Will they reconcile or won't they?

Every time Hawkeye gets close to sharing his deeper feelings, something interrupts the moment.

*****The original story I wrote back in 1999 had this story ending sooner. I thought I would just see where this story might go.

Chapter 6

They climbed into the bus carrying wounded. Hawkeye went from soldier to solider, shouting out commands. "Take this one first. He can't wait. Major – this one is first. I need you to assist me."

She didn't want to let him know but she was secretly happy he asked her to assist him. That made the long day in OR more bearable. And it was a safe way to continue being close to him. They made a good team in the OR as the chief surgeon and head nurse. Their focus would be on the wounded and that took the pressure off on real conversations that needed to take place. They quickly fell into their roles that kept them safe from each other.

Hawkeye was quieter than usual during this session. Margaret stayed right at his side. Shells and gunfire blasted outside the windows of the OR.

He looked at her, knowing her fear of shellfire and loud noises. Even with her mask covering most of her face, he could read her fear in her eyes. He just wanted to just touch her and hold her close to him. She brought that out in him. It almost felt like a desire to shield her from anything that might worry her. He would never admit that to anyone though and barely admitted it to himself.

"Colonel, I must protest these barbaric working conditions," Charles complained.

"Oh, pipe down, Winchester," Colonel Potter said. "Klinger, find out from i-Corps if they are expecting the shelling to continue".

Klinger came back a few minutes later. "Colonel? Sir? I just found out that the shelling will continue, probably for another couple of days."

"Days? Damn. We might need to use that cave again," Colonel Potter said. He dreaded saying that, but it was the safest place for most of the camp.

"Colonel, I can't go to that cave again," Hawkeye and Margaret were situated at a table away from Potter and he overheard the conversation between Potter and Klinger.

"Son, we will need to discuss that again. Maybe you can sit outside the cave like you did the last time?" Potter suggested.

"I don't know. I won't be much help at all. I am a sitting duck just outside that cave. I might as well be wearing a sign that says "shoot me". Why not send me to Seoul for a few days until it all gets sorted out?" Hawkeye was half serious about getting some time away. He was pretty sure that the colonel wouldn't go for it but he could try. He definitely needed something that resembled a break and now might be as good of a time as any to get out of dodge.

"Oh Colonel Potter?" BJ asked. "Do you have a second to step into your office with me? Just need a minute or so of your time."

"Is it important? Can it wait? I am up to my eyeballs in this guy's stomach," Colonel Potter responded.

"Yes, it can wait," BJ said. Hoping to get a free moment with the Colonel was proving harder than expected. He had an idea for forcing Hawkeye and Margaret to be together but the Colonel would have to go along with it.