When the shooting stopped and our Colonel announced the victory I rolled off of Peter who stumbled and bounded for Mike. I stood up still in horror of what had taken place and moved slowly to the scene.

Peter sat in the dirt wailing as he pulled Mike's lifeless body close to him. Davy stayed on the ground where he was and cried. His hands over his face. His wound was gushing blood.

I pulled myself from the shock slowly and called out for a medic. Two men in medic uniforms rushed over and began working on Davy. Two more were called to take Mike and put him with the dead, but Peter threatened to shoot any man who came to take his friend away.

Everything felt so surreal. As if I was high. It also felt dark. Like I could feel the death in the air. I couldn't take it.

I whispered that I was going to check on Keanu and ran out through the chaotic streets. I navigated them quite well by now and as I reached the trash houses I began calling out.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Keanu running after a man who had a hold on her brother. I heard her scream my name and jumped into action. I jumped on the man from behind. I punched him to the ground and began beating him.

"It's the man from before." She screamed.

"YOU MONSTER!!!!" I screamed. "FIRST YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS INNOCENT GIRL! THEN YOU TRY AND TAKE HER BROTHER TO BE A SOLDIER FOR YOU!!!" I screamed. Pure anger ripping through me as I choked the man and beat his head upside the pavement.

It was sickening how the Viet-Cong and North Vietnamese used children in such a way. They would strap bombs on them and send them into heavily populated areas. The people civilians least expected, children!

I kept hurting the Viet—Cong man even after he was unconscious. I couldn't stand him! I wanted to kill him!

All the anger I'd felt the week before collided with the anger I felt in the moment and also with the hurt and anger I was feeling because of Mike's death. I took all of it out on this one man.

"Micky!" Keanu yelled as she laid her hands on my shoulder. She seemed to calm me. I stopped beating the man and sat beside her in the dirt. This time she held me and I sobbed to her.

After I was finished crying I took the man and put him with the other prisoners to be taken back to camp.

I spent that night with Keanu. Partly because I still didn't believe she was safe and partly because I didn't want to face the absence of my friend.