COMBAT MEDIC BLUES Treatment by R. Scott Smith

COMBAT MEDIC BLUES

R. Scott Smith

Drama Military

Synopsis

Carl is a 50 year old professional man who was an Army combat medic in Vietnam in his 20’s. He is haunted by images of his first combat casualty, who died; Carl blames himself for his death. He just recently found out who the man was and visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (THE WALL) to find and touch his name. Carl’s work is suffering as a result of freshened memories of his war experience.

Carl is also an experienced volunteer firefighter/EMT in his semi-rural suburban community. In almost 15 years of service Carl has been on over a thousand aid, accident and fire calls.

Triggered by Fourth of July fireworks and stress, Carl relives his first combat casualty experience in a vivid dream. The dream is interrupted near its end by a real-time emergency call; a gunshot victim.

Carl and his partner respond to the shooting scene where they find two victims. Carl treats the more critically injured man and keeps him alive until more help arrives. As Carl watches the victim receiving advanced treatment he hears the sound of the approaching rescue helicopter.

This triggers a flashback to the end of the war dream he had been having; a picture of the dead soldier being loaded into a body bag. But Carl is now ready to deal with it.

A few months later, Carl and his wife visit THE WALL again. Finally Carl is able to say goodbye to his first patient, acknowledge the role he played in Carl’s life, and begin to heal.