New Chapter. Because I promised.

And I'm late by only... two weeks. So that's improvement, right?

Also, I have no idea what got over me but I just realized there are only so many times i could write a mess scene or a bar scene or a post-op scene.

So here's to jump-starting.

Read and weep.

Or review.

Chapter 106

Dinner was a quiet affair, most of the camp still catching up with the sleep or else, having eaten already. Margaret was sitting alone at one of the back tables. She had a contemplative look on her face that needed to go away, pronto. And not just for the sake of Radar. Or the nurses. Or the rest of the camp, for that matter.

"Any plans for Christmas?" I asked sitting opposite to her, almost slamming my tray on the table.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I do. Why?" Margaret could switch from nurturing and kind and sweet to downright scary in a matter of milliseconds. And she didn't even startle. Woman had the nerves of the best quality steel that was ever produced anywhere in the world.

"My dance card was empty. And I figured we should have a Christmas party when I come back from the hearing. Invite your Colonel too. It would be fun!" I spoke while trying to figure out which compartment contained which food group in which stage of decay. Giving up on the effort, I reached for the salt and pepper shakers and saw Margaret and BJ both looking at me in a weird way, Margaret somewhat incredulously and BJ, mostly amused. But then that was his default position.

"What? You guys just all but exonerated me. I am supposed to feel better. I'm supposed to be happy, giddy. Well, not giddy. But…" And there it was, that tiredness that had become my bosom buddy since the war began but more-so, since this whole mess started. That was chaos theory for you. The Butterfly Effect. And despite the almost-forced cheer, I still dreamed of a little baby bird and Billy telling me it was all my fault and that bird morphing into Private Johnson and Billy equal times into BJ and Margaret and Colonel Potter, telling me how I had screwed up.

That dream never lost its eeriness nor the almost-real feel to it.

I was projecting, I knew deep inside. It was my own guilt talking, messing with my head.

They could exonerate me all they wanted. I knew there was no way I could get over the guilt. There lied the way to madness but that was no surprise either. I was going crazy. Rest just didn't know how fast.

As a habit, I put salt and pepper on my food somewhat generously and reached for the ketchup next. BJ had returned to his food. Margaret just looked at me for a few seconds before she gave up as well.

"Come on, guys! I have at least SOME reason to feel better. Frank's attempts at lynching me put a dent in my good cheer. I cannot live like that. I need my cheer back. There's a sad country song somewhere in there. I can feel it."

"Hawk, you do realize the two problems Margaret mentioned, don't you?"

"Your propensity to piss off the wrong people at the wrong time is bound to catch up with you, Pierce." Was that problem #1? For all I knew, that could be the title of my autobiography. A bit of a mouthful but...

And then it hit me what her context was. Reminding me of a broken record...

"If you're alluding to what O'Hara is getting up to, once and for all time to come, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING." And that was how a decent broken record was supposed to sound.

My voice may have raised a few decibels because people turned to look at us but then returned to their own food soon as Margaret's glare got on their radar.

"Keep your voice down. I know you didn't. Doesn't mean you didn't piss her off. Your 'love 'em and leave 'em' reputation has caused enough heartbreak among my nurses and one of these days, someone was going to turn on you, despite your claim to have pure intentions." Margaret was full of relationship wisdom. No wonder she never fell for me…

BJ looked at me and then at my tray which was untouched barring some additions of salt and pepper.

"Eat! And then go to bed." His advice was anticlimactic and I realized I didn't have anything pithy to say to either of them.

I wasn't feeling hungry anymore. I knew if I were in their place, I wouldn't believe me either.

The Camp Lothario…

"I am going to talk to her. And I'm going to ask her why she's lying like this. And I'll make her tell the truth."

With that, so far as I was concerned, the discussion about my personal flaws was over.

Margaret just rolled her eyes and BJ shook his head, but for once, they kept quiet.

I ate a few bites before I felt full and a little nauseous.

Enough of that!

Father Mulcahy was in his tent when I got there. He was reading something.

"Hello Father! Fancy meeting you here."

"Oh hello Hawkeye. I could say the same," he grinned before continuing, "I don't think you're here for a confession, forgive my presumptuousness. What can I do for you?"

"Father, I know you know something."

"I know a LOT of things, Hawkeye." He pointed toward his collar lying on his table.

"About that… Did Cate or Burns, no scratch Burns, did Cate say something to you before she left for Seoul?" I had a feeling he knew more than he was letting on and while I wasn't going to pressure him into revealing anything said in strictest confidence of a confession, I just needed to know if he did know something that could help me or Potter when the need arose.

"Hawkeye, you know I cannot reveal what has been said to me during a confession. You should probably talk to Major Houlihan instead of me."

That suddenly rang a bell. Of course Margaret had to know whatever made Cate flee to Seoul in such hurry. She needed Margaret and Potter's approval to jump ship at such short notice and when it came to the nurses, Margaret's word was as good as scripture. Potter wouldn't even raise an eyebrow before acquiescing to her requests.

My next stop was a familiar door. I was getting around, and knew I'd get yelled at by the Mama Bears generally known as BJ and Margaret but there were mysteries to be solved, lives to be saved, asses to be kicked…

"WHAT?" Came the rather terse reply from inside.

Some things never changed.

And wasn't that a comforting thought, when everything was said and done.

Margaret wasn't what I'd have called forthcoming, as she somehow felt she was responsible for whatever happened, but between her grumbling and vehement use of certain words like 'Young', 'Foolish', 'Careless', 'Unprofessional' and of course 'MEN' which she made to sound like it had two syllables, I got some idea. Or inkling of an idea as to what may have happened. That still didn't explain what I had to do with any of this. For once, I was sure I wasn't the one responsible...

"Margaret, is she pregnant?" I just blurted out.

There was a moment of stunned pause before Margaret reverted to her favorite sport.

"What? Do you even have a filter? Of course you don't. Pierce, you should be ashamed."

"She was. Wasn't she? That's what she told Father Mulcahy. And that's what… Does Frank know?" I was on a roll now, Margaret getting flustered confirming my suspicions, though I had no idea what got her in such a tizzy.

"Pierce, you're getting too far ahead of yourself."

"Maargaret, Margaret, Margaret. This is probably the best news I've heard all day. The WHOLE month. Hell, ALL the months since that family gave me hepatitis. Do you want me to ask Frank myself or…?

"Jesus. You didn't hear anything. You assumed. Why can't you mind your own business?"

"I was minding my own business, Margaret, when they decided to drag me in the middle of it. And they caused me to lose my one true love. Now, I'm right where they brought me. The unmitigated jackass and his… Ann Darrow!"

"Pierce, you're anything BUT petty. Don't bring this up. You'll get through this without ruining that girl." How could Margaret take her side? I couldn't believe this woman, after all the poison Cate spewed against her.

"What if I don't, Margaret? What if they pin it on me? What if they don't see it the way you do? What then?"

Margaret had no answer to that.

PS: Review, review, review!

PPS: I have no effing clue what I just did here but hell, it was going to happen. So there!