Baggs attempts to create a normal family life for Maggie and Doug, and succeeds for a while despite the obstacles presented by his lack of pay and benefits. He and Maggie marry, but due to his lost records, the Navy refuses to recognize the marriage or grant Maggie and Doug the normal privileges given to a sailor's family. Doug, suspicious and cynical at first, bonds with Baggs, who manages to get Doug's painfully decayed teeth fixed at the naval base by an unqualified dental assistant. Maggie gives birth prematurely to a son, whom she names after Baggs, but the baby dies soon after birth, causing a distraught Maggie to return to prostitution in order to distract herself from her grief. The Navy finally locates Baggs' records and reassigns him to a new ship, also giving him $1400 in back pay. When he goes to tell Maggie, he finds she has departed for New Orleans with another man, and left Doug behind for Baggs to look after. In order to stay with Doug, Baggs gets Forshay to change places with him and ship out under his name. After waving goodbye to a happy Forshay, Baggs and Doug then head for New Orleans to look for Maggie.