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By January the New Year brings new problems. At least for Hawkeye. Doctor Borelli, a surgeon Hawkeye dislikes comes into camp and drives Hawkeye crazy. In the middle of this, the Chief Surgeon finds out from B.J. that he took the liberty of using his birthday for a surprise party.
"'You what?'" Hawkeye yells. Repeating this when B.J. tells him to be quiet, B.J. states, "'Hawk, will you look around? See how depressed these people are? They need something to do. A surprise birthday party is just the thing to cheer them up.'"
"'What are you, nuts?'" The Chief Surgeon asks, "'It's not even close to my birthday.'"
"'Perfect! You're not using it. It's part of the surprise'," B.J. states. Annoyed, Hawkeye tells his friend to use his own birthday. Dismissing his comment, B.J. remarks, "'Come on. You're gonna love it.'"
Despite all his bravado, Hawkeye is not a man who likes the spotlight on him for no reason.
"'I'm gonna hate it'," Hawkeye admits. "'A whole day of letting people slap me on the back, laughing at their stupid gag gifts, and pretending I'm surprised? And then, when it really IS my birthday, nobody'll believe me.'"
Unhelpfully, B.J. tells his friend, "'I'll believe you.'"
Hawkeye tells B.J. to drop dead. With a smile, B.J. jokes, "'I can't. I'm in charge of the party.'"
Just as the party preparation is in full gear, the medical team is asked into Colonel Potter's office. With this team is Doctor Borelli who decides to orchestrate where everyone sits before Colonel Potter explains that a doctor is needed at Battalion Aide since their surgeon is wounded. Offering to go so he can get out of the party, Hawkeye is a little annoyed when the other surgeons offer to go instead. When B.J. offers, Hawkeye announces, "'No, I wouldn't think of it. I'd feel awful if I was back here snug and safe and my pal was up there facing danger, freezing his klavey on his wedding anniversary.'"
"'His- His what?'" Margaret asks in surprise.
"'His klavey'," Hawkeye repeats. Shaking her head, Margaret replies, "'No, no, no. After that.'"
"'Oh. His wedding anniversary'," Hawkeye answers knowing he just got himself out of a party. Standing to leave, Hawkeye is less than enthusiastic when Doctor Borelli states that he will go with him.
At Battalion Aide, the surgeons are less than cordial until they each get shot in the arm meaning they have to a conjoined surgery. Hawkeye being one arm, and Doctor Borelli being the other.
Coming back to the 4077th a couple days later, Hawkeye does his best to jump out of the jeep. Spotting his wife once he gets out, Hawkeye immediately grabs her and kisses her.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" He remarks as Margaret smiles and jokes, "I bet you say that to all the nurses."
At such a public display of affection, Charles and B.J. share a look. Cornering Hawkeye in their tent later, the men ask their bunk mate about the kiss. Shrugging, Hawkeye says, "She was the first person I saw. Ask Klinger, I've kissed the nurses like that plenty of times."
"That specific one?"
Hawkeye simply chuckles before leaving the tent.
The week brings a load of casualties then a weekend lull. However, by Monday the casualty load is in full swing again. By Wednesday, the supplies start running low. Unable to obtain sodium pentothal the camp has to result to using ether, a drug not all the nurses are familiar with. The OR also goes through more surgeries than they want. Between teaching the nurses how to use ether, the lack of heat, and the late night make for less than desirable conditions. Everyone is used to it, but it is still a cause for error. Working with Hawkeye on his patient, Margaret makes sure to keep an eye on her patient so he will not wake up. Unfortunately, she also accidentally breathes in some of the ether.
"'How's he doing, Margaret?'" Hawkeye asks about his current patient hoping the ether is doing its job during one of their surgery sessions. Seeing his wife yawn, he states, "'You hoo?'"
A little dazed, Margaret looks up and answers, "'Oh, sorry. He's fine.'"
"'Maybe, you oughta step into the lobby for a second?'" Hawkeye prompts seeing how red his wife's eyes are.
"'No need'," She answers deciding to brave through the exhaustion. All she has is this patient before trading with another nurse. Hawkeye looks away to ask Colonel Potter about more wounded and is surprised to find his wife fall to the floor.
"'Margaret! Corpsman!'" Hawkeye yells before calling someone else to take over as Margaret is taken out of the room. Colonel Potter tells the corpsman to give Margaret fresh air as Hawkeye announces, "'Lot of good that'll do. We're probably out of fresh air, too.'"
Handing off his patient, the surgeon goes to check on his wife hoping he is not too obvious in his actions toward her in the receiving room. B.J. looks up to see if he can get Charles' attention. Locking eyes, Charles nods and B.J. knows that this is simply one more piece to the puzzle they are trying to figure out. Finding Margaret on a bench outside surgery with Father Mulcahey keeping watch, Hawkeye asks the Father to bring over the oxygen tank. Calling his wife's name as he waits for the ether, Hawkeye is upset when he gets no response. If he had water and rag, he'd wet her eyes to help wake her up, but as it stands, Hawkeye simply yells Margaret's name louder. The first time with the oxygen, she is barely responsive and Hawkeye gets a little antsy.
"'Margaret, Margaret!'" Hawkeye calls trying to wake her the second time. Just as Colonel Potter walks in, Margaret mumbles, "'Keep your hands to yourself General.'"
"'That's a good sign'," Father Mulcahey remarks from his spot by the wall while he watches Colonel Potter and Hawkeye attend to their Head Nurse.
"'You alright?'" Hawkeye questions as he keeps his eyes trained on his wife who coughs out, "'I'm fine.'"
When the men give her a disbelieving look, Margaret states between coughs, "'No, really. I'm more embarrassed.'"
"'It's okay, I covered for you'," Her husband announces before joking, "'Told everyone you had morning sickness.'"
Hearing this, Margaret wants to roll her eyes at him knowing that they are actually trying to conceive.
"'It's the ether and the cold'," Colonel Potter remarks inadvertently saving Hawkeye from defending himself as Colonel Potter continues, "'It's a wonder we're not all on deck.'"
"'Kind of chummy though. the staff and the patients falling asleep in each other's arms'," Hawkeye jokes. Taking another gasp of breath, Margaret is relieved when Colonel Potter tells them they are cutting down on the ether. She is still catching her breath when she hears Hawkeye and Colonel Potter discuss other options for surgery. Nodding at Colonel Potter's suggestion of using local anesthetic, Margaret chimes in finally, "'At least we can turn the heat up.'"
Feeling bad he cannot help, Father Mulcahey admits his run in with the black market and volunteers to barter for the anesthetic. With the Father gone, the rest of the camp deals with their surgeries with a local anesthetic hoping that that supply does not run low as well. Every so often, Hawkeye will catch Margaret's eye are go up to her and ask if she is okay. At one point, Margaret tells him he is looks about as bad as she did. Catching naps where they can, Hawkeye finds an empty exam table. In pre-op, Margaret asks if anyone has seen Captain Pierce since he is needed for another surgery. Told he is in surgery sleeping, Margaret finds him and says his name to wake him up. Turning over, Hawkeye says drowsily, "'Oh, Margaret. It can't be heaven. I've only been dead five minutes.'"
"'You've gotta get up'," Margaret tells him wishing she could be sleeping too. Telling him one of his patients tore open his sutures, Margaret is understanding, but a little annoyed when her husband rolls back over to sleep some more.
"'We're prepping him now',' Margaret admits when Hawkeye tells her to get the soldier back into surgery. Sliding his legs off the table, Hawkeye asks for Margaret's help up adding, "'And get me something to lean against while I'm operating.'"
As Margaret begins to walk away, she hears her husband remark, "'Preferably, you.'"
Smiling at his remark, Margaret heads back out to Hawkeye's patient. Just as his wife leaves, Hawkeye lays back down hoping to sleep for maybe a few more minutes. Once all the soldiers are officially mended, the entire camp find various places to sleep. When the second wave comes through, everyone staggers out to help. Thankfully, just as they begin triage, Father Mulcahey shows up with seven cases of sodium pentothal. As they medical staff operates with heat and proper anesthetic, Hawkeye asks Margaret to help him with his patient.
"You doing okay still?" Hawkeye asks, his eyes showing concern. Smiling, "I'm fine."
As the surgeons and Margaret reflect on how nice the surgeries are to work on now, Hawkeye remarks, "'I'd say, considering the circumstances, we're all about as happy as we could be.'"
By February, the cold seems to get worse and everyone is on the lookout for frost bite and hypothermia. Not only with wounded, but also with themselves.
"Just remember what they taught you in basic training," Hawkeye says one day as he and Hawkeye sit in their tent bundled up and drinking homemade booze to keep warm. Teeth chattering, B.J. asks, "What was that?"
"I was hoping you'd tell me. You've been there more recently."
"I think it had something to do with stripping," B.J. jokes, but Hawkeye quickly exclaims, "Strip poker!"
"No, that wasn't it."
"No, Beej. We can play strip poker! We'll round people up to play."
"I think the cold has got to you," B.J. remarks adding, "Besides, who are we going to get? I doubt Charles wants to play. Besides, he already traded his snow suit that one time."
Shaking his head, Hawkeye says, "We can have everyone meet up in here who's playing. We'll open it up to everyone."
"Soldiers?"
"Okay, everyone except soldiers."
"You just want to see a certain nurse strip," B.J. teases not caring if Hawkeye knows he suspects about the relationship. Rolling his eyes, Hawkeye answers, "Very funny. I'm going to go tell Klinger."
By the end of the day, the Swamp is filled with various members of the camp. Apart from B.J., Hawkeye, and Charles, the players are Klinger, Zale, Igor, various enlisted men, most of the nurses, and Margaret. Some people play one or two hands before heading to bed for shifts the next day, but by the early morning, the main players end up being the regular group except for Klinger who leaves when Colonel Potter needs him. Finally, it comes down to Margaret and Hawkeye as the winners, a sight B.J. and Charles watch with rapt attention. After the kiss the Chief Surgeon and Head Nurse share once Hawkeye gets back from Battalion Aide a month ago, the men are eager to find out if this game will prove their theory. Hawkeye currently stares at his cards stripped down to his boxers, socks, and gloves. Margaret is in a similar predicament. Shivering, Margaret asks if they can be done. Shaking his head, Hawkeye answers, "Not yet."
"Please?" She whines. After a few more moments, Hawkeye relents and suggestively announces, "I'll show you mind if you show me yours."
Rolling her eyes, Margaret sets down her cards and grins at her husband's shocked expression. Eyes wide, Hawkeye exclaims, "How did you win?"
"A lady never reveals her secrets. Now strip," Margaret announces. In the corner closest to the door, B.J. and Charles laugh to themselves, but are soon dumbfounded as they watch their bunk mate blatantly flirt with Margaret.
"Like what you see?" Hawkeye teases as Margaret ogles him appreciatively. Staring him up and down, Margaret answers, "I was thinking you'd be colder than that, Pierce."
"Never for you," The surgeon states.
Looking at Charles, B.J. silently asks if they should leave. Feeling uncomfortable, Charles agrees fully convinced that Margaret and Hawkeye are fully in a relationship.
"Now all we need to do is corner them," B.J. states once they are closer to the Officer's Club.
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