Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Page #9

They'll be here any minute now.

It's funny, isn't it?

I mean the way Clever's head

just keeps rocking back and forth,

back and forth.

Somebody ought to help Clever.

I think the Chinese are

a swell bunch of people

but I can't say I go for their music.

Shorty Manch would go all to

pieces if he heard a little of this.

Yeah.

How's Lawson?

Well, his leg looks pretty bad, sir.

Dr. Chung thinks gangrene has set in.

Looks like a Jap Zero.

You guys ought to go on and leave me.

They think I'm passed out half

the time and I hear what they say.

The Japs are coming closer all

the time. Why don't you guys go?

We're not sticking around

here because of you, Lawson.

- None of us here are able to travel yet.

- I was just thinking.

I guess Ellen and I aren't

going to ski anymore.

That's too bad.

I was going to teach her some fancy stuff.

Now don't start talking like that.

You're going to pull through all right.

What do you think a girl would do?

I mean, say Ellen and I like to ski.

Be kind of funny if they

cut my leg off, wouldn't it?

Why don't you try to go to sleep?

Yeah, it'd be kind of funny, all right.

You marry a guy, he's

got two arms and two legs.

Then he comes back and he hasn't any.

- I am Dr. Chung.

- Where are the boys?

How are you, Pop?

Did you have a good trip?

- Here they are.

- Hi, fellas.

- How are you?

- How you doing?

- Hello, Sarge.

- It's good to see you.

- Holy Joe, what happened to you guys?

- Nothing serious.

The Duck forgot to duck.

Yeah, McClure's been trying to

do his own flying ever since.

This really looks like something

left over from a massacre.

Well, you guys don't look so good yourselves.

You don't smell so good either.

Well, there's nothing wrong with

us that a good bath won't fix.

- I wish we could say the same for you.

- How's the grub around here?

I think I'd like a good thick

steak, French fried onions

and a baked potato with plenty of butter

and about three bottles of beer...

You'll take bean sprouts and like them.

- Say, where's Lawson and Davenport?

- They're upstairs.

- Lawson's in pretty bad shape.

- You better go up and see him.

He needs you bad, Doc.

Well, it's certainly good

to see you fellows again.

Hey, Pop, how's the chop suey around here?

He doesn't speak English.

I'm sorry, Pop.

Yeah, and when Shorty jumped,

he had two. 45s, a. 44 rifle,

a. 22 automatic, that Luger of

his, a hunting knife, a Bowie knife

- and an ax.

- What a guy.

He stuffed his shirt full of chocolate

bars but he forgot to button his collar.

So when he pulled the rip cord,

he just naturally molted

candy all over North China.

- What happened to his photograph?

- It went down with the ship.

Next morning Manch scared the

Chinese right out of their wits.

They didn't know anything

human grew that tall.

What about Bob Gray?

He's okay. I think they

moved on to Chungking.

Oh, yeah, and that guy "Me,

Charlie" said to tell you hello.

If it hadn't been for Charlie, the

Japs would have had us that first day.

Yeah, us too.

I'd like to come back some day

and fight alongside that guy.

Me, too.

Well, it's all over.

Let's save some of this talk for tomorrow.

A pint and a half, that's not bad.

You'd better get to bed now.

You're an old grandma, Doc.

But I'll take it slow,

just as a favor to you.

Be seeing you, Lawson.

Thanks, Doc.

How's the leg, Doc?

It's not good, Lawson.

The next forty-eight

hours will tell the story.

Well, thank you.

- Hey, Don.

- Yeah?

Tell Doolittle to hold off

that party till we get there.

Okay, Davenport. We'll wait for you.

- Where's Thatcher?

- He's in with Lawson. He'll be right out.

Okay.

I wish you would let me stay here

until you're ready to go, sir.

These people will take care of us.

There's no reason for you fellows

to hang around and maybe get caught.

Yeah, I know, but I might come

in handy if the Japs show up, sir.

Thatcher, when you get back to the States,

if you should run into my wife,

just tell her I'm okay.

Don't let her know about

anything being wrong.

I understand, sir.

And say hello for me to

that girl in Billings.

That I will, sir.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Thatcher.

Good morning.

- Good morning, Lawson.

- Hi, Doc.

I'll try not to hurt you,

Lawson. I'll have a look at this.

Thanks.

You going to take the leg, Doc?

Yeah, I think so.

We talked it over and

there's nothing else to do.

It's pretty rough to have

to cut a man's leg off.

I guess it'll be all right.

After all, a wooden leg is just kind of

like wearing a shoe with a high instep.

When are you gonna do it?

I might as well give you a shot right now.

You mean we have something to knock me out?

Our runners arrived with

anesthetic this morning.

It'll only be a spinal, Lawson.

You won't feel anything from the

waist down, but you'll be conscious.

That's the best we can do.

Oh, swell.

I can watch you and make sure

you don't take off too much.

All right, Lawson. We'll

have to roll you over.

It'll take a little time to work.

We'll get you over to the operating room.

- Doc?

- Yes?

- How high are you going to cut?

- Oh, not too high.

- Will I have a knee, Doc?

- I'm afraid not, Lawson.

- Any feeling there?

- No. Look, Doc.

We can't waste any time, Lawson.

When that anesthetic wears off,

- we haven't got any more.

- Okay, but just one thing more.

Yes.

If anything happens,

don't let Ellen know

anything about the operation.

She might just as well think

I died while all in one piece.

All right, Lawson. Now,

you're not going to feel this.

But you might get nervous

and jump or something,

so the nurses are going to hold you.

Okay, Doc.

Fire away.

Oh, when you said "no

knee," you weren't kidding.

If I cut any lower we

might have to do it again

and your system couldn't take it.

What're you stalling for, Doc?

We're doing the best we

can, Lawson. Take it easy.

Okay. Only hurry.

It seems like I'm beginning

to feel my other leg.

It seems like I can move my toes, Doc.

I think I can move my ankle.

Hurry, Doc, I'm sure I can.

Hurry, Doc, hurry.

- Hello.

- Hello. Hello, Ellen?

- Ted, where are you?

- I'm in a lumber camp.

I had to make a forced

landing in a mud puddle.

- You aren't hurt, are you?

- No, not a scratch.

- Have you got the tree all fixed?

- Oh, yes, Ted. You should just see it.

- It's so beautiful.

- Anything under it?

- Oh, yes.

- Well, let's open them up.

- Oh, we can't do that.

- Sure we can. Go ahead.

Well, if you say so.

I'm not going to be cheated out of

my Christmas by a cracked up airplane.

Oh, Ted, it's the most beautiful

box of candy I've ever seen in my whole life.

Good. Isn't there maybe

something else lying around?

- Let me see. Yes, there is.

- Well, open it.

It's a silk scarf. And it

looks like it's handmade, too.

- I'll bet it's got my initials on it.

- That's not fair.

You peeked while I was making it.

I just know my wife.

- Oh, Ted, I wish you were here.

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