"James Tiptree Jr. - Yanqui Doodle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tiptree James Jr)

"Wel-l-1. You're just making it harder for yourself."

"But it's today. You said. Please."

Without saying anything she turned away and came back with the precious yellow tab. He managed
to clutch it and dry-swallowed. She tut-tutted at him.
 "We've got to stop that pill-seeking behavior, soldier," she said cutely.

In spite of himself he grinned at her, or rather at the blessed tide of relief that would come through his
veins in a minute.

"Make the most of it, soldier," she told him and went away.

He loathed people who called him "soldier" but he wasn't about to antagonize his supply. The M was
working already, he could feel the first faint glow, the all-lightness, stealing over him. Without Ms, who
could make this war? Nobody he knew of.

"Hey, what happened to the others? To my unit?" He asked when she passed by later. "Jack Errin,
Benjy?"

"Your friends? I'm afraid I don't know. You were brought in alone. I did hear you were an only
survivor. I'm afraid your friends were casualties, soldier. Or maybe they weren't badly hurt."

Friends, he thought. Yes, he'd liked Jack in a far-off sort of way, and Benjy was a good guy. But
didn't she know that in this war you don't have pals? When you're on Ms you don't need 'em, when
you're on BZs you don't remember the word.

"What do you mean about detox tomorrow? What are they going to do to me?"

"Because you're going home, soldier. HomeтАФI told you you were lucky. Why do you think you're in
an Intermediate Unit?"

He had no idea.

"Because we can't let you boys go home full of that awful stuff, can we? So you have to get
two-three weeks of detox. It won't be so bad. Think about going home."

He lay back, his head spinning. Through his body the gentle glow of the M was taking away all
worries. Tomorrow was a long way off.

But think about going home? He didn't particularly want to. Home wasn't much since Geri had split.
But to tell the truth he could hardly remember her. It had been one of those draft-notice marriages
anyway, and so far as he knew he hadn't left a child. Her letters had been short and almost illegible,
starting with a hot sort of personal pornography, and ending last fall with "I guess we better think this all
over" one. She'd been staying with his folks in San Diego. Not much of a life for her. He guessed she was
really divorcing his mother. He chuckled to himself.

So now where should he go? Back to San D. first, then he'd see. Something would turn up. No point
in worrying now. In fact, he couldn't worry if he tried.