turned her attention to Hawkeye. "Dr. Pierce; Dr. Millson told me to tell you that she wants you to tell Bridget about the operation this morning." Hawkeye's heart dropped into his stomach as the nurse quickly exited the room before he could argue. For the second time that day Hawkeye felt very sick. How could he tell this little girl that her mother had just died?

"What operation?" She asked simply.

Tears formed in his eyes and he pulled the girl close. He took a deep breath. "I had to operate on a woman this morning. She was really sick and while
I was operating her heart stopped." A lump formed in his throat and he was having trouble speaking. "I tried to get it to start beating again…" He looked down at Bridget and saw silent tears streaming down her face.

"It was my mommy wasn't it?" She asked quietly.

Hawkeye nodded. "Yeah baby, it was." Bridget buried her head in his chest and sobbed for almost a half hour.

"Daddy…daddy…" He heard her cry.

"I'll try and find him, okay Freckles? I'll do my best to find him."

Bridget shook her head. "He's not my daddy." Hawkeye looked down at her in surprise and she continued. "Mommy and daddy were yelling while I was behind the couch." She fell silent for quite a while. Her sobs had stopped and she was sitting perfectly still in his arms. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course baby."

"I knew for a long time he wasn't my daddy. They would fight all the time when they thought I was asleep."

Hawkeye nodded and kissed the top of her head and she fell silent again; content to simply lie in his arms.

"Can I tell you another secret?" He nodded. "You promise you won't get mad?"

"I promise."

"I know who my daddy is. I saw my birth certificate." Hawkeye looked down at her and saw that she was nervously chewing her bottom lip.

"What's his name?" Hawkeye could feel his throat tighten as he asked it. Bridget didn't answer. She clung to him tightly as she began to cry again. Hawkeye's mind was spinning.

"Bridget when was your birthday?"

"April 24th." She choked out. Hawkeye began to count backwards nine months; as he did so his head felt light and the room seemed to start spinning. He distinctly remembered the night before everyone left Korea. He had gone to Margaret's tent to give her a peace offering; a bottle of "wine". He told her he would miss her and they kissed. It was long and hard and they slowly had found their way to her cot. Hawkeye shook his head in an attempt to make the room stay still. He looked down at the little girl in his arms.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry; I'm so sorry." Hawkeye began to cry softly. As he held Bridget close.

"Don't leave me." She sobbed.

Hawkeye smiled and tilted her face towards him. "I'll never leave you Freckles; I promise." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "I love you baby. I love you."