Chapter 41
Uijeongbu Korea; November 24th, 1952
"Major, could you come here for a minute?" Ellie Marie said.
Margaret walked down the row to where Ellie Marie was sitting next to a patient.
"What's up?" She asked.
"This is Corporal Fisher." Ellie Marie explained, "Colonel Potter worked on him yesterday. He started coughing a minute ago and now he said his stomach is killing him."
"Did it come on suddenly?" Margaret asked.
"Yes, Ma'am. I was feeling ok, now all of a sudden it feels like somebody opened fire inside my gut." Fisher said.
"What's his blood pressure?" She asked Ellie Marie.
"It was 90 over 70 last time I checked. Should we get the Colonel?"
"He's not back from the 8063rd yet…." Margaret said with a sigh, "I don't want to go over his head when it comes to a patient…."
"I understand that Major, but we both know if he missed something every minute we wait is dangerous." Ellie Marie replied. Margaret sighed again, but then nodded her head.
"You're right. You'd better go get Captain Pierce. I'll get him prepped."
"Will do." Ellie Marie said, "don't worry Fisher, we'll get you feeling better in no time. She gave the boy an encouraging pat on the arm and she and Margaret both stood to walk back towards the end of the ward.
"Hey really quickly before I forget. You are definitely coming Thursday right?" Ellie Marie asked.
"Are you kidding? An actual Thanksgiving Dinner, or I suppose the closest we can get to it, in an actual home? I wouldn't miss it! Do you know if any of the other nurses are coming yet?"
"No, they aren't." Ellie Marie said, "but I can't really hold it against them. That corpsman from Kentucky who's sweet on Kelly asked her to the mess tent dinner, Annie actually got the opportunity to be with her husband for once, he got two days leave, and Meg and Ginger always like to go to that big celebration the Marines throw. As far as I know all the senior staff should be there though."
"Well….that's nice at least." Margaret agreed.
"I'll go get Hawkeye and send him up this way." Ellie Marie said, as she walked through the doors into the office.
"Hey gorgeous." Klinger said, looking up from his desk.
"Hello husband," She replied with a smile, "did mail call come yet?"
"Not yet. Should be here within the hour though."
"Alright, remember the package from your Mom goes directly to our tent. The perishable stuff to the freezer in the kitchen with a note telling cook, if he touches it, I'm serving him as my Thanksgiving dinner."
"You got it baby." Klinger said, laughing and shaking his head.
She walked outside and made her way towards the Swamp. She knocked and then entered just in time to catch the end of what appeared to be a tirade by Charles.
"I have had it up to here!" He pointed at a large pile of laundry in the corner, "and here!" He pointed to the socks hanging on the line across the middle of the tent.
"Charles, admittedly it's not a great system….but at least it's a system." B.J. said, from his bunk where he was slipping on his shower shoes.
"Was! It was a system!" Charles retorted, "I am hereby serving notice that from this time forward I shall cease to be your chambermaid!"
"Should I come back later?" Ellie Marie asked.
"No you're fine. At least once a week he decides he's not going to clean anymore but it only takes about two or three days of filth before he can't stand it and starts again." Hawkeye said.
"I mean you could at least attempt to do your part." Ellie Marie pointed out.
"Thank you!" Charles snapped.
"Why though?" B.J. said, "we're perfectly happy living in our level of filth. If it gets to the point that it bothers us, we clean it. It's not our problem that his mess tolerance is lower than ours, if he's bothered, he can clean. Seems entirely fair to me."
"I'm staying out of it," Ellie Marie said, raising her hands in surrender, "I just came in to tell you Hawk, that Margaret needs you up in Post Op. Corporal Fisher, the boy Colonel Potter worked on, he's having a lot of stomach pain and his pressure is dropping."
"You think maybe Potter missed something?" Hawkeye asked.
"It looks that way." She said.
"Alright, I'll head up there now." He said, standing up.
Attention! All personnel, the Chinese have begun a new offensive. Command anticipates heavy casualties within the next 24 hours.
"Just once, I'd love him to give us some good news…" Ellie Marie muttered.
"Well, looks like I better go take a look at Fisher before things get busy around here." Hawkeye said.
"And I better go take my shower while I still have time." B.J. added, grabbing his towel.
"Be careful Hunnicutt." Charles called after him as they left, "that kind of abrupt cleanliness could be a shock to your system!"
"Life with the bunkies, as charming as ever I see." Ellie Marie said to him, as B.J. and Hawkeye left.
"You have no idea what it's like to live with creatures that are one step above primates!" He grumbled, "I swear every single thing they own or use is simply dropped wherever they happen to stop when they come into the room. I cannot fathom how human beings can live like this."
"Do you remember the state of Klinger's office a few months ago?" Ellie Marie asked, "I live with him." Charles chuckled.
"I suspect you may employ an incentive program to keep him organized, that would not be nearly as effective for me." Charles teased.
"That's very true." Ellie Marie said with a smile. "Hey Charles, do you have a minute?"
"For you, yes." He said, turning his chair towards her and crossing his arms. She sat down on his bunk opposite him.
"So you know by now that I'm hosting Thanksgiving in my home this Thursday."
"I do."
"And….I hope you know, that while we've had our ups and downs, you and I. I do consider you a friend, and I would very much like you to attend."
"I appreciate that."
"But look…." She sighed before she continued, "Charles it's no secret to anyone in this camp that you have no issues with giving your opinions on things that you find beneath you or unworthy of your time. I know my home is not anything fancy, and to you it probably seems chintzy and garish, but I've worked very hard to make it place Max and I can call our own. I also know that what I've put together for Thanksgiving is going to be meager at best, and not at the level that any of us are used to at home, but again I'm working very hard on it. So I guess I'm saying, and I mean no offense by this, I'm just trying to be honest. As much as I'd love to have you, if you don't think you can be part of it without making pointed comments and snide remarks. Please don't come."
"Eleanor…." Charles said, looking at her slightly sadly, "I must admit the fact that you feel the need to even preface that, is somewhat hurtful."
"Well Charles….it's not as if you don't have a track record for tearing down other people's preferences and tastes."
"Some people yes, but not you." He said, "but that's neither here nor there. You misunderstand me. I am not angry with you for having that opinion of me. If that is truly how you see me, I am angry with myself for having utterly failed to be the sort of friend you deserve. I also consider you a friend. In truth, you are probably the closest friend I have in this camp, even when we have our disagreements, and you challenge my behavior. I may not show it in the moment but I always respect you for it. It saddens me to think that you would believe me capable of disrespecting or disparaging your home when you invite me into it in good faith."
"Oh…." She said quietly, "I guess…it's just that so much of our home is honestly the things about Max that seem to drive you crazy….I know you've been better with him since I made showing him respect a requirement, but sometimes I wonder how far we should push that."
"I was initially more respectful of Klinger because you required it, but as much as he will always be a thorn in my side in some ways, I can honestly say I have come to appreciate him in his own right, and in the same way. My feelings towards Klinger are irrelevant, a Winchester does not have it in him to be rude or ungracious when invited into someone's home as a guest."
"Well…when you put it that way." Ellie Marie said with a smirk.
"I was actually planning to ask you if you would like me to bring some wine for the dinner." Charles said.
"That would be lovely Charles, Thank you." She replied.
"See? Look at us, being perfectly pleasant and polite." He teased.
———-
"Hi Colonel!" Ellie Marie said, looking up from her paperwork a few hours later. "What's the word from the 8063rd?"
"Same as I heard it is here…." The Colonel said, "Big push on, expecting casualties. What's going on with Fisher?" He nodded down the aisle to where Hawkeye was sitting with him.
"Pierce had to do a quick patch up on him." She said.
"Really?" He said, "I was sure I picked him clean."
"Well Hawkeye said it was in a tricky spot. Behind the liver I think. He started coughing and it knocked it loose. It could have happened to anyone, Colonel."
"Yeah…I suppose." He said quietly, walking down the aisle.
"Hey Colonel! Good to see you back in our neck of the woods." Hawkeye said.
"Heard you had to patch up my boy here." He said, nodding towards Fisher.
"Yeah, he was being sneaky and trying to smuggle a souvenir home behind his liver." Hawkeye said.
"How ya feeling Fisher?" The Colonel asked.
"A lot better, sir." Fisher answered.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you needed me."
"That's ok sir. The nurses told me Dr. Pierce here saved my life."
"He's definitely the man I'd want to go to." The Colonel agreed.
"Oh stop it, the both of you…." Hawkeye said, pretending to blush.
"You just get some rest now son. Glad you're on the mend." Colonel Potter said, patting Fisher's shoulder. He and Hawkeye walked back down the ward towards the desk.
"Thanks for fixing my foul up Pierce." The Colonel said.
"Of course, but Colonel don't be so hard on yourself. We've all missed things in there, it happens when you spend 12 hours straight in meatball surgery. That's why we're all here, to pick up the baton when someone inevitably drops it."
"Right…" Colonel Potter replied.
"Colonel," Ellie Marie said, "I've been working on the charts here. With the amount of wounded we're about to get in, it's probably a good idea to transfer as many of these men to the 121st as we can."
"Smart thinking Ellie." He said, "let's have a look see," He pulled the stack of folders towards him, "Chandler can go. McCormick, Washington, and uh…Corporal Logan over here is doing fine. Thanks to Pierce here."
"You hear that Logan?" Hawkeye said, "We're sending you on to the evac hospital."
"What about Fisher?" Corporal Logan asked, from the bed nearest the desk, "We're buddies."
"I'm afraid we're gonna have to extend his reservation for a few days." Colonel Potter said.
"But we have the same wounds don't we?" Logan asked.
"You do, but with Fisher we had to operate a second time." The Colonel explained.
"Oh…" Logan said, looking dejected, "Ok sir."
"Colonel Potter!" Klinger stuck his head in from his office, "Captain Schnelker from Tech Intelligence is here. He's got some priority poop. You want me to round up the rest of your crack surgery team and send 'em to your office?"
"Yeah….and I guess I'll be there too…." Colonel Potter muttered with a sigh.
———
"Last week, in their offensive north of the Han, the Chinese started using something a little different." Captain Schnelker explained a few minutes later in the Colonel's office. "White phosphorus rounds."
"I always look forward to the fall when the new line of weapons comes out." B.J. muttered darkly,
"Now these rounds are already burning when they hit the victim, and they keep burning as long as they have oxygen." Captain Schnelker continued.
"That's horrible…." Ellie Marie said quietly.
"Better things for better killing through chemistry…." Hawkeye said.
"Anyway… since we now have to deal with these hot tamales." Captain Schnelker said, "we've developed a procedure to put the fire out."
"Don't the Chinese know these kids are too young to smoke?" B.J. asked.
"The first step is to apply surgical jelly. Which ideally will be done at Battalion Aid." The Captain explained.
"Ideally, they shouldn't be using our boys for kindling in the first place." Margaret muttered.
"Would you people knock off the chatter!" Colonel Potter snapped, "I'm gonna be operating on men who've been hit by this white phosphorous. I'd like to know what I'm doing!"
"Let the record show that I haven't said a word." Charles pointed out from his spot leaning against the far wall.
"Sorry Colonel." Ellie Marie said.
"Once they come down from Battalion Aid—" Captain Schnelker began again, but Colonel Potter cut him off.
"Every month there's a new procedure we have to learn because somebody's come up with an even better way to multilate the human body!" He said angrily, "Tell me this Captain, how the hell am I supposed to keep up with it? If they can invent better ways to kill each other, why can't they invent a way to end this stupid war!?"
Without waiting for an answer the Colonel turned on his heels and stormed out of his own office, leaving them all dumbstruck.
———
"Don't you have anything better to do than sit there and stare at me?" Ellie Marie said, shooting a look over her shoulder at Klinger.
"Are you kidding me? My wife is in our kitchen, prepping recipes my mom sent her. There's nothing I'd rather be watching." He said with a grin.
"You wanna actually help instead of just sitting there gawking?" She said.
"Hey, gimme a job and I'm there." He replied.
"Chop up those pistachios." She said, nodding to the bowl next to her. He grabbed it, and brought it back over to the table along with a knife and the cutting board.
"So what was going on with the Colonel today?" He asked, as he began chopping, "never seen him storm out of a meeting like that before. Or raise his voice at a random H.Q. officer for that matter."
"I think it was a few things…." She replied, as she finished kneading the phyllo dough and put it back in the bowel, "one I think he's really letting that whole thing with Fisher get him down."
"But it was just a mistake wasn't it?" Klinger said, "it's not like he's the first guy to ever miss something. Heck, you and Hawkeye had to come back here in the middle of that shell storm last winter because he missed something in that kid remember? And he didn't beat himself up over it."
"Yeah but the Colonel's different." Ellie Marie said, coming to sit next to him at the table, "he's sensitive about that kind of stuff, he'd never say it outloud but I think sometimes it gets to him that he's the oldest, and if we're being really honest, the least skilled surgeon in the camp. But that's like saying Picasso is the least skilled artist in a room with Davinci, Monet, and Rembrandt."
"I'm guessing those are pretty famous art guys?" Klinger asked, and she smirked.
"Yeah Max." She said, "but anyway….for a lot of reasons, Colonel Potter is harder on himself than anyone else around him. And that was only half of his issue. None of us left that meeting feeling particularly cheery. That Captain? He told us the Chinese have started using white phosphorus rounds."
"I don't like the sound of that." Klinger said, dumping the crushed pistachios back into the bowl.
"They're on fire. As in on fire when they're shot, and then continue to burn when they hit their target. They're lighting our boys up like flares."
"Oh my god…" He said, "man just when you think this war couldn't get any crummier….."
"Almost makes me wanna put you back in a dress….." She said.
"Only if we could find a good scheme for you to get you out with me." He said, and he leaned across the table to kiss her.
"Knock knock." A voice said from outside, and they both turned quickly towards the door.
"Is that…." Klinger said.
"Sidney?" Ellie Marie called out.
"Hello Klingers!" Sidney said, sticking his head inside.
"Sidney what are you doing here?" She asked, jumping up and running to hug him.
"You guys are gonna be getting a mess of wounded in the next day or two, and I-Corps wants a report on how you handle stress." He explained, hugging her back, he let her go and looked around, "Wow! This place is something else! You know there's probably a fascinating case study here on how having an escape from the realities of war affects daily performance."
"One case study at a time Dr." Ellie Marie teased, "Would you like a drink? We haven't got a lot, but I can get you tea…or a room temperature beer."
"No that's fine." He said, "I was really just stopping in to say hello, and see your new digs."
"How long are you gonna be around?" Klinger asked, "Cuz we're hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday and it'd be great to have you."
"No kidding?" Sidney said with a smile, "Well I gotta say, that'd be hard to pass up. Can't remember the last time I had a good home cooked meal.
"I'm not sure I'd go that far…." Ellie Marie said, moving back to her kitchenette to wipe down the counter.
"Don't listen to her Doc, she's been working her tail off." Klinger said affectionately.
"Hey Sidney…." Ellie Marie said, looking over her shoulder, "while you're here, before things get crazy, maybe you could go have a talk with Colonel Potter. I have a feeling it might do him some good."
"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" He asked.
"He missed a piece of shrapnel in surgery yesterday. G thinks he's beating himself up about it." Klinger explained.
"I know he's beating himself up about it." Ellie Marie corrected, "what I don't know is how badly it's getting to him. That's where you come in."
"For the moment." Sidney said with a wink.
"Oh hey G! That reminds me! You gotta tell him the thing!" Klinger said excitedly.
"Max….it's not even official yet." She said, rolling her eyes.
"Who cares? It's still exciting!"
"Yeah who cares?" Sidney agreed with a smirk, "I wanna know. Tell me the thing Ellie." She rolled her eyes, but gave them a reluctant smile and sighed.
"I sent in the paperwork to officially declare my focus as psychiatry with Harvard Medical School." She said, "we should hear back within a month or two."
"Ellie Marie, that's wonderful!" Sidney said, opening his arms to give her another hug, "welcome to the looney bird factory Captain. We're happy to have you." She laughed as she hugged him back.
The next morning Ellie Marie and Klinger made their way into camp and headed for the mess tent to get breakfast.
"You know I wish we could just eat breakfast at our place…." Klinger said, "it'd let me sleep for almost an extra hour."
"Well we have no stove for cooking so that means no eggs, bacon, toast, or oatmeal, and we've got no refrigerator which means no milk for cereal. Doesn't leave us with a whole lot of options. Besides boiling water for tea and coffee, we're kinda dependent on the camp. Hence my ongoing battle with the cook for space in the kitchen this Thursday."
"You know I could probably get us a hot plate." Klinger said, "It's not the same as a real stove obviously but at least we could have some simple stuff."
"That'd actually be great!" Ellie Marie said as he opened the mess tent door for her.
"I gotta tell ya….sometimes I think anything would be better than this slop." Klinger muttered as they piled powdered eggs and overdone toast onto their trays.
"Morning Colonel. Morning Sidney." Ellie Marie said, taking a spot at the table with them, "You seem like you're feeling a lot better today Colonel."
"Yeah I guess I just didn't have my bran yesterday." The Colonel muttered. 'Speaking of which, Sidney you'd better get some breakfast before they run out."
"Not a bad idea…." Sidney said, getting up and heading to the chow line.
"Not a good one either," Klinger muttered.
"You're still coming to dinner on Thursday, right Colonel?" Ellie Marie asked.
"Wouldn't miss it." He replied.
"Good, because I've got a cherry cobbler with your name on it. Though I might have to resort to hand to hand combat with Cook to keep my small corner of the refrigerator for it and the pumpkin pie." He smirked appreciatively.
"Oh Colonel! That reminds me, the extra blood for the wounded arrived, but as my beautiful wife just pointed out all the refrigerators are full up." Klinger said, "if we don't find a place to store it, it's gonna go flat."
"You know back home at the Kiwanis picnic we used to put the beer in the creek. Try that." The Colonel said flatly.
"Guess that's why they pay you the Colonel money…." Klinger muttered. "Oh, and also when we get up to the office I have the release for Fisher all ready to go, it just needs your Sherman T. Potter and he'll be on his way."
"Fisher?"
"Yup."
"Fisher's my patient. Who authorized his release?"
"Don't look at me sir, it was Captain Pierce."
"Is that so…." The Colonel said, turning in his seat to where B.J. and Hawkeye had just walked in. "Pierce!" He barked.
"Oh, morning Colonel." He said.
"What gives you the right to green light my patient?" Colonel Potter snapped at him.
"Who?"
"Fisher!"
"Oh, well his fever is down, his vitals are good." Hawkeye said with a shrug, "He's healthy enough to pick up his own bags. What's the problem?"
"Fisher is my patient." Colonel Potter repeated angrily, "Just because you operated on him after me doesn't give you the right to rubber stamp his release! Got it!?"
"Absolutely." Hawkeye said quickly, and the Colonel shoved past him and stomped out of the tent.
"Gotta say I'm not loving his new trend of leaving in a huff." B.J. said, as the two of them sat down next to Ellie Marie and Klinger.
"Ok, now I know I push buttons, and I'm well aware I deserve a tongue lashing more often than I don't. But I don't think I deserved that, am I wrong?" Hawkeye said.
"No…." Ellie Marie agreed, "You definitely aren't."
Sidney walked back over to the table.
"Hey did you catch the show? Again?" She asked.
"Yep…." He replied, "He really likes to make an exit, doesn't he?"
"Hey that's what I said…" B.J. interjected. "Sort of."
"So you think you can talk to him?" Ellie MAire asked.
"I tried last night….he said he was fine, but obviously he still has a few things to work out." Sidney said, "I'll check in with him again later."
"What's this all about?" Hawkeye asked. "It can't just be about Fisher."
"It's been my experience that these kinds of things are never just about one incident in particular." Sidney said, "but don't worry I'll get to the bottom of it, and make him hash it out. I'm annoyingly persistent in that way."
"One of your most endearing traits." B.J. teased, and Sidney shot him a grin.
———-
"Hey guys, I just wanted to make sure you were all clear on the time we're starting on—-HOLY hell…what is going on here?" Ellie Marie had stopped in quickly to the Swamp at the end of her evening shift and wasn't exactly sure what she had walked into.
"Charles, you are both obnoxious and noxious!" Hawkeye shouted, throwing a piece of dirty laundry at him.
"Ugh, Charles I hate to agree with him…but you reek!" Ellie Marie said, looking down at the disheveled man sitting in what appeared to be a pile of garbage on his bed.
"He's trying to out filth us." B.J. explained.
"Is it working?"
"Kinda….."
"You know Freud one observed people exhibiting this kind of behavior." Sidney said from his spot on the spare cot in the back corner, "Then he quit the business."
"Sidney, how can you stand it in here?" She asked.
"Are you kidding? This is fascinating." He replied, "I'd put it in my paper but I might have to deliver it at a luncheon."
"Alright that's it Charles." Hawkeye said, "Clean up this mess right now!"
"You see gentlemen….I would. But the issue at hand is….I don't want to. If it bothers you so badly. You clean it up." He leaned back on his filthy bed, and smiled smugly at them.
"I say we leave it." B.J. said, "If he can stand it, we can stand it!"
"Right." Hawkeye agreed, but as he sat down on his bed something crunched under his blankets, "I can't stand it!" He said, jumping up and grabbing the broom.
Attention all personnel. The wounded you've been waiting for are here in person. Report to the big top immediately, the circus is about to begin.
"Well there you go. Now you all have to scrub and get squeaky clean so get over yourselves and let's go." Ellie Marie said, "and by the way I expect every single one of you to be clean and presentable when you show up on my doorstep Thursday as well!"
She ran towards the center of the compound just as the Colonel was coming out of his tent with Sidney.
"Ok boys and girls let's get to work!" He said, clapping his hands together.
"You doing alright Colonel?" She asked quietly, coming to his side.
"I'm fine Ellie." He said, and for the first time since he'd returned it actually sounded like he was, "Nothing like a head doctor to help you pull your noggin out of your you know where." She laughed appreciatively.
"I think we all need that kind of assistance every once in a while Colonel." She said, "Glad to have you back. I don't know what we'd do without you."
He gave her a warm smile and patted her shoulder as they both went to help with triage.
———-
"What am I forgetting?" Ellie Marie said nervously, looking around her tent again. "The table is set, it's a little crowded but we'll make due. Turkey is done and being kept warm thanks to our brand new hot plate. Thank you for that love."
"Anytime gorgeous." Klinger said with a wink, as he put cutlery on the table.
"Mashed potatoes and gravy are there….desserts are out back on the bench so they stay cold….I know I'm forgetting something."
"Baby…." Klinger put his hands on her shoulders, "Breath, everything is perfect. You did an amazing job, you look stunning, it's gonna be incredible. Now let's just take a minute and appreciate the fact that this is the start of our very first holiday season together."
"Hey….." she said with a smile, "You're right." She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. "Happy Holidays doll face."
"The first of many." He said, kissing her back.
"It's kinda crazy to think about where we were just a year ago huh?" She said, as she straightened the napkins and silverware at each place setting.
"I was married to a girl who'd gone radio silent, and refusing to admit I was fallin' for a different one…." He said with a wink, "Man….if somebody woulda told me you were gonna be my wife before I saw my next Thanksgiving back then…." He shook his head and chuckled.
"And I was already hopelessly in love with you…." Ellie Marie said, smiling at him "Secretly of course."
"I mean…..it really wasn't all that big of a secret G." Klinger teased.
"You didn't know." She pointed out.
"Yeah but I'm always the last to know everything." He said, and she laughed. There was a knock on the door.
"Here we go." She said excitedly, she went to open it and found Margaret on the doorstep.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" She said, giving Ellie Marie a one armed hug, "Stuffing as promised!" She held out the bowel, "I made do with what we had available, I've been pilfering bread from the chow line for a week, and the seasoning may be a little off but it should taste alright."
"It smells wonderful." Ellie Marie assured her, as she walked in.
"Oh my! It looks wonderful in here." Margaret said appreciatively.
"You think so?" Ellie Marie said nervously, "we stole one of the tables from the mess tent, just for tonight. We had to stick our furniture out back so it would fit and we're still going to be pretty cramped."
"No reason we can't all be cozy for the holidays. It's perfect Ellie." Margaret said, squeezing her arm.
"See I told you." Klinger said, shooting her a wink.
"Klinger, look at you!" Margaret said taking in his dress pants, shirt, and tie with a sweater vest, "you clean up quite nice Corporal."
"Thanks Major. It's no sequin evening gown, but it'll do." He teased, and she rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Are we late to the party?" Father Mulcahy came through the door, followed by the Colonel.
"Not at all!" Ellie Marie said, "you're right on time!"
"I brought fresh green beans." Father Mulcahy said, handing the dish to her.
"And I brought not so fresh creamed corn," The Colonel added, handing over his offering, "I just dumped it out of the can and heated in my tent….but then again I suppose it's pretty hard to mess up, and Mildred would have my hide if I showed up to this kind of shindig empty handed."
"It's perfect Colonel, thank you. Thank you both." Ellie Marie said, taking the food to the counter.
"You know, I know I've been in here a time or two before but I don't think I've ever let you both know what a fine job you've done with the place." Colonel Potter said, "painting the inside so it looks like a regular house. Stroke of genius."
"That was all Max." Ellie Marie said, as she put food on the table.
"Like hell!" Klinger said, "Sorry Father." He added quickly, "I had the idea, but the execution was all her. She not only painted everything, she also built it all including our bed."
"Really?" Colonel Potter said, raising his eyebrows, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. From the day I met you Ellie I have yet to see a challenge you haven't risen to."
"Then you obviously haven't seen my attempts to get Max to make the bed and not leave his socks on the floor." She countered, and they all laughed appreciatively.
There was another knock on the door. She went to open it and saw all three members of the Swamp standing there looking slightly guilty.
"We brought rolls." B.J. said holding them out.
"And wine." Charles held it out.
"And cranberries in a can." Hawkeye added. '"…..and Sidney." Sidney raised a hand from behind them and waved.
"Sidney…..you may come in." She said pointedly, and he walked between B.J. and Hawkeye to stand next to her in the doorway.
"Are they back to normal?" She asked, shooting them a suspicious look.
"Were they ever? He replied, and she laughed.
"They've reached an armistice, the Swamp is clean, and infinitely more important, so are they." Sidney explained.
"Alright then." Ellie Marie said, turning back to the men on her doorstep, "you may enter." She stepped aside, allowing them all to walk through the door.
"Wow….everything looks and smells amazing." Sidney said. "I could almost forget I was in Korea."
"That's the idea." Klinger said, as they all took their seats at the table. "Oh Colonel Potter, please…." Klinger said, indicating to the seat at the head of the table.
"Oh, I couldn't son….this is your home you should sit there." He said.
"It's our home and we insist." Ellie Marie said, and he gave them both a warm smile.
"Would you do the honors sir?" Klinger said, handing him the carving knife.
"I'd love to." The Colonel said, he took the knife, but then looked down and took a deep breath, before speaking quietly, "You know it seems there's been an awful lot of bad around for an awful long time, and I'll be the first to admit that recently I've been letting it get to me, and in return passing that on to all of you. I'm sorry." He looked up at them, "I want you all to know, I've been through a lot of war, commanded a lot of men and women, but you all are something special. You've become like my own sons and daughters, and I want you to know how very proud I am of each and every one of you. I think now, more than ever, it's important for us to each take stock of what we're thankful for, and for me, it's gotta be you swell bunch of people. To friends." He raised his wine glass.
"To friends." They all echoed.
"Alright then." Colonel Potter said, clearing his throat, "Who's next?"
"I'll go." Margaret said quietly, "I'm thankful for this camp. I think about those soldiers out there in fox holes and on cold hillsides, and it makes me grateful that, be it ever so humble, we have this place to be warm, and safe, and together."
"Here. Here." Colonel Potter agreed.
"I am thankful for modern medicine." Charles said, "it is very easy for us to be discouraged by the ever advancing weapons of destruction, but we must also acknowledge that the medical field never wavers in its determination to create solutions."
"Very true." Ellie Marie said.
"Well mine's pretty straight forward." Klinger said, "and sorry in advance for gettin' sappy, but I'm thankful for my wife. Never thought I'd be the kinda guy lucky enough to get to come home to a girl like her every night, but it's something I'll never take for granted."
"Nothing sappy about that at all." B.J. said with a smile, "Mines gonna be along the same vein. It might sound a bit strange, but ever since Peg sent me that film reel for our anniversary I've been thinking about it. As much as I hate every second I'm away from them, I'm thankful I got this opportunity to learn to appreciate my wife and my daughter that much more. I know every minute I spend with them when I get home will be all the more precious now."
"Amen…." Colonel Potter said quietly.
"I guess I'm probably thankful for the little moments." Hawkeye said, "In a day to day life as crummy as this one, a simple laugh or a stupid joke, isn't just enjoyable, it's vital. I've shared small moments with each of you, hundreds by this point, that probably meant nothing in the grand scheme of things, but on that day they were what I needed to want to get up and put one foot in front of the other. So that's what I'm thankful for. The thousands of tiny moments that make this entire nightmare survivable."
"To surviving." Margaret said, raising her cup, and they all joined her.
"Well I hate to piggy back off the Colonel," Father Mulcahy said, "but if there's one thing in this place I am consistently thankful for, it's all of you. You know I often feel that you all don't give yourself a lot of credit. With the exception of you Colonel, I know most of you don't consider yourselves very religious. But I want you to know, the grace, and love, and selflessness you display to each other, and especially to the men who come through here, is an inspiration to me everyday."
"Can't get much higher praise than that…" Hawkeye said, giving him a small smile.
"Well I'm obviously thankful for this beautiful man next to me." Ellie Marie said with a smile kissing Klinger's cheek, and they all chuckled slightly, "but even more so, I'm thankful for the home I've made here. And I'm not just talking about this tent. Holidays are always hard for us over here, but one of the reasons I wanted to have this dinner was because from the day I arrived in this camp, each of you in your own way, have helped me feel like it was place I could call home, no matter how dark things got, and I will never forget that." They all smiled appreciatively.
"Wow….." Sidney said, "Just go ahead and set me up to be the grand finale why don't you? No pressure or anything." They all laughed.
"I suppose if I had to pick one thing to be thankful for today. It's that I have the privilege to see, if only in short glimpses, the incredible strength and resiliency of this camp. I've known a lot of people in my day, and I gotta say the 4077th. Every single one of you, are absolutely extraordinary."
"Aww shucks Sidney….." Hawkeye teased, and they all chuckled.
"To the 4077th!" Sidney said.
"May we all be celebrating in a different way by this time next year." Charles said.
"Amen." Father Mulcahy agreed, and they all raised their glasses.
"Alright Colonel," Ellie Marie said, as they set their glasses down. "It's time to cut that bird!"