Disclaimer: I do not own Rat Patrol or profit from writing it.
Author's Note: I'm not sure about this one, but tullyfan planted the seed in her review to Sorry, I can't and it just sprouted.
Hitch sauntered up to a nurse. "Hello, you're looking especially beautiful today. My name is Hitch. Care to join me for dinner?"
The young woman smiled. "I would be delighted. My name is Rita."
Hitch held out his arm and she took it. "A very fitting name for such a beautiful lady."
She blushed. "Well, thank you very much." She and Hitch walked to the mess hall. They had just gotten their food and had sat down, when Tully appeared. He waved to them, and Hitch motioned for him to come join them.
Tully sat down with them. "Hi," he shook Rita's hand. "My name is Tully. Nice to meet you." He smiled his megawatt smile.
And with that, Rita was smitten. She was a polite girl. Her mother had raised her properly, so she made sure her feelings did not show on her dates with Hitch. But whenever Tully's name was mentioned, or he when he waved to them; her heart skipped a few beats. He was kind, charming, and that hair-did she mention the hair? It was always perfectly mussed up.
One day after her shift was over, Hitch came by.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
Rita bit her lip and looked down. "No. I'm really tired from today. I have to take someone's shift tomorrow, so I need to get some sleep."
Hitch was crestfallen. "Maybe some other time?"
Rita smiled briefly. "Maybe," she said noncommittally.
A few days later, Hitch tried again.
"I have a forty-eight hour leave. Would you like to go into the village? I checked with your friend, and she said she'd cover for you."
Rita was uncomfortable. How was she to tell Hitch that she was interested in his best friend? "Uh, Hitch, you see. Well, I like Tully."
Hitch was confused. "Yeah, of course. Everyone likes Tully." Then it dawned on him. "Oh." was all he said.
Rita tried to explain. "He's really handsome and nice. You are too, but in a different kind of handsome." She continued to go on about Tully.
Hitch was growing more and more uncomfortable. At last he said, "I understand. I hope you two are happy together. It's probably for the best, anyways." He gave her a hug and walked away. Besides, she really wasn't his type.
Hitch and Tully's friendship wasn't at all damaged. It turned out Rita was shipped back to the States before she and Tully got really serious. But Hitch would remember her as one of only two girls to turn him down. Tully would remember her as the only girl who blantantly turned down Hitch for him, and Troy and Moffitt got a good chuckle.