The Messenger Page #6

You know what? He knows what he's doing.

It's good. Let's just go to sleep.

Yeah, lets go to bed.

- Go to bed.

- F***ing a**hole.

I'm more fun when I drink.

Sergeant.

You missed out. That's the whole problem.

That is the whole problem

this time around in Iraq.

Vietnam, those guys

got laid six ways from Sunday.

Bosnia... Best brothels in the world.

Desert Storm... we had R and R ships

with Filipino hookers...

...on call.

Yeah, but this war? I don't know.

All the religious bullshit, the Crusades

and jihad and nobody getting laid.

I mean, that right there is half the reason

why everybody's so angry, yeah?

Hey, Charlie, don't surf!

- Let's get back.

- Yeah.

I'm thinking maybe

I ought to have a kid.

I shouldn't have let you drink.

No, see, that is your other problem

right there, hero.

Everything's your fault.

Everything is your responsibility.

Somebody's gonna fall to pieces?

Well, here's Will with a glue stick.

Some soldier gets drunk...

Hey, let me tell you something.

I had a beer last month, okay?

A few weeks ago, I had a few more.

- The other day...

- You serious?

Today is not the day

that I got off the wagon.

This is the day that I'm gonna not

bother pretending anymore.

Stay the f*** away from us, you a**holes!

Motherfuckers! Goddamn it!

It's okay.

F*** you!

Let's head back.

Stone, let's head back.

Where'd you learn about knots?

Oh, Boy Scouts.

They sure love a good knot. Easy to tie,

easy to untie, hard to pull loose.

Dude, what's your f***ing problem, anyway?

You own this lake?

- Lock and load, Sergeant.

- Yes, Sir.

Hey, ladies.

- What sorority you girls belong to?

- What the f***?

Boy, those girls sure overreacted.

Just a little fight is all.

I thought they was cool.

Sorry, buddy.

Hey, how far did you get

with that girl, Laura?

- Lara.

- Lara.

What a name, Lara.

Give me a home

where the buffalo roam

Where the deer

and the antelope play

Where seldom is heard

a discouraging word

And the skies

are not cloudy all day

Home, home on the range

Where the deer

and the antelope play

Where seldom is heard

a discouraging word

And the skies

are not cloudy all day

Whoo!

Home, home on the range

Bill! Hi. Good to see you.

Thanks for coming.

You should have RSVP'd, okay?

Alan is gonna freak.

Hey. I didn't know you...

Alan, good to see you. Long time.

Yeah. Jesus, you look terrible.

I feel terrible.

Tony, this is Alan.

Alan, Tony, groom-to-be.

Hey, Tony.

What happened to you guys?

Oh, I wouldn't worry about it.

We do all our own stunts, you know.

Kelly, Tony. Tony, Kelly. Bride.

Enchant. Hubba-hubba.

Well... Let's get these guys

some drinks.

- I was just about to sober up. Come on.

- Sounds good.

Let's go, Alan.

Come on. All right?

- You look beautiful.

- Don't.

You do.

- What is this?

- It's nothing.

So, on behalf of everyone in the room...

...and those who couldn't

make it here tonight...

Kelly and Alan...

...here's to a lifetime together, huh?

Hear! Hear!

Whoo! Kelly and Alan.

Hey, there's a lot better things

we could be doing right now than talking.

I would like to say something.

Jesus Christ. Before you do...

I would like everyone to toast our troops.

Hear! Hear!

Love the war or hate it,

we support you guys all the way.

Hear! Hear!

- They support us.

- All the way.

Alan...

Kelly...

...family and friends...

...the Secretary of the Army...

...is pleased to congratulate you

on your engagement.

We love it here

We love it here

You bet your ass

We love it here

- Hoo-ahh!

- Hoo-ahh!

Back away.

Go, Sergeant!

F*** me.

You just caught a. 556 in your upper lip!

Bang!

Boom.

This is America!

Hey.

Hey.

It's time to wake up.

Jesus, am I dead?

No.

Oh, dear God, help me.

I gotta call my sponsor.

We should both

get out of this together.

You could retire.

We'd go fishing in Alaska.

Nah, this Dorsett will never let me go.

He doesn't own you.

He saved my life.

Got me sober... Until yesterday.

The army owns me and that's fine with me.

That's not fine with me.

Come on.

All I ever wanted...

was to get shot at.

That too much to ask for

on the battlefield? A battle?

I thought you said you had your baptism.

Yeah, well, I lied.

Wasn't much of a war.

Heads up.

Dale Martin's my name.

Do you remember me?

Yes, sir.

You know what's the last thing

my son said to me?

He said,

"I'll see you next week. " On the phone.

That's what he said, from over there.

And all I said was, "Yeah. "

I'm...

I'm not a good talker.

But...

Will you please forgive me?

Sir, there's nothing to forgive.

Mama said there'd be days like these.

Our LTwas taking fire

two blocks down...

and so I made a decision

to move up this alleyway...

so we could get into this haji market

that I knew had roof access.

Sniper fire came down on us

from everywhere.

It was just pop, pop, pop, pop.

And we're all scrambling

around trying to get some cover...

when an I ED goes off.

You know, blows us back.

And we're all...

But I can see Timmerman

is still standing, and he has...

...he has this flap hanging off

the side of his head...

...and when he turns around,

I can see it's the...

I can see it's the side of his face.

Two of my guys behind us are hit

and I'm yelling at them...

...you know, yelling,

"Get out of the road"...

...but they're screaming so loud

they can't hear me.

So I take off. I pick one of'em up.

He was...

I don't know,

third month, fourth month, 18, 19.

Pull the other one with my free hand...

...take us and drop them behind

these truck tires.

And we're all catching our breath,

trying to radio the bird...

when I see Derek...

...just bleeding out in the middle

of the street.

Now, sniper fire had slowed...

...and he was on his back.

He had his hands up like this.

Looked like he was... Like he was praying.

Nothing but noise from the radio,

so I make a mad dash to him.

It's pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!

Grab his wrist, drag him across the street

behind this burned-out old car.

And he looking down at his hands.

He keeps looking down at his damn hands.

He keeps opening them and closing them...

...and he's opening,

he keeps saying over and over...

"I can't feel my hands.

I can't feel my hands. "

And I'm looking down at his hands.

His hands are fine.

There's not a spot on them...

when his left leg is, you know,

halfway down the block.

So I start pushing him

underneath the car...

...and I'm saying, " Derek, your hands

are fine. Your hands are fine.

Just sit tight. "

And he looked at me like I was...

He looked at me like I was lying to him.

And that's when the I ED

went off under him.

Jesus.

I actually got pieces of him

blasted right into me.

It was like...

...flesh shrapnel.

When I came to,

I had already been to the FOB.

I was on my way to Ramstein. In the hospital,

I'm laid out and some guy comes in.

I can't see very well,

and he drops this little...

...drops a little ribbon

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