Unremembered memories 2/3
This didn't quite go the way I wanted it, but I've learned that 9 time out of 10 to go the way the story wants to go. I just hope this wasn't the one time I shouldn't have. ;P
Hannibal leaned forward slightly, turned his head minutely and looked out the corner of his eyes, passed Face, and Bosco. Even as just a CO, he wouldn’t have been able to not react at the tremor in Murdock’s voice as he declared that he refused to be tried separately.
They were told to sit down as the judges conferred. He tried to force his mind to focus on a plan to protect his boys from the verdict he knew was coming, but it only want to replay memories of the last eight years.
Getting out of the van. Seeing Mike. Quick conversation of mission details, then:
“He’s inside. I’m not sure what you want out of this, Boss? He doesn’t remember.”
“You’ve talked to him?”
“Yeah, he knows that he’s a Captain, but he doesn’t remember anything after graduating from Ranger School.”
“He doesn’t deserve to be here, Mike.”
“I know. I just don’t want to see you heartbroken again.”
“Thank you, but I’m going in with my eyes wide open. I owe you one.”
Entering the hospital, finding the doctor, getting paperwork signed off. Then Face yelling, B.A.’s with his are outstreched. And a mop of brown hair over his shoulder. Hooded blue-green eyes stared at him. James’ intellengce shining out of them as well as the playful twinkle he fell in love with. But there was something else in the gleam, something manic. There was, also, no recognition. He forced the smile to stay on his face.
“I hear you’re a hell of a chopper pilot, Son?” Son. Diliberately said. Son. Young man. Newest member of his team. Under his command. No more volition of that regulation.
“That’s good enougth for me.” he said. Both to respond to Jame-Murdock’s insistance of being a Ranger, but also to his own thoughts.
The chopper flight. James’ skills and abilities preformed with a wild recklessness. Twists, turns, falls, the warning only he knew was a warning of outrageous flying.
Landing, getting back to base, reinstating Bosco. Convincing Murdock that he wasn’t going anywhere even if he went to the doctors. Settling into the house. Running drills, becoming a team.
Days, weeks, months, 2 and a half years later, coming down stairs. Seeing the Captain and Lieutenant asleep on the couch. Murdock curled into Face’s side. A flare in his chest that he imminently squashed. They had gone out drinking, Face was too much of a ladies man, And Murdock, like James, was a sunggler.
Murdock started going out after that night. Her name was Kelly Stevens and she was a veterinarian. She was kind, giving, open, quite, a little reserved and perfect for the Captain.
The night of their one year anniversary, Hannibal was sitting on the front porch, smoking. It was late, almost the next day when Murdock strolled up the sidewalk.
“Evening, Boss!”
“Captain. Good night?”
“Yeah.” Said softly, lovingly, as he perched himself on the railing. Two rounds of calming tobacco through his lungs before Murdock spoke again. “Boss? How come you never date? I mean, I know it’s none of my business, but the one time you came with us to the bar, you were getting’ more looks than Faceman! I don’t think you’d have a problem if you just wanted casual. And if you don’t want casual, well, most women would fall over themselves to get a real gentleman like you. I know we’ve never talked about it, but I feel like you’d really take care of your partner.” His voice was still soft, eyes unfocused. “You’d always listen, treat them right, and make them a priority when you could. Is that it?” he asked, “You don’t think anyone will understand the Army?”
“No, it’s not the Army.” Hannibal sighed. James was so close tonight. He looked into the earnest eyes of his pilot and extinguished the cigar in the ever-present ashtray. “I’m just old fashioned, Murdock. I’ve known since I was a teenager that I would fall in love only once. That when I met that person, everybody else on the planet would pale in comparison. I...lost...that person six years ago.” He stood, squeezing Murdock’s shoulder at the sympathetic look on his face. “Good night, Captain.”
His eyes snapped open as the door to the Judges chamber opened and the structured military court descended into yelling.