Ermey was in his office as he was having a toast with his juniors as they were going to celebrate on getting a group of cats out to Vietnam. He heard a knock as they were preparing some shots. He turned his head to the door as he was wondering who it was.
"Come in." Ermey told whoever was at the door. He rarely had a recruit knock at the door as he was wondering who came to him. The door opened slowly as Squirrelkit came in as she was worried. Ermey wanted to make her feel welcome. "Ahh Joker, it's you. Make yourself comfortable. What is it that you want to talk to me about?" Squirrelkit gulped as she soon responded as her voice was filled with anxiety. She wanted to speak about one of the recruits.
"It's about Gomer Pyle. He doesn't seem to be like himself. He isn't responding to his own name. His mind is completely in space, I feel like he's snapped." Squirrelkit laid out the situation. Ermey just looked at her as if she was saying that one of his recruits had gone insane.
"Nonsense, Joker. He's a good recruit. He'll get over it when we get into the field. Just give him a few days." Ermey told her that there was nothing to worry about at all but Squirrelkit wasn't entirely certain.
"What if it's permanent? Will we get the Pyle that we came to love?" Squirrelkit asked him as she was wondering if he was completely broken. Ermey just looked at her if she was completely insane and there should be nothing to worry about.
"Nah, he'll return to himself. Take up watch tonight if anything strange does happen." Ermey told her as he handed her a flashlight. "Then report back to me when you go out into the field tomorrow. I will surely miss you all." Sure enough, his words were true. Tonight was going to be the last night of the two cats in the barracks as their lives will come crashing down.
Squirrelkit took up watch as she patrolled the bunks of sleeping kits that were in their bunks later that night as everyone was heading to sleep. Graduation night was the last night they would be spending their lives here before heading out into the field. Whitekit was fast asleep and so was Crowkit. Leafkit and Mothwing weren't too far away in case something did happen and a cat got themselves injured. Click. A noise was heard as Squirrelkit turned on a dime wondering who it was. She raced to her bunk to see if her friend was there. She soon climbed up as she notice Pyle was completely absent from the bunk. Click. The same noise was heard. Squirrelkit turned as she began to walk to where the noise of the clicking was coming from. She continued to work her way to see where the noise of the clicking was coming from. She soon approached at the end of the barracks as she noticed the door to the drill instructors room and the head just opposite of her. Click. Another sound was heard as Squirrelkit soon turned to the door to the head as she just had a baton on her. Click. Squirrelkit soon determined the sound to be coming from the head. She opened the door to the bathrooms; Squirrelkit slowly creeped inside to see what was going on. She turned to see what was going on. There was Pyle, sitting on the toilet. Holding some bullets and a magazine in his paws, his M14 rifle right next to him. Click. Pyle inserted another round into the magazine as Squirrelkit decided to keep her distance. Pyle soon turned his head to her as his smile was completely grotesques. It was clear that Pyle, has indeed, snapped. Click. He inserted another bullet into the magazine.
"Hi Joker." Pyle greeted her in a very creepy manner. Squirrelkit was getting scared because of it. Click. Pyle inserted another round into the magazine. Squirrelkit looked at him as he had some of the bullets in his paws as they were completely real. No foam, no rubber, just one sharp metal nose.
"Are those… live rounds?" Squirrelkit asked as she was completely shaking. Stuttering as she spoke. Pyle inserted another round into the magazine as he quickly inserted another one in. Pyle turned to her as he inserted another round in.
"Seven point six two X Fifty one millimeter. Full Metal Jacket!" Pyle responded inserting another round into the magazine. Squirrelkit was getting worried. A part of her mind wanted her to run but she knew she had to stand her ground. Pyle soon inserted another round into the magazine. She knew her only option was to try to talk him out of it.
"Leonard… if Ermey comes in here and catches us, we'll both be in a world of shit." Squirrelkit tried to warn him as Pyle inserted the rounds in more frequently. It was clear he only a couple rounds away to being completely loaded. Pyle loaded another round into the magazine, turning his head as he only said a few words to her.
"I am… in a world… of shit!" Pyle responded loading the last round into the magazine. Pyle soon puts the magazine to the ground as he grabbed his M14. He soon snapped to his paws holding the rifle to port arms and he soon started executing the Manual of arms. "LEFT SHOULDER… HUT!" Pyle shouted as he twirled the rifle around before resting it on his left shoulder. "RIGHT SHOULDER… HUT!" Pyle soon twirled the rifle before resting it on his right shoulder. "LOCK AND LOAD!" Pyle soon grabbed the magazine from the floor before turning his rifle upside down. He soon inserted the magazine into the M14 as it snapped with the clicking of metal. He soon cocked the bolt as the rifle was primed and ready. He soon finished it up with one last order. "ORDER… HUT!" Pyle soon placed the rifle next to him as he held the barrel with his paw. Pyle continued to shout as he was ready to execute the oath he was given when he slept with his rifle for the first time. "THIS IS MY RIFLE! THERE ARE MANY LIKE IT, BUT THIS ONE IS MINE!" The shouting had woken up everyone else as they were wondering who was speaking. They soon made their way to the head as they thought it was the source of the shouting. "MY RIFLE IS MY BEST FRIEND! IT IS MY LIFE!" Ermey soon slammed the door opened as he heard the shouting. He soon noticed the other recruits were awake as he wanted them to get some rest.
"Get back in your bunks!" Ermey shouted at them as Pyle continued to shout.
"I MUST MASTER IT AS I MUST MASTER MY LIFE! WITHOUT ME…" Pyle was cut short as Ermey stormed into the latrine as he wanted to shout at Pyle wondering what was going on.
"What is this Basset Hound shit? What in the name of Starkit are you animals doing in my head?!" Ermey shouted wondering what was going on. He soon turned to Squirrelkit as he was wondering why she wasn't doing anything. "Why is Private Pyle out of his bunk after lights out?! Why is Private Pyle holding that weapon?! Why aren't you stomping Private Pyle's guts out?!" Ermey was wondering why Squirrelkit wasn't doing anything to try to stop him.
"Sir, it is the private's duty to inform the Senior Drill Instructor that Private Pyle has a full magazine and has locked and loaded, sir!" Squirrelkit told him as there was nothing she could do to try to help Pyle out of the madness he had dug himself into. Ermey turned his eyes to Pyle who he began to try to stare down at. Pyle just smiles from the depths of his own hell that he created. Ermey began to focus all of his considerable powers of intimidation, into his best John-Wayne-on-Suribachi voice.
"Now you listen to me, Private Pyle, and, you listen good. I want that weapon, and I want it now! You will place that rifle on the deck at your paws and step back away from it." Ermey warned him as he wondered if intimidation would do the trick since he still had control over him until the morning as they would be all heading out together. Pyle soon displayed a twisted smile as his teeth were hanging out of his mouth. He soon picked up the rifle as he slowly pointed it at Ermey. Squirrelkit was right. Pyle had indeed lost his mind. All she could do was watch him as Ermey soon shouted at Pyle seeing how intimidation didn't work on him at all. Ermey was on the edge of losing it as his manners began to run away to hide on who they called their home. "What is your major malfunction numbnuts?! Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?!" Ermey shouted at Pyle as he was wondering why he wasn't normal. But it was already too late. Bang! Pyle fired as a bullet tore right through Ermey's chest through the Drill Instructors heart. Blood squirts from Ermey's chest as he fell back. Ermey soon collapsed on the floor completely lifeless. Pyle had killed him. Pyle soon pointed the rifle at Squirrelkit who was shaking as she knew she could be next. She tried to reason with him.
"Easy, Leonard. Go easy." Squirrelkit tried to reason with him seeing how she was still his friend. Pyle was still breathing heavily as he realized his mistake. He had killed his drill instructor as he began to shake. His smile was gone as it was replaced with guilt and sorrow. He had never intended to kill his friends or the one who helped him. He slowly pointed the rifle away from Squirrelkit as he was slipping away from being a good warrior as Ermey but now he realized he was a complete monster. He soon slipped back to the toilet as Squirrelkit looked at him as tears began to fill her eyes. Pyle had realized he had really killed someone as he couldn't bear to see it. He soon puts the rifle between his paws as Squirrelkit was too scared to intervene on her behalf. He soon opened his mouth putting the barrel of the rifle into it. Squirrelkit realized that it was all going to be over for him. Squirrelkit still scared shitless, tried to warn Pyle not to do it. "NO!" Squirrelkit shouted. Pyle soon pulled the trigger, sending a round through his mouth and into his head. The white tiled wall that made the latrine soon splattered red with blood as Pyle had turned the rifle on himself. Squirrelkit had soon came to the scariest realization yet. Pyle had killed himself. The door opened as Leafkit and Mothwing came in with some of the other recruits. Whitekit soon sent to Ermy as Mothwing went to check on his condition. Leafkit went to Pyle to see if he was okay. Squirrelkit soon went to Leafkit as who was checking over Pyle's lifeless corpse. "Is Leonard going to be okay?" Squirrelkit asked Leafkit as she soon turned her head to Squirrelkit.
"I'm so sorry sister, but Private Pyle's gone. He's going to Starclan. We were too late." Leafkit spoke to Squirrelkit. Squirrelkit's eyes water up even more as she began to cry. Pyle was her best friend so far and she was devastated that he was now gone from her life. She soon hugged his limp body as she began to cry in to it as she couldn't bear it. Mothwing and the other medics soon arrived as they began to carry their bodies off to notify their families about their deaths. Squirrelkit was escorted by Crowkit and Leafkit for consolidation to try to make her feel better.
"He's gone!" Squirrelkit shrieked. She was now drowning in her own tears as she knew it was a major loss for her. The field of war was going to have many deaths as Squirrelkit was going to learn about. Pyle's death was her baptism of fire of what was going to come.
End of Part 1
[A/N]: This is only part 1 of this story as part 1 was mainly focusing on Boot camp and learning on how to become a skilled marine. But did Pyle become a good Marine or did he become a killer? If he had lived, would he be fit and ready to fight? Part 2 and I believe Part 3 (If there will be a part 3) would be focused on Vietnam where the other character will have more time to shine in the spotlight.
Also who is more at fault for the destruction of the characters in this chapter? Ermey or Pyle himself? I would like to hear both sides of the coin. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer. However try your best to read the first 9 chapters of this story to come to a conclusion.
Also what would you like to see when they get to Vietnam when Part 2 rolls around? I would like to hear your suggestions on this as I will try to incorporate as many ideas as possible.
Also we need to get more reviews if we are going to incorporate more ideas into this. So I urge you to get to the bottom of this chapter in particular to list what you see above. I want to make this as good as possible but also avoiding some of the standard tropes that these stories come along with.
Also if Pyle had lived and didn't snap, here's how the situation would play out. Squirrelkit or Ermey would try their best to talk him out of this as he would come to this realization.
Pyle soon looked at the two of them, and then he looked down at his rifle. Maybe his words were true to only a certain degree. He soon yanked the magazine out of the rifle tossing it to the side as he cocked the rifle to get the round out. Maybe he could find his way out of the hell he created himself. He soon placed the rifle down to the ground looking at the two of them.
"Maybe you're right about this. Maybe at the end of the day, I am just as scared as you are but that doesn't matter! I still want to fight and be by the side of the fellow marines! I don't want to be sent back home as I will do my best! I got friends and my Charlene by my side! If I do die at the end of the day, I will always have my friends to remember to!" Pyle swore to himself that he was going to try until he would die. Maybe now wasn't a good time to snap as he wanted to keep himself together. Ermey looked at Squirrelkit than to Pyle as he wanted to say a few things. He was impressed that he held himself together as Squirrelkit approached him.
"I've never seen a marine go to hell and come back out in one piece. I am impressed Pyle. You went all of that way to prove yourself good. If you do come back in one piece; I might consider making you one of the DI's. You seem to be good for the job. I am proud of you." Ermey soon walked away as Pyle had went from being the worst of the bunch to being the best Squirrelkit smiled as she hugged Pyle seeing how he managed to live through his darkest times as they had a new objective for their service. Keep moving forward.
Also in the novel "The Short-Timers" Written by Gustav Hasford, when Pyle shoots the Drill Instructor named Gerheim. He tells him "I'm proud [of you]" before dying. There is other things I want to tell you about the novel but since I sadly don't own a copy of it. I won't tell you in full detail and will rely on outside sources instead. So I hope you enjoyed part 1 of this story and will see you in part 2 when they get to Vietnam.