Johnny Got His Gun

How did you get him so quickly?

A medical team heard the shell coming in.

Apparently, he did, too.

Chest and belly practically unmarked.

Curious how they always double up in the fetal position.

What's curious about it?

They're trying to protect their genitals.

Well, this young man unfortunately succeeded.

Any identification?

No, sir.

Then we'll assume he's ours.

I'll need to take personal charge of this case

until repairs are completed.

That could be rather a long time,

Colonel Tillery.

Wouldn't you say, Captain,

that it's worth a year of any doctor's life

to observe a case like this?

You'd never know what has happened to him.

The one part of his brain that has escaped damage

is the medulla oblongata.

It is only because of this

that his heart, vasal, motor,

and respiratory centers still function.

In short, that he lives.

Unidentified casualty number 4-7.

Post-operation orders,

Colonel M.F. Tillery,

U.S. Army Medical Corps.

Although the cerebellum still permits

limited physical movement,

said movement signifies nothing.

Bodily actions have become violent,

and are persistently repetitive

and must be treated as reflexive muscular spasms--

which is to say, by sedation.

The cerebrum has suffered massive and irreparable damage.

Had I not been sure of this,

I would not have permitted him to live.

There's no justification for his continued existence

unless we learn from him how to help others.

Care for him as gently

as if he knew what you were doing

and would feel the pain if you did it badly.

Attending personnel will remember that

good medical care forbids

emotional involvement with the patient.

Avoid such involvement by remembering

that it is impossible for a decerebrated individual

to experience pain, pleasure, memory,

dreams, or thought of any kind.

It follows, therefore, that this young man

will be as unfeeling, as unthinking as the dead

until the day he joins them.

Kareen?

Kareen?

What happened?

Where am I?

It's dark in here.

Shouldn't have turned the lights out.

Your old man will be sore.

Oh, Mike won't care. He loves me.

Only could I just ask you one thing?

Why'd you have to volunteer?

Only six months from the draft anyhow.

Pinkie and Larry have already gone.

You could have been exempt because of your sisters.

My mother's got a job.

Besides, when the country needs you, you've gotta go.

You should go.

I don't think anybody should go.

They'll kill you.

Oh, I could get killed at the bakery, too,

or crossing the street.

I can take care of myself. Don't worry.

Lots of people get killed who don't think they'll be.

Lots of people come back, too. Most of 'em.

Most of them, Joe, they never come back.

Oh, if anything ever happened to you,

I'd just die.

Ah, you're only saying that.

I love you.

I do love you.

Stop it.

I won't have this in my house.

You think you're sitting in the back seat of a flivver?

Now get up. Both of you, get up like decent people.

Come on, get up.

But he's going away in the morning.

I know, I know. Get in the bedroom.

Both of you.

I ain't much.

25 years in the coal mines,

carryin' an IWW card.

Now, what am I?

Goddamn railroad bull, that's what.

Oh, anyhow.

Go on in there with her. She's scared.

Go-- Go on in.

Yes, sir. Put your arms around her.

You know how to treat her, don't you? Yes, sir.

Uh--

She isn't a whore. You know that, don't ya?

Yes, sir.

Eh, go to bed, son.

Yes, sir.

Son.

I see you.

Nice room.

Mike fixed it up for my graduation.

Picture's crooked, though.

It was my mother's.

Why don't you take your shoes off?

Okay.

Joe.

Yeah?

Could you turn your back?

Why?

I have to get out of bed.

No. I want to see you.

I won't let you see me.

Would you get me my robe?

Sure.

It's on the closet door. It's red.

Okay.

Why'd you do that?

Hot night.

Here it is.

Bring it closer, silly. Uh-uh. Reach for it.

All right, here. I'll help you.

Oops.

Let's get it through here.

There. There you go.

I'll get it right.

Here, let me show you.

Now we got it. There.

Huh? No.

We should have flowers. Hm? Sure.

If you really want to see me--

Oh, if you don't want me to,

I don't want to, either.

Well, fair is fair.

Okay.

It's nice like this, isn't it?

Mm-hmm.

Have you ever been this way with anyone else?

Not with anyone I loved.

I'm glad.

Have you?

You shouldn't ask that.

Why not?

Because I'm a lady.

You're a mick.

No, I've never been this way with anyone else before.

- I know. - But you couldn't have known. Not really.

Joe, I don't want you to go.

I want you to run away.

You don't want me to see Paris, France,

that's all.

Don't go, Joe. Please don't go.

Run away.

Where to? Shipyards?

Anywhere.

I'll hide you, honest I will.

Want me to be a slacker, huh?

Yes.

Oh, they'll kill you, Joe. I know they will.

In the words of that great patriot

Theodore Roosevelt--

I love you, Joe.

Hold me closer.

Put both your arms around me.

Both of them.

Let us pray.

Our Father--

I can't pray like that.

All I can say is dear God,

don't make him go away.

Don't let him be killed. I won't be.

All aboard!

All aboard!

Why don't they turn the lights on?

It's dark in here.

It's dark and still,

and I can feel the blood pumping through my veins.

But I can't hear the pulse in my ears.

If you can't hear your own pulse, you're deaf.

You're deaf, Joe.

Deaf.

Maybe not. Maybe I'm just dreaming.

Maybe-- oh, Jesus Christ, I hurt!

I can feel the sweat pouring out of my skin.

Hot, wet skin that's all covered up with--

with bandages.

Even my head.

I sure must've caught a big one.

No.

Telephones in the middle of the night

are bad luck.

Don't let anybody answer it, Father.