Henry was going home, none of us could believe it, but he was still going home to Bloomington Illinois, where Lorraine, Molly, Janie and Andy waited. We were going to have a party for him and major plans were underway.

"Annie, you have to sing for him, you're his girl Belle after all." Hawkeye argued, Henry had taken up calling me Belle or Bella, a shortened form of Annabelle, whichever name it was, it was more often than not combined with 'my girl.'

"Hawkeye, I can't sing," Hawkeye lifted my left hand and kissed the engagement ring he'd had Sid Freedman buy in Tokyo.

"You can too sing, I've heard you in the showers, remember?" I laughed; I'd been back in the men's showers with the discovery of a larger hole than before in the nurses' showers.

"The only time you heard me sing properly was when I was drunk!" I protested,

"True, but still, for us, for Henry, for me?" I sighed,

"Okay, but if I get something thrown at me. you're in big trouble!" Hawkeye wrote down something and the plans for Henry's party continued cheerfully.

"And here, for one night only, is my beautiful girl Annabelle Dawson, who's going to sing something for you!" Hawkeye offered me his hand and I took it. Everyone cheered as I cleared my throat.

"Well, I don't quite know what to sing on a day like this, but here's a little song anyway. He was a famous trumpet man from out Chicago way." I took my seat a couple of minutes later, amidst uproarious applause.

Someone put some music on and Henry asked me to dance. I gave Hawkeye a smile and as Henry and I danced, at the correct arms length, everyone else danced a lot closer.

"Annie, how about we make the most of our last dance?" He wrapped his arms around my waist and I rested my hands on his shoulders.

I heard Trapper murmur to Hawkeye as we ignored the end of the song and continued holding each other

"What's with them?" Hawkeye looked at us, caught my eye and smiled,

"Nothing Trapp, just two very good friends who are trying to make their last moments mean something." I blew my understanding fiancé a kiss over Henry's shoulder and he winked at me.

"Thankyou for that wonderful dance Henry." I hugged him tightly as he returned me to Hawkeye three songs later. Hawkeye took my hand,

"If you haven't worn her out entirely Henry, I'm going to have a dance with her now." Hawkeye twirled me onto the dance floor and the party continued merrily.

Father Mulcahy was playing the piano, while Henry, Trapper and Hawkeye were enjoying one last poker game, I was teaching Radar to dance and Klinger and Kellye were doing the cha-cha much to everyone's amusement. I had an inspiration and called for silence.

"Everyone, everyone, I've had an idea, we're going to have a sing-along!" There were some cheers, some boos and some objects that I had to duck to avoid.

"Seriously, I think it will be fun!" I whispered an instruction to Father Mulcahy and he began to play 'Army Life' I laughed,

"Okay just play along here! Us cuties in the Army, you wanna love us all, and we're prepared to let ya, coz we're having a ball! Come on, you all know this!"

Everyone began to sing the chorus with me, "Oh, I don't want no more of army life, gee mum I wanna go home!" Father Mulcahy kept playing and Trapper and Hawkeye rose to the occasion,

"The doctors in the army all we want is out, and to work on simple cases, appendicitis, gout!" We laughed our way through the next chorus when the rest of the nurses stood up,

"Us nurses in the army, you think we're really sweet, but if we're playing Strip Poker, you know we've got you beat!" Another noisy chorus and Henry started to sing,

"Us Colonels in the Army, we have to act real tough, to keep you guys in order, but you know that it's a bluff!"

"Oh we don't want no more of army life, gee mum we wanna go home!" To our surprise Igor stood up,

"The cooks here in the army, we're the butt of many jokes, but we want appreciation for feeding all you folks!"

We sung the chorus, looking around for the next participant,

"Us Majors in the army, we do our level best, to try and look well-mannered and not pigs like the rest!" Margaret sat down in the middle of a largely cheered chorus. Klinger, dress and all, along with a couple of other Enlisted men decided to add his two cents.

"The Enlisted in the army, you think we're here by choice, but they told us when they drafted us that we'd get a Rolls Royce!"

"Wahoo!" Hawkeye danced me down the middle of the Mess Tent,

"Oh we don't want no more of army life, gee mum we wanna go home!" To our surprise, Radar's rather nervous voice started up,

"Company Clerks here in the army, we don't get no respect, so as far as we are all concerned, you can go to heck! No offence, sirs, ma'ams," We laughed our way through the next chorus, fully expecting it to be the last, when the wounded men who were healthy enough to attend the party added the last verse.

"The soldiers in the army, we get all sorts of cuts, but we're grateful to you doctors, for saving all our butts!"

We began singing the last chorus, louder than ever,

"Oh we don't want no more of army life, gee mum we wanna go, but they won't let us go, gee mum we wanna go home!"

We laughed and applauded for about thirty seconds when Frank Burns started up,

"The Majors in the army, you know we're really brave, coz we go into battle. someone help me out here, what rhymes with brave?" his voice trailed off as we had a last dance and a last drink, and we went to bed early, as Henry had to leave on a 0900 chopper.

Henry bid everyone a fond farewell, shaking hands, hugging and giving friendly orders and threats. He stopped at me,

"Belle my girl," He said slowly and I threw my arms around his neck,

"Oh, Henry!" He hugged me back, his hands caressing my head, and playing with my curls, I looked up at him and he smiled,

"One last time Annie?" he asked, I nodded and he kissed me, sparks flew and we pulled apart.

"Don't cry Anne, you'll be fine. Goodbye Belle my girl, take care now," He hugged me again, tighter than ever

"Bye Henry," I smiled, and stepped back, Hawkeye's hand coming to rest on my shoulder,

"What was that all about?" he whispered, I looked at him, and shook my head, words failing me. To my relief, Trapper saw it,

"Don't push it Hawkeye, they were just two friends, trying to make their last moments together mean something." I smiled gratefully at him,

"Thankyou," I mouthed and he winked at me.

"You be good Radar or I'll come back and kick your butt!" Henry threatened and got into his chopper, we all stood clear and Radar and I saluted as Henry's chopper rose into the air. It was barely out of sight before more choppers, this time with wounded, landed and the turmoil of it all started again.

Some hours later, Radar came into the OR, he had a sad, scared look on his face and the minute I set eyes on him, I knew there was something terribly, terribly wrong.

"Radar, for god sakes, get a mask on in here!" Trapper shouted,

"If it's my discharge, give it to me straight, I can take it," Hawkeye said wearily.

"Shush, Radar just tell us." I silenced the two men.

"I just got a message. Lieutenant Colonel. Henry Blake's plane was shot down over the sea of Japan."

"Shit," Hawkeye and I murmured under our breaths in unison.

"It spun in. there weren't no survivors." A shocked silence filled the OR, everyone paused mid-everything.

Margaret gave a sob and someone dropped an instrument and the loud clatter brought us back to reality. With shaking voices and hands we resumed working, trying to keep our tears to a minimum until we were able to grieve properly.

"No," I said, "Not him too," Hawkeye held me, tears falling down our faces,

"Oh god, Henry, you were so close to making it home, why, why him?" We'd all gathered in the Mess Tent, no one bothering to change out of their bloody scrubs. People held each other and we grieved as one body.

Sidney Freedman drove up and joined us. It had been three hours since we'd received the news, and 12 terrible hours since Henry had boarded that fateful flight in Seoul. Sid had got wind of it and had flown down immediately. He knew we'd need someone, especially as Frank Burns was now our CO, and aside from his malpractice, Frank was also known for his cold- heartedness and lack of sympathy.

Sidney was trying to remain professional as Radar allowed him into the room, but as he looked around and saw us all crying, tears began to fill his eyes to and he joined us in mourning the Colonel we'd loved so much.

It had taken us two days to pull ourselves together enough to have a memorial service for Henry. I was going to sing again, and Frank thought it all highly unnecessary,

"I don't see why you have to make such a fuss,"

"Major Burns, Henry was like a father to me," I informed him coldly, I was no longer coolly polite to Frank, but positively icy.

"You have a father Lieutenant, as does Radar who gave me that same petty excuse not five minutes ago." I fought off tears,

"Major, with all due respect, my father passed away when I was two. Radar's father also died when he was a very small baby."

Frank seemed unnerved for a second, but he still continued scowling and without waiting for dismissal, I left his office, Henry's old office, and joined the people in the Mess Tent where Henry's memorial service was to be held.

I wiped my eyes, glad I hadn't bothered to accept Margaret's offer of a little makeup. I knew it would have been streaked down my face by now. We'd said prayers and sung hymns, and anyone who'd wanted to could add their two cents worth.

"And now, Annabelle has offered to sing a song for the Late Henry Blake, Annie," I stood up, and smiled weakly.

"Thankyou I'd like to sing the first song that I thought of when I'd heard Henry had died. Suicide is Painless." Trapper began playing a guitar with Captain Spalding as I started to sing,

"Through early morning fog I see visions of the things to be.." I began to cry as I sang, tears sliding down my cheeks,

"And I know suicide is painless, it brings on many changes and I can take or leave it if I please," Radar began to cry too, we had all tried to remain solid and tear-free for the service. "The sword of time will pierce our skins, it doesn't hurt when it begins..." At the chorus, I noticed that my accompanists were crying too. I kept singing, and although I was crying, my voice was able to continue, purer and sweeter than ever.

"The only way to win is cheat, and lay it down before I'm beat, to give to another my seat, for that's the only painless feat, and suicide is painless, it brings on many changes and I can take or leave it if I please."

Everyone was crying now, whether noisily like Margaret while Frank sat, disgusted beside her or silently like I was. I sang the last verse and chorus, adding on the coda,

"And you can do the same thing if you choose." there was a weak round of applause as I fell into my seat. Hawkeye hugged me tightly; his tears leaving a damp stain on my Class-A's,

"That was beautiful Annie." He kissed the corner of my mouth. We filed out sometime later, and we resumed working, Frank's military nature not helping.

Frank had been in command for sometime now, he was becoming the total megalomaniac, rigging the toilet seats to stand to attention for inspection and god knows what. To my disgust, Margaret was babying him and supporting him the whole way, and I was surprised at how low she was sinking. I was one of the few people who could put with Frank's stupidity, I'd write letters home every night, complaining of his latest idiocy. Trapper and Hawkeye were going nuts, they never liked the army and he was just making it worse. Hawkeye was especially crazy; he'd been so bad that Frank had even threatened him with a Section-8. However, Sid Freedman had ordered that Hawkeye be given some R&R in Tokyo and in a couple of days, he left with the newly signed pass in his hands for 6 days of rest and recreation.

That left Trapper and I alone to face Frank. We managed okay, relying on each other more as brother and sister than ever when Frank told us off or put Trapper on report. I had yet to go on report, as I was keeping as low- key as possible, doing my duties and volunteering where necessary.

I had a lot more to do as Margaret was off babying Frank, but I handed it well and never once broke down or cried like I wanted to when I was scolded for an innocent mistake.

"Annie, I'm going insane here," Trapper moaned, I splashed a little water on my face and sighed,

"I know, just thank god Frank's out of camp so we could get away with this." The nurses' showers had been patched and I was using them again, but Trapper needed to talk, and I needed a shower, so we doubled up, I was back in the men's showers.

"You're not the only one, Margaret has doubled my workload and Frank's on my back because I'm trying to do a Captain-and-a-half's work, and I'm a Lieutenant!"

Trapper sighed, "Take two steps back Anne, I'll do your hair." I obediently stepped back and as he washed my hair, freeing it of mud, sweat and tapioca pudding, we kept talking, moaning about Frank and the general situation.

I had a grumble about missing Hawkeye and to my surprise, Trapper leant forwards, resting his chin in the curve of my neck and whispered,

"Not half as much as he misses you Annie, he didn't want to go, d'ya know that?" I gasped both at the sudden closeness of Trapper's body and the revelation that Hawkeye preferred my company to six days in Tokyo.

"Now you just listen Annie," Trapper's hands twisted my hair onto the top of my head, and then rubbed my neck and back slowly,

"He'll be back in three and a half days, and then it'll all go back to normal, we'll even do something really nuts, like post home a latrine!" I smiled,

"Thankyou Trapper, and if it weren't so awkward I'd hug you," He chuckled, his chin still resting on my shoulder, and I put my hand up to touch his cheek fondly, both our showers forgotten when Radar came in

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" He gasped and I hurriedly put on my robe.

"Out with it Radar," Trapper said, Radar hid his eyes until I was firmly wrapped in my robe.

"Captain MacIntyre, sir, you'll never believe this but." Trapper laughed,

"What, what don't make me guess!" Radar beamed and passed Trapper his letter,

"Annie!" He whooped, grabbing me and kissing me, "Annie, I'm going home!"