10 hours later.

Major Houlihan made it back to her tent as soon as possible. She was beat, worse then that she felt sick. She plopped down on her army cot and tried to unscramble her brain.

3 months later.

Margaret was at the back of the Officers Club, having a scotch, sitting with Frank, to whom she hadn't spoken to since she had arrived.

"So Major, what do you think of our little war-zone?" Frank asked stupidly.

"Well, to tell you the truth..." Margaret's voice was sarcastic "I'm not to fond of roaches in my slippers, rats in my bag, and of course fleas in my cot. But I dunno it may be just me."

"Oh....well, do you like the people here?"

"Depends..."

"On what?"

"It depends on weather you mean in general or in the O.R."

"Both."

"In general....The C.O. is always tanked, not the least bit attractive on his part, the nurses don't show an ounce of respect and are unmilitary, there are many incompetent personal, Captain's Pierce and McIntyre are childish, and at time obnoxious, except in the O.R.. As for during surgery, they are just about the most skilled people I have ever worked with..." She stopped "Well most of them anyway." She threw a glance at Major Burns.

Frank giggled "Major we have a lot in common."

"Oh we do?"

"Yes, it just so happens I feel the same way about whats going on around here. I think we shou..." Frank was interrupted by none other then Hawkeye, and Trapper. Who had just burst through the o-club doors, and causing an up-roar in the whole place, by jumping up on the tables asking every woman in the place if they wanted to play doctor in the supply tent at midnight. Frank ignored them and tried to finish what he was saying. "As I was saying..."

"So Major Houlihan..." Hawk, yet again interrupted Burns "Have you heard my offer?"

"Yes, and no thank you, maybe when you grow up more!" Margaret's voice was more harsh then she intended.

"Well then how 'bout a dance?" Hawk got off the table, and before she could answer, he took her by the hand, and lead the way to the "dance floor".

"Captain really...I'm not in the mood." Margaret tried to get back to the table

Hawkeye grabbed her hand "Oh come on...I assure you, I'm a wonderful dancer."

"But..." Margaret sighed, and looked up "Oh what the hell." With that they embraced and danced to "Blue Moon".

Later That Evening

Margaret was back in her tent after an evening of dancing, and drinking. Hawkeye had walked her home, and tried to come in, and wouldn't let up until she stepped on his foot and pushed him out her tent door.

Dear Journal,

I had a lot of fun to night. I think it was probably the first time in 4 months. I danced and drank, and talked. I've gotten somewhat of a newly found respect for Pierce, and his companion McIntyre. I realize now that all the pranks, scams, and nurse chasing, is only a way for them to keep sanity.....a very strange way....but a way. Also tonight for the first, I sat down and had a talk with Major Burns, he is boring, but we see eye to eye on a lot of things.

-Margaret.

10 months later

"KER-BOOM", "RADDLE", "WOOOOOOOOOOOOPERSH" Major Houlihan bolted up from her cot and let out a scream. She looked around as if to find someone next to her. It had been 4 months since Henry passed, 3 months since Frank had got discharged, and 3 months since she had married Donald Penobscott. Margaret thought about turning on a light, but remembered that it wasn't a good idea, and hugged her pillow for security. She wondered what her husband was doing in Tokyo right then. "Probably in the o-club with his friends." she thought.

"Knock! Knock!" There was someone at her door. "Major, it's Radar! Colonel Potter sent me to check on everyone! Are you ok?!" Radar shouted over the shelling.

She opened the door. "I'm fine Corporal, do we know who's doing this?"

"The enemy ma'am, the Col. thinks it's the Chinese."

"Why does he think that?"

"He found one of their bullets in the compound earlier."

"Can't we get this to stop?" She asked

"No not till morning, the phones are out. We can't get I-corp. Oh and by the way, get ready for wounded in about 5 hours."

Margaret nodded and shut the door. She started to panic. "The phone is out and we are stuck 3 miles from the front without connection to I-corp while there are shells exploding all around us?" She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Margaret get it together, you can handle this. Your a tough person, so act like it!" She scolded herself.

5 hours later in the OR

Margaret was assisting B.J. Hunnicutt. Who was Trapper John's replacement when he went home, months earlier. "Clamp.......Sponge......"

Margaret slapped a scalpel in B.J.'s hands before he said so. "Thanks." He smiled under his mask. Suddenly an artery squirted blood out at them. "Margaret hold this. Is anyone free I need some help, the artery popped!" B.J. called, she gritted her teeth and closed her eyes for a moment when he said 'Popped'. "I'm coming." Hawk said as he walked over, and helped out.

Later in post-op.

Margaret was on duty with Col. Potter at about 1:00 in the morning. "Col. I was wondering....." She started.

"Yes Major?" The Col. Responded.

"Well do you think I could go to Tokyo to see Donald tomorrow? Sort of a surprise type thing?" The words flooded out.

"I guess that would be ok, but you would have to come back the minute we get wounded."

"OK! Thanks. Well My shift is over. I'm gonna go pack and then turn in." She smiled.

"I'll have everything ready for you tomorrow."

2 week later.

Dear Journal,

I went to see my Husband recently, and had the best time. I fell in love with him all over again. Then the moment I get back I received a letter from him addressed to me, but meant for someone else. I was so appalled! To top that off I had to go to the 8063rd with Cap'n Pierce, but they had bugged out, which left us behind enemy lines. Then we couldn't get back here, so we spent the night in a old hut, and I spilled my heartache on Hawkeye, who was very comforting, but I didn't dare let him know. Until the next morning when I shared my feelings, but of course later I got blown off. I feel so nauseous right now, I mean who should have to go through being dumped twice in a matter of less then 2 days. However I am deciding to give Donald another chance.

-Margaret

6 months later.

"Charles please....!" Margaret Houlihan begged for the first time in her adult life.

"I'm sorry Margaret, I don't like giving lectures. Ex-specially on new medicines. It bores me." Charles answered.

"Please? I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow, I'll bring you something back, if you take this lecture. Please, it's very important that I go."

"I want you to bring me back........." Charles made her the deal.

"Thanks a bunch!" Margaret left.

Last day of the war.

"Do you Klinger take Soon-Lee to be you wife, to have and to hold, in sickness, and health, as long as you both shall live?" Father Mulcahy was doing the service in The Klinger Marriage. "Do you Soon-Lee......" Margaret started to cry, not just cause she was happy for Klinger, but because she would be leaving in less the two hours, all the people that she had loved and been close to, and had sweated for three hectic years of her life. Now she was going home, back to civilization, that kind of scared her, but she was ready.

On the plane.

Dear Journal,

This will be my last entry, ever. The war ended 5 days ago, and I'm on my way home. I was going to help out the 8063rd, but changed my mind. I'm very ready to get home, and see all the people I have missed for almost 3 years. However I am very emotional right now, for the fact that I will probably never see anyone from the 4077th M*A*S*H unit Korea ever, ever again. That scares and upsets me. I said all my goodbyes, to all my favorite people, Klinger.....Charles.....B.J...... Col. Potter.....Father Mulcahy.....and ......Hawkeye Pierce. I'm going to miss him the most I think, because other the Klinger, and Father Mulcahy of course, he and I were the only people there from start to finish, and I know we meant a lot to each other, and we always will.

Always & Forever

-Margaret

10 years later.

Arial was snooping around her mothers closet looking for her Christmas gifts, when her eye caught a blue, rather old looking, notebook in the back left side of the closet. She grabbed it and sat on her moms bed. She figured it was just an old agenda book from when her mom was in nursing college. She opened it. The first page was labeled 'Fort Bennen 1950'.

"Cool it's mama's old diary. This is wild!" She ran down stares "Mom look what I found!"

Margaret walk out of the kitchen "You better not have found your Christmas gifts, or you, young lady, are grounded for a month!"

"No Mom. I found your old diary. Isn't it great?"

"My Journal? Really? I thought I had lost it." Margaret felt the dust layered cover.

"Momma, Can I read it?" Arial asked. "Honey, your only 11 I don't think you could handle this."

"Sure I can! Whats it about?"

"It's about when I was stationed in Korea. The War." Margaret said as she fingered through her journal.

"Oh, Mom please, let me read it and I promise I won't flood you with questions after." She smiled big. Arial had always wondered about her mom's time in Korea.

"Yeah I'm sure. Ok go ahead. Dinner will be ready in about an hour." Margaret handed her back the book.

"K great. Thanks!" Margaret watched her run up to her room, and shut the door. Then prepared for the mound of questions that would be asked in about 2 hours.

The End!

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