19

West Point Military Academy
August 1972

The Dr. and Mrs. Pierce walked down the stone hallways of the West Point Military Academy after dropping off their son. Hawk had his arm around Margaret's shoulders and she had her arm around his waist as the two discussed whether or not B.J. had made the right decision.

"Do you think he made the right decision?"

"I sure hope so Margaret."

"I hope they're not too hard on him."

"Margaret? Did I just hear you right?"

"Ben, he is my son."

"Margaret? Margaret? Is that you?" shouted a voice she dreaded to hear.

"Your the last person I wanted to see in a million years," she said coldly.

"Margaret, what a surprise."

"Yea."

"Well what are you doing here?"

"Dropping off our son, he's a freshman."

"You've remarried."

"Yes, and I do believe you've met my husband Captain Hawkeye Pierce."

"Ah Yes Birdeye," he said as he extended his hand to Hawkeye.

"Hawkeye!" he said shaking his hand.

"So uh... how long have you been married?"

"Twenty years next August."

"Wow! Well uh... I better get going I'm giving a lecture this evening to all incoming freshman. We all out to go out you and Bullseye and me and Darlene."

"I think not."

"It was nice seeing you."

"Donald, don't fool yourself, now get out of our way," Margaret still latched on to Hawkeye managed to walk past him. He still made her cringe twenty years after their marriage had dissolved. In a way she felt sorry for Darlene, she could tell Donald hadn't changed a bit. She no longer felt hurt, but she was still bitter towards him, like Hawkeye was toward Carlye. She found her "custom- fit in an off the rack world" in Hawkeye and Hawk had found that in Margaret. In some ways she believed she owed her marriage to Darlene because if she hadn't of received that letter she and Hawkeye probably would have never let each other know how they felt, and she would still have been the naive Mrs. Penobscott. She looked at her husband lovingly and said, "Thank you, Hank," and he looked down to her and said, "Thank you, Darlene.'' The two walked out of the academy finally letting go of the bitterness Margaret had toward Donald and Hawkeye had toward Carlye.