Homecoming Page #8

Believe it.

I'd seen

A lot of people die,

But somehow

Snapshot-

She was so active

And alive,

You somehow felt there was

Something indestructible

About her.

I was stunned.

Finally, they told me

That I could see her,

But only for a few minutes.

I don't think I was ever

So shocked in my life.

I'd been through

Almost 3 years of war with her.

She'd stood up under everything

That even men couldn't take.

Then, to see her

The way she was that day...

Leaves you with something you...

Can't ever forget.

Hello, useless.

This is a fine place

To find you.

What's the idea?

Just getting

A little rest.

So, you're going home

At last, useless.

Hmm. Yep.

Good.

You will be, too,

Soon.

Sure.

How are you coming,

Anyway?

Mm. How can I tell?

You know you can never

Believe these doctors.

Thanks for the letters,

Useless.

They were swell letters.

Oh, yes.

I nearly forgot.

There on the table.

I don't...

Smoke anymore.

I thought

You might like it.

It's an old trick

I used to pull.

They want you to go.

You're wearing

The patient out.

You-you will

Write me, won't you?

Lafayette hospital.

Promise me.

Maybe.

And-and when

You come back...

Mm.

You know the saying

In the army, useless.

When a soldier

Leaves his outfit,

All debts and friendships

Are canceled.

No, snapshot.

No.

Mm-hmm.

It's a good saying.

When you're home,

You'll know it.

"I'm wounded,

But I'm not slain."

"I'll but lie down

And bleed a while"...

"and then I'll rise

And fight again."

Good-bye, useless.

Don't miss your convoy.

Snapshot.

Snapshot.

Go home, useless.

Go home.

It seemed as if

There must be something

That I could do...

But there wasn't.

Everything had been done

That could be.

Several days later, I phoned

The hospital from cherbourg.

They told me

She was dead.

I stopped to see her

Little boy on the way home.

He lives with

His grandparents.

Nice little boy.

Very much like her.

It might have been

Easier

If I hadn't told you,

And yet...

That would have been

Impossible.

I couldn't think of

Anything else coming home.

And then, on the boat,

I met a man,

A perfect stranger

Who couldn't possibly

Have known

What was in my mind,

Yet somehow, he seemed to

Confirm my innermost thoughts.

He said,

It's only fair

For the people

Over here to know

That they've got to

Live with us coming home.

He was right.

I had to tell you...

Because it isn't

Just my problem;

It's our problem

Together.

And I couldn't

Go on living

With this

Inside of me

Without your sharing it.

Penny, bear with me

A while, can you?

Oh, Lee.

I'm sorry.

My heart's so full.

I...

I wonder if anyone could

Ever know what it means

To be the one who's-

Who's left out,

The one who's spared.

In all the time

I've waited for you,

When I tried to follow every

Movement of yours on my map,

And read and reread

Your letters,

In all

These 3 long years,

The worst of it was,

I couldn't help you.

I couldn't

Do anything for you.

But, Lee, the thing that gave me

More courage than anything else

Was that somehow,

The hope that

When you came back,

You might need me.

And now-now you do

Need me, Lee.

I'm in it again.

Oh, Lee, I'm so glad

You told me what you did,

Let me inside again,

Made me a part of it.

You asked me if I can

bear with you for a while.

Oh, darling...

I can bear with you for

as long as our lives last.

I love you, Lee.

What, darling?

I said, "welcome home."

At long last, welcome home.

Dinner's served, mrs. Johnson.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote