She turned around and cheered on the rest of her platoon until they made it across. It was the end to a long morning of pain.
When they returned to the battalion area, they ate chow and then had to sit in another class, Call for Fire. Kimberly fought hard not to fall asleep. She felt herself leaning forward and her mouth falling open a few times. The instructor announcing break time was music to her ears.
“Looks like you need this.” Carlson handed her a five-hour energy drink as they stood outside the classroom.
She wasn’t a fan of energy drinks but didn’t drink coffee. “Bottoms up.”
It didn’t taste as bad as she expected, but she didn’t feel any different. The rest of the break she spent mingling with her squad members before returning to the class room. She took a seat and had to resist the urge from jumping up and running around the room. Her heart rate was up, and she felt jittery. The drink had kicked in. She looked at Carlson and didn’t know whether to thank him or curse him out. Her body and mind were awake all right, but going a mile a minute. Instead of paying attention to the instructor, she took notice of almost everyone in the course with her.
No different from society, her class was comprised of majority white males, sprinkled with a few females, blacks, two Hispanics, and one Asian guy. They all had one thing in common and that was to pass OCS, earning the honor of Lieutenant.
Prior to that moment, she really didn’t care about anyone else. Her focus was on her problems back home. She had gotten legally separated from her husband five weeks before attending the course. For a full year, he fought against her going while he received his promotion to Sergeant First Class. She supported him with each milestone he made, even if it meant going away to school. His argument against OCS was it being a twelve-week course.
“So what,” she’d said. “You were deployed and gone for twelve months less than two years ago.”
“I’m not sure I want to be married to an officer. How would that look?” he asked, half participating in the conversation as he looked past her at his favorite team playing basketball.
“It would look like a husband supporting his wife.” She stopped talking It went on like that for months until she went to use the computer and saw orders on the screen for him to attend the Sergeant Major’s Course.
“So you can attend another school and I can’t? What’s the real problem?” She waved the printed set of orders at him.
“A wife’s place is to support her husband.”
Her mouth flew open. “I support you at all times.”
“If you’re not here, then you’re not providing much support then are you?” He glared at her.
“If you’re never home, then there’s no one to support.” She threw her hands up in the air and walked out the room.
The next week, he went to training, and she was left in an empty house. While he was gone, she filled out her OCS packet. She debated turning it in to her supervisor or not. Feeling bad, she called her husband. The phone went straight to voicemail, and it was full. He had a bad habit of leaving old messages on his phone for weeks. She put in his code and went through his inbox deleting messages so she could leave one.
Just as she was getting ready to hit the number seven button to delete the next message, she heard, “I had such a great time last night. Can’t wait to see you again.”
She hung up the phone. The night before Charles was supposed to be studying. It was the reason he didn’t stay on the phone long. Picking the phone back up, Kimberly called him again. After two rings, she hung up. In her heart, she knew he’d deny it. Instead she said nothing. She submitted her OCS packet and filed for divorce.
“You coming out for break?” Carlson stood in front of her.
She glanced around and noticed the room was nearly clear. Time slipped away while she was thinking about her home life. “I’m good. I’d rather stay in the cool air for now.”
He sat back in his seat. “How are you enjoying OCS so far, Candidate Woodson?”
“About as much as any other candidate. Maybe more than First Platoon though.”
Carlson’s green eyes were on her as she spoke. Kimberly had to admit he wasn’t bad looking. He had brownish-blond hair, strong jaw line, and without his top on, she’d noticed he was very much in shape. When they were down in the dirt doing push-ups, she couldn’t take her eyes off his biceps.
“They do walk around as if they lost their best friend,” he said.
“Wouldn’t you? They’ve yet to have any moment of peace. Right before lights out, Staff Sergeant Isome had them in the hallway doing flutter kicks.”
“Do those hurt?” He pointed to the bruises on her arm.
From holding onto the wooden planks and ropes on the obstacle course, her biceps and forearms had turned purple along with signs of broken blood vessels. She had no doubt her legs were showing the same markings.
“Not as long as I keep popping Motrin and don’t touch them. They do look pretty bad, don’t they?”
“Maybe you should’ve fallen a few times like the others and it wouldn’t be so bad.” He laughed.
Their conversation was interrupted by the rest of the class piling back in the room. She focused her attention back on the class, but every so often, her gaze drifted to the left to catch glimpses of Carlson.
Chapter Four
Jonathan flinched from the spray of freezing water. Later in the day, the water would have been a welcomed refreshment, but as the cool morning air hit him, it sent a chill down his spine. The instructor turned off the hose, and Jonathan moved into the line of the first station for Water Survival.
When he woke up that morning, his body screamed out with pain. He had to do stretching exercises in order to get out his bed.
“Ah!” a female candidate screamed out after being pushed in the water.
Jonathan watched her struggle.
“Candidate, stop splashing and get moving!” The First Platoon cadre, Staff Sergeant Isome stood on the side of the pool.
Her head went underwater. Staff Sergeant Isome and the cadre from Forth Platoon grabbed her out the pool.
“You’re done. Off to the side and out the way,” Staff Sergeant Isome said.
The female was in the group with the no swimmers. One by one, they were pushed in and pulled out the pool. It surprised him when Woodson didn’t join the group. She was the only black female out of the five in the company who stayed behind.
“Next!” Staff Sergeant Isome said.
The male in front of Jonathan went. He made it across the pool but failed to retrieve his weapon when pushed off the high dive.
Jonathan was next. He wasn’t prepared for the shove he got from behind which knocked him into the water. The water he swallowed tasted awful.
Don’t you dare quit. Spitting it out, he recovered and worked his way across the pool.
The dummy M16 felt like dead weight in his arms. His boots were heavy with water and hindered him. He had no choice but to dog paddle the last five feet. His body burned from muscle fatigue, but he made it across.
Splash! The next candidate was in the pool, working their way across. Jonathan made his way out and walked over to the high dive. He saw Woodson swimming across the pool. She held the weapon out front with both hands and paddled with her feet, making it look easy.
“Any day now, candidate,” Captain Brown said.
Jonathan took his gaze from Woodson and began climbing the ladder. When he reached the top, another instructor was waiting.
“Hold your weapon above your head. You don’t want to be the one who loses a tooth from getting hit in the mouth.”
He pulled Jonathan’s wool cap over his head and ushered him down the platform.
“Oh, shit!” he screamed as he fell off the edge. There was no warning. He thought the instructor would let him know when he got close. Jonathan hit the water hard and sank. Estimating the impact of the pool bottom, he used it to push off and swam back to the top. He removed the wool cap and s
wam to the edge.
“Nice job, but you forgot something,” Captain Brown pointed in the pool.
His weapon. He turned around and went to retrieve it. He’d failed. He, along with anyone else, would receive a negative mark. Because of the no swimmers, it would be over a third of the class.
“Go dry off,” Captain Brown said.
“Yes, sir.” Jonathan handed him the weapon and web belt for the next person.
As he walked away, he noticed Woodson going into the building as well. He sped up to catch up to her.
“What happened?” he asked. “You were doing great.”
“So great I got to the end and dropped my weapon while trying to pull myself out,” she said with a smile.
“What are you happy for?”
“I didn’t want to do the high dive. That’s some Fear Factor type stuff. I place that in the same category as to why I won’t go to Airborne School.” She pointed to his Airborne Patch on his uniform. “I like my feet on the ground. What happened to you?”
“My weapon didn’t make it back with me.”
“See, that’s why I didn’t even waste my time with it.” Her smile grew bigger.
“Woodson? You dropped your weapon on purpose?” He looked into her brown eyes.
“Damn right. The athlete in me pushed me across the water, but my common sense kicked in before I got out the pool. All we are required to do was put in an effort. I swam. That was my effort.”
She left him standing there and headed into the female locker room. He shook his head at her and went into the males. He had to admit she was right. She did put in effort. Woodson had a fighter spirit, and he liked it. She didn’t just give up when pushed in the pool. She completed the task but knew her limitations and came out with the same result as he did. The negative mark for Water Survival didn’t mean much unless he was trying to go for Distinguished Honor Graduate. It wasn’t a big deal to him. The newbies could fight it out for the top. All that matters was passing the class.
Chapter Five
“I can’t talk right now.”
“You can’t or you won’t,” Kimberly’s husband, Charles said.
She knew she shouldn’t have answered the call, having minutes before she needed to be in formation, but the insistent vibrating was driving her insane.
“Can’t. We’re not allowed to talk during the day.”
“You better call me tonight.” He hung up on her.
Kimberly put the phone on silent and put it away. Now she had a headache to go along with her sore body. Between the Bolton Obstacle Course, Water Survival, combatives, and marching or running everywhere, her body was taking a pounding. She and her roommates’ resembled women in an abuse shelter, only they all asked for the abuse by daring to be officers for the Army.
“You okay?” her roommate, Craig, asked.
“I’m good.”
“I’m not stupid. Every time you talk to him, you have a pissed off look on your face when you hang up. Tell him to go to hell.”
“Then he’d be here with us.”
They burst out laughing.
“Come on before we’re late,” Stevens, her other roommate, said.
Kimberly flicked the light switch, and they took off down the hall, the three flights of stairs, around the building, and on to their platoon. Seeing Carlson caused her to forget about her soon to be ex-husband. Her mind flashed back to the morning combatives:
“All right, candidates, when your opponent has you penned down, you need to flip them off. You prop your leg up, and thrust their body with your hips. At the same time, you do a reverse arm bar,” Captain Brown said.
He and Sergeant First Class Lopez demonstrated the move. They looked like trained WWE wrestlers.
“Now, don’t be getting all fancy trying to do other stuff. Practice the moves we showed you,” Sergeant First Class Lopez instructed. “Break off in pairs.”
Kimberly looked around for the other females in her platoon. They had already paired up. With an odd number, she had to go with a male.
“I guess that leaves you and me,” Carlson said, tapping her on the shoulder.
“I’ll take it easy on you.”
Kimberly started out on top. She tried to bear down all her weight, but with her one hundred and twenty pounds to his one ninety-five, he flipped her over with ease. They switched, and she lay on the ground. It wasn’t easy, but she was able to get her hips up and began rolling him to the side. He looked into her eyes and resisted.
Carlson smiled at her as she struggled against him. It wasn’t mocking, but she could tell he was enjoying himself. She fell back flat.
“It’s not that easy,” he said.
“Nothing in life worth having ever is.” Raising her hips, she worked her body against his trying the maneuver again.
Hardness pressed against her stomach. Carlson’s eyes grew big. She took advantage and flipped him. They faced each other and said nothing. Her breathing increased. Kimberly was shocked and intrigued at the same time. Why is this white man getting turned on by me?
As she walked up to the formation, she was confused on if she should bring it up or not.
“Carlson, use your drill sergeant skills and call cadence,” the Student Platoon Sergeant said.
Carlson stepped out the formation and stood in front of the platoon.
Her problem was solved. She sighed a bit of relief. It was best to leave it alone.
“I’m a steam roller, baby!” Carlson called.
“I’m a steam roller, baby!” she sounded off with the rest of her platoon.
“And I’m rolling down the line,” he continued on.
Kimberly loved marching cadence, especially when the person calling them had a great voice and soul. Carlson had both. She focused on his voice and not her aching body.
When they reached the building and he stopped calling cadence, she was a little disappointed. She’d rather listen to him motivate their platoon for another hour than sit in history class.
He turned the platoon over and stepped back into his spot in the formation. As they filed into the classroom, she noticed the spark in his eyes.
“Back in your element, I see,” she said.
“Nothing better than leading troops.”
“You won’t get to do that too often once we graduate. I hardly ever see an officer call cadence.”
“OCS wasn’t my first choice, but I’m here now. I’ll be the exception.” He followed behind the other candidates and filled in the row.
Although curious as to why OCS wasn’t his first choice, she left it alone. She had her own reasons in being there and didn’t want to get into it with him. They took their seats in the auditorium-sized class room. It reminded Kimberly of her Criminal Justice classes in college.
For the rest of the afternoon, her ears were subjected to more of history of the Army and wars than she ever wanted to know. Knowing history was one of the most failed portions of OCS, she paid attention and took notes.
On the breaks, she mingled with the other candidates in the hallway. Everyone seemed more relaxed at the school house than around the company area. The OCS Cadre was no longer around. They got them to and from the schoolhouse. Once there, the candidates were under the charge of the instructors, and unlike the cadre, they were laid back.
“You’ve been in the military for ten years?” Craig asked.
“Yes,” Kimberly answered.
“Well, I can see why you decided to switch over. You still have a lot of years left. I want to know why some of the others are here, like Henderson in first platoon. He was a Master Sergeant. I heard he only had two years before he reaches his twenty.” Craig lowered her voice as she spoke.
“After you’ve been in a while, you’ll understand more. Some people want a change. Henderson may have been a Master Sergeant and close to retirement, but I bet he still has another ten years in him. As an officer, he’ll more than likely get more time.” Seeing the signal to return to class, Kimberly start
ed heading back in the classroom.
“Just so you know, I think you have and admirer,” Craig said, taking her seat. She shifted her gaze to the right.
Kimberly caught Carlson looking in her direction. Her cheeks warmed. She hoped no one could see their rosiness as she took her own seat.
The rest of the class, her focus was off. Jonathan wasn’t just looking at her; there was something more behind his eyes—yearning and she was drawn to them. She had to fight blushing every time she caught him. He looked at her the way Charles used to when they first met. It caused her heart to flutter.
He needs to take notes instead of watching me.
During their final break, before being dismissed to head to chow, she stopped and asked, “Can I help you with something?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” He smiled.
His smile made her smile. It was infectious and inviting. She tried to resist smiling back and put on a serious face.
“Why do you keep looking at me?”
“How would you know unless you’re looking back?”
He had a point. She left him standing in the hall and went out to the formation area. When everyone was outside, the Student Platoon Sergeant had Carlson call cadence again. A smile crept on her face. This time she allowed it to stay there as she repeated his words.
________
“So, how’s the class going?” Charles asked.
“Since when do you care? You never wanted me here.” She turned her back away from the other candidates lounging in the day room. Her plan had been to go outside and call him, but the rain prevented her.
“I do care about you. I want you home.”
“Home? That’s no longer my home, remember. You wouldn’t leave so I did.”
“A hotel isn’t your home.”
She glanced back at the other candidates to make sure they weren’t paying attention. “Neither is the place you decided to bring another woman to. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out? Her weave was on my pillow case.”
Soldiers in Heat: Training Session Page 2
