In Country

Sam is preoccupied with Tom and has a dream about him that night. Sam reflects that life is more complicated than what is portrayed on M*A*S*H, although she does think about how Army psychiatrist Sidney Freedman solves the problem of the main character, Hawkeye, by helping him remember a childhood incident.

Later, Sam has dinner with Lonnie and his family. They talk about the upcoming wedding of Lonnie's brother. Lonnie's parents ask questions about Emmett, and Lonnie says Emmett's problems cannot be linked to Agent Orange, something that annoys Sam. The parents continue to probe and pass judgment on Emmett. Lonnie's father says he feels like he missed out since there was no war while he was growing up, and Sam snaps at him, “Is it why we have wars—so guys won't miss out?” (87). Lonnie's mother changes the subject.

On the way home, Lonnie questions Sam about going for a ride with Tom. He also suggests that Emmett might snap and injure Sam. Sam thinks that Lonnie is “just like all of the other kids at school” who believe that war is a good thing (88). When she gets home, she realizes she understands Emmett better than she ever has before.

A Flag Day sidewalk sale happens in Hopewell, and everyone attends. The event reminds Sam of the time Emmett flew a Viet Cong flag from the courthouse tower. She notes that her favorite store has closed and has been replaced by a chain store. She talks to Allen Wilkins, a Vietnam veteran who has reintegrated into society well, although Allen does not listen carefully to her concerns.

Sam next runs into Tom, who is sitting at a table with Jim Holly and gathering signatures for a petition to the government to attend to Agent Orange exposure. Jim reminds Sam that the veteran's dance will be on Friday. When Tom tells Sam that Anita is going to the dance, she thinks she might be able to persuade Emmett to go.

Sam asks Tom to go with her to the courthouse so she can see where Emmett flew the flag. The two talk about Tom's experiences in Vietnam, and her fears for Emmett, and Lonnie. She denies that she will marry Lonnie.

While in the courthouse, Sam thinks about all the official records that are housed there and wishes she had proof of her and her family’s identity. When a man at a table makes a racist joke, Tom gets Sam out of the building, “out into the sunlight“ (96).

Sam watches Bruce Springsteen’s video, Dancing in the Dark, and it makes her think of Tom. Lonnie tries to apologize for being critical of Emmett the night before, and although Sam accepts his apology, she chooses not to tell him about the dance on Friday night.

Emmett is busy making lasagna for the dinner with Anita. He and Anita talk about Jim Holly's wife leaving him, and then they all gather around the television to watch M*A*S*H. Sam is frustrated that Emmett pays more attention to the television than to Anita. Emmett reveals that the character Frank Burns reminds him of his commanding officer in Vietnam. He says that the officer “got fragged,” meaning that a man under his command shot him.

Sam meets up with Dawn and thinks about how being attracted to boys is really about having babies. She let Lonnie spend the previous night with her and now wonders if the birth control pill might let her down. She feels angry and wild.

Dawn reveals that she does not want to be pregnant. Sam tells her they should run away to Florida where Dawn can have the baby and they can work at Disney World. Sam, however, realizes that she does not want to be tied down with Dawn's baby, and Dawn says that she's tired of “playing mommy.” Since her mother died, Dawn has had to take care of her brother and her father.

Another thunderstorm upsets Emmett. Sam recalls the previous year watching the final episode of M*A*S*H with Emmett and Irene and how they cried as the Korean War ended and the characters said goodbye to each other.

Emmett talks about Jim Holly's situation, and when Sam suggests that some veterans have a fear of women, Emmett snaps at her that she could not possibly understand since women were not in the war.

Sam notices that Emmett's pimples are healing. She urges Emmett to get a job so he can pay the government the money he owes. Emmett resists, again saying that there are no jobs worth doing.

Lonnie is away at a stag party the night of the dance. Sam wears provocative clothing to the dance. Sam is surprised to learn that the veterans listened to music while they were in Vietnam. One of the veterans tells her that his favorite song then was “White Rabbit.” Talk turns to Buddy Mangrum, the vet experiencing all the symptoms of Agent Orange exposure. They say that the government will not admit what is causing his illnesses.

Same looks at old photos of the veterans in Vietnam and she realizes they were all young boys then. She has a long talk with several veterans about what it was like in Vietnam. When Anita arrives, she tells Sam about the first time she met Emmett. When Tom arrives, Sam denies having a boyfriend and dances with him. She drinks whiskey and feels herself getting a little drunk. One of the other vets tells her he knew her father.

In the restroom, Sam talks with the wife of one of the vets who shares that some of the soldiers in Vietnam, including her husband, cut off the ears of the men they killed and brought them home as souvenirs. Sam is appalled. She wants to go home with Tom.

In Tom's apartment, he and Sam begin to make love. However, Tom is unable to do so. He tells her that he has been impotent since Vietnam but has hoped that since he is so attracted to her, he would be able to perform. He asks Sam to hold him tightly and tells her not to tell anyone.

The next morning, Sam finds Tom outside working on a dirt bike. He will not look at her and tells her that if she still wants to buy the Volkswagen, he will fix it up for her.

Later, when Sam returns home, Emmett is gone. Sam goes to the shopping center in Hopewell. She thinks about how she has no sexual desire for Lonnie anymore, but that she wants to have sex with Tom. At Kmart, she buys a red ceramic cat for her mother rather than the wedding gift for Lonnie's brother. While there, Pete, one of the veterans, wants to buy her a soda, something that makes her uncomfortable.

Pete talks about his time in Vietnam and says that her father was lucky to be there early in the war before the men became disenchanted. He tells Sam to stop thinking about the war because she will never understand it. He also says that he wishes someone would “beat some sense” into his wife's head (136).

After her shopping expedition, Sam returns home to find Emmett still missing. She becomes increasingly worried. She also starts thinking about the war and all the lives that had been lost or ruined as a result of it. She watches MTV and a movie about war. Finally, she calls Dawn, who confirms her pregnancy but has not told her boyfriend yet. Sam goes for a long run. She hopes Emmett is with Anita.