Chapter 7: Tully's Tummy
The patrol had made it back to base late the night before. After five days of sand, sand, and more sand, they were ready for a break. A tepid shower did wonders in restoring their comfort as they washed away the desert grit that always crept into places where it was definitely not wanted. A hot meal and sleep in an actual bunk restored their humors and they were well on their way to feeling normal again.
Hitch turned over in his sleep. He had been dreaming about driving his cherished blue 1937 Atalanta 2-Litre Sports Car with the top down and a beautiful girl in the passenger seat. Together they were flying down a country road in New England when he heard a grumbling noise as he shifted gears. He was certain that noise didn't come from the engine. He would never allow his "baby" to sound that rough. He snuggled deeper into his blanket.
The growling noise came again, and Hitch slowly came to realize the noise was in the room with him. He groggily opened his eyes halfway and almost coherently muttered, "What's going on?"
"Sorry, bud," Tully answered, and Hitch opened one eye fully. "Didn't mean to wake you. It's just my stomach growling." Tully was standing in the middle of the room dressed in his army-issued boxers and sleeveless undershirt. One hand was rubbing his stomach.
Hitch slowly sat up in bed, forcing his eyes open. He threw aside the blanket and hopped from the top bunk, shirtless and in his boxers. "Are you hungry?" he asked, reaching for his pants. "Give me a couple of minutes and we can hit the mess hall."
"I'm not sure," Tully responded beginning to dress as well.
"You don't feel sick do you," Hitch was sliding his arms into his shirtsleeves.
"Not really. Not sure what's causing all the noise," Tully pulled on his boots. They made their bunks and a few minutes later they headed out the door.
Moffitt and Troy had finished their breakfast and were enjoying additional cups of coffee and tea when they were joined by the privates. Tully's stomach rumbled as he slid in next to Moffitt.
"What was that?" Troy asked with mild concern.
"Tully's having some tummy trouble," Hitch remarked savoring his first swallow of coffee.
"Did you eat something that disagreed with you," Moffitt asked. "Please say it wasn't fresh chicken. I don't think we could survive another round of that horror," Moffitt referenced a time both privates were sick with food poisoning." *
"Oh Doc," Hitch protested, "don't ever bring that up again. I've never been that sick in my life." He rubbed his hand across his stomach to convince himself it wasn't happening again. Tully's stomach made its presence known.
"I'm not sure what's going on," Tully remarked. "I think I'm just hungry."
"Well, hopefully breakfast will take care of that," Troy said. "I'd hate to have our position given away because of your stomach snarling like a wounded beast."
"I'll do my best, Sarge," Tully began to eat.
After breakfast, Troy & Moffitt reported to Captain Boggs to get their orders while Hitch and Tully went to the motor pool to service the jeeps.
Tully was beneath Olive and Hitch was headfirst into Bertha's engine when Tully's stomach emitted another loud protest.
"Man," Tully was tired of the discordant concert originating inside his gut. "I wish this would stop. I don't know what's going on."
"Are you having any stomach pain?" Hitch emerged from the hood of his jeep.
"No," Tully admitted. "It's just being noisy."
"Any heartburn?" Hitch was becoming worried about his friend's wellbeing.
"Not really," Tully's stomach again rumbled but this time it was accompanied by a loud hiccup. "Oh no, as if it wasn't bad enough." He held his breath in an attempt to stop any additional hiccups. It didn't work and now his body was jarred by regular hiccups between the stomach disharmony.
"Here," Hitch handed him a canteen, "Take 10 sips of water while holding your breath."
"Really?" Tully was skeptical but a loud hiccup made him carry out Hitch's instructions. It didn't work and the hiccups continued. Hitch rummaged around in the back of his jeep, where he stored the spices he used when cooking. He brought out a small ginger root and using his pocketknife, he thinly sliced a few slivers before returning the root to his spices box.
"Eat this," Hitch told him. "It's supposed to help." Tully sniffed the root suspiciously but decided the aroma was pleasing. He cautiously took a small nibble and discovered it was pungent and a bit spicy but not too bad. After a few moments, his hiccups seemed to have disappeared.
"That's a new one for me," Tully admitted.
"I wasn't sure if it would work but I guess it did," Hitch announced. They continued working on the jeeps. Thirty minutes later, Tully's stomach emitted a rumble that could have easily been mistaken for thunder.
"Oh man," Tully mumbled. "I thought the growling had ended with the hiccups."
"Any idea what's causing it?" Hitch asked.
"Not really. I don't feel hungry. I don't have heartburn. I'm not sure what's going on, but I wish it would stop," Tully replied. They continued to ready the jeeps accompanied occasionally by the symphonic cacophony of Tully's stomach.
At noon they walked to the mess hall to meet Troy and Moffitt. Tully was growing increasingly uncomfortable.
"I take back what I said about heartburn," Tully spoke and emitted a loud belch.
"You're really having a time of it today," Hitch commented, and Tully replied with another belch.
They got their food and joined Moffitt and Troy at a table. Tully was trying hard to keep the burping under control without much success.
"I'll be right back," Hitch said and went towards the kitchen.
"Still having troubles?" Moffitt stated the obvious.
"Yeah, this is getting old," Tully was not happy and growing worried about what was going on with his body. Hitch returned a few moments later with a glass saying,
"Drink this, it should take care of the heartburn. It's just baking soda and water." Tully obediently drank it down and within a few minutes reported that the heartburn was fading, and his stomach seemed to have settled down a bit.
"Thanks, Hitch," he said. "I think that did the trick." He hiccupped loudly. "Oh no, not again."
"I got this," Hitch went off again to the kitchen.
"Try holding your breath," Moffitt suggested as the hiccups continued, the intensity growing. Tully held his breath. It didn't work. Next it was suggested he drink a glass of water without stopping. It didn't work. By now Tully's sides were starting to hurt. Hitch returned with a large spoonful of peanut butter.
"Try this," he thrust the spoon at Tully's face and the hiccupping private did as he was told. For a moment, it seemed like he had recovered but it didn't work, and the hiccups grew stronger and more frequent. Now they were all growing concerned.
Troy filled a spoon with sugar from the table dispenser. "Let it dissolve on your tongue," he instructed, and Tully complied. It didn't work. "That's how my mom always took care of our hiccups," he explained, "and it always worked for us."
By now, other soldiers were offering their own home remedies and Tully in turn swallowed honey, held his breath while pinching his nose, sat with his knees drawn up to his chest leaning forward, stuck his fingers in his ears and sucked on a lemon wedge. Nothing worked.
Tully's discomfort was growing, and the hiccups became louder.
"Perhaps we should have a doctor check you out," Moffitt suggested, and they headed toward the hospital. Tully was walking a bit ahead when he was startled by the sound of a gun and a bullet hitting the ground near his foot. He quickly dove for cover and looked up to see Troy holding his sidearm.
"What the heck was that?" Tully was shocked, as were all soldiers in the area.
"Just an old remedy for hiccups," Troy calmly replaced the pistol in his holster.
"What?" Tully was still stunned, trying to understand what had happened as he stood.
"A scare is a good cure for hiccups," Troy explained as Moffitt and Hitch tried to hide their grins. Tully realized he was no longer hiccupping. It worked.
*Reference to the story, Ginger Ale by susie2b