1. $50 was a lot of money back in the day.
2. The nation's first peacetime draft began in 1940 with the enactment of the Selective Training and Service Act and ended in 1973 with the end of the Vietnam War.
3. The first human in space was the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who made one orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961, on a flight that lasted 108 minutes
4. Miracle-Gro originated in 1868.
5. The names of the two characters in Camp Hamilton came from me watching Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul. This is also a foreshadowing of things later in the story.
6. Sorry this chapter took a while. Thank you for being so patient.
*GC*
Camp Hamilton, New York State Sunday afternoon EST
A young Private stood in his Colonel's office, stating an incident that had happened to him a few nights ago while out with his Sergeant.
"He did something. I know he did." the Private explained.
"I don't know, Private McGill," the Private's Colonel, Colonel White, explained, "it doesn't sound like your Sergeant. Plus, you have a bad habit of going AWOL when you feel like it."
"Please, sir! You have to believe me! I was out drinking with him, and next thing you know, I woke up in a random motel room! I would not lie about this! He told me he would take me back to the base, but he lied!"
"Well, you should know better than to get drunk while in uniform." Colonel White spoke.
"I wasn't drunk! I think he drugged me!" Private McGill cried.
"Private McGill, I know your Sergeant, and he is a noble man. Are you sure you aren't lying about this?"
"I'm not. Please, sir! He did something; I just know it." McGill pleaded.
"Look, McGill," Colonel White spoke, as he folded his hands, placing them on his desk, "I want to believe you, I do. But from your time here in Camp Hamilton, you have been causing trouble around your platoon, constantly being put on report. Your Sergeant volunteered to take you under his wing, and..."
Snapping, McGill slammed his fist on his Colonel's desk, screaming in his face, "This has nothing to do with that! He did something to me, and I'm not lying!"
Colonel White stood up, speaking sternly to the Private, "Private McGill, I know you are upset, and I am here to listen to you whenever you need me! But you will not yell at me nor show me disrespect! Now, this meeting is adjourned, and I order you to return to your assigned duties! Dismissed!"
Private McGill looked at his Colonel, feeling a sting of tears forming in his eyes. He exited the office, muttering to himself, "He did something...I know he did...I'm not crazy...I'm not crazy..."
Once McGill got back into his empty barracks, he walked to his locker, grabbed his shaving razor, and took it apart as the tears fell from his eyes. McGill then placed the blade against his wrist.
"Goodbye, world..."
Camp Henderson, Sunday night PST
Carter's birthday came and went, and Gomer couldn't stop thinking about how it was possibly the most romantic night of his life; the only sad thing was that things went back to normal on the base, so he and his lover didn't have a chance to meet up in their meeting spot. It saddened him, but he knew there would be an opportunity to be in Carter's arms again. So until that day came, he just went along with everything being ordinary. The air was cool and breezy that night, and the sky was clear, which meant Gomer snuck out of his barracks just to sit and look at the stars; just watching the stars from his barracks window wasn't the same as being outside. The Private tip-toed to a nearby tree, sat back, then looked up at the night sky.
"I sure wish I had my telescope with me," Gomer spoke to himself.
As he was getting lost in the bright stars, he remembered a happy time when his grandparents brought a telescope for him...
Flashback
In a small house on the outskirts of Mayberry, nine-year-old Gomer Pyle slept in his bed when his grandparents and their chatter woke him up. Wondering what they were going on, the little boy got out of bed, put on his slippers, and tip-toed to their bedroom door to hear what was said; he knew they were talking about him.
"I can't believe you got that for him, Otis." Lynette chuckled.
"I did and it wasn't cheap." Otis explained to his wife.
Lynette's brows furrowed. Whenever Otis brought something, she just had to ask.
"How much was it?" she asked.
"$50.00..." Otis muttered.
The elderly woman's eyes raised wide open while her jaw dropped, "$50.00? Otis Ray Pyle, you spent $50.00 on a telescope?"
"Hey, woman," Otis spoke firmly, "he wanted a telescope to look at the stars for his birthday, so he's gonna get the best! Besides, do you want to bathe him in them tomatoes again? There is still a ring of tomato juice in the bathtub!"
Lynette rolled her eyes at her husband. She looked at the telescope, "Well, all I know is that he's gonna love it. He's been so good lately, so he deserves it just for being a good boy. I will admit this, every day, I see more and more of our boy in him. Ray would be so happy to know that..."
Otis spotted his grandson's shadow. He tapped Lynette on the shoulder, pointing out Gomer's shadow by their bedroom door. Lynette smirked, then spoke up, "Oh, Otis, you better take this thing back. He don't need it."
"Yeah, it's only a drive to Raleigh, but at least I will get my money back."
"No! I want it!" Gomer ran into his grandparent's room, crying out loud.
The little boy held onto the telescope, crying to his grandparents, "Please, Grandpa! Don't take it back to the store! I promise I won't get sprayed by a skunk again! Please!"
Lynette and Otis exchanged glances, then laughed. Otis picked up the small boy, sitting him down on their bed, saying, "Oh, Gomer, we were just playin' with you. I happened to see your shadow in the hallway. This telescope is yours."
Gomer smiled a large smile, his front tooth missing and all, "Really? You mean it?"
"Yes, Gomer." Lynette chimed in as she took her spot next to the boy. "You've been so good lately, gettin' good grades in school, doin' all the chores...we wanted to wait until your birthday, but we're going to give it to you now."
Taken aback, the little boy then exclaimed, "Golly!"
This made Lynette chuckle, following up with, "Do you like it?"
"I love it! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Gomer hugged his Grandma.
Otis chuckled, bending down to hug his wife and grandson. When the hug broke, Gomer asked, "Can I use it?"
"Not tonight, boy. You have to get to bed. You ain't supposed to be up now." Otis chuckled.
Gomer said in response, sighing, "Okay, I'll use it tomorrow."
The elderly couple laughed briefly before Lynette got up and carried her grandson to bed.
"Goodnight, Gomer. See you tomorrow." Otis called to the little boy.
"Goodnight, Grandpa," Gomer called back as he was carried away.
When Lynette reached Gomer's room, she placed him on his bed, then tucked him in. As she was making him comfortable, Gomer said, "Grandma, sometimes I think Daddy is watchin' me."
Lynette kissed Gomer on the forehead, replying to him, "Gomie, your Daddy is one with the stars."
The little boy's face turned melancholic, "I miss Daddy."
"I know, sweetheart. But always remember he loved you so much. He's always watchin' you."
Gomer smiled at his grandmother. Lynette leaned over to kiss her grandson on the forehead, "I love you from the sun, moon, and stars."
"I love you to the stars and back," Gomer replied before turning over and falling asleep.
As Lynette walked out of her grandson's room, she whispered to herself while silent tears formed in her eyes, "I miss you too, Ray."
Flashback ends
Gomer smiled to himself until an MP caught him sitting by the tree.
"Private Pyle," the MP spoke, "why are you out of your barracks?"
Gomer quickly got up, saying to the MP, "I'm sorry. I saw it was a clear night, and I had to look at the stars. You know, once in a while, everyone should go out and look at the stars when the sky is so clear. Did you ever get to look at the stars? Why tonight, I think I saw..."
"Never mind the stars, and get back to your barracks!" The MP snapped.
"Right. Well, goodnight." Gomer smiled, walking back to his barracks.
The MP watched Gomer walking away, then shook his head. He looked at the sky, saying to himself, "Wow, he's right...the stars are out tonight."
*GC*
Three weeks later
Finally, having some downtime on the base, Carter decided to put his new art supplies to work. He set up the easel on his desk, then placed the canvas against the easel, screwing the back to ensure the canvas was nice and tight. The Sergeant was elated to have art supplies in his hands again. He was sad how he gave up the one thing he enjoyed after everything that had happened in Korea; then again, he suffered a loss that hurt his heart tremendously. It wasn't until Gomer. In a way, the sweet Private inspired him to want to paint again. Once Carter set the easel, he opened up the paints he tried to use and started painting. In such deep concentration, Carter lost track of time as he painted for the first time...it didn't matter how long it was; he was happy to have art supplies in his hands again. Before he realized it, Boyle walked in when he glanced over at the Sergeant's painting.
"Wow. Your painting skills are terrific, Vince." Boyle softly exclaimed.
Carter smiled at the Corporal, "Thanks, Chuck. I still got it."
The Corporal lowered himself to get a better look at the painting. He noticed how Carter was versatile in how he used different colors.
"Is that supposed to be the base?" Boyle asked.
"Yeah. It looks rough cause I ain't done this in a long time. But it's comin' along." Carter chuckled.
"No, actually…it's perfect. It's possibly the best painting I've seen." Boyle joked. "You got the details of Camp Henderson down. I like the twist and how you incorporated different colors."
Carter felt his cheeks go red.
"I don't know much, Boyle, but I know I missed this," Carter replied.
"How much did Pyle spend on this out of curiosity?" Boyle asked as he picked up a paint tube just to observe it.
"He didn't say. But from what I can tell, these weren't cheap, that's for sure." Carter responded as he dipped his brush into the cup of water.
"That was nice of him," Boyle stated as he placed the paint tube down, "You know, Vince, you could give Rockwell a run for his money."
Carter added more color to a section of his painting, then put his brush down.
"You know, Boyle," The Sergeant spoke, "as much as I love being in the Marines, I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I decided to paint. My mother was upset that I wanted to join the Marines instead of taking the offer to art school. She and I got into a big argument until my dad had to intervene, telling her it was my choice to do it."
"You almost went to art school?" Boyle asked, unaware his Sergeant got accepted into art school.
"Oh yeah. Full ride and all. I once painted a picture of the White House, then sent it to the President, not thinking somthin' may come from it. Months after forgetting about the painting, I got an envelope from the White House. They mailed my artwork back to me with Truman's signature! My mother couldn't believe it. She made my dad go out and get a picture frame for it."
"That's incredible! To think, the President of the United States would sign your painting." Boyle softly exclaimed.
"It's somethin' alright." Carter chuckled as he placed the paintbrush back into the cup of water on his desk.
"So I have to ask...why did you stop painting?" Boyle asked.
Taking in a breath, Carter replied, "I suffered a loss in Korea, and it affected me to the point that I felt I could no longer do it. Until recently, I found the will to sketch and paint again."
"But why are you embarrassed to show that side to you?" Boyle asked.
"I don't know..." Carter thought for a moment. "I guess I didn't want the others on the base to think I was weird. No one knew this part about me, not even Bunny."
"Huh...I thought Bunny would've liked that sort of thing. Not for nothing, Vince, but I didn't take you like the artistic type either." Boyle stated. "Don't be embarrassed by it."
Carter gave a faint smile to Boyle.
"Oh, by the way, you got mail. I picked it up after the meeting for the Corporals. Do you know Jenson won't look at me still?"
"Gee, I wonder why." Carter chuckled, making Boyle shake his head with a smirk.
"Anyway, you got some package from England, from a...Mary L. Newkirk. Is this one of your past flings?" Boyle joked.
"No! It's my cousin, Mary!" Carter got up to grab the package from Boyle.
"Oh...well, I didn't know," Boyle said defensively.
The Sergeant sat back in his chair and opened up the package; inside, his cousin sent him a beautifully handmade three-piece suit and a tin of homemade candies from her bakery, Snow Sweets. They were tightly packed so that they wouldn't go stale. Boyle looked at the suit, his eyes widening at how beautiful it looked.
"Woah. She made that?" Boyle cried out.
"Let's just say she's so talented that she has too much time on her hands making clothes." Carter joked. "I can't believe she did that."
The suit was in a dark blue color. It was made of polyester and stitched together beautifully. The jacket of the suit had two side vents and two front flap pockets, big enough for Carter to carry his wallet in. The vest had a four-button closure, and an adjustable back belt with buckle closure. The pants were in Carter's size, with a zip fly with button and hook closure belt loops, and had two side slant pockets. Boyle was impressed that Mary had all the time in the world to design something like that for her cousin.
"Boy...she can give Hugo Boss a run for his money." Carter joked, as he carefully placed the suit back in the box.
"Hugo Boss? I was thinking Christian Dior." Boyle retorted.
The Sergeant also noticed a handwritten note from his English cousin; it was the neatest handwriting he had ever seen. He opened up the letter, reading,
Hello, my sweet cousin,
I hope you had a wonderful birthday and have received many beautiful gifts. Please enjoy the lovely gifts I sent you, especially the homemade chocolate candies. They are a new item in my bakery and are very popular! I had to make two batches because Peter, Papa, and Vader had eaten the first batch. I had to make yours when they were all out of the house. Anyway, my sweetheart cousin, I hope you and your sweetheart will love them. I hope to see you soon; I love you dearly. Papa, Vader, and Peter all send their love.
Love Always,
Mary
The Sergeant smiled and placed the note from his cousin on his desk.
"Remind me to write to her to thank her." Carter stated, then grabbed the tin of candies, offering one to Boyle, "try these chocolates she made."
Boyle took a piece of chocolate from the tin, simply putting it in his mouth. His eyes widened to the taste, "Wow. These are incredible. I taste German chocolate."
"Yeah, and let me tell you, Boyle, Mary never disappoints. If only she had a bakery in the States. I gotta write her to send over some more." Carter spoke as he closed the tin.
He then walked to his locker to place the candies inside. While Carter was putting his sweets away, Boyle opened up the newspaper on his desk.
"You know, Serge," Boyle spoke as he skimmed through the newspaper, "those candies taste better than any other chocolate bar I've...Oh my God!"
Carter was startled by Boyle's expression. He turned to him, saying, "Why are we screaming, Chuck? Did you..."
"A Marine Private killed himself in Camp Hamilton, New York!" Boyle cried out.
"Fuck, are you serious?" Carter ran over from where he was, making his way to Boyle.
He leaned down to see a photo of a young Marine Private, then began to read to himself, "Private First Class Steve Roger McGill, age 18, was found dead in his barracks. The young Private was found by his platoonmates in their barracks; both wrists slit; it was believed that the razor came from McGill's shaving kit. The Private's commanding officer, Gunnery Sergeant Brandon K. Harris, described the young man as driven, one of the best in his platoon."
"Shit..." Boyle muttered as he placed a hand on his forehead. "18 years old..."
"You know what," Carter spoke, "I knew someone of the name Brandon Harris. He was in my platoon while I was stationed in Korea. But the Brandon I knew was a strange fella; the only thing he was good for was that he was a skilled sniper. But I doubt it's the same person. For the most part, he was pretty harmless."
"If you're lucky, maybe it is a different person with the same name." Boyle retorted as he rubbed his temples. "Have you spoken to him since Korea?"
"Nah...I tried to avoid the guy; he gave me the creeps." Carter answered.
"This reminds me of a story: I remember when I first joined the service," Boyle spoke. "There was a guy in my platoon who was as soft as soft could get, maybe softer than Pyle. I was always nice to him because it seemed like he wouldn't make it through basic training. Boy was I right; our Drill Sergeant always picked on this one guy; eventually, the other fellas joined in with mistreating this guy. One day, we hear a gunshot, and this guy kills himself with his rifle. He couldn't take it anymore, so he blew his brains out in the latrine."
"Shit..." Carter reacted to the story.
"You can say that again. He was a nice fella, but he shouldn't have been there in the first place." Boyle responded as he closed the newspaper. "I'm telling ya, they need to do away with the draft because some men aren't meant to be in the Marines."
"Yeah, that'll be the day." Carter retorted.
As Carter returned to his seat, he couldn't help but have a bad feeling in his stomach. Was this the same, Brandon? He hoped it would be someone else...but something about this didn't sit right with him, not one bit.
"Serge, you okay?" Boyle asked, making Carter shake out of his thoughts.
"Oh...yeah, Chuck. Sorry. I was just thinkin' about what happened, is all." Carter replied. "Thank God it wasn't any of our men."
Boyle nodded in agreement. The Sergeant returned to his painting while Boyle went through the mail he received; he mostly got letters from home or junk letters here and there. All was silent for a few moments until Carter got up from his seat to stretch his arms out; as much as he loved painting, sitting for long hours was tedious. Suddenly, as the Sergeant sat back down, he had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen to Gomer. A voice, most likely Louie's, kept saying in his head, 'Check on Pyle.'
"Boyle," Carter spoke as he put his paintbrush down, got out of his seat, and moved to his locker, "I'm going to check on Pyle."
"Oh yeah?" Boyle replied as he looked up with a smile. "You know he's out gardening today, right?"
"Yeah. The Colonel put him on garden duty. I just want to make sue he's okay...because of his asthma and all." Carter explained as he grabbed his cap, placing it on his head. "It bein' hot outside; you just want to be on the safe side."
"Do what you need to do, Vince," Boyle stated as he tore up a junk letter.
Before Carter put on his cap, Boyle spoke again, "Hey, Vince."
"What, Chuck?" Carter turned around.
"I'm very happy for you. Pyle is a sweet guy." Boyle spoke with sincerity. "A little weird, but a sweet guy."
"Thank you, Chuck. I'll see you in a few."
"Yep."
That said, Carter walked out of the duty hut, heading to the garden, leaving Boyle to sort through his mail.
*GC*
Gomer was assigned to garden duty, humming to himself as he planted some new vegetables for the base garden per Colonel Grey's instructions. The California heat in late May was not conducive to his asthma; he often had to take out his inhaler to help him breathe. As he planted, he was lost in his own world, singing a Dusty Springfield song to himself while Jackson and Mendes watched him as they smoked a cigarette.
"He's so weird," Mendes whispered to his friend.
"Yeah, no shit," Jackson replied. "Remember when he put on Carter's blues on the first day?"
"Oh yeah...what a dumbass." Mendes laughed. "I still can't get over the fact he won $200.00 from that egg hunt without even doing anything. He donated the money to the hospital in town."
"Which one?" Jackson asked, puffing his cigarette.
"The one where Slater's smoke show girlfriend works." Mendes replied.
"God, he's stupid." Jackson retorted as he puffed his cigarette. "Him and the way he says, 'Goooooolllyyyy!' It's so fucking annoying, I just want to punch him."
"You know, I'm still pissed at him for talking back to us," Mendes said. "Who the hell does he think he is?"
"A little bitch, that's what," Jackson answered.
Mendes nodded in agreement while puffing his cigarette. The two looked at Gomer puffing on his inhaler, then got an idea.
"Wanna have fun?" Mendes asked, making Jackson smile a mischievous smile.
The two put out their cigarettes, then walked over to Gomer as he was kneeling and digging a hole in the dirt.
"Hey, Gomer," Jackson called out as he and his friend walked over to him.
Gomer turned around, smiling at the pair as he stood up, "Oh, hey there, Tyler! Hi, Noah."
The sweet Private got up from kneeling, not realizing his inhaler had fallen out of his pocket.
"So...Pyle..." Jackson started, "Carter, has you gardening?"
"Oh no, Colonel Grey has me gardenin'," Gomer replied, wiping his hands on his pants.
Mendes walked behind him, pretending to look at the plants, only to pick up Gomer's inhaler and put it in his pocket, holding in his laughter.
"You see, I plant enough vegetables for the mess hall. That's why we'd been havin' greens for dinner; it's all because of me."
"Wow...you're doing a great job." Mendes expressed as he put his arm around Gomer's shoulders. "I did enjoy the squash from the other night."
"Maybe I can teach one of you how to garden one day." The sweet Private suggested.
"Eh...not my scene. But thanks anyway, pal." Jackson replied as he patted Gomer on the shoulder.
"Of course," Gomer happily said. "You know, when I was a boy, Grandpa Pyle and me would plant a garden of pretty flowers for Grandma Pyle. Her favorites were yellow garden roses, which made me sneeze a lot. She also loved the autumn flowers, especially in different colors. I guess it's safe to say I got myself a green thumb."
"Yeah..." Mendes stated in response to Gomer's story. "Hey, listen, don't you need Miracle-Gro for the garden?"
"Well, good heavens, I didn't think of that. Can you please watch the garden while I go and grab the Miracle-Gro?" Gomer happily asked his fellow platoon mates.
"Sure! Not an issue!" Jackson replied, eying his friend, with a smirk.
Grinning at his platoon mates, Gomer happily walked to the shed to get the Miracle-Gro. While inside, he scoped through the shelves to see which one the vegetable garden took. Little did he know that Mendes and Jackson tip-toed behind him, planning on playing a joke on him. As Gomer's back was turned, the next thing he heard was, "Now!"
"Huh?" Gomer turned around, only to see the door close behind him.
They lied to him! They played a trick on him! Gomer ran to open the door, finding it was locked from the outside. In a panic, Gomer knocked on the door, crying, "Hey! Let me out! Noah, Tyler, let me out!"
Meanwhile, the two trouble makers looked at each other and laughed at Gomer panicking inside the shed. Noah patted down his pants pocket, letting Jackson know that the inhaler was in there, as Gomer cried for them to open it up.
"You oughta think twice about EVER talking back to us again, Pyle!" Jackson jested from outside the hut.
"Please, fellas! It's dark, and it's awful hot in here! Open the door!" Gomer howled from inside.
Ignoring Gomer, Mendes asked Jackson, "Want to get some chow?"
"I'd love to get chow. Plus, let's stop at the infirmary to see if I can get Nurse Katie to change her mind on Boyle and go for someone who is more her type." Jackson joked, making Mendes laugh.
While alone in the dark hut, Gomer kept banging on the door, hoping someone would hear him. His panic suddenly turned to hyperventilation from the lack of air mixed with the heat from being in the dark shed on a hot day. Gomer patted his pockets for his inhaler, realizing it may have fallen out, and one of the two men took it. The Private prayed that someone could hear him struggle for air, but suddenly, the door opened, causing him to fall into a pair of strong arms.
*GC*
Carter made his way to the base garden in the jeep. Once he got to the garden, he noticed that Gomer was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh...where the hell is he?" he asked himself.
It was then he heard heavy wheezing coming from the shed.
"What the hell?" Carter then sprinted over to the shed, hearing Gomer gasping for air. "Shit. He's locked in."
The Sergeant moved the rock blocking the door, and unlocked the outside of the shed, only for Gomer to fall into his arms. Gomer was sweating and breathing heavily.
"Oh my God...Gomer..." Carter muttered as he helped Gomer take a seat on the ground.
"Where's your inhaler?" Carter asked him as he held him in a bear hug from behind.
"I think...they took it..." Gomer replied weakly.
The Sergeant held Gomer from behind, quickly taking out the inhaler he kept in his pocket. He put it to Gomer's mouth, saying, "Take a puff."
Gomer puffed on his inhaler as Carter made a 'shhh' sound with his lips, coaxing him as he stroked his sweat-covered hair, "It's okay...it's okay...I'm here..."
Once Gomer's breathing was under control, he rested the back of his head on the Sergeant's shoulder. As he managed to catch his breath, Gomer looked up at Carter, "I was getting...Miracle-Gro...they locked me in here when I needed to get the..."
"Who did this to you? Tell me, who did this?" Carter asked.
The Private realized what he had just done; he was about to tell on Mendes and Jackson. He knew he couldn't rat on his fellow platoon mates, but Carter insisted.
"Gomer," Carter spoke firmly, "you have a bad habit of covering up for people, especially those who don't deserve it! Now tell me who did this to you!"
The Private flinched from being spoken to like that, which immediately made Carter feel terrible. He softened his expression and voice and repeated in a stern but gentle voice, "Who did this to you?"
"It was Tyler and Noah. I asked them to watch the garden for me quickly, and they locked me in. I think they took my inhaler too."
"Tyler Jackson and Noah Mendes?" Carter asked as Gomer nodded his head.
Feeling his blood pressure go up, Carter took in two deep breaths so that he wouldn't lose it in front of Gomer. Instead, the Sergeant helped the Private to his feet, walking him over to the jeep. He helped Gomer take a seat inside the jeep, then moved around so he could get into the driver's seat. As Carter drove off, Gomer still puffed on the inhaler.
"Vince," Gomer asked, "did you keep my inhaler on you this time?"
"Honestly," Carter answered, "I kept it on me since the day you left the hospital."
Taken aback, Gomer couldn't believe that Carter cared for him so much actually to carry the extra inhaler with him. He figured this entire time, he would've kept it in his desk or whatnot, but to carry it with him was a sign that he meant a lot to Carter. Once they got back to the duty hut, Carter got out first, then helped Gomer out of the jeep, bringing him inside to sit down. Boyle looked up to see Gomer flush in the face.
"What happened?" Boyle asked as he got up from his seat, just to help his Sergeant.
Boyle helped Carter sit Gomer down on Carter's bunk while the Sergeant ranted, "Well, those two assholes in our outfit locked him in a shed, stole his inhaler, and left him in there to have an asthma attack. Chuck, get him a glass of water."
Boyle sprinted over to the coffee station and grabbed a cup. He then moved to a nearby sink, filling the cup with water. Once filled, Boyle walked over to Gomer, "Here, Pyle. Drink slowly."
"Thank you, Corporal Boyle," Gomer said weakly as he sipped his water.
"I have to put those two on report...right after I kill them!" The Sergeant grumbled in a frustrated voice, before softening up as he turned back to Gomer, "Did they say where they would be?"
Gomer swallowed his water, then spoke up, "I heard them say that they were going to the mess hall, and after, they were going to the infirmary so Tyler can bother Nurse Katie."
Once Gomer said that piece, Boyle went to his locker, grabbed his cap, and headed out the door, making his way to the infirmary. Carter said to himself, "I better follow him," leaving Gomer alone.
When he got outside, Carter spotted Duke walking.
"Hi, Serge." Duke greeted happily.
"Slater, keep an eye on the duty hut and Gomer. He had an asthma attack." Carter quickly instructed as he followed Boyle, calling out to him. "Chuck, wait up! I got the jeep!"
Boyle got into the jeep with his Sergeant as they drove off to find Jackson and Mendes before they could stir up any more trouble. Meanwhile, Duke walked into the duty hut, seeing Gomer sitting on the bunk.
"Are you alright, buddy?" He asked, taking a seat beside his friend. "Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
"No...I'm okay. I just need to..." Gomer answered, then began to cough heavily again, making him spill some water on his uniform.
Duke took the glass of water from Gomer and placed it on top of Carter's desk. He then put the inhaler in his friend's mouth.
"Puff, Gome." He instructed his friend as he rubbed his back.
*GC*
After having a bite to eat at the mess hall, Jackson and Mendes made their way out when Jackson spoke up, "You wanna check on Pyle?"
"Eh...I think he'll be okay. I wonder how long it would be before he realizes that his inhaler is missing." Noah joked, making his friend laugh. "Plus, aren't we going to see your girl? You said you wanted to change her mind about Boyle."
The two troublemakers spotted Nurse Katie walking by herself to the mess hall. Jackson smirked, "I think she came to me, brother."
Minding her own business and making her way to the mess hall, Katie noticed the two troublemakers coming her way. She made a face of disgust when she saw them. Even though Jackson knew she was seeing Boyle, he always made it his life's work to try and make a pass at her. The Nurse greeted them with an eye roll as they walked up to her.
"Hey there, pretty lady." Jackson greeted her. "What brings you around?"
"Grow up, Jackson," Katie responded coldly.
The Nurse tried to move around him, only for Jackson to block her from the front and Mendes to block her from behind. This got the Nurse concerned about what they might do next.
"Please move," Katie spoke curtly.
"Where are you going?" Mendes teased her, "My friend just wants to talk to you. It's rude to walk away. A lady needs to be taught how to behave, huh, Jackson?"
"Whatever. Please leave me alone." Katie once again said sternly.
"Not until you agree to go out on a date with me." Jackson taunted her.
"I wouldn't be seen with you, even if we were the last people on earth." Katie spat.
"Oooh, we have one that talks back." Mendes joked. "You know, you oughta know your place around here."
At that moment, Jackson suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly as Katie tried to walk away.
"Let go of me!" Katie demanded.
"Either you go out on one date with me, or I won't let go." Jackson taunted.
"This isn't funny, Jackson! I said no, so I suggest you get that through that thick skull of yours and..."
Jackson squeezed her wrist, hurting her. This gesture made the nurse whimper in pain. Now she was afraid both men would hurt her.
"You little cunt! No one speaks to me like that." Jackson spoke in a threatening voice.
"I think we should teach her a lesson, don't you, Jackson?" Mendes suggested.
"Very well." Jackson replied as the two started to pull Katie away, ignoring her pleas to get off her, when a voice called out, "Let go of her! Now!"
*GC*
As Carter drove along the base, he spotted Mendes and Jackson already bothering Nurse Katie like they planned to do so.
"Vince, slow the jeep down," Boyle stated.
Doing so, Carter saw how Boyle just jumped out of the slow-moving jeep before he even stopped it completely. He ran towards the two troublemakers, yelling, "Let go of her! Now!"
Jackson turned around, only to see Carter slowly park the jeep. Boyle got out of the jeep and ran towards Jackson, tackling him to the ground. Carter then followed after getting out of the jeep. Mendes let go of Katie, who ran straight into Boyle's arms. He felt her body shaking as he hugged her and rubbed her back as he whispered, "It's okay, baby. I'm here."
"I was...he called me a horrible name...and they were about to..." Katie then broke down in tears, her body shaking from fear of what could've happened to her. Feeling angry, Boyle looked at the two Privates, saying in a firm voice, "What the hell is the matter with you two? You two have..."
Not wanting to upset Katie more than she already was, the Corporal turned to Carter, saying, "You better jump in, or else I might do something I will regret, Vince."
Carter turned to Mendes and Jackson, "Not only do you lock your fellow platoon mate in a garden shed, knowing he has asthma, but you harass a base nurse? I've put up with you two clowns long enough, but this is the final straw!"
"Sergeant Carter, we were just playing around..." Jackson alleged. "Corporal Boyle just pushed me. Are you going to do something about it?"
"Oh, so now you want to be the victim?" Carter bellowed when he noticed Gomer's inhaler sticking out of Mendes' pocket.
"Is that Pyle's inhaler?" Carter spoke, noticing Mendes flinch a little. "Take it out! Take it out!"
Nervously, Mendes took out the inhaler as Carter snatched it out of his hand. The Sergeant turned to Boyle, saying, "Boyle, you take your woman to the mess hall. These two clowns are going with me to pay a visit to the Colonel."
"No, Sergeant...we're sorry! We won't..." Jackson stumbled on his words.
"Jackson, I'm done with you and your friend! Pyle had an asthma attack because you two wanted to be assholes! Get in the jeep, NOW!" Carter screamed louder than he had ever.
The two trouble makers got into the jeep as Carter got into the driver's seat, driving away. Meanwhile, Boyle was alone with Katie, making sure Jackson didn't hurt her any more than he already had.
"Are you alright?" He asked her.
Katie nodded her head, tears still filled in her eyes.
"Chuck, you stood up for me." she softly muttered.
Boyle held her close as he felt her tears stain his uniform, whispering in her ear, "Those two will be dealt with for sure. They won't bother you again."
Again, Katie nodded her head against him. She stared straight up at him as Boyle brushed his finger against her cheek, "I will take you to the mess hall and sit with you."
"I would like that," Katie replied as Boyle placed his arm around her in protection, walking her to the mess hall.
Meanwhile, once Carter made it to Colonel Grey's office, he led the two inside, catching the Colonel off guard.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Colonel," Carter spoke, "but I need to put these two on report. They locked Private Pyle in the garden shed, stole his inhaler, and harassed a base nurse."
"Sergeant, we were..." Mendes spoke until Colonel Grey cut him off.
"You stand at attention and shut your mouth when you are in the presence of a Colonel!"
Immediately, the two trouble makers stood at attention, facing their Colonel. Keeping his cool but frustrated at the news he received, Colonel Grey looked up at the Sergeant, "Thank you for informing me, Sergeant Carter. I will take it from here."
Once the two troublemaking Privates heard that, they stared at Colonel Grey, curious about the punishment they would receive.
*GC*
Moments after everything happened, Carter spoke to the other Privates, making an example of Mendes and Jackson as they packed their stuff in their lockers.
"As you all are aware," Carter spoke to the Privates as they all stood at attention, "the two jokers you see packing their stuff will no longer be in our outfit until they have completed retraining. Now, frankly, I'm extremely pissed off. Any stupid thing that ANY OF YOU lame brains do reflects on me. I don't need anything reflecting on me because one of you numbskulls want to be jackasses. Now, what happened to Pyle should not have happened, and let this be a warning to ALL of you that if ANYTHING EVER HAPPENS AGAIN, OUR DRILLS ARE GOING TO BE TEN TIMES HARDER, NO BREAKS INCLUDED! Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the men replied.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"YES, SIR!"
"As you were." Carter simply stated, walking out of the barracks.
Making his way back into the duty hut, Gomer and Duke were still sitting on Carter's bunk. Duke rubbed his friend's back as Gomer drank another cup of water to keep hydrated, per the doctor's instructions. Once Carter walked in, Duke stopped what he was doing, causing them to look at their Sergeant.
"How do you feel?" Carter asked Gomer.
"Much better," Gomer answered. "I appreciate you holdin' on to the extra inhaler."
"Well..." Carter stumbled with his words, "you never know when you may've needed it."
"Serge, do I have your permission to kick Mendes and Jackson's asses? Especially Mendes?" Duke asked.
"Please don't talk like that, Duke. You are better than that." Gomer pleaded.
Duke suddenly changed his expression, saying calmly, "I'm sorry, pal. You're right; you've been through enough already, so I won't upset you any further."
"Slater, you're a good friend. Thank you for watching him." Carter sincerly expressed, "Can you give us a moment alone?"
"Of course, Sergeant." Duke replied as he got off the bunk, turning to Gomer, "I'll see you inside, Gome."
"Thank you, Duke," Gomer said.
Once Duke was out of sight, Carter shut the door, then walked over to sit beside Gomer, "You gave me a scare, and I don't scare easy."
"I'm sorry, Vince." Gomer softly said as he started to feel guilty for the shed incident.
"For what?" Carter strongly said. "You didn't lock yourself in the shed. Those two are with the Colonel, and boy is he not happy."
"What will happen to them?" Gomer asked.
"For locking you in the shed and harassing Boyle's girl...those two will be sent to retraining, and thank God for that. I couldn't stand to look at those two anymore. I only put up with them until now."
All Gomer could do was say, 'Oh...' as Carter rubbed his temples.
"Promise me that when they return, you don't place your trust in those two again. They were never your friends, and they were lookin' to hurt you, which they almost succeeded at until I found you."
"I don't even look at them the same anymore, Vince," Gomer replied.
Carter nodded his head to what the Private stated.
"How is Nurse Katie?" Gomer asked.
"She's upset. Jackson called her a cunt." Carter explained, making Gomer shudder. "What's wrong?"
"Oh...nothing...Grandpa and Grandma Pyle used that word when they were angry. They told me never to use it." Gomer looked down at his feet.
The Sergeant made a face, then placed his hand on Gomer's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
"Oh no...you didn't. It's just that they called momma that...a lot."
The Sergeant didn't say anything about Gomer's statement; he had his own opinions about the woman who abandoned her son when he needed her most. He couldn't help but agree with Grandma and Grandpa Pyle. Deciding to change the topic, Carter spoke up, "Well...let's just be happy that those two are out of the platoon for the time being. Hopefully, they will learn a thing or two from retraining."
Gomer gave his Sergeant a faint smile, then placed his head on his shoulder. Carter rested his chin on top of Gomer's head while stroking the back of his head.
"If the sky is clear Friday...would you like to catch the stars again?" Carter asked the Private.
The sweet Private looked up at his Sergeant and sweetheart, smiling, "I would love that. I hear the North Star will be out that night."
Carter smiled at Gomer, pulling him in for a kiss. When the kiss broke, the two pressed their foreheads against one another as the Sergeant whispered, "I just want to protect you."
The moment was ruined when the two heard screaming and shouting from the barracks.
"Are you kidding me? The hell is going on now?" Carter let go of Gomer and stood up from the bunk, running back to the barracks.
Gomer simply followed behind. They walked in to find Duke and Mendes fighting while Perez and Jackson were going at it, and all the meanwhile, the other men were getting riled up. Carter managed to get in the middle, screaming, "Break it up! Slater, Mendes, Jackson, Perez, break it up!"
The four stood up, adjusting their uniforms. The Sergeant turned over to Duke and Perez, "Slater and Perez, unless you want to join these two clowns in retraining, I suggest you both cut the shit."
"Sorry, Serge," Duke said, sincerity in his voice.
"It won't happen again," Perez added.
"In the meantime, Jackson and Mendes, you have a jeep waiting for you, so I suggest you get what you need here, then get your asses to the jeep before I drag you myself," Carter spoke to Jackson and Mendes in a dangerous tone of voice.
That said, Mendes and Jackson picked up their bags and left the barracks. Carter touched Gomer on the shoulder before he walked off. Gomer made his way to Duke and Perez.
"What happened? Why did you guys fight them?" Gomer asked his friends.
"Well, long story short," Perez spoke, "they started making jokes about what they did to you, blaming you for getting them sent to retraining..."
"So we taught them a lesson," Duke added. "Plus, I'd been meaning to hit Mendes. That guy pissed me off, and you know what, I'm glad he's gone."
"I think you and everyone else here, Duke." Perez chuckled. "I should buy us a bottle of Dom to celebrate."
Duke let out a loud chuckle. Giving a small smile, Gomer stated to his friends, "I appreciate you two stickin' up for me and all. Although, I wish I was the one to tell them how I felt."
Duke chuckled at Gomer, then topped it off with, "Of course, Gome. We have your back no matter what. I'm only sorry I wasn't there to help you."
"No worries, Duke. I'm just happy to be okay and have such great friends."
Duke and Perez smiled at Gomer, patting him on the shoulder.
*GC*
Later that evening, Carter and Boyle sat in the duty hut, smoking cigars and taking in what had happened throughout the day.
"Boy...talk about a hell of a day, right Chuck?" Carter spoke, taking a puff of his cigar.
"It didn't need to happen," Boyle replied. "In all seriousness, how's Pyle?"
"He's in better spirits, which I'm happy about." Carter puffed his cigar again. "Honestly, Chuck, I've never seen anyone go through so much in his life and still have a smile on their face. I can't say much, but Gomer hasn't had it easy in life."
"Like I said before...Pyle is a fighter." Boyle said as he puffed his cigar.
"How's your woman doing?" Carter asked.
"She was shaken, but she's doing a lot better now. I just sat with her in the mess hall so no one would bother her." Boyle explained. "If you must know, we got looks again, but I think there are more important matters than that at the moment."
The Sergeant smiled at the Corporal.
"Anyway, hopefully, peace is restored in Company B," Boyle added.
"Yeah, I highly doubt that." Carter joked, making Boyle laugh.
Boyle got up as the two put out their cigars, then moved to his locker to apply some aftershave.
"You heading out somewhere?" Carter asked.
"Yeah. I said I would take Kathryn home; then I'll come back to the base. I just want to make sure she gets home okay." Boyle replied.
"You must like her, Chuck, if you are doing that," Carter stated.
"I do, Vince. She's beautiful, smart, kind...she's a pretty incredible lady if you ask me," Boyle told his Sergeant as he shut the door to this locker, then placed his cap on his head. "I'll see you in the next few, Serge."
"Take your time, Chuck," Carter replied as Boyle walked out of the duty hut. "Oh, if you see Gomer, tell him I want to talk to him."
"Sure thing, Vince."
Once Boyle was gone, Carter was left alone in the duty hut. He figured he might return to what he was painting while he still had the time. A few moments later, Gomer walked in, saying, "You wanted to see me?"
"Oh yes..." Carter got up. "Shut the door?"
Gomer complied, shutting the door and locking it.
"Have a seat on the bunk, please?" Carter instructed, with Gomer complying once again.
The Private noticed Carter adding a couple more strokes to his painting, "You painted that today?"
"Huh? Oh yes. You like it?" Carter asked, smiling. "It's supposed to be the base, but I just put a twist to it by playing around with the colors."
The Private stood up from the bunk, stood behind Carter, and observed the painting, "Goooolly...I like what you did with the sky."
"Yeah...my art teachers in school never understood why I wouldn't just make the sky blue. Eventually, they got used to me just playing with the colors." Carter told Gomer.
Putting his brush back into his cup, Carter got up from his seat and took Gomer by the hand, leading them both to the bunk. As Gomer sat first, Carter sat beside him.
"Thank you for being there for me." Gomer started to speak.
"Anytime..." was all Carter could respond with as he placed his hand on top of the sweet Private's.
"How long with Tyler and Noah be in retrainin'?" Gomer asked.
"Uh...a couple of weeks. Colonel wants them to learn their lesson on hurting a fellow platoon mate. Trust me; those two will never bother you again." Carter reassured Gomer.
Looking down at his shoes, Gomer sighed and spoke, "I only feel bad I didn't give them a piece of my mind. But, as much as I hate to say it or even think it, I'm happy Duke, and Robert took care of them."
All Carter did was lean over and kiss Gomer softly on the lips, then bring him in for an embrace. The Private felt safe being in his sweetheart's arms; he found it the safest place in the world. It was then that Carter suddenly remembered something. Getting up from his bunk, he moved to his locker. Gomer wondered what Carter was up to.
"What are you doin', Vin..."
"Hold on; I'm getting something. Stay put." Carter called over.
Curious, Gomer wondered what Carter was grabbing from his locker. A few seconds later, Carter closed his locker, walking over with a tin container.
"What is that?" Gomer asked.
"These," Carter started to speak as he opened up the tin, revealing homemade chocolate candy, "are homemade candies my cousin made for just you and me. I gave Boyle a few but wanted to share the rest with you."
Once Carter sat down and offered candy to Gomer, the sweet Private took a piece of candy out of the tin and put it in his mouth. The way the candy had a unique taste to it, something that Gomer couldn't even describe. Hell, the word 'delicious' didn't wasn't even the proper word to describe the taste of the candy that Carter's cousin made. Undoubtedly, she had a talent for food, and these candies were better than any candy Gomer had consumed in the past.
"Shazam," was all Gomer said.
"Yep. Mary is very good at what she does." Carter explained, taking a seat next to Gomer. "You'd like her if you met her. I can tell you two would get along."
Gomer responded to that by taking a bite of another candy.
"Mmmm mmm!" Gomer exclaimed. "This tastes better than any candy bar I have ever eaten."
"I'm telling ya, try her homemade candies, and you'll never eat another candy bar again," Carter stated. "Take as many as you like."
"Are you sure? I don't want to eat all your candies?" Gomer asked, reluctant to eat more candy.
"Gomer, she made them for us! You're not bein' a grubber. I wouldn't offer if I felt like you were." Carter laughed.
With that said, Gomer took as many chocolate candies as he wanted.
"I can taste...German chocolate...it ain't like regular chocolate, I must say." Gomer stated. "These almost taste like Grandma Pyle's brownies."
"Oh yeah?" Carter took a bite of his chocolate.
"Uh-huh. She used two extra scoops of cocoa powder to make it extra chocolatey. Then she would add half a cup of extra chocolate chips to have the rich flavor, or so she put it, and then she added her secret ingredient, almond extract. I don't think it's much of a secret anymore since I told you."
Carter chuckled to himself. The two looked at one another as silence filled the room briefly. Carter told his sweetheart, "I'm really happy you are feeling okay."
"Thank you," Gomer stated, smiling sweetly.
The Private took out a piece of candy, holding it to Carter's mouth. The Sergeant leaned in, taking the candy from Gomer and biting into it. The two shared a laugh as they ate homemade candy.
*GC*
Boyle escorted Katie home, ensuring she got home without any issues. Sure they got looks here and there on the bus and the walk home, but Boyle didn't care; his concern was getting Katie home safely.
"Why do they keep staring?" Katie asked in discomfort.
"Don't pay attention. They're ignorant." Boyle replied, putting his arm around her shoulders in a protective manner. "Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up in the jeep tomorrow?"
"I'll be fine. Thank you, Chuck." Katie smiled sweetly as she wrapped her arm around his waist while they walked to her apartment.
"I'll have you know; those two will be sent to retraining," Boyle explained to her.
"Was Colonel Grey upset with them?" Katie asked.
"He was pissed off. It's safe to say he's done with them as well." Boyle told Katie. "Was he the one who was bothering you at work?"
Reluctant to say anything, Katie softly spoke, "Yes...I didn't say anything because he's on your platoon and..."
"You don't have to be scared to tell me anything," Boyle reassured her. "To hell with them. You being safe is more important to me."
Katie smiled up at him. Once the pair made it to her apartment, the Corporal walked the Nurse up to her apartment, taking her to the door.
"I'll see you on the base tomorrow," Boyle stated.
Katie grinned sweetly at him. Boyle bent down to kiss her on the lips. When they pulled apart, Katie asked Boyle, "Do you want to come in for a few moments?"
Thinking quickly, Boyle smiled, "I don't see why not?"
Katie opened the door to her apartment as she and Boyle walked inside, shutting the door behind them. Once inside, Boyle placed his cap on the kitchen counter, "Do you want to watch TV for a bit before I..."
Katie silenced him by kissing him square on the lips passionately. The Corporal welcomed the kiss right back, pulling her into him. When the kiss broke, Katie looked into the handsome Corporal's eyes, "I appreciate all you do for me, Chuck."
Making a 'hmm' sound with his lips, Boyle couldn't help but smile knowing how safe she felt when she was with him. Without saying anything else, Katie took Boyle's hand, leading him into her bedroom and closing the door behind her. Once in her room, the Nurse kissed the Corporal again, this time loosening his tie. Boyle, feeling reluctant to even go further with the beautiful Nurse, spoke to her in a whisper as he brushed his fingers along her arms, "Kathryn, you sure about this?"
She just replied by kissing him again, letting him know she was more than just sure.
*GC*
It was now Friday night, and Duke and Frankie were getting ready to go into town to meet their dates while Gomer read an astronomy magazine and waited behind for Carter to be done with his duties. Perez and Gavin walked by Duke's locker as he was combing his hair, spotting the picture of Alana hanging up.
"Wow, Duke. Is that her?" Gavin asked.
"Why, yes, it is." Duke proudly answered.
"She's a beauty," Perez commented on the photo.
Duke couldn't help but blush at their comments. Perez and Gavin walked out of the barracks, leaving the other three alone. Gomer couldn't help but overhear their conversation about what Duke and Frankie planned to do that night.
"Theresa is cooking me dinner tonight; she is making her famous eggplant parm. And let me tell you, none of you fellas have lived until you've tried Theresa Campanelli's eggplant parm." Frankie stated, adding a chef's kiss.
This made Gomer chuckle.
"She sounds wonderful, Frankie. What are you doing tonight, Duke?" Gomer asked his friend, who was applying cologne on himself.
"Because Alana's been at the hospital almost every night, and this is her first night off in...God knows when...I'm taking her out for dinner, drinks, and dancing at the Jade Club, and we're going to dance and dance and dance. Anything my New York Rose wants, her Milwaukee Prince will serve it to her." Duke gushed about his woman.
"New York Rose? Milwaukee Prince? Come on, Duke, that's just cheesy." Frankie teased.
"No, I think it's real sweet." Gomer defended Duke.
Frankie scoffed, then stated, "Whatever, Gomer. But in all seriousness, Duke, I don't know how you do it. I couldn't handle going with a nurse and her working those long hours."
"It doesn't bother me all that much." Duke shrugged, then turned his attention to Gomer. "What are you going to do tonight, Gome?"
"Yeah, don't you have a date?" Frankie asked.
"Oh...I do...but we decided to go out much later." Gomer explained.
"What are you going to do? Gaze up at the stars?" Frankie chuckled.
"That's exactly what we are doin', Frankie! I just saw in the newspaper that we're gettin' a full moon tonight, and the North Star will be out. I have to check it out." Gomer smiled.
"Oh, Gomer...you and the stars and the moon, I will never understand," Duke said. "Say, let me know when you decided to go to the moon; I'd pay to see that."
"Well, I don't know about that, Duke. It is a nice idea to think of." Gomer replied.
"Eh, it was just a thought." Duke shrugged when he put the cologne back on the locker shelf.
Gomer looked a Duke and smirked innocently. As Duke shut his locker, he said to Gomer, "Well...you and your date have fun tonight, Gome. Frankie, we better get our passes before we miss our bus."
"Sure thing, Duke." Frankie replied, then turned to Gomer, "See ya, Gome."
"Bye, fellas! Have fun!" Gomer called back.
Once his friends left, Gomer got back to reading his book.
*GC*
Meanwhile, Boyle was getting ready to leave in the duty hut when he turned to Carter, "You need help with anything here?"
"Nah, you go out, Boyle. Don't keep your woman waiting. Besides, you know I can't compete with dancing and drinks at the Jade Club."
The Corporal smiled at his Sergeant and then grabbed his cap from his locker. That was when Carter noticed a black and purple mark on the Corporal's neck.
"Just a word of advice, Chuck," Carter spoke, "you might want to cover that up on the base."
"What?" Boyle asked until he saw what Carter meant, blushing to himself. "Oh...I forgot that was even there."
"Sure you did." Carter teased, making the Corporal glare at him. Boyle's reaction just made the Sergeant chuckle to himself.
"You know what, Serge," Boyle placed his cap on his head after slamming his locker door, "I'll see you tonight!"
Once Boyle stormed out with embarrassment from Carter noticing his love bite from Katie, the Sergeant shook his head and chuckled. He managed to finish what he had to do while handing out passes to those wanting to go out in town. After what seemed to be about an hour in a half of making Gomer wait, Carter finally finished up, then walked into the barracks, noticing Gomer reading an astronomy book while the other guys were playing cards. Getting into Sergeant mode, Carter bellowed out, "Pyle, didn't you say you needed a ride into town?"
Gomer got up from his bunk and replied to the Sergeant, "Oh...yes, sir."
"Then why aren't you ready? Instead, I find you laying here, reading a book on...you know what, never mind! Just get your ass up, and let's go!"
As Carter walked out, Gomer placed his book on his bunk, then walked out, following Carter to his car. The moment he got to the car, he opened the door, let himself in, then buckled himself.
"You good?" Carter asked.
"Yes."
"Got your inhaler?"
Taking it out of his pocket, Gomer showed Carter the new inhaler he was given from the hospital.
"Good," Carter said in response to the inhaler. "Let's go."
The Sergeant started the car, then drove out of the base, heading to the same beach the two shared their first moment, all so Gomer could look at the stars.
"I'm sorry I made you wait. You know how..." Carter began to explain before Gomer cut him off.
"I understand you have duties," Gomer replied.
In response, Carter took Gomer's hand and kissed it; he held on to the Private's hand throughout the ride. This gave Gomer the chance to look out the window, looking at the stars that were out in the night sky. Thankfully, the drive wasn't so bad, but being away from the base was a mini-vacation for the two. As Gomer gazed out the window, Carter kept his eyes on the road, wanting so bad to look at him. Instead, he held his love's hand, rubbing his thumb along the top.
"You know, I wrote my cousin and asked her to send some more chocolates," Carter said, breaking the silence. "I let her know you enjoyed them."
The Private glanced over at the Sergeant as he spoke to him.
"She'd love you if she met you. She knows a good person when she sees one." Carter added.
This made Gomer blush. When they got to the beach, Carter parked on the sand. As he shut his car off, he got out of the vehicle wordlessly, making Gomer wonder what he was up to. When he looked out the mirror, he saw Carter open up his trunk, pulling a giant blanket out. As the Sergeant closed the car trunk, the Private got out of the car to help his Sergeant set the blanket up.
"You planned this out?" the Private said, impressed.
"Yep. You don't want to return to the base covered in sand now, don't you?" Carter joked, making Gomer shake his head.
As the two laid the blanket out on the sand, Gomer took a seat and watched Carter return to the car to grab something. He shut the car door a few seconds later, holding his binoculars. The Private looked in wonder, making Carter say, "They probably aren't as good as your telescope, but they'll do for now."
"Oh..." Gomer said. "Well, whatever works, I suppose."
Carter sat behind Gomer as Gomer scooted in between Carter's legs and into his arms. The Private felt the Sergeant slip his strong arms around his midsection. The Private then placed the binoculars to his eyes, staring at the moon.
"See anything interesting?" Carter asked.
"Well...just the moon and boy, is she shinin' bright tonight," Gomer said. "It's hard to believe how Russia beat the US in going into space first."
"I know, right? You would think we'd be the first to do that." Carter muttered back. "Be happy the moon isn't in high tide tonight. Then we'd be in trouble."
This made Gomer chuckle, responding, "I think we'd have to explain to the Colonel and everyone else why we are all soak."
The two shared a laugh, just thinking about that scenario. Placing the binoculars back on his eyes, Gomer stared up at the sky, observing the stars. Carter pointed out something bright in the sky, almost like a diamond.
"Check that out," he said, pointing to the star.
Gomer turned his head, eying the bright star in the sky.
"Well, my oh my! That's the North Star. Boy, ain't she a beauty?"
The Private handed Carter the binoculars so he could have a peak of the star.
"That's pretty incredible," Carter muttered.
Gomer rested his head against Carter's chest, feeling his heart beating.
"You know, I read that Joshua Tree Park is the best place to look at the stars. The only bad part about it is that it gets awful cold at night." Gomer spoke.
"Maybe I'll take you one night...I'll set up a furlough so we can camp out for the weekend," Carter suggested.
"That sounds wonderful. Let's just wait till I have my telescope. I still need to find it." Gomer replied.
"I'm sure it's around." Carter chuckled as he held Gomer. "Gomer, I promise to make that happen for you. Please know that."
The Private said softly to the Sergeant, "I believe you..."
Carter kissed Gomer on the temple as he held him tighter. Gomer smiled when he thought of something else, "I hope one day you and me can go to Alaska. Wouldn't it be somethin' just to catch the stars and northern lights? It always made me wonder how the sky could look at night. The thought makes me want to build a tent, set up a campfire, and just star gaze. I made a list of places we should visit just to stargaze."
The Sergeant made a 'Hmm' sound with his lips. As much as he wanted to make that happen for Gomer, he didn't have it in him to ever want to visit Alaska, never mind Louie making him promise to visit Alaska with his new love.
"Vince, are you okay?" Gomer asked.
"Huh?" Carter shook out of his thoughts. "Sorry. I spaced out."
"Oh," Gomer stated. "Well...is there somethin' on your mind?"
Thinking about what to say, Carter decided to make up something on the spot, "I'm just thinking' of when my old man passed..."
"But I thought your daddy was still alive." Gomer was confused.
"Oh...about that...he's my step-dad, who I happen to call my dad. He married my mom shortly sometime after my real dad died. Anyway, my real dad wasn't a nice man, always yelling and puttin' down my mom. He's the reason my sister, Muriel, has shoulder problems; when she was 3, he told her to put on her shoes, and she said no. So he yanked her arm so hard, he dislocated her shoulder."
"Oh, no! How horrible!" Gomer cried out.
"Yeah. But anywho, he used to say to my sister, Babe, had she been eating a slice of cake or taking a cookie from the cookie jar, that no man would want a tub of lard. He once set my paintings on fire because he said boys don't paint...boys don't do art...he wasn't going to have a pansy for a son."
This confession broke Gomer's heart. Carter took in a deep breath and continued, "So one day...he accused my mom of cheating, callin' her names and what not, so she had had enough, telling him to drop dead...and of course, he does; the guy slumped over in his chair, that she and I stood there confused…asking if he was dead. It ain't no sweat off my back. The guy was a bastard."
Gomer looked at Carter with sadness filling his eyes. Carter noticed this, "Don't feel too bad. A couple of months later, ma met a construction worker, fell for him, then remarried. Hell, my sisters and I even liked him a lot that we started callin' him 'dad.' He adopted me and my sisters at his and mom's wedding."
"So that means…." Gomer caught onto what Carter was saying.
"Yep. Once Eddie, eh…Dad adopted us, and we all changed our last names from Gowan to Carter. Since then, Eddie has been my dad, and I never looked back."
"Wow…I had no idea about your real daddy. But I'm happy you are happy with your new daddy, Vince." Gomer spoke.
"Yeah...he's the best." Carter looked at Gomer. "What about your ma?"
"Oh…momma…" Gomer looked off to the side, feeling sadness come over him. "I don't think momma loved me. She called me names when I was a little boy."
"What did she call you?" Carter asked.
Sighing, Gomer began to speak, "She used to tell me when I was little that I was a mistake and other names that I wish not to repeat. Mostly, she wished she miscarried me…or she wanted to throw herself down the stairs when she was carryin' me in her belly. She always told me that she never wanted me. I remember her always drinkin' wine and sleepin' on the couch. Sometimes she would have all sorts of men over while I was chained in the basement."
"Whoa…" Carter exclaimed, "your ma chained you in the basement?"
"Yes…it would be awful dark down there, all she left me was a bucket for me to go in and a couple of crackers and cheese to eat, but I was always hungry. Sometimes, she would lock me down there all night, and I slept on the floor. It wasn't all that comfortable."
Taking in the shocking information, Carter felt himself getting angry at the woman he had never met, hoping he wouldn't ever meet her because he sure would have choice words for her.
"Gomer…I'm sorry all that happened to you." The Sergeant spoke with sincerity in his voice.
The Private turned to look at Carter, "Don't be too sad, Vince. It gets better. The man she was with was Mayberry's judge at the time. He came downstairs thinkin' I was a possum or somethin', and he found me. I told him how momma would lock me down here while she was with different men. He immediately called Grandma Pyle, who drove over, and took me into her car…that was before she said some un-Christian words to momma."
Silence fell for a few seconds when the Sergeant spoke honestly, "I had no idea you went through all that."
Had he known all that, he would have never treated Gomer so harshly as he had done in the past.
"Oh, it wasn't so bad…the judge then took me away from momma, and that's how I got to live with Grandma and Grandpa. Momma didn't seem like she cared that I was gone. I don't think she loved me; it showed right after daddy died."
Feeling bad for him, he laid them both on the blanket, staring into Gomer's eyes, "Gomer, look at me and listen."
The Private nodded his head. Carter cupped Gomer's soft cheek, saying in a serious voice, "You have people who care about you; me, Slater, Boyle, Boyle's girl, your Grandma, your friends back home...you are much stronger than I gave you credit for. I'm sorry I didn't realize any of it till now."
"It ain't your fault," Gomer replied. "I'm not mad at momma. Also, if I didn't go through what I went through, I probably wouldn't be right here today. She and everyone who tried to hurt me only made me who I am."
The Sergeant took in Gomer's words, only kissing him on the cheek in response. Gomer turned his body around, pressing against Carter while Carter held him from behind, almost in a spooning position. They laid on top of the blanket in silence, listening to the crashing waves against the shore and the wind blowing. The sound was serene and peaceful, enough for Gomer's eyes to go heavy, making him sleepy. Carter looked at the sweet Private and whispered, "Are you fallin' asleep?"
Gomer opened up his eyes, replying quietly, "I'm sorry. I just get lost in the sound of the waves, is all. It's so peaceful."
"Well, don't fall asleep on me..." Carter teased, kissing his ear, making Gomer giggle lightly.
"Stop it...that tickles." The sweet Private giggled.
"Had to get you up somehow." The Sergeant chuckled.
They continued to lie silent when Gomer felt his eyes go heavy again. Carter heard soft snores coming from Gomer. It was clear that he was falling asleep on the beach.
'I gotta think of a way to keep him up because if he falls asleep, I'll most likely fall asleep, and I don't want neither of us gettin' in trouble.' Carter thought to himself.
That was when the Sergeant had an idea come to mind. He let go of Gomer and got up from the blanket. This confused Gomer, who turned his body around, sitting up from where he was.
"Where are you goin'?" Gomer groggily asked.
Not answering, Carter started his car, changing the radio station to find a song. After a few seconds, the radio played the Troggs', 'Love Is All Around.' The Sergeant walked back over to the blanket, holding his hand to Gomer, "Get up. Dance with me."
Complying, Gomer got up from the blanket and took the Sergeant's hand. The last time he had ever slow danced was with Luanne, so this was a first, sharing a dance with the man he felt strongly for. The Sergeant placed his free hand on the Private's back, while Gomer placed his free hand on Carter's arm. As the soft rock song played, the two swayed back and forth underneath the moon and stars while the wind blew against them. After sharing such personal details of their lives, the two felt safe in each other's embrace at that moment, as if nothing could go wrong in their lives.
"Are you happy?" Carter whispered in Gomer's ear, sending a chill up his spine.
"Why, yes," Gomer responded with a smile. "I'm very happy. Are you happy?"
Not answering, Carter responded to Gomer's question with a soft kiss on the lips, slowly moving to the music as the singer sang,
You know I love you, I always will
My mind's made up by the way that I feel
There's no beginning, there'll be no end
'Cause on my love, you can depend...
*GC*
After the beach, Carter drove the two back onto the base. It was dark and quiet since everyone was either still out or back in the bunks sleeping. Once Carter parked his car, he instructed Gomer to go behind the duty hut. As the two went in separate directions behind the duty hut, they shared a sweet kiss goodnight before retiring into their quarters. Meanwhile, unbeknown to the Sergeant and Private, Colonel Grey had seen them kissing from afar. The Colonel was doing a final round among the base before returning to his quarters, only to see Carter and Gomer sharing a kiss. His face went from confusion to shock to a blank expression. Waiting till they were out of sight, Colonel Grey turned the key to the jeep he was driving in, whispering to himself, "I'm going to have to talk to those two tomorrow."