Dear Johnny,

I can't believe you're going home! Give everyone a big kiss and hug for me!

Everything is the same old thing around here. We just finished with 16 hours of surgery, and I'm so tired I could drop. My mind seems numb, so if a ramble a bit, you'll understand. And it seems to have rained non-stop here for a week. If I see Noah's Ark floating by, I wouldn't be too surprised!

I don't suppose you've heard about the notorious Mark coming to my neck of the woods, have you? Well, he sauntered into camp and had the nerve to propose to me! And in front of everyone, too! Where he got the idea that I would even consider marrying him again is beyond me. After I told him N-O, he apparently was not too happy with the idea of being rejected. And he showed me his displeasure in a rather ungentlemanly-like manner. Let's just say he was given a black eye you would be proud of by Radar and ran out on a rail by the CO. You'd have loved it! Just like a Saturday night back at home!

Mark and I actually did get to sing together again before he went and proposed like an idiot. You know, I actually missed it. As a result, I have a new job around here. I'm the unofficial entertainment for the wounded in post-op. I have been told that all the soldiers want to be taken to the 4077th, so they can get well while listening to "the most angelic voice away from the U.S." Of course, I'm just quoting what I heard because I know you think I sound like a frog! So, in addition to my other duties, I sing to the wounded. Usually, I take requests, mostly hymns and songs that remind the boys of home. I've even tried some of my own stuff on them, and they seem to like it.

My first birthday away from home. I keep thinking about the parties we would have when we were growing up. Remember when you turned 16, and we had this gigantic tent set up on the south lawn with a band and food and the whole nine yards? I remember I was so excited because it was the first real grown up party I was allowed to attend. I remember your best friend, Buddy, danced with me, and I thought I was in love. Ha! Isn't he a used car salesman now, or something like that? Oh, and the cakes Mattie used to make for us! Homemade frosting and the chocolate filling were divine! I don't think my stomach could handle such rich foods anymore after eating the horrible stuff here!

Well, now I've gone and made myself homesick again! Tell everyone I love them and that I hope to see them soon!

-Jess

By now, her brother knew of Danny's death. She wasn't strong enough to tell him the details. Not yet, at least.

Sighing as the sound of helicopter blades whumped through the air once again, she pulled on her soggy raincoat and boots and stumbled into the drizzle that had become a non-stop annoyance.

****************************************

"So, you've noticed, too, that she's been sort of down in the dumps?" Radar asked the group crowded into Col. Potter's office.

"Who wouldn't be with all this rain and wounded and blood?" Hawkeye said, waving his empty hand in the air. The other held a bottle of scotch from Col. Potter's stash that he had helped himself to.

Radar didn't mention it, but he knew it was mostly because of Danny's death. And he would do anything to make her happy again!

"Well, it's her first birthday away from home, and I think it's bothering her more than she'll admit. My first one here bothered me, too," B.J. said, lounging against the Colonel's desk.

"I've even noticed that she never sings anymore. She always went around humming and singing to herself, and the only time I hear her now is in post-op," Father Mulcahy added.

Col. Potter flopped his muddy boots on his desk. "Why don't we just throw the lady a birthday party? You know, with the whole shebang-cake, presents, balloons. Might make her feel a little better."

Radar brightened at the idea, then his face fell. "That's a good idea, sir, but her birthday's tomorrow, and there is more wounded expected in the next few hours - a lot more wounded. I bet we work until long past her birthday."

"Well, why don't we just have a mini party in here?" Col. Potter said. "Snatch her away from Margaret for a few minutes, bring her in here, and we'll surprise her." He reached behind a cabinet and pulled out a canvas-covered package. "I have a little surprise for her myself."

"What's that?" Hawkeye asked, peering at the flat square canvas. He looked questioningly at Radar, who shrugged.

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I showed it to you, now would it?"

"I think I could scare up some decorations," the Father said thoughtfully. "Meet back here in a couple of hours?"

"Is that OK with you, Radar?" the Colonel asked. "You have her anything yet?"

"Actually, I do," the Corporal said, blushing a bit. "I bought her something last time I was in Seoul."

Hawkeye smiled lewdly. "Oh, I hope it's something we can all appreciate."

Radar blushed even deeper and stuck out his chin. "It's nothing like that, but even if it was, it wouldn't be any of your business!"

B.J. threw a wad of paper at Hawkeye. "Yeah, you degenerate."

Hawkeye ducked as the paper whizzed by. "Well, can't a guy dream?"

**********************************

"Ma'am, you're wanted in Col. Potter's office right away," Klinger said. Tonight, he was dressed in a heavy wool skirt and flowered blouse with a fur coat.

"Really, Klinger, a fur with a wool skirt. You of all people should know better than that," Jessie said, thumbing through the paperwork she had to complete. She sighed, resigning herself to another night of drudgery. How she longed for sunshine. And no wounded!

"Well, I was in a hurry," Klinger said, holding the door open for Jessie.

"What does the Colonel want?" Jessie said, pushing errant strands of hair out of her face. When was the last time she even washed her hair? At least everyone else around here was in the same shape she was – tired, dirty, depressed. She didn't even want to think about her birthday tomorrow. Or was it already today? Jessie shook her head in annoyance and realized she wasn't paying any attention to Klinger.

"Sorry, Klinger, what did you say?" she said, turning to look at Klinger as she walked into the Colonel's office.

"Surprise!"

Jessie turned around so fast and jumped backwards that she almost fell into Klinger.

"Wow!" was all she could manage to croak. The normally drab office was streaming with what looked suspiciously like toilet paper. It hung from anything that was stationary. A large "Happy Birthday" sign was taped in front of Col. Potter's desk. Three red balloons were tied to the back of Col. Potter's chair. Jessie felt her eyes begin to tear. "Oh, you guys shouldn't have went through all this trouble."

"Nonsense!" Kelleye said, grabbing one of Jessie's elbows. She and Bigelow pulled Jessie inside the office to sit in the Colonel's chair.

After she was unceremoniously seated, she pulled down the balloons and thumped one of them. "Who in the world managed to get these?"

"The Lord does work in mysterious ways, you know." Father Mulcahy smiled. "Plus, they're left over from Christmas."

Hawkeye reached out and plunked his Stetson on her head. "In lieu of a crown for the birthday queen, we present you with this lovely piece of Western wear." Radar, who had stationed himself behind Jessie's chair, straightened the hat, then put his hand on her shoulder. Jessie patted it fondly.

"Looks better on you than it does on me," Hawkeye said, winking at her.

"Y'all really shouldn't have . . ." she started before the doors flew open and B.J. with his armful of cake marched through the door. The crowd launched into "Happy Birthday," and Jessie applauded when they finished. She leaned over and blew out the lone candle in, sticking her finger in the icing.

"Chocolate icing!" she said, rolling her eyes skyward at the taste. "How did you manage to get it?"

"Well, I got it sent from home awhile back. I've been holding onto it for your birthday because I knew you liked it. First birthdays away from home are always hard," Radar said from behind her. She turned around in the chair and smiled up at him.

He resisted the urge to kiss her right there in front of everybody.

"The cake isn't the only present," Col. Potter said from the corner of his desk. "Hey, Klinger! Bring them in!"

Klinger came in with several packages in his arms and regally placed them in front of a speechless Jessie.

She hesitantly reached for the first one. It was wrapped in pink tissue paper.

"That's from Charles," the Colonel said.

Jessie didn't even realize Charles was there. She looked around the crowded room of jabbering people until she found him leaning on the file cabinets in the corner. She threw him a little wave, and he nodded.

Jessie tore into the package. Radar chuckled over her shoulder. "The Complete Opera Handbook," he read from the cover.

Jessie opened up the cover and found a note on the inside page. My dearest J, Pick one. I thoroughly hope to hear you enchanting audiences one day. – Charles.

Jessie smiled. "Thanks, Charles, glad you have such faith in me."

"With your voice, you only need faith in yourself."

"Open mine and Beej's next!" Hawkeye said, rifling through the packages until he found the right one. It was rather large and wrapped in newspaper.

Jessie took it and ripped into it, revealing a box that said "Stetson" on the side. Jessie's mouth fell open as she opened the box.

"Oh, wow!" she said, taking off Hawkeye's hat and putting on her gift. "I love it!" Jessie now was the proud owner of a Stetson hat, dark felt with a wide brim. "Now, how did you get this?"

"Well, we just figured any woman that can sing country like you deserves to have a hat that is just as western," B.J. said, shrugged. "Plus, my father-in-law owns a department store."

"Now, when you're famous one day, you better be wearing that hat," Hawkeye said, shaking his finger at her.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Famous? Ha! I'm more likely to be famous from singing Charles's opera than from singing country music."

"Us next!" Kelleye said, jumping up and giving Jessie a small box.

"I wonder what it could be," Jessie said, opening the box. Inside was a picture of all the nurses – including Margaret – that was taken about a month ago at some silly party. Jessie hugged it to her chest.

Now, she was down to two. "Which one next?" she asked, trying to choose between the two.

"Open Radar's," Hawkeye said, shoveling cake into his mouth. "I'm convinced he's got something in there that we will all enjoy!"

Radar blushed, and Jessie gave Hawkeye a mean look.

"You wish," she said, and Hawkeye laughed. She reached for the package and tore it open. Her eyes lit up as she hugged the stuffed pink horse to her chest.

Hawkeye looked disappointed. "Explain," he said, between mouthfuls of cake.

"Don't eat all my cake," she said, burying her face in the pink mane. "I have a stuffed pink horse at home named Reginald that I've had since I was three or four. He's gone everyone with me my entire life until here. I – um - didn't bring him because I didn't want something to happen to him." Jessie held her new stuffed animal at arm's length. She jumped up and hugged Radar.

"Thanks, Walter," she said, softly in his ear. Radar squeezed her tightly.

"Now, it's my turn," the Colonel said. He handed her the final package. "I think you'll like this one best."

"Oh, I don't know how you could top all these gifts," Jessie said, ripping through the canvas. But, she gasped when she saw it.

She remembered the day perfectly. Stacey, who was forever knitting everyone sweaters, socks and scarves had just received several large skeins of yarn from home. She had sat Jessie and Radar down with it to roll into balls. Since the day was comfortable, they took it outside, enjoying the day as they worked.

Col. Potter's painting had captured the moment perfectly. Jessie was sitting cross-legged on the ground, intently rolling the yarn into balls. She had wrapped the yarn in Radar's outstretched hands to keep it from getting tangled. He was smiling at her as he watched her work.

Jessie blinked back tears. "Colonel Potter, I-I don't know what to say," she sniffed. Everyone oohed and aahed over the canvas as it was passed around.

Jessie rose from his chair and hugged the older man tight. "Thank you," she whispered to him. She turned and faced the crowd. "Thank you all."

"Speech! Speech!" Hawkeye gestured, and the room applauded. Jessie laughed as she wiped the tears out of her eyes. She knew they didn't have long until the next barrage of wounded.

"All of you don't know what this means to me. To have found friends like you in such an – unappealing place just makes it even more special." She hugged her stuffed animal she had decided to name Ronnie to her chest. "Next time I start getting down in the dumps, I'll just remember that I have all of you!" The crowd cheered, which almost drowned out the sound of choppers.

B.J. passed the painting back to Jessie, who clutched it to her chest next to the stuffed animal. He hugged her around her gifts, then followed everyone out of the door to another grueling O.R. session.

***************************************

Many hours later, Jessie lugged her gifts back to her tent. She let the red balloons drift near the ceiling in the tent and hung Col. Potter's painting on a nail over her bed Flopping on her cot, she clutched her new stuffed animal to her chest and sighed. What a birthday, she thought, watching the balloons dance around in the drafty tent. She eyed an unfinished letter next to her bed, but decided she was too tired to complete it. All she wanted to do right now was sit.

A knock on her door interrupted her revelry. "Come in," she said wearily, still sitting on her cot. She hoped it wasn't someone she was supposed to salute.

Radar stuck his head on the door. "Happy birthday!" he said happily.

Jessie moved the pink stuffed animal to her other arm and looked at her watch. "Well, I suppose it is still my birthday for another 10 minutes or so."

Radar sat down beside her on the bed. "Sorry we couldn't give you a better party," he said, a little forlornly. "We've given some really swell ones in the past, but with all the wounded and all, we didn't have time for it."

"Oh, no, don't apologize," Jessie said, waving her hand in the air. "It was wonderful." She smiled at him. "All of you were really sweet to throw me one."

"It's was the Colonel's idea. Wasn't that painting great?"

Jessie brightened. "Helped me to not be so homesick," she said, hugging Ronnie to her chest.

Radar cleared his throat. "I-uh-actually have something else for you, too. I – um – didn't want to give it to you around the others. You know how they are." As he talked, he pulled an oblong box out of his coat pocket.

Jessie's eyes widened. He held the small box out to her, and she gingerly took it. Carefully, she opened it.

"Oh!" she gasped, staring at the necklace inside. He smiled shyly at her. "It's beautiful!" She fingered the small heart-shaped pearl and delicate gold chain. Slowly, she took it out of the box and fastened it behind her neck.

"I thought of you when I saw it," he said, reaching out and touching the chain around her neck. "The pearl isn't cut. It came out heart-shaped when it was harvested."

Jessie threw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll never take it off!" she said. Suddenly, she jumped back. "When your birthday comes around, I don't know how I'm going to top all of this!"

Radar chuckled and patted her on the leg. "As long as you're here, that's all I could ever want."

"Corporal O'Reilly, report to Col. Potter's office at once!" the PA system announced.

Radar sighed. "Well, looks like the Colonel doesn't plan to get much sleep tonight," he grumbled, standing up. Jessie rose from the cot and followed him to the door. She leaned on the doorjamb as he stood on the doorway.

"Thanks again for the necklace," she said, fingering the pearl. "I doubt I'll ever forget this birthday for awhile."

He leaned over and kissed her. "Happy birthday, Jess," he whispered. "Now get some sleep."

Jessie mock saluted him, and he laughed as he left her tent.