M*A*S*H 4077 By Taylor Froelich and Sammi Simonar

Day 8: M*A*S*H Compound, Swamp, 1300 Hours

Day 8: M*A*S*H Compound, Swamp, 1300 Hours

Jess went from post-op to the Swamp, and Winchester was nowhere in sight so Jess fell back onto her cot, thinking.

Not even a moment later, B.J. and Hawkeye walked into the Swamp to see Jess laying on her cot with her arms folded across her pillow and her head resting on her arms. B.J. glanced at Hawkeye and then looked at Jess, and Hawkeye sighed as he sat down on the edge of Jess's cot.

"Jess, I have to tell you something," Pierce started.

Jess looked up at Hawkeye. "Yeah?" she asked curiously.

"I know this may be hard to believe, but," Pierce said and then paused. He took a deep breath and continued. "I'm your uncle. Your mom was my sister."

Jess stared at him, her mouth open in shock. "I knew it!" she shouted, sitting up and giving Hawkeye a big hug.

Hawkeye was surprised by her joyful reaction, but then he smiled and hugged her back. B.J. caught sight of Hawkeye's face as he hugged the fourteen-year-old girl, his niece, and couldn't help but smile back. He looked so happy.

Jess finally released Hawkeye from the hug and grinned at him. "I thought you looked familiar. You have the same eyes as my mom. Dalli wouldn't believe me when I told her you looked familiar, but-" Jess stopped abruptly and gasped excitedly. "We have to go tell Dalli! She wouldn't believe me but she'll believe both of us if you tell her!" she shouted happily.

The smile on Hawkeye's face faded a little, and he replied skeptically, "I don't know......"

Jess's face fell. "Why not?" she asked.

"I don't think that your cousin is quite ready to hear the news yet. She still hasn't recovered from her concussion entirely," Pierce said unsurely.

"But-" Jess pleaded, but she couldn't think of anything to say.

"It'd be the best," B.J. commented.

Jess sighed as Pierce pushed a piece of hair out of Jess's face. Winchester walked in just then, and immediately started screaming at Pierce and Hunnicutt.

"You two convinced Colonel Potter to take the restraining straps off of her cousin," Winchester shouted, jabbing a finger at Jess.

"You don't have any right involving Jess in this," Pierce said, defending his niece.

Jess glanced nervously at her uncle.

"I'll handle this," he told Jess, standing up protectively in front of her. "Yes, we did. Is there a problem with that?" he asks Winchester haughtily.

"In fact, there is a problem with that. She just jumped out of bed and tackled one of the other patients!" Winchester shouted.

"What?!?" B.J., Hawkeye, and Jess all shouted at the same time, and then all three of them are running out the door, Hawkeye and B.J. nearly knocking Winchester over.