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"Wait, Henry! That paper Margaret had, was it?"

"Yes, it was the final document of Margaret's divorce with Donald Penobscott," Henry said, "Let's go to the Swamp."

"Okay," Hawkeye followed still stunned at the previous site.

Charles was the only one in the Swamp. He was listening to some very sad music, and lying on his cot. Tears didn't come easy for the Winchesters, and Charles wasn't going to let himself cry over his tent mate, or was he. He got off of his bed, and walked over to the empty cot across from him, and sat down.

"Klinger and I packed his things up yesterday, and later today it will be sent to Maine." Charles said to himself as he ran his hand across the trunk, "It was the first time I was ever civilized to that Company Clerk. I guess I had to be. He certainly was a mess."

Charles wiped his eyes and convinced himself that it was just some dust, not a tear. "I guess he had a right to be annoying. He was here first. He suffered in this hell the longest, well, he and Margaret," he took a deep breath, and confiding to the emptiness of the Swamp he said, " I'll never admit this to anyone, but he made me laugh. Every practical joke was funny, even if I was the butt of the joke. I think the moral was up, because of him." As the music stopped Charles broke down, and cried. He had vowed that he wouldn't, he was a doctor for God's sake. "Doctor's don't cry when a patient dies," he said out loud, "But, Pierce wasn't a patient he was a man that shared a tent with me. He was a man that I will miss. I could have saved him. If I were in camp, I could have operated. He didn't have to die, and it is my fault."

"You ready to move on?" Henry asked Hawkeye.

"Yes, but where's BJ?" Hawkeye asked with concern for his best friend.

"You'll see. We are going to head to Father Mulcahy's tent, okay?" Henry asked.

"Sure," Hawkeye said, and he followed Henry into Father Mulcahy's tent.

"BJ, come on, please you have to say something," Father Mulcahy was pleading with BJ Hunnicutt.

BJ looked away and wiped his eyes.

"Look, son, I know it is hard. We all know. Each of us is dealing differently, and if you want to deal with it this way you can, but it would be so much easier on you if you talked to me a little," Father Mulcahy explained. He too, had to deal with the loss of Hawkeye, and his memorial service. Perhaps, because he knew that God would look after Hawkeye he was less depressed, but he felt that there was something missing in the 4077.

"Look, I understand. Really, I do. Hawkeye was a big part of this MASH unit. He was here when I first got here, and always knew how to make us smile. The thing is, he isn't here, and I would think that he wants you to take on the role of making everyone laugh. You can't do that if you won't speak at all," Father Mulcahy tried.

There was a knock at the door of the tent.

"Come in," Father Mulcahy offered.

Sidney Freedman entered the tent.

"Sidney it is good to see you," Father Mulcahy said, "This is out of my league when in comes to counseling."

"I'll take over from here, Father," Sidney offered, "Why don't you go get a cup of coffee it may be awhile. Unless you want to check on Major Houlihan, first. I haven't seen her yet, and Colonel Potter says that she isn't well."

"Okay. I'll head over there, then," Father Mulcahy left his tent to go to Margaret.

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" Sidney asked BJ.

BJ rolled over, and away from Sidney on Father Mulcahy's cot, which was where he was now lying, and started to cry.

"All right," Sidney said, "Shall I come back later?"

BJ didn't say anything.

"Well, if you don't want me to leave. I will stay, and when you are ready to talk I will listen," Sidney offered. "You know, we all loved him."

BJ sat up. His eyes were swollen and red from crying, and his cheeks were stained with tears, "I killed him!" He shouted rather hostile, "I killed my best friend! Okay? Is that enough?"

"Why do you say that?"

"I was the one to operate on him, and I couldn't save him! It is my fault he is dead! I deserve to die!"

"Why do you think that?"

"How am I supposed to go on? How am I supposed to walk around here, when they all know that I killed him? How am I supposed to go home to my wife and my daughter when I killed my best friend?" BJ was screaming, and crying.

"BJ, may I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"How many patients have you saved?"

"I don't know. A lot of them, I guess."

"How many have you lost?"

"Enough."

"And when a patient dies, what do you do? How do you feel?"

"I feel confident that I did all that I could do."

"And with Hawkeye, did you do all you could do?"

"Yes, but I lost him. He was my best friend! He wasn't just another soldier that comes in here. He was closer to me than a brother. He never had a chance to know love, or to become a father, because of me. Sidney, please let me die. Let me die too."

"What about your wife and your daughter. I can't let them suffer."

"Erin doesn't even know who I am !"

"Henry, please let me go back. I am finished seeing all of this. I have made up my mind," Hawkeye said.

"All right we can go back," Henry said.

"Thank you. Thank you Henry for helping me see how I have effected this place. Thank you for giving me a chance to make my choice, and seeing both sides of the coin. Henry, I want to continue living," Hawkeye said.

"I knew you would," Henry said, and slowly faded away.


A week after the accident, Hawkeye slowly blinked into consciousness. He felt a hand holding his, but he could hardly move to see who it was.

"Henry?" He asked weakly.

"Father Mulcahy! BJ!" Margaret jumped for joy, "He is waking up!" She stroked his hand with hers.

"Margaret?" Hawkeye asked. His vision was now clearer. She was sitting beside him, and the rest of the staff was huddled around the cot.

"Hawkeye," Margaret said sweetly.

"Hawk?" BJ asked, "How are you feeling? You really scared us."

"We almost had you up for dead," Colonel Potter said, "You've been unconscious for a week!"

"And Margaret has stayed with you for almost that long," Charles added.

"But we all took turns, so she could have a break, even though she didn't want one," Klinger said.

"Thank God, you are all right," Father Mulcahy chimed in.

Everyone dispersed, except Margaret and BJ. "How are you feeling?" BJ asked.

"I have one hell of a headache!" Hawkeye said.

"I'll get you some morphine, hang on." BJ said.

"And you think I am going somewhere?" Hawkeye asked. Which proved to BJ and Margaret he was going to be fine, because he had his sense of humor. BJ went to get the morphine.

"You had me worried," Margaret said to Hawkeye, "You know I was going to tell you this before, but I never got the chance to. I got a divorce from Donald, because you gave me the strength to, and because I love you Benjamin Franklin Pierce."

She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, and he kissed back.

"Margaret, I've loved you for a long time."

"And another thing. If I ever find you on a ladder near my tent again, I will make sure you are shipped out of here faster than you can say MacArthur."

"I don't plan on going on any ladders in the near future," Hawkeye smiled, and kissed Margaret's hand.

The End

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