The Guardian Page #6

I mean, if my muscles ache,

it's 'cause I've used them.

If it's hard for me

to walk up them steps now,

it's 'cause I walked up them every night

to lay next to a man who loved me.

I got a few wrinkles here and there,

but I've laid under thousands of skies

on sunny days, yeah.

I look and feel this way,

well, 'cause I drank and I smoked,

I lived and I loved,

and danced, sang, sweat

and screwed my way

through a pretty damned good life,

if you ask me.

Getting old ain't bad, Ben.

Getting old, that's earned.

There will come a time

when you might have to decide

who lives and dies out there.

It's a terrible responsibility,

When you're pulling through the water,

you're gonna pull yourself through.

- Like, you know...

- So I'll go fast.

No, you wanna lay to your side

and pull it like that.

Hey, Charlie,

you get those fittings replaced

- before you came off to get tanked up?

- Yes, sir, Captain.

Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it.

We go to "A" School,

which is the most difficult school

in the military.

The attrition rate's, like...

What is it, 50%?

- It's over 50%.

- Over 50.

We're still here,

'cause we're the best of the best.

When storms shut down entire ports,

you know who goes out?

We do.

When hurricanes...

When hurricanes ground the US Navy,

like these little guys over here,

guess who goes out?

That's right, we do.

Look, honey,

you better keep it down in here, okay?

Okay, honey. She called me "honey."

Okay, honey.

But when God himself reaches down

from heaven...

- What does he do, Jake, when he...

- Rips houses off the foundation.

When God himself rips houses

off the foundation, we go out,

because we are rescue swimmers,

and that is our job,

and that's what we do.

You might wanna

recheck your compass.

This ain't no puddle pirate bar.

No problem,

because we were just leaving anyway.

- Sit down, Hodge.

- Jake.

- Finish your beer.

- Jake.

Yeah, sit, Hodge.

That's my beer, man.

Finished now?

Must be happy hour.

Hey!

Back off.

Everyone in this place is retired Navy.

Hey. Hey, when do I get

that phone call?

I know I get a phone call.

When do I get my phone call?

Ma'am, I am sorry,

but if nobody come in 20 minutes,

I need the table.

- Okay.

- I'm sorry.

Yeah.

She's never gonna talk to me again.

You know they're gonna

kick us out for this, right?

Yep.

Least they can't say we quit.

I was never gonna make it, anyway.

Skinner's right. Panic every time.

Man, screw Skinner.

I'm Skinner. Break my hold.

Hey, what are you doing, man?

Come on, Fischer, get off me.

Clock's ticking. Break it.

Fischer, you're hurting me, man.

Fischer, get off me, man!

Come on, Fischer, you're hurting me.

Fischer, man, get off!

- Break the goddamn hold.

- Fischer, get off me, man!

- Break the goddamn hold, Hodge.

- Fischer, get off me!

I said, get off me!

All right.

Now, it's just like that

when you're in the water.

Well, now. We could come back.

Give you boys time for a smoke

and some pillow talk.

You can't kick us out.

It's called disorderly

conduct, and yes, we can.

- We didn't fail at nothing.

- Our profession is all about control.

You both failed miserably

in that department.

Hold it right there.

- Senior?

- Yeah, come in.

Their disenrollment records.

Bar fight?

- All right, bring them in.

- Senior.

Square it.

It's all my fault, Senior Chief.

Hodge had nothing to do with it.

- That true, Hodge?

- It's true.

All right. Fine, you're dismissed.

- Senior Chief, I was...

- I said that you are dismissed.

Let's go.

You're gonna kick me out

for defending the Coast Guard?

The Coast Guard's been around

for 200 years.

I doubt a couple of knuckleheads

like yourself are gonna defend it.

Sit down.

I've been trying to peel the layers

back on you for a while now, and I...

I just don't get it.

I mean, this kind of work

seems a little remedial

for someone like yourself.

You know, big swim champ,

offer to every lvy League.

You give it all up to be here with us.

- Why?

- I'm here to save lives, Senior Chief.

I spoke with your coach, Jake.

- You spoke with my coach?

- Yeah, I spoke with your coach.

Something in your file

just kept hanging me up.

You win the state championship

your freshman and sophomore year

and then you don't swim the next two.

I'm just a public school guy,

so pardon me,

but it didn't add up until now.

"Kirk Holloway,

"thrown through the passenger window.

"Pronounced dead at the scene.

"Abe lkeman, first team All-American,

lungs crushed.

"Carl Sandoval,

"made it all the way to the hospital.

Died of internal bleeding."

I guess you just know everything, then.

I know what it's like to lose a team.

Yeah?

What about living in a small town

where everyone thinks

that you killed their brother

or their son or their best friend?

You know about that?

Kind of small town where everyone

still waves to everyone,

just not to you?

I read the report, Jake.

Your blood alcohol was zip that night.

I'm guessing there was a flip

for designated driver.

You lost.

Guess that just makes it

all go away, huh?

No, it doesn't make it all right.

It just makes it an accident.

At least that's how it reads.

You were 16 years old, Jake.

I'm not your priest, but if I was, I think...

I think maybe you'd deserve a pass.

You're giving me a pass?

You just think you know everything

with your psychobabble bullshit.

Why am I here? Why are you here?

You're too old to be doing this.

You're washed-up here.

You don't wanna be teaching

a bunch of kids in a pool. Am I right?

I don't give a sh*t what you read

or who you talked to.

You don't know about me! You don't...

I have me under control.

I can see that.

The only difference

between you and me is,

I don't wear the ones I lost

on my arm, Jake.

I know where you're at, Jake.

I'm there myself.

I ask myself every day

why I was the one that survived.

- And?

- And...

And if I can't answer that for me,

I'm certainly not going to try

and answer it for you.

Have a seat.

I want you

to start being a member of this team,

the team you have now.

You have a gift, Jake.

You're the best swimmer

to come through this program,

hands down, by far.

You got a whole record board

to prove it.

But you know what I see

when I look at it?

I see someone fast enough

who's gonna get there first.

I see someone strong enough

who's gonna last.

I see someone who can save a life

that maybe nobody else could.

You really wanna honor

the initials on your arm?

Then honor your gift.

Save the ones you can, Jake.

The rest, we've gotta let go.

Does this mean

you're not gonna fail me?

For what, backing up a buddy in a bar?

Man, I got bigger problems than you.

I don't know about you,

but I could use a f***ing drink.

Oops.

I'm gonna consider everything tonight

off-record and off-duty.

That was an invite.

Oh.

You gotta be kidding me.

- What was it they called you?

- "Puddle pirates," but it's not...

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