Frankie’s combat nightmares returned, and she began self-medicating with sleeping pills and stimulants, creating a cycle of sedation and agitation. She withdrew from family and friends, overworked at the hospital to avoid being alone, and fixated on a dying patient’s estranged son, Lester, who revealed himself as a traumatized Vietnam veteran; his words, “we’re both the walking dead,” unsettled her.

Spring 1973’s POW homecoming coverage and “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” kept Vietnam in the public eye, intensifying Frankie’s memories. She lied to friends and maintained distance from her parents, who left on a cruise in May, leaving her fully isolated. In June, during a rainstorm that triggered combat memories, she was called into work and, when a gunshot victim arrived, she dissociated in the OR and was removed mid-procedure by Dr. Vreminsky, deepening her shame.

At home, Frankie relied more heavily on pills, missed a scheduled shift, and was formally placed on leave by her supervisor, Geneva Stone, who expressed concern but insisted on a break due to reliability issues. Frankie remained fixated on Rye; seeing him at the beach with his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Joey, she secretly followed them to their San Diego home, saw his painful limp and restraints scarring, and fled in guilt when he spotted her car.

The next day, Rye arrived unannounced at Frankie’s house. After initial resistance, Frankie agreed to talk outside over drinks. Rye admitted he had married Melissa two months before his first tour because she was pregnant, had never worn a ring or spoken of a wife, and had intended to divorce after Vietnam; then he met Frankie and fell in love. He described being shot down, breaking his leg, being captured, tortured, and imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton for over four years, where letters from Melissa sustained him and POW communication gave him hope.

Rye confessed he could not be intimate with his wife and wanted to be with Frankie, promising to leave Melissa. He revealed he had been grounded from flying. Despite knowing the moral stakes and potential fallout, Frankie admitted her enduring love; they kissed, and when Rye asked for “one kiss, a goodbye,” it turned into a decision to go to the bedroom, implying they would begin an affair while he was still married.