” Mr Hemingway?”

” Hmmm?”

” You’ve been asleep, Mr Hemingway. I need to take your blood pressure.”

” Go ahead.”

The US Army doctor rolls up Hemingway’s shirt sleeve, ties the black pressure band and slowly applies pressure, all the time watching the gauge.

” Mr Hemingway, your blood pressure is 210 over 105, which is dangerously high…”

” What do you expect after what happened out there?”

” I would suggest it has probably been that high for quite a while now. When did you last have your blood pressure tested?”

” A few months back, and you’re right, it was pretty high then.”

” There are other signs that indicate you may have a liver problem too. Basically you need rest, and a complete change of diet, and I would also suggest you cut back on the drinking.”

” Or what, Doc?”

” You will die.”

” Stop beating about the bush, and give it to me straight.”

Both men laugh, and the doctor unwinds the band.

” I would also suggest you are suffering from some form of…”

” Don’t tell me, post-traumatic stress disorder?”

” Yes. How did you know that?”

” It seems to be something of a theme at the moment. Colonel Lanham calls it battle fatigue, which used to be called shell shock. Colonel Park was telling me in court that Red Pelkey is suffering from acute anxiety disorder – which is probably his way of suggesting I’m suffering from it too.”

” And you said something to the effect that every GI in the American Army was probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder too, and who could blame them with jerks like him running the outfit.”

” Something like that. You were there, obviously? “

” I was ordered there, just in case something happened.”

” Who ordered you?”

” My OC.”

” Who ordered him?”

” One guess. But this is a serious complaint, Mr Hemingway. I cannot advise strongly enough that you seek professional help as soon as possible.”

” Or what?”

” You will, in a very few years from now, sink into some form of debilitating dementia.”

” You mean I’ll turn into a dribbling old man who doesn’t know his ass from his elbow. Something like that?”

” Yes, something like that.”

” And then what?”

” And a degrading death?”

” How did I know you were gonna say that?”

5. INT. A BEDROOM IN THE HOTEL THAT IS BEING USED AS COLONEL PARK’S HQ
IN NANCY. DAY.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY is being examined by a US Army DOCTOR. The door opens
and COLONEL PARK enters.

PARK: How are you feeling, Mr Hemingway?

HEMINGWAY: Close to death.

PARK: I’m sorry?

DOCTOR: Mr Hemingway’s blood pressure is very high, sir. He needs rest.”

PARK: Hell! Don’t we all, Doc. And how do you think my blood pressure is
coping after what happened out there?

HEMINGWAY: Sorry about that, Colonel. Won’t happen again.

PARK: Damn right it won’t. You damn near killed me out there. I could
have you shot, do you know that?

HEMINGWAY: You’d probably get a vote of thanks from the hacks you’ve got
lined-up.

PARK: One or two might even like to pull the trigger themselves.

HEMINGWAY: Not enough guts between them for that.

PARK: Have you finished with our famous author, Doctor?

DOCTOR: Yes, sir.

PARK: Perhaps then you would be good enough to leave us alone?

DOCTOR: Of course. (Then to HEMINGWAY) I would suggest, Mr Hemingway,
that you seek the medical advice of your own doctor as soon as you can.
A simple change of diet can do wonders. And remember what I said about
the other thing.

HEMINGWAY ( Shaking the DOCTORS hand): Thanks, Doc, I will.

The DOCTORS exits.

HEMINGWAY: A good man.

PARK: Yes, his father is a surgeon in Wyoming somewhere. What does he
mean by “the other thing”?

HEMINGWAY: Like you, he thinks I’m going mad.

PARK: Is that right?

COLONEL PARK looks out of the bedroom window.

HEMINGWAY: Something on your mind, Colonel?

PARK: Indeed there is, Mr Hemingway.

HEMINGWAY: While we’re in here can we cut the “Mr Hemingway” crap. Call
me Ernie, or Hem, and I’ll call you Parkie. Okay?

PARK: Okay by me,¦Ernie.

HEMINGWAY: Now, are you going to tell this condemned man what’s up, or
do I have to beat it out of you?

(PARK laughs.)

PARK: After our little, er, confrontation out there General Patton was,
of course, informed.

HEMINGWAY: Of course. By you?

PARK: Hell no. I guess by one of the…

HEMINGWAY: Hacks?

PARK: Yes. Anyway, about ten minutes ago I received a telephone call
from one of the General’s staff asking how things were going.

HEMINGWAY: And you said?

PARK: I said things were going to plan, and that you had only perjured
yourself about twenty times so far.

HEMINGWAY: What the hell do you mean, Parkie, perjured myself?

PARK: Told lies. Which is what I expected you to do, which is what you
had been told to do by two officers – who shall remain nameless – but
who are very close to General Patton.

HEMINGWAY: One of which just phoned you?

PARK: Yes.

HEMINGWAY: This doesn’t sit well does it, Parkie?

PARK: No, not too well I have to admit.

HEMINGWAY: Me neither if you want the truth.

PARK: Ha! A good choice of word, Ernie.

HEMINGWAY: Overrated.

PARK: Mr…Ernie, we all know you have been carrying arms in contravention
of the laws governing war correspondents. (HEMINGWAY is about to
remonstrate¦) Oh, please don’t deny it here, it really is not necessary,
you can do that out there. You and I both know you effectively led your
own private army, carried out reconnaissance operations for Colonel
Lanham, and others, interrogated German prisoners, admitted openly that
you killed “plenty Germans”, kept stashes of arms in your hotel
bedrooms, persuaded serving American officers to work for you. In fact
you have, in my opinion, acted in a thoroughly irresponsible way that
has endangered the lives of hundreds of people. But…

HEMINGWAY: I thought I could hear a “but” coming.

PARK: But, and this comes from on high, I am to go through the motions,
and at the end of today I am to make judgement that you are, and I
quote, “…a red-blooded American, who, civilian or not, was prepared to
take up arms for his country.” In other words not guilty. Plus, our
little scrap never happened. It will appear on no records of these
proceedings; and those who witnessed it have already been told they are
now governed by the laws pertaining to American national security, and
that if any of them as much as think about it they are dead meat.

HEMINGWAY: Including you and me.

PARK: Especially you and me.

HEMINGWAY: Sorry, Parkie.

PARK: Me too. I had every intention of nailing your ass to the fence,
and I would have done given the chance. Now I don’t, and I will carry
out my orders to the letter. The correspondents have been sent back to
where they belong, on the front reporting the war. The only people who
will be in the courtroom in ten minutes time will be you, me, my captain
advisor, and a stenographer.

HEMINGWAY: So I could slam you in the mouth, Parkie, and it would not
get reported?

PARK: You could try and slam me in the mouth, Ernie, but both my
captain and myself have loaded revolvers, with orders to use them
should it be required. And believe me, Ernie, if you make one false move
I shall take great pleasure in blowing your head off.

HEMINGWAY: Parkie?

PARK: Now take care of that blood pressure.

(PARK exits, leaving a bemused HEMINGWAY looking at the open door.)

Fade to black

~

Based on fact, although some of the scenes and dialogue are invented.