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In late Spring, the camp finds out that Colonel Henry Blake is going home. Trapper and Hawkeye go into his office to congratulate him and hopefully get free Scotch, but find him on the phone with his wife. Happy for him, the surgeons listen in on the call making smart comments. After the call and finally toasting Blake with some drinks, Hawkeye and Trapper head out of camp.

"Kinda wish it were me leaving," Trapper admits as they walk to Rosie's Bar. "Seeing Louise and the girls? Honestly, Hawk, you don't know what you're missing!"

Hawkeye merely laughs as they enter the establishment. Over a few drinks, the men decide to throw their friend a going away party. Getting everything together over the next day and a half, the men finally convince Colonel Blake to head to Rosie's. Hawkeye and Trapper enjoy celebrating with their friend, and are pretty sad to see the night end knowing their CO will leave in the morning.

Slipping into Margaret's tent later that night after telling Trapper he wants to take a walk to clear his head, the man finds his wife reading a book. Looking up when the tent door opens, Margaret is shocked to find her husband stumble in. Putting her book down, the nurse teases, "I take it the party went well?"

"Yep! He can go off with more Korean food than he ate while he was here."

Margaret simply laughs before asking him all about it. She watches him animatedly tell about the waiters singing to them and makes a few comments of her own until he ends up crawling in bed with her and falling asleep. Brushing his hair out of his face, Margaret is happy to see her husband enjoying himself. Snuggling up beside him, the nurse soon falls asleep herself.

Waking up the next morning Hawkeye is pleasantly surprised to smell his wife's perfume and revels in it until he remembers he needs to be in his tent. As smoothly as possible, the surgeon leaves the bed and heads to the showers to hopefully come to grips with the headache that starts to form. Five hours later, the camp stands in formation as Henry tells them good bye. Crossing back to Trapper and Hawkeye, Blake is pulled aside by the Chief Surgeon. To tease his wife, Hawkeye whispers in Henry's ear.

'"Do you think I should?'" The Colonel asks knowing Margaret's temper.

"'Why not?'" Hawkeye states. Knowing there is no harm done, Henry goes straight to Margaret and kisses her in front of everyone. Surprised, the nurse makes sure to pull a prank on her husband later just as soon as they finish with the wounded. Treating patients as Henry leaves, the unit is fairly silent with a few jokes thrown about at Frank's expense. Toward the end, Radar comes in to complaints and hopeful discharge letters and delivers the unthinkable. Their former commander is dead.

No more jokes are said that day except by a clearly demented Frank. Many of the camp members find solace together which leads Hawkeye to find Margaret crying in her tent.

"Hey," He whispers sitting beside her. She sniffs and looks at him, her eyes swollen.

"He was the last person I expected–"

"I know," Hawkeye answers hugging her to him. "It'll be okay."

The crack his voice has betrays his facade, and the couple soon find themselves curled up in Margaret's cot rather subdued.

"You know, Margaret, I have two days R&R in Tokyo next week. I'm thinking of taking it," Hawkeye tells her a little later. Turning toward him, Margaret answers, "I think you should."

Surprised, the surgeon asks, "Are you sure?"

Propping herself up with her elbow, Margaret answers, "I'm sure. I know he was more like a friend to you than a commander."

Kissing his wife, Hawkeye thanks her. For the next few days, Hawkeye spends his time in Tokyo enjoying the sites and buying souveniers for his dad and Margaret. However, when he comes back, he is less than thrilled to find out that Trapper was sent home. Heading the CO's tent, Hawkeye interrupts whatever meeting Frank as commanding officer is conducting and states, "'I'm going to Kimpo to say good bye to Trapper.'"

Frank whines about his leaving, while Margaret tries to stop him, but Hawkeye quickly tells them that there are only two patients in Post Op and he is not needed. Leaving the office after Radar asks permission to pick up Trapper's replacement, Hawkeye immediately goes to find the company clerk who is currently in a jeep. Guilting Radar into letting him drive, the surgeon makes record time to Kimpo. When he is too late, Hawkeye's shoulder's sag. The loss of Trapper leaves a sense of emptiness and the uneasy feeling no one else in camp can be his comedic buffer. With the realization that he will be alone with Frank, Hawkeye heads back to the jeep and Radar only to find the new guy waiting on his ride. Introducing himself to B.J. Hunnicutt, Hawkeye soon finds himself drinking with him on the ride home while filling him in on the camp after they steal a jeep for the ride home.

Margaret waits for the Jeep to come back if only to console her husband, but is surprised when a young man drunkenly salutes her and calls her Hotlips. Staring at Hawkeye who is in the same state of inebriation, Margaret knows not to react when the man falls to his knees against her in laughter. Instead she asks her husband the next day what happens on the jeep ride.

"Where do you want me to start?" Hawkeye asks. "Missing my best friend by ten minutes or the litany of casualties that we came across on our way home?"

Margaret's face falls a little before asking, "What's Hunnicut like?"

"I like him, but I doubt Frank will," Hawkeye supplies with a grin before B.J. calls him. Watching her husband run off, Margaret shakes her head wondering how much chaos these two will cause.

While Frank plays commader in charge, Hawkeye takes B.J. under his wing and tells him how to keep sane. Thankfully, the new member has a similar humor to Hawkeye. The pair start off their time together setting fire to the latrine and by the end of the first week, Hawkeye is excited when B.J. asks if there is a bar in camp.

"If I know Frank, he'll ban us from the Officer's Club," The Chief Surgeon laments knowing it has happened before. Sighing, B.J. wonders aloud why they cannot simply have a bar in their own tent.

"I think you've got something! Mind helping me a bit?" Hawkeye asks as he heads toward Frank's bed. Eager to help, B.J. figures out the best layout for a bar and the two men set to work.

"'Frank's bed, now doing business as Joe's Bar and Grill. If my wife calls, I'm not here'," Hawkeye jokes once their newly made bar is finished. B.J. happily accepts his position as bar keep especially since he already dislikes Frank. While he cleans the glasses, B.J. notices Radar come in and give them the news that Frank is being replaced with a real Commanding Officer. Overjoyed, the men happily watch their bunk mate's expression when he reads the letter informing him of the change. By the end of the afternoon, Father Mulcahey, Hawekeye, Margaret, and B.J. are in Colonel Potter's office while he goes over their files. Once they are dismissed, Margaret informs Hawkeye and B.J. that Frank is absent without leave. Surprised that Frank will abandon his favorite unit, Hawkeye quickly grabs the PA system microphone to inform the camp once his wife tells them not to say anything. Watching the pair interact, B.J. notes how much their argument sounds like something from him and Peg. Wondering if there is something going on between the pair, his idea is dashed when Margaret continually worries about Frank.

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