DISCLAIMER: I don't own M*A*S*H or any of the characters within it.

As Hawkeye opened the backdoor, B.J. turned to face him with a look of terror on his face. For a moment neither one of them said anything. Finally, Hawkeye spoke.

"Beej…" Hawkeye said quietly in an effort to break the silence.

"Hawk…my wife is pregnant."

"I know."

"What?" B.J. asked in a shocked tone. "You know that she's pregnant?"

"Yeah. Listen, why don't you come inside?"

B.J. silently followed him inside, and the two of them went into the kitchen. B.J. sat at the table and stared off into space, clearly still in shock about Peg's announcement. Hawkeye realized he would have to find something to help B.J. relax. He started looking around in the cabinets, trying to find something for them to drink.

"What do you say we skip the coffee and find something stronger?" Hawkeye asked.

"Huh?" B.J. asked, lost in thought.

"Alcohol." Hawkeye said directly. "Where do you keep the alcohol?"

"Top cabinet on the right." B.J. replied. Hawkeye looked inside, and found that the cupboard was almost bare. The best thing he could find was an unopened bottle of bourbon.

"Bourbon and water it is." Hawkeye said as he managed to find a couple of glasses. He filled them with ice, mixed the bourbon with some water, and handed a drink to B.J. As he sat down, he continued to talk.

"Well?"

"Well what?" B.J. asked.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Hawkeye asked, wondering why on earth B.J. was being so quiet. "Peg went to work, and left me to have this conversation with you. So start conversing."

B.J. took a long sip on his drink as he thought. Finally, he spoke.

"Ok. How the hell did it happen?" B.J. asked.

"As a doctor you should know that. You see, there are two figures: figure A and figure B. You're figure A, and Peg is figure B. Now figure A –"

"You know what I mean." B.J. interrupted. "How did you find out that Peg was pregnant?"

Hawkeye sighed, and decided to tell the story. "After I came home from Korea, I went into private practice with my Dad. Your friend Sally that Peg went to visit works for me as a secretary. She moved out to Crabapple Cove a couple of years ago. I guess Peg had told Sally she was having some health problems, and Sally convinced her to come in and see me.

"Did you recognize Peg?" B.J. asked as he took another sip of his drink.

"Not at first. I realized that knew her from somewhere, but I couldn't place where. She said the same thing, and it was driving both of us nuts."

"You're trying to tell me that you didn't recognize the name Peg Hunnicutt?"

Hawkeye paused briefly, afraid of what B.J. would think of what he was going to say next. "She didn't come in as Peg Hunnicutt. She checked in as Peggy Hayden." B.J. was quiet as he continued to drink his bourbon, but his expression gave away his fear. Since B.J. wasn't speaking, Hawkeye continued. "Anyway, she came in with vague symptoms like fatigue and nausea. I figured it was pregnancy, but she told me she was a single woman who wasn't sexually active. So I ran your basic lab work, while still running a pregnancy test just to make sure she wasn't lying for some reason."

"Which obviously came back positive." B.J. said slowly.

"Well, yeah. I called her back in a few days later to tell her the news. As soon as I saw her that second time, I knew exactly who she was."

"How?" B.J. asked.

"She had Erin with her this time." Hawkeye replied as he looked at his best friend. "Beej, Erin looks just like you." B.J. gave a sad smile as Hawkeye continued. "Anyway, I introduced myself as your best friend from over in Korea, and after a bit of talking Peg told me all that had been going on with the two of you."

"How much did she tell you?" B.J. asked, ashamedly looking down at his drink. "Did she tell you that I almost hit her?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't the only thing she mentioned." Hawkeye replied honestly. "She's worried sick about you."

"About me? I'm the one who should be worried about her. And yet I didn't even realize what was going on until today! How selfish am I?" He then proceeded to take a large swig of his drink.

"Beej, you're not selfish." Hawkeye replied firmly. "Obviously there's something wrong with you."

"Gee thanks. There's something wrong with me. I feel so much better now." B.J. replied sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." Hawkeye added. "Look B.J., I've been where you are. I cracked up towards the end of that war, don't you remember? I know what it's like to have the war swimming around in your head to where you can't get it out. But you have to fight it. You have so much more to fight for than I ever did."

"So much more to lose, you mean." B.J. said slowly as he got up to make another drink. "You want more?" he asked Hawkeye.

"No, I'm good." Hawkeye said as he held his drink, which only had a couple of sips out of it.

"Ok." As B.J. mixed his drink, he continued. "Look, Hawk, I know I have a lot to fight for: Peg, Erin, and now another child. But the problem is, I don't know how much more I can fight. I mean, I've been trying for months, but nothing's improved." He then sat down with his drink and continued. "And losing the two…actually now three of them…that's just something I can't survive."

"Look, you're not going to lose them." Hawkeye told him firmly. "Peg's so dedicated to you that you couldn't possibly scare her away. But when you talk like this, you're letting the war win! C'mon Beej!" As he spoke, he stood up. "You know how we fought against the war in Korea. We did everything we could to keep the war from killing us inside! And yet, here we are."

"It's ridiculous." B.J. said sadly.

"Tell me something, B.J." Hawkeye said, as he continued to pace around the kitchen. "How do you really feel about this baby?"

"Honestly? I want to be happy. I mean, Peg is having another baby. I should be thrilled. But all I can think about is the damn war! It haunts me, Hawkeye, and if it keeps doing that, how am I going to raise another kid?"

"What exactly haunts you? I mean, what do you see when you leave this world and go back to Korea?" Hawkeye understood what it felt like to have the war consume your every thought. He stopped for a second before adding something else. "All I could think about was that baby that was strangled on the bus. Even when I didn't know I was thinking about it, I was thinking about it."

"For me it's the bodies." B.J. replied. "I mean, they're all I can see. It's like I'm in one giant O.R. session. Sometimes other people from the 4077th are there. Lately Peg and Erin have been there, too. The bodies are always there. They just keep piling up on my surgery table, Hawk." B.J.'s face had suddenly gone pale, and he took another large sip of his drink to steady his nerves.

"You know they aren't just bodies, right?" Hawkeye said. "That's just your mind lying to you. In my mind, the baby wasn't a baby; it was a chicken. A chicken! I mean, how stupid is that? But you have to remind yourself of the truth to make it through this. Those bodies weren't just bodies. They were young men with lives, jobs, and families."

"That makes it even harder." B.J. told him.

"It doesn't have to." Hawkeye said. "A lot of those boys went home to their families because of what you did. That's what your mind conveniently neglects to tell you." He paused for a moment, having suddenly come up with an idea. "I'll be right back." Hawkeye said before running off into the guest bedroom where he was staying. A minute later he was back with a stack of papers in his hand. "I wasn't planning on giving this to you for quite a while. In fact, you weren't the intended recipient in the first place. This was supposed to be for Erin. But I think that right now you need it more."

"What is it?" B.J. asked.

"It's a list of all the boys you worked on in Korea." Hawkeye told him. "This is to remind you that they weren't just bodies. Remember, we had a 98% survival rate. That means the majority of these so-called bodies went home to live happy, productive, lives. Or at the very least, they were like us and went home alive."

B.J. looked at the list, but was too afraid to open it. "I can't look at this, Hawkeye. I mean I want to, but think the memories it'll bring up. I'm not sure if I can go there right now."

"I know you may not be able to look at it now." Hawkeye said. "But you'll have to sooner or later. You can't hide from Korea forever. Goodness knows I've tried."

B.J. sighed deeply. "You're right, Hawk. I have to get past this. I will get past this."

"Yeah, well just be sure to tell that to Peg." Hawkeye reminded him.

"Oh gosh, Peg." B.J. said as he got up yet again to refill his drink. "I'm sitting here worrying about myself, meanwhile my wife is pregnant and having to worry about whether she'll have to raise yet another kid on her own. How could I be so stupid, focusing only on myself?"

"B.J., you had no way of knowing." Hawkeye responded, trying to keep B.J. from feeling so guilty. "Peg didn't even have any idea she was pregnant. And if she didn't know, then how were you supposed to know? As for Peg worrying about having to raise another kid on her own, you just have to show her that there's no chance of that happening again."

"I know." B.J. said slowly, before stopping to gulp down almost half of his glass of bourbon. "I can't miss out on another one, Hawkeye. I mean, when I came back Erin was already so grown up. She isn't a baby anymore: she's a little girl. I can't feel that kind of loss with another child."

"You don't have to, Beej." Hawkeye said with a sad smile. "Look, I know it's going to be tough. But at least this time the idiotic army won't be involved. When that baby comes, you'll be there for Peg. And you'll be there for every single lullaby, crying fit, and diaper change after that."

"I guess." B.J. said, continuing to sip his drink. "How far along is she?"

"The way I calculated it, she's probably about two months pregnant." Hawkeye answered. "So she'll be due sometime in June."

"June doesn't seem all that far off…" B.J. muttered to himself, finishing off the last of his drink.

"And yet, it's almost a lifetime away." Hawkeye replied. "Think about it. Not that long ago we were over in Korea. In just a few months, you came home, did your best to adjust to civilian life, and got your wife pregnant. And in a few months from now you'll have another child."

"But there's so much that has to happen between now and then." B.J. answered, almost in tears. "The flashbacks and nightmares have to go away, and there's been no sign of them improving. I have to get a job so I can support my family, and with the way things are I don't even know if I'm fit for medical practice right now. And I have to work through all the stuff that happened in Korea. I don't know if I can do all of that, Hawkeye.

"Beej, I know it won't be easy. But you're on the right track. You've gotten help, and you've got the support of your family and friends. You can do this."

"You're right." B.J. said, wiping a few tears away from his face. "I know your right." The two of them were quiet for a second, before B.J. continued talking. "I can't believe my wife is pregnant. We're going to have another baby."

"So I've heard." Hawkeye replied, noting that the alcohol was starting to take effect on B.J.

"You know how I really feel about Peg being pregnant?" B.J. asked. "I know earlier I said that I wanted to be happy, but deep down I really am. I mean, when I isolate that fact from the rest of my problems, it really excites me that she's having another baby."

"That's what I figured." Hawkeye answered, knowing what kind of a family man B.J. was at heart. "You just need to make sure to convey that to Peg."

"Ugh, my poor wife." B.J. said as he leaned back in his chair. "I talk about war being hell, but I'm sure that living with me the past few months has been hell for her. I don't deserve her."

"No you don't, but don't sell yourself short, either." Hawkeye interjected. "You're a good husband. I should know, I lived with you for several years. The two of you will get through this: it's just a rough patch."

A couple of hours and several drinks later, B.J. was completely inebriated. Hawkeye had also had a couple of drinks, but was nowhere near as drunk as B.J. After realizing just how drunk B.J. was, Hawkeye decided to cut him short on the alcohol.

"Beej, I think it's time to stop with the drinking." Hawkeye said as he stood up.

"C'mon." B.J. said with a stupid drunk grin on his face. "I could keep drinking all night."

"Exactly. I'm afraid you're going to. Plus, it's still morning." Hawkeye said as he got his friend to stand up. "Clearly you don't tolerate alcohol as well as you did back when we were drinking in Korea."

"You know, Hawkeye." B.J. said, standing up while slightly wobbly. "I'm not as think as you drunk I am. The alcohol over in Korea was better anyways.

"And you've just proven my point." Hawkeye said with a pointed stare. "You must be tanked if you think the alcohol we drank in Korea was any good. Now, c'mon, we've got to get you to bed."

"I don't get in bed with strangers on first dates." B.J. replied with an odd tone of voice as he started to climb the stairs

"How about you just get in bed by yourself?" Hawkeye asked, helping B.J. climb the stairs so he didn't fall. "You need to get some sleep. You have to talk with your wife about the baby, remember? Do you want to be completely intoxicated for that conversation?"

"A baby?" B.J. asked with a look of confusion. "Who's having a baby?"

"Oh boy." Hawkeye muttered to himself. "And he says he not drunk." As he said this, they approached B.J. and Peg's bedroom. Hawkeye practically pushed B.J. into bed, and B.J. fell asleep almost immediately. Hawkeye then trudged downstairs and fell asleep on the couch. Several hours later (although it felt like just a few minutes), Peg walked through the door. Upon hearing the front door open, Hawkeye groggily sat up on the couch.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Peg asked, seeming somewhat confused as to why Hawkeye was sleeping in the middle of the day.

"No, it's fine. I needed to be awake anyway." Hawkeye said as he rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 5." Peg replied in an exhausted tone of voice. "They needed to keep me for a few extra hours. Which is fine, since we need the money anyway." She paused for a minute while looking around. "Where's B.J.?"

"Upstairs sleeping." Hawkeye answered. "We hit the booze pretty hard this morning. He took it even harder than I did. I figured the best thing for him to do is sleep it off."

"I apologize" Peg said as she sat down next to Hawkeye on the couch. "When B.J.'s had too much to drink he can get pretty…interesting."

"It's nothing." Hawkeye reassured her. "Trust me, I've seen him in worse states. He didn't punch me and he kept his pants on, so I'd call it a successful boozing session."

"Ok, then…" Peg said slowly, not sure what to think about the part with B.J. keeping his pants on. She took a deep breath before continuing. "So what did he say about the baby?"

"He's happy about it." Hawkeye said as he looked at her. "The problem isn't with you or the baby. It's that he's scared that he's not ready to be a father again."

"Because of everything he's been going through since Korea?" Peg asked, trying to understand what B.J. was feeling.

"Yeah. He's afraid that he's going to let the three of you down, and that he's going to lose you."

Peg looked at Hawkeye with a sad expression. "I can't believe he feels that way. He's not going to lose us."

"I know, and I told him that." Hawkeye replied gently. "But I think he needs to hear it from you."

"Of course." Peg said as she nodded her head. "I'll talk to him tomorrow morning. I left Erin with Norma Jean so that we could talk uninterrupted tonight. But I don't think there is any sense in waking him now."

"I agree, let him sleep the drinks off." Hawkeye replied. "He needs all of the peace and rest he can get." The two of them were quiet for a moment before Peg spoke up.

"Our family has a long way to go." Peg muttered quietly. "Especially poor B.J."

"Yeah, I know." Hawkeye said, unsure of what else to say. "War really is hell."

"I know we'll make it through, though." Peg said determinedly with a sad smile. "Anyway, how long are you staying for?"

"Actually, I was thinking of leaving tonight." Hawkeye said. "I mean, I want to stay longer. But I think I've said all I can to him. The ball is in his court now…and in yours."

"I wish you didn't have to go." Peg told him. "Are you sure you won't stay one more night?"

"I want to, but I really need to get back. I have patients, my dad –"

"And a special woman you have to get home to." Peg added with a knowing smile.

"Well, yeah, I guess." Hawkeye said as he grinned while thinking about Margaret.

"At least let me make you a cup of coffee and some food for the road. You go pack up." With that, Peg headed in the kitchen and Hawkeye headed upstairs to pack. A few minutes went by, and then they were at the door: Hawkeye had drunken the coffee Peg made him and had the sandwiches she had made with him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you down to the train station?" Peg asked.

"I'm fine." Hawkeye said. "I already called for a cab. Besides, I'm not so sure that leaving B.J. alone would be a good idea right now."

"True." Peg answered. "I can wake him up if you want. You know, so you can say goodbye."

"Na, let him sleep." Hawkeye told her. "He's earned it, and with all that alcohol running through his blood I'm not sure you could get him up anyways. I'm not sure you'd want to, to be honest"

Peg smiled and shook her head. "I suppose you're right." Peg said. For a moment they stared at each other, unsure of what to say to each other.

"Now I know how Trapper must have felt, not getting to say goodbye." Hawkeye muttered awkwardly.

"But this isn't goodbye." Peg interjected. "You'll see B.J. again."

"That's true." Hawkeye answered. "I'll be back in about 7 months or so when your little one decides to make its grand entrance into the world."

Peg smiled. "And you'll bring her with you, won't you? Your special lady-friend."

"Yeah, I guess." Hawkeye answered. "If we're still together."

"I have a feeling you will be." Peg said with a nod and a smile. As she said this, the two of them noticed a cab pull up outside.

"Well, there's my noble steed." Hawkeye said, and the two of them gave each other a friendly hug. "See you in the funny papers, I guess. Tell Beej I said goodbye, will you?"

"How about 'see you later'?" Peg asked with a smile.

"Works for me." Hawkeye said as he stepped out the door. As soon as he was gone, Peg smiled to herself and headed towards the couch. So much had happened in the past few days, and she was still trying to process everything. She'd talk more to B.J. in the morning and get everything straightened out. But first, she needed to get some rest. Not wanting to wake B.J., she grabbed a blanket and curled up on the couch. Despite having so much on her mind, Peg was able to fall asleep quickly, and dreamed of the bright future that awaited her and B.J. beyond this rough patch.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hello readers. Thank you so much for continuing to follow the story! This chapter took me a little while to post because I wanted to make sure the dialogue was solid before I posted it. As you may have noticed, there were several references to the show throughout the chapter.

Welcome to Korea (S4, E1): I've referenced this one several times, so you all have probably realized by now that it is one of my favorites. Hawkeye and B.J.'s first drink together was in this episode, and they were drinking bourbon and water (just like in this chapter). I thought it was fitting that their first drink together in Korea was also their first drink together stateside. Hawkeye's mention of Trapper is also a reference to this episode, since this episode is the one where we find out about Trapper's sudden departure.

Dear Dad (S1, E12): Hawkeye's mention of figure A and figure B matches with Col. Blakes lecture given in this episode.

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen (S11, E16): In the chapter, Hawkeye mentions his "crack up" towards the end of the Korean War, which occurs in this episode.

Where There's a Will, There's a War (S10, E17): The list with the names of all the soldiers B.J. worked on in Korea (which was mentioned in the chapter) was written by Hawkeye in this episode.

Hot Lips and Empty Arms (S2, E14): B.J. unknowingly quotes a line of Margaret's from this episode in the chapter ("I'm not as think as you drunk I am").

Period of Adjustment (S8, E6): Hawkeye's joke about B.J. not punching him this time was a reference to the scene in this episode where a drunk B.J. punches Hawkeye in the face.

Hepatitis (S5, E19): Hawkeye's joke about B.J. keeping his pants on this time was a reference to the scene where a drunk B.J. strips down in the officers' club and poses as the Hippocrates of Uijeongbu.

Mail Call (S2, E23): Hawkeye's line of "see you in the funny papers" was originally said by Trapper in this episode.

As always, thank you so much for reading! It's been a crazy semester, which is why I've hardly posted any chapters recently. But I think I've reached a point in the semester where things will be less crazy and more steady (which hopefully means I'll get to post more often). Please feel free to comment with any questions, comments, or constructive criticisms you may have. I always take your suggestions into consideration. Thanks again, and look for another chapter soon!