THE FINAL ROAD
It was a highway, sort of. Men and women, old and young, soldiers and civilians, all headed in the same direction. "Hey," Henry Blake, former commanding officer of the 4077th MASH, asked one of the passersby. "Where are we going?"
The young man, a British soldier, shrugged. "Not really sure, mate. But it has to be a right bloody sight better than where we were, eh?" He winked and kept walking.
Henry sighed. It was odd. He didn't feel tired, or hungry, or thirsty in spite of the bright sunshine around him. Or was it sunshine? In some places it looked more like patchy fog, with bright shadows crossing back and forth. Probably some kind of an optical illusion, he told himself.
Henry tried to remember what had happened. He'd heard something hit his transport plane, remembered looking out his window and seeing the shape of a MIG fighter jet. Had he actually been shot down, then? Was he somewhere in a hospital, dreaming this?
"Well," he said to no one in particular, "If it is a dream, it's not a bad one." He looked up at the bright sky. "In fact, it's kind of pleasant…sure wish I knew where we were going, though."
An elderly Korean farmer walked past him, along with a Chinese soldier. Henry was somewhat alarmed by this at first, but the man wasn't armed, although he looked like he'd been in a battle. They were joined by an American Sergeant, who didn't seem to mind the Chinese soldier's presence, either.
"I guess it's a good thing we're all getting along so well," Henry remarked to the Sergeant, indicating their fellow Chinese traveler.
"It doesn't matter here," the man said. "We're all the same on this road."
"I don't suppose you could tell me where we're going?" Henry asked.
"No idea," the Sergeant replied. "Been walking for a while, though." He sounded calm, as if he knew this was where they were supposed to be.
Henry continued walking. He was worried about Mildred, wondering if she and the kids were all right. That brought something else to mind, but it wasn't a pleasant thought-what if this wasn't a dream? Something bad had happened on the plane, after all.
But then he looked up at the sky, and felt oddly comforted. If this was where he was supposed to be, and he would eventually get somewhere, then there had to be a reason for it, right? Besides, it was a nice day for a walk.
The light drew him and the others onward, forward down the road.
THE END