by John W. Mansur

　　I heard this story when I was in Vietnam, and it was told to me as fact. I have no way of knowing for sure that it is true, but I do know that stranger things have happened in war.

　　Whatever their planned target, the mortar rounds landed in an orphanage run by a missionary group in the small Vietnamese village. The missionaries and one or two children were killed outright, and several more children were wounded, including one young girl, about eight years old.

　　People from the village requested medical help from a neighboring town that had radio contact with the American forces. Finally, an American Navy doctor and nurse arrived in a jeep with only their medical kits. They established that the girl was the most critically injured. Without quick action, she would die of shock and loss of blood.

　　A transfusion was imperative, and a donor with a matching blood type was required. A quick test showed that neither American had the correct type, but several of the uninjured orphans did.

　　The doctor spoke some pidgin Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering of highschool French. Using that combination, together with much impromptu sign language, they tried to explain to their young, frightened audience that unless they could replace some of the girl's lost blood, she would certainly die. Then they asked if anyone would be willing to give blood to help.

　　Their request was met with wide-eyed silence. After several long moments, a small hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and then went up again.

　　"Oh, thank you," the nurse said in French. "What is your name?"

　　"Heng," came the reply.

　　Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swab bed with alcohol, and a needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Heng lay stiff and silent.

　　After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand.

　　"Is it hurting, Heng?" the doctor asked. Heng shook his head, but after a few moments another sob escaped, and once more he tried to cover up his crying. Again the doctor asked him if the needle hurt, and again Heng shook his head.

　　But now his occasional sobs gave way to a steady, silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.

　　The medical team was concerned. Something was obviously very wrong. At this point, a Vietnamese nurse arrived to help. Seeing the little one's distress, she spoke to him rapidly in Vietnamese, listened to his reply and answered him in a soothing voice.

　　After a moment, the patient stopped crying and looked questioningly at the Vietnamese nurse. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.

　　Glancing up, the nurse said quietly to the Americans, "He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live."

　　"But why would he be willing to do that?" asked the Navy nurse.

　　The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question boy, who answered simply, "She's my friend.

　　Greater love has no man than this－－that he will lay down his life for a friend.

　　中文：

　　我是在越南時聽到這個故事的，而且它是被當作真事告訴我的。雖然我無法確認它是否屬實，但我卻知道，在戰爭中比這更離奇的事情都發生過。

　　一次，美軍的例常炮擊擊中了坐落在一個越南小村莊里的一所孤兒院。這是由一個傳教團體創辦的。那兒的眾多傳教士和一兩個孤兒在炮擊中立刻喪命，還有更多的孩子受傷，其中包括一個八歲的小女孩。

　　村里的人們請求附近一個小鎮給予醫療救助，而該鎮同美軍部隊之間有無線電聯系。最后，一名美國海軍的軍醫同他的護士帶著他們的藥箱乘一輛吉普車到達了該村。他們確診這個小女孩的傷勢最嚴重，若不立刻采取措施，她就會死于休克和失血。

　　必須立即為她輸血，而且要求找到一個血型同她相匹配的獻血者。經過快速的化驗，這兩個美國人的血型都與小女孩不匹配，幸而有好幾名未受傷的孤兒的血型都符合要求。

　　這位軍醫能講幾句洋涇浜的越南語，護士也能講幾句半生不熟的法語。二位將他們僅有的語言技能加到一起，再加上一些即興的手勢語，努力地向這些被嚇壞了的孩子們解釋－－除非他們能夠獻出一些血，來補充這個小女孩失掉的血，否則她一定會死去。然后他們問孩子們，有誰愿意獻血來救活這個孩子。

　　他們得到的回答卻是孩子們睜大的眼睛和沉默。過了好久好久，才有一只小手慢慢吞吞地，猶猶豫豫地舉起來，接著又放下去，接著再一次舉起來。

　　“哦，謝謝你，”護士用法語說，“你叫什么名字？”

　　“恒。”孩子答道。

　　恒被很快地放到一張簡陋的小床上，護士用酒精擦洗了他的胳膊之后，便將一根針頭插進了他的靜脈。在這個嚴酷的考驗中，恒一直僵硬地躺著，默不作聲。

　　過了一會兒，他發出了一聲戰栗的抽泣，并且很快地用他的另外一只手掩住自己的臉。

　　“痛嗎，恒？”醫生問道。恒搖了搖頭?？墒牵瑳]過多久，他又抽泣了一聲。而且他又一次竭力地掩蓋自己的哭泣。于是醫生再一次問他針頭是否扎痛了他。然而，恒卻再一次搖了搖頭。

　　可是，這時他的斷斷續續的抽泣已經無法克制，變成了一種持續的、無聲的哭泣。他緊閉著雙目，把小拳頭塞進嘴里，以控制自己的抽泣。

　　醫生和護士感到十分不安，顯然有什么出了錯。這時，終于有一位越南的護士來解圍了。當她看見孩子的痛苦狀態時，她很急切地用越南語對他說了幾句話，在聽了孩子的回答之后，她又用撫慰的聲音解答了孩子的困惑。

　　過了一會兒，小男孩停止了哭泣，然后疑惑地看著這位越南護士。當護士點頭時，一種巨大的釋然才在孩子的臉上慢慢地展開。

　　越南護士抬起頭來，看了一眼兩個美國人，輕聲地告訴他們：“他剛才以為自己要死了。他誤解了你們的意思。他以為你們要他把自己所有的血都抽出來才能救活那個小女孩呢。”

　　“可是那樣為什么他還愿意獻血呢？”海軍護士問道。

　　越南護士又向這個男孩重復了這個問題。男孩簡單地答道：“因為她是我朋友。”

　　沒有一個人有這么偉大的愛－－肯為一個朋友獻出自己的生命。

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