Page "The Deer Hunter" Paragraph 11

The three float downriver on a tree branch.

An American helicopter accidentally finds them, but only Nick is able to climb aboard.

The weakened Steven falls back into water and Mike plunges in the water to rescue him.

Unluckily, Steven breaks both legs in the fall.

Mike helps him to reach the river bank, and then carries him through the jungle to friendly lines.

Approaching a caravan of locals escaping the war zone, he stops a South Vietnamese military truck and places the wounded Steven on it, asking the soldiers to take care of him.

Nick, who is psychologically damaged apparently suffering amnesia, recuperates in a military hospital in Saigon with no knowledge on the status of his friends.

At night, he aimlessly stumbles through the red-light district.

At one point, he encounters Julien Grinda ( Pierre Segui ), a champagne-drinking friendly Frenchman outside a gambling den where men play Russian roulette for money.

Grinda entices the reluctant Nick to participate, and leads him into the den.

Mike is present in the den, watching the game, but the two friends do not notice each other at first.

When Mike does see Nick, he is unable to get his attention.

When Nick is introduced into the game he instead grabs the gun, fires it at the current contestant and then again at his own temple, causing the audience to riot in protest.

Grinda hustles Nick outside to his car to escape the angry mob.

Mike cannot catch up with Nick and Grinda as they speed away.