Margaret wearily pulled BJ's mask from his face as he leaned forward to sip some water from a glass.

"It must be our lucky day folks!" Klinger yelled as he rushed into the OR. "We've got more wounded, around seven men." There was a collective groan from the personnel.

"BJ, can you take care of triage?" Colonel Potter asked wearily. "I've got my hands tied up in this boy's liver."

BJ nodded, looking over at Nurse Kellye. "Do you think you can close for me Kel?" the young woman nodded and BJ stripped off his gloves.

Klinger rushed in with Father Mulcahy, carrying a stretcher for BJ. "Here's your next patient doctor," he said. BJ looked at him curiously and Klinger smiled.

"Our new surgeon just arrived, Major Winchester, he's handling triage." Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's about time," Potter grumbled. "We've been up to our eyeballs in wounded for almost seventeen hours. I don't think that boy could drive any slower."

Margaret looked up as the doors to the OR swished open; she squinted in the bright light, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new surgeon's face. Radar walked in supporting a tall man dressed in scrubs, hobbling in on crutches.

Margaret groaned inwardly, how had they ended up with a doctor who was wounded himself? Colonel Potter voiced her thoughts.

"No offence soldier, but we've got enough work trying to help these boys, we can't be helping you too."

"I wish you would have told them that down at I-Corps," was the man's bitter response. Margaret's knees went weak when she heard his voice and she struggled to stand. Colonel Potter's head jerked up as his stared at the man in shock.

"Well how have you been Pierce?"

Hawkeye shrugged and positioned himself at a table as Klinger and the father rushed in another patient.

"Well I'd be a lot better if I was on a plane heading home."

BJ finally found his tongue. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I get some gloves?" Hawkeye asked. Margaret hurried to comply, refusing to look at him as she stretched the gloves onto his hands. Hawkeye watched Margaret curiously, noticing that she hadn't said a thing.

"Well I was recovering in Tokyo and they realized that as long as I could stand by myself I might as well be working, so here I am." Margaret noted his voice had lost the bitter tone and she looked at him wonderingly.

Potter sighed and shook his head in a mixture of confusion and pity. BJ just let out a resounding "damn".

"Colonel Potter?" Radar hesitantly approached the CO.

Colonel Potter looked up from his the picture of his wife and sighed. "What is it Radar?"

"Well sir I just received the papers for Major Winchester and Captain Pierce's transfers."

Potter frowned. "Pierce's transfer? He wasn't transferred."

Radar nervously shuffled to the desk and handed potter a file. "Well according to this, he was placed here two weeks ago as his first assignment."

"His first?" Potter wasn't sure where Radar was headed with this information, but he wasn't sure he liked it.

"According to that file Cap'n Pierce volunteered for this unit only three weeks ago."

Margaret walked nervously into the mess tent, hoping most people had cleared out. She breathed a sigh of relief when only two of her nurses were left in the room. She grabbed a tray and reluctantly accepted the food.

"Hey Margaret," Kellye greeted cheerfully. Margaret smiled and sat down across from her.

Hawkeye hobbled in and grabbed a cup of coffee. He juggled it as he made his way over to their table and sat down beside Margaret who shifted away uncomfortably.

"Would you ladies mind if I spoke to Major Houlihan alone for a moment?" Kellye and Sarah both jumped up quickly.

"I'm sure that's not necessary," Margaret said quickly, her eyes pleading the women to stay.

"Sorry Margaret, you're on your own." Sarah stated emphatically. The two nurses exited the tent quickly giggling like schoolgirls.

Margaret turned her gaze back to Hawkeye and frowned. "What do you want?"

"I want to know why you won't talk to me." He said seriously. Margaret was surprised at his tone of voice, he was perfectly serious, and he wasn't even trying to lighten the conversation with jokes.

"I talk to you." She responded lightly. Hawkeye rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket.

"I don't know why I bother with you." He said bitterly, as he struggled to balance on one crutch why he pulled himself to a standing position. "Here," he pulled a small object from his pocket and tossed it on the table, it barely caught the edge before rolling onto the floor. "I have a birthday present for you." He began to make his exit but one of his crutches caught on the doorway and he lost his balance and sprawled out in the dirt.

Margaret jumped up to help him. "Stay away from me." He ordered loudly. Margaret froze, shocked at the fierceness in his voice. After a moment, Hawkeye managed to get back on his feet and he quickly hobbled towards the swamp.

Margaret slowly walked back to the table and picked up her cup of coffee, slowly sipping it as she tried to decide what to do. Something on the floor glimmered brightly and she crawled underneath the table to see what it was.

Margaret gasped sharply. She looked at the object in shock; it was a silver band, twisted to look like a vine with three tiny flowers, a diamond in the center of each one.

"Has there been some bombing I haven't noticed?" BJ asked, squatting down in front of her. Margaret blushed and jerked up, hitting her head firmly on the edge of the table, causing BJ to only begin laughing louder. Margaret quickly left the tent, blushing furiously. She held the ring tightly in her hand and headed for the swamp.

She crashed inside and stood over Hawkeye who was lying on his cot, a pillow thrown over his face.

"Get up," she yelled. Hawkeye took the pillow off, raising his eyebrows questioningly. He smiled slightly as he saw her red face and disheveled hair.

"What is this?" she asked tossing the ring onto his stomach. Hawkeye sat up slowly and rolled his eyes.

"I already told you, it's a birthday present."

"It's not my birthday." Margaret was begging to feel dizzy from hitting her head.

"You okay?" Hawkeye asked as he saw her sway slightly. Margaret blinked twice and nodded slowly.

"I'm fine, but don't change the subject. You can't give me a ring like this." Margaret felt her knees getting weak so she reluctantly sat down beside Hawkeye on the cot.

"I missed you." He said slowly. Margaret looked at him in surprise. "As much as I hate you, I actually missed you."

Margaret rolled her eyes. "You sure do know how to pay a girl a complement."

Hawkeye put an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "Only the best for my Major Baby." He handed her back the ring and she sighed in defeat, slipping it onto her right hand and stood up quickly.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to go back but…" she cut herself off and began to walk outside.

"Oh come on Hot Lips, admit it, you missed me too." He grinned devilishly as Margaret stopped in the doorway and smiled.

"Fine, I hate you too and I missed you." She laughed and headed back to the nurses tent.