It was night at the base, a time for silence and rest.
Rambo was about to have a look in the tent when Berry stopped him.
“I don’t think he looks too good, well you know, I mean Carl, since he’s come back...”
Rambo looked at Barry then turned his attention back to the tent.
Jorghenson was sitting on his bed and although he seemed to be looking at his hands, in reality, he was staring into space.
There was truth in what Barry was telling him, but Rambo didn’t feel like saying anything about it right then and there, so he turned away from Barry and went back to observing Carl.
“How you doing Carl? How was your leave back home?”
Jorgenson glanced up at his friend momentarily, but then went back to staring into space.
“Not exactly how I imagined it”
Barry, who was still standing at the tent entrance decided to come in and join them.
“Did something happen?” asked Rambo.
“No, nothing happened. It's exactly that, well, I don't know Johnny. I really don't know”
Berry sat down next to Carl.
“Try telling us” he said.
“Something definitely changed, but I don't know what. It’s hard to describe. I felt surrounded by complete strangers. I don’t know them anymore. What should I do Johnny?”
Rambo’s eyes opened wide almost caught by surprise.
“I don't know Carl. I can’t help you” he said.
Jorgenson looked down over at Barry who was beside him.
Barry put one hand over his shoulder, shook him a little bit, and then said:
“It's normal, man. This is war. It happens to everyone”
“I don't know. I am not entirely sure about that”
“I mean it, trust me. Living here is entirely different from living in the real world and a few days are not enough to catch up. Trust me. We’ve all been through it”
Jorgenson shook his head in perplexity.
“How's your daughter?”
“She's fine” Jorgenson replied.
“Are not you happy?” Rambo said.
“What about your wife? Did you get to spend some time alone with her?”
Just think about surviving, Carl – Mary told him before he left, while caressing his face.
“Carl?”
Just think about surviving and come back to me.
“That's normal Carl” Barry said. “We risk our lives here every day, we kill people and we watch our own squad members die. Then we get home find a decked table, every one elegantly dressed, smiling and talking about stupid unimportant things that mean nothing. It’s the same for all of us, Carl. Vietnam changes you, but not for real. Sooner or later, we all go back to normal, to how we were before”
Jorgenson turned to Barry again. This time, he looked like a beaten dog.
“Yeah” said Rambo.
“That's the way it works for everyone. It was the same for me too after my first tour”
“Okay, but I’m worried I may have crossed the point of no return”
“There’s no such thing as the point of no return,” Barry said interrupting him and then added:
“That's the reason we call the U.S. 'the real world', because once when we get back there, we eventually go back to being how we were before all of this ever started.’Cause the time we spend here, or the things we do in this place aren’t a true representation of how we really are at all.”
Barry smiled.
“Believe me, man. One day, all of this will be nothing more than a bad dream. That's the way it was for me, and that's the way it’ll end up being for you too”
“Listen to him Carl, he knows what he’s talking about” said Rambo.
Jorgenson nodded a couple of times.
“Thanks guys, both of you”
“That's what friends are for,” said Barry.
He gave him a pat on his back as he stood up from his camp bed and left.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” asked Rambo.
“Like new”
“Try to get some sleep then, will you? You need it”
“I will, as well as some exercise and training too. I’ve done nothing for so long and lost so much weight that if I had to do any long range shit tomorrow, I’d die on the spot. I need to train John. Train and eat. If I want to get back in shape I need to eat a lot more than what they’re giving us in this place”
Rambo smiled.
“Don't worry about that man. You’ll be training with us so we’ll follow you step by step”
“And the food...”
“Christ, this is a big city Carl. Getting some extra food won’t be a problem”
“Good” said Jorgenson.
He then began fiddling with his military travel bag but stopped as quickly as he’d started, and looked again at his friends.
“Rambo?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks”
“Oh, come on...”
“No really, thank you. The crash we were in just started coming back to me a few days ago for the very first time. I remember what you tried to do for me”
Rambo’s eyes widened, and he straightened up somewhat surprised.
The expression on his face was a mixture of embarrassment, wonder and shame. The memory of not being able in save Jorgenson was still very a very painful one for Rambo.
On the other hand, for Jorgenson, Rambo had done everything in his power for him, and maybe more.
“You are a true friend, John”