This is going to be and H/M story. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it. As always, if you recognize it, it probably isn't mine.

It was one of the nicest days he'd seen in what felt like years. It was sunny and warm with a gentle breeze. Days like these were few and far between here. He hated this god forsaken place. The only redemption was the people there that had become like family.

It was a slow day and they weren't expecting casualties. He sat outside of his tent alongside his bunk mate and best friend, BJ. When BJ had first arrived, Hawkeye wasn't sure what to think of him. Perhaps his judgment was clouded by the resentment he felt over his former friend leaving without saying goodbye. However, it didn't take long for Hawkeye and BJ to form a close friendship.

The two men sat outside, casually conversing and enjoying the nice day they had been given.

"I'm gonna get a refill." BJ stood preparing to go inside. Hawkeye held up his glass.

"Wanna make that two?"

BJ took the glass and went inside. As Hawkeye sat there, he watched all the nurses pass by, talking and laughing, enjoying the day. He felt lucky to be surrounded by all these beautiful and intelligent women. He adored them all, and showed it too! All but one….

Major Margaret Houlihan. Don't misunderstand. They were friends. In fact, since her divorce from Donald, she'd become one of his best friends. They'd come a long way since they'd first met, both of them having grown and changed over time. There certainly wasn't a lack of physical attraction. But as he had once so delicately put it, nothing could ever come of it because they were just too different.

BJ, now back in the seat next to Hawkeye noticed that he looked deep in thought.

"What's on your mind?"

"I was thinking about when I first got here and how much my relationship with Margaret has changed. We're both so different now than we used to be and it's fascinating, really. It's fascinating how much a person's personality can be affected by circumstance."

"I didn't realize you were going to wax poetic."

"Hey, you asked."

"A decision I regret."

Margaret walked back to her tent. She'd been trying to come up with a new rotation schedule for her nurses that was fair. She'd noticed Hawkeye and BJ sitting outside enjoying the day. She made a mental note to stop by later. That was not an uncommon occurrence these days. They were two of the most important people to her. Especially Hawkeye. He was the one person she knew she could confide in no matter the problem. She leaned on him and he supported her when she needed it. They were what could best be defined as an almost maybe. But as Hawkeye had said; nothing could ever come of it because they were just too different.

She'd revised the schedule and took it to Colonel Potter. Then, she stopped by the swamp. BJ offered her his chair while he grabbed another.

"Hawk, refill?"

"Please." He held up his glass

"And for the lady?"

"Sure, why not?"

BJ disappeared into the tent.

Hawkeye, still deep in thought, was pulled out of it when Margaret spoke.

"What's with you?"

"I'm just enjoying the day."

"You seem a little…off today."

"Off?"

"Yes. Off. As in unusual, abnormal. Ya know…off."

"Do you remember the day we met?"

She was caught off guard by the question.

"Yes, I do. You were unruly and unkempt with no respect for Army rules and regulations and no respect for superior officers."

"Yeah. And you were the complete opposite."

"What made you think of that?"

"I don't know. I was just…thinking."

"Well, you've certainly changed since then."

"I'm not the only one."

BJ returned with drinks and his chair and joined the two, who continued their conversation.

"I never thought we'd be friends."

"Neither did I. You hated me when you got here."

"I didn't hate you, Margaret. I hated Frank. You were just caught in the crossfire."

The statement was true enough. Margaret had started to change around the time Frank left. Then Donald came along. And she was still ok. Then, he was unfaithful and hurt her. If Hawkeye was being honest, it really pissed him off. Margaret was a good woman, loving and faithful. She didn't deserve that. Then, there was that night in the abandoned hut, fearing they would die out there. The night they shared together was a memory he revisited often. It was the biggest turning point in their relationship. And after she divorced Donald, their relationship continued to evolve. Funny how things work out.

Night had fallen on the camp. It was quiet. As Margaret laid in her bed, the silence was deafening. Why had Hawkeye asked about the first time they'd met? A strange and unpleasant moment to remember. Suddenly, the memory replayed in her head, like an old film.

"Colonel, sir!" Margaret saluted Colonel Blake.

"At ease, Major. This is Captain Benjamin Franklin Pierce, our new surgeon. Captain, Majors Margaret Houlihan and Frank Burns."

"Uh, everyone calls me Hawkeye." He looked at colonel Blake. "Do these two come as a set?"

Colonel Blake tried to stifle a laugh.

Major Houlihan was appalled. "I understand you're a draftee but you're in the Army now. You salute superior officers, Captain"

"Oh, uh…sorry Margaret."

"That's Major to you!"

"Sorry, Major Margaret." She was livid and stormed out.

Yeah. That was the first in a long line of interactions that could only be described as hostile. They've come a long way since then. It made her laugh when she thought of how things used to be. But now she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Meanwhile, in the swamp, BJ had just turned out the light. As Hawkeye laid there, his mind drifted to his life before Korea. His patients had simple ailments and injuries, not anything like what he'd experienced here. Everything was different here. Including dating. A date with a woman back home consisted of a nice dinner at some swanky restaurant, maybe some dancing. And if it went well, home. Here, a date , if you could even call it that, was a rendezvous in the supply room.

On the other hand, it certainly suited his bachelor lifestyle. No strings attached. He can't remember the last time he'd had a real connection with a woman. Where they could have a real conversation, nothing physical and he still was interested in talking to her. Well, except for Margaret. Sure, it has taken a turn for the physical before. But it has ultimately brought them closer. Before he could finish that thought, he was sound asleep.

"ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE'VE GOT WOUNDED!"

"Ugh, doesn't this damn war know what time it is?!" Hawkeye groaned and rolled out of bed.

BJ and Hawkeye joined the others in the compound to help triage, before scrubbing up.

The OR was a symphony of sounds. The humming and whirring of machines and equipment. The clinking as bullets extracted from bodies hit metal pans. The constant chatter of medical personnel.

"Clamp."

"Clamp."

"I need suction!"

"I need clean gloves here!"

Like a well oiled machine, all the parts working in harmony. No soldier wanted to get wounded. But if they did. MASH 4077th is where they'd want to end up. A unit full of highly skilled professionals and a survival rate of 98.9%. Those were incredible odds in a place like this.

The operating tables seemed to be a revolving door of sorts. As soon as a patient was taken out of the OR, another took his place.

"How long have we been at this?" Hawkeye wasn't sure if he was even awake at this point.

"13 hours and 22 minutes."

A marathon of surgery. When all was said and done, it had been 14 hours and 46 minutes. They were tired and hungry. Many ended up going back to their tents and going straight to bed. And some went to the mess to scrounge up a bite to eat. This was true of Colonel Potter, Margaret, BJ and Hawkeye. They were able to find stuff to make sandwiches. Nothing special but food at least. When they were done eating, Colonel Potter decided he too would go to bed. BJ echoed the sentiment.

"Yeah, I'm beat. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Night." Hawkeye sat with his eyes closed.

"I think we need to go to bed too."

"Oh, Margaret, this is a dream come true!"

"Incredible. As tired as you are and you can still muster the energy to make a pass at me."

"Well, I'm a growing boy with growing hormones."

She chuckled. "Goodnight, Hawkeye."

"Night, Margaret."

She walked out of the mess and Hawkeye was trying to summon the physical strength to stand up and walk to the swamp. Eventually, he headed out and off to bed.