In the meantime, Rambo was in the Dak To Hospital, together with some other patients with minor injuries.
Rambo patted his bandaged arm lightly while trying, albeit in vain, to ignore the sharp pains coming from it.
The bandage on it was pretty good; it would do for the time being.
“How long do I have to stay here?” he said.
“When can I go back to my base?”
“You should stay in bed at least two days, but I need that bed, so we’re going to send you right back to your base today. You’ll need to get absolute rest though”
Rambo started collecting his things off the floor.
“Hang on, kid. I haven’t finished yet”
Rambo stopped.
The doctor was quiet for a moment, like he was trying to find the right words.
Finally, he said:
“I don’t know how to tell you this kid... So I’ll just say it. Your career in Special Forces is over”
Rambo looked up at the doctor.
“You’ve sustained permanent damage to your arm”
Rambo looked at him almost as though he hadn’t heard a single word.
So the doctor added:
“You’ll never be able to use it the same way”
Rambo defiantly tried moving his hand and saw that he could.
“I didn’t say you were paralyzed, I said you sustained some permanent damage which is different. You can stay in the army, but you’ll never be one hundred percent functional again. In other words, you’re done with the Special Forces”
Rambo opened and closed his right hand again.
“When they realize your arm is not working the way it used to, they’ll have to send you home, because that's the way they work”
Rambo looked down and said:
“I guess I’ll become ambidextrous then”