She missed breakfast the next morning. Instead, Nellie spent time in Post Op with the kids, and then made her way to her favorite spot on the Upper Chopper Pad. The morning had dawned clear and relatively cool, a blessing compared to the last week's heat wave. Her stomach didn't want to spoil the mood with Mess Tent food where no doubt powdered eggs and spam awaited them.

So she sat and she read. With each turn of the page, Nellie let herself forget the war. She forgot about the artillery that often beat like thunder in the distance. She forgot about the rats the size of cats which skittered about at night and each morning. She forgot about the spam, and the eggs, and the burnt toast. Instead she saw little half height people and dwarfs- no, dwarves, he spelled it- and legends of golden treasure under a dragon's wing. 

The sound of a Jeep pulled her from the book. She closed it, remembering her page, and looked down at the hospital. Colonel Potter appeared. With a small smile, she tucked her book under one arm and started down the steps. By the time she'd returned her book to her tent, Colonel Potter had already left the hospital and went to find breakfast. 

"Major, package for you – if you want to grab it before I start rounds?"

She turned to see Klinger waving from the door to his office. "Thanks!" Nellie changed course to join him. "What's that smell?" As she entered his office, a fragrance like floral perfume wafted her way.

Klinger grinned. He picked up a letter. Closing his eyes, he ran it under his nose and hummed. "That would be a letter from my cousin Fatima. It's jasmine."

"Smells like home, then?"

"It's a better smell than Toledo after dark, that's for sure." 

With a laugh, Nellie nodded. Baltimore hadn't smelled any better, she was sure. A bag of letters sat on the clerk's desk. But no package. "Where's the package?"

"Over there." Klinger gestured to a brown box on the ground. It was fairly large. "Do you need help?"

She reached down and looked at the label. Worn and scratched, she barely made out to the to-from. When she picked it up, she grunted. "Good Lord. What's in this?"

"Beats me! I'm just glad I'm not the one lugging it around Korea. The Colonel's package was enough trouble."

"What'd he get?"

"He wouldn't tell me! He threatened to wring my neck if I asked any more questions. Colonel's in a bad mood though, so stay out of his way."

Nellie frowned. Adjusting the box, she turned to the door. Then she looked back. "Right. Thanks."

The door snapped open as she pushed her way through. Looking over the box wasn't easy. The Colonel burst out of the Mess Tent as she walked past. With a tiny wave, all she could manage, she greeted him. The nod he sent in response didn't reassure her.

"Watch out!"

Shari's warning came just in time as three young boys raced in front of her. Nellie gasped. With a dramatic roll of her eyes, she waited for them to pass with the dog they chased. Her tent wasn't far.

The balancing act she pulled off to open her tent door would've impressed anyone, had anyone been around to see it. Throwing it on the bed, she caught her breath. It sliced open easily with her scissors. On the top, a letter rested. It bore Jack's handwriting.

"Dear Nellie,

"Happy birthday! You're one year older, which is crazy. I swear just yesterday we went out to the bar and drank to you leaving med school. I got your first letter yesterday, and packed this up to send you today. I hope that guy Hawkeye doesn't cause you any trouble, or I'll come to Korea and kick his ass myself.

"I've missed you terribly since you left six months ago. But getting your letters makes all the difference. I know you can't send me a tape recording on a woman's pay, but my buddy Jason pitched in and we bought you a machine to play things we tape here! The one good thing the Nazis left us.

"Be careful setting it up. Don't break it.

"Love, Jack."

Nellie pulled the machine out from under the packaging. She'd seen tape recorders at Johns Hopkins. A real marvel. Now she had one for herself. It fit right next to her desk, elevated off the ground temporarily by a crate. She plugged it in. The wheels turned. And then she heard him.

"Happy birthday! Again! Hopefully you read the letter. It's been tough without you here, but I'm hoping it's easier for you over there. Somehow I doubt it. I remember how terrible war is." A pause followed. "But you know that. Anyways, just wanted to tell you that all your colleagues at Johns say hi. Sarah Darling wanted to be on this recording but I said it was for me only. Captain's privilege. And even if i wasn't the ranking person in your group of friends, I'd play the older brother card." He laughed, and another pause followed. "While you're there, watch out for snipers. And rats. Their fleas'll kill you. And be careful of dysentery. Yes I know you know, but I need to say this since Dad and Mom can't. I'm running out of space, Nell. Keep safe, please. I've lost so many people. I can't lose you, too."

"You won't lose me." Nellie's heart constricted at her brother's plea. She could hear the pain in his voice beneath the laughs. It had taken so much strength for him to let her go, she had never found a way to properly thank him for it.

"Break a few noses for me, yeah? I know you can handle yourself. But war is a different beast altogether and you need to be prepared to do what is necessary. Just don't do anything stupid." He paused and then laughed. "I'm rambling again. God bless you, Nellie O'Hara. See you soon."

"See you soon." 

The promise escaped her before she could even process the click at the end of the tape. Her knees buckled and she sat on her bed. Her heart raced. With each beat, questions rose. Had she been right to leave him? Had she been right to risk his life and sanity by heading into a warzone? Nellie grabbed her face in her hands and leaned on her knees.

A knock on her door jolted Nellie upright. She took a deep breath, counted to five, and then opened it. Klinger stood there. In his hands were manila letter sized envelopes.

"Here, Major. From our beloved peach of a Colonel."

"What?"

"Don't ask. These are for the other five little piggies."

Nellie's face scrunched up in confusion. She took the letter he offered and opened it. As Klinger started away, she followed him slowly.

"You are invited to my tent tomorrow at 1900 hours. Cordially, Sherman Potter. P.S. that's an order."

Nellie wandered into the Lab after Klinger. He handed out the letters one by one to the other surgeons where they sat playing with serums. 

"Undoubtedly a commendation for the outstandingly average manner in which I led this camp upon his absence."

"Wrong, defrocked chieftain. All the indians got them, even me a lowly brave." Klinger pulled up his next one. "Hunnicutt, BJ."

"The plot thickens."

"Winchester, Charles E."

The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He took the letter from Klinger and opened it. "What's it say?"

"I don't know and I read mine."

As they all read their letters, both Margaret and  Father Mulcahy came in flashing their own. Upon rereading, the letter's meaning didn't clear even a bit. But Klinger explained the Colonel had gotten a package from some lawyers, handed out the letters, and then locked himself away.

"Lawyers?" Hawkeye looked around at the others, his expression grave. "Divorce?"

Margaret immediately objected, and they all agreed it would be stupid. Mildred Potter wouldn't do that, even Nellie knew from what she'd heard of their relationship.

Hawkeye tried again. "Maybe a tax problem?"

"Or a will?"

The entire room went silent for a split second. Then everyone exploded into objections. Nellie just watched in concern as they debated Charles's comment. He pointed out that if the visit to Tokyo for a sick friend had been an excuse for Potter to get himself checked, it would explain the man's mood, the lawyers, and the notes they'd received.

"I pray I'm assessing the information incorrectly-"

"Whatever it is, we'll deal with it." Hawkeye cut Charles off and looked around carefully. With a tight grip on the box of serums in his hand, he nodded. "He'll tell us in his own way, I'm sure."

Padre grimaced. "Maybe he is."

They spent the day distributing medicine to the children. Ten shots each, one every two hours. The smaller doses would avoid the risk of shock setting in. They alternated between entertaining the Korean boys and girls, and taking breaks from what Charles called the "Munchkin Horde" with time spent in the Officers' Club. 

Nellie kept her eye on Hawkeye. Every movement he made looked more tense, more calculated. The usual flow in his step had turned to a mournful dragging. The quips lessened, and the jokes slowed. Her heart broke for him, and for the others. But it said a lot to her about the kind of man Colonel Potter was. The fact that the most ardent Army lover, Margaret, and most staunch Army hater, Hawkeye, both stressed over him… it got her thinking.

At 0300 hours, Nellie's alarm rang. She got up and pulled her new kimono over her pajamas. The nursing staff had pitched in to get it for her for her birthday. Crafted of genuine red silk and decorated with white and dark pink flowers, she had absolutely fallen in love with it. With a yawn, she left her tent and headed to give the kids their next injections.

Nurse Betty sat with the tired children in Post Op. The one Klinger had been calling Rita lay crying in her arms. Nellie frowned. But upon seeing her walk in, Nurse Betty just smiled down at Rita and whispered in Korean.

"I'll be right back with the serums," Nellie whispered. She passed the Nurse's Desk and went through into the clerical office as quietly as she could. But to her surprise, Klinger sat writing at the desk. "What are you doing up?"

"Hey Major." He yawned, and put down his pencil. Then he stood up. "Want help?"

"Sure."

Klinger followed her back into Post Op. She had him carry the box of little bottles while she administered the drug. It hurt her a little to have to wake up the children for midnight sticks of the needle. Before long, all eighteen children were inoculated, and Nellie sent Klinger back to his office with the bottles.

"Thanks for doing this," Nurse Betty said. She flashed a gentle smile in the dark of the Post Op.

Nellie just shrugged. "You've got the tough job."

She softened the blow of the closing door. The bugs chirped incessantly. Her footsteps led her past the Swamp. Suddenly a large furry rat ran past her feet and she gasped. "Damn! Stupid rats."

While she tried to slow her heart rate, she stood in the center of the compound. Her breathing began to slow. From the right came a yawn. Hawkeye dragged his feet across the compound, wrapped in his burgundy bathrobe, hair wet and towel slung over his shoulder.

"It's three am, what are you doing up?" Nellie tried to keep her voice low. "You should be sleeping."

"With you? Okay." 

The flirtation rolled off his tongue before he even acknowledged her. But it felt different. The usual tease in his voice had disappeared.

Finally he shrugged. "Did you know there's warm water at three am?"

"No. But it doesn't surprise me since no one is showering this early." 

Hawkeye grinned. "I am."

"You're worried about the Colonel," she said. Her tone left no room for objection. "We'll find out tonight what's wrong."

"You don't understand. Henry died, and we got Potter. Potter has been just about the best replacement we could've asked for. He's…He's somehow like my dad, despite being different." Hawkeye kicked a rock in anger. "The war keeps taking. I'm sick of it!"

Nellie suppressed a humorless laugh. "I know what you mean."

Hawkeye began to gesture with his hands, barely managing to keep his voice low. "This place stinks. It's hell. There is nothing good here, and never will be. Potter's allowed us to make things a little better."

Nellie grabbed his hand on impulse. Jack used to get fired up in the same way. Physical touch had helped him then. She said nothing, just held on. His breathing started slowing down. 

"At least Potter doesn't have to face this alone." She gently smiled at him. "He has friends."

He nodded. Then he looked down at where she held his hand and he smirked. "Never knew you cared."

"Don't ever question that." The words came out harsher than intended, even as she dropped the grip. What Hawkeye joked about hit too close to home. She folded her arms and turned away for a moment. Then she sighed. "I need sleep."

"You're telling me." Hawkeye yawned again. "See you in a few hours."