Question 4

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2007)

#4 Mike goes back to Vietnam to find Nicky because he feels an obligation based on a promise he made before they went to Vietnam. Mike, the more dominant, organized and methodical of the two friends, promises Nicky that no matter what happens, he will not leave him in Vietnam. Despite this promise, events that occur while they are serving lead them to be separated, and Mike returns to their hometown without his best friend. After realizing that Nicky is still alive based on money being sent on a weekly basis from Saigon, Mike feels compelled to return and try to save his friend. It is his commitment to save him that leads him to a game of Russian roulette where he tries to bring Nicky back with him, but by that point, he is so far gone from using opiates on a continual basis that he no longer recognizes Mike. In the end, none of his efforts are successful, but at the very least, Mike is left with the knowledge that he did everything he could to save his friend.