Homecoming Page #7

Here's to all the nurses

Of the 299th.

And all the doctors,

Too.

And all our friends,

As well,

The ones we'll see again

And the ones we won't.

Well, what is it?

What's happened?

Germans

Have broken through.

They're on the march again

With all they've got.

It's their order

Of the day-

Paris by christmas.

Our whole front

Is collapsing.

They've surrounded

Bastogne.

Bastogne?

Check, please.

Well, what are you

Going to do?

Get back to the outfit

If I can.

Well, let's go.

What?

You're not going.

Who says I'm not?

But you're stationed-

Look. I'm on

A week's leave,

And if they can

Use a doctor,

They can use

A nurse, too,

If only for a week,

And if you

Don't take me,

I'll find some other

Way to get there.

Let's go.

299th evacuation!

299th evacuation!

299th evacuation!

Saw them last

About 4 miles away-

What was left of them.

What is it?

Wait a minute.

Tank.

Out! Quick!

They gone?

Yeah.

What do we do,

Get started?

Suicide to be on these roads tonight.

Not even a chance to

Get through to basecles.

Not a prayer.

How about getting back

To cologne?

Too risky.

Better stay put right

Here until daylight.

It's hours till daylight.

Yes.

Better try and get

Some rest while you can.

You're

Tired and cold.

I'm sorry, useless.

We don't dare

Build a fire.

No, no, no.

I'm all right.

Try and get

A little rest.

Sure. You, too.

I'll watch

A while yet.

Insane of me to

Let you come along.

But you didn't let me.

I could have

Stopped you.

You were

Out of this mess.

You were free.

You were going away.

Is my life worth any more

Than any of the others?

It is to me.

You see,

I love you, snapshot.

Oh, useless.

Oh, useless.

Oh, my darling.

Darling, darling.

Hello, colonel.

Taking a look

At the skyline?

It's got "home"

Written all over it.

Cigarette?

It certainly

Looks good.

Got a match?

Oh.

It's all right.

I'll get it.

Thank you.

Always does that.

Got to get it fixed.

Well...

Time to be getting

Our gear together,

Eh, colonel?

Yes.

Any further delay?

It's coming in now.

There he is,

Miss penny!

Oh, Lee.

It's been

A long time, penny.

Well, Sol.

Welcome home, dr. Johnson.

Well, thank you.

Thank you, Sol.

How have you been?

Just fine, dr. Johnson, just fine.

Good to see you.

Oh. Here.

Here are the checks

For my baggage.

Yes, sir.

The car's right out in front.

Well, uh,

Shall we go?

Remember this house?

I ought to.

I was hoping you'd come in the daytime.

I planted geraniums

All along the border.

They're so pretty.

Well, you can see them

In the morning.

Clean.

So clean, penny.

Hello, Lee.

Hello, mother.

Ahh.

So we've

Got you again.

Ohh. This is a big moment for us, Lee.

Me, too.

You're not

A wrinkle older.

Oh, yes, yes.

How do you think

Penny looks?

Beautiful.

I just wanted to get

A glimpse of you.

Now I'll go.

Good night, Lee.

It means everything

To have you home.

Now we can all

Sort of begin to...

Live again.

Good night,

Penny, dear.

Good night, mother.

She's been here

All afternoon.

She was afraid

She might be in the way,

But I made her stay.

I'm glad you did.

She's really

Missed you, Lee.

Yes.

Oh, Sol.

Where's Sarah?

Oh, she's a little bashful, sir.

She must be

In the kitchen.

I'll go and see her.

Good old Sarah.

Hasn't changed

A bit.

No.

It's a beautiful

House.

Yes, isn't it?

I love it.

Are you hungry?

Would you-

Would you like

Something to eat?

No, thanks.

I had dinner

On the plane.

How was the trip?

Very smooth.

I want to go down to the

Hospital in the morning,

Look around,

See what it's like.

Might be difficult at first

To pick up the loose ends.

Yes.

I don't know quite

What you want to do.

A lot of people

Have called.

You don't want to see

Anyone just yet, do you?

I guess I don't quite feel like

Seeing people at the moment.

I understand, Lee.

Thanks.

You must be

Awfully tired, Lee.

Yes, I am.

I guess we'd better

Turn in.

You go on upstairs,

And I'll lock up.

I guess I am tired.

Don't be so sure he

Doesn't love you, penny.

Lee doesn't know exactly what

He wants himself yet, you know.

You've seen him?

Yes.

He was here

This morning.

Oh. He said he didn't

Want to see anyone yet.

He wanted to apologize.

I thought at first

He meant that he was sorry

For an argument

We had before he left.

I said, "forget it.

I have."

But that wasn't it.

He said, "no, Bob,

"I just want to apologize

To you in general.

I've got to trust you

To understand what I mean."

And then as he was going,

He said something that

Touched me very deeply.

He looked at me

And said,

"how on earth

Did I miss

What you've been telling

Me all these years?"

I watched him

From this window.

He went across

To monkevickz's house

And went in.

I don't know

How long he was there.

I watched

For quite a while.

You know, penny,

I've known Lee

For a long time.

Lots of times, we didn't see eye to eye,

Yet I've always

Loved him.

Now I sort of

Know why.

He's quite a guy,

Penny.

He's worth fighting for.

Face him.

Ask him about snapshot,

What his plans are.

Oh, hello.

Please don't get up.

Have you

Been home long?

No,

Just a few minutes.

I stayed

At the hospital

Longer

Than I intended.

I'm sorry I'm late.

I- I went out

For a while.

Did they give you

A rousing welcome?

Yes.

But it seemed strange.

Yes.

You're very understanding, penny.

The garden is lovely,

Isn't it?

Yes.

I've sat out here a lot

Waiting for you.

Yes. I thought of you sitting out here.

Would you like

A bacardi?

I don't know whether

You still like them.

Well, neither do I,

But I'm sure

I would.

But let's just stay

Here a minute, penny.

Penny, there's something

I'd like to say.

When I left, we promised each other

We wouldn't change.

Remember?

I remember.

Well, I'm afraid I didn't

Stick to our bargain.

I somehow feel different about things.

I've lost some of the

Assurance I used to have.

I:

- I'm not quite so sure of things anymore.

And yet,

In another way,

I feel surer

Than I...

I'm afraid

I can't explain.

Lee, you don't have

To explain... Anything.

Can I get something,

Lee?

No. No thanks.

I just want

A cigarette.

Does it-

Does it bother you much?

Your-your leg?

No. It's all right.

Lee...

Lieutenant mccall-

Has she come home,

Too?

Lieutenant mccall died

In a hospital in belgium

Several weeks ago.

Oh.

I saw her in the hospital

A few days before.

You want to tell me

About it?

Yes.

Yes, I'd like to

Very much, penny.

Of course.

She was wounded just

Outside cologne-

Shell fragment.

I went on further

Into germany.

That's

Where I got this.

Then,

After v.e. Day,

When I was

On my way home,

I heard that

She was in lier.

I got there

At a bad time.

She had just had

Another operation,

And the doctor was

Very discouraged.

I talked to him.

He said he felt her

Chances were very slight.

In fact,

He was quite sure

That it was

Hopeless.

I couldn't

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