Dak To
Ortega stood at the entrance of Baker team B's tent.
He was wearing an drab, olive-coloured uniform with a bonnie hat.
Rambo was laying on his camp bed reading a Peanuts comic and sweating up a storm because of the pain in his arm all by himself.
Under his left sleeve Ortega could see the bandage which covered his entire arm.
Ortega walked up beside him without saying a word and basically stood there until Rambo pulled himself up to sit.
When Ortega saw he was up, he finally said what he’d gone there to say.
“Jorgenson's got three or four days left, at the very most” he said.
Rambo nodded slowly and then looked down again.
They both lacked the courage to look each other in the eyes.
Three or four nights of agony, both useless and painful – Rambo thought.
“Do the others know yet?” he asked quietly.
“Not yet, no. You’re the first one I’ve told”
Ortega sat down next to Rambo, took his bonnie hat off his head and then the two just sat in silence for a while staring into space.
The sun was shining and the rest of the base was getting on as usual. The trucks were coming and going, soldiers were loading and unloading supplies, clothes and ammo. A few dug up trenches, and others filled sandbags. The area surrounding the city was humming, alive and pulsing
“Fuck” Rambo finally said.
Ortega pulled out his pack of cigarettes along with his zippo from his pocket.
He lit one for himself, offered another to Rambo, and then said:
“We did good on that hill. We set up one hell of a defence Johnny, and put up a fierce fight”
Ortega turned to look at his young friend’s face while lighting his cigarette.
Johnny Rambo – Ortega thought to himself.
“You’re going to get a medal for what you did to defend our damn wreck. You do realize this, don't you?”
Rambo didn’t reply.
Ortega had no way of knowing, but Rambo kept seeing Jorgenson stretching his arm out reaching for the door handle on the Huey, albeit in vain, in his attempt to hold onto anything trying to save his life.
In that scene, Jorgenson was trying to grab onto that handle and each time he did, Rambo tried to grab his hand instead, but in vain. All of this in the midst of their helicopter plummeting down.
No matter how close his friend’s hand seemed, Rambo just couldn’t grab onto it.
No matter how many times that scene played in his head, Rambo had never succeeded in help Jorgenson. Not once and not even in the nightmares he was having about it at night.
“Maybe Shorty should’ve flown slower or maybe faster would’ve been better, I’m just not sure. We should’ve known the ridge was a prime spot for an ambush” Rambo said.
“Don't get annoyed with Shorty, Johnny. He did what he could and he did it the best he knew how. We should’ve told him how to fly. And regarding the travel-speed, well I don't think it would have made much difference. I don't think any at all, actually. And I was right there beside you, when we got hit”
Ortega silently took a drag on his smoke and exhaled it through his nostrils.
“We’re never going to know anyway,” Rambo replied.
“Yep. When you’re at war, nothing's black or white John. It’s not like when you’re back at school, and there is a right answer for everything”
Rambo nodded, and for a little while longer, in complete silence, the two of them puffed away at their cigarettes.
“Getting him was feasible, you know? When he was falling, I mean. I could have caught Jorgenson and not let him fall”
“Maybe... - Ortega nodded – Or maybe not. It’s also possible that you never really had a chance because it honestly couldn’t be achieved but you only thought it could.
You’ll never know”
After putting out his cigarette, Ortega added:
“Okay now I want you to listen up, Rambo. I know how this thing works. You believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt that learning to live with it will be impossible, but it fades in due course, and eventually you’ll be all right again. You just have to wait for tomorrow. Wait for a new mission and have faith in what I’m saying. New missions always get rid of the last one’s ghosts”
Ortega took his time finishing his cigarette but once he did, he stood up and put his bonnie hat back on.
“Johnny...” he said to take Rambo's leave, and then left.