During a cold snap, the 4077th runs out of sodium pentathol note because their shipment was stolen. This causes a number of problems as they receive a huge load of casualties: they're forced to use ether and local anesthetics instead, which take longer to administer, which means they can't work through patients as quickly; the nurses aren't used to using ether, which causes patients to choke if they don't administer it carefully; Margaret inhales too much ether and ends up passing out in the middle of an operation; and they can't use heaters in the OR even though it's freezing because the ether is highly flammable.
Eventually, Father Mulcahy declares that he's going to trade the sodium pentathol back from the black market, as he's had to deal with them before to get necessities for the nearby orphanage. Charles is coerced into handing over wine and food from his personal stash to trade with, so he insists on coming along with Father Mulcahy to make sure the trade goes smoothly. Naturally, Charles' ego makes the deal go south, and he and Father Mulcahy end up driving back toward camp sans the sodium pentathol, wine, food, and most of their clothes. However, Father Mulcahy realizes that the black market dealers would likely have stopped somewhere to enjoy the wine and food, so they locate them, sneak up to the truck that holds their goods, and drive it away before the dealers notice. They arrive back in camp victorious, and the rest of the OR session goes much more smoothly.
Attention, all personnel! Black marketeers have made off with the following tropes:
- Batman Gambit: After they are robbed of their clothes and Charles' food and wine by the black marketeers, Father Mulcahy waits for a while and goes back to the encampment, knowing they're going to get drunk as fast as they can on their gains, making it easy to steal the pentathol they want.
- Cold Snap: This episode takes place during one, worsened by the lack of sodium pentothal. Since they have to use flammable ether instead, they can't risk turning the heaters on.
- Embarrassing Cover Up: After Margaret faints due to the ether:Hawkeye: It's okay, I covered for you. Told everyone you had morning sickness.
- Everytown, America: Hawkeye reminisces with a patient about the patient's hometown...only to reveal that he had never been there, and that Crabapple Cove had all the same things.
- I Resemble That Remark!: Margaret asks who would be low enough to associate with the black market. Father Mulcahy sheepishly admits that he does.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Winchester confidently insists on leading the negotiations with the black marketeers, and soon finds himself out of his depth and at gunpoint. When he and Father Mulcahy leave (under fire) with the pentathol they've stolen from the by then drunk black marketeers, he rants at them mockingly.
- The Load: Charles proves to be this for Father Mulcahy when he invites himself along for the exchange with the black market - pissing them off and nearly costing them their exchange items and clothes (including Charles' polar suit).
- Noodle Incident: Margaret's first words after she wakes up after her ether-induced blackout hint at this:Margaret: Keep your hands to yourself, General.
- Strip Poker: The episode opens with the characters playing this, the twist being that they're all heavily bundled up and yet still reluctant to part with anything.
