09-18-2016, 12:19 AM
The ride back to the camp was quiet, and Carolyne didn't have much to say in the classroom either. If that had been a real bullet, she'd be dead. She remembered the chill she felt right before it hit. It was hard to think about all the times her own ignorance could have gotten her killed overseas. Still, her job wasn't all running around getting shot at with fake bullets. She rubbed the spot on her forehead; it was definitely a bruise. She didn't even want to begin to think about how much effort it'd take to cover that up.
The staff sergeant was getting dressed down for bed and loading up her duffel bag when Carolyne pulled out her wallet. She wanted to start her series of articles on the 75th off as soon as possible. It'd be good to cement whatever happened later in the foundation of how things worked at home. "Sergeant Perez?"
She said, "I'm sorry I ruined your exercise."
The staff sergeant frowned at that. "The failure is mine, not yours. You didn't know any better."
She turned away and looked at a photo on the wall. "The whole purpose of training is to get better, anyway. So we make mistakes now rather than later."
Then she turned back at Carolyne. "Mistakes out there -- not paying attention -- will mean people killed. Don't forget that. Ever."
"I won't,"
Carolyne said, before pausing for a moment. "So you're not even a little pissed off at me?"
She scoffed. "Am I pissed off at you? No."
It sounded like she bit something back with that one. Carolyne knew better to tug at that thread. The staff sergeant's back was stiff and she wasn't putting her uniforms away too softly. To say she was built like a man would be a lie, but she was definitely thickly muscled.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it."
Carolyne turned back to her wallet and kept typing. "I'll get to bed once I finish this up. Hope you don't mind."
If the sergeant heard her, she didn't give any indication. She finished packing her stuff up, did some pushups, and turned in.
Carolyne finished writing and sent the article out. It was ten o'clock, and time for her to get to sleep. Knowing these Army people, they were probably going to be up and about at six o'clock.
Edited by Carolyne Weber, Sep 18 2016, 12:19 AM.
The staff sergeant was getting dressed down for bed and loading up her duffel bag when Carolyne pulled out her wallet. She wanted to start her series of articles on the 75th off as soon as possible. It'd be good to cement whatever happened later in the foundation of how things worked at home. "Sergeant Perez?"
She said, "I'm sorry I ruined your exercise."
The staff sergeant frowned at that. "The failure is mine, not yours. You didn't know any better."
She turned away and looked at a photo on the wall. "The whole purpose of training is to get better, anyway. So we make mistakes now rather than later."
Then she turned back at Carolyne. "Mistakes out there -- not paying attention -- will mean people killed. Don't forget that. Ever."
"I won't,"
Carolyne said, before pausing for a moment. "So you're not even a little pissed off at me?"
She scoffed. "Am I pissed off at you? No."
It sounded like she bit something back with that one. Carolyne knew better to tug at that thread. The staff sergeant's back was stiff and she wasn't putting her uniforms away too softly. To say she was built like a man would be a lie, but she was definitely thickly muscled.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it."
Carolyne turned back to her wallet and kept typing. "I'll get to bed once I finish this up. Hope you don't mind."
If the sergeant heard her, she didn't give any indication. She finished packing her stuff up, did some pushups, and turned in.
Carolyne finished writing and sent the article out. It was ten o'clock, and time for her to get to sleep. Knowing these Army people, they were probably going to be up and about at six o'clock.
Edited by Carolyne Weber, Sep 18 2016, 12:19 AM.