An officer, an aviator, was standing at the bar looking down at his drink. He had a large bandage over his nose; the adhesive tape holding it extended to his jawline and temples. Under the bandage, his face was a large bruise from the lip line to above his eyes.
"Jesus, what happened to him?" Dillon asked.
"It's not as bad as it looks," Joanne said. "He slammed his face into a control panel. There were some fractures in the nasal passage area; they went in and straightened things out."
"I know him," Jake said, surprise in his voice. "Excuse me." He got up and went to the young officer at the bar.
"I'm Jake Dillon, Lieutenant. Don't we know each other?"
The young officer looked at him.
`No, Sir. I don't think so."
"Lakehurst," Dillon insisted. "Charley Galloway? A light colonel-what the hell was his name?-jumped out of your airplane and his chute didn't open?" Recognition came.
"Yes, Sir," Lieutenant Jim Ward said. "You were the press agent excuse me, public relations officer, right?"
"I don't think press agent is a dirty word," Dillon said. "I thought it was you." They shook hands.
"If you're alone," Dillon said, "I'm not. Want to join us?" He nodded toward the table where the girls were sitting.
"That's the best offer I've had in a long time," Ward said.
"The smaller one is taken," Dillon said.
"I admire your taste."
"Not by me, but taken," Dillon said.
As they walked to the table, Dillon saw the parachutist officer glance at them, and then saw recognition in his eyes. He did not respond.
"Ladies, I would love to introduce this wounded, handsome hero to you, but I just realized I've forgotten his name," Dillon said.
"Jim Ward," Ward said.
"He's a pal of a pal of mine," Dillon went on. "Captain Charley Galloway." The women rather formally shook hands with Ward.
"We've met before too," Joanne said. "I passed the gas when they fixed your face. Are you supposed to be drinking?"
"Well, I hadn't planned on driving anywhere," Ward said.
"Speaking of Charley?" Dillon said.
"He's on the `Canal," Ward said. "Commanding VMF229."
"Christ, I wish I'd known that," Dillon said. "I just came out of Henderson." Ward looked at Dillon with an interest he had not shown before.
"What were you doing on Guadalcanal?" he asked.
"I suppose most people would say I was getting in the way," Dillon replied, and went on: "How's Charley doing?"
"He was shot down. He floated around all night and then a PT boat picked him up. Aside from that, he's fine."
"What happened to you?" Dillon asked.
"I made a bad landing," Ward said. "And bumped my nose on the control panel."
"He lost-temporarily, by the grace of God-the use of his right eye when his windshield was shot away," Joanne said matter-of-factly. "Plexiglas fragments. When he landed, his gear collapsed, and the airplane's nose hit the ground with such force that the seat was ripped loose. The main reason they sent him here was that they couldn't believe he walked away from that crash with nothing more than broken ribs and a broken nose."
"Jesus," Dillon said.
"I really hope your deep research into my background also came up with the fact that I'm single, available, and that dogs and old ladies like me," Jim Ward said.
"So how are you?" Dillon asked.
"Until about five minutes ago I was feeling sorry for myself," Jim Ward said.
"Why?" Joanne asked.
"Just before I came in here tonight, I was told that I couldn't go back to the squadron until my ribs healed, and that for the next three to four weeks I will be an assistant morale and welfare officer of the detachment of patients. Among other things I am to make sure the bingo games are honest."
"Be grateful, for Christ's sake," Dillon said.
Lieutenant Jim Ward looked directly at Lieutenant Joanne Miller.
"Oh, I am now," he said.
She looks uncomfortable, Dillon thought, but not displeased
"Excuse me, Major," the officer wearing parachutist's wings and walking with a cane said, "but aren't you Major Dillon?"
"That's right."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Sir, but haven't we met?"
"Yeah. At Lakehurst," Dillon said. "We were just talking about that."
"Why don't you pull up a chair, Lieutenant? And sit down?" Joanne Miller said.
Why the hell did I do that? she thought. Because I wanted him to take the strain off his leg? Or because ol' I-bumped-my-nose=on-the-control-panel here is making a pass at me? Or because I don't like my reaction to the pass? I will not get emotionally involved with him or any of the others. I don't want to go through what Barbara's going through.
"With the Major's permission?" the parachutist officer asked.
"Yeah. Go ahead. Sit down," Jake said. "The ladies are Lieutenants Miller and Cotter. You remember Jim Ward?"
"No, I can't say that I do," the parachutist said, glancing at Ward and dismissing him. "I'm Dick Macklin," he said to the women. "I'm very pleased to meet you." Dillon did not like the way Macklin was smiling at Barbara Cotter.