Animosity

Chapter 21 - Tom's Soup

        Photo: A group of American and South Vietnamese soldiers rush to evacuate a nearby village, sprinting through fields with small children in their arms.

—

        The night was quiet, peaceful, the hum of insects and crickets interrupted only once in a while to make room for the call of a wild owl. Stars, bright and shimmering like iridescent specks, glittering overhead, painting the sky like a vast, brilliant canvas. The trees rustled, the river lulled me gently into a soft, serene state, and the fire crackled gently as I held my hands out to it, watching it's flaming spirals curl above the ground. It was warm, a perfect night, and I wished fervently that it would stay like this forever.

        All around me, the other members of the detachment sat casually around the fire, laughing and talking, gazing up at the sky or down at the grass. Doc was crouched in a corner, keeping mostly to himself, peacefully playing an old metal harmonica to a bluesy, jazz-like tune. Lt. Hiro was speaking lowly with Hank, who was grinning with his usual bashful curl of the lips, the smile that made my heart flutter embarrassingly in my chest. Buddy was laying down next to me, his head resting in my lap, obliviously playing cards with Devy, who was crowing in triumph after a particularly smooth play.

        We had been camping at the same spot for about a week now; a week since Devy had gotten shot. At first I was apprehensive about staying in the same spot, bored out of my mind, staring out over the vastness of the fields that lay ahead and cursing under my breath while I lamented about the length of the mission being increased. However, after the first excruciating couple of days, I had learned to fall in love with the routine, wake up, lounge around, collect water, joke around heartily with Buddy, then go sleep in the outpost tent with Hank at the end of the day. There, enveloped in the warmth from his tender touch, I would hum lowly to myself, lulling my mind into a trance-like sleep.

        Now, on the last day of our break, I was getting nervous, spiking anxiety bubbling up beneath the surface of my calm exterior. I had always played it cool when I was spending time with Hank; he worried too much and it wouldn't be healthy for me to feed into his fears. However, sitting up here, my back leaned against a hollow log, I felt my eyes darken as they swept over the jungle that we left behind, scraping cautiously over the miles and miles of farmland. Anything could be out there, watching... waiting.

        "God damn it," Devy sighed, snapping me out of my thoughts as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Throwing his cards down in frustration, I looked on as him and the young blonde argued back and forth. "I wish we had some chips or somethin' to bet with. I keep fuckin' losing, goddamnit! My Pop was a poker player, he taught me a thing or two and I thought I was plenty good, for Christ's sake!"

        "C'mon Dev," Buddy soothed, drawing absentmindedly in the dust with a single slender finger. "You're just outta practice, that's all. Once you get back'n to shape, you'll lick me for sure."

        Devy growled angrily under his breath, folding his arms across his chest haughtily as he spoke. "Stop sayin' that condescending shit, you hick. You're just good at this game, and you're too damn nice to tell me upfront when you're kicking my ass."

        The kid grinned from his spot on my lap, holding his cards above him, the small squares of paper fanned out like a magazine. "Maybe so," he teased, and I chuckled quietly, drumming my fingers on the rough wood surface that was digging into my shoulders. A wisp of smoke curled above the fire, which was burning brightly from its spot in the middle of the clearing, and I reached my fingers out, waving them through the thick gray gas.

        Groaning, Devy leaned back in his spot, his back almost touching the ground, fingers gently patting down the sides of his pants in a vain search for cigarettes. Above, the moon moved out from behind a clump of gray clouds, and a bat darted across two adjacent trees.