Never Coming Home

“Heeey, who’d we got here?”

“Sure looks like Mr. Mikey Way to me!” Frank and Bob walked up to Mikey, who was sitting at the bar with his brother and other friend, Ray. When Mikey saw the two other men sauntering over, already slightly drunk, he choked out a strangled laugh.

“Oh God.” Gerard turned from his brother to see who he was talking about. When he saw that Frank and Bob had made it, he threw his arms out.

“Hey! You guys made it! How did you get out of the barracks? We could barely get out ourselves. Sarg. didn’t want anyone out because we’re getting deployed tomorrow.” A sour smile graced Mikey’s face for a second. His heart was pounding at those words. Nerves shook his fingers, and he clutched his glass of whiskey tighter, his knuckles whitening.

“Oh, Mikes! Loosen up! Get wasted. Look at you. Tie all tight and jacket ironed. What’s wrong with you, man?” Frank walked up and yanked on the tie that was choking Mikey with his nerves. Then he darted under Mikey’s arm and waved at the bartender, ordering a plethora of drinks surely not meant for him. A firm hand rubbed his shoulder and Mikey whirled to see his brother. From behind his thick glasses, he could see how loose the alcohol had made Gee. But his words were far from boozed up.

“You’re coming home, no matter what you think. If anybody out of all of us is coming home, be damned sure it’ll be—“ Frank lept in between the two, now obviously drunk.

“Come on! Drinks are on me.” Gerard smiled and grabbed a glass of alcohol off the bar counter, chatting with Ray and Bob. Frank looked at Mikey and snorted, then reached up and ruffled his carefully done hair, making it look like a bird had nested there. He smiled drunkenly and slapped Mikey on the back.

“Perfect!” both men turned around and started drinking. Soon they were all laughing. But with his clouded mind, Mikey still couldn’t shake his nerves.

“Hey, what’re you guys gonna do when you get home?” Ray blurted out. 

“I’m going to live in the woods” 

“Try and patch things up with my family.”

“Have kids.” Everyone turned and stared incredulously at Gerard. He shrugged and smiled. “What? I can’t be the only one able to have a serious relationship around here?” another chorus of laughing. Everyone else gave stupid answers. Gerard shoved Franks head down and practically sat on him.

“What ‘bout you, Moikey?” he asked, slurring his brother’s name. without a drink in his hand, Mikey clutched the counter for support. He was only a little drunk. Nerves wracked his body.

“I’ll worry about that if I get home.” Frank shoved his way out from under Gerard.

“What the fuck is an ‘if’ doing in that sentence?” it was amazing what these men could do when they were totally wasted. Bob shoved another beer into Mikey’s hand, and then another when that one was gone.

When it was time to return to the barracks, they had a two mile walk. Mikey, Ray, and a no-so-sober Gerard helped drag Bob and a semi-conscious Frank back. When Gerard passed out in a drunken stupor,  they were still a half mile out. Ray groaned.

“We’re gonna catch hell for this.” Mikey nodded. He grabbed the pack of cigarettes out of Franks’s pocket. That woke him up. It was three in the morning before they all got back to the barracks.

***

The next day, they were on a plane by five. The only one not cringing from the light like a mythical monster because of a major hangover was Frank, of all people. He sat there and smoked one cigarette after another, until Ray snatched the pack from his hands. The red cross in the center of his helmet was the only splash of color in the dim light.