- While local orphans attend a Christmas party in the mess tent, Hawkeye, B.J., and Margaret try to delay the death of a critically injured solider so that his family won't think of Christmas as the day that their father died.
- It's Christmas time again. The surgeons and staff are throwing a Christmas party in the mess tent, and the children from the local orphanage are coming to join in the fun. B.J. donates a box of fudge from Peg and Charles donates some smoked oysters. Everybody in camp thinks Charles is a Scrooge, but, under the cover of darkness that night, Charles generously and anonymously donates packages of chocolate bars from home to the orphanage. The Christmas party takes off without a hitch. Colonel Potter dresses as Santa Claus and the children are having fun, but Hawkeye, B.J., and Margaret miss out on the festivities when a mortally wounded man lands in pre-op. When learning the man is a husband and loving father, B.J. tries with all his might and skill to delay the man's death so his family won't remember this Christmas as they day their daddy died. Will they succeed? Or will they somehow be able to move the hands of time so the man makes it until after Christmas?—<Explorerds6789>
- The episode begins with MASH 4077 cleaning up around post-op as they talk of the hardships of an army Christmas. Klinger comes in bearing the mail, and everyone cheerfully receives packages from home, including a package of Peg Hunnicutt's delicious fudge. Colonel Potter and Father Mulcahy confirm that the orphans are coming to celebrate, but Klinger gets word from HQ that the supply shipment with Christmas dinner has been stalled due to the blizzard. In the spirit of the season, everyone donates their care packages of food to make a special Christmas Smorgasboard; everyone except Charles, who out of several large care packages donates only a small tin of oysters.
As the children arrive, Klinger encourages them to snub Charles "Scrooge" Winchester by teaching them to say "blech" about the oysters. What Klinger does not know, however, is that the night before Charles secretly took his care packages of confectioners chocolate to the orphanage to continue a long-held family tradition.
Meanwhile, an MP arrives and asks Margaret for help as, despite the Christmas truce, he has come upon a wounded soldier and brought him quickly to MASH for help. BJ, Hawkeye, and Margaret quietly excuse themselves from the party only to learn that the soldier is brain dead and that his heart will soon follow. Margaret inadvertently finds a picture of the soldier's family, which includes two young children. BJ then embarks on a campaign to keep the soldier alive long enough for Christmas not to be remembered "...as the day their daddy died..."
Back at the party, Charles sees Rizzo eating one of his candy bars, and upon further investigation finds out that the head of the orphanage did not give the children their candy as instructed. The man admits to Charles that he sold the chocolate to the black market, but that the money brought more comfort through food and blankets for a month than a moments satisfaction of chocolate could give. Klinger overhears this entire conversation. A chagrined Charles retires to his tent, where an overly eccentric Klinger brings to him what he can scrounge from the food at the party; save the oysters. Charles, dubious to Klinger's many endeavors, asks for the catch. Klinger tells him that there is none, save that the dinner must be kept secret as part of an old family tradition. Knowing his secret is safe and in acceptance of the obvious apology, Charles regards Klinger by his given name, Max, as the clerk who always calls for Major Winchester regards him as Charles. The two share the moment of mutual respect before Klinger leaves.
Back in the OR, Father Mulcahy tries to give Last Rites to the dying soldier as BJ pushes him away to work at keeping the soldier alive. Hawkeye convinces BJ to let up, telling him he's done all he can. Soon, it's evident nothing more can be done and the soldier passes away. BJ is upset that the soldier was 35 minutes short of living through the holiday, when Hawkeye fixes the clock and announces "Time of death, 12:05am". Margaret shakes her head at falsifying a record, but goes along for the family's sake. As Father Mulcahy tends to the deceased soldier, the others leave to see what they can scrounge from the party. Colonel Potter, dressed as Santa, accompanies an orphaned boy holding a plate which holds the reward for the hard-working medical staff; he saved four pieces of Peg's fudge for them. It starts to snow, and all is well for Christmas.
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