Chapter 43
Uijeongbu Korea; December 24th, 1952
"Four cartons of gauze." Elle Marie said to Margaret, and the major checked it off the list.
"Santa gauze…..is coming to town!" Hawkeye sang absentmindedly.
They were sitting in Post Op, taking advantage of the fact that it was mercifully, completely empty. Margaret and Ellie Marie with the help of Father Mulcahy were going through their newest crate of supplies and the inhabitants of the Swamp had decided to capitalize on the warmth of the room and were lounging on three of the empty beds. Outside the windows, snow squalls made visibility almost zero.
"48 boxes of cotton balls." Ellie Marie continued.
"Deck the halls with balls of cotton…. Fa la la la la, la la la la" Hawkeye sang merrily.
"The Day before Christmas and we're receiving the gift of the magpies." B.J. grumbled.
"Oh ho ho! The man has jokes!" Hawkeye shot back at him, throwing the pillow from his cot in B.Js direction.
"Come come doctors! No fighting!" Father Mulcahy chastised, "After all there's a truce on."
"Why do you think I'm so happy?" Hawkeye replied, "The only surgery I'll be doing is on a turkey leg!"
"Yes…" Father Mulcahy said chuckling, "I'll be coming by the mess tent myself for a prayer and a wing." They all laughed appreciatively.
"What's everyone so happy about?" Klinger said grumpily, as he came in through the doors at the far end of the ward bringing in a gust of chilled air and snowflakes with him.
"Well….if it isn't Santa's jolly little helper." Charles commented.
"Don't mind him….." Ellie Marie said, "he's been on perpetual mail call for three days with all the care packages coming in. He hasn't even had time to open his stuff from home."
"Come on Klinger….you're bringing Christmas joy to all!" Hawkeye said.
"You try dragging this thing around for a few days in the cold and snow," He held up the mail bag, "and let's see you be jolly, Rodger. Now if you want this stuff listen up. Hunnicutt B.J." He threw a package in B.J.s direction.
"Whoa airmail! Surly delivery!" B.J. quipped as he reached out to grab it.
"Houlihan, Margaret." Klinger tossed her a box.
"Ooo what'd you get?" Hawkeye said, sitting up on the cot next to her, to look over her shoulder. Margaret sniffed the box and smiled.
"Mmmmmm must be cookies." She said happily, "It even feels fattening!"
"Woo hoo hoo!" B.J. said happily a few cots down.
"What! What! What!" Hawkeye said excitedly, flipping around to see what he got.
"Peg's mom's second finest creation. Her incredible…" He held the box up high, "world famous fudge." They all oooo'd appreciatively.
"She treats me with great confection…." B.J. quipped, looking down at the box happily.
"You gotta put that somewhere safe…." Hawkeye suggested, "like my mouth."
"One package for Klinger, Ellie Marie." Klinger said, and he walked to her, handing her the box directly and leaning down to kiss her as he did.
"Thank you Corporal." She said, smiling at him.
"She always gets way better service than us." B.J. commented.
"Yeah you're right." Hawkeye said, "Hey Ellie, what's the monthly subscription rate to get that kind of personal touch from your mail carrier?"
"Marriage." She teased, winking at Klinger.
"I'm out…."B.J. said, "I already use my subscription to that for fudge."
"And for the piece of resistance." Klinger said, pulling out the last package, "for Major Winchester. Third one this week marked perishable. What is it? A ton of pound cake?" He handed the heavy package to Charles and then hopped up to sit on the desk next to Ellie Maire.
"Klinger….you remind me of Tiny Tim…." Charles retorted, "except that it's your brain that's lame."
"And just for that comment….you don't get a peanut brittle." Ellie Marie said, as she opened her package.
"Excuse me troops…" Colonel Potter said, walking in from the office, "I hate to hex your Christmas, but I bring bad Yule tidings." He sighed heavily, "The supply convoys been hit by marauders. Our turkey dinner's been trimmed."
"Oh come on…."B.J. complained, "Stealing turkeys, that stinks."
"Don't those guys know there's a war on that's off?" Hawkeye asked.
"Afraid the best we can look forward to is roast leg of Spam." The Colonel replied.
"Aw…I gave that up for the war…" B.J. said, as they all grumbled.
"People please." The Father cut across them, "while we're all here feeling sorry for ourselves, let me give you a little food for thought. The ones who will really miss out will be our young guests from the foster home."
"He's right…" Hawkeye said sadly, "They'll come to the party expecting turkey and end up with our standard bill of unfair."
"Isn't it ironic?" Ellie Marie said, "They're the refugees, but we get the care packages…."
"They can have my cookies." Margaret said, holding the box out towards the Colonel.
"That's very sweet Margaret." He said, "and they can have my niece's sugar cured ham too. I don't need any more air in my spare tire."
"Here's my peanut brittle sir." Ellie Marie said, handing it over.
"I haven't opened my packages yet, but from the smell of them there's at least one Lebanese salami, and other assorted treats I'm willing to offer up." Klinger added.
"Ah what the heck….fudge." B.J. said, handing over the box in resignation, "I'll just eat my heart out anyway."
"Beej….you get the Noble Prize." Hawkeye teased, "I don't have much but there's a fruit cake in our tent with those little cutie's names on it."
"Well then…we've got the makings of a great buffet! Just like the smorgasbord down at the Kiwanis back home." Colonel Potter said happily. "Klinger, I'm appointing you chairman of the food procurement committee. You get out and canvas all the tents. Tell 'em to give till it hurts."
"You got it sir." Klinger said, hopping off the desk. "Leave it to a Klinger to fleece people for everything they got! Those kids are going to have the best Christmas of their lives."
———
Ellie Marie stood at her kitchenette, looking out the side window. The snow had slowed down and was now floating gently to the ground making wavering shadows in the light glowing from the motor pool. She sipped her tea and sighed contentedly, she turned from the window to look at her tiny home. The small Christmas tree that barely came up to her hip twinkled merrily with its strand of lights, and the gifts from their families were piled underneath it. It wasn't much, but the simplicity of it felt all the more magical to her. Klinger came through the door, bringing a burst of cold air with him and making her pull her robe tighter around her shoulders.
"Oooo, sorry baby." He said as he looked up at her and dropped the large bag he was carrying, quickly closing the door.
"Well if it isn't Santa's most industrious helper." She teased.
She walked across the room as he shrugged his faux fur coat off and hung it next to the door. It was the last remnant of his former wardrobe, kept for the practicality of its warmth. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he leaned in to kiss her.
"Merry Christmas Max." She said.
"Merry Christmas Ellie." He replied, and she kissed him again. "It looks great in here." He said, looking over her shoulder at the table where she'd placed the Advent wreath her Mom had sent her, and lit all five candles.
"Well I tried." She said with a smile, "what do you want to do first? Eat or open presents?"
"I thought we were giving all the food stuff to the party tomorrow." He said.
"Most of the food stuff." She clarified, pulling him over to the kitchenette by the hand, "I figured with all the things our families sent we could each pick on to keep, and share them tonight."
She'd laid out all the food items along the counter top, and he gave a low whistle when he saw them.
"Holy Toledo they really went crazy didn't they?" He said, and she laughed appreciatively. "Just a bit." She agreed.
"So from my family we have the peanut brittle, which I already agreed to give up, along with peanut butter fudge, and cookies."
"I see your love of peanut butter is a long standing obsession." He observed with a smirk.
"Oh yes…..it probably would have been classified as the love of my life before you came along." She agreed, making him chuckle, "but I also have candy canes, and minced meat pies. I think…..the peanut butter fudge is what I'll save for us. B.J. already donated fudge to the party. Now from your family we have the Lebanese salami obviously."
"Which I also already promised to the party," He reminded her.
"But we also have these other blocks of meat and cheese." She said.
"Ooo that's cured lamb, and spiced goat cheese." He said happily. "And those little biscuits are stuffed with crushed dates. They're out of this world."
"And then last but not least of course, a full pan of your mother's baklava." She said smiling, "no relying on my paldry attempts this year." He smiled and cupped her face in his hands to kiss her.
"I loved your paldry attempts." He assured her, "but I'm also definitely keeping that for us."
She took the two items they'd picked and brought them over by the couch where they both sat down. She pulled out a piece of the sticky baklava and a piece of the fudge and put them on a plate, handing it to him and then did the same for herself.
"To our first Christmas." She said, holding up her piece, he smiled and tapped it lightly with his own before they both took a bite.
"Ohh…Maxwell you are such a big fat liar!" Ellie Marie groaned as she tasted the baklava, "Mine didn't even come close to this!" He laughed.
"Hey….it was way better than nothing, and with how hard you worked it was still the most special gift I've ever had."
"Even the one I made at Thanksgiving with the right ingredients doesn't touch this…" she said, reaching for another piece, "how is it so light and crispy after sitting in a box for two weeks and traveling halfway around the world?"
"I dunno…." He said, shaking his head, "I'm telling you she uses some kind of magic."
"Well she's gonna have to teach it to me as soon as we're back!" Ellie Marie said, and Klinger immediately grinned.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothin…." He said, "I just love thinkin' about stuff like that. You in the kitchen with my Mom, learning Lebanese recipes. It just makes me happy." She leaned over and kissed him.
"By the way, in the excitement of all this, I never did ask you. How did the food collection actually go?"
"It was swell for the most part, everybody was happy to give up some of their treats in the interest of making the orphans' Christmas that much more special."
"For the most part?" She questioned.
"Yeah, with one notable exception. I'll give you three guesses, who."
"Let me guess, our resident Anglophile himself?"
"You got it Major Scrooge McStingypants the Third." Klinger confirmed, "all those perishable boxes he's been getting and what does he give to the cause? A lousy can of smoked oysters."
"You're kidding."
"Wish I was…..you'd think he could come down off his high horse just this once, for the kids…"
"Yeah….you'd think…." She agreed, shaking her head and sighing.
Klinger scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her. She tucked her head against his shoulder and they sat there peacefully watching the lights twinkle on their tree, and the snow falling slowly outside the window.
"You wanna open presents now?" She asked.
"Traditionally in my family….we have to wait until midnight." He explained, "some of my favorite Christmas memories as a kid were feeling so grown up, because we got to stay up late and checking the clock every five minutes, waiting for it to say midnight."
"Awww….I love that." Ellie Marie said ruffling his hair, "that's a tradition we're definitely carrying on."
"But what about your tradition?" He said, "How you always get up bright and early on Christmas morning to open presents over hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls?"
"Hmm…." She sat back and took another sip of her tea as she pondered, "how about this? We split it in half. We'll let the kids stay up until midnight and open all their gifts from your side of the family. Then we'll wake up and get the cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate ready in the morning and let them sleep in a bit and come down for breakfast and presents with my side of the family."
"That sounds absolutely perfect." He agreed with a smile.
"But for tonight I wanna do things your way." She said grinning.
Two hours later, as the clock struck midnight the two of them sat on their bed, surrounded by their small pile of presents.
"What should we open first?" He asked.
"Well I'm pretty sure I know what the presents from my folks are." Ellie Marie said, "They get us certain traditional gifts every year, so we can start there if you want." She tossed a package to him.
"Every married couple in our family gets a pair of….yep!" She held hers up, as he did the same, grinning, "Matching Christmas pajamas. Wow…..I've been watching couples get these for years. Seems crazy to have them now."
Klinger smiled at her and then proceeded to pull off his shirt and put on the red flannel pajama top.
"Come on, put yours on too!" He encouraged. They both changed into their matching outfits and then giggled happily.
"Get the Polaroid!" Ellie Marie said.
He hopped off the bed and grabbed it from its place on the shelf. She cuddled up close to him and he held it out at arms length, taking a picture of them both. Once he had, she turned her head and kissed him.
"I like you and I love you Toledo." She said.
"Ditto." He responded, making her laugh as they returned to the presents.
The second gift from her parents ended up being the traditional hand made matching sweaters from her mother, both in a dark scarlet red.
"I told her red's one of your favorite colors." Ellie Marie explained with a smile.
She gasped when she opened her gift from Klinger's family. It was a beautiful silk shawl with intricate gold embroidery on a deep blue background.
"Those are hand made." He pointed out, "my Mom buys them for all the daughters and sisters at Christmas time. You're officially part of the family now, baby."
His gift ended up being several things. Two packs of his favorite cigars. A new Mudhens pennant for his office, and a beautiful hand made scarf from his mother with matching mittens. Once they'd unwrapped it all, there were only two presents left. Ellie Marie picked up one of them and held it out to him.
"It's not much." She said, "but I thought you might like to have it."
He unwrapped the small rectangular package and looked down at the framed photo in his hands.
"G…..when did you take this?" He asked quietly, still staring at it.
"I had Bigalow snap a few pictures of me all dolled up in my wedding dress before the ceremony started." She explained.
It was the photo Bigalow had taken of her sitting at Margaret's vanity laughing and showing off her red pumps. Even she had to admit, it looked like it could have come out of a fashion magazine.
"I figured you might wanna have a picture of your wife to keep on your desk." Ellie Marie said with a shrug, "You've talked about it before. So I had B.J. help me with the frame….and well…that's about it."
"Oh my gosh I didn't even notice the frame!" He said, running his finger over the wood where B.J. had painstakingly carved the lyrics to My Funny Valentine. "This is awesome! I'm putting it front and center first thing tomorrow morning."
I'm glad you like it." She said happily, "now are you gonna tell me what that little box is?" She pointed to the last unopened present on the bed.
"I'm gonna be honest it feels kinda silly compared to what you got me…" He said sheepishly.
"I'll be the judge of that." She replied, holding her hand out. He placed the little box in it, and she ripped the paper off easily.
She opened the box to find a delicate gold chain with a simple heart pendant attached to the bottom. She picked it up to examine it closer and saw it was inscribed with a scrawling cursive K and their wedding date underneath.
"I know how much it bothers you that you have to take your rings off when you go into surgery." He explained, "so I wanted to get you something that represents us that you never have to take off. And it kinda works out two fold, because you can also wear your wedding and engagement rings on the chain while you're in surgery so you can keep them with you. I know you get stressed about leaving them in your jacket pocket." Ellie Marie looked from the charm to her husband and then wrapped her arms around him kissing him fiercely.
"Thank you." She whispered against his lips, "it's the most absolutely perfect gift you could have ever gotten me."
"Good to know." He said with a small smile, as he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her back.
———
"How long until they get here Father?" Ellie Marie said, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet.
"It should only be a few more minutes." Father Mulchay assured her.
"Ooo I can't wait!" She said, "Their little faces are the best part of Christmas around here."
Are you two wearing matching sweaters?" Hawkeye asked, walking up next to her and Klinger.
"Of course they are." B.J. commented, "It's a requirement for couples to wear obnoxiously matching outfits on Christmas. Back home Peg has a dress that looks exactly like a Christmas tree and I have a sweater that makes me look like a big present."
"I'll never understand marriage…." Hawkeye muttered, shaking his head.
"Here they come!" Maragret said excitedly, as a large old bus pulled into the compound. The children disembarked into a flood of smiles and wishes of Merry Christmas.
"Welcome Mr. Choi!" Father Mulcahy said, shaking the hand of the man who got off the bus with the children, "Merry Christmas to you and your children!"
"Thank you Father!" Mr. Choi said, "We are most grateful for your invitation."
"It is we who are in your debt," Father Mulcahy replied, "After all, what's Christmas without children?"
"Hey come on kids! It's party time!" Klinger said happily walking over to where they were grouped, "wait till you see what Santa brought you! Come on!" He stepped towards them, but they all instinctively stepped away and began to mutter amongst themselves.
"What's the matter?" He asked, looking at Mr. Choi.
"Please forgive them…." He nodded apologetically, "No matter what I tell them, they're still afraid of uniforms."
"Yeah….I know what you mean….uniforms scare me too." Klinger said gently to the kids, "I'll get rid of this." He pulled off his coat so he was only wearing his red sweater, "I even get scared around movie ushers." He continued, the kids looked at him and giggled shyly, "Don't believe me? Ask anybody. I've been trying to get out of this outfit ever since I got in this outfit. The only trouble is….once you get out of the green you start turning blue!" He made a show of over dramatically shivering and shaking, and the kids burst into giggles and squeals of laughter.
"Alright children let's have some fun…" Father Mulcahy said with a smile, gently directing them towards the mess tent doors. "Come on!" They all moved slowly in that direction chattering happily.
"Somebody give me a kid and get me inside! I'm freezing!" Klinger said, he scooped up a little girl who couldn't have been more than four and she giggled appreciatively, "You'll do just fine cutie pie." He said, as he followed the mass of children into the tent.
"He has got to stop doing that…." Ellie Marie sighed, shaking her head as she watched him go.
"You love it when he does that…." B.J. teased.
"Correction…." She replied, "He has got to stop doing that while we have a baby ban on us until we get stateside."
"Come on, let's go…." Hawkeye said, "before they run out of powdered egg nog."
"Docs!" A voice called out behind them as a jeep pulled to a stop just behind the bus, "I need help over here!" B.J., Hawkeye, Margaret and Ellie Marie ran to him.
"What is it? What happened?" Hawkeye asked, looking at the man in the back of the jeep.
"I found him by the side of the road. I don't even know how long he was there." The driver explained, "Looks like a sniper got him."
"Lousy sniper's union…" Hawkeye muttered, "They don't even get Christmas off."
"Sorry to ruin your holiday folks…." The driver said.
"Forget ours. His is shot to hell." B.J. replied, "let's get him to pre op. Margaret you want to assist?"
"Of course." She said.
"Anything I can do?" Ellie Marie asked.
"Yeah go enjoy your first Christmas with your husband, and say a prayer for this kid while you're at it." Hawkeye said, as they lifted the gurney and ran towards pre op.
Ellie Marie walked over to the mess tent, which was already full of people and found Klinger moving down the chow line with a plate in one hand and his new Korean companion tucked safely on his opposite hip.
"See these?" He said, holding up a bowl, "They're Kelly's Munchable Macadamias. Try one." He handed her the nut and she looked at it curious before taking a nibble and smiling, "See? Mmmmm, good huh?" He said, grinning back at her, "Go ahead! They're Hawaiian peanuts!" He put a handful on her plate, "and next we have…Rizzo what is this?" He looked down at the plate on the table and wrinkled his nose.
"Come on Klinger! You gotta be pullin' my leg!" Rizzo said.
"No….I'm holding my stomach…." Klinger muttered in disgust.
"You tellin' me you ain't ever seen hog jowls and pigs feet?" Rizzo said incredulously, "This is the best of the bayou! Maybe you don't appreciate a little heaven on the hoof, but I know the kids will! Here you go sweetie!"
He held a pig's foot up to the little girl. But she shook her head violently and hid her face against Klinger's shoulder.
"Must be North Korean…" He grumbled, as he put it back down.
"Ah, now he's something." Klinger continued as he walked down the line, "A tiny can of oysters donated by Charles Ebenezer Winchester. He understands less about Christmas than you do." The little girl reached down to grab an oyster.
"Hold it." Klinger said, pulling her hand back, "You ever eaten the eraser off a pencil?" She stared at him blankly, "They're 'blech!" He explained, making a face, "Can you say, 'blech!'?"
"Blech!" The little girl said, imitating his face.
"Very good! And now together. Blech!" They said it and made the face at the same time, and she giggled.
"Good to know you're teaching her the finer points of English." Ellie Marie said, walking up next to them.
"Hey baby…" He said, smiling at her, "I made a new friend."
"I can see that." She replied, smiling at the little girl,
"Hello! What's your name?" She asked, in Korean. The little girl smiled shyly.
"Min Ji." She said quietly.
"Min Ji is a beautiful name." Ellie Marie said softly, and the little girl beamed at her. She leaned around Klinger and touched the side of Ellie Marie's face, saying something very quickly in Korean.
"What'd she say?" Klinger asked.
"Note sure exactly, but I think it had something to do with me being very pretty too." Ellie Marie responded.
"I knew she had good taste." Klinger said, winking. He finished filling her plate and then they took her over to one of the tables to sit and eat. Within a few minutes she was sitting between them talking excitedly in a steady stream of Korean.
"You getting any of this?" Klinger asked with a smirk.
"Just a few words here and there." Ellie Marie responded, tucking the little girls hair behind her ear and smiling at the chocolate fudge that was all over her hands and face, "but she doesn't seem particularly bothered by the fact that we can't understand her."
"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!!" Colonel Potter walked through the door dressed in his Santa suit.
"Look it's Santa!" Klinger said to Min Ji, who clapped her fudge covered hands excitedly. "I told you he'd get here! He was just making his list and checking it twice. Remember? I told you he lives way up at the North Pole!"
"Here you go darlin!" Colonel Potter said, handing Min Ji a present.
"Have you seen the Father?" He said quietly to Ellie Marie.
"He's over by the tree…why?" She answered.
"Tell him to get his prayer kit and head up to the pre-op." He said.
"Oh no…." Ellie Marie said sadly, realizing what he meant. Colonel Potter nodded and turned away towards the rest of the room, "Oh Ellie….remember Mum's the word." He added. "Coming through!" He said jovially, walking away, "Have you been a good boy this year?"
"What's up?" Klinger asked her.
"Just a splinter of reality in our little happy bubble." She said, squeezing his arm. "You stay here with our angel face girl. I'll deal with it." She leaned over and kissed him. When she did Min Ji let out a giggle of laughter and said something excitedly in Korean. Klinger looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. She looked from one to the other of them and said the phrase again, bouncing in her seat.
"You think that's funny?" He asked, and he leaned over and kissed Ellie Marie again. Min Ji burst into giggles and clapped her hands happily.
"Guess we've got a fan." Klinger said, chuckling.
"I'll be back soon." She said, and she ruffled the little girl's hair before walking away.
"Father…." Ellie Marie said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, "they need you in pre op." He looked up at her and his face fell as he realized what she meant.
She walked up the hill with him, and he shook his head and sighed.
"When did he even come in?" He asked her.
"Just as the party started." She told him.
"My lord…." He murmured, "does it ever stop?"
They walked through the doors and Hawkeye, Margaret, and B.J. looked up.
"You're just in time Father." Hawkeye said.
"Is it that bad?" Father Mulcahy asked.
"He's coming up." B.J. said defensively, " The burr holes helped. What's his pressure?
"90 over 60." Margaret said.
"Attaboy Flannigan. I knew you could do it." B.J. said, patting the boy's hand.
"It's 9:48 Beej….he's still got a long way to go." Hawkeye said quietly.
"He'll make it." B.J. said defiantly.
"What are you talking about?" Ellie Marie asked.
"The bullet hit his brain stem." Hawkeye explained, "He's not going to survive. We're trying to keep him alive until midnight."
"But why…" Ellie Marie asked, but B.J. held out a leather wallet to her. She opened it and saw an inscription, right next to the picture of a smiling family. To the best husband and daddy in the world, come home soon. We love you.
"Oh my god…." She whispered, as tears filled her eyes.
"I can't keep them from losing him. But I'll be damned if those kids have to live the rest of their lives knowing their daddy died on Christmas." B.J. said. roughly.
"He's stopped breathing." Margaret said quietly.
"Come on, damn you! Fight!" B.J. yelled, grabbing the soldier's shirt and shaking him.
"Beej, how much fight can he have left in him?" Hawkeye said sadly.
"Excuse me B.J." Father Mulcahy said, stepping up and placing his priestly sash around his neck.
"No." B.J. snapped, not looking at him.
"I beg your pardon?" The Father asked, sounding affronted.
"You can't have him yet."
"But I have to administer the—-"
"He's still mine!" B.J. spat viciously, throwing himself over the man, "You're not gonna throw a shroud over him!"
"Beej easy……" Hawkeye said, looking apologetically from him to the Father.
"I'm not putting a shroud over him B.J…." Father Mulcahy said bracingly, "I'm going to administer last rights…"
"I'm sorry Father….it's been a long night." Margaret said, giving him a sad look.
"I said no!" B.J. yelled, shoving Father Mulcahy away, "Not now!"
"Now you listen to me B.J.!" Father Mulcahy shouted back, "I try to stay out of the way around here because what you people do is so important! But understand me, at a time like this, what I have to do is just as important! And no one, not you or anyone else, is going to stand between me and the performance of my sacred office!"
There was a ringing silence following his words, as everyone looked at him in shock. B.J. slowly sat back, and looked down at his feet, sighing heavily.
"I'm sorry Father." He said quietly.
"I'm getting a pulse again." Margaret said quickly, "it's thready but it's here."
"Thank God….." B.J. said, but he looked up at the Father, "you'd better stick around. Just in case." He said.
Ellie Marie walked back down the hill, now completely immersed in a cloud of dark thoughts. She didn't realize until she was almost on top of them that Charles and Mr. Choi were having what seemed to be a heated discussion outside the mess tent. She stepped back slightly into a shadow as to not intrude.
"May I please explain?" Mr. Choi said.
"No!" Charles snapped, "What you can do is retrieve that candy immediately and have it in the children's stockings by morning! Otherwise they're going to find you hanging by the chimney without care!"
"Major….I cannot. The money is gone." Mr. Choi said apologetically.
"You parasite!" Charles growled.
"Please Major…..your generous gift and insistence that it remain anonymous touched me deeply." Mr. Choi said. Charles gave a derisive snort.
"The candy would have brought great joy to the children for a few moments," Mr. Choi explained, "but on the black market, it was worth enough rice and cabbage to feed them for a month."
"Rice and cabbage…..?"Charles said quietly.
"I know I have failed to carry out your family tradition." Mr. Choi said, bowing slightly to him, "and I am very sorry."
"On the contrary…." Charles said quickly, placing a hand on his arm, "It is I who should be sorry. It is sadly inappropriate to give a dessert to a child who has had no meal." Mr. Choi nodded in understanding and patted Charles' hand on his arm.
"Shall we share some, as you say, Christmas cheer?" He asked.
"No." Charles said, shaking his head and chuckling slightly. "Please…. You go ahead. I'm going to retire."
Mr. Choi went back into the tent and Ellie Marie watched as Charles walked slowly through the snow that had begun to fall again, towards the darkened Swamp. She made her way back inside to find Klinger in the same spot with Min Ji, now asleep in his arms.
"Sugar coma finally take over?" She teased, as she sat down next to him, and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Yeah….she conked out about five minutes ago…" he said affectionately as he watched her sleep, "I want one G….." He added, and she laughed and kissed his cheek.
"As soon as we're home doll face." She said.
"Hey….I just heard something…." She added, "and I'm thinking maybe we should do something about it."
"What's that?" He asked.
"Charles was just outside talking with Mr. Choi. From the sounds of it….Charles donated a whole bunch of chocolates and sweets directly to the orphanage for the kids Christmas morning. That's why he didn't have anything to give to the party." Klinger looked at her sharply.
"If that's true, why didn't he just say so? Instead of all acting all hoighty toighty and pretending to only donate a can of oysters?"
"Mr. Choi said something about it being anonymous, and how it was his family's tradition." Ellie Marie explained, "it makes sense if you think about it. The Winchester name means everything to him, what better way to show the true spirit of Christmas than to do a completely selfless deed, and not even take credit for it?"
"And here I was giving him a hard time all day, and making sure everybody else did too…." Klinger said guiltily, "I feel like a total crumb."
"Well….maybe we can still make up for it." She said, she motioned to Kelly who was standing a little ways away. "Hey Kelly. You mind taking this little angel? We got an errand of Christmas mercy to run."
"You don't have to ask me twice." Kelly said, holding out her arms so Klinger could transfer the sleeping child to her.
A few minutes later the two of them walked across the darkened compound, and knocked on the door of the Swamp. Ellie Marie heard music playing softly inside.
"Major Winchester? Party of one?" Klinger said, cracking the door open as they stepped inside. Charles looked up from his spot at his desk in confusion.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Well…for your appetizer, the last of the macadamia nuts." Klinger said, looking down at the tray in his hands, "followed by a mixed grill of Lebanese salami, sugar cured ham, pigs feet, and hog jowls."
"There's seconds of those last two if you want them." Ellie Marie interjected, "and unfortunately no smoked oysters. We just smoked the last one."
"But I…." Charles looked at them in bewilderment.
"And for dessert!" Klinger continued, "Frisco fudge, peanut brittle, and nutty fruitcake."
"All laced with hemlock I'm sure." Charles said dryly.
"Sorry sir. No hemlock." Klinger replied, "but I can get you ketchup."
"And what, pray tell, is the catch of the day?" Charles asked, crossing his arms.
"Just one catch, Charles." Ellie Marie said, "the source of this Christmas dinner must remain anonymous. It's an old family tradition."
They both smiled at him as the look of comprehension dawned on his face. He looked from one to the other of them as if trying to decide if they were serious, before slowly reaching out and taking the tray from Klinger. He swallowed hard, and cleared his throat before he looked up at them again.
"Thank you both….." He said thickly.
"Merry Christmas Charles." Ellie Marie responded, reaching out and squeezing his hand. He looked up at her and smiled warmly, squeezing it back.
As she and Klinger left the tent arm in arm, she looked up and saw Hawkeye, Margaret, and B.J. walking down the hill.
"Well?" She asked.
"Time of death; 12:05 AM." Hawkeye said quietly. Ellie Marie took a deep breath.
"You did it Beej." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Then tell me why it doesn't feel like a win." He said hollowly.
Ellie Marie slipped an arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze. From his other side Margaret did the same. Hawkeye stepped in and wrapped his arms around both Margaret and B.J. at the exact same moment as Klinger mirrored him with Ellie Marie. From the mess tent they heard the beginning strains of the camp singing Silent Night, and they stood together silently listening in the falling snow.