(no subject)
The rest of the company had already fallen out, heading back toward the mess hall for dinner. I slipped down from the rock on which I'd been perched, sighing heavily as I sprawled out in the long grass. Overhead, the sky was clear, but rather than blue, the humid hazed sapped it of all color as the sun sank toward the horizon. Humid, warm air shuffled lazily out of the south across the field, doing little to alleviate my sweaty discomfort. I let my eyes close, just ever so briefly, every bit of my body bruised and sore as it lay against the still-warm grass and stones.
"Not hungry?"
I opened my eyes. Rose stood over me, fatigue jacket removed, her olive-drab tank top soaked with sweat. She ran her hand through her short hair, glancing up at the horizon.
"They're gonna eat all the food, you know."
I groaned. "Bull."
She sighed and sat on the rock that I'd vacated. "Remember last night?"
I rolled my eyes and put my cap over my face. "I got dinner just fine. They only ran out of pudding, and I don't care."
Rose chuckled. "Fine." She shifted when I didn't respond right away. "So what the hell are you doing on the ground, Captain?"
I sighed. "I hurt, okay? And the effort required to get up and get food seems not worth the payoff."
"It is a nice night."
"Bullshit. It's fucking humid, the mosquitoes are eating me alive, there's no wind, and I happen to know the hot water pump for the barracks is broken."
Rose laughed, and swatted the cap from my face.
You know, I had become rather fond of her in the course of four days. She hated me immensely at first, both on account of me being from Central and the fact that I outranked her despite my lesser age. And yet, here we were, alone in a field, her angular, boyish face smiling down at me.
"Come on," she said at last, reaching down to take my hand. "Let's go eat."
"Feh." I resisted, not moving from the damp grass. "What's for dinner?"
"Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and corn."
I let her hoist me to my feet, every muscle screaming in protest. I watched as the sun finally sank behind the line of trees to the west before turning to her. "Cardboard, rehydrated sawdust, and fiber pellets."
She chuckled and started walking toward the mess hall. "You have such a way with words." She shook her head. "Definitely don't belong here." When I didn't follow immediately, she turned back toward me and extended a hand. "C'mon, Cap'n. I'll give you my pudding."
I grinned, and held my tongue.
"Not hungry?"
I opened my eyes. Rose stood over me, fatigue jacket removed, her olive-drab tank top soaked with sweat. She ran her hand through her short hair, glancing up at the horizon.
"They're gonna eat all the food, you know."
I groaned. "Bull."
She sighed and sat on the rock that I'd vacated. "Remember last night?"
I rolled my eyes and put my cap over my face. "I got dinner just fine. They only ran out of pudding, and I don't care."
Rose chuckled. "Fine." She shifted when I didn't respond right away. "So what the hell are you doing on the ground, Captain?"
I sighed. "I hurt, okay? And the effort required to get up and get food seems not worth the payoff."
"It is a nice night."
"Bullshit. It's fucking humid, the mosquitoes are eating me alive, there's no wind, and I happen to know the hot water pump for the barracks is broken."
Rose laughed, and swatted the cap from my face.
You know, I had become rather fond of her in the course of four days. She hated me immensely at first, both on account of me being from Central and the fact that I outranked her despite my lesser age. And yet, here we were, alone in a field, her angular, boyish face smiling down at me.
"Come on," she said at last, reaching down to take my hand. "Let's go eat."
"Feh." I resisted, not moving from the damp grass. "What's for dinner?"
"Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and corn."
I let her hoist me to my feet, every muscle screaming in protest. I watched as the sun finally sank behind the line of trees to the west before turning to her. "Cardboard, rehydrated sawdust, and fiber pellets."
She chuckled and started walking toward the mess hall. "You have such a way with words." She shook her head. "Definitely don't belong here." When I didn't follow immediately, she turned back toward me and extended a hand. "C'mon, Cap'n. I'll give you my pudding."
I grinned, and held my tongue.