12, 20 & 5 by John Parrish

Author:John Parrish [Parrish, John A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-3788-3
Publisher: Open Road Media

EIGHT

“I HAVE A PLAN,” said Myron. “A plan by which we can escape.”

“Escape?” I opened one eye.

“Yep. Leave Phu Bai and fevers. Forget diarrhea.”

I sat up in bed. “Get away from casualties and Graves and the shitter?”

“I have a plan of temporary escape.” Myron was sitting cross-legged on his bunk. His fat-supported nipples pushed out against his white T-shirt.

Roland stopped his letter writing. “Will you shut up? You and your goddamn fantasy life of escape. You’re here for a year, Baby.”

Prince walked to the center of the room. He was nude again. “Let him use fantasy life if he needs it. He obviously can’t handle sex or heroism, all he has left is escape. Right, Myron, old boy?”

“This isn’t fantasy. This is a real good plan.”

“Let’s have it.” I was wide awake now and ready to listen, fantasy or not.

“I have a plan by which we can go to Da Nang for a weekend.” Pleased that he now should have everyone’s attention, Myron paused to straighten the open fly of his green underpants and to light up a Salem. “We can escape to the big city of Da Nang and spend a long weekend in safety and comfort. We can—”

“You’re so full of shit that you have bad breath.” Roland stopped his letter writing again. “Nobody goes to Da Nang unless he’s dead, wounded, leaving Vietnam, or a big shot.”

“Well, my plan is to—”

“Captain Street goes to Da Nang,” added Prince.

“Reporters and USO entertainers can return to Da Nang the same day they come up here,” I said. “But how the hell are you going to get to Da Nang?”

Myron sat on the edge of his bed. His face was growing red. “Each month the doctors in the Da Nang area have a luncheon meeting to discuss mutual medical problems and to set policy of treatment. We could—”

“Those meetings are just an excuse to take a day off and drink.” Prince turned around to face Myron. “The guys in the rear know how to live.”

“We could get orders to go to the meeting if Captain Street were approached in the right way. They even call it the ‘I Corps Medical Society,’ and that sounds impressive enough.”

“Captain Street knows all about that,” challenged Prince. “He goes himself every month.”

“But we could talk him into letting some of us go with him. It’s worth a try for a weekend off.”

“Our own C.O. won’t even let you go to the PX, Myron,” I said. “And you expect Captain Street to let you go to Da Nang. Your plan is fantasy. Roland was right.”

“I’m going to talk to him. I think it will work.”

“Good luck, Dreamer.”

Myron spent the next two days talking to the hospital commander and to Captain Street. He was more successful than we anticipated. He returned to the hooch after supper one night and broke the sacred rule of the quiet hours.

“I did it, you doubters, I did it!”

“Did what, you dumb shit?” Roland never looked up from his letter writing.

“Not only will Captain Street permit John and me to go to Da Nang, but he’s also going with us.

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