Fortunate Sons

Woodstock, Day 2

Waking up the very next morning had been nothing short of interesting. People crawling from their tents, some out of their vehicles and sleeping bags, all of whom rose with the sun and the hot, hazy morning air.

Taylor blinked his eyes open and was met with the sight of both Sue and Tri fast asleep and several of Kurt's hippie family snoring the morning away. Carefully, he pulled one of the blankets over Sue and Tri and hauled himself out into the open air where people were beginning to head down to the lake to cool off. He couldn't hear any of the music playing from the stage but Taylor felt that maybe it was better that way. Better to keep the peace of sunrise for a brief moment than to shatter it.

The lake itself was certainly a sight to see, crystal clear with the full sun shining and the rolling hills in the distance. Already people were beginning to jump in, stark naked without a single care as to who saw them. Those who were still stoned from the night before had jumped in still wearing their clothes while the rest chose the more unconventional route of stripping themselves of every piece of clothing and casting it aside before they dove into the lake.

Taylor stripped off his army jacket and set it on a rock before going right on in. The break from the heat was unbelievable, perfectly cool and cooler still as he went under and broke to the surface. He had hated whenever they had to go on river patrol and the murky waters were always warm, warmer than the jungle air that encased them in a humid shell, day after day and night after night.

He saw Rainy, Lew, Dionne, Big Pete, Dix and Mitch all charging down to the lake, jumping in one after the other and splashing a spray of water right onto Taylor's head. He brushed away the water and shook the droplets from the ends of his hair, laughing at the fact that they were having an absolute blast amidst the herd of flower children who had already invaded the place.

"Who needs soap?!" Rainy called out as soon as she had surfaced. "Anybody need soap?!"

Taylor and the others each took a small brick of soap and washed the dirt, grime and disgustingness from their bodies and their hair. Whatever Rainy had put into her homemade soap smelled really good, something herbal and earthy.

"Beats floating around the Mekong," Dix remarked.

"There's less of a risk getting a flesh eating bacterial infection, that's for sure," Mitch chuckled.

They enjoyed the morning with the rest of the gang joining them shortly before the next band began to play on stage. Taylor and Sue taught Tri how to swim, first in shallow water and inching a bit further out. At the last few inches, she grabbed hold of Taylor's wrist as he pulled her right into his arms.

"Man I wish Doc was here to see this," Taylor said. "He'd love this kind of thing."

"Wouldn't it be funny if he showed up?" Sue laughed.

"Don't push your luck Suie," Taylor answered.

When they had gotten out, dried off and changed into a fresh set of clothes, everyone made their way back to the van where Kurt was busy cooking up a late breakfast while Leo snored the morning away and slept off the aftereffects of the previous night's acid trip.

"Well, well, morning my lovely miscreants," Kurt chuckled. "How was the lake?"

"Never felt better," Dix replied as he stretched his stiff limbs.

"Hey where'd you get the eggs?" Taylor asked, noticing the cast iron pan sitting on the stones above the homemade firepit.

"I hiked it on up to the farmhouse and asked Max Yasgur if I could get some eggs," Kurt explained. "Not only did he give me the eggs but I also scored a whole thing of bacon, sausage and some stuff to make bannock."