At breakfast, Colonel Potter, Hawkeye, BJ and Margaret were sharing a table.
"Colonel," laughed Hawkeye, I'm never challenging an ex calvaryman at horseshoes, again."
"Pierce," Potter smiled, "I told you I was as good as ever."
"I think you are underselling your skills, Colonel," Hawkeye grinned, "If it was an Olympic Sport you'd have a gold medal."
"Instead, I'm owed one bottle of 10 year old scotch," Colonel Potter answered, "That will do just fine."
"Hawk?" inquired BJ, "Where are you going to get a bottle of 10 year old scotch?"
"I've got Klinger working on it. Our company clerk is a man of many talents. He'll find it," Hawkeye stated.
"Also gives the man something to do. Things are so slow right now, we barely have anything to write in daily reports," Potter stated.
"That's a good thing," Margaret replied.
"Major, it is a very good thing. I just wish the army had provided some more resources for "down time," Potter answered.
"Margaret, that's the first thing you said this morning," inquired BJ, "are you ok?"
Margaret had been very quiet that morning. She had several ideas about how to write back to Frank Burns, and wasn't comfortable with any of them. The Major was rarely without an opinion, but she just wasn't certain. Everyone at the table had seen the ugly side of Frank Burns; they might not even believe he'd write something so confessional, so honest. She admitted to herself that she hadn't thought so, either. There was one person at the table she felt she could trust in any situation: Colonel Potter. Pierce and Hunnicut had gotten along well with her in the last few months, and she could count them as friends. Those two might not take the letter seriously.
"Colonel Potter," she said to herself. She'd talk to him.
"Uh, I'm ok, BJ," Margaret replied, "Just thinking."
"Major," Colonel Potter inserted, "Anything we can help you with?"
The door was open. She had to speak to this man.
"Colonel," Margaret began, "May I speak to you in private after breakfast?"
Potter nodded a "'yes" and said, "Of course, Major."
Hawkeye and BJ got up at the same time. "We're going to play 18 holes," Hawkeye said.
BJ grinned, "We have one possible golf hole. Just play it 18 times and we'll get a full round in."
"To the clubhouse," Hawkeye yelled, and then exited the mess tent. BJ followed him.
Colonel Potter turned to Margaret, "Major, I don't know about you, but I've had enough of this breakfast for one morning."
Margaret explained that she just had to get something from her tent, and then would meet Colonel Potter in his office.
Potter told Klinger that when Major Houlihan came by, they were not to be disturbed. Klinger nodded as he spoke to someone on the radio about trading for 10 year old scotch.
Margaret returned with the letter.
"Colonel, please read this. Let me know what you think," the Major said.
Colonel Potter put his spectacles on and began reading. "Hmm" was all he said as he worked his way down the page. When he finished, he gently pointed to a chair across his desk and invited Margaret to sit down.
"Sir," Margaret spoke softly, "What do you think?"
"Well, it's not anything I would have expected coming from Frank Burns," Potter responded.
"Me neither," Margaret answered, "And I don't know what to write back, or even if I should."
Colonel Potter handed Margaret the letter.
"Major," he said, "How should we handle this?"