When reading this story, assume that Frank came to Korea as a single man, or this chapter will not make sense….Oh and the usual I don't own anyone no matter how mush I wish I did, etc, etc,etc…….
"It's been a pleasure General," Margaret said as she lingered near the General's Jeep. "I do hope we can arrange to meet in Tokyo," the General hinted
"Yes sir. Those military stances are very important," she suddenly agreed loudly, straightening up to military posture, and giving him a salute.
The General only had to look to his right for the answer in the Majors sudden change. That simpering Frank Burns. The General saluted and drove off.
"Wait, not without me," a man with dark hair yelled trying to run after him.
"Klinger what are you doing?" Margaret demanded.
"He was dressed in a low cut white dress. "I was going to act like the General's fiancé. He's already married so he'd hand me my psycho on a silver platter," Klinger shrugged at his foiled attempt.
"You're sick," Frank barked at the humble Corporal.
"Great will you sign my discharge?" he asked brightly.
"No."
"Worth a shot," he shrugged as he walked away.
"Major I came to borrow that military book," Frank hinted.
"Yes Major," Margaret purred.
Before they could walk over to Margaret's tent, another jeep pulled into the compound. A young woman with dark hair and thick glasses sat stiffly in the back seat. Radar ran over to help the woman out. "I'm supposed to report to Major Houlihan. I'm Louise Rockefeller," she said seriously.
"I'm Major Houlihan. Welcome to the 4077th," the Major introduced herself. She was relieved to find her nurse was exactly the type she had been hoping for. The woman was plain, and would not attract attention from that yahoo she was forever trying to keep away from her nurses. Even better she appeared serious. There would be no shenanigans from her Margaret was certain.
Over the next few weeks, Margaret could see that her initial assessment was correct. Corporal Rockefeller wasn't the most popular girl in camp by far, but the nursing staff did make attempts to get to know her, and she caused no trouble at all. However Major Burns seemed very interested in her, and was even taking her to the movies. She wondered if it had something to do with the rumors that Nurse Rockefeller came from quite a well to do family.
One quiet summer evening she was relaxing with a book on her cot when there was a knock at her tent door. "Come in," she called smiling. She hadn't expected the Major to drop by, but he was always more than welcome. "Good evening Margaret," Frank greeted her sitting by her on her cot. She was surprised that he wasn't all over her by now so she took the initiative by sitting in his lap. Awkwardly he tried to push her off his lap.
"Frank what's wrong? Is it something I said? Is it something I did? Have I done something to make me less attractive to you?" she asked.
"No Major. This is about something I did. As you know the legacy of Burns men is a proud and strong one. It goes back to the Revolutionary War. The burden of continuing this great line falls on me, and I need to find a wife."
"And you want me to marry you? Yes Frank, I will," she insisted, as she threw her arms around him.
"Margaret," he insisted as he held her back. "I'm marrying Louise."
"Corporal Rockefeller?"
"Yes. But here's the good news. After we get married, Louise is going to go home to Indiana, and I'll stay here so we can still be together."
"Frank, get out of my tent," she demanded.
She marched into Col. Sherman Potter's office. "Colonel, I need to have a pass to Tokyo," she stated.
"I take it you just found out about Burns and his new missus."
Margaret started to protest. He held up his hand in a peace sign. "Whoa, calm down Major I meant no offense. You'll have your pass. I'll get Radar to make the arrangements."
"Thank you Colonel."
Colonel Potter breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down in his chair. He was hoping the Major would choose Tokyo over sticking around and giving Cop. Rockefeller a hard time. Now if only they didn't get wounded. Things were slow in the war right now.
The longer it lasted to peacetime, in his opinion, the better.
"Whoa Major, where are you going?"
"To my tent," she insisted glaring at Hawkeye.
"How about my tent? Beej is on duty and Frank –"
"I don't care about Major Burns, nor do I care about you," she snapped as she stepped out of his way.
"Look Margaret," Hawkeye said becoming serious as he followed her into her tent. "I know about what happened with Frank, and in the event you do care, I'm here to listen," he said. "Two ears, no waiting. What are you doing?" he asked as she started to throw things in a bag.
"I'm going to Tokyo. Now will you get out of my tent?"
"Okay, but first things first," he took her in his arms. Then stepped back. "No I won't kiss you. Though that's what's wrong with you. You need to be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."
"And I suppose you're the right person?"
"Good day Major."
She was furious. How dare he reject her? She was a major in the United States Army, and while she'd never be caught with a captain, she should be the one rejecting him. No one who was less than a major would be good enough for her. No sir. Then what could she expect from a draftee doctor? She continued to pack, angrily throwing clothes in her suitcase.
"He's not a major. He's not army. He's not married, and not marriage material" she said. As the last statement she paused. She had been waiting for Frank to ask her to marry her. Now her dream of being Mrs. Burns lay around her in shambles, but there were other fish in the sea. "As God as my witness, as God as my witness. This is not going to get me down. There are other men out there and within the next five years I'll be married to one of them. As god as my witness, I'll never be lonely again."
Her first stop after her arrival in Tokyo was a very elegant restaurant where she met the General for lunch. After lunch, he invited her to a party that evening in the bar of the hotel, an invitation she eagerly accepted.
What she wasn't aware of was how drunk the General could get. By eight o'clock he was passed out in a chair. She looked around for someone she knew. She had to help him back to his quarters. She couldn't leave him passed out like this. "Do you need help?" she heard someone ask. She turned and found a young man looking right at her. "Thank you. I need to get him back to his room. "Allow me," he said, as he stood the General on his feet. "Easy old timer," he said as he threw the General's arm around his shoulders. Margaret was impressed at how strong he was.
They got the General into his room, and left him passed out on the bed. "I'm Lt. Colonel Donald Penobscott," he introduced himself, as they headed back downstairs.
"Major Margaret Houlihan."
"Well, Major, would you be interested in going back to the party with me?"
"I'd love it," she said as she slipped her arm in his, and marveled at his muscular arms.
While Margaret was gone, Frank and Louise were married, and as planned Louise went home to Indiana to prepare the home they would share as man and wife. Frank settled back into his cot the evening Louise left with a sense of glee. He'd have Margaret with her looks, and Louise with her money, yes sir, he had the best of both worlds. Yes, Margaret had been angry with him when she left, but he was certain it wouldn't last for long. He knew her well enough that when she was angry, passion was soon to follow.
The next day Margaret returned to the 4077th. The entire ride back to camp she had been staring at the diamond that sparkled brightly on her left hand. Something was wrong. Part of her was giddy. In a short while she'd be married to a Lt. Colonel who was good old army just like her father. She would never be lonely again. There was another part of her mind that kept wandering back to what Captain Pierce would think of it all. It didn't even occur to her what Major Burns would do when he found out.
Nor did she have to wait very long to know. That night almost immediately after she returned to her tent after dinner there was a knock at her door. "There'll be no more chinny chin chin, nor any other part of me," she told him firmly. He argued, but she stood her ground. The future Mrs. Donald Penobscot was taking no crap from anybody that that included the "Lipless Wonder" Frank Burns.
She awoke one night a few months later with a pain in her side, but it wasn't due to Frank, or the rumor that he was going to be a father in the next few months. She threw on a robe, and staggered to the Swamp. She just hoped that this operation would go off without a hitch, or an inflow of new wounded.
"How's our patient?" Hawkeye asked as he checked the incision of their head nurse. "It's feeling much better. Thank you doctor," she replied. She was glad she had cleared it with Potter to have Hawkeye operate when she discovered her appendix needed to be taken out. She felt much better going under knowing she was in competent hands and not those of Franks' malpractice.
"Let's take you for a walk," he said as she assisted her up. "No," she groaned. "Margaret, you know as a nurse, it's important for you to get up and walk around. Come on." He was surprisingly strong and gentle as he helped her to her feet, and slipped her robe around her. The sun was blinding as they took slow steps out of the Post OP. They walked down the main street of Mash to a quiet spot that Hawkeye secretly referred to as Make Out Point. It was close enough to hear the wounded come in, but far enough to make time with nurses more pleasant.
"I need to sit down," she said as he was about to take her back. Hawkeye reluctantly led her to a bench that was set up on the spot. This was a dangerous place to bring an engaged woman, especially an engaged Margaret Houlihan. He should have taken her back five steps earlier. He leaned against a tree instead. It would be easier as long as he didn't sit so close. "So – how's your fiancé?" he asked. "He's fine, thank you." Normally she would have protested such a question but understood why he was doing it. Her eyes filled and she turned away struggling to get under control. Hawkeye forgot all about propriety.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"
She shook her head. "I guess all the medication I've been on is making me a little loopy," she insisted as she impatiently wiped her eyes.
"This is more than penicillin," he said, as he sat down next to her. "Frank Burns is going to be a father soon, if you can imagine that. It's awfully hard to love a man that has a wife and baby clinging to him."
"This isn't about Frank," she insisted. "It's just hard, I guess, being away from my fiancé," she said. She didn't dare tell him how she didn't trust Donald an inch, and had a sneaking suspicion she was right.
He hugged her, hiding his own misgivings about Margaret's future spouse. On a recent trip to Tokyo, he had overheard some of the geisha's talking about a man by the last name of Penobscot. He hoped it was a crazy coincidence.
"Are you ready to go back?" he asked, holding out his hands to her. She nodded, and he helped her up. Suddenly they were face to face. In Pierces eyes' Margaret saw a man she could trust, a man that would take care of her no matter what, a man who was loyal to a fault when committed. In Margaret's eyes, Hawkeye thought he saw his own wife. She deserved better than that thick necked thug, no matter how high his rank.
Neither of them could explain how it happened but he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. He pulled away.
"Margaret you are about to be married," he stated.
"Then why did you kiss me?" she asked, obviously upset and confused at what had just happened.
"It's okay. It will just be a beautiful memory. One I'll carry with me the rest of my life, and if I were to be killed tomorrow it will be the first and last memory on my mind."