Soulmates - Jack Thompson

-14-

I walked out of Jacks office, while I buttoned the last button of my shirt. It was the middle of the night, maybe morning already, and let's just say it was a long night. Though the time has flown by. Jack offered to take me home, but I thought it best not to. Suppose Peggy suddenly saw me standing at the doorway with her boss. What would she think? A lot, I suppose.
As I thought, Peggy was already waiting when I arrived. She looked a little concerned.
"Hey Peg." I hung up my coat as casually as possible and kicked off my shoes in the closet as usual.
"Where were you? Even Howard was worried!" Howard? Worried? That's new.
"I was at the office." Peggy looked like she didn't believe me.
"Trust me, I really was." I led her to the living room.
"What we're you doing so late?" I dropped myself on the couch.
"Thompson had some extra work for me." I rolled my eyes, while saying his name.
"Call me next time, I thought they arrested you or something." I smiled.
"I'll promise to call next time." After a few minutes we both went off to bed. I was exhausted. Luckily I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Indeed, my only work-free day this week. But suddenly a colleague is at the door. You'll probably guess which one, indeed, Jack Thompson. Fuck, he can't be here. Peggy is at home and Howard is too.
"Hey Jack..." He smiled. He never smiled.
"I'm not trying to be rude, but my roommate's home." He shrugged his shoulders like he didn't give a fuck. He would if he knew it was Peg.
"Look, I didn't come here for nothing. I need your help." I looked at his face, a little longer this time. He looked exhausted again. Not like the Jack I knew, always in a suit with too much stuff in his hair. Now he looked like he hadn't slept for 3 days. I felt way too guilty to leave him outside, so I invited him in. Before Howard or Peggy appeared from a room, I quickly followed him to the other side of the house and locked the bedroom.
"What is going on?"
Jack plopped down on the bed.
"Don't think I'm some sissy, because I'm not." He looked quite serious.
"I would not dare." I don't think he trusted me 100%, but he went on with his story anyway.
"Nightmares. Almost every night. I hardly dare to fall asleep anymore." He looked at me as if I was going to burst out laughing at any moment. But instead I sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulders. He usually hated it when people just touched him, but he didn't turn me away.
"What do you mean? What nightmares?" He took a deep breath. I never thought Jack could look so vulnerable or scared.
"1945. Tsuken Island. Nothing detail. I fall asleep on the night shift. I wake up... six Japanese soldiers walking into my camp, just waltzing in in the dark. One of them bends down over my sleeping C.O. One more second, he'd slit his throat. Snapped too. Shoot him in the back. Shoot them all... Before they even knew I was there. Before my last man was even awake." I could see by the look on his face that that wasn't the worst part.
"They were carrying a white flag. The soldiers that came into my camp in Okinawa... The ones I k*lled. They were coming to surrender. I just didn't realize it until it was too late. I buried the flag before anyone else saw it." He looked at me with tears in his eyes. I couldn't believe he told me this.
"Everybody thinks that I'm this guy that I never was. And every day... It gets harder and harder to live with." I didn't say anything and pulled him in for a hug. What was I supposed to say? We didn't do or say anything else for a minute.
"Jack, you're not a bad guy, it's brave of you to tell me this." He smiled softly.
"I feel like a little kid when someone calls me brave."
"Tough than."
"Same thing."
"You really need some sleep." I said to him. I told him he could stay over if he wanted to.