I'll Be Back

A Movie Script Ending

Lisa and the rest of the POW's have spent the past two days running around the camp, waiting for actual liberation. Some of the prisoners did decide to just walk out of the camp, something everyone else tried to warn them not to do. She hopes they ran into American soldiers at some point on their journey. There may be a surrender but sometimes not every enemy soldier is going to abide by it at first. Bitter that their country surrendered, they'll get their last kills in before all fighting is completely suspended and they are forced to report back to their posts. That's why it's recommended to stay put until American soldiers are able to come and liberate them and treat them medically.

They've been ransacking the former guards quarters. The amount of good food they had in the guards quarters was sickening. They've been feeding the prisoners one bug filled rice ball a day while they have cans and cans of different variations of food. They have meats and fruits, hell even candy. Soon they are distributing it out to the rest of the prisoners. They've been celebrating pretty much non-stop since it hit them all that they weren't going to be killed in this place. Lisa's surprised even she's let go, getting swept up in the celebrations. She even went skinny dipping with Cooper and a bunch of other soldiers for fun. She never does stuff like that, even when she was home. She puts it down to the finality of freedom. Knowing she was one hundred percent being rescued in the coming weeks. The trust she has with the other POW's, them knowing what the other has gone through in the past five years. It's a bond she knows will never break, even when they finally leave this place.

It's on the third day an American plane flies by. That's when it really sinks in that they are free. Everyone cheers, standing up on the roofs of the shacks and waving to the plane. The plane drops a bunch of large packages by the ocean. Cooper is the first one down there and finds the one that has a note on it. It lets them know that American troops were headed their way and should be there in the coming weeks. The packages are filled with food and extensive medical supplies and it should tide them over. They will be flying over the camp frequently so if they have certain requests, write them largely on the roof of the shacks. They distribute the MRE's and other foods. Lisa takes the medical supplies and fixes Bogies face, still feeling a slight guilt that she wished for someone else to get beaten. She helps set his nose and puts antibiotic cream on his cuts. He smiles gratefully at her.

"You don't have to feel guilty, Lisa." He speaks after a moment. Lisa gives him a tight lipped sad smile.

"Yes I do." She says. He shakes his head.

"Any one of us would have begged for it to not happen to them if they were in your position these past five years. Any beating you didn't take and someone else did, you don't ever have to feel guilty for feeling relief in the moment. No one has ever looked at you differently. I don't look at you differently." He says earnestly. Lisa lets his words sink in and nods. She then taps his arm, signaling that she's finished.

She exits the shack she had been helping Bogie in to find Cooper sitting on steps of one of the guards quarters. He's drinking water and eating cheese and crackers. It's well into the evening now. She bounds over to him and sits. He wordlessly hands her a cracker with a tiny block of cheese on it. She takes it and the two eat in silence for awhile. Just watching the other soldiers acting like they're drunk and they might as well be. The buzz they've all been feeling since eating and drinking actual meals, is enough to feel drunk.

"We should ask for actual alcohol. They'll probably take pity on us and send it." Cooper speaks after a moment. Lisa laughs.

"We could just say we need it for 'medical purposes'." Lisa puts the words in finger quotes. Cooper nods. Another silence falls over them as Lisa keeps a grin just watching the other POW's. It's such a stark contrast to what it was like only a week ago.

"I'm scared about going home." Cooper says after a minute. Lisa turns to look at him. It's a fear she also has but has never voiced. "All this time, they've probably thought I was dead. My plane crashed into the Atlantic. I wasn't suppose to survive it. Of course they think i'm dead. They grieved and mourned i'm sure, but they also could have moved on. I would want them to if I had died it's just... I don't know." He stops and shakes his head, turning away from Lisa. Lisa nods, completely understanding his fears, as she has them herself.

"I'm scared I won't recognize them. It's been so long since i've seen their faces. Aden is certainly older now. I haven't even met my daughter. I could pass her on the street and I wouldn't know it. I don't even know her name. That terrifies me. What if she doesn't even know who I am?" Lisa says. Cooper turns to look at Lisa once more.

"From what you've told me about Jennie, I don't think she'd let your memory die. I think you're going to find that when you get home, they've been waiting for you all this time." He smiles at her. Lisa gives him a halfhearted smile back, she hopes he's right. But there's a million and one scenarios that could happen when she gets home. Her family having forgotten her being one of them. She clenches her jaw. She'd be all alone once more if that's the case. Cooper puts his hand on Lisa's bony thigh and squeezes.

"And if they haven't, you'll always have me Lis. No matter what, you're never alone. As long as i'm still breathing you're never gonna be alone." Cooper tells her earnestly. Lisa nods.

"You'll always have me to. Like I said, we're getting buried next to each other." Lisa smirks.

He grins back at her. She then feels tapping and dragging on her thigh, Morse Code.

"--. --- --- -.. -. .. --. .... - --..-- / .-.. . -..- .-.-.-
(Goodnight, Lis.)" Lisa grins and moves her hand to his forearm. Using her pointer finger she taps and drags onto his skin.

"--. --- --- -.. -. .. --. .... - --..-- / -.-. --- --- .--. .-.-.-
(Goodnight, Coop.)" He smirks and stands and makes his way inside the guards quarters where there are actual beds.

Lisa inhales and exhales and looks back out at the soldiers celebrating. Soon they are yelling at Lisa to come join them in some chant. Lisa rolls her eyes but smiles. She stands and makes her way over to her fellow soldiers. In the midst of their yelling, Lisa realizes that she not only is bonded to Cooper for the rest of her life, she's bonded with everyone in this camp. These were the people that she should have been in a platoon with. These were the people she trusts her life with. These were her people.

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