Here is it now, readers! This is the 22nd chapter of this story!

Now, this chapter is vastly different, in the sense that it shows that Andrew isn't immune to extreme stress and that it gets to him, especially after finding out that his mom has been put into the hospital.

Also, this chapter required me to do some research. Lots and lots of research, and remembering that this series takes place in the early 50s, and I have to pretend that I'm in the early 50s during the Korean War. That's why this chapter took longer to write than the two previous chapters. Just so you are all aware.

Anyway, for this chapter, Andrew does not take the news of his mother being in the hospital too well, especially since he found out by a letter that he got from her about her acute bronchitis getting worse, and meanwhile, a patient comes in suffering from a similar problem due to inhaling fumes from artillery and stuff, and some other stuff takes place. How will this all go? Find out now!


AT THE SWAMP - IN THE M*A*S*H 4077:

It was a seemingly normal day in the M*A*S*H 4077. People were going about their business like usual, and there was nothing peculiar going on at the moment. In the Swamp, the boys were all doing their usual things. There was nothing important that any of them had to do at the moment. Then again, it was still the morning hours at the 4077, so that would explain it.

Andrew, in particular, was just lying on his bed, reading a magazine as he was wondering if the mail was going to get here. Could it be possible that it was running late? Or did the mail delivery forget to send it to the 4077? Klinger couldn't have lost the mail, right? Whatever the reason, it still was a good thing for the mail to be brought to them right on time.

But that's just what he thought.

"Good morning gentlemen," Klinger greeted them with a mailbag on his shoulder. "I bring you great gifts."

"Well, if it ain't mailman Klinger," Hawkeye greeted. "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow can keep him away."

"He is a homing pigeon for a reason," BJ commented.

"If I may ask, there must be a good reason for you stopping by the Swamp Klinger," Charles demanded. "So, out with it! What did we get for mail today?"

"Did we get anything Klinger?" Andrew asked politely, putting down his magazine.

"I'm glad you asked me that sir," Klinger took out four letters. "I happen to have four letters for each one of you. One for Pierce. One for Hunnicutt. One for Winchester. And one for Peterson."

With that, the Lebanese-American company clerk handed the letters out with each name he said it was addressed to. Afterwards, Klinger told them that he has to deliver the rest of the mail to the others in the compound, as he left. All four members of the Swamp took a look at their letters and opened them. Andrew looked at his letter and was confused to see why his mom was sending him a letter to South Korea.

I wonder why my mom is writing a letter to me all the way to Korea. Andrew thought. Better check this out.

Andrew opened the envelope, pulled the piece of paper out, and unfolded it. As he was doing that, the others saw what they got.

"Oh ho ho! Lookie here, this is good," Hawkeye commented.

"What is it Hawkeye?" BJ asked.

"It's just from an old flame who was once positioned in the 4077," Hawkeye told him. "She's writing to me that she's in Tokyo, and depending on if I'm busy or not, she wants me to go on R&R there in exactly 4800 hours!"

"Charmed as that may sound, what I got is a notice from the record subscription that I subscribed to," Charles huffed. "It seems that I'm expecting to pay the bill required for said subscription to continue."

"Well Charles, that's what happens when you are in debt to that subscription," Hawkeye retorted before asking BJ. "Hey Beej? What did you get for mail?"

"Oh? Me," BJ looked up from his letter. "Oh, it's another letter from Peg. It's nothing special. I can just read it later Hawk."

"Well okay," Hawkeye then saw Andrew reading his letter. "Hey, Andrew? What did you get?"

Andrew was too busy reading to pay attention to that. The more he read of the letter, the bigger the dread was growing on his face. He couldn't believe what he was reading. It seemed to be a problem based on his expression.

"Hey, Andrew? Is something wrong," BJ queried. "You look kinda worried."

"Huh? Oh, it's just personal matters," Andrew said hastily.

"Well, then there's no need to bring it up further," Charles said.

"In any case, I could hit the showers right now," Hawkeye got up.

"Same here," BJ agreed, getting up from bed.

"Count me in too," Charles added, as he also got up from bed. "I really could use a shower right about now."

"That's the spirit Charles," Hawkeye encouraged. "Hey, Andrew? We're about to take a shower. Wanna come along?"

"There's plenty of room for the four of us," BJ added.

"Uh, thanks but I'll pass," Andrew stopped reading the letter and got out of bed. "I got some important matters to attend to."

"Clearly he has other things to take care of," Charles remarked. "And we shouldn't bother him, no matter how personal it may be."

"That's telling him, Charles," Hawkeye said. "Well if you change your mind, you know where to find us."

"It's just a simple stroll to the shower tent," BJ stated.

"Yeah, thanks though," Andrew smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'll see you later."

Not saying another word, the three other members left the Swamp to help themselves to a shower. Once they were gone, Andrew stuffed the letter back into the envelope and made sure he was in his typical uniform. When he got that done, he left the Swamp with the letter in his hand as he went straight for the company clerk's office...


IN THE COMPANY CLERK'S OFFICE:

Andrew poked his head through the door from the outside to see if anyone was in there at the moment. No sign of Klinger, or anyone else for that matter. Perfect. That gave him the chance to do what he was planning to do here.

Heading straight for the phone, he picked up the receiver part and then started turning the knob on the side of the pouch to start up an important call. When it was able to get through, he stopped turning it and brought the receiver towards his left ear.

"Hello? Hello Sparky? Sparky, can you hear me," he started speaking. "Yes. This is Major Andrew Peterson, calling from the M*A*S*H 4077, and I need to make a long-distance phone call. It's a personal matter."

Andrew allowed Sparky to speak to him through the phone, asking for certain information as to where he wants to get connected to.

"Yes Sparky, it's a long-distance phone call to the U.S," Andrew explained, looking at the address shown in the letter. "I need to get a call out to the Greenville City Hospital. That's in South Carolina. And its address is...701 Grove Road. Do you think you can get me there right away?"

Andrew heard Sparky tell him that he can get him there, but there were a few things that he'd have to get through first.

"Huh? What's that? Come again? You'll have to forward my call to Japan first, and then have me work my way down there," Andrew wondered before sighing. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. After all, it is a long-distance phone call. Okay, Sparky, you can forward me to Japan, and then I'll continue from there."

Sparky then forwarded Andrew's call to Japan, and Andrew had to work it from there. After reaching Japan, Andrew then got forwarded to Hawaii. And from Hawaii, he got to California. From California, he got to Nevada. Then to Nebraska. Then to Ohio. Then to Virginia. And finally, he got to South Carolina, where he was eventually brought straight to the Greenville City Hospital that he needed to get ahold of.

It took a lot of time to do, but Andrew followed the procedure with each area he was brought to by phone. He remained very patient through the whole thing, despite the look of dread that was still on his face. Now with the hospital on the line, Andrew got straight to business.

"Hello? Is this the Greenville City Hospital?" Andrew queried. "This is Andrew Peterson. I'm positioned as a surgeon in the M*A*S*H 4077 located in South Korea, and I am calling because I got a letter from my mom saying that she was being listed in your hospital for an operation. It's Mrs. Peterson. I am her son, and I was calling to see if you can confirm this."

Andrew got some stuff told to him from the other line, as he was expected to explain it to the speaker talking to him.

"Well you see sir, my mom wrote me a letter telling me that she was suffering from acute bronchitis again and that it got serious enough that she had to go to your hospital. And this isn't the first time she's suffered from bronchitis, especially since she also has asthma," Andrew explained in full detail. "And I'm assuming that she was listed into your hospital just to be given surgery for her lung infection because it got far worse this time. Lots of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, mild headaches, that kind of stuff. So I was calling to see how she was doing."

A response was given to him, as Andrew was growing a bit more irate by what he was given. He let out an aggravated sigh before speaking again.

"What? Are you sure? What do you mean I can't talk to her? Now look, I told you that I'm her son and I want to see if she's still alright! Oh? Oh. I see. I understand. She's awaiting the surgery right now, and she's in the operating room while you guys get the surgery ready to perform, is that it?" Andrew grilled. "What? Do you mean to tell me that she might not make it?! That's my mom you're talking about! I want to speak to her! Oh, come on! Why can't she speak to her son when she's leaving me worried sick about her?! Huh? NO! NO SIR! Please don't disconnect the call! I am getting frantic trying to find out more information, and it would help me if you just-hello? Hello? HELLO!?"

Andrew growled as the call was disconnected. That ended the call. He slammed the speaker back into the pouch and he slammed his right fist onto the table.

"Damn!" He scowled as Klinger stepped into his office.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Klinger queried in concern.

"Oh it's nothing," Andrew sighed in a forlorn manner. "It's just a personal manner."

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" Klinger offered his assistance.

"Yes. See if you can get Sparky to get ahold of the Greenville City Hospital, located in South Carolina," Andrew told him. "It's on 701 Grove Road, and it's a very urgent matter. Can you please do that for me?"

"Certainly sir," Klinger approached the phone as Andrew got up. "I'll get on it right away."

"Thanks, Klinger," Andrew headed the door. "And if you do get an answer from the Greenville City Hospital, just let me know right away, okay?"

"You can count on me, Major," Klinger gave him a salute and smile to show that he meant it.

"Thanks," Andrew sighed sadly as he walked out the door and went outside again.

Making sure he was alone, he slid onto the ground and covered his face with his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening. Was it too much to ask to speak to his mom, when she needed surgery? Did it hurt for it to happen especially since it's likely he'll never speak to her again? That this might be the last chance he might ever get to speak to her again?

Andrew wished that his mom didn't have to be given surgery in a typical U.S. hospital that is unpredictable at most, and he wished that she'd be given the surgery here. If she was treated in the M*A*S*H 4077, at least he'd have the relief of knowing that she'd be treating under the care of her son, along with several other expert doctors and nurses that he has worked within this M*A*S*H unit. Of course, that would be like wishing for a million dollars to appear out of nowhere in Korea.

Sighing, he got onto his feet and uncovered his face. He started to walk away from the OR, to who knows where. He wasn't thinking straight at the moment. So anywhere would be good right now.

He was thinking about talking to Margaret about this. If anyone could make him feel better, she could. After all, she did tell him that if he has a problem, he can come straight to her. Yeah. That sounded like a good idea right now.

But before he could make it five feet away from the OR, the intercom started to go off with an important announcement.

"ATTENTION, ALL PERSONNEL! AN AMBULANCE HAS JUST PULLED INTO THE COMPOUND! LUCKILY THERE ARE ONLY TWO WOUNDED PATIENTS COMING IN! TIME TO HEAD TO TRIAGE TO START THE SURGERY!"

Guess it'll have to wait, until after I check this out for myself. Andrew sighed sadly, before getting his head together and headed for the ambulance that pulled into the compound, along with some other members of the medical staff. This was going to be a crazy experience...


By the time he made it to the ambulance, he saw some of the medical staff stepping in and escorting one of the two patients being kept in there. From the looks of it, the patient that was being taken away was pretty wounded, but it was being taken care of. He saw Hawkeye and BJ observing the other patient, as was another person who was in the ambulance, who kept watch on both patients.

When Andrew saw this patient for himself, he noticed that he wasn't wounded. Rather, he was old cold, had minimal breathing, and activity in his body wasn't noticeable. In other words, this solder as it may seem had fainted from shortness of breath. This got Andrew a little concerned as he stepped forward to observe this.

"Whoa! What happened to him?" Andrew asked in shock.

"I dunno," BJ shrugged, observing his pulse. "But he seems to have a lack of pulse, shortness of breath, constant wheezing, and had been coughing up stuff."

"Any idea what is wrong with him?" Major Peterson queried, looking concerned.

"We have this feeling that this guy named...Mark," Hawkeye read the soldier's chain tag. "Has gotten what we call acute bronchitis."

Andrew nearly flinched when he said that. Wanting to keep his posture under control, Andrew remained calm and stoic like usual and turned to the guy that accompanied the two patients in this ambulance.

"Do you have any idea how he got like this?" Andrew questioned.

"Well, from what was told to me down at the front," the man explained. "He seemed to have inhaled many dangerous fumes coming from missiles, shell fires, grenades, and even a landmine."

Andrew spent the next minute taking that in. As he did that, Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt got their comments out on the subject.

"Ah! Ah! That would explain it," Hawkeye proclaimed. "That would explain all the symptoms he's showing."

"But what are we going to do about him," BJ queried. "A simple operation isn't going to be enough for him. So what should do?"

Before an answer could be given, head nurse Major Houlihan came into the ambulance to see what was keeping them, along with Colonel Potter, who was just as curious. Their questions came to a halt when they saw the person in the ambulance.

"What the sassafrass and horsehair happened to him," Colonel Potter asked.

"What's the problem with him?" Margaret approached the patient to check him.

"Margaret, we have every reason to believe that this guy has a case of acute bronchitis," Hawkeye answered first.

"He has all the symptoms," BJ followed up. "He has a shortness of breath, constant wheezing, headache, chest pain, and is coughing out some stuff."

"And it seems that he got like this by inhaling dangerous fumes that came from missiles, shell fires, grenades, and a landmine," Andrew finished up. "It must have been too much for him, so he ended up getting acute bronchitis as a result."

Both of them took that in as another question came up.

"Do you know what we should do with him?" Colonel Potter asked softly.

"That's what I've been asking," BJ shrugged. "We can't just give him a simple operation. We need to know exactly what should be done."

"Hmmm...if I may make a suggestion," Andrew spoke up. "Our only option is to do Bullectomy on him."

"Wait a minute Andrew," Hawkeye intervened. "How can you be sure that we need to perform Bullectomy on him? We don't even know if there's a problem with his lungs."

"It wouldn't hurt to check it out," Margaret said on Andrew's behalf. "If he has something like bronchitis, then it's possible that there may be bullaes forming in his lungs. If that's the case, then we should perform Bullectomy."

"But how would we know if bullaes are forming in his lungs," BJ wondered. "We haven't even seen his lungs to confirm it."

"We can take him to the x-ray room first to snap an x-ray photo of his chest to see for ourselves," Colonel Potter exclaimed. "And if there are bullaes present in his lungs, then I say we can perform Bullectomy on this soldier."

"Our only question is where would we perform the surgery?" Andrew questioned. "This is the only patient we've gotten today, aside from another one, who's already being taken care of. And it would be pointless to use the operating room with just one patient."

"I believe Pre-Op is available for us to use," Hawkeye snapped his fingers. "We can perform it in there after snapping an x-ray photo."

"It's probably our best bet," Colonel Potter nodded. "We have all the necessary equipment and tools for the job anyway. So I suggest we do it in Pre-Op."

"Pre-Op it is," BJ settled with that. "We just have to escort Mark here into a carrier and bring him to the x-ray room, and then to Pre-Op."

"I'm already on it," Andrew grabbed one end of the carrier. "Margaret, would you give me a hand with this?"

"Certainly darling," she grabbed the other end, as Hawkeye and BJ hoisted Mark up and put him right in the center of the carrier.

"I'll notify the Padre, and he can show us the x-ray photo of his chest so we can be sure about what needs to be done." Colonel Potter got out of the ambulance, as did Hawkeye and BJ.

"Right," Andrew said as he and Margaret climbed down the ambulance with the carrier lifted with Mark on it. "Let's get him to the x-ray room, and then to Pre-Op."

Without another word, the two captains, the major and the head nurse went to the x-ray room, while Colonel Potter went to fetch Father Mulcahy to help out with the x-ray photo. Andrew was gonna be in for a stressful time with treating this patient...


FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER - IN PRE-OP:

After having the patient examined in the x-ray room, where Father Mulcahy was getting the photo processed, the doctors and nurse took the patient into Pre-Op, where he was expected to be given an operation. As they waited patiently for the Padre to come in with the x-ray photo, the medical staff got all the necessary equipment ready for the job, as they wanted to be prepared for the worse if circumstances were to make a downturn.

Andrew couldn't help but bear an anxious look in his eyes. Why did this have to happen? His mother was suffering a similar problem, and now he was being put into this position. He really wished that his mom would be given the best treatment from the 4077.

Before he could say anything about their patient, Father Mulcahy came into Pre-Op with the x-ray photo in his hands and put it on the wall for everyone to see.

"Gentlemen, and ladies, I have gotten the x-ray photo that was processed, and this is the result," the Padre directed them to the photo.

They saw the lungs underneath the rib cage and noticed that there were some bullaes in there, and that meant one thing.

"Oh yeah, there are bullaes in those lungs," Hawkeye remarked. "Looks like we'll have to perform Bullectomy after all."

"So it would seem. But my question is should we pull through with this operation," Charles asked, seeming apprehensive about it.

"We don't have a choice Charles," BJ told him. "If we don't perform it, chances are that this patient won't make it."

"Yeah, and we can't have that happened," Andrew spoke up, feeling his left eye twitch at the horror revealed. "We'll have to get to work on it right away."

"We'll have to put him under general anesthesia before operating," Margaret insisted. "We'll then have to make a small cut near the armpit before opening up his chest."

"Then we'll have to perform thoracotomy by using surgical pliers to remove the infected bullaes out from his lungs," Colonel Potter stated.

"In the meantime, I also think we should keep him breathing with this Parke-Davis Glaseptic," Andrew showed them the cheap hand-driven nebulizer with a pump attached to it. "Also, we'll have to keep an eye on his oxygen level to make sure it doesn't go down. And we need to keep track of his blood pressure too."

"Good idea Andrew," Margaret told him. "That way we'll know if we need to give him some emergency medical treatment if things go downhill for him."

"Well, that seems fair enough," Charles sighed. "Let's get to work on performing Bullectomy on this poor sap."

"That's the ticket Charles," Hawkeye complimented. "That's how a surgeon should act before an operation."

"It might help keep our spirits up," BJ agreed.

"Anything I can do, Colonel?" Father Mulcahy queried.

"Yes. Just stand back and pray that this guy makes it out alive," Colonel Potter told him. "Well guys, let's get to work."

And that's what they did. Andrew couldn't help but have a simple thought run throughout his head.

Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?


A good two to three hours have passed since the operation started. As planned, they put the patient under some general anesthesia before making a small cut near the armpit before opening his chest up.

From there, the crew got to work on their respective assignments. Andrew had been using the Parke-Davis Glaseptic to keep the patient breathing so he won't stop breathing. Hawkeye, BJ, and Charles were using the surgical pliers to extract the infected bullaes and other infected parts out safely and securely. Margaret was keeping her eye on the patient's oxygen level using a pulse-oximetry, with Colonel Potter giving her hand by checking his blood pressure. And Father Mulcahy just stood to the side, praying for a full recovery.

As this continued, it was becoming clear that Andrew was under so much pressure. The more time had passed, the more amount of anxiety emerged inside of him. He was putting himself into a very stressful situation, resulting in the amount of stress he was under being increased. However, he did not want the others to feel a little unnerved by this, so he did his very best to remain calm and keep that stoic expression on his face.

Unfortunately, it was becoming unbearably hard for him to keep it together. One could wonder how long he could hold it in for. It was only a matter of time before he couldn't take it anymore and would finally react like anyone else under a lot of stress would.

The tension inside of him reached an all-time high when some grim news was announced.

"Uh oh," Margaret moaned. "His oxygen level is dropping to a 90. It's close to 88."

"And his blood pressure is dropping too," Colonel Potter remarked.

Now feeling under extreme stress, Andrew made a hasty suggestion with the others.

"We'll have to put him onto supplemental oxygen," he stated, a tone of panic entering his voice. "We need to get it back up to where it should be!"

"Whoa, hold on there Jethro," Potter told him. "Don't you think you need to relax a little?"

"How can I relax? His oxygen level and blood pressure are dropping," Andrew yelped anxiously. "If we don't do anything, we could lose him!"

"Now wait a minute Andrew, you've been working your butt off with keeping this patient breathing for a straight three hours. I think it's time for you to take a break," Potter suggested. "Margaret, you can take over for Andrew and get his oxygen level and blood pressure back to where it should be."

"I'm just fine Colonel!" Andrew yelled. "I can handle this! I don't need to take a break!"

"Yes you do, son. You are getting your britches all caught up over this," Potter told him calmly. "You can leave the rest to us. You just go get scrubbed up and relax for a bit."

Feeling some agitation building up, he gave in to the request that the Colonel suggested.

"Fine," Andrew groaned in irritation as he handed his girlfriend the Parke-Davis Glaseptic to keep the patient breathing.

But what got all of them to jump was how Andrew was stomping towards the door, which he opened, and then he slammed the door violently before storming off. This got them a little concerned by this.

"And what was that about," Hawkeye retorted. "Andrew has never been under that much stress before that he got angry about taking a break from treating a patient! What do you suppose is wrong?"

"Now Pierce, the man was probably under some severe pressure from this operation," Potter insisted. "It's understandable that he'd feel this way about this."

"Well, come to think of it, he did feel some dread growing this morning when he was reading a letter that he got," BJ brought up. "He says that it's a personal matter, but I'm not so sure."

"Oh please, Hunnicutt," Charles groaned. "If it wasn't a personal matter, he would have shared it with us by now. So we should lay off."

"I'm quite shocked," Father Mulcahy expressed his feelings. "I've never seen Andrew act like this before. And he's been in our outfit for a while."

"You don't think that something is wrong with his mom, do you?" Margaret expressed concern for her boyfriend. "Perhaps that might be what the personal issue is about."

"Whatever it is, we'll find out for ourselves," Hawkeye shrugged. "That is if he's going to be calm enough to tell us about it."

"Now people, I'm also concerned for Andrew. But we'll have to find out what's eating him later," Sherman Potter issued. "For now, let's work on finishing up the operation on this patient and get his oxygen level and blood pressure back to where it should be."

"Alright Colonel," Margaret felt uncertain, but she decided to oblige as did the others.

And so they continued to apply Bulletomy on the bronchitis-infected patient, hoping to be successful with the operation, as well as getting his oxygen level and blood pressure back to where it needs to be. All of them felt worried for Andrew, but they tried not to talk about it. However, a thought rang through Margaret's head that stood out.

I do hope that Andrew is okay...


A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER - IN THE MESS TENT:

It has been a couple of hours since they resumed the operation without Andrew. Speaking of whom, he was currently in the mess tent, sitting alone at one of the tables. He wasn't really hungry, and coffee was the last thing he needed right now unless he'd want to make his nerves tense up even further.

A frown was on his face. The patient that he was helping out with was on the brink of death, and he was told to take a load off for a bit. But that was the least of his problems. His thoughts shifted back to his mom, and how she was being commissioned for an operation. If the patient he was trying to help out with was close to dying, then surely his own mother was reaching the brink of death too.

That was something he couldn't have happened. If only he could get his mom some competent and actual medical care, he wouldn't be this upset. But alas, that was a far cry off from what he hoped would occur.

Letting out a painful sigh, he looked down towards the table and shook his head. This was a very agonizing predicament; one that he hoped that a solution would come up.

Just then, the door to the mess tent opened up, and entering was Hawkeye, BJ, Charles, Father Mulcahy, Margaret, and Colonel Potter. Apparently, they were finally finished with the operation and after having scrubbed up, and closed the cuts on the patient's chest with sutures. They had some good news, as they decided to inform Andrew about it, getting his attention as they approached his table.

"We've got good news for you Andrew," Hawkeye spoke first. "The operation was a complete success, and that patient's oxygen level and blood pressure were brought back up to where they should be. We closed up the cut on his chest with some sutures, and now he'll be in Post-Op for three to seven days."

"We did ask some of the other doctors and nurses to monitor him and use that Parke-Davis Glaseptic in case he feels a shortness of breath coming on," BJ told him. "Otherwise he'll be okay. After staying here, he'll be sent to Toyko General, where he'll be given some cardiac therapy by the doctors there, as well as other medical treatments that are necessary."

"So you can rest assure that he'll be up and about with flying colors and that he will be on the road to recovery," Father Mulcahy finished for them.

"Right..." Andrew said with a bitter tone that the others took notice of.

"Okay Major, with that issue taken care of, I'd like to ask you what's going on," Sherman Potter got to the point. "You were working yourself too hard in Pre-Op for your own good, and it's making you stressed. I can see that there's something bigger eating at you, so just tell us what is wrong."

"Why?" Andrew grumbled in irritation.

"Because you shouldn't be getting yourself under these conditions," BJ answered. "You need to take it easy and tell us if any problems are going on."

"Yeah, if it's something serious, we need to know about it," Hawkeye agreed. "We're more than just doctors and physicians, we're your friends, or at the very least colleagues. We can't help you if you won't give us the scoop of what's ailing you!"

"We're just really worried about you, honey," Margaret voiced her concern for her romantic partner.

"Major, I'm sure that whatever it is shouldn't be too bad," Father Mulcahy spoke up. "And if it is, it's not something that we can show you our sympathy and support for."

"Yes. Do tell us what's been bugging you," Charles spoke up. "Before you give yourself a heart attack and stop breathing to the point where we'll need to perform surgery on you."

That did it. Andrew couldn't keep bottling the stress in his head anymore. He had to get it out before he was driven up the wall. With that, he reacted accordingly.

"OH YEAH!? THEN LET ME ASK YOU ALL THIS! JUST HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE YOUR MOM BEING PUT INTO A HOSPITAL IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW, JUST SO SHE CAN BE GIVEN AN OPERATION FOR HER BRONCHITIS!?" Andrew snapped abruptly, getting the other to jump in shock.

He wasn't finished yet as he continued his rant. "At this very moment, my mom is being put into a hospital, where she needs surgery for acute bronchitis! In addition to that, she also suffers from asthma! I can't be there to help her, so I'm worried about her! And if this operation doesn't succeed, then there's a chance that my mom WON'T make it and she'll DIE! If my mom passes away while I'm here, I'll never forgive myself!"

Letting out a frustrated huff, Andrew stormed out of the mess tent, where he slammed the door in a very violent manner as he stomped off.

All of them remained speechless, as they were in a state of shock and horror by what Andrew revealed to them. Hawkeye was too shocked to come up with a witty and cocky retort about what Andrew revealed, and even Charles felt a bit uncomfortable about what was revealed to them.

In Margaret's case, she had a feeling that it had something to do with his mom, but she didn't expect it to be this drastic. Now she knew why he was acting the way he was, as did everyone else.

They could only exchange looks out of concern for what Andrew was going through, as they didn't say a word about it...


IN THE SWAMP:

At this moment, Andrew was sitting on his bed, shaking his head as he covered his face with his hands. He couldn't believe that he just snapped in the mess tent just a few minutes ago. They were expressing worry and concern for his well-being and wanted to show him their support, especially his girlfriend, who was also caught in the crossfire of his angry rant.

But he just couldn't help it. There was a lot of this that was angering him at the moment. He was angry about how his mom had to be given surgery for her bronchitis, angry that he wasn't notified of this sooner, mad that it wasn't clear if she was given the proper dosage of steroids or not to keep her asthma under control. And he's mostly mad at himself for not being at home when his mom really does need him around.

Still, he felt that it wasn't right to lash out at them.

Why...? Why did I have to snap at them? He expressed regret in his thoughts. They were only trying to give me support and I blew up towards them. I couldn't keep it in anymore because it was driving me crazy. But I didn't have to lash out at them, especially Margaret. I feel horrible for what I've done.

Andrew continued to sulk to himself for several minutes, unsure if he can approach any of them again or not. But of course, they were never willing to turn their backs on him in a situation like this, not even Winchester. He had to remind himself of that, and that the 4077 was like a home away from home, even with all the problems with the locations, the food, and the chaos committed by many of the doctors working here.

Nevertheless, he just wanted to be alone right now to sulk about what's been going on with himself. Perhaps later, he'll talk to them again and apologize for his outburst, and they'll understand his issue. That was the plan.

Suddenly, the door to the Swamp opened up, and entering was Hawkeye Pierce. What Andrew noticed was that he was alone and that no one was accompanying him at all. This got him a bit confused, but he decided not to think it over. Hawkeye decided to start things off by commenting.

"You know Andrew, you stormed off from the mess tent in quite a huff," he said.

"Gee, I wonder what gave that away," Andrew's tone was pretty bitter and dry.

"No really. You could give the Big Bad Wolf a run for his money," Hawkeye told him.

"What do you want Hawkeye?" Andrew growled, not in the mood for Pierce's witty retorts.

Hawkeye took a deep breath and had a serious look on his face. What he was about to tell Andrew was pretty important.

"It's about how you flipped out in the mess tent," he had a serious tone, completely void of the jokey tone he usually uses. "Andrew, I can't imagine what's going on in your head regarding how your mom is in the hospital waiting for surgery to be performed. I can see why you're upset. I know how stressed you are about it. I understand what you are going through right now."

"Do you?" Andrew asked with such a harsh tone. "Do you really understand, Captain Hawkeye Pierce?"

Not reacting to his harsh tone, Hawkeye sighed and told him. "Yes. I do. I know what it's like to have a family member at home who you took care of before being sent to this sewage pit, and find out that they need an operation and you aren't there to help out. I haven't told you this before, but I live with my father, who I haven't seen in 2 years, but back at Crabapple Cove. And I tend to worry about his health every day."

"Really," Andrew gave him a blank look. "And how is that any similar to what I'm going through?"

"Plenty. For starters, he's around 62 currently, and he's not getting any younger. And around that age, you start getting some underlying health issues, ones that I'm not there to tend to," Pierce continued calmly. "Every night before I go to bed, I tend to worry about whether or not, he'll need an operation for pheochromocytoma or something similar."

"I see..." Andrew sighed, not getting the intention to this conversation.

"Listen, Andrew, you're lucky that you even have a mom with you at all. I lost my mom when I was only 10," Hawkeye revealed to him. "One morning, my dad made me breakfast. A bowl of cornflakes. And I asked him why Mom wasn't making breakfast that morning. And he said she wasn't feeling well, but it was nothing. And a few days later, he made me scrambled eggs and bacon and said that Mom was in the hospital, but it was nothing to worry about. By the time Dad was up to French toast and sausages, Mom was gone. He never wanted to worry me. Nothing's changed since I was 10. That was just another fancy breakfast."

"Gosh...I...I never knew that." Andrew felt bad about this, but he was also confused. "But anyway Pierce, what is the point to this discussion? Why bring it up now?"

"The point to this is that since then, my dad has been alone with only me to be there for him. He might think his health is nothing to take seriously, but he only says that to keep me from worrying about him," Hawkeye proclaimed. "It doesn't stop me from worrying about him though. I still miss him every day. And if there was a time that he needed an operation, and there was the risk that he wouldn't make it, I'd be in the same predicament that you're in currently."

"Oh, I understand," Andrew was starting to get a bigger insight of the captain. "Pierce, you're lucky that you even have a father to be there for you. I never met my biological father. He was gone before I was even given birth. And my mom has remained single for over 25 years. My mom is currently 58. So that's that."

"And my dad has been single for many years too," Pierce told him. "So I do know how you feel about this."

Andrew gave him a look, wondering if he was thinking about what he thought he was thinking. "No offense Pierce, but I don't think my mom and your dad would ever be a match, especially since they are miles apart. Provided that your dad is a lot like you in personality."

"Yeah, I can't argue with you there," Pierce agreed with him. "But you get my drift. I do worry about my dad every day, so I can understand why you'd be so stressed out about your mom."

"You know, there's something I'd like to bring up. You've never shown how worried you were about your father before," Andrew remarked. "I mean with all the practical jokes you make about the war, all the alcohol you've been drinking from the gin still and the Officer's Club, and all the pranks that you've pulled on me, Margaret, and the others. It's as if you are doing that to help block out all the horrors of not just the war, but what could happen to your father."

"You do have a good point," Hawkeye said. "I do that stuff just as a stress relief, especially when it comes to working in OR if you know what I mean."

"Yeah. And the worst part of this is, I've never been this stressed out before. I am usually capable of keeping my emotions in check and under control. But the news that I got from my mom caused me to go into a state of panic," Andrew revealed. "There's also the fact that this isn't the first time my mom has suffered from asthma attacks and she has had relapses of her bronchitis several times in the past. I didn't think it would get this bad. I am just guilty that I couldn't be there for her when she needs me."

"You're not the only one who feels that way," Hawkeye sounded sympathetic. "If it wasn't for this crummy war, I would be back in Crabapple Cove with my dad so nothing drastic could happen to him."

"I get it now," Andrew was feeling a little better, and he actually enjoyed this civil conversation that he was having with Hawkeye. "I'm glad that we had this talk, Pierce."

"Same here Andrew."

"And I'm sorry for how I lashed out at you and the others in the mess tent," Andrew apologized shamefully.

"There are no hard feelings," Hawkeye was sincere. "Just know that you have my support and the support of everyone else in our group too."

"I know that now. Thank you." Andrew started to smile a little.

"You're welcome."

Andrew started to feel some relief overcome him if only just a little. He could only hope for the best and that his mom will make it and the operation will be a success.

As silence clouded the two of them, Klinger came into the Swamp with some important news for Andrew.

"Hey Major Peterson! I've got great news! After a lot of waiting and trying to get through, I finally got an answer from the Greenville City Hospital, just like you told me," Klinger seemed excited when he revealed that.

"Really? That's excellent," Andrew started perking up. "I better go find out more about this!"

"You got it, sir," Klinger told him.

After giving his farewell to Pierce, Andrew left the Swamp with Klinger as they were heading straight for the company clerk's office again.

"Hey Klinger, could you do me a favor," Andrew told him. "Could you let me speak on the phone alone? This is a personal matter, and I want to be alone for it."

"It's no trouble at all," Klinger went with it. "I'll give you all the privacy you need."

"Okay. Thanks, Klinger," Andrew seemed grateful for that.

Once Klinger escorted him to the company clerk's office, he then left the office and closed the door behind him as he went outside to go somewhere other than the OR building...


Now feeling alone in the office, Andrew raced over to the phone speaker that was lying around, grabbed it, and spoke right into it.

"Hello? Hello Mom!? Mom is this you?! This is your son Andrew Peterson calling from South Korea at the M*A*S*H 4077! And I was wondering if you were oh-" Andrew was cut off when it wasn't his mom talking, but another doctor. "Oh. Sorry about that doctor. I thought this was my mom. Yes. Okay. This is Andrew Peterson. I'm Mrs. Peterson's son, calling all the way from South Korea. Could you tell me where my mom is being kept in at the hospital currently?"

Andrew got an appropriate answer from the doctor and accepted it.

"Okay. So it's room 223, right? Right. Good. Now would it be alright if I can speak to her for a second?" Andrew asked before getting an answer that was filling him with dread again. "Wait, what? Huh? What do you mean she's already in the operating room, and her surgery for her bronchitis is underway? No! No. You're serious? Well, can you at least tell me what caused her bronchitis and asthma to escalate?"

The doctor gave him a straight answer, but it didn't sit well with him at all, as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CLINIC ONLY GAVE HER A STEROID DOSAGE OF 45 MG!? She's suppose to be given 125 MG! It's been that way since before I got sent to South Korea! No wonder it got worse for her! So why couldn't you give her the appropriate dosage?" Andrew was peeved off. "What? You're saying that it's because you started the operation and that you don't have any on hand? Great. Just great. How could it get any worse!?"

To his complete horror, it did get worse as the doctor told him more news about his mom, which he really didn't appreciate.

"What? Come again? She what?! Her oxygen level is dropping to a 90? It's close to 89? And her blood pressure is dropping significantly too," once again, Andrew started to lash out. "Now you listen to me, sir! I, her only son, am stuck in South Korea, worrying to Hell and back about whether or not she'll pull through this operation! What? I DON'T CARE IF SHE WAS GIVEN ANESTHESIA BEFORE THE OPERATION GOT UNDERWAY! That doesn't give me much relief, knowing that my mom is near the brink of death!"

Andrew grimaced and groaned as the doctor told him a couple more things.

"Honestly sir, I hope that she does make it and that this surgery is a success. Because if my mom doesn't make it, I'll never forgive myself," Andrew sighed painfully. "What's that? Do you need to end the call? Okay. Fine. But please call this number again if anything else comes up. Okay? Alright. Thanks anyway."

Andrew then slammed the phone back into its pouch as the call ended once again. Andrew then let out a moan and covered his face with his hands again. His mood was turning sour once again. Even though the talk he had with Hawkeye started to improve it, this latest call caused it to come crashing down. Things weren't going so well for him today...


Before the call ended, Margaret had stepped into the office through the white curtain heading for OR. She had overheard Andrew wailing and screaming on the phone, and it more than likely had something to do with his mom and the operation that she's supposed to get for her bronchitis. She was definitely concerned for him as she came in to see how he was doing.

"Is everything okay, honey?" She asked him with a worried look.

Andrew overheard Margaret speaking, and he uncovered his eyes and gave her a side glance. "To tell you the truth Margaret, I don't even know anymore..."

"I'm just asking because I heard you screaming on the phone," she told him. "And after how you flipped your lid in the mess tent, it got me concerned for you."

"I know it has," Andrew turned around to face her. "I've just been stressed about all this and worried if my mom will even make it and if this operation will be a success. I'm just scared, Margaret. Scared that this could be the end for my mom, and I wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye. I don't want it to end, not like this. Not without a proper closure. I've just been anxious by it all."

"I know you are, sweetie. Andrew, come sit over here," she sat on the bed and patted to a spot next to her for Andrew to sit.

Andrew obliged as he got out of the clerk's chair and walked over to the bed where he plopped right next to Margaret. He was expecting her to give him some comfort when he needs it most.

And it turns out he was right. Once he sat down, Margaret took her right arm and wrapped it around Andrew, keeping him close.

"Andrew, I'm sorry that you've been going through so much pressure," she told him. "I want you to know that I'm here for you."

"I know," Andrew gave her a split-second smile. "And I appreciate that."

The head nurse then remembered something that he mentioned earlier in his rant. "You said that your mom has bronchitis, right? Has it been an issue before?"

"Oh, believe me, Margaret, this isn't the first time that she had bronchitis. She also suffers from asthma, which may have a role in her relapsing into acute bronchitis," Andrew remarked without shame. "But in those situations, it was subdued and it wasn't a problem. It also helps that she has gone to the clinic to get a dosage of 125 mg steroid to keep it at bay."

Andrew then moaned again before revealing. "Unfortunately, the clinic screwed up and gave her only 45 mg instead of the usual 125. As such, her bronchitis got much worse this time, to the point where she was sent to the hospital for an operation."

"I see," she mused, encouraging him to continue.

"There's also the fact that when her bronchitis reserved in the past, I was there to help her. But since I'm here, I couldn't help her this time," Andrew continued. "And it also doesn't help that South Carolina has some very bad mold and pollen count, something that my mom shouldn't be putting up with. She is very protective of me, but this time, I feel like I'm more worried for her than how she's worried for me here. But I guess that's the result of her being single for over 25 years."

"You once told me that you never met your biological father," Margaret brought up. "Did you really mean that?"

"Yes. I meant it when I said I never met my biological father. In fact, he was gone before I was even born. I never even learned about him, in person. But I have learned bits about him from my mom when I became 20," this is where Andrew's tone became bitter and dark at remembering something horrible he was told. "Like how before I was born, my biological father was abusive towards my mom, as well as forceful with her. Even telling my mom that she should get an abortion while I was still in my mom's belly. I was even told that he was an alcoholic, who enjoyed drinking for pleasure. From what I was told, he must've been a horrible person, and I'm glad that I never got to meet him. He sounds truly awful."

"That is terrible," Margaret expressed disbelief at what he revealed to her. "No wonder he was gone. Your mom probably divorced him for being so despicable."

"Yes, she did. She didn't want him to have any connection with my life. So she divorced him," Andrew agreed.

"So she hasn't been married again since then?"

"Oh no. She was married to one other man once before. Well, it was a long time ago," Andrew shifted uncomfortably. "I was already in the world at the time, but it was still terrible for me. My mom got married to another man, who was...an alcoholic and abusive man."

"Oh, what happened?" The head nurse was getting very worried for her boyfriend, seeing how he was shifting.

"When I was only five...my stepdad constantly...abused me," Andrew told her fearfully. "He'd often kick me, hit me, yelled at me, constantly got himself drunk before smacking me, and he oftentimes became violent with me. There was never a day when he didn't beat me up and made threats towards me. Thankfully, it didn't last forever, since my mom found out about how he was hurting her baby boy. So she divorced him."

"And she has every right to," Margaret told him how she felt while hugging him out of comfort. "You shouldn't have to be put through that. You don't deserve to be put through hell. If I were in your mom's place, I would have kicked his sorry ass to the curb for trying to hurt you. But I guess that's why your mom is so protective of you, and why you don't drink excessively."

"You have me there, Margaret. She is so protective of me, you wouldn't even know it. And it continued even when I became an adult. One of the reasons I joined the army was because I needed mom to know that I have to take care of myself. I can't rely on her forever. I have to wonder if she needs to rely on me, especially with this latest issue that came up," Andrew explained. "And as for why I don't drink excessively, well that's part of it. It's also because I'm not some sapless idiot who has nothing to live for but to drink all my sorrows away. I don't work like that. I guess the fact that I stayed sober resulted in me being able to hide my feelings from everyone else and act as a sensible and reasonable adult."

"And it also explains how aside from today, you are usually calm in any situation," Margaret admitted. "But that's the brave side of you that I admire so much about you darling."

"I know, and I thank you for that dear," Andrew blushed slightly. "I just wish things weren't so complicated with my mom."

Margaret could only embrace him, as she felt like sharing with him something about herself.

"Andrew, your lucky that you have a mom who's so close to you and means the world to you," she told him.

"What do you mean Margaret," Andrew gave her a confused look.

"You and your mom are close. The same can't be said about me and my mom," she revealed.

"Why would you say that?" Major Peterson queried.

"Because there's not much for me to say about my mom," she shrugged casually. "Just the fact that my mom is an alcoholic and a kleptomaniac. The only other thing that I can say about her is that I oftentimes send half of my salary to her as a remittance. Half of which goes to get her sober while the other half goes toward bail money."

"Gosh," Andrew seemed shocked. "I'm sorry to hear that Margaret."

"Don't be sorry, darling. It's just how it is," she said. "I already told you this before, but I feel closer to my dad than I did to my mom."

"Yeah. You did tell me that you see your dad as a role model," Andrew remembered.

"You bet he is," Margaret told him ecstatically. "In fact, he is the reason that I've gained an interest in the army life."

"Yeah," Andrew was starting to feel better again. "Uh, Margaret? I'm really glad that I had this talk with you."

"Me too honey," she smiled. "I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry for how I snapped in the mess tent."

"It's okay Andrew. I just want you to know that I'm supporting you on this."

"Hey uh, Margaret," Andrew gave her a hopeful look on his face. "Can I spend some time with you for a bit?"

"Of course Andrew," this got her to beam. "How about we go to the mess tent and get some coffee?"

"Uh, I think I'll pass on coffee this time," he came up with an alternative solution. "But if it isn't too much trouble, could we have some tea instead?"

"Sure," Margaret said. "I've got some tea made in my tent if you like."

"I would love that Margaret," Andrew grinned as they both got up and went for the door. "Oh, by the way, Margaret, do you think that the others overheard what we talked about? I really would like to keep what I told you between us."

"I'll keep it a secret," Hot Lips told him. "And if they did, I'll make sure they keep their mouths shut and forget all about it."

"I would appreciate that. Thanks, dear."

"Anything for you, darling."

Holding hands, they left the office and were heading back to Margaret's tent for a little. Andrew was glad that he could get his mind off of the mishap that got him stressed in the first place. He hoped that this could keep up for a little longer...


LESS THAN TWO HOURS LATER - IN POST-OP:

Quite some time has passed since then, and Andrew was now in Post-Op, inspecting one of the patients sent here from the front. The patient, known as Mark by his chain tag, was in one of the Post-Op beds that he was put into after his operation was completed. Andrew checked this particular patient and looked at the clipboard that was attaching to the bed front.

"So, Mark wasn't it?" Andrew asked. "Don't answer that one. I already know your name from the chain tag. So anyway, it seems that you're having it easy at the 4077. You should be lucky. You were given an operation by some of the best doctors and nurses in the unit."

It was then Mark started to speak, rather hoarsely. "Were you one of those doctors who gave me an operation?"

"Well kinda, but I was nothing special," even when he has some stress going on, Andrew still felt it in himself to be modest. "It was the other doctors and head nurse who did most of the operation, and they did far better than I did."

"Uhhh," Mark queried. "Am I going to be sent back to the front after I'm checked out of here?"

"Nope. In fact, you won't be doing any army fighting anytime soon," Andrew looked at the clipboard. "From here, you'll be sent to Tokyo General, where you'll be given some cardiac therapy, along with medication that'll help you down the road to recovery, and whatever other treatment you might need."

"I guess that's good," Mark moaned." When will I be checked out?"

"In about three to seven days," Andrew told him. "If I don't let you know about it, then one of the other doctors and nurses will."

"Thanks, doc," Mark thanked him. "I really appreciate it."

"Anytime pal," Andrew saluted him. "You just focus on getting better, okay?"

"Okay."

Just then, Sherman Potter walked into Post-Op. "Ah, Major Peterson. Just the person I wanted to see."

"Yes. What can I do for you, Colonel," Andrew wondered as he put the clipboard back and Colonel Potter approached him.

"Listen, I wanted to see if you were doing alright," the Colonel told him. "After how you flipped your lid in the mess tent, we have grown worried about you."

"Yeah, I know that," Andrew rubbed the back of his head. "Hawkeye talked to me about it first. Then Margaret talked with me regarding it."

"I'm aware of that. They told me how they talked with you about it," the Colonel said. "And I speak for the rest of us when I say that we are here to support you in this tough time."

"Thanks for that Colonel. And I am sorry for how I flipped out."

"Don't worry about that now," the Colonel instructed. "Just do what you can."

"Alright, sir."

As soon as they were done talking, Klinger came into Post-Op with news that he had to give to Andrew.

"Hey Major! Come quick," Klinger encouraged. "There's someone on the phone for you! And it's from the Greenville City Hospital!"

"Really," Andrew sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do they have for me this time?"

"It's your mom," Klinger revealed. "She told me that she has to speak to her son right away."

"My mom," Andrew felt overjoyed by that. "She wants to speak to me?"

"That's right," Klinger nodded.

"Thanks, Klinger! This means a lot to me," Andrew told him as he ran for the company clerk's office.

"Hey Colonel," Klinger decided to ask the Colonel once Andrew was gone. "What's up with him? He sounded like he was waiting for his mom to call this whole time."

"Long story Corporal," Sherman Potter told him. "His mom was going through an operation for acute bronchitis. And I think that you helped boost his spirits."

"Really? Wow. I missed a lot today," Klinger admitted. "I was busy on the phone helping Andrew get a hold of the hospital. I hope his mom made it okay and that the operation was a success."

"Same here Klinger," Colonel Potter agreed. "Same here."

They both stood in Post-Op, wondering if something good will come out of this...


IN THE COMPANY CLERK'S OFFICE:

Andrew had to race into the clerk's office through the OR and passed the white curtain. When he got into the office, he got over to the phone speaker, grabbed it, and spoke into it.

"Hello? Hello, is this you mom?" Andrew asked cautiously, as it turns out it really was his mom this time. "Mom? Oh, mom, I'm glad to speak to you again! Ever since I got that letter, I've grown concerned for you! But enough about that. How did the operation go? Are you going to make it?"

His mom then gave him an answer, which did nothing but bring sweet relief towards Major Peterson.

"Really?! You are?! The operation was a success!? And you're not gonna die!? OH THANK GOODNESS! Thank god that you aren't going to die! Do you know how worried I was when I feared that you wouldn't make it?" Andrew spoke. "Mom, I was actually worried about you and your health! Yes. Yes. I know you are worried about me and my well-being, but I'm an adult. I have to look out for myself. You know that Mom."

A conversation between them was held as Andrew responded to what she was saying.

"I know mom. You're exhausted from the operation, and that's why you should relax, and take it easy," Andrew insisted. "Mom, I was worried sick that you wouldn't make it. I thought the operation wouldn't be successful. I feared that you would have died. I had every reason to show concern about you, especially since I'm in South Korea. Yeah. Yeah, I'm fitting in well at the 4077. You've got two of my letters already. Uh-huh. I've been doing well mom, thanks for asking. Yeah? Yeah? You're seeing another physician, not from the clinic? Oh! Oh, you are doing that so you can be given the right dosage of steroids necessary. 125 mg, and not 45 mg. Got it! So anyway, other than anything related to bronchitis, how have you been holding up?"

Andrew heard his mom give him her response, and was satisfied with it.

"Well good. At least you're doing alright even with your asthma. But mom, can you do me a favor? The next time this happens, please call the 4077 right away, okay? I never want to worry like this again in case there is an emergency. Do you understand," Andrew told her. "Good. Thanks. That's all that I ask for. Yeah. Yeah? Yes, everyone in the 4077 is doing alright. I couldn't have gotten assigned to a better M*A*S*H unit. Wait. What was that?"

What Andrew's mom said to him next got his cheeks to blush a bright red as what was being said.

"Awwwww, mooooooom," Andrew whined in embarrassment. "I wouldn't do that. She's my girlfriend. Yes. Yes, mom, Margaret, and I are really close. Uh-huh. That's right. Yes. Well good. I'm happy that I can continue to be with her. I do love her very much. And I would never cheat on her with any other woman. Yeah, mom. Margaret's the only woman in this compound that I'll ever have romantic feelings for. Okay? Okay. Good. I'm glad that we got that settled."

Andrew felt more at ease as his cheeks stopped blushing. By this point, they were close to wrapping up the long-distance phone call.

"Alright. Yeah? Do you have to hang up? Oh, the hospital needs to use the phone again? Yeah, that's a good idea," Andrew closed things up. "Okay. I'll let you go, mom. Just relax. Don't do anything active, and let the doctors and nurses take care of you. Yeah. Sure. And please don't leave me frantic like this again mom, okay? And do write me another letter when you get to it, one that's something good. And do call this M*A*S*H again if you ever have an emergency to tell me again. Alright? Thanks, mom. That's all I want. Okay. I got to go now. Yes. I love you too Mom. Alright. Goodbye."

Once the call ended, Andrew put the phone speaker back into the pouch, and could only let out a massive sigh of relief.

Thank goodness that the stress behind this was all over. And now he could go back to doing what he does best. Being modest when it comes to OR, and not go into a panicked state when something goes wrong. His mom was going to be alright, and that's all that matters.

Rubbing his eyes cleaned and wiping his forehead, Andrew decided to head out and go directly to the Officer's Club to unwind for a bit. After the hassle that he had been through today, he more than deserved it...


AT THE OFFICER'S CLUB:

By the time Andrew got to the officer's club, he looked around to see if anyone he was acquainted with was present. To his sweet relief, he saw a table with the seven people that he was associated with. And the whole gang was present too. As he approached the table, they all took notice of his arrival.

"Hot diggity, it's Major Peterson," Sherman Potter was the first to notice.

Hawkeye, BJ, Charles, Margaret, Father Mulcahy, and Klinger encouraged him to join them, which he happily did.

"Hey guys, I got something to tell all of you," Andrew sat in between Margaret and Klinger.

"Wait, before you say anything, we need to say something to you," BJ stepped up. "Andrew, we want you to know that no matter what happens to your mom, we're here to support you every step of the way."

"Indeed. You have all of our sympathies in this crisis Major Peterson," Charles admitted.

"That goes for me too. All that pressure you've been bottling up hasn't done your spirit any good," Father Mulcahy spoke up. "And it surely hasn't done us any good either. So our thoughts and prayers are with your mom too."

"I know," Andrew smiled. "Pierce and Margaret spoke to me about it."

"And I was happy to talk about it," Hawkeye told him.

"Same here darling," Margaret commented.

"You have my support too sir," Klinger added. "Even though I missed out on a lot today, I'm here for you too, Major."

"Thanks for this guys, but now I got some good news," Andrew started. "I just got off the horn with my mom. Turns out the operation was a success, and my mom is going to make it after all."

"Hot sausage! I just love a happy ending!" Colonel Potter remarked.

"I'm glad that things are going to be okay with your mom," Hawkeye admitted.

"Happy that you aren't under pressure anymore," BJ added.

"Charmed, if I must say so myself," Charles crossed his arms.

"I'm so happy for you honey," Margaret beamed.

"Amen to that," Father Mulcahy admitted.

"That is terrific news, sir. Congratulations," Klinger jumped in too.

"Thanks again guys," Andrew then apologized. "And I'm really sorry for how I snapped at you in the mess tent."

"Hey, that's all behind us now, right folks?" Colonel Potter told him.

The rest of them nodded at that, as there were no hard feelings about it.

"In that case, mind if I sit at this table with you guys," Andrew grinned. "I really could use the company."

"Are you kidding? You can sit with us anytime you like," the colonel assured him.

"That's right sir," Klinger agreed with him.

Andrew was pretty satisfied with the other responses that he got, as a sigh of relief escaped his lips once again.

"I'm just glad that this is all over," Andrew admitted.

"Me too Andrew," Margaret went and kissed him on the lips. "I love you, darling."

"I love you too dear," Andrew said.

And thus the rest of the evening was spent in the Officer's Club, as Andrew had nothing else to get so stressed out about.

One thing was for sure. And that is that Andrew will never feel completely unhappy at the 4077. Not with these people who support him in dire situations. And especially not when he's with Margaret. Seems that this whole nightmare for him has come to a proper close...


END OF CHAPTER 22...

This is without a doubt, the most dramatic chapter I've written for this story, as well as containing one of the darkest moments I've written in this story; specifically, the part where Andrew reveals his backstory to Margaret. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter despite the amount of drama here.

Anyway, for the next chapter, an uninvited guest stops into the 4077. And it's not a human either. It's an animal. What animal will it be? Find out, next time readers!

For now, you can leave a review if you want to. Please only leave constructive criticism if you're going to be nice about it. And if you have a positive review, I'm allowing that anytime.

Otherwise, that's all that I got. So until next time, do take care of yourselves. And on that note, thanks again for reading people!