Battle Cry - Leon Uris [41]
“You’d better move on, Marine.”
“Shaddup.”
“Come on, boy, go quiet like.”
“Gimme a drunk, I ain’t drink.”
Faint voices. Where the hell am I? Oh Jesus, I’m getting sick. Talk louder, you guys…I can’t hear you…
“Better call the Shore Patrol, Joe.”
“Aw, leave him alone. He ain’t bothering nobody. Just let him sit there till he comes around.”
“I’m…I’m…a rifle…hup…hup…”
“Did he come in with a buddy?”
“Leave the guy alone.”
“Hey, Marine! Wake up!”
“Oh…gawd…I’m sick.”
His head fell flat on the table and his new barracks cap rolled to the floor. “Get the Shore Patrol.”
“No, don’t. I’ll take care of him.”
“Are you a friend of his, lady?”
“Yes…yes.”
“Hey, Burnside, looks like that broad is going to roll him.”
“Yeah, McQuade. Here we been sitting in Iceland all these months and we got to come home to something like this. Come on Gunny, let’s have a talk with her.”
“Take your mitts off him, lady.”
“Cut out the heroics, boys. He’s just a kid. I feel sorry for him…or would you rather the Shore Patrol picked him up?”
“Well…”
This love of mine,
Goes on and on,
Though life is empty,
Since you’ve been gone….
CHAPTER 7
Rock of ages,
Cleft for me,
Let me lose myself in thee….
HYMNS! They’re singing hymns. I’m dead…I’m in heaven. Danny forced his eyes open. He was in a huge, high-ceilinged room and it was filled with voices singing. He forced his eyes to focus the place into view. Far away…almost out of sight he made out the forms of servicemen and girls standing with books in their hands. “Oh Jesus,” he moaned, “come and get me.”
“How do you feel, Marine?” He caught a whiff of enchanting perfume and felt the nearness of someone. “How do you feel?” It was a soft, sweet voice. An angel.
He rubbed his eyes. She was tall, very dark and about thirty. He glanced from her toes upwards, studying the expensive drapery of her dress…and her figure. Class, definitely class, he thought. Well groomed, well heeled, and lovely.
“Who are you?” he groaned.
“Mrs. Yarborough. You’re in the Salvation Army Canteen.”
He smacked his lips; his throat was dry and there was a terrible taste in his mouth. He sat erect, studied the place, and tried to recall the events that preceded his trip to heaven.
“Oh brother, how did I get here?”
“I brought you.”
“Why?”
“I stopped to have a cooling drink. I became fascinated watching you pour down those doubles. I wanted to see what would happen when you took your foot off the bar rail.”
“Why?”
“I felt sorry for you. Just an impulse.”
“Who hit me?”
She laughed. “No one hit you, you passed out.”
“Tell them to stop singing, I’ve seen the light.”
“How about a cup of black coffee?”
“Black…I’ll puke…I’m sorry…I mean my stomach has been upset lately.”
She took a chair next to him. “You really hung one on.”
“I do it all the time. This makes an even once.”
“Feel any better about it?”
“Next time, I’ll try prayer. It’s cheaper and easier.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“How old?”
“Eighteen.”
She watched him as he fought his way to complete consciousness. He felt sorry for himself, he admitted it and he was better now. No need for further conversation. “Be a good boy now and I promise not to tell Kathy,” she said as she arose to leave.
“Oh Christ, did I drag her into it?”
“I’ll say you did.”
“Please, Mrs…. er…er.”
“Yarborough.”
“Just a moment.”
“What do you want?”
“I just want to say thanks. I guess I put on a good show. It was nice of you, I could have gotten into a lot of trouble.”
“I usually don’t make a habit of stopping in bars. Just a bit of odd luck and hot weather. Now see if you can enjoy yourself, I must go on duty.”
It was the first time that he had spoken to a woman in many months. The voice that was not gruff, cursing, or commanding sounded like something he’d almost forgotten. He wanted to go on talking to her.
“Mrs. Yarborough.”
“Yes?”
“I feel that you’re entitled to know the entire story that led to my downfall, that’s the least I could do.”
“I listen to them all day. I’ll