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Poker Night Keeper: Doug Iannelli Saturday, December 20th, 1997. 1425 hours. . . |
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| Keeper: | The distance between the flightline fuel storage tank and the MTF is only about 150 yards, but it seems like a mile or more. Moving at a forced sprint, the pulse droning in your hooded head is oddly muted by the tidal-like roar washing over your ears as a result of the sudden and unexpected surge or adrenaline. With each strike of your booted feet against the cold, hard asphalt, a jarring tendril of pain races through your shins. Finally, lungs searing in the sub-freezing air, you overtake the ambulance alleya and the Cut-V parked just inside of it and make your way, gasping, up the blood-spattered steps of the infirmary. Inside, there is shouting. . . |
| Doty: | (muted) ". . . I thought yew said yew seen this shit done!" |
| Pavliska: | (muted) "That's why we had four cables. . ." |
| Boudreaux: | I burst through the doors. |
| Keeper: | Hurtling through the reception area and into the hallway, you find it congested with men still garbed in their cold-weather ensembles. Doty, goggles, slid up on his forehead, is nose-to-nose with Pavliska, screaming at the top of his lungs. The Seabee appears to be at a loss for words and has his open hands raised in an attempt to calm the angry man. |
| Doty: | "That gol'darn thing nearly took Degrassi's head off!" |
| Boudreaux: | "What the hell's going on here?" |
| Keeper: | The two arguing men barely acknowledge your arrival. From the open exam room door around which the men seem to be congregating, Degrassi leans his head out as if to contribute his own two-cents to the discussion but, seeing you, is distracted. From within the exam room behind him, you hear a barrage of profanity in a spattering of English and Spanish. |
| Degrassi: | "Why don't. . . hey, Doc! (nodding back into the exam room) You better check him out. He's bleedin' a little." |
| Keeper: | The scrawny Italian then addresses someone inside the exam room. |
| Degrassi: | "Ahhh shaddup! You're alright! Jesus Christ, you whine like my old lady!" |
| Boudreaux: | I move to the exam room. |
| Keeper: | As you shoulder past the still verbally-sparring Doty and Pavliska, McDermott exits the exam room and moves away from you toward the emergency bays. He has his arms wrapped tightly around his chest and is shaking his head. Sparks explodes out of the room after him, tall form hovering over the shorter clerk. He slaps him harshly on the back of the head as they proceed down the hall. |
| Sparks: | "Don't walk away from me you little bastard! (slap) I said: What the fuck were you thinkin'? That's about the exact time I needed you most!" |
| Boudreaux: | I ignore them and move to see what's going on in the exam room. |
| Keeper: | McDermott continues to move away down the hall with Sparks in pursuit, his raised voice trailing off with them. Degrassis steps aside to allow you access to the crowded exam room. Inside, you find Spacek, gloved-up and forceps in hand, making his best effort to hold the unccoperative form of Gonzales still. It is almost a humorous sight, really. The Marine private, shirtless, is balled-up on the small exam table and recoiling each time corpsman nears him with the forceps. His skin and hair are dusted with powdery particulate glass and he is bleeding from multiple small wounds; none of which appear to be remotely life- threatening. Galloway is also in the small room, pacing back and forth, hood drawn back. |
| Boudreaux: | "What the hell is going on?" |
| Keeper: | Your entrance distracts Gonzales long enough for Spacek to remove a small chunk of broken glass from his left shoulder. The half-pint Marine hoots in pain. |
| Gonzales: | "Owww!! Fuck. ese'. (pleadingly addressing you) I'm bleedin' an' shit, Doc!" |
| Keeper: | Spacek looks up from his quarry, obviously nonplussed. |
| Spacek: | "Yo, Doc." |
| Boudreaux: | "Calm down, Gonzales! It'll be less painful if you stop moving. Let Spacek finish taking care of the glass so we can bind the wounds. (to Galloway) Marlon, what happened?" |
| Galloway: | "I couldn't even begin to tell you what the fuck happened. . ." |
| Keeper: | Spacek, becoming fed-up with his patient's inability to remain still, holds his hands up in exasperation. Degrassi exits the exam room again and commences arguing with Doty in the hallway. |
| Spacek: | "Will you sit-the-fuck-still!!!???" |
| Boudreaux: | "Is Gonzales the only one injured? (to Gonzales) I thought you Marines were supposed to be tough - I thought you could handle a little pain! Let him fix you up!" |
| Galloway: | "Yeah, yeah. He's it." |
| Boudreaux: | "Good. Well, do me a favor and get everyone else out there to quiet down a little. I want Fuller resting peacefully." |
| Keeper: | Gonzales trades looks between yourself and Spacek, obviously none-to-little concerned about his condition. Outside the room, multiple heated conversations begin to take on a heightened crescendo. Degrassi, moving back into the room, leaves one argument only to find a new one. |
| Gonzales: | "What da fuck is wrong witchu? Why din't you tell me dat cable was fixin' to go?!" |
| Keeper: | Degrassi shrugs and moves past Galloway. |
| Degrassi: | "What da fuck difference would ita made? You're da stunade dat put da sonofabitch in reverse when you's was supposed to go forward!" |
| Keeper: | "Galloway, obviously having had is fill along with you, grabs Degrassi by the scruff of his hood and leads him out of the exam room, shoving him forcefully into the hallway where he nearly collides with the bantering Doty and Pavliska and bounces off the far wall. Standing at the door, Galloway screams into the hall. |
| Galloway: | "HEY! You heard the Doc! Everybody shut-the-fuck-up for five minutes. ALRIGHT?!" |
| Boudreaux: | "Thanks, LT." I shut the exam room door. |
| Keeper: | There is an immediate reduction in the previous din, but you can still hear the same arguments proceeding at a lower decibel-level through the closed door. |
| Galloway: | "He okay?" |
| Spacek: | "Yeah. He awright. Jus' a bad case ah glass poisonin'. . . if he's quit bein' such a damn bitch." |
| Keeper: | Gonzales turns and squints at the corpsman, ired by his commentary. |
| Gonzales: | "Who you callin' 'bitch', negrone?" |
| Keeper: | Spacek holds the forceps up to the Marine's face, still clutching a small piece of broken glass. |
| Spacek: | "Yeah, yeah. You da badass, Gonzales. I forgot. OG jarhead an' shit. What da' fuck you gonna do if you ever get capped by a' AK? Ain't gonna be like no little speck a' glass." |
| Keeper: | Gonzales just snorts derisively in response. |
| Boudreaux: | I put on a pair of exam gloves. Does it look like any of the wounds will require stitches? |
| Keeper: | A quick perusal of Gonzales reveals nothing more than minor lacerations and avulsions from broken glass; mostly about his head and neck. Some will require a few sutures. The young man seems very agitated, though. But then, so does everyone else. Outside the exam room, the tempo of the arguing in the hallway is again increasing in volume. |
| Galloway: | "Terrific. Just terrific! Another fucking accident report. Another goddam damaged piece of equipment! Cap's gonna shit and my hand's gonna be too cramped to even jack-off tonight if I have to write up any more of this bullshit!" |
| Keeper: | Marlon stares at the closed door, putting an unlit Swisher in his mouth. He grinds his teeth on the plastic filter. Moving to the door, he opens it and levels a finger at the startled Doty, just outside of it. |
| Galloway: | "Hey, Doty! Shut-the-fuck-up, will you? I had enough of your goddam Monday- morning quarterbacking!" |
| Boudreaux: | Moving to the door, "If you fuck-ups don't quiet down, you can all cool off outside!" |
| Galloway: | (hollering down the hall) "Sparks! McDermott! Get your asses over here! Everybody gather 'round!" |
| Boudreaux: | I get another pair of forceps and some gauze and move to assist Spacek with Gonzales. |
| Keeper: | As the men gather before the door of the exam room, Galloway resumes pacing back and forth. Then, he whips the cigarillo from his mouth and points it at the collection of men. You've never seen Marlon display anger like this. |
| Galloway: | "Let's hash this goat-fuck out so I don't have to hear all your goddam bitchin' and moanin' all fuckin' day! (to Pavliska) What happened out there, John?" |
| Boudreaux: | I listen in as I assist Spacek in removing the glass and cleaning Gonzales up. |
| Keeper: | Spacek replaces his set of forceps on the nearby tray and takes up a 60cc syringe and a bowl of sterile water to assist you in debridment. Pavliska nudges his way forward through the door, receiving a dirty look and a slight shove from Doty. |
| Pavliska: | "Well, when the first cable failed, the load shifted and created alot more tension on the line going to Gonzo's truck. Looked like he accidentally threw it into reverse instead of coming forward so that Sparks could re. . ." |
| Keeper: | Gonzales bolts off of the exam table, knocking the stainless steel bowl from Spacek's hand. It strikes the floor with a splash and a loud claaang! |
| Gonzales: | "Dat's bullshit, mayn! (thumbing a finger at Degrassi) Dis stupid mothafucka was jus' standin' dere wit his dick in his hands 'stead a' tellin' me what ta' do!" |
| Keeper: | From over Pavliska's shoulder, leaning against the threshold of the open door, Doty chimes in matter-of-factly. |
| Doty: | "Yew was s'posed to be lookin' at me." |
| Boudreaux: | (calmatively) "Look, we can get this all figured out in a few minutes. Let me get Gonzales taken care of and we can. . ." |
| Keeper: | Degrassi, forcing his way through the crowd at the door, wheels around Pavliska and squares-off with the half-clad Gonzales. |
| Boudreaux: | "Shit. . ." I try to grab Gonzales. |
| Degrassi: | "Yeah, you stupid-fucking-moron. That damn thing almost hit me too ya' know!" |
| Keeper: | Reaching up, you are able to restrain Gonzales a few paces from Degrassi. The young man leans over your arm, seething. |
| Boudreaux: | I reach up and pinch his vagas nerve, just to get his attention. (to Degrassi) "Back off!" |
| Keeper: | Degrassi switches his focus on Doty at the door. Galloway raises his hands to restore some order to the agitated group. Gonzales recoils from your grasp. |
| Gonzales: | "Owww! What da fuck are you doin', Doc?" |
| Boudreaux: | "Getting your attention!" |
| Gonzales: | "You got it! You got it! Damn. . ." |
| Degrassi: | "You! Why da' fuck din't you tell us what ta' do?! Christ! (nodding abruptly at Gonzales) He's a friggen' grunt and I'm a goddam quartermaster! (pointing to Pavliska) He's the friggen' ditch-digger!" |
| Keeper: | Gonzales reaches up to rub his neck. |
| Boudreaux: | "I want everybody who is not injured . . .yet. . . to sit down and shut up until I get Gonzales sewn up. Then we can figure out what happened!" |
| Boudreaux: | (addressing Degrassi) "Capiche?" I let go of Gonzales and move him back onto the exam table. |
| Keeper: | Degrassi looks at you as if, by connotation, you're accusing him of somehow being responsible for this mess. |
| Degrassi: | "Now wait a minute, Doc. I ain't leavin' here wit' everybody tinkin' I done sometin' wrong out dere. . ." |
| Boudreaux: | "I don't claim to know what happened, but I'm going to take care of my patients right now. I don't want you to leave, I just want you to sit down and shut up long enough for me to do my job. Then you can have your chance to tell us what happened." |
| Galloway: | "Pipe down! Everybody pipe down! Let Doc handle Gonzo!" |
| Boudreaux: | "If I have to tell you to shut up once more, Degrassi, you'll be needing sewing up, too. Do I make myself clear, Private?" |
| Degrassi: | "Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, Doc. . ." |
| Boudreaux: | "Thanks. This won't take long, so just relax. Get some coffee if you want." |
| Galloway: | "John, I thought you said those cables were rated for the job. . ." |
| Pavliska: | "They are, 'cept we aren't exactly working with top-of-the-line equipment out here. Those cables are probably. . .I don't know. . .ten-, fifteen-years-old. . ." |
| Boudreaux: | (looking up evenly at Marlon and Pavliska) "I mean complete quiet. I don't want any more discussions waiting to become arguments. This is an infirmary. Let's keep it quiet, gentlemen." |
| Galloway: | "Sorry, Chance. Just tryin' to figure out what the hell happened." |
| Pavliska: | "Sorry, Doc." |
| Keeper: | Marlon gathers the intruders up and hustles them outside, shutting the door behind him. In a matter of moments, the heated converstations resume. |
| Boudreaux: | I rise and re-check the exam room door, then return to my work on Gonzales. "Okay, Private. Let's get you fixed up." |
| Keeper: | [whispered] Make a Medicine Roll. |
| MEDICINE roll for Boudreaux: | (1d100) = 30 [success] |
| Keeper: | With the rest of the men out of the exam room, the young Marine seems much more compliant. With Spacek's assistance, the numerous wounds dotting Gonzales' upper body are effectively cleansed and, where necessary, sutured. Fortunately, because he was wearing so many layers of clothing, only two small lacerations require any advanced care. |
| Gonzales: | "Ain't dis some shit?" |
| Boudreaux: | "That it is. So, what happened?" |
| Keeper: | Donning a hospital gown to replace his bloody BDU blouse and tee-shirt, the man begins to gingerly redress. Spacek initiates the clean-up process, picking up pieces of glass off the floor from Gonzales' earlier tirade. |
| Gonzales: | "We started pullin' out da dozer an' a cable broke 'tween it an' da good one." |
| Boudreaux: | "That sounds bad." |
| Gonzales: | (nodding) "Da thing starts pullin' my truck toward da' pit, right? So I look at Degrassi. He's s'posed to be my spotter, right?" |
| Boudreaux: | "Okay. . ." |
| Gonzales: | "He's busy checkin' out da' broke cable. Doty says I was s'posed to be lookin' at him. But Degrassi was s'posed to be my spotter. I don't know, mayn. Next ting I know, da truck jerks back and I sees dis other cable comin' straight at me! Fuuck. I knew I was dead, mayn. You know what I'm sayin'? Dead." |
| Boudreaux: | "I saw the cable. I can understand how that would have freaked you out." |
| Keeper: | Outside, in the hallway, voices are rising again. |
| Gonzales: | (shaking his head) "Yeah, well. . .I still ain't sure how da fuck dat happened." |
| Boudreaux: | "It just sounds like one of those things that just happens, not anyone's fault. Hell, how can you possibly expect that shit?" |
| Gonzales: | "Yeah, if you a damn construction worker. If I wanted ta' do dat shit, I coulda' stayed back on da block in East L.A. an' been a damn day laborer an' shit." |
| Boudreaux: | (pointing to the dressings on his neck) "That ain't nothing. At least you're alive and walking and talking. That was a big friggin' rope." |
| Gonzales: | "Wasn't no rope, Sir. Dat ting was steel." |
| Boudreaux: | (to Spacek) "Thanks for getting that stuff, Julius. You did a good job." |
| Spacek: | "Ain't nothin' butta thing, Sir." |
| Keeper: | Galloway's raised voice pierces the closed door of the exam room. |
| Galloway: | "What the fuck was the problem?!" |
| Boudreaux: | "Shit. I guess we have to get out there and see what the hell happened. Gonzales, just take it easy and don't throw any punches anytime soon, okay?" I move to the door and open it. |
| Keeper: | Spacek and Gonzales trail nosily behind you as you open the door. Just on the other side of it, you find Marlon squaring off with a red-faced Doty. |
| Galloway: | ". . . things started going to shit!" |
| Keeper: | Doty looks ready to explode, Copenhagen-tinged spittle running down his chin. |
| Doty: | "Ah DID try an' give em' instructions! Degrassi's head went straight up 'is ass when the first cable let loose an' when ah signaled Super Beaner over there to come up an' take some ah the tension fer Sparks, he screwed the pooch an' put his damn truck in reverse!" |
| Keeper: | Degrassi blows-off Doty's comments with a wave of his hand. |
| Degrassi: | "Whateva, bumpkiss." |
| Keeper: | Gonzales moves swiftly past you in the doorway, blood-streaked face contorted in a mass of angry muscles. He bows his small frame up to Doty. Beside you, Spacek chuckles and shakes his head. |
| Gonzales: | "Bullshit, holmes!" |
| Spacek: | "Oh, now he grows a set ah' balls. Nigga ain't got no sense. . ." |
| Keeper: | Doty wheels from Galloway and stares at Gonzales with astonishment in his eyes. |
| Doty: | "Jeeezus, Gonzales. We all heard yew grind the damn gears. . ." |
| Boudreaux: | Ignoring all this crap, I move down the hall to check on Fuller. |
| Keeper: | As you proceed away from the verbal melee, you hear Galloway again intercede. |
| Galloway: | "At-the-fuck-ease! All of you! For Christ's sake, what is the problem with you people today!?" |
| Boudreaux: | (thinking to himself) "Damn. Something's affecting everyone in this place." |
| Keeper: | Reaching the end of the hallway, you hear the sound of an IVAC alarming, signaling that Fuller's IV fluids are running low. Behind you, you can still hear Galloway, now giving Sparks the third-degree. |
| Boudreaux: | I move to replace the spent IV bag. |
| Keeper: | Retrieving a fresh bag of D50 solution from one of the supply cabinets, you set about removing the near-empty bag from the pole-mounted device and replacing it with a new one. There doesn't appear to have been any change in Fuller's condition since you left and the diagnostic equipment display normally-ranged readings. A small dark spot is beginning to seep through the gauze bandaging around his head above and behind his right ear, indicating that he'll soon be in need of a dressing change. Down the hallway, you overhear Galloway and Sparks. |
| Galloway: | "What the fuck is your problem with McDermott, Kenny?" |
| Sparks: | "No problem, Boss. Little bastard just hit the dirt the minute things started going to shit and never got back up." |
| Boudreaux: | I go about replacing Fuller's dressing. |
| McDermott: | "Hey guys, I thought that thing might. . ." |
| Keeper: | It only takes a few minutes to remove the old dressing and replace it with a fresh, clean one. The wound looks good, with no evidence of undue edema or infection. |
| Boudreaux: | At least one thing is going okay. I'll head back toward the others once I'm done with Fuller. |
| Keeper: | Moving back into the hallway, you observe Sparks leaning against the wall with arms and legs crossed, staring at McDermott with unsympathetic eyes. McDermott is looking about the collection of men, obviously uncomfortable. |
| Sparks: | "Nah, nah. It's okay, right? You're fine, right? That's all that really matters, right? One-way little weasel." |
| McDermott: | "But. . ." |
| Keeper: | Sparks just waves a hand at McDermott, dismissing whatever the small man has to say before even hearing it. Galloway acknowledges your approach with a nod. |
| Galloway: | "Hey, Chance. Welcome back to the mosh pit." |
| Keeper: | McDermott honsetly looks hurt by Sparks' assessment of his performance under duress. He turns to Galloway imploringly. McDermott: "Sir. . . I'm sorry. (to Sparks) Sparks, man, I'm sorry. I just got a little scared. . ." |
| Keeper: | Sparks puts an unlit cigarette in his mouth and turns away, disappearing through the crowd toward the front of the infirmary, shaking his head. Galloway reaches out to pat the small clerk's shoulder. |
| Galloway: | "It'll be alright, Dave. Kenny's just bein' a prick. He'll get over it. No harm done, despite the problems." |
| Boudreaux: | "So, what the hell is going on?" |
| Galloway: | (shrugs) "I was in the Cut-V when it went south and it happened pretty quickly, so I'm still putting together the pieces." |
| Boudreaux: | (to the group of men) "How did you get the dozer out once the cables snapped?" |
| Keeper: | Pavliska moves forward from the group to respond to you. |
| Pavliska: | "Once the cables went, it was kinda shit or get off the pot, if you'll pardon my French, sir." |
| Boudreaux: | "So, what did you do?" |
| Pavliska: | "Me and Sparks threw our rigs in reverse and muscled it over the edge of the hole." |
| Boudreaux: | "Well, we got out of this with only one injury, and he'll be fine in a few days." |
| Keeper: | The men seem ready to resume unilateral casting of blame but Galloway stops them, speaking evenly through cigarillo-clenching teeth. |
| Galloway: | "It may not have been pretty, but it got the job done. The dozer's out and everybody's got all their fingers and toes. I'm not really interested in who's ultimately responsible for the problems you had because the final result is that it worked." |
| Boudreaux: | "Amen." |
| Galloway: | "I strongly suggest that everybody here remember that the brightness of your collective futures lies in getting everything done her come May 1st. We need that dozer and the job of getting it out needed to be done. You don't have to like how things are done around here, you just have to do it. Now, anybody else got any more laundry they want to air about this shit, huh?" |
| Keeper: | There is a pronounced silence in the hallway and a series of mute nods from the men. Galloway points to the front of the infirmary. |
| Galloway: | "Good. Now march your asses out there and clean that mess up. I don't want to hear another goddam whimper about it. (to you) I've got to get over to the CQ and try to explain this clusterfuck." |
| Boudreaux: | (whispered) "Good job keeping order, Marlon." |
| Keeper: | Galloway just nods curtly and storms out of the infirmary. The rest of the men are left to mumble with raised eyebrows. You never knew Marlon was capable of that kind of command presence, so it must be doubly as surprising to them. They, too, slowly begin to trickle out of the warmth of the infirmary. |
| Boudreaux: | I head to my office to begin the documentation for this. |
| Keeper: | Gonzales stops you as he prepares to leave. |
| Gonzales: | "Yo, Doc. Yo tink da Lt'll mind if I head over to da barracks an' wash up a little?" |
| Boudreaux: | "Nah. Go ahead. If he asks, tell him I told you to. And remember: no extreme movement for a while or you'll rip those sutures out." |
| Keeper: | The Latino private nods and leaves without so much as a "thank you." |
| Boudreaux: | (mumbling) "What an asshole." Before beginning the documentation, I check to see what the exam room looks like. |
| Keeper: | Spacek's got the exam room in near-ready condition. The spilt water is mopped up and the table has been cleansed with disinfectant and re-papered. |
| Boudreaux: | "Thanks, Julius. Nice job. This place would drive me crazy without your help." |
| Keeper: | The corpsman is busy restocking the spent suture kit and collecting the contaminated stainless steel equipment for auto-claving. |
| Spacek: | "Man, CO's gonna go ape-shit when LT tells him 'bout dis shit." |
| Boudreaux: | "Probably, but it happens. No one was seriously injured and the equipment can be fixed." |
| Spacek: | "Yeah, but you know how he is 'bout his schedules an' shit. Dis sho' ain't gonna help none." |
| Boudreaux: | "Well, I better get this paperwork done." I head down the hall to my office. |
| Keeper: | Seating yourself at your desk, you console yourself in the fact that at least this incident won't necessitate the tons of documentation Fuller's did. Looking up at the government-issue wall clock, it's just after 1515 hours. |
| Boudreaux: | [whispered] Is there a punching bag at the Station? |
| Keeper: | [whispered] Yes, but it's in the gymnasium which is currently off- limits. |
| Boudreaux: | [whispered] Oops. Slipped my mind. |
| Boudreaux: | Okay, well, I work until I finish the paperwork on Gonzales. When I'm done, I'll check on Fuller again. |
| Keeper: | It takes all of perhaps fifteen minutes to sufficiently document the injuries and treatments on Gonzales. Spacek occasionally passes in the hallway, moving soiled equipment to the rear of the infirmary and returning with clean items to the front. As you rise to check Fuller's status, the telephone on your desk rings. |
| Boudreaux: | I pick it up, "Hello?" |
| Tauch: | (over the phone) "Boudreaux, get over here!" |
| Boudreaux: | "Yes, sir." |
| Keeper: | The phone disconnects with a slam of the other reciever. |
| Boudreaux: | I gather my cold-weather gear and prepare myself for the fun jaunt to the CO's place. |
| Keeper: | Retracing your steps from earlier in the day, you make your way through the increasing afternoon winds which buffet you with greater force. The drab sky has begun to harbor darkening clouds on the northwest horizon and you fear that it may be snowing sooner rather than later. A snowstorm tonight could have a disasterous impact on Fuller's prognosis if it were to prevent the transport from landing tomorrow morning. |
| Boudreaux: | (thinking to himself) "Damn, it's going from bad to worse. . ." |
| Keeper: | Up ahead, you see Galloway's Cut-V parked in front of the CQ. Across the street, like a pair of statues, stand the two guards and their ward. Climbing the steps and entering the headquarters building, you hear Galloway and the Captain conversing through the open office door. |
| Galloway: | ". . .if I had known there was a possibility of this happening." |
| Tauch: | "Hindsight's 20/20, Lieutenant. This is supposed to be a no-frills assignment and it's turning into a world-class pain in the ass! To someone looking in, it's beginning to appear as if we can't manage our personnel and equipment around here!" |
| Boudreaux: | I head over to his office. |
| Keeper: | Galloway, hearing the door open and close, peeks his head out of the office door, then back inside the office. |
| Galloway: | "It's Lt. Boudreaux, sir." |
| Tauch: | (from inside his office) "Boudreaux, get in here! I'm sure you've got some 'unique' perspective on this latest disaster!" |
| Keeper: | Entering the room, Tauch ignores your salute and points to the empty chair before his desk beside the one already occupied bt Marlon. |
| Boudreaux: | (sitting down) "With all due respect, sir, I think it was just a simple accident." |
| Keeper: | Tauch stands behind his desk, leaning with both hands. He eyes you severely from under the brim of his battered ball-cap. |
| Tauch: | "An accident, Lieutenant? Well, then, you're just in time. Lt. Galloway and I were just discussing his recommendation that the staff be granted a weekend pass to improve their attitude about occupational safety around here!" |
| Keeper: | The CO momentarily turns his back to pull a fresh pack of Winstons from a carton atop the nearby filing cabinets. Marlon raises his eyebrows as if to say, "I really think I stepped on my dick this time." |
| Boudreaux: | "I don't think that's such a bad idea, sir. The morale is low and the men could use a little R&R." |
| Keeper: | Galloway flinches at your statement, barely escaping the observation of Tauch as he circles the desk and takes a seat on the corner and tamps the pack of cigarettes against the back of his hand. Facing both of you, he flips open his Zippo and lights a cigarette. |
| Tauch: | "I don't think I need to remind you two clowns why you're here in the first place. This is a restrictive assignment for every man out there and there isn't a single one of us who can't think of a million other places they'd rather be. But that does not change the fact that each and every man earned the dubious honor of getting his ass shipped out here!" |
| Galloway: | "Sir, I'm just saying that it's been non-stop work since we got here. The men are getting really high-strung and, I believe, complacent in their duties. You can crack the whip on 'em, but that isn't going to bring back Fuller or replace the two pieces of damaged equipment, nor is it going to prevent further problems from occurring." |
| Tauch: | "Neither is letting them out of here, against explicit orders from CincNavPac! I will not tarnish my record any further than it already has been thanks to this group of imbeciles. If they can't maintain order and discipline in a controlled environment, how the hell do you expect them to act if I unleash them on to one of these hick towns around here?! You think I don't know what goes on around here? Because let me assure you, I do." |
| Galloway: | "It's the only explanation I can give for the rash of accidents and injuries." |
| Keeper: | Tauch moves nose to nose with Galloway, smoking cigarette inches from the Lieutenant's face. |
| Tauch: | "I don't give a fuck if Moses came down from the mountain top and told me to let those men out, they aren't going anywhere! Am I understood?" |
| Keeper: | Galloway nods tersely. |
| Galloway: | "Yes, sir." |
| Keeper: | Turning his irate attention toward you, the CO takes a deep drag from his cigarette. |
| Tauch: | "And what about you, Lieutenant? Am I to understand that you, in your unofficial capacity as morale officer here at Liberty, think Galloway's ludicrous suggestion is a good idea? Or do you have some other flaky explanation to sell me?" |
| Boudreaux: | "The stress of this place is getting to everyone, sir. A weekend pass would do wonders for morale. You can work them until they break, Captain, but all that's going to do is get you more injuries and put us further behind schedule. I think the men are mentally and physically exhausted. . .tensions are rising. By the way, is it supposed to snow tonight? If so, I'm not sure Fuller'll get out of here tomorrow." |
| Tauch: | (shaking his head in frustration) "What the fuck do I look like, the weather man? Check with Pleasant." |
| Keeper: | The CO forcefully snuffs his cigarette out in his ashtray, spilling several butts. He looks coldly at the both of you. |
| Tauch: | "I've had about enough of the headaches I can handle today. (to Galloway) Lieutenant, give the men the rest of the day off, but come tomorrow morning when that transport arrives, it's back to business. (to you) And you, Doctor, stay focused on your assigned duties and stop straying out of your area of expertise." |
| Boudreaux: | "You asked for my opinion, sir. I gave it." |
| Keeper: | Returning to his chair, Tauch slams his ballcap on the table. |
| Tauch: | "Dis-missed!" |
| Keeper: | With a quick look at you, Galloway rises and exits the office, saluting as he goes. Tauch, chair turned to face away from the door, ignores him. |
| Boudreaux: | I come to attention, salute, and head out also. |
| Keeper: | Outside in the reception area, Marlon awaits you. When the CO's door is securely closed, he exhales and whispers to you. |
| Galloway: | "Man, is it just me or is everyone a basket case around here all of a sudden? The Old Man's never jumped my shit like that before!" |
| Boudreaux: | "Something's going on, Marlon. No one's acting rational around here. Everybody's jumping at each other's throats. . . this is not cool." |
| Keeper: | Galloway holds the front door open for you as you exit the CQ. Walking down the steps side-by-side, he pauses to look for a long moment at the van and the two guards across the street, then nods "come on" and leads the way to the parked Cut-V. |
| Boudreaux: | I follow him over. |
| Keeper: | Climbing inside the vehicle, Marlon starts the truck and cranks up the heater. Performing a three-point turn, he turns the Bronco around heads slowly south toward Valley Drive. As he does so, he adjusts the rear-view mirror and stares into it. |
| Galloway: | "You really think those guys have something to do with all the shit that's been happening around here today?" |
| Boudreaux: | "I'm not sure, but I think it might have something to do with that van. I can't say what. It's just a gut feeling I have." |
| Keeper: | Marlon slams his hands against the steering wheel as if coming to a decision. |
| Galloway: | "Fuck it! Let's see what we can find out about those fuckers!" |
| Boudreaux: | "What do you have in mind?" |
| Galloway: | "We can start with the guys on guard duty when they came in this morning. See what they know. . ." |