Here it is, readers! This is the 8th chapter of this story!

Now, this chapter is the start of some necessary changes being made to make the story more engaging, and it does have plenty of drama among other stuff, while still having occasional moments of humor. The next few chapters start an arc that will gradually affect some of the people at the 4077, specifically two people. Just so you know.

Anyway, for this chapter, these strong feelings that Andrew is getting for a certain someone are finally acknowledged by him, and he is considering revealing it in a way without it getting compromised throughout the whole compound. Who is it that he is developing feelings for? Find out now!


AT THE M*A*S*H 4077:

It has been a couple of weeks since things started to get smoothed out at the 4077 again after the mishap that took place. Radar might be gone, but Klinger has been getting himself comfortable as the company clerk. There were still a few bumps in the road for him, but some of the personnel did their best to be patient and understanding of the corporal, namely Andrew.

Speaking of whom, by this point, Andrew has gotten quite acquainted with the compound. He still didn't like the slop served at the mess tent, but he tried his best to at least tolerate it for what it's worth. The people he's been accustomed to are also manageable for the most part. Despite Winchester's ego, and Hawkeye's obnoxious behavior, he was at least able to tolerate them. Some of the other people that he knows are all over the scale, given that they didn't show much malice or anguish against him.

At this very moment, he was at the Officer's Club, sitting at one of the round tables with his good friend Klinger. The two of them decided to come here for a bottle of drink. It seems things were looking up for the new company clerk, and Andrew had the need to celebrate it with him.

"I'd like to commence a toast, to you Klinger," Andrew raised his bottle of soda pop. "It's been a couple of weeks since you became the company clerk, and you have made some outstanding progress. And for that, I'm proud of you."

"Hats off to you, Major," Klinger remarked, raising his bottle of soda pop in response. "Without you, this wouldn't have been made possible."

"And I appreciate that compliment from you, Klinger," Andrew smiled graciously. "Thank you."

"May camels spread good luck onto you for many years to come."

"Amen."

The two of them clinked their bottles of soda before drinking them down. Andrew had to admit, he was ecstatic by what he was seeing. Klinger was a top-notch friend of his in this camp, and along with Radar, the one he felt closest to that was the same gender as him. Some of the other men in the outfit weren't technically considered friends of his, but they were all people that he grew to enjoy and put up with. BJ Hunnicutt. Father Mulcahy. Even Sherman Potter. These people didn't give him grief, complaints, or even frustration.

However, out of all the people in this M*A*S*H unit, there was one other person that he was growing pretty close to, and was the only female that he has gotten to know about.

"Hey, guys." A voice got their attention.

Margaret Houlihan, also known to some of the nurses as Hot Lips. The only woman in this outfit that caught his full attention and interest.

"Is this seat taken," she asked them. "Mind if I join you guys?"

"Oh yeah. Go on ahead Margaret," Andrew said warmly. "I'd love to have you sit here."

"If it's alright with him, it's alright with me, Major," Klinger accepted her offer.

"Thank you," she took a seat right in between Klinger and Andrew, leaning closer to Andrew.

Andrew had no idea why he felt the way he did when around her. Ever since he got into this M*A*S*H unit, the head nurse had gone through all this trouble to make him feel comfortable so he can be broken into the unit, insisting that he should be treated with the utmost respect that a major should be given.

And the feeling was mutual. Andrew had given her the same amount of respect that she gave to him.

"So tell me, what are you guys doing here," Margaret asked, eying Andrew.

"Oh, well Klinger and I were proposing a toast, to celebrate how far he's gotten as the new company clerk," Andrew said honestly. "And I think he's been making some great progress with it too."

"Yeah. And I wished for camels to spread good luck onto him for many years to come as thanks," Klinger added.

"That's nice," she said with a smile. But it was clear that something else was on her mind.

Andrew had to admit, that out of all the people in this outfit, Margaret was the one he felt the most interested in. It was true that they formed a friendship after the first couple days of Andrew getting situated into the 4077, but he felt that it was something more than just friendship between him and Margaret. And it has become apparent to him with how much time he and the head nurse were spending together, whether it was working in the OR, doing some other work around the compound, or just simply hanging out in the officer's club, mess tent, Rosie's Bar, or even Margaret's tent. He was feeling more than just friendship with the blonde head nurse.

And really, who could blame him? He's been hanging around with the prettiest head nurse he ever met. What with her long and gorgeous looking golden blonde hair, her beautiful blue eyes of hers, that petite-looking figure of a body, that marvelous smile of hers with those white teeth, and the hot looking lips of hers with the lipstick she wears, making it seem hotter. And that laugh...

Good god, that laugh. Something about her laughing put him in a good mood, and absentmindedly, he'd find himself laughing alongside her.

Yup. It was official. He was starting to develop the hots for Hot Lips Houlihan. There were certain nights where his heart would be pounding when his thoughts go straight directly onto her.

At the same time, Andrew was quite the gentlemen. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. He didn't want things to feel awkward between them. He wanted her to come to him when she felt comfortable with said feelings he was getting for her, and when she is willing to return the feelings.

Damn that Hawkeye Pierce and his constant teasing of how I have feelings for Margaret... Andrew would often huff in his mind, even though the captain wasn't entirely wrong.

He oftentimes had to wonder why Pierce constantly teased him about it. Was it because he was just looking for some kicks for the hell of it? Or was it because he wanted to see him get together with the head nurse? No matter the reason, he kinda wished that the chief surgeon would just mind his own business.


THE MESS TENT:

Sometime later, Andrew was getting some lunch at the mess tent, as he was waiting in line. While waiting, Andrew overheard a conversation from one of the tables. It was between Father Mulcahy, BJ Hunnicutt, Sherman Potter, and Hawkeye Pierce. He couldn't help but listen to what they were saying.

"So ahem," Father Mulcahy started. "How is everyone doing today?"

"Pretty swell Padre," Colonel Potter said. "I just got some word from the missus by letter."

"Oh? And what did she say?" The Chaplin was curious.

"Well she wrote to me that she is planning on sending me a package to this unit in a couple of days," Potter answered. "It's a new horse saddle; preferably for Sophie. Yes, folks. Mildred Potter is always thinking long and hard for me, and I value the way that she thinks of me in advance."

"You think that's fantastic news Colonel," it was BJ's turn to speak up. "I had gotten another letter from Peg?"

"You did," the priest queried. "Pray tell, what did she say?"

"Well, she said that she's going to be making some cookies and is going to send some to me in this unit in a few days or so," BJ remarked. "I feel that she doesn't have to do that, especially since little Erin would love to have some, but I'm not complaining. It just goes to show how much I miss my wife."

"My, that's fantastic news Hunnicutt," the Padre remarked.

"Yes," Colonel Potter agreed. "That is really just dandy of her, Hunnicutt."

"Ah, I love the smell of romantic love in the afternoon," Hawkeye sniffed before noticing Andrew approaching the table. "Speaking of which, here comes one now."

"Hey guys," Andrew he got their attention by asking. "Mind if I join you?"

"It's perfectly alright with me," Father Mulcahy told him.

"It's a free country, ain't it? You are more than welcome to sit anywhere you please," Colonel Potter told him.

"Sure, go on ahead," BJ welcomed him to the table.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright with it too," Hawkeye said.

"So guys," Andrew sat down. "I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about, mainly about Colonel Potter and Hunnicutt getting letters from their wives. And let me say that I think it's excellent news."

"You can betcha bonnet on that one, son," Potter exclaimed. "Mildred knows that I could use a good horse saddle for Sophie, so we can travel around the compound and enjoy the scenery."

"And Peg is absolutely generous with baking cookies and making sure I get some," BJ added his comment.

"Well, congratulations to you two," Andrew smiled.

"Amen to that," the Padre agreed with the major.

"So tell me, Andrew? Just when is your lover going to send you a package to the 4077?" Hawkeye asked before realizing something with a smirk. "Oh wait! That's right! I forgot! Your lover resides in the same M*A*S*H unit that we are in!"

It didn't take long for Andrew to piece together exactly what he was implying. Yup. Hawkeye was going on about it again. Sometimes the major would get so sick of hearing him bring up his developing feelings. He felt his cheeks turn entirely red as a result.

"For crying out loud, Pierce! How many times are you going to bring that up with me?! No matter what I say about it, you always keep egging me on about it! I've already told you time after time again, I don't like her that way," Andrew denied, crossing his arms.

"Yeah right. Sure you don't," Hawkeye snorted sarcastically. "Your mouth might say no, but we all know that your heart is saying yes."

Andrew was beyond flustered. He wished that he could hide his face in shame as he covered it with his cap. Was Pierce trying to get under his skin? Because it was working. Andrew decided to poke his face out of the cap and see the others were confused by this, aside from BJ.

The Padre wasn't the oblivious kind of person, but he was left in the dark as to what Hawkeye was implying. As far as the Colonel is concerned, he always felt that there was never any room for love in the war. But he's seen it happen at least once before. Still, it left him confused.

And then there was BJ. Andrew took notice of how BJ was giving Hawkeye a look. It's as if he was trying to tell Pierce to not get involved, without saying words. He had no idea what it was about, but something told him that BJ wanted to tell Hawkeye to butt out.

Before another word could be said, a woman's voice got their attention.

"Hello guys," Margaret said as she approached the table. "Is there room for one more?"

"Oh yes. Sure! Go on ahead Margaret!" Andrew found himself blurting ecstatically, something that the others looked curious about. Thankfully, they didn't try to push it further.

Hawkeye, however, had a smirk on his face, indicating that Andrew does have a thing for Margaret after all. Still, he felt it was wise to keep a lid on it for now. Unless he wanted to be on the receiving end of a smack from the head nurse herself.

With that, the blonde head nurse took a seat next to Andrew, which Hawkeye wasn't surprised by. He had come up with an assumption that the feeling was mutual on Margaret's end, as it seemed apparent that she might have some feelings for the good major too. Nonetheless, he kept quiet.

"So, how are you all doing?" Margaret asked.

"Well I would like you to know that Hunnicutt and I were talking about the letters we got from our respective wives," Potter said. "I'm getting a saddle from mine, and BJ's getting some sweets from his."

"That's great sir," Margaret said absentmindedly.

They aren't the only ones who found someone. She turned her attention to the man she was sitting next to. "So how are you doing Andrew?"

"Perfect," Andrew blurted while smiling. "Absolutely tremendous! Never felt better!"

No one else said a word about his reaction as Andrew remained quiet.


As they continued eating, Andrew got a whiff of something that smelled...absolutely marvelous to his nose. It came from Margaret, and it had such an excellent fragrance to it. Part of his cheeks felt a blush coming forth, but he tried to retain his usual stoic calmness.

Soon, the same smell radiated through the rest of the table, as they realize that it came from Margaret.

"Great walloping tulips, Margaret!" Colonel Potter yelled, feeling his nose wrinkle. "What is that strong fragrance that your wearing!?"

"Oh? This? It's a new perfume that I got," she admitted shamelessly. "It's Cherry Blossom, and it's a South Korean fragrance. I hope you all like it."

"Well it's...very...perplexing if you ask me, Major Houlihan," Father Mulcahy struggled to find the right words as it felt strong to his nose.

"Oh it's something alright," Potter proclaimed. "I just don't know what to think of it is all."

"It's...nice," BJ said slowly, getting the whip of the strong scent.

"Oh yeah! It's marvelous," Hawkeye was quick to say. "Do feel free to wear it more often when we are eating!"

Margaret raised an eyebrow at that but she decided not to jump on him for that. She then turned to face Andrew.

"What do you think, Andrew," she asked him softly.

Andrew found himself gulping nervously to avoid attracting attention. "It's...beautiful Margaret! It smells just absolutely beautiful! I love it!"

"Good." She was satisfied with his answer, as she just gazed at him.

"Yeah Margaret," Hawkeye spoke up, making things worse. "I'm sure your loverboy would love for you to wear that perfume more often. Be sure to put some on for him whenever you like, preferable when you two go out."

The head nurse gave the captain a stern glare, showing that she didn't appreciate that rude remark that he made. Regardless, she kept a lid on it to avoid growing tension.

Why did this have to happen to Andrew? He had no problem with these developing feelings at all. But he did not want to make a scene out of it and force himself into the spotlight for everyone to see. He genuinely loved the perfume, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it when there were other people here, because it would automatically drop some red flags down regarding how he feels about the head nurse.

Besides, he was not going to act like a large number of sexist generals that are serving in the army, which included the US Army that exists in South Korea. It wasn't in him at all. And he certainly wasn't going to act pervertic towards her like several of the doctors in this outfit, especially Captain Pierce. On the other hand, he knew that it was only a matter of time before the secret finally got out in the open...


BACK IN THE SWAMP:

We now see Andrew sitting all alone in the Swamp. It appears that his three bunkmates were somewhere else. That wasn't a problem for him. He wanted to be alone for this occasion. Currently, we see him sitting at his desk with a paper in front of him and a pencil in his right hand.

Yes. He was planning on writing a note to give to Major Houlihan, explaining to her the feelings he has for her. He finally decided to accept the facts. He does have a crush on Margaret Houlihan. To some, it would seem odd that a guy like Andrew could be enchanted and drawn in by someone as beautiful as Margaret, but Andrew didn't care. His feeling for her were genuine.

And he couldn't keep it to himself any longer. So that's why he decided to write this note for her. He just hoped that Margaret can understand his feelings, and maybe work something out with him. He had several doubts that she would willing to meet him up to that point, but it was worth a shot.

As far as what he was writing to her, he decided not to make it poetic since poetry isn't one of his strong points. Instead, he was just writing all the stuff he likes about her and that he admires her for being a strong, firm determined major and head nurse and for being attractive as a woman and as herself.

After a few minutes of writing it, Andrew was all set. Putting the pencil down, he picked up the paper and decided to read what he wrote out for her. This is what it said:

To Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan,

I am writing you this note to let you know how I feel about you. I'm not gonna lie to you, I do like you. More than just a friend. Ever since I came into the compound, I've found myself becoming interested in you.

There are a lot of things that I can think of that I admire about you. You are an excellent major, you are a beautiful head nurse in spirit and personality as you know how to take command of the other nurses in this unit. I admire the leadership and determination that you showcase with the others in this outfit, men and women.

Aside from being a well-focused major and head nurse, I think you are the most attractive woman that I've found myself getting interested in. You have an excellent personality, and all the times you sided with me in certain situations were ones I truly appreciate, sincerely from my heart.

In OR, I don't see myself being paired up with any other nurse who isn't you. While the other nurses are nice, they don't have the determination and sheer beauty that I see in you. You are the best nurse that I have ever been paired up with, and I couldn't have had it any better than this.

And then there's this; I've enjoyed all the moments we shared amongst each other. Outside of the OR, I enjoy the times we spent together in the Officer's Club, Mess Tent, and your tent. All those memories mean something to me, especially since it was spent with you.

I don't know how you're going to take this note, and I'm unsure if you'll return the feelings that I have for you, but I just want you to know that everything I said in this note is absolutely true. You are the best thing to have ever happened to me. While you are a major, a head nurse, and a woman combined, that makes you the Margaret that I know and look up to, and that's the thing I love the most about you.

I hope you understand the feelings that I have for you. And if you can't return the feeling, please let me down softly. I just want you to know how I feel about you and that I couldn't have it any other way. Thank you for reading this note, Margaret.

Yours truly,

Andrew Peterson

As soon as he read it, he looked it over several more times. All the stuff he wrote came straight from his heart. But he began to feel that it sounded a bit too 'smoochy' and romantic for her, although he had to admit, he wrote a decent letter. Still, this wasn't going to do for her.

Letting out a sigh, Andrew opened up his footlocker, took the note, and folded it up into four squares before putting it into the footlocker. Closing it, Andrew locked it up and hid it completely under his bed so no one will find it and get some kind of impression.

Taking the military tag chains that he had in his pocket, he put the key that goes to the lock, put it on there, and then put it back into his pocket. As soon as he was done with his job, he decided to stand up and walk away from his bed.

He made perfect timing there, since the moment he stepped away from his bed, Charles Winchester entered the Swamp. The other major took notice of Andrew standing in his side of the Swamp.

"Well, if it isn't Major Peterson," he huffed. "And just what in hindsight do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, hey, Winchester," Andrew answered. "I was just checking out some stuff and keeping things safe in my side of the Swamp."

Charles was unsure if that was true, but then again, he could care less. He didn't have the time to dig into whatever secrets Andrew might have. He had better things to do with his time anyway.

"Fair enough, I suppose," he shrugged his shoulders. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some reading into my planned schedule."

"Right," Andrew rolled his eyes as he proceeded to walk out of the Swamp...


As he was walking, he was lost in thought about what to do about this. Since he felt the note wasn't good enough, he had to talk to someone here about his crush. But who could he share it with? With that, he decided to check off the possibilities.

First off, there was Colonel Potter. The guy is a reasonable leader, but he was unsure if he'd take his secret standing up, or sitting down. He figured that the colonel may think that there's no room for romance in the military.

Next was BJ Hunnicutt. Although he knew that he was married to someone waiting for him back in the US, he was unsure about how he'd react to it. Unlike Pierce, he wouldn't make a big deal out of it, but what got him a little worried is that he might tell Hawkeye, where it will spiral down from there.

Father Mulcahy didn't seem like a bad option on a piece of paper. After all, he was sure that having a crush on the head nurse wasn't a sin in the slightest. But of course, he had doubts that it'll sit well since he and the Padre had only interacted with each other on a few occasions. Not anymore than that.

Then there was Charles Emerson Winchester III. That major really didn't seem to care much about his feelings at it is, so why would he be willing to tell him about the crush he has? Not to mention he might use that to boost his ego, or worse. So Charles was a no-go.

Of course, there was Hawkeye Pierce, who was an automatic [no way]. Not only would he not hear the end of it from the captain's mouth about how he was right and saying 'I told you so' regarding his crush on Margaret, but the last thing he wants is for Pierce to start spreading it all around the camp and letting everyone know about it. That would end up making Andrew and to some extent Margaret, the laughing stock of the 4077. So Pierce was definitely out of the question.

And he couldn't tell the girl he has a crush on about this. He was never good with girls, and he'd find himself clamming up on the spot. Plus he didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of her.

That only left one option for him; Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, since Radar went home. At this moment, he felt that Klinger was the only one he can trust with this secret as it is. He wasn't the smartest person on the base, and he is as Margaret quotes "a nincompoop", but he was sure that he'd at least understand his feelings for the head nurse. After all, the guy must've had some romantic life back in Toledo Ohio. Surely, there was nothing wrong with that, right?

It was settled. He was going to tell Klinger about his crush and hoping he'd understand it.

Yeah. I think Klinger's the perfect option for me. At least I get some of it off of my chest. Andrew thought. I mean, what could go wrong?

With that, Andrew decided to head to the company clerk's office to tell him about his crush on the head nurse...


Meanwhile, at the company clerk's office, Klinger was trying to test out the intercom microphone to see if it was in perfect condition. He did this by tinkering with the box that the microphone was connected to, to make sure it could work with more frequency. That way he could deliver the daily reports with ease. He had once learned how to operate a microphone box back in Toledo, so he decided to see if it was the most efficient way of toying with it.

"Hmmm, I think that should do it," Klinger decided to speak into the microphone again. "Attention all personnel! This is only a test! I repeat! This is only a test!"

Sadly enough, Klinger was dissatisfied with how it went. "Nah, that's not good enough. I better try readjusting the box that this microphone is plugged into a bit for better frequency."

He took out a screwdriver and tried to do some adjusting to the box that the microphone was plugged into.

But before he could get started, the door leading to the outside opened up, which got his attention. It was Andrew Peterson. And judging by the look on his face, there was something that he needed to get off of his chest.

"Oh hello there Major Peterson," Klinger greeted him, completely forgetting about the microphone to the intercom being on. "What can I do for you, sir?"

Andrew sighed as he approached the new company clerk.

"Klinger? I need to talk with you," he said slowly.

Now, this got Klinger's full interest. Seeing that he looked like he had something important to say, it must be worth him coming in here for a moment.

"Why, certainly sir! We can talk about anything," Klinger encouraged. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

Andrew took a deep breath and walked over to the chair across from the one that Klinger was sitting in. They were now sitting across from each other as the microphone was on the counter in between them. Andrew was thinking of a way to reveal to the company clerk about his crush on Margaret Houlihan.

But what he didn't notice was the fact that the intercom microphone was still on, and that things were going to go downhill in a matter of seconds...


END OF CHAPTER 8...

Yeah, I'm sorry that this chapter is much shorter compared to the previous chapters, but I wanted to end this chapter on a cliffhanger since the next chapter is where the drama starts to unravel into full effect. I hope you all can understand this, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless.

As you can see, things start to tense up come the following chapter, and problems will arise as a result. Also, in my opinion, this is where I think this story is 'growing the beard' since it becomes a little more engaging. Although some of you might think differently, since you might prefer the earlier chapters, and that's okay. I just want to write it in this direction because I want to, and this was the intention that I had all along.

One more thing, the romantic elements in the first 7 chapters were merely subtle at most, but from this chapter on, the elements aren't subtle anymore, and they are much more noticeable.

Anyway, next time, the secret gets out and everyone finds out about Andrew's crush, and Andrew gets humiliated that he recludes himself from everyone, and some serious drama unravels. What will happen to the 4077? Find out next time!

For now, you can leave a review only if you like. Any constructive criticism can only be left if your nice and friendly about it. And any positive reviews are allowed too.

Aside from that, I got nothing else to say here. So until next time, I hope you all look forward to the incoming drama that's going to unravel at the M*A*S*H 4077, and on that note, thanks again for reading guys!