Chapter 4 – Chess and other activities
It really took three days until Jo fully understood the game. Her first real game of chess she played against Murdock. She lost. The next one was against Charleston. She won and when she accused him of letting her win, they had a repeat performance and she won again.
Both Murdock and Charleston were proud and Charleston was jealous because she was so good at the game. It seemed as if she could calculate every move that would follow her next one.
Every afternoon at four the three of them met and had a chess competition. Not always, of course. Sometimes they would just sit in the common room or outside and talk. They really hit it off.
Charleston would always escort Murdock and Jo to their rooms and then go to his one. It was their daily routine and they all liked it this way.
Murdock awoke from a terrible nightmare. He had dreamed that the Vietcong had captured the team and he was to rescue them on his own. He saw them being tortured and failed to rescue them. It was horrible. He sat on his bed and stared out the window. Murdock saw the moon and some stars from his window and opened it. It was a chilly night for April. He sat down in front of the window and did nothing. He was just watching the stars.
All of a sudden he smelled something. Weed. Someone was smoking weed. He supposed some of the nurses had been stealing from the supply cabinet and were having a funny night shift. It wouldn't be the first time. He was just about to close the window when he noticed the wind direction. Murdock noticed a hand holding a joint from Jo's window. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"Jo!", he called in a whisper. Jo held her head out of the window and looked at him.
"Hi, Murdock! Still awake? I thought it was sleepy time." She sounded very different.
"It is – Jo, what are you doing?", he asked and felt the weariness creeping back into his body.
"I'm celebrating. Come over if you want.", she offered.
Before she'd smoke herself to consciousness Murdock would stop her. He sneaked over to her room. The doors were easily opened with his lock picks and no one was in the halls. He got inside and was hit with a wave of fumes. Boy, she had already smoked a lot.
Murdock saw Jo leaning against the wall and breathing out little smoke rings. He took the joint from her and threw it out the window.
"Hey, Murdy, what's the matter?"
"When did you start smoking?"
"Ever or today?"
"Today."
"Well actually, it's already tomorrow. So, I started at midnight."
"And yesterday?", Murdock grew impatient and that rarely happened. It was half past one and he was worried about her.
"Half past eleven."
"Do you have more weed around?"
"NO, because you threw my supplies out the window.", she replied angrily.
"Calm down, Jo. What's going on? What are you celebrating?"
"Her birthday. I miss her, Murdock.", Jo was almost sobbing now.
"Whose birthday?", Murdock asked and hugged Jo to his chest.
"Julia's birthday. She died last year in February. Car accident. It wasn't even her fault. Some stupid asshole rammed her car and she died in the flames. Huge explosion, they said. I don't care about the explosion. I loved her.", Jo was sobbing no. She held onto him like there was no tomorrow. They sat down on Jo's bed.
"Your sister?"
"No."
"A friend?"
"No, Murdock. She was my girlfriend. I loved her. We had plans. We wanted to adopt a child or something. Our own little family and this asshole killed her.", she was crying now. From time to time she was weeping but the rest of the time she was silent.
Murdock was speechless. He didn't expect that. It's always horrible to lose a loved one, but one's girlfriend, one's love of their live. Wait... Her girlfriend? Did that mean Jo was gay? He had no problem with gay people, but Jo?
She was rebellious and loud and funny and different. Murdock had never before met a gay girl. Guys.. of course. In Vietnam everyone was looking for love and some guys were desperate enough to well... not that it had something to do with desperation...
Jo laid down on the bed and started crying into the sheets. Murdock didn't know what to do and stood up. He went for the door when.
"Don't... Don't go, Murdock. Stay. Please stay. Just a little while."
And Murdock turned around and laid down on the bed next to her. He put his arm around Jo and she laid her head down on his chest. Murdock was very tired again. Whether it was because of the weed or because it was so late he couldn't tell. He just wanted to rest his eyes for a minute and everything went completely black.
Murdock stretched himself and yawned. He was in heaven. He was lying in bed with a female body pressed tightly against him. He couldn't remember a time when he was as relaxed as now. It was almost too good to be true. He smelled her hair and sighed. It smelled so womanly. Like peaches in the summer. Murdock felt himself harden. When was the last time he had gotten laid? That must have been months ago...
Right next to him was this inviting warm body and he knew what he wanted to do with that morning erection. He pulled her even closer and stroked his arm along her side, sending goosebumps along her skin. He could see them on her arm. She was still sleeping. Murdock let his hand wander to her belly and she sighed.
Shit – That sigh... that voice... Jo. Fuck! Murdock rolled back immediately and promptly fell off the bed, face-first on the floor. That was what he got for his activities. He groaned as he dragged himself off the floor and towards her bathroom.
Murdock splashed water at his face and tried to calm down. Was he stoned? He had been somewhat dizzy from the fumes but hat was hours ago. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Well, maybe a little bit. He relieved himself and got back to her room. What time was it? He stared at the clock above the door. It was almost eight. He had to get back to his room. But how? The nurses were already waking up the patients.
Murdock turned around. The window. He just had to get out and back in on his room. Probably ten feet of running. Ground floor had its advantages. But the guards... He would get it done.
He looked at Jo. She was still sleeping like a rock. How did she do it. He almost squeezed her to death just minutes ago when he – never mind that. He didn't care. He had to get out of here.
He watched for guards. Luckily there were none. Murdock jumped out the window and ran to his window. It was still slightly ajar. He opened it and climbed in.
About ten seconds after he was back in his room, the door opened and a nurse came inside to wake him up. She looked at him in surprise and wished him a good morning. Then, she disappeared again and left Murdock with a smile on his face. That was a close one.
However, Murdock was lost in his thoughts. Had he just tried to hit on Jo who had just told him earlier that she was gay? And really, was she gay? Should they talk? Did she notice him earlier?
And why did it feel so good to have her lying next to him?
