@@@@@"I only drank one of my beersWhy don't you 410
@@@@@"I only drank one of my beersWhy don't you take the other two, Red?"
"Well, thanks, kidA tacit friendship had developed between them since they had been bunking together, but Wyman was making more and more overtures latelyYou start buddy-buddying with 'em and they get knocked off, Red thoughtMore and more Wyman reminded him of Hennessey"You better drink the beer yourself, kid," he said, "they ain't gonna give 'em out again for a while
"Naw, I don't like beer much
Red opened a can and passed it to Wyman"C'mon, we'll each have one If he had kept both of them and drunk them it might have muddled him enough to fall asleep easilyEver since the night they had marched up to the front, Red's kidneys had been bothering him steadily, keeping him awake at nightAnd with insomnia there was always a re-enactment of the moment when he had waited for the Japanese soldier to stab himBut even so, two beers was a big favor, too big a oneIt would give Wyman a call on himIt was better when you didn't owe anybody
They drank silently for a few minutes"You get lots of mail, kid?" Red asked
"I got a batch from my mother Wyman lit a cigarette and looked away
"What about your girl friend, what's-her-name?"
"I don't know, I didn't get anything from her
In the dark, Red grimacedThe whole setup should have told himGiving away a beer, mooning by himself in the tent -- he should have guessed what was wrong with Wyman and avoided a conversation"Aw, hell, kid, she'll write you," he blurted
Wyman fingered his blanke
