The Landing

Trapper John Xavier McIntyre squinted in the scorching sunshine of dusty Ouijongbu. Nothing had changed since his departure from that wretched spot a little more than a year ago. Today he stepped from the helicopter that landed on the edge of the village and surveyed the scene.
Flea-bitten mongrels lounged lazily in the sand; half-naked children played with cardboard boxes, bits of old lumber and worn out tires - probably from the 4077th.
Giving the chopper pilot a final wave and heaving his duffle bag across his broad shoulder, he pondered the last time he had seen this place. He had been on his way home - the day the left Korea forever or so he had thought. But now, here he stood. Again.

He wiped the sweat from his tanned forehead and looked down the road toward the 4077th, wondering when the jeep would appear to take him to his duty station. How many times had he and Hawkeye bounced down this road? Most of the time they were returning to camp after a wild night at the local gin mill. Thankfully, those kinds of adventures were behind him. The horrendous year he had been through had taken a lot out of him.

Hawkeye! That name brought a grin to Trapper's handsome face. His friend, his soul mate! He wanted to hug him, to squeeze the life out of him and Klinger and Kelly and Igor and Father Mulcahy. Today, even Frank Burns would be a welcome sight. A slight grimace passed over his face for with the thought of Frank Burns, the beautiful face of Margaret Houlihan presented itself. The thought of her set up an uneasy longing in his heart; he forced it from his mind.

There was a new CO at the 4077th; he had heard wonderful things about Sherman Potter. From his friends' letters he knew the Old Colonel was revered and loved as much as Henry Blake had been. He would miss Henry; they had been so close. The entire unit under his command had been family.

Family! The word shot an ache through his entire body and left a severe stabbing pain in his heart. The wife and two daughters that he had been so eager to return home to last year were gone, killed in a car crash as Louise had picked up Cathy and Becky from school. In a matter of seconds, a drunken driver had taken their lives and destroyed his. Their deaths sent him into a tailspin of depression and into an alcoholic fog.

For more than six months, he moved about in a dark valley of despair and grief until one day a letter arrived from Father Mulcahy. It contained encouraging, life-giving words from the heart of that good man and urged him to "look up" as he put it. Finally, Trapper came to himself, sold the house, stored the furnishings, found his friendly Army recruiter and enlisted. By pulling a few strings, he had managed to get himself assigned to his old unit --his other "home" and "family" that he, this minute, longed to see with all his heart.

The sound of an army jeep broke into his thoughts and he looked up to see Max Klinger bearing down on him in a cloud of thick white dust.

Before the jeep came to a full stop, Klinger shouted, "Captain! You're a sight for sore eyes!" and, holding on to his latest straw hat creation, bounded from the vehicle to embrace Trapper.

"Same here!" Trapper cried, hugging him back. When the men had broken their embrace and stood back to look at each other, Trapper said,"I never thought I'd be so happy to see such an ugly mug"

"Right back at ya, sir," said Klinger."Now, let's go home to the 4077!"

Bouncing along the road, hitting every pot hole, Klinger filled Trapper in on the new CO. "You're going to love him. Oh, he's regular army, all right, but he never lets that get in his way. The 4077 loves him as much as we loved Henry Blake."

A moment of silence fell between them, each recalling that terrible day in OR when Radar broke the news of Henry's death.

Klinger concentrated hard on the road ahead and said, in a breaking voice, "And Captain, we are all so sorry about your family. It must hurt like hell."

"Yes, it hurts, but I have to move on with my life. I dwelled on it so long and so bitterly that it was tearing me apart. I just couldn't face walking into that house another day. I had to re-enlist to keep my sanity. Geez! I never thought I'd hear myself say that!" he admitted.
"Anyway,I sold the house, resigned as Head of Pediatric Surgery at Boston Mercy just to get away from the memories. I figured Korea is just about as far away from there as I could get."

After a few minutes of silence, he said, "Now, tell me about everyone at the Four-O-Double Natural."

Klinger gladly filled him in on everything: Hawkeye's usual pranks, Frank Burns going nuts after Margaret's dumping him and his subsequent transfer stateside, Radar's leaving. Igor's continuing attempts at cooking, Sherman Potter's wise and witty sayings and about BJ Hunnicutt, the surgeon who had arrived after Trapper's departure.
Trapper cleared his throat, trying not to be too obvious,
"Say, Klinger," he began,"What about Major Houlihan?"

"Oh, well, sir, you wouldn't believe it. She finally got rid of Major Burns and then married a Major Donald Penobscott."

Trapper's heart flipped over inside. With difficulty, he tried to hide his disappointment. "Married?' he managed to say,keeping his tone even and non-committal. "Margaret's married?"

"It didn't last long," Max said. "Major Penobscott cheated on her and she divorced him, She went through a pretty rotten time of it, but she's on the mend now and seems to be doing well. It has certainly made her a kinder, gentler soul if I do say so. I know it makes my life a heck of a lot more bearable."

Trapper pondered what Max had just told him. The thought of anyone hurting Margaret Houlihan made his blood boil. If he could get his hands on that slob he would happily tear him limb from limb.

Just then, the jeep topped the rise of the hill and the M*A*S*H 4077th sprawled below, dozing in the sunlight. It was just as he had left it: the rambling OR facility, the sagging tents, dust everywhere, the flag pole, the signs pointing home and there it was, The Swamp!

"I never thought I would be so happy to see this god forsaken place, " Trapper smiled. "Hurry, Klinger!"


The Arrival

After arriving, Klinger rushed off to Post-Op. The CO's office was empty, so Trapper trudged across the compound to The Swamp. and cautiously opened the squeaking door. He peered inside. Nothing had changed; it was a disaster as usual. The Still, claiming a prominent spot, bubbled merrily away, ready to dispense it's mind-fogging elixir. He wondered where everyone could be. Camp seemed so quiet.
There was Hawk's bunk, his famous red bathrobe thrown carelessly across it. The other bunk was a bit neater, though. On the nightstand stood a picture of a beautiful blond woman with an infant daughter. They smiled out at him. This must be Hunnicutt's side of the tent and that must be his wife and baby daughter. The ache in his heart returned.

Shaking it off, he threw his duffle on the empty bunk, which had been Frank's and sat down to collect his thoughts. How would it be, living here again, after the horrendous year he had just experienced, losing everything that had ever really mattered to him? Through the long months he had vainly tried to make sense of it and forget the horror of it all.. The events of the past year had drained him. The spiral into depression and alcohol had not helped -- it had almost destroyed him -- body and soul.

When Father Mulcahy's letter came, with its heartfelt words of comfort, he had made his decision to return. Could coming back here help him to recover from his irreplaceable loss? Could these people, he had known and loved so intimately for those war-scarred months help him to heal and to survive? All he knew was he had to make an attempt at it.

He was jolted into the present by Hawkeye's wild war whoop. "Trap! I never thought I would see you ever again in my lifetime!" He was enveloped in a bear hug so welcoming that Trapper forgot for a brief moment that he had ever been away.

Hawkeye introduced him to BJ. As they shook hands, Trapper realized that he would like this tall, sandy haired, gentle man, with the mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. They looked each other over; both knew that this was the beginning of a real and warm friendship.

They relaxed on their bunks with a martini, which, Hawkeye pronounced,"Finest kind! Just a twinkle in my eye thirty minutes ago." and began to catch up on the year that had passed since he had last been at the 4077.

Trapper found himself falling into his old role, Hawkeye's other half. He found too, that as he came to know BJ Hunnicutt, that this was another kindred spirit. Although he was quieter and more serious that either Hawk or himself, Trapper liked him at once. Clearly, here was a man in love and in awe of his wife and child, very happy in his marriage, proud of it and very, very homesick for them.

Hawkeye grew serious, his deep blue eyes, misty, "Trap, I cannot begin to tell you how I have grieved with you over Louise's and the girls' deaths. I wish I knew how to comfort you. What can I do?"

"Just be my friend, Hawk, I really need one now. One reason I decided to come back was that I knew that my dearest friends were here and maybe I could salvage my sanity." He dropped his handsome head and brushed one hand through his curls. The three friends sat quietly.
BJ broke the silence. "I can't imagine what it would be like to lose Peg and Erin," he said, his voice breaking.
"I pray God you never have to find out," Trapper replied.
"I'm sick of death!" Hawkeye sprang from his bunk to pour himself another drink. "When you left, I remember thinking that at least you would be out from under death's shadow. Then, it rears its ugly head in Boston and takes your precious family." He began to pace the floor angrily," I just can't get used to losing people no matter which side of the war or the world they're on."

As they talked, gradually their conversation turned to memories of other days. Quietly, they drank a toast to Henry Blake. Then, remembering happier times, they exploded with laughter at the Spam Lamb, Frank's diving into the water-filled fox hole at Sidney's shout of "air raid!", and Henry's ability to avoid making decisions at all costs. They were laughing hilariously when Colonel Potter appeared in the doorway

"Well, Pierce, I see the famous Trapper John is among us, or perhaps I should say, the Infamous Trapper John," he said, extending his hand to his new surgeon. "Sorry, I was out when you arrived. I was out with Sophie, my mare. Nothing clears the cobwebs out of a man's head like a ride on his favorite horse. Getting settled all right? I see you've already christened the still."

"Yes, Sir," Trapper said,"I'm glad to be here."

"Now that's not a statement I am used to hearing, McIntyre," the Old Colonel said, "but I know that this is your family son, and when you're hurting, your family's your salvation. Well, now my boy," he continued, putting his arm around Trapper's shoulder, "If you are anything like the stories I've heard, I'd say that I am in for quite a ride."

"Sir, it is quite possible that some of those notorious accounts are somewhat exaggerated," Trapper grinned.

Hawkeye protested, "Exaggerate? I, Benjamin Franklin Pierce, exaggerate? Never! My soul is innocent and my heart is pure as the driven snow," He clutched at his heart to show his pain.

Laughing, BJ stood up, placed his arms around the shoulders of his fellow Swamp Mates, and looked Colonel Potter squarely in the eye, "Brace yourself, Sherman," he said, "The fun is just beginning!"


The Meeting

Later, in the Mess Tent, Trapper greeted the rest of the 4077th -Kellye, Goldman, Rizzo, Zale and Father Mulcahy in the chow line. For the Father, he saved the biggest embrace of all, telling him what the letter had meant to him and how it had made him realize what he needed to do -- to come home to the 4077th.

"Well, son," Father Mulcahy, "Just remember that there's Someone who charts our lives and we just have to trust Him to lead us through the bad times. He will. He keeps his promises you know."

The chow line was moving. As he approached Igor, who was busy serving, he said on the aside to Hawkeye,"I've been away for a whole year and Igor is still carving the same piece of liver as the day I left."

Overhearing, Igor looked hurt and said, "I heard that Captain, and I will have you to know that this is definitely a new batch...fresh just six months ago!"

"It's okay, Igor, I'm hungry enough to eat a horse six months old." Trapper chuckled and gave the cook a playful punch.

"Welcome home, Captain," Igor grinned. "Here, have two helpings".

Before he could hear Hawkeye's retort,Trapper glanced at the door and saw Margaret Houlihan entering the Mess Tent. He stared, hardly believing how gorgeous she was at this moment. She had always been beautiful but now with her pale blonde hair framing her face and even dressed in US Army fatigues, she took his breath away.

Margaret spotted him and hurried through the tables and benches, holding her arms out to him.

"Trapper!" she cried. "Is it really you?"

"It's me," he said softly in her ear as he gathered her in his arms. Suddenly a picture flashed across his memory and he recalled the day he had laid her across Henry's desk and kissed her deeply. He had done it mostly to annoy Frank, but the memory of that kiss had haunted him for months. Now, seeing her and holding her so close, he wanted to kiss her again just the same way. Did she remember that day?

He was surprised how she melted so readily into his arms and snuggled close. When he let her go, she ran her hands through his tousled blonde curls and smiled as only Margaret could. Her dimples flirted with him.

With that, suddenly, he pulled her to him and kissed her as he had done more than a year ago. The effect of the long, deep kiss surprised them both. When they drew apart, they stood breathless and motionless, their eyes locked on each other.

The rowdy conversation of nurses and corpsmen stopped, forks in mid-air. The Mess Tent became eerily silent. The clatter of silverware ceased. Laugher ended abruptly. The clanging of pots and pans stopped as everyone, including the cooks, paused to take in the incredible scene.
Finally, the spell was broken by Hawkeye's voice which held a quality of disbelief,

"Whoa! Pace yourself, kids," he teased, amid hoots and catcalls from the crowd, "This may be a long war!"
"Oh! I'm sorry, Trapper, I didn't mean--" Margaret looked at the floor. embarrassed.

" That's all right, honey," he said, himself trying to recover from the long, long kiss. Then, he grinned at her, hugged her close again and whispered, "Oh, God, I'm glad to see you!"

When the Mess Tent buzz had resumed and they had taken their seats, Margaret, Hawkeye, BJ, Klinger and Trap fell into conversation as if they had not been a world apart just twenty-four hours ago. Before they could finish their meal, the dreaded announcement came:

"Choppers arriving! Wounded in the compound. Put on your dancin' shoes, folks -- it's gonna be a long waltz!"
As they were leaving the Mess Tent, Colonel Potter caught up with them and placing his arm around Trapper's broad shoulders as they walked toward the OR, said, "Well, son, it's time to see what the legendary Trapper John can do."


The OR

The OR was hot and noisy. Trapper had forgotten just how frantic the pace could be. Margaret assisted him. From time to time she wiped the sweat that poured from his forehead. He was working on a severe chest wound that took every ounce of concentration.

"Captain, are you all right,?" she asked, once again blotting the sweat. "This must be a nightmare after a safe and sane year stateside doing routine pediatric surgery," she continued.

"I can handle it," he said quietly, "I've got to. Retractor!"

"Retractor!" came her voice, strong and capable.

"This is a picnic after the year I have been through," he said.

"I know," she murmured softly. "I am so sorry about your family, Trapper. I know you loved them so..." her voice trailed away into a whisper.

"I guess I've been in such a state of depression that I have had a hard time getting back on track. I thought if I could just get back here I could throw myself into the work and forget. Suction!"

"Suction!" came her voice. "Do you think you can -- get back on track--I mean. I know the memories will always haunt you."

"I had to do something to get away from Boston. Every time I opened the front door, passed the girls school, or met one of our friends, it all came back. Pretty soon, I couldn't take it anymore and the bottle took over," he said. "I don't know what would have happened if I had not gotten that letter from Father Mulcahy...."

Her blue eyes grew misty over her mask. "Do you need someone to talk to?" she asked. "I'm a good listener," she smiled up at him.

"Thanks, honey, I'd like that. We'll get some coffee after this hellish mad house is over."

"You're on, Doctor," she smiled and handed him the next instrument before he could ask.

Their fingers touched. They looked at each other across the operating table in wonder and surprise.

"I'll meet you in the Mess Tent about midnight," he murmured and turned his attention back to his patient.


Midnight And Moonlight

It was almost twelve P.M. before the last patient had been wheeled into Post-Op. Trapper, Hawk and BJ trudged wearily across the compound toward The Swamp. They stretched as they walked, desperately trying to make the exhaustion of almost twelve hours of frantic surgery disappear.

"Man!" BJ said, "How many hours of standing in blood can a man take"?

"It doesn't get any better, either," Hawkeye groaned, "My legs are going on strike."

Trapper walked slowly, slightly behind the other two, surveying the stars in the blue velvet sky. He listened as his friends discussed the day's surgeries and chances of survival for their patients. As they neared Margaret's tent, he could see her slender form silhouetted against the canvas. She was brushing her long hair, her willowy figure bending, as she made smooth, even strokes. She hummed. "My Blue Heaven." He could almost smell her perfume.

"Right, Trap?" Hawk's voice broke into his wandering thoughts.

"Huh? yeah, yeah ,uh, that's right," he murmured.

"Come in Mars," BJ teased. "Hawk, he's lost in space...somewhere out there"

"I wonder what's on his mind, as if I didn't know" Hawkeye grinned.

"Hey, guys, lay off, will you? Besides, I 'm in a hurry.
Gotta hit the showers!" With that, he was gone, racing to The Swamp to get ready to meet Margaret Houlihan. Hawkeye and BJ smiled knowingly at each other.

"Well, Beej," Hawkeye laughed and flung his arm across his friend's shoulder, "Me thinks the game is afoot. Romance is in the air at the old 4077!"

"Heck! It doesn't take Sherlock to figure that out," BJ chuckled.. "Even I can put one and one together and come up with a couple!"

In the Mess Tent, Trapper poured himself a cup of strong, black coffee and settled down to wait. Maybe she wouldn't come but in his heart he knew she would. The attraction that they had felt for each other at lunch time was too overwhelming for either of them to ignore. He just wondered how things would go. Would there be an awkwardness between them after that kiss? Would she be as warm and responsive as when he held her in his arms for those few minutes? However cool and steely Margaret might appear, beneath the tough exterior there was a vibrant, passionate woman. Glimpses of it had surfaced before he ever left the 4077. There was a vulnerability, too, in this Major Houlihan. He had seen it the afternoon they spent trapped together in the Supply Tent last year when had held her close, calming her fears as shells fell all around them.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the opening and closing of the door. Suddenly, she was beside him Her perfume played havoc with his senses and brought back the memory of their kiss.

"Sorry, I'm late, Trap," she said. "I had to go back to Post Op to check on that young Corporal with the concussion. Just wanted to make certain he was awake and alert."

"Coffee?" he asked,rising from the table to meet her.
"Yes, please. Lots of cream."

After he had fixed her coffee, they settled at a table near the doorway. Lights were dim. Splashes of Korean moonlight played across the floor.

The first moments were awkward, each of them remembering the chow line kiss. The year, in which so much had happened to both of them, hung in the air between them. Slowly, the old feeling of camaraderie returned and words began to spill out. Two lonely, hurting friends, reached out to each other, talking about the things that had happened to them the year they had been apart: the anguish of Margaret's marriage, divorce, the depression that followed, all tumbled out. The conversation turned to Trapper's loss of his family. He didn't spare any of the despair and bitterness or his spiral into the abyss of alcohol that threatened his very life and kept him drowning for months.

Intent only on each other, they talked for hours, pausing now and then to refill their cups or to sit silently, each desperately trying to understand the other's hurt. It was a closeness that neither of them had felt to another person in many,many months. It was a closeness that, until today, they never knew they could feel for each other.

"Then," Trapper said, " I knew I had to do something. I was drowning in pain and depression. So, when Father Mulcahy's letter arrived, I knew it called for desperate measures. I visited my friendly local recruiter. The Army is so short of surgeons that I could bargain pretty well and with a few favors called in, I managed to get back here."

"Yes, you are here," she said softly. "I'm so glad". Her deep blue eyes filling with tears as she gazed into his intense brown ones.

As her voice trailed away, Trapper reached across the table, covered her small soft hand with his larger one and bringing it slowly to his mouth, kissed it softly. They sat in silence.

The clanging of the door brought them back to reality. Igor entered, rubbing sleep from his eyes, "Captain McIntyre, Major," he nodded, "You're up early. You've beat me here..or, er..ah..unless you've been uh, been here all night. Sir?"

"I guess we lost track of time, Igor," Trapper said.
"Don't let us get in your way. The 4077 has to be fed.
We'll be going."

Margaret and Trapper rose to leave and walked toward the door. They strolled slowly across camp, reluctant to leave each other.

"Did we--?" she asked.

"Yes, we did, Miz Margaret," he said in his most playful southern drawl, "We talked all night and it seemed like only a moment."

"I know," she answered. "It's funny how life goes. A few hours ago, we were a world apart, not even aware of--"

"Of what?" he asked.

"Well, aware of each other, I guess," she said.

"I know, Margaret" Trapper said, "But now what happens?
What I am feeling at this moment, I haven't felt for months. I've been numb. I didn't know I could ever feel anything for anyone again, You've taken me by surprise and I don't know how to handle it."

"It frightens me too," she admitted. "I don't know if I am ready to trust another person. After Donald, I swore I would never be so vunerable again, never let myself trust anyone," she whispered, hardly believing she heard herself saying these things. "I didn't mean for this to happen, but when I saw you at lunch, I couldn't stop myself, I suddenly found myself in your arms."

"I'm so glad," he said, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

They had arrived in front of her tent and stopped there, trying to make the moment last. Trapper turned to her and put his hands squarely on her shoulders.

"And, I'm very glad you did," he said. Then, he pulled her closer and whispered into her hair. "You're a bolt out of the blue, Margaret Houlihan, but when I held you for that brief moment, I knew I needed you more than anything on earth and I realized I couldn't let you go. No matter what happens in this terrible war, I'm certain we belong together,"

With that, he kissed her long and hard, pressing her warm, firm body into his. After an eternity of holding each other, he released her and she stepped away, smiling and wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks. Placing her hands on each side of his handsome face, she brought it down to hers, and whispered softly, "Well, well, Trapper McJohn InTyre, I need you too. - -more than you will ever know. And this time, it's not the punch talking --I'm sober."

The sun was coming up and they turned to face it -- a huge red ball exploding from the hilltops to the east of the compound. Suddenly, it was a new day; the world was bright and happy and they were ready to meet it. Together.


As Time Goes By...

The golden days of summer slipped away and a hint of autumn settled over the 4077th. To any casual observer, however, it might as well have been Spring; love was in the air.

The corpmen and nurses could hardly believe the changes in their Major who hummed love songs as she went about her duties. Snatches of "My Blue Heaven" or "It Had To Be You" could be heard as she filled out charts or changed dressings. Her nurses found it truly remarkable that their superior officer suddenly had a softer side. The corpmen were simply grateful to no longer be the scourge of humanity in the Major's sight.

Klinger remarked that he had ordered a pattern and the material for a satin wedding gown just in case it was needed.

Colonel Potter watched with a mild curiosity as Margaret and his new surgeon fell in love. Knowing her past, he found it amazing that she could fall in love so rapidly with a man who had, according to Hawkeye's accounts, been her tormentor less than a year ago.

"Love certainly is no respector of persons, Francis," he said to his priest one afternoon as they stood in the doorway of his office, watching Margaret and Trapper make their way across camp, hand in hand. "I wish the wife could be here. Mildred enjoys a good romance."

Father Mulcahy smiled," God works in mysterious ways, Colonel. And sometimes He works rather rapidly. He created the world in just six days, But this is fast even for Him. Think about it - this romance blossomed in one short lunch hour!"

Easy going, even tempered, steady BJ took the unfolding romance in stride. Watching them brought an ache for his family ten thousand miles away, but he was honestly happy that his new friend and Margaret had found each other. He liked the softer, sweeter Major Houlihan. Love made her almost human.

Most amazed of all the inner circle, was Hawkeye. Having spent an entire year with Trapper and knowing his reputation where women were concerned, it was puzzling to him that Trapper seemed content to take things slow with Margaret. What surprised him most was that Trapper continued to come home to The Swamp every night. This slow approach was definitely something new for John Xavier McIntyre. As for himself, Hawkeye thought the words "women" and "go slow" could not possibly be used in the same sentence.

When questioned, Trapper shrugged and said,"I love this woman. I don't want anything and I mean anything to mar our relationship. We've both been through too much to ruin it now. I'll be patient." Then, he confided what was really on his mind. "I intend to marry Margaret and I want this marriage to get off to the right start from the beginning."

Startled, Hawkeye, put down the recently brewed martini he had poured and stared at his friend. "Hot Lips? You want to marry Hot Lips? Ouch! Playboy Trapper John bites the dust! This is the end of life as we know it."

"What can I say?" Trapper answered quietly. " Who knows when and where love strikes? Call it fate. Call it Divine Intervention. Call it anything you like but this woman has changed the course of my life. All I know is,I want to spend the next hundred years with her."


Love Takes No Holiday

Suddenly, it was one week before Thanksgiving and the holiday spirit pervaded the 4077th. The flow of wounded slowed to a trickle. Everyone agreed it was the perfect time for a huge party to start the season. Officers and enlisted personel looked forward to the evening ahead.
The nursing staff decorated the Officers Club in a Thanksgiving theme. Klinger made himself a new fall outfit. Mr. Quang invented a "Turkey Time Cocktail" for the celebration.

The surgical staff was kept busy in Post Op during the morning hours then, made quick rounds in the afternoon. Margaret's work load was light and after some catch-up paper work, she went to her tent to change. She was brushing her hair, when she heard the roar of a jeep entering camp and looked up to see who it was. As she watched, Trapper opened the door from The Swamp to dash across the compound to where the jeep stopped in front of the Mess Tent.

Puzzled, Margaret put down the brush and watched Trapper greet the driver with a slap on the back and a warm handshake. Then, looking about as if to see if he was being observed, he hurriedly stuffed something into his fatigue pocket.

Margaret called out to him,"Trapper. What are you doing?" but he appeared to ignore her and dashed back into The Swamp.


The Main Event

Later that night in the O Club, with the party in full swing, Trapper and Margaret sat drinking coffee. Hawkeye and BJ joined them but scorned coffee in favor of something stronger.

"Coffee's bad for you,Trap," Hawkeye said. "Keeps you awake nights."

"At least when I 'm awake, I'll have a liver," Trap retorted.

"My, how you've changed," BJ said. "Not a bit like Wildman Trapper John I'm used to hearing about."

"And for the better, I do hope," Trapper said. "That stuff will pickle your brain sooner or later."

At that moment, Moonlight In Vermont kicked in on the jukebox. "Dance, my darling?" he asked Margaret and they were gone, leaving Hawk and BJ at the table.

Watching the two lost in each other and the music, Hawkeye observed, "Alcohol is not the only thing that pickles the brain, my dear Watson. Love can do it, as witness: what's happening on the dance floor even as we speak. It is simply amazing what love can accomplish. Our fellow Swamp Rat has been bitten by a giant love bug."

"And he's not even attempting to scratch the itch," BJ said quietly.

Lost in the music and each other, Margaret and Trapper danced close, unaware of anyone else. The music stopped but they kept dancing, not realizing they were the only ones left on the floor. Applause and laughter from their fellow staffers brought them back to the present.

Later, when everyone had drifted out of the club, Margaret and Trapper reluctantly headed across the compound toward Margaret's tent. The air was cool and crisp. The harvest moon overhead gave even the 4077 a beautiful silvery luster. They strolled leisurely across the compound, arm in arm.

"It certainly got quiet all of a sudden," Margaret
ventured. "Why did everyone leave just as the party was getting wound up?"

"Don't know," Trapper shrugged. "Just tired I guess. -- Say, Honey, let's go in the Mess Tent a minute. I left something there." He pulled her across the camp.

"What on earth do we need from the Mess Tent? Aren't we tortured there three times a day already?"

"I don't recall any torture there the first day I was back here," Trapper grinned. "I remember getting the best dish on the menu. Come on!"

Only one dim bulb lit the tent. It was over the chow line, where he had kissed her that first day, a few short weeks ago. Trapper pulled her to the spot so that the light fell softly across her face.

"Here! This is it!" Trapper said.

"This is what?" Margaret said, "What are you talking about?"

"This is the exact spot where I kissed you that first day back," he said, "And I think I will do it again." With that he took her face in his hands and pulled her mouth to his, kissing her deeply.

Breathless, Margaret pulled away. "Well, Captain, I am certainly not one to complain about reliving old times," she whispered as she snuggled closer to him. "What did we come in here for anyway?" she asked, puzzled, "You said you left something."

"I did, Sweetheart," he said, "It was my heart. Don't you remember? This is the place I realized that I couldn't live without you, Major Houlihan. Don't tell me you've forgotten that!"

Margaret smiled. "How could I? That was the minute the whole world changed for me, too."

"Then, I guess it's all right to give you this" he said. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small velvet box. He placed it in her palm and closed her hand around it and covered it with his own larger one.

"Margaret Houlihan, will you marry me?" he asked.

Stunned, Margaret found herself speechless.

"Marry you? I - I- " she began.

"Say yes!" came the shouts of her nursing staff from their hiding places behind the chow line. They were joined by Klinger, the other Corpsmen and officers, who appeared from out of nowhere and took up the chant, "Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"

Laughing, she opened the tiny box. "It's beautiful! Where did this come from? Oh! Is this what you were hiding this afternoon when the jeep driver came? I wondered what you were doing."

He put the ring on her finger. "Hope you like it, I had to depend on Sidney Freedman in Seoul to choose it. I called him and he promised to find the most beautiful ring for the most beautiful woman in the world. His driver brought it this afternoon.
Well?" He looked at her hopefully.
"Well, yes!" she laughed. "How does Major Margaret McIntyre sound?"

Slipping the ring on her finger, he said, "Mmm...three M's! Sounds like a triple threat to me...or maybe heaven on earth," he said.
He picked her up in his arms, and swung her around the Mess Tent while the rest of the 4077 shouted their approval.

Someone turned on a record player and the strains of "It Had To Be You" filled the Mess Tent. Trapper and Margaret danced across the floor, lost in each other. The party lasted until dawn.


One Week Later --Thanksgiving Day

Looking in the mirror, Father Francis Mulcahy adjusted his vestments and gave his sandy-red hair a final touch. It had been quite a while since he had been asked to perform a wedding ceremony but it was the joy of his ministry to see people in love joining their futures. This would be one marriage that would give him particular pleasure. These two young people had found each other in the middle of a horrid war and gloried in it.

Their love has touched us all, he daydreamed. Seeing their joy in each other has made life a little more bearable for all of us in this God forsaken place, he thought.

"Oops! I didn't mean that, Lord," he whispered aloud, crossing himself. "This glorious, wonderful day would not be happening without You. Your perfect plan unfolds in the most unlikely places sometimes. This unexpected romance has made war bearable."

His thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking at his tent door. He opened it to see Trapper John, broad shouldered and handsome in his Class A's, trying without success to smooth his blonde curls.

"Come in, Trapper. Well, well, it's almost time to walk that last lonely mile," The Father chuckled.

"Just a little jocularity, son, to chase away the butterflies".

"Well, I guess I do have a slight case of the jitters," Trapper grinned. "I'm trying to be calm."

"It will be all over soon, and you and Margaret will be together for a lifetime."

"Well, that's what I want to talk about, Father." Trapper began, "I owe so much to you. Without your letter, I wouldn't even be here. I was so lost in my grief and so busy trying to forget by way of the bottle, that I never could have made it without you. Your letter is the reason that I found my way back to sanity. You gave me the courage to take the first steps in putting my life together again. Margaret was here waiting all the time," His voice broke.

After a moment, he cleared his throat and went on, "We're always rushing off to Triage or OR and I spend so much time with Margaret, that I never seem to find time to make you really understand just how much you have meant to us and to our life together. I just wanted you to know that Father," he said, "I can never repay you,"

"God bless you, Trapper. Your happiness with Margaret is my reward. Of course, when the little McIntyres begin come along, you could remember these names - say, how does Francis John Patrick McIntyre sound ?"

Laughing, they hugged each other, sharing a close moment, as only men who truly admire and respect each other can do.

"And now, Captain, I think there is someone waiting for you in satin and lace, courtesy of Corporal Klinger, Shall we go?"

With that, Trapper John McIntyre walked out of the chaplain's tent, across the compound and into the arms of the radiant Margaret Houlihan.


And Away We Go...

After the wedding, the boisterous reception, the usual round of toasts and funny presents, Trapper and Margaret prepared to leave the 4077th for their honeymoon. They would travel to Seoul for the night, then take a flight the next day to Tokyo.

Rizzo parked the jeep in front of the Mess Tent where the party was still going strong. Decorated by the nurses, with gauze streamers, inflated rubber gloves and of strings of tin cans, the vehicle's back seat was loaded with luggage. covered by an old khaki blanket, awaiting their departure.

"Anyone see Hawkeye and Beej?" Trapper queried. Just then, Klinger, in his new flowered chiffon, rounded the corner from Post-Op. "They had to see about a critical patient and said to give you their best. And, oh, Hawk says to tell you, Sir, that he's soooo sorry he's not here to kiss the Major goodbye".

Trapper laughed out loud remembering Hawkeye's long, passionate kisses for any female who happened to be passing. "Just as well they're not here. I don't trust Hawk as far as I could throw this ridiculous looking jeep."

Then, picking Margaret up in a swirl of satin and lace, showers of rice and shouts of good wishes, he settled his bride in the jeep. Jumping in beside her, he cranked it and heard the engine roar to life. They headed for Seoul and their first night together.

They had gone only a mile down the dusty road, when Margaret, who had snuggled close to her new husband, suddenly sat up with a strange look on her face.

"Trap!" she shrieked," Something's wrong. I smell a rat! I smell two rats and they are both wearing khaki!"

With that, she turned to face the back seat, where the old blanket was spread. Jerking it up, she screamed, "It's you! You two --you're ruining this war --er - this honeymoon!"

The khaki duo struggled to stand upright in the bouncing jeep. "Don't mind us, kids," Hawkeye yelled between bumps,"We're just along for the ride."

And with that, Hawk and BJ gave Mrs. Major Margaret Houlihan McIntyre their best, most well-rehearsed and snappiest of salutes.

As they bounced along toward Seoul, the laughter of Trapper, Margaret, BJ and Hawkeye swelled and lingered in the twilight, wafting its way to the stars that lit their way through the darkening Korean night.

The End



Footnote: These characters do not belong to me -- wish they did! I have just borrowed them for fun! Can you guess which M*A*S*H surgeon is my favorite? It shouldn't be difficult! --GNW-- July 2000