The O.R. was a cacophony of noise and the doctors and nurses within were following along in time to the chaotic rhythm. The American troops were trying to take control of a vital trail in Songtan and as a result the wounded were pouring in faster than the doctors at the 4077th could possibly handle.

"How're you doing Hunnicutt?" Colonel Potter called out across the din.

BJ spared the aging man a glance before returning to the wounded man in front of him, "This guy could have rebuilt a jeep with the shrapnel I took out of his chest"

"Problems?" Potter asked, wincing to himself as he watched a new bleeder emerge in the belly of the soldier in front of him.

Hunnicutt shook his head, "Nothing I can't handle, Colonel. Suction," he said to the nurse assisting him.

"How 'bout you, Pierce?" The man continued, tying off the fresh bleeder and searching for the shrapnel that had caused the problem.

Hawkeye shook his head in disgust, "This guy got a belly full. I've had to perform a partial gastrectomy." Pierce shook his head again as he surveyed the damage. "I need a clamp here," he said to the nurse beside him, "It looks like a hardware store in here," he continued, mostly to himself. "The kid can't be much older than nineteen."

"And thanks to you, his twentieth birthday will be stateside," Hunnicutt pointed out.

Above the noise in the O.R. thunder pealed ominously, bringing the promise of heavy Korean rain.

"Uh oh," Potter mumbled, tossing a large piece of shrapnel into the proffered bowl with a decisive clang.

"Just what we need," Hunnicutt added wearily, rolling his head to the left and right.

"Someone get the ark out of storage," Hawkeye quipped.

The O.R. doors swung open just then and Klinger hurried in and took a position beside Colonel Potter. He spared a glance at the open belly in front of him before casting his eyes on his commanding officer.

"Colonel Potter?"

The man withdrew another piece of metal with a frown, "That's the rumor. Suction."

"Colonel, we've got a problem in pre-OP."

Potter was silent for a moment as he concentrated on the task at hand, "Where the hell ... ahhh," he removed a large portion of shrapnel before glancing at the corporal. "What kind of problem, Klinger? Did one of the wounded make a pass?"

"Funny sir," Klinger replied without a trace of humor, "We've got a soldier that just came in. So full of holes that he looks like he's tryin' to imitate Swiss cheese. He isn't looking good."

"I can't take him," Potter replied, "Pierce?" he called out.

Hawkeye shook his head, "I'm getting rather intimate with this man's bowel at the moment."

"Hunnicutt?"

BJ nodded and stepped back from his surgical table as the wounded man was taken away to finish healing, "I'm done here, I'll take him."

Klinger hurried out as Hunnicutt ripped off his gloves in an exchange for a fresh pair. The wounded soldier, a South Korean, was soon hustled in and BJ swore softly when he saw the man's condition. Bullet holes riddled almost every part of his body, and Hunnicutt didn't even know where he was going to begin. Suddenly, the man on the table came to life with a tremendous scream, flailing his arms about like a drowning man and striking out at anything that came too close to him. BJ sighed heavily and tried to calm the hysterical man, "Look, we're not gonna be able to patch you up if you keep --"

He was interrupted by a violent outburst of Korean and the man's hysterical attempt to get off the surgical table.

"Looks like someone's not pleased with the service," Potter commented, keeping his eyes warily on the delirious man.

Hawkeye glanced up quickly as Hunnicutt grabbed the man's hands and held him tightly down, "Wait 'till he gets our bill."

BJ nodded at the anesthesiologist who tried to cup the gas mask over the Korean's face. The man screamed loudly and flailed his head madly from left to right.

"Hurry up and put him under, will ya?" Hunnicutt snapped.

The gas man sighed in irritation as he roughly grabbed the Korean by his chin and slapped the mask into place. The injured man settled back and BJ sighed in approval as the anesthesiologist moved a hand to adjust the gas tank and take a blood pressure reading. Hunnicutt watched in silence for a moment before stepping toward the table to begin the task ahead of him.

It promised to be a long night.

"Doctor!" The gas man shouted an unexpected warning.

It was not in time. The injured man bolted up suddenly with a yell, lashing out at Hunnicutt with strength that belied his damaged state. BJ was so surprised by the outburst that he stumbled over his feet in an attempt to get out of the man's way. As a result, he lost his balance and fell over backwards, hitting the back of his head on the surgical table behind him with a sickening crack that carried over the noise in O.R.

The reaction inside was instantaneous. Nurses, corpsmen and any person not occupied with a patient ran forward to subdue the deranged man. He screamed shrilly in Korean and fought the onslaught with the strength of a madman. A tray of surgical instruments was knocked to the ground in the ensuing altercation, it crashed to the ground sending medical implements spinning and sliding across the O.R. floor in some kind of berserk dance.

"Someone restrain that man!" Potter shouted over the chaos.

"Get me a tranquilizer!" Margaret Houlihan called over the din.

Klinger came running in with a hypodermic needle and placed it as carefully as he could into her outstretched hand. After a few seconds, the noise died down and the mob picked itself carefully off the table, not entirely trusting the Korean to stay unconscious.

Hawkeye turned to the nurse beside him, "Do you think you can handle things for a moment?"

The woman nodded at him and picked up the sutures as Pierce tore his gloves off and eased around the surgical table. He saw BJ lying on his side on the floor and quickly knelt by his side.

"How's Hunnicutt?" Potter called out as he began to finish his work on the soldier in front of him, his voice was laced with tension. "Sounded like he got a pretty nasty bump on the head."

Hawkeye put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Beej, when I said you had to get some sense knocked into you, I didn't think you'd take me seriously."

When Hunnicutt didn't respond immediately, Pierce dropped his playful facade and gently shook his friend, "BJ?"

The figure on the ground groaned softly and slowly opened his eyes, turning painfully onto his back.

"Beej?" Pierce called again.

"Hunnicutt? You alright?" Potter asked also.

BJ blinked a few times before struggling to sit up. Hawkeye grabbed his friend's elbow and helped him get to his feet. "Someone check the floor for me," Hunnicutt said painfully, "I think my head fell off."

There were a few nervous snickers as the O.R. gradually returned to its normal chaotic state.

The rain came as the last of the wounded began to settle into the post-OP ward and stillness returned to the M*A*S*H compound. It was the typical Korean downpour that looked like it was attempting to wipe away the entire surrounding countryside. There were those inside the 4077th that would have been only too happy for the rain to oblige.

Inside the Swamp, Captain Pierce quietly poured himself a drink from the still as he surveyed the wet mess taking place outside. "You know," he said to no one in particular, "the mud would be a little more interesting if we added a couple of nurses to it."

There was a soft snicker from the bed beside him, and Pierce turned to cast his blue eyes upon the occupant.

"How's your head?"

Hunnicutt shrugged listlessly as he tried to get comfortable on his cot, "I don't know, is it still there?" he replied more to his pillow than to Pierce.

"That bad, huh?" his friend said, setting down his cup of gin.

BJ nodded slightly and slowly turned over onto his other side so that he was staring at Pierce.

"Dizzy?" Hawkeye asked.

"Somewhat."

"Nauseous?"

"No more so than usual, thanks to the cook"

Pierce smiled at that and planted his hands on his hips, "Sounds to me like you may have a concussion. You took a helluva fall."

"Funny," Hunnicutt replied, closing his eyes, "I made the same diagnosis."

"Really?" Hawkeye replied, picking up his glass and taking a sip, "You better be careful, Beej, the army can kick you out for impersonating a doctor."

"Better tell that to Frank," BJ mumbled, opening one eye to stare at his friend.

They remained silent for a few moments before simultaneously agreeing, "Nah!"

"Why should he be allowed to get off so easily?" Hawkeye concluded.

BJ grinned and slowly sat up, deciding that lying down was not easing the tremendous ache in his head after all. He reached up with a groan and began to lightly massage his temples. Hawkeye took a seat on the edge of his cot and put his gin down once again, "Let me take a look at you," he said at last.

"You took one this morning," Hunnicutt said, letting his hands fall limply between his knees, "That's more than you deserve."

"A man in your condition shouldn't joke," Pierce said with a small smile, "it might actually be funny."

"Listen, Hawk, I know the routine, alright? Stay alert, don't fall asleep, report any abnormal symptoms. I've treated enough head injuries in my time."

"Well, I prescribe rest for the next twenty-four hours, try not to do anything strenuous."

"Tell that to the war," BJ mumbled, deciding to try and lie back down again.

"I'll give you a doctor's note," Pierce replied, reaching for his glass and drinking the rest of its contents in a single gulp.

Lightning suddenly flashed in the night sky, lighting up the compound in an eerie glow. Overhead, thunder echoed across the valley.

Pierce put the glass down with a gasp and got to his feet.

Hunnicutt smiled up at his friend, "I thought you said the army kicked you out for impersonating a doctor."

Hawkeye snapped his fingers as he suddenly recalled what was said earlier. At the same moment, the door swung open and Radar O'Reilly walked in.

"Now that's service," Hawkeye commented with a grin.

"Hiya, sirs," the young corporal greeted the men, shaking the excess water from his rain slicker.

"What brings you out this way on this kind of night, Radar?" BJ asked, draping a hand over his eyes.

The company clerk brought out two steaming mugs of coffee from beneath his slicker and handed one to Hawkeye who sniffed it and made a face, opting instead to set it on the still. "No thanks, Radar," he said at last, "you don't know where that coffee's been."

The young man giggled and bent over BJ, holding out the steaming mug. "Cap'n Hunnicutt?"

"He's not home," BJ replied.

"I brought you some coffee, sir."

BJ groaned and turned his head away from the noxious odor.

"Gee, sir," Radar began, pulling the mug back and standing up, "you don't look so hot. You got a headache or something?"

"Or something," Hawkeye replied, and at the young man's confused look, he explained, "BJ has a concussion, Radar, the result of falling forward in the wrong direction and hitting his head."

"Golly, sounds painful."

"You should hear me describe an appendectomy."

"A what?"

"Nothing, Radar. Good night."

"Oh, right. 'Night sirs."

As he prepared to leave the Swamp, Hawkeye called after him, "Try not to float away."

BJ bolted up in his cot at the exact moment the alert was sounded for all medical personnel to report to the O.R. at once for the incoming wounded. Dawn was just beginning to peak over the horizon, bathing everything in a blood-red glow.

However, it wasn't the alert that had awakened him. He gasped involuntarily at the blinding pain radiating through his skull, struggling desperately to get off of his cot knowing that he was going to be sick.

He lurched awkwardly past a groggy Hawkeye who could only grunt in surprise, but he only made it as far as the outside of the door before he retched.

Inside, Hawkeye was pulling on his boots when he heard his friend get sick, "Beej?" he opened the door and put his hand on Hunnicutt's back. BJ groaned and straightened shakily, staring dully at his friend as he wiped his mouth with the back of an unsteady hand.

"You alright?" Pierce asked.

The smile Hunnicutt attempted failed before it even had a chance, "No chance for me to say 'yes', is there?"

Hawkeye stared intensely at Hunnicutt, his blue eyes hard, "You need to stay in bed."

BJ stared at the medical personnel rushing past them and looked up at the sound of arriving choppers and ambulances.

"Tell that to the wounded," he said, and made a move to walk off. A hand on his elbow stopped him and he looked into Pierce's angry eyes.

"I'm not kidding BJ."

Hunnicutt pulled loose from Hawkeye's grip, "Neither am I. Look, Hawk, I appreciate your concern, but with Frank in Tokyo for the next few days you're going to need all the help you can get." At the look in his friend's eyes, he added with a small smile, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. It's just a concussion."

"I need some plasma over here!"

"This one needs some whole blood, Klinger! Get me some blood!"

"Prep this one!"

The voices and sounds in pre-OP seemed to coalesce and condense into one swirling mass and BJ grabbed the edge of a stretcher as the ward around him swam lazily and momentarily lost focus.

"Hunnicutt!"

He turned at the sound of his name and saw Potter waving him over. He let the stretcher go and willed himself to remain upright. "You called?"

"My God, son, you look awful," the colonel said.

BJ splayed a hand across his chest, feigning injured feelings, "Well, if you can't say anything nice to me, our date is off."

Potter didn't smile. "How's that noggin' of yours?"

Hunnicutt sighed heavily and let the mask he was wearing falter for a moment as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his head.

"Hurts like Hell, huh?"

At BJ's nod, Potter patted him gently on the back, "A concussion is no fun. Listen, son, leave the rough cases for Pierce and me. Don't overdo yourself in there."

"No problem, I prefer myself medium-rare anyway. What have you got for me, Colonel?" he asked, glancing down at the wounded soldier.

"Multiple fragment wounds to the legs, get scrubbed up."

"Your wish is my command."

"Doctor?"

BJ looked up at the sound of the soft voice next to him.

"Yes?" he asked as the world swam back into focus and the fog in his head cleared a bit.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Depends on who you talk to," Hunnicutt replied somewhat drunkenly, "Why?"

"You've been staring at this soldier for a full minute without moving."

BJ smiled in embarrassment, "You caught me. Scalpel."

"How you doing, Beej?"

"Okay, Hawk."

"What have you got, Pierce?"

"A bunion on the big toe."

"I was talking about your patient," Potter growled.

"Clamp," Hawkeye said to Houlihan, who was assisting him. To the colonel he replied, "So was I."

A shout of surprise rang out as the clatter of medical equipment falling to the floor broke through the O.R. drone. Both Hawkeye and Potter looked for the sound and saw Hunnicutt holding his left arm with his eyes squeezed shut in obvious pain.

"Beej?"

Hunnicutt forced his eyes open and tried to shake out his left arm, "Got a cramp," he replied.

"Need some help?" Hawkeye asked, glancing at the patient in front of him.

BJ paused before nodding and Pierce handed the clamp over to Houlihan, "Take over for me."

"But Captain!" she objected.

He turned and looked at her, his eyes hard over his mask, "You've done it before, Major, the wound is not that severe. Tie off the bleeders and then pack the wound open as you look for fragments. I'll come back after I assist with BJ."

Houlihan nodded and got to work, "Gloves!" Pierce called, ripping off his used ones.

He was supplied with a fresh pair as he went to assist his friend, "What've you got?"

Hawkeye looked up when he got no reply, he saw that Hunnicutt had lowered his head and momentarily closed his eyes.

"BJ?" he whispered.

Hunnicutt opened his eyes and Pierce saw that it took him a few seconds to blink his surroundings back into focus.

"Multiple fragment wounds," he replied at last. "He got hit in his legs."

Hawkeye spared BJ a glance before taking up a position in front him. He investigated the incision and nodded, "Forceps," he said and in front of him he watched as Hunnicutt struggled to stay in control.

Pierce stood back from the surgical table with an audible sigh as Hunnicutt made the last stitch. "Table three is ready with no waiting!" he called as he tore his gloves off, turning to head back to his previous patient. "Who's next over here?"

"Hawkeye?"

Pierce turned his head to look over his shoulder at BJ, surprised at how bad the other doctor looked.

"What is it?" he asked with concern.

"I think --"

Hawkeye yelled in shock as Hunnicutt suddenly toppled over, hitting the surgical table before landing heavily on the O.R. floor.

"Radar!" Pierce yelled, making his way around the table and falling to his knees beside the unconscious man.

The corporal came running in and stopped short of tripping over Hawkeye. "Holy cow!" he exclaimed.

"Pierce, what's going on over there?"

"I don't know, Hunnicutt's out," he replied to Potter, to Radar he said, "Get me an X-Ray of BJ's head. I need to know what I'm dealing with here."

"Right away, sir."

Hawkeye held his friend tightly as his body began to convulse and shake aberrantly. "Margaret!" he called.

The blond nurse appeared, her eyes wide with fright. "If I need to operate, I'm going to need you to assist me, pack that soldier's wound open."

She nodded and went back to her table as Klinger arrived with Radar to take BJ away.

Pierce swore softly as he studied the recent X-Ray.

"What have you got, son?" Potter asked, stepping back from his table as the wounded soldier he had been working on was taken away.

"Extradural hematoma," Hawkeye said quietly, his face furrowing in dismay. "Didn't think he hit his head that hard," he continued, turning to stare at the colonel.

"Son, we need to send him to Tokyo."

"Colonel --"

"Pierce, we don't have the means to give BJ the kind of help that he needs," the C.O. continued as a clean pair of gloves were placed on his extended hands.

"Colonel, we send him to Tokyo he'll never make it!" Hawkeye shouted, "He's been bleeding into his brain since yesterday and the longer we wait to operate the less likely his chance of survival will be."

"He has a better chance with the doctor's in Tokyo," Potter said, standing over Hawkeye's previous patient.

"He has a better chance here with doctors who give a damn."

Potter looked up at the doctor in front of him for a few heartbeats before he sighed, "You'll have to do the surgery, son. You're the only one qualified to do it."

Pierce swallowed harshly, "I know, but I've only read about this kind of surgery. I've never done it before."

"Forceps." Potter glanced up at Hawkeye, "Then you already have more experience than I do, 'cause I've never even read about it."

Hawkeye was silent for a minute before he finally nodded.

Radar and Klinger came in then with BJ between them, "Sirs, he's ready," the young corporal said.

With a final glance at his C.O., Hawkeye turned and prepared to perform the impossible.

Potter work on the wounded soldiers, keeping up with the pace as best he could until Pierce was finished with BJ. Hawkeye stood over his unconscious friend, not very sure about the surgery he was about to perform but he knew that without it, BJ would die.

He would be damned if he would let that happen.

He nodded at the anesthesiologist.

The first sight BJ Hunnicutt saw when he opened his eyes was the worried face of Margaret Houlihan bending over him.

"Omigod," he whispered hoarsely.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, "Are you in pain?"

"No," he said with a slight shake of his head, "I've died and gone to Hell."

She sat back and whacked him gently on the arm as Pierce came up just then, "Sorry, no such luck. You're still alive."

"Well, one out of two ain't bad," BJ said with a sigh.

Potter came over next and sat on the edge of a nearby empty bed, "You gave us quite a scare, son."

BJ reached up to touch the bandage surrounding his head. "What happened?"

"You collapsed in the O.R.," Hawkeye stated, "You were suffering from an extradural hematoma, the result of hitting your head a few days ago. Lucky you didn't injure something you use regularly."

BJ smiled at that and attempted a swat in Pierce's direction.

Potter slapped Hawkeye firmly on his back as he got up, "Did a helluva job, son, helluva job."

"Yeah, thanks Hawk," BJ added "Although, 'thank you' seems very inappropriate for saving my life."

"Hey, it was nothing," Pierce replied with a grin, "I've always said you needed some sense drilled into your head. Besides, what's a deck of cards without the joker?"