The Aftermath

"Well, Pierce, I certainly am glad to see you back."

"Charles, don't tell me you missed me," said Hawkeye as he sat down on his cot.

"Certainly not," Charles answered, visibly appalled. "If you would have been lost in this God-forsaken country, we all would have had to double up on shifts 'til you got back. If you got back."

"That's our little Miss Mary Sunshine," said B.J. "Hey Hawk, want a drink?"

"Do you have to ask?" The dark-haired Captain took a sip out of the martini glass B.J. had handed him. "Ahhhh. Darling, I've missed you so."

Trying to ignore his bunkmate's love affair with a piece of tableware, Charles crawled under the covers on his bunk. "If you would cease your adolescent twittering, I would like to have a nice, peaceful sleep."

"Sleep? In Korea? You're out of your mind," B.J. said.

Hawkeye absentmindedly glanced at his dogtags. "What the..."

"What's wrong?" asked B.J.

"Nothing," Hawkeye replied quickly. "I'm gonna go take a walk. If Charles gets colicky give him his teddy bear."

"Adolescent-minded humor is your specialty, Pierce," Charles called.

XXX

Margaret was drying off her hair with a towel when someone knocked on the door to her tent.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"That special Captain person."

"What do you want?" Margaret said, not bothering to open the door.

"I have something of yours you might want back."

Bracing herself for some sort of prank, Margaret crossed her arms. "Will you go away?"

Outside, Hawkeye groaned. Talking to the Major was like talking to a wall. "Let me in."

"Why?"

"Damnit, Margaret, will you stop being so paranoid?"

Margaret opened the door. "Fine."

As Hawkeye walked in, Margaret tied her robe in a double knot.

"Look at your dogtags," instructed Hawkeye.

Margaret obeyed. "These are yours," she realized.

Her mind drifted back to the previous night in the hut. During the...events...theirs must have gotten switched.

"Thank you," Margaret said as she took them off. "Did anyone see them?"

"No one but my multiple personalities." Hawkeye grinned and the two switched.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Margaret said, "You know, when we were stranded...that wasn't me. I mean, it was but it wasn't."

"I know. 'Night, Hotlips."

Hawkeye moved closer to Margaret and kissed her.

"Okay, Major Houlihan, I've got the--"

Radar yelped and slammed the door shut behind him.

Hawkeye's laugh could have been heard in Seoul.

Finis

A/N: Well. That was a nice little explosion from my keyboard to WordPad to everyone in cyberspace. I don't know if you would consider this a deleted scene, or a tag, or what, but I do hope you liked it. R&R if you did, R&R if you didn't, but if the latter's the case, please be kind.