Lieutenant Gail Harris is a character who appears in the Season 8 episode of the TV series M*A*S*H titled "Nurse Doctor". The part of Nurse Harris is played in the episode by actress Alexandra Stoddardt.
About Nurse Gail[]
During a session in O.R., Nurse Harris' questions about how and why the doctors do things the way they do them seemingly begins to alienate her from the rest of the staff. When she angers Major Winchester, it drives Margaret to talk to her afterwards, where she tells Harris that, while she's a superb nurse, her people skills leave something to be desired.
Feeling frustrated, she vents later to Father Mulcahy, who bonds with her when he says its probably because, being something between a nurse and a doctor, people don't know how to treat her - something he can relate to. When Father Mulcahy enlists his helps to the talented young nurse Gail, who is studying for her entrance into medical school, somehow, though highly appreciative of the Father's kindness in offering his help, she, albeit accidentally, in getting the signals between them crossed, becomes a little more affectionate than the celibate Mulcahy would like, seemingly becoming infatuated with him.
In an unguarded moment, Harris hugs Father Mulcahy to say thanks, but the hug goes on so long it becomes awkward. After its over, she's embarrassed, and Father Mulcahy admits that maybe she needs more from him than the can give. When he casually suggests maybe she should study with one of the doctors, she breaks down in tears and runs out.
After Hawkeye, whom Father Mulcahy confided in about the embarrassing incident with Nurse Gail, gets wind of her studies, he also offers his help, but, sensing that the Father told him about it and the hugging incident, flatly declines.
Anyway, all is cleared up, only after she, crying went to Colonel Potter, who only then found out about her giving up on medical school, came in his office to ask for an immediate transfer, and giving Potter a not-quite-accurate version of the whole story. Potter, busy with a crisis over a water shortage at the 4077th, doesn't have time for this, confronts Margaret, Mulcahy and Hawkeye, and asks the three of them to straighten it out among themselves.
Gail assumes everyone hates her and declares that she's giving up on trying to become a doctor. But Major Houlihan confronts Nurse Gail and cuts through her self-pity. She literally orders Gail back to studying for her test, this time, supervised by herself and Hawkeye. It's hard enough for a woman to become a doctor and being in the army is no help. But Gail has the talent to do it. "I'm not going to let you back out of it," Margaret declares.
A few days later, Gail is able to approach Father Mulcahy again and this time she apologises for her behaviour. Hawkeye invites her for a party but no, she says, she has to study.