The men pass a drunken, rowdy Thanksgiving in the officers' club and on the grounds. Yossarian goes to bed early and is frightfully awakened by machine-gun fire and drunken laughter. He realizes the firing is not an attack but just a prank, and he is infuriated by the gunners' irresponsibility. Yossarian charges up the hill to kill them all but is halted by Nately, who tries ineffectually to calm him down. Yossarian curses Nately and punches him in the face, breaking his nose. Dunbar likewise charged the hill in a murderous rage but the gunners had escaped. Finally calm, Yossarian feels terrible about hurting Nately.
Both Yossarian and Dunbar check themselves into the hospital to keep the black-eyed Nately company. Hungry Joe joins them with a faked appendicitis, and even the exhilarated chaplain checks in with a contrived case of shingles. Dunbar incites a riot when he sees a patient in a full body cast. Remembering the soldier in white, Dunbar shouts "He's back! He's back!" and confusion erupts throughout the ward. Nurse Duckett, who recently dumped Yossarian in hopes of snagging a doctor, whispers to Yossarian that officials are planning to "disappear" Dunbar. Yossarian is confused and complains, "It doesn't make sense. It isn't even good grammar. What the hell does it mean to disappear somebody?" Chapter 34, pg. 378 Yossarian rushes to warn Dunbar, but his friend has already vanished.
