Chapter 4

Manhattan, 1965

I just turned eighteen this month and no longer need to live in an orphanage since I'm an adult.

I wandered through the streets of Manhattan aimlessly not knowing what to do next. As I kept walking, my eyes caught a neon sign across the street written "Sunliner Diner." I crossed the street to get a closer look at the diner.

I stood outside the diner watching happy couples laughing as they made jokes with each other and others sharing a milkshake that was being delivered by waitresses wearing baby blue aprons and a headdress. 

I observed for a little while until someone exited the diner and approached me. It was a middle-aged man with a mustache, "Hey lady if you're looking for a job I recommend you ask instead of standing outside and scaring the customers," he spoke in a heavy Southern accent.

When I didn't reply to him, he raised me a brow snapping his fingers in my face, "Hey you deaf or something?"

I shook my head, "I am looking for a job," I mumbled. He placed his index and middle fingers behind his ear, "I need you to speak up, Little Lady."

"I said, I need a job!" I yelled this time. He nodded looking me up and down.

"How old are ya, Little Lady?"

"Eighteen."

He let out a sigh, "What's your name?"

"Lana. Lana Isley," I replied. He nodded again before stretching his hand to shake mine, "I'm Carl. I run the place," he informed me. I nodded shaking his hand.

"Do you need a job, Little Lady? Maybe you should just stay home and help out your folks?"

I folded my lips into a thin line, "My folks are dead." Silence. Carl scratched the back of his head looking down out of embarrassment. He rubbed his chin, "Come back tomorrow at noon for trainin'," was all he said before returning to the diner. I turned around from the windows of the restaurant smiling to myself. Baby steps, I reminded myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Manhattan, 1967

As I was wiping down vacant tables, a middle-aged woman was holding a stack of papers at the entrance of the diner. I was told by Carl that sometimes some people would come into the restaurant to advertise their products and what you should do is always reject them.

I put the wet rag on the vacant table before walking up to the woman, "May I help you?" I asked her nicely. She smiled widely at me and handed me a paper from the stack, "We are looking for young women like you to serve as nurses for our soldiers in Vietnam." I looked down at the paper she just handed to me. It had a picture of a group of women dressed in white nurse attire holding first aid kits. I turned it over to the back to see a picture of a nurse injecting medication into a soldier with the information below the picture.

I looked up to her again and she smiled at me, "So, what do you say young lady?"

Being a nurse on a battlefield sounded very interesting to me. The thought of being needed and depended on made me feel a little needed as if I had my place in life. "What if you don't have any nursing experience?" I asked the woman a little invested now.

She shrugged, "Well, you could always be a nursing assistant or have some real-life training as you go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Vietnam, 1968

As Darcy was bandaging up one of the soldiers, I kept myself busy by organizing the medicine cabinet.

Shortly after the soldier left, Darcy turned to me from her seat across the tent. I felt her eyes staring into my soul from behind. I turned around, "What the fuck are you staring at, Darcy?"

She shrugged, "Even though we have to wear these God-awful uniforms, you still seem to look good in them!" She cheered. I scoffed looking down at myself, "You think I look good in this uniform?" I questioned in disbelief. She nodded smiling. I thanked her and went back to organizing the medicine cabinet.

Darcy got up from the chair and approached me. She awkwardly stood behind one of the cabinet doors twirling her blonde hair between her fingers, "So, do you have a crush on anyone in here?" She asked me looking down at the ground.

I shook my head, "I volunteered to be a nurse and be stationed in Vietnam to help people, not have silly little crushes on the soldiers." She scoffed rolling her eyes.

"Why you gotta be such a prude, Lana? You need to live a little." 

I felt my anger boiling inside me. My counselor back in the orphanage always told me to take deep breaths and simply walk away to avoid conflict in the future. I closed my eyes taking deep breaths. And now I have to simply walk away from future conflict. "We need more supplies. I'm heading to the station to get more," I informed Darcy before leaving the tent. As I was leaving the tent, someone bumped into me. I turned around to see a man who had black hair tied back into a ponytail. 

"Excuse me," he said eyeing me down. I rolled my eyes and continued walking to the station. 

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Terry and Johny were talking while training when Ponytail approached them getting their attention, "Guess what I just saw?" 

Johny and Terry shared a glance, "What?" Johny asked. 

"The hottest nurse in the nursing station!" he cheered. Johny laughed along with Terry. 

"Ain't no way!" Terry cheered laughing. Ponytail shrugged pointing at the nursing tent, "Go check it for yourselves if you don't believe me." 

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The three boys walked toward the nursing tent and took a peak through the little seams to get a good look at the nurse that Ponytail was talking about. They saw a blonde woman walking around the tent making the beds. Terry gave Ponytail a confused look, "This is the hottest nurse in here?"

"No not her! We need to wait a little bit. She will show up anytime soon," Ponytail informed.

Unexpectedly, they heard a cough behind them. The boys slowly turned around to see a nurse standing with her arms crossed, "May I help you, boys?" The nurse questioned the boys.

"Uh yeah! My friend here thinks he broke his arm during training," Ponytail said pushing Terry toward the nurse.

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I looked at the boys suspiciously, "Get inside and we'll see what's wrong," I instructed the boy. He nodded frantically before walking inside the tent and his friends following close behind.

I instructed the boy to sit down at the examination table. His friends stood by watching me examine the boy's arm. From the corner of my eye, I saw the man in a ponytail whisper something into the other man's ear.

I finished examining his arm, "Your arm is just fine. You're good to go," I dismissed the boy. He got off the examination table joining his friends before walking out of the tent.

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I woke up in the middle of the night, needing to use the restroom. I got out of my sleeping tent with a flashlight in hand and walked toward the restroom.

When I got out of the restroom, heading back to my tent I heard someone calling after me, "Are you lost sweets?" A deep voice called out behind me. I decided to ignore them and keep walking, "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

I let out an annoyed sigh before turning around to face the man. I pointed the flashlight at his face to see a man with blond hair, "What do you want?" I questioned him.

He shrugged before walking closer to me, "Just wondering what a pretty girl like you doing all by herself. Especially at night."

As he got closer to me I felt my heartbeat pick up. I cursed myself for not bringing anything to defend myself with just in case, "Look mister, I'm very tired and I need to sleep. Have a good night," I dismissed him trying my best not to sound rude.

"Oh not so fast," he answered before leaping onto me. I dropped the flashlight. He got on top of me, straddling me so I wouldn't be able to get away. I screamed as loud as I could before the man covered my mouth with his hand. He held my wrists together above me with one hand while trying to pull down my pants with the other.

I bit his hand which was covering my mouth, making him scream in pain before slapping me across the face. I heard him mumble, "You fucking bitch," under his breath.

Unexpectedly, I heard someone calling out behind us, "Did your mother forget to teach you to not raise your hand on a woman?"

"Get lost!" Yelled the man on top of me. Suddenly two people walked behind the man on top of me snatching him off of me. I adjusted my clothing and crawled out of the way.

I watched the three men beat the absolute shit out of the blond guy who tried to assault me. After they knocked him out, one of the men took my flashlight off the ground and cautiously handed it to me, "Are you alright?" Said the man who handed me my flashlight. I nodded shaking out of fear. I slowly pointed the flashlight up to the men standing above me.

They looked familiar. Oh wait, those are the same boys who came into the clinic with their friend earlier. The man in a ponytail his friend whom he was whispering to, and the friend whom I was examining.

The man with short dirty blond hair stretched his hand to help me lift me, "I'm John and this is Ponytail," John gestured to the guy in a ponytail next to him. "I'm Terry," said the other guy. I took John's hand standing up. "I'm Lana. Thank you for saving me," I thanked them letting out a shaky breath. "I have to get going," I gestured behind me. 

"Let us walk you to your tent, Lana," Ponytail insisted. 

"Okay." I walked toward my tent as they were walking by my side. After we reached my tent, I thanked them once again before heading inside the tent. 

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2 weeks later

It was late at night and Johny, Ponytail, Terry, and I were playing truth or dare in the nursing tent. 

"Your turn Lana, Truth or Dare?" Ponytail asked me. 

"Truth," I answered. Ponytail pretended to think while humming. "Oh! If you had to choose someone to kiss in the room, who would it be?" 

I pondered that one. I wouldn't kiss Johny because he already has a girl. So it would be either Ponytail or Terry. "You," I told my response to Ponytail. Johny snickered while Terry gasped and covered his mouth, "Oooh I'm sensing some drama!" Terry hollered. I waved my hands in a dismissing manner, "Okay whatever it's the game! Plus it's now my turn to ask Terry."  

I turned my head to Terry, "Truth or dare, Terry." He shared a glance with Johny and Ponytail before turning his attention back to me, "Truth." 

I folded my lips thinking of what to ask him. Oh! "If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?" Terry didn't hesitate before quickly answering, "I would kiss you." I raised my brows smirking and turned my head to Ponytail. Ponytail just shrugged and Johny just awkwardly gritted his teeth. 

"Honestly, I don't blame you Twig," Ponytail perked up breaking the awkward tension in the room. Johny let out a laugh before all of us laughed together with him. When we were laughing I made eye contact with Terry and I swear that I saw a glint of hope in his eyes.