Operation Farewell written by Recruit Downes
Place - EHP Squad Bay, Parris Island
Time - 0345 am.
Operation Farewell:
Recruit Downes opened his eyes slowly, when he felt someone shaking his foot. It took a momment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. At the end of his rack he saw recruit Potter wearing his cammies, the red lense on his moonbeam indicating he was on firewatch. Potter grinned, then tapped his wrist where a watch would have been, then moved off. "It's time" thought Downes as he slipped out of his rack, dressed in green sweats. It took only a minute for him to put on his black beanie and gloves. When that was done, he crept quietly along behind the racks, taking care not to be noticed by the firewatch. Seven racks down, he stopped and listened. Recruit Cousins snored softly, not so loud as to disturb anyone, but enough that one would know he was asleep.
Recruit Cousins, of all the recruits he'd met, Downes disliked him the most. Cousins had single handedly caused more shit than any 5 recruits combined. He had been caught sleeping in the shower while everyone was cleaning the squad bay. He repeatedly streaked naked after lights out. Worst of all, in Downes mind he was self centered. He didn't care if someone got in trouble because of him, but if he got in trouble because of someone else, there would be hell to pay. But all that was about to change. Tonight was Cousins last night in EHP before he went home, and Downes had a going away present lined up for him.
He glanced at the firewatch near the head, and waited. That was the first obstacle to overcome. From the firewatches vantage point, if he looked to his left, Downes would be spotted. A few seconds later though, Potter came into view, and started a whispered conversation with him, making sure the firewatch kept his back towards Cousins bunk. As soon as Potter had him distracted, Downes stood up and opened Cousins ALICE pack, and pulled out a camo colored poncho liner. The liners were multipurpose, with strings on each corner to secure to a poncho, or it could be used as a blanket. With that in hand, he moved besides Cousins, then softly draped the blanket over his sleeping form. Checking to make sure Potter still had the firewatch distracted, Downes laid down on his back and slid under the rack, pulling out 4 boot bands he had put in his gloves. "Now comes the hard Part" he whispered. It was nearly pitch black under the rack, but he couldn't risk using his moonbeam, which meant he had to do everything by touch. Feeling around, he found the strings on the corners of the blankets, and secured a boot strap to each. Then, very carefully, he brought the front left and the right boot strap together, clasping them in the center, then rotated and did the same to the rear ones. That accomplished, he putted himself out from under the rack, and returned to his own, stashing his gear away before he laid down to wait.
At 0400 hours exactly, the lights came on and the DI came on deck screaming as usual for everyone to get on line. Since he was on bedrest, Downes was exempt from that. He turned his head and watched the flurry of motion as recruits lept, staggered, and bolted from their racks. Except for one... Recruit Cousins struggled vainly to escape from his prison, securly pinned to his rack by the poncho liner. As he finally got one arm free, the DI was on him in a flash. "Dammit recruit, when I say get the FUCK online, I mean NOW! Not when your sorry ass wants to" "Sir, this recruit is tied to his rack Sir!" Cousins yelled. "NO FUCKING SHIT! You think I'm blind!? No, wait, you must think I fucking care! Well I don't. If you spent half as much time doing what you're suppost to instead of jacking off and pissing off people, you wouldn't be in this fucking position! Apparently somebody doesn't fucking like you, almost as much as me!" Without missing a beat, he took a deep breath and continued. "That's okay though, you take all the time you want laying on your lazy ass. We'll just stand here and wait on you" It took nearly a minute and a half before Cousins managed to free himself and get online, the entire time the DI screaming at him, sometimes understandable, most of the time not.
Downes laid back in his rack, grinning from ear to ear, thinking that today was going to be a good day.
Time - 0345 am.
Operation Farewell:
Recruit Downes opened his eyes slowly, when he felt someone shaking his foot. It took a momment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. At the end of his rack he saw recruit Potter wearing his cammies, the red lense on his moonbeam indicating he was on firewatch. Potter grinned, then tapped his wrist where a watch would have been, then moved off. "It's time" thought Downes as he slipped out of his rack, dressed in green sweats. It took only a minute for him to put on his black beanie and gloves. When that was done, he crept quietly along behind the racks, taking care not to be noticed by the firewatch. Seven racks down, he stopped and listened. Recruit Cousins snored softly, not so loud as to disturb anyone, but enough that one would know he was asleep.
Recruit Cousins, of all the recruits he'd met, Downes disliked him the most. Cousins had single handedly caused more shit than any 5 recruits combined. He had been caught sleeping in the shower while everyone was cleaning the squad bay. He repeatedly streaked naked after lights out. Worst of all, in Downes mind he was self centered. He didn't care if someone got in trouble because of him, but if he got in trouble because of someone else, there would be hell to pay. But all that was about to change. Tonight was Cousins last night in EHP before he went home, and Downes had a going away present lined up for him.
He glanced at the firewatch near the head, and waited. That was the first obstacle to overcome. From the firewatches vantage point, if he looked to his left, Downes would be spotted. A few seconds later though, Potter came into view, and started a whispered conversation with him, making sure the firewatch kept his back towards Cousins bunk. As soon as Potter had him distracted, Downes stood up and opened Cousins ALICE pack, and pulled out a camo colored poncho liner. The liners were multipurpose, with strings on each corner to secure to a poncho, or it could be used as a blanket. With that in hand, he moved besides Cousins, then softly draped the blanket over his sleeping form. Checking to make sure Potter still had the firewatch distracted, Downes laid down on his back and slid under the rack, pulling out 4 boot bands he had put in his gloves. "Now comes the hard Part" he whispered. It was nearly pitch black under the rack, but he couldn't risk using his moonbeam, which meant he had to do everything by touch. Feeling around, he found the strings on the corners of the blankets, and secured a boot strap to each. Then, very carefully, he brought the front left and the right boot strap together, clasping them in the center, then rotated and did the same to the rear ones. That accomplished, he putted himself out from under the rack, and returned to his own, stashing his gear away before he laid down to wait.
At 0400 hours exactly, the lights came on and the DI came on deck screaming as usual for everyone to get on line. Since he was on bedrest, Downes was exempt from that. He turned his head and watched the flurry of motion as recruits lept, staggered, and bolted from their racks. Except for one... Recruit Cousins struggled vainly to escape from his prison, securly pinned to his rack by the poncho liner. As he finally got one arm free, the DI was on him in a flash. "Dammit recruit, when I say get the FUCK online, I mean NOW! Not when your sorry ass wants to" "Sir, this recruit is tied to his rack Sir!" Cousins yelled. "NO FUCKING SHIT! You think I'm blind!? No, wait, you must think I fucking care! Well I don't. If you spent half as much time doing what you're suppost to instead of jacking off and pissing off people, you wouldn't be in this fucking position! Apparently somebody doesn't fucking like you, almost as much as me!" Without missing a beat, he took a deep breath and continued. "That's okay though, you take all the time you want laying on your lazy ass. We'll just stand here and wait on you" It took nearly a minute and a half before Cousins managed to free himself and get online, the entire time the DI screaming at him, sometimes understandable, most of the time not.
Downes laid back in his rack, grinning from ear to ear, thinking that today was going to be a good day.