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The next week brings a British unit of casualties along with resulting in an eleven day stretch of downtime that the camp is more than happy for. However, news from home makes Klinger and B.J. a little worse for wear. Klinger's wife wants a divorce and B.J. starts to worry about his wife and other men.
Rolling his eyes at his friend's problem having dealt with it on and off all war, Hawkeye tries to help B.J. see reason explaining ad nauseum how his wife is not cheating on him. All this on top of their light case load creates an odd feeling within the camp.
Putting B.J. to bed after he drinks his cares away, Hawkeye thinks about going to Margaret's tent but Radar comes to talk to him instead. Explaining how he is not excited about his mother's new boyfriend, Hawkeye tells about the woman his father dated. Watching his friend walk away, Hawkeye stands up and finally heads toward his wife's tent. Knocking, Hawkeye waits until Margaret lets him in before he talks to her about the drama surrounding the last few days.
"Not to mention, I keep getting letter addressed to me not addressed to me," Hawkeye explains. Cocking her head, Margaret asks for an explaination for the last point. With a sigh, Hawkeye states, "There are these letters to a different B.F. Pierce that lean a little more May West than Shirley Temple."
"Really?" Margaret asks in disbelief wanting to distract herself from news about her parent's marital problems. Describing the letters, Hawkeye stops short before saying, "Hold on, I'll go get one."
When he comes back, Hawkeye makes sure Margaret is sitting next to him so she can read them too. Still in disbelief that some man with her husband's name is actually playing his role to a T, Margaret asks, "Is this a real person?"
"Yeah, he's coming by tomorrow to pick them up!"
This response elicits a laugh from his wife who asks to see him in person.
"I'll make sure to introduce you. In the meantime, we have plenty of names to choose from if we end up with a daughter one day," Hawkeye announces. With a smile, Margaret kisses Hawkeye telling him she loves him before asking him to stay the night.
Hawkeye ends up waking up first and wakes up his wife to tell her he is going back to his tent to be ready for when the other Pierce shows up. Waking up herself half an hour later, Margaret makes sure to bump into the man who's letters are so stimulating. Seeing B.J. and Hawkeye a little later, Margaret tells them she met Pierce.
"You showed her the letters?" B.J. asks Hawkeye trying to figure out why he would show the letter to a woman who is simply a friend.
"Just one," Hawkeye admits explaining that he thought they were funny. The jovial attitude continues into the next week and a new round of casualties as the doctors and head nurse play pranks on each other. The day after the newest round of casualties move out, the camp is quickly tasked with securing the camp when Radar tells the Colonel about a bad storm that is coming in. In full Head Nurse mode, Margaret makes sure her nurses are doing their part to help. Checking on the women at their different stations, the nurse finds out that Bigelow is missing. Rolling her eyes when she finds the woman at Hawkeye's tent, she quickly tells the woman to get to work. Watching Bigelow walk toward her post, Margaret goes to see how she can help. Hearing a crash, Margaret quickly runs over toward the water tower to help the injured. Finding Bigelow is one of the victims makes Margaret sick. Once Hawkeye comes in, she quickly calls him to her side where he assesses Bigelow's injuries. When he realizes the nurse is bleeding internally, Hawkeye tells Margaret that he will operate.
"'I'm assisting you'," Margaret states feeling she needs to help right the wrong she causes.
"'Right. Play hard to get'," Hawkeye jokes feeling the stress mounting. Margaret gives him an odd look before heading off to scrub up. During the surgery, Hawkeye listens as Margaret calls out what is needed in the surgery and is impressed.
"'You're reading my mind'," He remarks. Seeing her apologetic look, the surgeon reassures her, "'Margaret, your nurse is going to pull through, but you're going to have to let me be the doctor.'"
Nodding, Margaret agrees adding that she is a little on edge before handing him the scissors. Thankfully, Radar comes into surgery asking about his guinea pig to ease any tension. However, when Hawkeye tells Margaret it is time for bandages, she quickly leaves the OR.
Sitting outside the operating room, Margaret comes close to crying as she finally starts to fully blame herself for her nurse's condition.
"'You alright?'" Hawkeye asks once he unties his mask and sits next to his friend.
"'Fine'," Margaret automatically responds, if a bit terse. Taking off his surgical cap, Hawkeye answers, "'Try again.'"
They know each other too well for games. With a sigh, Margaret apologizes and answers, "'It's just, I've never had one of my nurses hurt before.'"
"'Look, Margaret. She's going to be okay'," Hawkeye reassures for what he guesses is the millionth time in an hour. Margaret sighs again wondering why she has to be so hard on herself.
"'P.S., thanks you you'," The surgeon adds before Margaret puts her head on his shoulder. Thinking about holding his friend to him, Hawkeye is thoroughly upset when wounded soldiers start to come in. Taking her head off of Hawkeye's shoulder, Margaret listens to how the men are hurt before going with the men to scrub up.
After the surgery, all the doctors and nurses clean up and head to their tents. Hawkeye, after checking on his patients, leaves the recovery ward and walks through the compound. Noticing Margaret's light is still on, he knocks on his wife's door.
"You okay?" Hawkeye asks once the Head Nurse lets him in. Nodding, Margaret answers, "Is Bigelow?"
"Just fine. You could've stayed," He remarks as he shuts the door behind him. Turning from her husband, Margaret simply shakes her head adding, "No, it's my fault."
"Margaret," Hawkeye begins thinking this conversation is over. Shaking her head, Margaret insists, "It is my fault! If I hadn't been so- so- so overbearing, this wouldn't have happened!"
After he watches his wife continue to rant and put herself down, Hawkeye finally yells, "Enough!"
Eyes wide, Margaret turns to the surgeon in surprise. Realizing he has her attention, Hawkeye remarks, "If you hadn't been so overbearing nothing would have gotten done. If you hadn't been so overbearing, another nurse would have taken her place. Margaret, you couldn't prevent this!"
Margaret simply stares at him as the words sink in.
"But, you can make her feel better," Hawkeye states. Silently, Margaret nods before whispering, "Thank you."
Grinning his trademark smile that wins her as soon as she sees it three years ago, Hawkeye answers, "Any time."
The next morning, Margaret gathers a small make up bag and slips it to Bigelow the next morning. After Bigelow thanks her, Margaret goes back into her regular nurse mode not wanting anyone to think she is soft.
A week later, Hawkeye begins to grow concerned as his wife starts to snap at people during O.R. sessions. Calling her out on it in the middle of the week, Hawkeye is surprised when his wife snaps, "'Go away!'"
Instead Hawkeye continues to untie the knot in her mask. Annoyed, and worried for her future, Margaret complains, "'I just wish you people would leave me alone!'"
"'Oh, yeah? Like the way you left Nurse Bell alone? I was doing my job! You never fall on a nurse that hard for such a nitpicky mistake.'" Hawkeye counters adding, "'You're too good for that. What's eating you?'"
When she dismisses his question, Hawkeye finally coaxes Margaret into telling him what is wrong with her. Making sure no one is around and with a few false starts, Margaret announces, "'I'm pretty sure that I'm pregnant.'"
Eyes wide with excitement, Hawkeye asks while Margaret keeps shushing him, "'Pregnant? You mean with child? Expecting? Our little major is gonna have a minor? That's wonderful!'"
Reaizing she wants him to be quiet, the surgeon apologizes.
"'There's nothing wonderful about it'," Margaret answers only seeing further problems with keeping her and Hawkeye's secret. Seeing the worry in Margaret's eyes, Hawkeye asks, "'Are you kidding? All we see around here is death and destruction. Now, in the middle of an inferno that even Dante wouldn't buy tickets to there's a little glimmer of life thanks to you. That's not wonderful. That's a miracle.'"
Margaret wants to cry at Hawkeye's exuberance. He is ecstatic at the thought her having a baby and guilt courses through her. She knows how much he wants a child. They both have been talking about it for a while. Her main issue is the timing. They may be married for almost two years now, but their relationship is not where it needs to be thanks to a war.
"'Have you verified this medically?'" Hawkeye asks bringing Margaret out of her thoughts.
Shaking her head, the nurse listens as Hawkeye tells her to set one up. Changing, the couple soon head to Colonel Potter's office only to find out they have to wait for him to come back. Taking a seat by the door of the office, Hawkeye watches his wife worry about what the outcome will be. After ten minutes of his wife's pacing, Hawkeye tells her to sit down adding, "'I got holes in my shoes just looking at you.'"
"'What's keeping that old coot?'" Margaret remarks disregarding her husband's remarks. Walking into the office just as Margaret calls him a coot, Colonel Potter announces his presence stating, "'The old coot's here.'"
Margaret immediately begins apologizing as Hawkeye stands and makes his way toward the side of Colonel Potter's desk just as the older man stands behind it. When Hawkeye tells him Margaret may have a little problem, Colonel Potter asks, "'Is it you, Winchester, or the nurses?'"
Immediately Margaret announces her pregnancy.
"'Pregnant? Well Zip a dee doo da!'" The Colonel exclaims. Feeling as if those words are not as prolific, Hawkeye states, "'I used 'wonderful' and miracle'.'"
Asking if it is Donald's, Colonel Potter soon wonders if he needs to make sure. A little offended, Margaret simply confirms Donald as the supposed father making sure not to look at Hawkeye who quickly explains the pretend marital problems of Donald and Margaret. Then, Margaret asks about bending the rules for her to let her stay in the Army. Before the conversation can go too much farther, Hawkeye makes sure to stear the conversation back to Margaret getting a pregnancy test. Immediately, Colonel Potter tells her she can go to Tokyo. Declining the offer, Margaret explains that she does not want the entire camp to find out. Nodding, Potter and the Head Surgeon agree they can do the test with a rabbit provided Radar says it is okay. Granted permission to perform the test, Margaret and Hawkeye perform surgery that day on the rabbit. Allowing Radar to come into the operating room for his rabbit Fluffy, Hawkeye and Margaret wait to find the results of the test. What they do not plan is to be kicked out of the room by a gunmen who holds a gun on Charles.
"'I'm starting to feel sick again'," Margaret tells Hawkeye. Leaning toward her ear, Hawkeye reassures, "'Take it easy, Margaret. When all this is over, we'll go for a walk through the looking glass.'"
When they are finally allowed to go back inside, Margaret anxiously watches Hawkeye look through the microscope to give her her answer. Finally, the surgeon states that the test is negative.
"'Congratulations. You're still a major, Major'," Hawkeye announces, selfishly sad for himself. With a smile, Margaret remarks, "'Yeah. I guess I still am. Thank you. Thank you very much.'"
"'I'm glad it turned out the way you wanted it to'," The surgeon remarks, genuinely glad that his wife gets her desired outcome even if he does not.
"'So am I'," The nurse replies happy to stay with her friends and not have to leave the Army before she is ready. However, both are all too aware of the other possible outcome.
"'I'm also sorry'," Hawkeye comments imagining a baby the mixture of both of them. The realization that her husband really does want a child officially dawns on Margaret causing her to reply, "'So am I.'"
Putting his hand over hers, the couple is silent for a while until Hawkeye tells Margaret that he loves her. Smiling at him, Margaret answers back that she loves him as well before asking seriously, "Did you want a baby?"
"Eventually. Honestly I was excited for the prospect even if the timing was wrong," Hawkeye admits. "And really I am glad it turned out how you wanted. I'd hate to miss anything with our future child anyway. Pregnancy and all."
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