Author's notes:
Being a Hudson county, NJ girl (born and raised), I had to give my hometown, Hoboken, a quick shoutout. To say I was excited about this is an understatement. #hobokenstrong
I took lyrical inspiration from two Taylor Swift Songs, 'All Too Well' and 'Enchanted,' for this chapter. Any retro-loving Swifties may understand the references in the chapter.
Sonograms came out in 1956, so Babe knew she was having twins. They just couldn't determine the gender of the unborn children yet.
S.S. Kresge's was the original name for K-Mart, originating in 1899.
Italian words: Dio mio= Oh my God, Silenzio= Be quiet, Fanculo= fuck, Ti voglio bene= I love you
I will be making a Spotify playlist called, 'Love in Camp Henderson Soundtrack,' filled with lovely oldies tunes, along with other songs that remind me of Gomer and Carter's love.
*GC*
Easter flew by, and two weeks later, everything went back to regular as regular could be. Gomer felt much better and could do his duties, except slower than the other men. He managed to keep his inhaler on him at all times, taking it as needed. Word got out about him being the winner of the egg hunt, which angered the other platoon members; why should Gomer win the prize money for an egg hunt he wasn't even a participant in? It wasn't fair!
As normal started to come back, each platoon had completed their drills, hikes, assignments, etc. All was okay on the base…except for one thing. While most of the base was focused on things in their lives, Gomer and Carter went on as if nothing between them was going on, except being a Private and Sergeant. The last time they got to embrace, and kiss was Easter night, and boy did they long to do so again. Nothing could be easy for anyone.
Both Gomer and Duke were assigned to latrine duty while the tiny radio in the corner played music to help the time pass;' Walk Away, Renee' by The Left Bank filled the air of the latrine.
"Isn't this a nice song, Duke?" Gomer asked Duke, who was scrubbing the urinals. "The melody is just lovely."
"Sure, Gome. I just wish I could enjoy it without cleaning the piss off these urinals." Duke groaned out of frustration that they were both on latrine duty.
Gomer glanced at his friend, then smirked to himself while wiping down the mirrors. It was then Duke realized he had a question to ask Gomer, "You never told me, what did you end up doing with the money you won from the egg? I remember the other fellas being pissed you won the money without really participating."
"Well," Gomer answered, "I kept some of the money for myself, just enough to get me by, and maybe catch a monster picture or even get an ice cream soda. The rest I ended up donating to the children's hospital downtown. It just didn't sit right with me to have all that money and not earnin' any of it. So I figured I may as well give it to something that matters."
Shaking his head, Duke replied, "All that money to do whatever you want, and you chose to donate it. I can't ever get you, Gomer; you always manage to do the right thing. However, I admire you for doing something noble like that. Plus, Alana would be happy to know that you contributed to the children's hospital. I'm seeing her at the end of the week."
"You know, Duke, you never told me how you met your lady," Gomer mentioned.
Smiling, while putting down his brush, Duke spoke, "It was two months ago, Garcia and I went to the pool hall. He ended up getting into a fight with some Army shithead, who cheated in a game. I tried to break them up but ended up getting punched in the nose."
"Is that why you came back to the base that one time with a broken nose?" Gomer asked.
Embarrassed, Duke responded, "Yeah…that was the reason."
Gomer lightly chuckled. Duke ignored that and continued speaking, "So, we both ended up taking me to the hospital just to get my nose bandaged up, only for my nurse to be Alana. She was beautiful and well-spoken, and I knew I had to ask if I could call her one day. I tried calling her for several nights, only for her to pick up the phone a month later finally. She said it was because she worked a lot, so she never called me back. So I took her out to dinner much later. We've been going together since."
Gomer smiled at his friend's story. Duke took out his wallet to show Gomer Alana's picture. Duke didn't do her justice enough; she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, with dark silky hair, thick eyebrows, and green eyes that could make any man get lost in them. Her skin was porcelain white, like a doll. She had a birthmark on her cheekbone. Duke's photo looked like it was from her nursing school pinning ceremony because her hair was done in a bun, only a strand of hair falling from her face, very light makeup, and pink lipstick. She was dressed in a collar blouse and designer stud earrings.
"Glory be, Duke! She sure is pretty!" Gomer said, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "She looks like a sunny Valentine's Day."
This made Duke laugh as he replied, "Thank you, Gomer. She's my New York rose."
As Duke put his wallet back in his pocket, Gomer smiled at his friend in love. Sure, he had seen his friend go with girls in his day, with most of them not working out. It made Gomer beam from ear to ear, knowing his friend found a woman to love.
"Are you seeing her this Friday night," Gomer asked, scrubbing the sink away from its growing bacteria.
"Yep. She's been working so much that she finally has the night off. She's going to cook me dinner." Duke told Gomer.
Duke took a break from scrubbing the urinals, then glancing at the sinks, amazed that they were spotless as if they weren't dirty, to begin with.
"Damn, Gome. How did you get the sinks to look that clean?"
"I don't know, Duke. I guess I just like to take my time cleanin'. You see, when I was a youngling, Grandma Pyle made me wake up early every Saturday to do chores. She said that I wasn't to play until the house looked spotless. Sometimes it would take me all mornin' to clean; she could tell when I would rush it, which I only did once, and never again. But you know what they say; a clean house is a happy house."
Duke grimaced at the story his friend told him. He then said, "Geeze. That sounds harsh. Making you clean all morning sounds rough."
"Not really." Gomer smiled in response. "You see, she taught me how to make a room neat. She taught me life skills that I need to keep with me for the future because you never know what will happen when your house is messy. Besides, I knew she did it because she loved me."
"Well, if only she were here to help us clean this latrine." Duke joked.
Gomer observed the urinals, noticing they were barely spotless. He smiled and said, "Want me to give you a hand with them urinals, Duke?"
"Nah, you don't need to, buddy," Duke replied, adding more cleaner to the mess. "I don't wish this on anyone."
"But I don't mind one bit, Duke. I want to help you." Gomer pleaded.
Feeling defeated, Duke smiled then replied, "Pick up an extra brush then."
*GC*
Meanwhile, in the Sergeant's quarters, Carter opened up a letter he got from his sister back home. It was a late Easter card with a picture of two cute little kids. The boy had short dark hair and brown eyes, while the little girl had long, brown curls with blue eyes. They were both dressed in traditional Easter attire, which included a dress shirt, tie, jacket, dress shorts, and dress shoes on the little boy and a frilly white dress, with pink flowers embroidered on the sleeves, black Maryjane shoes, and white lace socks on the little girl. The children were both holding their Easter baskets, smiling big smiles for the camera while the Easter bunny knelt behind them. Carter smiled at the photo. Boyle noticed the Sergeant looking at the card, grinning to himself.
"What's got you so happy?" Boyle asked him.
"My nephew and niece. Look at them. This was from their Easter egg hunt." Carter showed Boyle the photo.
Boyle looked at the photo, then smiled at it, "Hey… they're pretty cute, Vince."
"That's Connor and Arabella." Carter chuckled, pointing to the children.
Carter took out his wallet, sneaking the photo of them inside, to keep on him at all times. He loved his nephew and niece, but what he loved most was getting letters and drawings from them.
"Are they twins?" Boyle asked.
"Yeah. They're my sister, Babe's kids. Belle was born a few minutes before Connor; he was born five seconds before midnight. When they were born, my dad was more than happy he was gettin' a grandson. If only there had been a way for her to know the gender of the twins before they were born." Carter explained.
"You never know. Technology is always changing, so maybe there will be a way for expecting mothers to know their child's gender. Before you know it, people will start celebrating the gender of the baby." Boyle stated. "They will call them…' gender reveal parties.' I should patent that."
"This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that your mother thought she was having a girl because she believed in that wive's tale bullshit, so for the first few months, you were wearing girl clothes?" Carter joked.
Boyle looked to the side, almost embarrassed, then muttered, "Yes."
Carter chuckled as he pulled out his wallet, placing the photo inside.
"Say, you want to head to the mess hall? I'm starved." Boyle suggested.
"Alright, let's head over," Carter muttered, still laughing while he placed his wallet back in his pocket.
As the Sergeant and Corporal made their way towards the mess hall for their late breakfast, they were greeted along the way by other Privates.
"Hi, Sergeant Carter. Hi, Corporal Boyle." One young Private greeted them.
The two higher-ups waved and kept walking to the mess hall. Once there, they grabbed two trays served themselves. The food served included eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and gravy. Once they filled up their trays, they found a spot to sit.
"Alright! This looks good!" Carter muttered to himself, rubbing his palms together before picking up his fork.
Once his fork was in his hand, he started eating his food. While chewing, he felt Boyle stare right on top of him. Boyle held concern in his eyes. The Corporal then spoke to his friend, "So how are you?"
Carter looked up, replying with a full mouth, "Huh?"
"How are you doing?" Boyle repeated, without showing the feeling of repulsiveness at Carter's full mouth.
Carter swallowed the contents in his mouth, responding, "Uh…oh… I'm okay…why do you ask?"
"Just asking; only because you had been through a lot. I just feel the need to check in on you." Boyle stated.
"Oh…thanks, Chuck." Carter was somewhat taken aback.
"Have you heard from Bunny or what's her name?" Boyle asked.
Carter, while filling his mouth, shook his head no. He missed the look of disgust Boyle shot at him; Carter lacked table manners when very hungry. Once he swallowed, he then replied, "Haven't heard from Bunny, nor do I care to. Also, why would I? She's with some accountant, and she's his problem now."
Boyle gave a small chuckle, indicating he was happy that Carter seemed to have moved on from her.
"As for Raquel," Carter added, "I take it I no longer interest her after she threw an ashtray at me."
"Wait…she threw an ashtray?" Boyle chuckled.
"Yeah…" Carter nodded bashfully. "It was an ashtray…an ashtray, made out of cheap plastic that managed to cut me and leave a scar," Carter smirked.
Boyle observed the healed scar on Carter's forehead, saying, "Well…I will give you one thing, Vince; that scar makes you look dangerous…in an ', I got into a fight with a dame, and lost' kind of way."
"Fuck you, Boyle!" Carter laughed again.
The two shared a laugh before Boyle became sincere again, saying, "Seriously though, Vince. I'm happy you are doing well."
"Thank you, Chuck," Carter said, with sincerity in his voice.
As the two continued eating, Boyle spoke up again, "Out of curiosity…are you interested in anyone else at the moment?"
This question made Carter somewhat tense inside. As much as he wanted to be honest with Boyle, he couldn't say anything without the fear of being judged or ridiculed. Worse, he didn't want to risk Gomer getting harshly treated by the other men.
"Uh…there is someone…but I don't want to say anything as of now. Just want to see where it goes." Carter explained with a slight shrug.
Boyle nodded his head slowly, stating, "Well, you're taking the right step in taking it slow. That's always a good thing."
The two men continued eating some more in silence. Carter felt Boyle's eyes still on him. He looked up at him, asking, "What?"
"Nothing… you've mellowed out a bit. You aren't so high-strung like before. I've noticed that."
"Is that good or bad?" Carter asked in between bites.
"Good. It seems like that food bunker has done something to you." Boyle stated.
"Yeah…it sure has…." Carter muttered in response.
"Although one thing you can change is talking with your mouth full, Vince." Boyle joked.
Carter stuffed his face while giving Boyle the finger. This just made Boyle laugh in reply. At that moment, Sergeant Hacker walked by the table, speaking to them, "Good day, fellas. How is the food today?"
Looking up at his rival, Carter swallowed his food, "Hello, Charlie, and it's delicious today. Thank you."
"Happy to hear," Hacker responded.
Silence fell in the air until Hacker spoke to Carter again, "Look, Vince…I just wanted to apologize for the food bunker. It shouldn't have happened, and I'm glad Pyle is doing better. I'm also sorry about busting your chops from time to time."
"It's fine, Charlie. I…" Hacker cut off Carter.
"No. I wanted to apologize," Hacker sincerely spoke, then holding out his hand, "and offer a truce. So…truce?"
Carter looked at Hacker, then back at Boyle, who responded shrugging.
"Oh, what the hell, Charlie. Truce." Carter laughed as he shook Hacker's hand.
"Come join us, Charlie." Boyle invited Hacker to sit with them.
"Thanks, Boyle," Hacker replied, taking a seat in between the other two.
"So, what's new with you, Charlie?" Carter casually asked.
"As you say, Vince," Hacker spoke, "same shit…."
"Different day." The three of them spoke in unison, laughing again.
"But, I will tell you one thing…the infirmary has some nice looking nursing working. Did either one of you check them out?" Hacker spoke.
"Yeah…they sure are beautiful," Boyle replied, sipping his coffee.
They spent the remainder of the breakfast period talking and laughing. It was rather nice for Carter and Hacker to be civilized for once without going at each other's throats with wisecracks and jokes. Once breakfast was complete, the two sergeants and Corporal walked out, standing in front of the mess hall, still talking, until Carter and Boyle had to head back to their barracks.
"Say, Vince, Chuck, let's have another poker game tonight," Hacker suggested. "It's been a while."
"How about tonight, in my barracks?" Carter suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Hacker responded.
The three laughed again before Hacker waved goodbye, saying, "See you boys tonight."
The three went their separate ways. Boyle looked at Carter, saying, "That went well."
Carter agreed with Boyle, "You know what, Chuck, it did."
The two friends walked back to their barracks. They both noticed Nurse Katie walking towards the mess hall with another fellow base nurse as they walked.
"Hacker was right…the nurses here are nice to look at." Carter muttered to Boyle.
Boyle caught Nurse Katie's eye as she walked by them. The beautiful dark-skinned nurse nodded a simple hello to him, smiling sheepishly. Boyle smiled and winked at her, making her blush. She turned away quickly and kept walking with her friend while they giggled. Carter noticed this and looked at Boyle, teasing, "You need to go talk to her, Chuck. She likes you, and dames like that are rare."
The only reply Carter got was a smile from the Corporal. Once the two got to their barracks, Carter sat in his chair, stretching his arms out.
"Well…I think I'm done eating for the day." He told Boyle.
"I'm pretty bloated myself, Vince." Boyle joked.
This made Carter scoff. Suddenly, a voice spoke, "Sergeant, we're done with the latrine."
The two turned around, seeing Gomer and Duke at the doorway. The two were very sweaty from cleaning the bathroom, their shirts clinging to them. Gomer's hair was ruffled, possibly from running his fingers through it. Carter's eyes danced on Gomer's tone chest. The last time he saw him very sweaty was the food bunker, but seeing him sweaty after cleaning the latrine…that was different. He saw Gomer bite his lip again, sending a chill up his spine.
'Damn it; he looks so good when he does that…hell, he looks good right now….' Carter thought to himself.
"Sergeant Carter? Sergeant Carter!" Duke called out.
Carter shook his head out of his thoughts.
"What…oh sorry…the latrine…good job, fellas…uh…hit the showers. You two are sweaty and are stinkin' up the place." Carter fumbled with his words around Gomer.
"Are you okay, Sergeant?" Gomer asked.
"Yes, Pyle! Just hit the showers! Go, go, go!" Carter shouted.
As the two Privates exited, Boyle asked, while chuckling, "You okay, Vince?"
"Yeah. It's just hot in here, is all." Carter replied, walking towards the back, not realizing that Boyle knew why he was fumbling with his words.
*GC*
That night, Hacker came to Carter and Boyle's barracks for their impromptu poker night. The night seemed to be going very well, for the three men were getting along, smoking cigars, and playing a few rounds of poker. Carter laid down his cars, saying, "Read 'em and weep, boys. Four of a kind."
As he let out a laugh, Boyle looked at Carter's hand, then said, "You beat me, Vince. I got nothing."
"Yep, neither do I…good job, Vince. You're on a roll." Hacker stated.
"Charlie, you have no clue how long I've been practicing," Carter stated.
"Who's up for another round?" Hacker asked.
"You don't have to ask me," Boyle replied, taking a puff of his cigar.
Hacker shuffled the cards, then handed each of them five cards. As they were playing their next game, things were going okay until Hacker spoke up, trying to joke around, "Hey, Vince, next time you feel like getting trapped in the food bunker, there is a handle on the inside of the door this time."
"Thanks for the input, Charlie. I'll keep that in mind." Carter replied dryly.
"A little too soon?" Hacker asked.
"I think so…" Boyle responded, placing his hand down to change the topic, "Two aces and a queen."
Carter placed his hand down again, once again winning.
"Four of a kind again, Vince…not bad," Boyle commented.
"Thank you, Chuck," Carter replied.
"What Chuck said." Hacker stated, then getting back to the food bunker, "But in all seriousness, how did Pyle manage to get stuck in there…for eight hours?"
"Charlie…" Boyle warned Hacker before Carter interjected.
"It was an accident, Charlie." Carter flat out said, taking a puff of his cigar. "But what does it matter? It happened weeks ago."
Boyle noticed Carter was getting tense about it.
"I just think it's bizarre how someone can just manage to get locked in that room for eight hours?" Hacker laughed. "Then again, coming from Pyle, how can we all be surprised? Of course, he'd get locked in a food bunker."
Carter felt himself getting heated but didn't let it show. He didn't want Hacker to get the best of him but instead replied, "I don't know, Charlie. Pyle's been through enough. I figure let's catch him a break."
Surprised at his response, Hacker stated, "Wow….sounds like you've grown to tolerate him. We all know how he riles you up."
"Well…the fact that he almost died, and I witnessed it…I guess things changed. Wouldn't you be like that for one of your men?" Carter softly snapped.
"So, fellas, how about another round?" Boyle intervened, trying to break the tension between the two sergeants.
"Actually, Chuck, I think I'm good for tonight," Carter stated.
"Same." Hacker got up from his seat, "Well, gentlemen, it's been a pleasure. See you both around the base?"
Carter and Boyle nodded in response.
"Goodnight, Charlie," Boyle spoke.
Hacker nodded in reply, then existed. Once Hacker was out of sight, Carter took a puff of his cigar, then turned to Boyle, saying, "He's a dick…."
"Yeah…" was the only thing Boyle could say," Well…that nice moment was short-lived."
*GC*
Finally, after a long week of drills and duties, it was Friday night! Friday nights were the best for the whole base; it meant they got to explore the city at night. Gomer and Duke walked into Carter's barracks. The sight of each other made the Sergeant's and Private's hearts beat, yet they couldn't let it show.
"Hey, Sergeant," Gomer spoke naturally, "may we please have our passes?"
"Oh, Pyle and Slater; America's favorite dream team. I swear you two are attached to the hip." Carter spoke with sarcasm in his voice. "Let me guess…after completing your half-assed tasks of the week; you two expect to be rewarded with your passes?"
The two Privates just exchanged glances, not saying a word. Carter sighed and spoke, "I guess so…you numbskulls have plans tonight, I assume…."
"Oh yes, we do, Sergeant. You see, I'm just going to check out this new Italian restaurant that opened up downtown. I hear the tiramisu and cappuccinos are to die for." Gomer explained ecstatically.
"Very nice, Pyle." Carter spoke dismissively, then turned to Duke, "Let me guess, Slater. You got a date with that dame of yours?"
"She's cooking me dinner, sir," Duke replied.
"Well…in case there is dessert included, make sure you play it safe," Carter stated, handing both of them their passes.
The comment made Duke blush. Gomer didn't quite understand.
"Alright, you boys have fun." Carter dismissed them. "Don't do nothin' stupid."
With that said, the two Privates left his office, smiling at one another. Carter watched Gomer go, frowning that he had to act differently while in public. He missed holding Gomer, wishing he had the moment to do so again. He looked down at his paperwork.
Meanwhile, as the two Privates were walking to the bus, Gomer spoke up to Duke, "You know, Duke, if you and your lady want dessert, you can go to the restaurant and just grab a bite of tiramisu cake."
Duke looked at Gomer dumbfounded, saying, "Gomer, that's not what the Sergeant meant."
"Then what did he mean? I don't understand." Gomer asked.
Duke stared blankly at him, saying, "Wow…you are so naive."
*GC*
Forty-five minutes went by, and he couldn't concentrate on work. Getting up from his chair, he decided to take himself out on the town.
He walked over to his locker to grab his cap and car keys, only for stuff to fall out of his locker, then hit the floor.
"Son of a bitch." He whispered to himself, bending down to pick whatever fell off the floor.
As he was picking up the fallen items, he noticed one thing that he hadn't seen in a while…his sketch pad from Korea. Picking it up tenderly, he flipped through the pages of colorful drawings and sketches. One that he sketched stood out to him; it was a scenic view on a hot summer day. The picture immediately brought him back to that day:
Korea 1952
Young Vince Carter and Louie Germanotta sat on a grassy hill in Korea. It was a nice break away from everyone, not dealing with the others back on the base. Louie, who had his shirt off, laid in the grass, soaking up the sun, while Vince sketched away.
"I'm telling ya, cuore impavido; after the war, we should relocate to Alaska and start over! No one will know our names, buy a cabin out in the woods, maybe even get a dog." The handsome, blue-eyed Italian American spoke in his heavier than heavy New Jersey accent.
"Sounds nice, Louie." Carter was lost in his drawing.
"I've always wanted to see Alaska. Hey, if we decide to live in Alaska, we should go into the Alaskan husky business. Just think…we could breed Alaskan huskies for a living!" Louie spoke. "Maybe even start a sledding team. Do you think they have dog sledding in the Olympics? If not, I'll be the first to start one."
"Now you are just talkin' out your ass." Carter joked.
Louie picked his head up, noticing Carter working with his colored pencils.
"Typical…Vincent Carter lost in his artwork. I'm not surprised." Louie stated.
"Whatever, Louie," Carter replied, still working on his drawing.
Sitting up from where he was, Louie made his way over to Carter, peering over his shoulder. "Watcha colorin' there?"
"Oh…just doodlin'," Carter replied, adding in color to what he was working on.
He didn't let the handsome man distract him from his project. Louie smirked as he knelt behind Carter, massaging his bare shoulders, "Bullshit, you're doodlin'. Show me."
Carter tilted his head back, moaning softly as Louie massaged his shoulders in the hot sun. It felt nice, and Carter wasn't as tense as he felt before.
"You know, I can't…." Carter moaned softly.
"Why not?" Louie whispered in Carter's ear, sending chills up his spine.
"Because I can't…." Carter responded.
Louie dug his thumbs into Carter's tense shoulders some more, making Carter drop the sketch pad and pencil. Carter had to admit that Louie was very skilled at massages; he knew how to make him feel good; he didn't realize that Louie was doing this to be sneaky. When Carter didn't expect it, Louie grabbed the notepad off the ground and ran.
"Hey, Louie, give that back! It isn't done!" Carter got up, chasing Louie.
"You have to get me, Carter!" Louie mocked Carter while running with his sketch pad.
"Son of a bitch…." Carter muttered to himself as he picked up his pencil, putting it back in its case, then got up to get his sketchpad back.
Carter chased Louie among the grass, trying to get his notebook back.
"C'mon, Louie! Give it back!" Carter demanded.
Louie got far enough from Carter, sitting down, looking at the drawings and sketches. Carter finally caught up to him, kneeling behind him.
"Okay, you saw. Now give it back!" Carter tried to snatch away the sketch pad, only for Louie to pull away.
"Silenzio! I'm looking at these drawings!" Louie snapped, then whispered under his breath, "Fanculo." This made Carter glare at him.
As much as Carter hated Louie taking his sketchpad, he did love it when Louie spoke in his first spoken language, Italian. Louie continued looking at the artwork, flipping page after page. Louie smiled to himself as he was looking at the drawings.
"Dio Mio…Vince, these are amazing. I've never seen drawings this good before." He stated, looking up at Carter.
Carter blushed, then responded, "I take it you like the drawings?"
"Like them? Vince, you're talented. I had no idea you could draw that well." Louie expressed.
"I used to paint and draw a lot back home. It's just something I do to pass the time." Carter said, taking back the sketchpad.
He closed it up then helped Louie back to his feet. They walked back to the spot they were sitting, taking a seat back down.
"You know," Carter spoke, opening up his sketch pad to a page of a Marine emblem, "I'm thinking of getting this tattooed in town."
Louie looked at the drawing, impressed that Vince had designed his tattoo.
"I would love to be the first to see you get it. Maybe I can hold your hand in case you get scared of needles?" Louie joked, taking Carter's hand.
"Or maybe you get scared at the sight of needles, and you need me…." Carter joked.
The two laughed as Louie kissed the top of Carter's hand. He leaned into Carter's ear again, whispering, "Ti Voglio bene."
Carter smiled at the blue-eyed young man. Louie leaned in, kissing his love on the lips. Carter pulled him down on top of him, wanting to deepen the kiss. Once the kiss broke apart, they looked into each other's blue eyes."
"I love you, Louie," Carter whispered, cupping his love's face with his right hand.
This made the Italian American young man smile. He gave Carter a light kiss on the lips, then whispered, "So…if you do love me…does this mean you WANT to go into the Alaskan husky business with me?"
"Fuck you." Carter pushed Louie off of him as the two laughed.
Present time…
Carter smiled at the picture, shaking his head, closing his notebook, placing it back into the locker.
"Oh, Louie…" He whispered to himself.
Once he got what he needed, the Sergeant then applied some after-shave cologne to himself, then closed his locker. He placed his cap on his head, walked towards his car, and drove away into town. It was busy that night since he had difficulty finding a parking spot. After driving around for 15 minutes, while Neil Diamond's 'Cherry Cherry' played on the car radio, he finally found a site, parked his car, then walked out to find where to go. He walked around, only to come across the new Italian restaurant Gomer was talking about. He peaked in the window, finding Gomer sitting in a booth alone, smiling to himself as he buttered some bread. Deciding to see him again, Carter walked into the restaurant, only to be stopped by the hostess.
"Do you have a reservation, sir?" She asked him.
"Uh… I'm meeting my friend here." He lied as he pointed to Gomer.
The hostess nodded her head, letting Carter walk to Gomer's booth. Gomer looked up from his seat, smiling ear to ear. Carter didn't want it to show, but his heart started to beat again.
"Why, Sergeant Carter!" Gomer exclaimed. "What a surprise! How did you find this place?"
"Did you not say this place was on the main street?" Carter responded with slight sarcasm in his voice.
"Oh…I figured you'd want to do something else tonight." Gomer expressed.
"Eh…the pool hall was too crowded, no bar interested me, and everywhere else was busy, so I remember you were talking about this place, and I decided to join."
Another lie; he wanted to see him again. Gomer was happy to have his Sergeant join him for dinner.
"Well, I'm happy you are here. Eating out alone can get lonely from time to time." The Private explained.
"I know that feeling," Carter stated. "Pass me the bread."
Gomer gave the Sergeant the basket of bread. Carter took a piece of bread, then took the small bottle of olive oil sitting on the table, adding some into a small plate, along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gomer watched as he dipped his bread in the olive oil. Carter felt the Private's eyes watching him.
"What? Have you not seen someone dip bread in olive oil before?" Carter laughed.
This made Gomer blush. The waitress walked over, asking Carter if he wanted something to drink.
"Uh…just a beer." He told her.
She walked off, leaving the Marines alone. The two men were very nervous to be sitting with one another. Awkward silence began to fill the air, making Gomer break the ice.
"So…what do you want to talk about?" Gomer asked.
At that moment, the waitress came over, handing Carter his beer. He nodded to her, muttering a 'thank you.'
"So, are you ready to order?" She asked, smiling at both men.
"I'll have the lasagna. That looks real good." Gomer told the waitress, his usually animated self.
"Alright," the waitress turned to Carter, "and you?"
"Uh… I'll have the veal with a side of spinach and garlic," Carter told her.
"Also," Gomer added, "can you please bring those fried squid things? Those are real good."
Carter smirked at the way Gomer described fried calamari. The waitress wrote down their orders took the only menu on the table before walking off cheerfully. Carter and Gomer turned to one another, alone again.
"I'm sorry, Pyle. What did you ask before?" The Sergeant asked.
"That's okay, Sergeant," Gomer replied genially. "I wanted to know what you wanted to talk about, is all."
Sipping his beer, the Sergeant stared at his Private.
"I'm not sure. What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, that's why I asked you. What do you want to talk about? Like…what was Korea like for you? You never told me about Korea."
"What do you want to know?" Carter asked, surprised Gomer even brought up Korea.
"Just…" Gomer looked down at his bread, "just what was it like?"
Taking a small sip of beer, Carter started to speak, "If you must know…it was hell. The whole experience was terrible. You and I can both agree that war is a terrible thing; they aren't kidding when they say it can scar you."
Acquiring the information he was gaining; Gomer had heard from Grandpa Pyle that war was terrible, something you wouldn't want to wish on anyone. Biting his lip, he tried to think of another thing to ask.
"Grandpa Pyle told me that. He said he didn't wish it on anyone. Not even his worst enemy. But then again, he didn't have much enemies, to begin with. I think people were scared of him." Gomer explained. "Golly, Sergeant… I'm ramblin'."
"You're fine, Pyle," Carter reassured him.
The two were quiet for a few moments while the sound of 'Aint That a Kick in the Head' by Dean Martin filled the restaurant's air. Gomer looked around nervously, which Carter found adorable.
"Did…did you have any friends?" Gomer asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh yeah…some of those fellas I still keep in touch with…then there was one special one…."
"What do you mean, Sergeant?"
Sighing deeply, Carter spoke again, "I never let anyone know that but…during my time in Korea; I was in a relationship…with a man. His name was Luigi Germanotta. We called him Louie."
"Louie?" Gomer asked, the Sergeant nodding his head.
"Yeah…Louie. He was from a small town in New Jersey…I think it was called Hoboken? But anyway, we met in basic training. I helped him with the physical part while he helped me with the studying. We had each other's backs through it all. Later on down the line, we realized there were feelings there…and we both couldn't deny it. Me saying he was my first love is an understatement."
This information was all new to Gomer. He had no idea how to handle it, except take it all in as if it was normal. All he could say in response was, "Oh…."
"One day…" Carter felt his eyes stinging, then rubbed them, "sorry…one day, we were out on a mission. Louie was with me since our Sergeant at the time called us 'battle buddies' because we were barely without one another. Kind of like you and Slater, except…."
"I know what you mean, Sergeant." Gomer chuckled.
Carter smiled at the memory, "Anyway, we were out; he must've spotted a sniper because the next thing I knew was I was being pushed out of the way, while the man I loved was being shot in the heart."
This part made Gomer's mouth drop. Even though he wasn't there, his heart was hurting for this poor man whom he had never met. Carter continued to speak, "I ran over and held him, as he died in my arms…telling me to go on because I needed to…he wanted me to be happy and find love again…those were the last things; he said to me."
Gomer saw his Sergeant tear up. These weren't tears of frustration but of heartbreak and loss. He placed his hand on top of Carter's when no one was looking.
"Sergeant Carter… I'm so sorry. No one deserves to go through that kind of pain, just no one. I cannot imagine what it would be like losing someone I love near and dear to me."
Carter glanced down at the Private's hand, placed over his own. He looked up at Gomer, looking at him with admiration.
"Thank you, Pyle. It still hurts." Carter said as his voice cracked.
"I know it does," Gomer replied.
Carter was drying his tears with his sleeve. Gomer wiped a tear away with his finger, making Carter smile. He saw how Gomer truly cared for him. Just then, the Sergeant turned to see the waitress walking by with their food, quickly moving his hand, composing himself. Gomer understood why he did it. Quickly composing himself, the waitress set down their food, "Here is your food! Would you like another beer?"
"Uh…yes, please…." Carter replied, giving her the empty glass.
She placed the glass on her tray, turning to walk off. Gomer took his fork, taking a bite of his lasagna.
"Mmm mmm…" Gomer gushed at how delicious his pasta dish was. "This is delicious."
Carter smiled a small smile at the Private. He was too adorable for words but would never bring himself to admit that. Carter took a bite of his veal dish, then gave his opinion, "This is good…not like Louie's mothers, but it will do."
"Did you ever try Louie's mother's cooking?" Gomer asked, eating some more.
Carter made an 'mmm hmm' sound in between bites.
"He felt the need to bring me back to his hometown, only for his whole family to greet me with open arms. I swear that woman had enough food to feed an entire village. She never let anyone go hungry. It didn't matter how many times I told her I was good; she filled my plate with more food. I gained 30 extra pounds that weekend. I barely fit into my dress blues."
The story made Gomer laugh.
"Grandma Pyle was the same way…she never cared if I was full from dinner; she made sure I had enough to eat. I wonder why I never gained weight, no matter how much she fed me."
Carter chuckled. Gomer realized the calamari he ordered was on Carter's side.
"Hey, Sergeant, can you pass me the fried squid?"
Carter handed Gomer the plate, then said, "Calamari."
"I'm sorry?" Gomer asked innocently.
"It's called calamari. You keep calling it fried squid." Carter explained.
Gomer made an 'o' shape with his mouth.
"Huh…I never knew that. I like the way that sounds better," is all Gomer said.
He served himself some calamari, then took a bite of what was on his plate. He didn't realize that as he was eating, the Sergeant looked at him with affection in his eyes. The waitress returned with Carter's beer, placing it on the table.
"Here you go!" She said gleefully.
"Thank you," Carter muttered.
Walking away, she turned to look at the two men, thinking one thing, 'Those two look so cute together.'
Gomer scoffed down the rest of his lasagna, feeling gorged.
"Boy, I am stuffed!" He stated.
"Yeah…me too." Carter chuckled. "This puts Sergeant Hacker's cooking to shame."
"Sergeant Hacker isn't that bad of a cook." Gomer defended him.
"Pyle, you don't have to be modest tonight. We can talk about Hacker tonight if you want." Carter chuckled.
Gomer thought about it for a moment, then spoke up, "Well…his lasagna from the other night was a bit off."
Carter laughed, thinking the same thing about Hacker's lasagna dish. It was safe to say they both agreed it wasn't the best thing he had made. The waitress came by with two cappuccinos and a tiramisu cake. The cake had two forks in the middle.
"Here you boys go." She said sweetly.
The Marines looked confused. Gomer looked up at the waitress, saying, "Excuse me, Miss, but we didn't order this. Now, as much as I appreciate the free dessert, it wouldn't feel right accepting something when one didn't order it."
"Oh… it's compliments of the chef." She stated.
"Are you sure? Because I'd feel better if…." Carter cut Gomer off.
"Pyle, she said it's free. Just say thank you and accept it." Carter smiled at the waitress.
The waitress walked off again. Gomer took a piece of the cake, beaming ear to ear.
"Mmmm, Sergeant! This cake is delicious! You should try it!" Gomer exclaimed.
"I'm good with the coffee, Pyle. Thank you." Carter stated, sipping his coffee, feeling a surge run through him, "Shit…this coffee is delicious."
"Really?" Gomer took a sip of his coffee. "Golly…this is delicious! It tastes better than anything on the base!"
"Yeah…yeah, it does," Carter muttered to Gomer, sipping his coffee.
"So, Sergeant," Gomer spoke again, "do you have any other family besides your sisters, momma, and daddy?"
"I have an older cousin, Robert, who was in the Air Force. He has a daughter, my cousin, Mary; they both live in England. I also have my aunt, Marie. She's my mom's sister. They fell out of favor before I was born." Carter shrugged.
"Oh no. Why so?" Gomer asked, feeling bad that Carter's mother and aunt stopped talking.
"Uh…it doesn't matter." Carter laughed. "Anyway, they made up, and I had met her and my cousins a few times. Mary gave my mom a copy of her cookbook for Christmas one year, which is where she gets most of her recipes from."
"That sounds marvelous. I hope to try one of your cousin Mary's recipes." Gomer responded.
"She has a recipe for Shepard's pie, which is delicious. Hell, we should just hire her to work in the kitchen and kick Hacker out."
The two Marines laughed again. Gomer took a sip of his coffee before asking, "What about nephews and nieces? Do you have any?"
"As a matter of fact," Carter smiled, taking out his wallet, "I do. Wanna see my nephew and niece?"
Before Gomer could happily oblige, Carter showed the Private the picture he carried of his twin nephew and niece. Gomer smiled at the children.
"That's Connor and Belle." He said, pointing to the children.
"Golly, Sergeant. They are just handsome-looking younglings." Gomer expressed.
"Thank you," Carter replied. "Both of them will be in kindergarten in August."
Smiling at the photo, then looking up at the Sergeant, Gomer then asked, "Are they the reason why you wanted to go home for Easter?"
"Yeah…" Carter nodded. "That, and my mom's ham casserole."
Gomer beamed at Carter, mostly because he was happy he was getting to open up to him, little by little.
"How about you? Any other family?" Carter asked Gomer.
Gomer looked down, his fork poking his cake, "Well… it's just me, Grandma Pyle, and Cousin Goober. My other family is scattered, but those are the two I'm most closest to."
"Oh…sorry to hear that, Pyle," Carter said, taking a sip of his cappuccino.
"Oh, don't be, Sergeant… I'm not. I'm not sorry 'bout nothing at all." Gomer said with a sweet smile. "I'm happy that I got to spend the time I did with my daddy and Grandpa Pyle when I got the chance."
Carter sipped his beer, then asked, "Say…out of curiosity, what did your dad do for work?"
"He was a welder. Both he and Grandpa Pyle were welders. They managed to bring home good money to feed me. I never really did complain over nothin' because I was happy with what I had." Gomer explained. "Almost all the Pyle's were either welders, coal miners, or worked in the fillin' station. It must be a family trait of some sort."
"If you don't mind me asking…." Carter began to ask Gomer, "and you don't have to answer, how close were you to your mother? I know what you told me in the food bunker, but I'm just curious."
Gomer sighed a deep sigh. He then began to speak, "Momma and I were never that close. She would drop me off with Grandma Pyle or to Cousin Goober's house every chance she got. It was as if she never wanted to be bothered with me. The only time she was a momma was when daddy was home. But other than that, I was never close to her. Which I never really complained because I liked spendin' time with Cousin Goober and Grandma Pyle."
Carter could never understand or get over how someone like Gomer could remain so cheerful and kind, even after all he had been through. Usually, someone like that would crack over time, but not Gomer. He indeed was one of a kind. Not knowing what to say in reply, Carter picked up the extra fork, taking a bite of Gomer's cake. He looked up at Gomer, saying, "This could use more espresso powder."
Gomer chuckled at Carter.
*GC*
After dinner, Carter paid the bill, which Gomer felt terrible about, but Carter insisted on treating the Private to dinner. Walking to Carter's vehicle, the Private spoke to the Sergeant, "Sergeant Carter, can I ask you to do me a favor?"
"Sure. What is it?" Carter asked, getting into his car.
"Well…" Gomer followed, climbing into the passenger's seat, "can you take me somewhere to look at the stars? I'll find my way back to the base. I don't want to make you…."
"Pyle," Carter cut him off, "I will come with you."
"Oh…okay. Thank you." Gomer was taken aback.
Carter started the car, driving out of the spot. When the radio came on, the song playing was Roy Orbison's rendition of "All I Have To Do Is Dream." Gomer sang along to the song to himself, not realizing Carter was listening to him sing. It was amazing how, when talking, Gomer's voice was high-pitched and cheery, but when singing, he had a deep, baritone-like voice; you would never think it was the same person that was doing the singing. Carter never admitted this to anyone, but he could listen to Gomer sing all day if he had the opportunity.
"Whenever I want you, all I have to do is dream, dream, dream, dream…."
"You sing real good, Pyle," Carter stated, blushing to himself.
"Thank you, Sergeant," Gomer replied.
While driving, Gomer kept looking at the lights in the city, continuing to sing to himself. He was in awe and wondered how different the town managed to look at night compared to the daytime. It was as if the streets were the most alive at night. As he gazed into the lights, he didn't notice Carter looking at him. Carter smiled a small smile as he watched Gomer lost in his world. He could've sworn his heart was beating.
'What are you doing to me, Pyle?' He thought to himself.
Not paying attention to the traffic lights, Carter almost ran the red because he looked over at Gomer. He was startled by a honking sound, pressing on the break, extending his right arm to block Gomer from getting hurt. Carter nearly caused a collision, making the other driver honk his horn at him.
"You shit head! Pay attention!" The other driver shouted.
"Kiss my ass!" Carter shouted back, giving the driver the middle finger.
As the other driver drove off, Carter took in a deep breath, calming himself down. Gomer looked at his Sergeant in concern, noticing he looked embarrassed for going crazy on the other driver.
"Are you okay, Sergeant?" Gomer asked.
"I'm fine…I almost ran a red light because…." Carter spoke, suddenly bursting out into laughter.
This made Gomer join in, laughing at how they keep getting into terrible situations.
"Story of my life, Pyle. Story of my life." Carter laughed.
The light turned green, and Carter stepped on it.
"Maybe you should look at the road instead of the lights, Sergeant Carter. They sure are pretty to look at, but you don't want to get into a car accident. It would be a silly thing to do." Gomer suggested.
Shaking his head with a smirk, Carter obliged, "You're right, Pyle…hell, you're right about a lot of things."
The drive was relaxing with the sound of the wind blowing on them. As much as he wanted to look at the man sitting beside him, he paid attention to the road. The atmosphere of the night drive was romantic, and the stars just brought more emphasis to the feeling.
Unsure of whether to do it or not, Gomer reached out to hold Carter's free hand. Smiling to Gomer's soft touch, Carter laced their fingers together. The Private looked at his Sergeant, smiling at him. Carter wanted to look back at Gomer so bad, but he decided to focus on the road to prevent any more accidents. Before the two knew it, they were away from the city, away from the base, away from anything and everything they knew…as if they were in their little universe. Stopping at a small, nearby beach, Carter parked his car.
"Is this okay?" Carter asked him.
"This is perfect," Gomer responded.
Carter reclined the seatback, as did Gomer. The two of them took in the atmosphere of the beach at night; the sky was ethereal. Waves crashed along the shore while the sound of the wind whistled in the air; it was peaceful. The Sergeant looked over at the Private as he was resting his head back…listening to the sound of the waves.
"Don't you think that sounds peaceful?" Gomer asked.
"What, Pyle?" Carter asked.
"The sound of the waves… ain't that peaceful?" Gomer repeated his question.
"Yeah…yeah, it sure does," Carter replied.
The two listened to the waves crashing in silence. While gazing up at the stars, Gomer broke the silence just to say, "You know, when I was just a little boy, I used to gaze up at the stars."
"I…I didn't know that." Carter replied to Gomer's confession.
"It was, and still is, my favorite thing to do. I tried to find a shooting star but never got to findin' one. Grandma Pyle didn't like me going into the backyard at night. She was afraid of a skunk sprayin' me. Then, before you knew it, a skunk came up to me and did just that."
This made Carter laugh. The thought of Gomer being sprayed by a skunk didn't surprise him.
"I'm sure she loved that," Carter responded with a hint of sarcasm.
"Nah…she hated it," Gomer told Carter.
Carter looked at Gomer, saying to him, "I was being sarcastic, Pyle."
"Oh…" Gomer managed to say. "I didn't know."
Waving his hand, Carter replied, "It's okay, Pyle. What happened after that?"
"Well, she brought out every can of tomatoes in Mayberry, just to get the horrible stench off of me. It wasn't easy, but she managed to do so. After that, she brought me a telescope. It was supposed to be my birthday gift, but she gave it to me for being good. I can't remember where I last left it. I just can't remember. I used to have so much fun with it. She drove out to Raleigh to buy it."
Carter turned to look at Gomer, "Didn't think you were interested in the stars, Pyle. I mean…all the years I've known you, I would've never guessed you would be interested in astronomy."
"No one knows it. I used to love looking at the stars, Sergeant. When I worked at Wally's Filling Station, I sprayed a little gasoline just to watch the moon sparkle. I could sit for hours just looking at it." Gomer told Carter.
Silence fell upon the two for a few moments until Carter decided to speak up, "I never told anyone this, but I used to walk to the park by my house at night just to look at the moon on the lake. It was nice to look at. Whenever I had to clear my head, I would just go there. I managed to sneak back in before my mother found I wasn't in bed. It made for a good paintin' that I could've done."
The Private turned to the Sergeant, saying, "You paint, Sergeant Carter?"
"I did a lot of painting and drawing…especially when I was younger. Mostly scenic paintings and abstracts. I stopped after Korea. I felt as if I didn't have it in me anymore." Carter stated sadly.
Hearing this news made Gomer feel bad for the Sergeant. He figured Louie dying might have impacted him giving up his artistic talents. Carter turned to look at the brown eyes staring at him.
"I was thinking of going back to it, though." He told the Private.
Smiling softly, Gomer told his Sergeant, "You shouldn't give up on somethin' you love, Sergeant. Grandma Pyle used to tell me that, and she was right. Givin' up isn't worth it."
Eying Gomer, Carter made a 'hmm' sound with his lips, continuing to look up at the sky. The Private looked back up at the sky, noticing something bright shining, standing out from the rest of the stars.
"Well, I'll be…Venus is out tonight. Shazam…" He exclaimed.
The Sergeant saw what Gomer was staring at.
"How could you tell?" Carter asked.
Gomer pointed out the bright figure in the sky to Carter, "It's that shiny dot over there. That's Venus. I read that it would be out tonight in the newspaper. I just didn't think I would be able to catch it. I only wish my telescope was here with me."
Carter chortled to this. Gomer spoke up again, "Did you know that in the barracks, if you set your pillow upright, you could see the big dipper from the window? You just can't miss that. Nighttime is my favorite time of the day because the stars come out. I like to think sometimes, Grandpa Pyle and my daddy…are one of the stars in the sky…checking up on me…lettin' me know I'm never alone."
What Gomer had said, comparing the stars to his late father and grandfather, was possibly the most beautiful thing Carter had ever heard.
"Have you seen the Northern Lights, Pyle?" Carter asked.
"You know," Gomer explained, "that's on my bucket list. I hope to see the Northern Lights in Alaska one day. Maybe after the Marines, when I have enough money saved, I can go."
As it became silent again, Carter took one glance at the Private, who was lost in the stars. The night was sparkling, and neither one of them wanted to let it go. The stars twinkled like diamonds, and Carter was glad he had the chance to catch it.
"I hope you get to spot a shooting star, Pyle. You deserve to see one." Carter stated.
All he got from Gomer was a sweet smile and a 'Hmm' sound.
He then turned his head back to Gomer while placing a hand on the Private's knee; he whispered, "Hey, Pyle.."
Gomer turned to his Sergeant, making another 'hmm' sound with his lips.
"I'm having a nice night with you," was call Carter said.
Silent for a few seconds, Gomer smiled at his Sergeant. He had a smile that would melt anyone's heart.
"I'm having a nice time too, Ser…." Gomer was cut off by a deep kiss on the lips.
Gomer closed his eyes, moaning into the kiss. When they pulled away, Carter whispered into Gomer's ear, "Call me Vince…I want to hear my name come from your lips."
"Vince…" Gomer replied softly, chills riding up his skin. "I'm having a nice time too, Vince…."
With that being said, Carter slowly leaned into Gomer, kissing his lips again. Gomer kissed him back, full of passion. Both men moaned into the kiss as Carter's finger's moved from Gomer's knee to his thigh. As he did this, Carter moved his lips to Gomer's jawline, making the Private gasp and slightly tilt his head back. Carter whispered into Gomer's ear, "Are you okay?"
"Uh-huh…" was all Gomer said.
"You like that?" Carter whispered again.
"Y…yes…" was all Gomer could say.
The truth was, he had never been in this position before but didn't know how to vocalize it properly. Carter traced his tongue along the sensitive part of Gomer's neck, earning a sharp gasp out of him. He then moved his lips from the Private's neck to his earlobe, sucking it gently. Gomer trembled and breathed in and out softly. Carter shifted his lips from Gomer's earlobe back to his neck. He kissed the Privates neck again, moving his hand on top of the Private's crotch, rubbing him gently, feeling him become excited. This made Gomer gasp again.
"You look so good under the moonlight..." Carter whispered into Gomer's ear before kissing the Private's neck a little rougher.
Gomer just sat there, letting everything happen. Carter began to unbuckle the Private's pants. Gomer, unable to identify what was happening, just sat, biting his lip. Carter saw this and whispered, "You're gonna have to stop biting your lip, Pyle…."
Not knowing what he meant by saying that, Gomer sat still, continuing to bite his lip, while Carter continued necking him. Carter then took Gomer out of his pants and then stroked him gently. As this went on, all Gomer could do was stare straight at the waves crashing along the shore, moaning and breathing softly.
Carter picked up the pace a little. He bit the most sensitive area on Gomer's neck, making Gomer cry out a low moan.
"I told you to stop biting your lip…." Carter whispered.
The sounds the Private made caused Carter to pick up the pace, stroking him as hard as he could. Before either one of them knew it, Gomer had expelled all over the Sergeant's hand, letting out a soft cry into the night. With just a few more strokes and gentle bites and licks on Gomer's neck, Carter felt the Private's release on his hand. Looking at Gomer, Carter saw that he was stone-faced, catching his breath.
This created somewhat of a fiddly situation. As Carter took Gomer from his hand, he wiped his hand on his pant leg. This allowed Gomer to awkwardly place himself back into his pants, fixing up his uniform.
"Uh… let's…we should get back to the base," was all Carter said, "we have a busy day tomorrow, and…yeah…."
Gomer didn't answer him. The drive home was silent. It felt like an eternity of discomfort; neither one of them knew what to say. Once back on the base, they went their separate ways, not saying goodnight. Gomer saw Duke wasn't back yet. He didn't bother waiting up for him but instead stripped out of his khaki uniform into the undershirt and shorts. The Private opened his locker to comb his hair before going to bed. He looked at himself in the mirror, noticing that although he didn't look any different, he felt different but couldn't put his finger on it. After combing his hair, Gomer shut his locker door then climbed into bed. He laid there, taking in what just happened moments ago.
Back in Carter's quarters, he had done the same thing. Boyle was still out, which was a good sign, for the Sergeant didn't want Boyle to see him in the state of mind he was currently in. Once he was out of his khakis, he laid in bed, replaying what just happened moments ago. Why was Pyle tense? Did he not enjoy what happened? Hell, he figured he would've liked what happened. That was when it hit Carter…
"Oh my God…I violated him."