Chapter Thirty-Seven

PHILIP

Teeth clenched and muscles tensed from his head to his toe, Philip fought back a dying yell that was long past due to be released. His hands wrapped around his knee soaked in red blood so slippery that he couldn't hold on to it for much longer. A nurse, who previously cured his cold, ran over to his table to forced his hands away from the wound. "We have a bullet would that doesn't appear to have gone through." She began cutting his pants with nearby scissors. Philip watched her hands move quickly to the point that his eyes couldn't keep up anymore. "Check his vitals! He's got a fever and is disorientated, he's dehydrated, get me some fluids!" She forced his eyes open with her fingers to check pupil dilation. "Philip, can you hear me?" She whispered and he barely nodded. "Specialist Hill needs anesthesia ASAP."

It took no time for the nurse's calls to be answered. Philip lay flat on the table as multiple arms work around him and many others. There were times he could see the looks on their faces and tell himself he was about to die. He made it through a shot in the arm, chest, and even being stabbed in the back. This time, he couldn't see anyone's face as his vision blurred and it wasn't because of the medicines. He was scared to blink out of fear he'd never open his eyes again. Then he saw Helen smiling at him. She looked as if she was stressed yet in a blissful moment. Philip figured it was safe to close his eyes, so he did.

"I thought you weren't going to make it back there, Specialist Hill!" Philip chuckled while swatting Bernard's hand away from his arm. Both of the boys lay on the recovery table simply staring at the ceiling. "Who would of thought that you'd still be alive. I remember when Eric bumped into you at the enlisting building. I thought you wouldn't even be able to hold your boots on your toes." He sighed softly. "I always thought Eric would..."

"What happened to Eric... was an act of savagery. But we brought those Charlie's down okay. It was for Eric, okay?" Bernard jerked his head towards Philip and forced a nod. Nurse Helen entered the room with a few other women with a heavy discussion going on. "Now I hope your side feels better. Them chemicals ain't no joke, but I got to get out of here." Philip winked while jerking his head towards Helen.

The boys admired her fair skin, chocolate brown hair, and small pink lips that made them drool as they thought about kissing them. She was a petite woman with a slight curve in her waist that she often showed off with since her uniform was a size too small. She then looked away from her fellow nurses to beam her green eyes directly at Philip. He cracked a smile the second she forced herself to look away. She then said goodbye to the conversation and made her way over to Philip.

Bernard quickly covered his laugh with his hand. "Disgusting man," he joked. "You still on the same woman. Might as well marry her since you're avoiding all these free pickings." Philip hit Bernard's shoulder as hard as he could.

"Specialist Hill, your splint should stay in place for one week before being sent back on the field. Come with me to your tent." Philip watched the way her ass moved in her skirt as she led him out the door. "The helicopter will be picking up recovered soldiers downhill from Da Nang. You know the drill, don't be late."

"When are you free before I leave. You know I miss you right, Helen?" A smug look fell on her face when she looked at his limping knee. "It's been a while since I've seen you. Too long actually."

"Philip, are you throwing yourself in front of those bullets?" Her teasing tone almost made Philip drop to his stomach to beg. "And what am I supposed to do with a shot up knee?"

"Same thing you did when I had a shot up arm. You looked so good on top." He slapped her bottom causing her to jump then look around to see if anyone saw.

"You're such a pig." She pushed him into an empty tent. He grabbed her wrist and made her stumble in with him. "You know that we could get caught. I could lose my position for sleeping around with you." His big grey eyes sparkled and made her weak all at the same time. "Oh, Lord. I have another break at nineteen hundred. I'll be right here then but we have to be quick. With the recent bombing dropped, they're coming in like bags of rice."

Philip pecked her on the lips multiple times to shut her up. "Yeah, whatever. Nineteen hundred and don't leave me disappointed." Before she could leave she had to force his tight grip off her bottom. She then shot him a teasing smile before shutting the flaps to the tent.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do here for four hours?"

"It's not easy being the most hated child your parents have." Philip nodded along to what Bernard had to say as they ate into their MCIs. "I remember my first grade graduation and how my mom said she had more important things to do. She didn't know that shit was like a knife to the chest."

"That's what you meant when you said you were running away." Philip raised an eyebrow. "I think my sister Annabelle is the only person who really loves me. She wrote me a letter a few weeks ago. I told her she's getting better."

Bernard sighed as he pushed his tray away. "I have no where to go after this, man. Who's gonna want to hire someone as beat up as me. My arm goes numb twice a day and my vision is fucked."

"If we make it through and... we will. You can say with me. I got a girl back home who is in college and all. I told her that she was gonna stay with me when I get back. I told her a couple months ago but never got a reply. She's still kinda mad that I enlisted but I know once she sees me then she'll forgive me. In the end, we'll get our own place and people are dying to hire us. I mean look at me! I'm a freaking hero!"

Bernard almost choked on his cracker as he tried not to laugh. "You are one cocky son of a bitch, Philip Hill."

"That is Specialist Hill to you," he winked.