Chapter 4
At a loss for what else to do, Duke and Gomer finally decided to catch the next bus to the base. They had agreed that it was the most likely place for Carter to go. After waiting an excruciating ten minutes for the last bus to arrive, they scrambled aboard and begged the weary driver to make the trip in record time. It was hardly that, but they finally climbed off the bus and raced back to the duty hut to find Boyle desperately shaking the motionless sergeant, who was lying facedown on the bunk. Boyle looked up as they stormed in.
"What are you boys doing here?" he demanded.
"S'cuse me, Corporal," said Gomer, hurrying to the bunk, "but we came lookin' for the sergeant. We found 'im in town, then we lost 'im, and now we found 'im again but it looks like he's in real trouble."
"How'd he get on the base?" asked Duke.
"Who knows? He just walks in here says something about girls, and falls on the bed."
"We've gotta wake him up before he goes on duty tonight," said Gomer.
"I know, that's what I've been trying to do for the past ten minutes. Help me, will 'ya?" together, the three of them shook Carter as hard as they could, but all they managed to do was rattle the bunk out of place. Carter moaned and shifted in his sleep but otherwise didn't stir. Duke and Boyle nodded at each other and began rolling him towards the edge of the bunk. The cautious Gomer grew concerned.
"I don't know about this. I just don't want to hurt 'im."
"Gomer, he can't feel a thing. Believe me, this won't hurt him a bit," Duke reassured. With one last shove, they flipped him over the edge. He hit the ground with the thump of an overfilled sandbag but still didn't stir. All three marines exchanged hopeless glances.
"What are we gonna do?" Gomer moaned, "He's gonna get 'imself court-marshaled. We can't let that happen, we just can't."
"I know Gomer," Duke replied, "but what else can we do?"
"You can stand back and let a woman handle this," demanded a sharp voice from the back of the duty hut. Everyone whirled around to see Bunny standing in the doorway with a bucket in her hand.
"Bunny!" they all exclaimed.
"How'd you get in here?" asked Boyle.
"Nevermind." With that, she stormed up to the sleeping Carter and tossed the bucket of ice water on him. The frigid water hit his face with a smack. Carter stiffened, spluttered, and struggled to a sitting position.
"Wha' happened?" he coughed before finding himself nose-to-nose with Bunny. She thrust a finger in his face.
"Now look here," she yelled, "You've made a shambles of yourself. You've embarrassed me in public and shamed yourself in front of your own men. If you had any pride left, you'd pull yourself together before you ruin your life. You hear me?" Carter stared at her a moment, then broke into a wide grin.
"Bunny? You came back?"
"You bet I came back. I had a long talk with myself on the way to Lookout Point with that phony captain and you know what?"
"Yeah?"
"I realized I was wrong. I've done a terrible thing leaving you like that. I'm the one that caused this mess and I just came back to tell you I'm sorry." Carter's smile never wavered.
"You came back? You came back?" He laughed like a lunatic.
"Imagine that, fellas! She came back!" Bunny smirked and stepped back as Boyle beckoned for Duke and Gomer to help him.
"Alright, Sarge," he said, grabbing Carter's arm and hoisting the sergeant to his feet.
"Let's get you sobered up. Come on, boys, to the showers." Together, Duke and Gomer helped guide the sergeant to the back room, leaving Bunny to herself to chuckle to her heart's delight.