Challenge Me, page 12
“You ready for this, private?” the technician asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
The fitting had to rank among one of the strangest things he’d ever felt. Having part of your body wrapped then encased in plaster then silicone was not something he wanted to go through many more times. Unfortunately, Jamie had told him that this was just his temporary prosthetic and eventually one would be custom made for him. He had the temporary one on currently and it felt weird.
The liner was comfortable but the pressure of the socket was something to adjust to. Briar was cautioned to gradually increase how much he walked on the new appendage so he didn’t develop blisters or sores and he’d need to build up his tolerance and muscles.
Sam was waiting for Briar when he rolled in with BB.
“BB seems glued to you more than normal today. You okay?” Sam asked as Briar entered.
“Yeah, I think he’s just concerned with the break in routine.” Briar checked out BB and he did look a bit on edge. Briar did an internal check and he did feel off but nothing he could put his finger on.
“Come on, on your feet. Time for you to start walking again on two feet. Treadmill time will start adjusting you to the coordination you’ll need to gain. I’ll stand at the back to catch you should you stumble.”
Briar looked at the treadmill and nodded his head. “Need to move this forward. I’ve got a hot date for a Ranger School graduation in a just over two months.”
Chapter Twenty
Christ, if Top hadn’t almost killed him training him for Ranger, Randolph would’ve recycled or been kicked out by now. Two MREs a day for eighteen days with only maybe four hours of sleep? Everyone knew that Ranger School was among the hardest schools in the military—maybe only beaten by BUDs and SF selection—but they didn’t know know it. He thought that he was prepared. Read all he could about what was going to happen; how much they would do and the expectations; he only thought he knew what he was getting into.
When they’d had mail call today, Randolph was the envy of the platoon. Seemed each member of the crews had written him at least once. Briar had sent three different letters, and his dad had even sent one. Those little pieces from home meant the world. Each one of them gave him a boost in confidence that he could do this. The letter from his dad was a bit strange though, the handwriting looked shaky and he rambled a bit. Randolph would need to call him when they finally got access. Maybe he’d even call his cousin and ask him what was going on.
“Sergeant roster number 189,” the RI called out his number and snapped him to attention.
“Yes?” It was never good to be singled out.
“All soldiers have been through combatives but you were showing above-average skills specifically with the knife defense.” Oh thank God. He wasn’t in trouble, at least he didn’t think he was.
“Yes, sergeant. Back at home base there are several of us that were having difficulties with combatives and found a jiu-jitsu academy to augment our training.”
The RI just stared at him then nodded. “Go back to your platoon.”
§ § § §
Briar had thought he was in good shape. He’d worked out for hours on end, but balancing with an artificial foot was more difficult than he’d imagined, and he was using muscles he never realized he had.
He was actually happy now that Randolph wasn’t here to watch this. Yeah, he’d seen Briar at one of the worst times of his life but seeing him crying because of the pain from walking? That wasn’t anything he would choose for him to witness. It was bad enough that Jack saw him stumbling around the house. BB walked patiently at his side each step he took.
Sam had told him that he would need to give himself a break. Briar thought that was the hardest thing he’d been asked to do with this. He was impatient and he knew it.
Jack was trying to distract him today by bringing him to the clinic to observe. He was serious that Briar could have a job if he wanted one. Briar missed working with animals so maybe it would be a place for him. He just didn’t want Jack to give him a job out of pity. After being at the clinic for an hour or so, Briar knew it wasn’t out of pity. The place was hopping and they definitely needed more staff.
Briar was manning the desk and phones while the other staff were assisting Jack and the two other vets in the practice. BB laid quietly behind the desk not even flinching when a dog would bark. Briar was studying the different screens on the computer system when Becky, one of the technicians, handed him a folder.
“Briar will check you and Snuggles out, Mrs. Wallace. By the time he has you all set, I’ll be back with Snuggles’ new medication,” Becky said then walked away.
Briar looked at the older woman standing on the other side of the counter. She barely could see over it but she was all smiles for him.
“Mrs. Wallace, is it? Please bear with me as I’m new here.” Briar turned back to the computer and by some miracle hit the correct combination of keys to bring up the record for Snuggles. After scanning the information, Briar compared it with the folder in front of him. The computer and the folder didn’t match. Maybe he’d hit the wrong file? He confirmed that he was looking at the right one. “Ma’am, it’ll be one minute. I need to go make sure I’m doing this right.”
Briar grabbed his crutches and put some weight on his prosthetic, moving around the counter. BB followed him and Snuggles apparently didn’t like that idea. Snuggles charged BB who blocked the pug from getting at Briar. The pug had enough force behind him that he shoved BB into Briar who hit the counter hard and went down.
“Snuggles! What did the mean dog do to you?” Mrs. Wallace grabbed up the pug and blew kisses at the dog.
“Briar! Are you okay?” Becky yelled which brought other staff running, including Jack.
“Shit, did something come loose?” Jack asked as he helped Briar up.
Briar leaned down and adjusted his socket which had turned a bit. “I’m fine. Snuggles must not like other dogs as he—”
“She,” Mrs. Wallace interrupted.
“She charged BB who did as he was trained and protected me. I just got bumped and went down into the counter.”
“Mrs. Wallace, haven’t we cautioned you in the past to keep tighter control of Snuggles when at the clinic?” Jack asked.
“Well, how was I supposed to know a dog was following the cripple,” she said snarkily.
“Totally not appropriate for the clinic, Mrs. Wallace,” Doctor Appleby said. “Briar will be joining our staff and is far from crippled. He served our country honorably and for that he lost part of his leg. He will be treated with the same respect as the rest of the staff or you will be asked to bring your animal to another clinic.” Briar had only met the doctor this morning and really hadn’t talked to her, but her defense of him made him feel welcome.
Mrs. Wallace was muttering to herself—or her dog— then turned to Becky and asked, “Can you check me out so I can leave? He couldn’t figure it out.”
While Briar had always treated clients respectfully, he’d had enough. “He could figure it out,” he snapped. “But he realized that you were being overcharged and was going to confirm what he thought he saw and save you money. Oops, my bad.” Briar covered his mouth and shrugged his shoulders.
He could see that Jack and Dr. Appleby were trying not to laugh and Becky left the front area quickly. When the door to the lab closed, he could hear laughing.
Dr. Appleby got herself under control and put out her hand for the folder. “Let me see.” She compared the folder to the information on the screen and said, “You’re correct, Briar. One of us must have hit the wrong button in the exam room. Please change the computer to match the folder and ring out Mrs. Wallace, please. I’ll grab the meds that Becky seems to have misplaced.”
It only took Briar two seconds to make the change and he told Mrs. Wallace, “Your total for today, including the six months of heartworm is $101.75.” By the time Dr. Appleby was back, he’d processed her debit card and printed her receipt. Jack escorted her and Snuggles to the door.
“Never a dull moment with you, is there?” Jack teased. “Okay, I’m going back to the Doberman in two.”
“Nice to have you here, Briar. I think you’ll fit in just fine,” Dr. Appleby said as she walked to her office.
Briar settled back behind the counter and looked down at BB. “Well, not bad for our first day.”
Chapter Twenty-one
The world around Randolph was getting a bit hazy. Between the lack of sleep and MREs, he was starting to feel a bit…lost. Camp Merrill had an awesome DFAC that made the most delicious blueberry pancakes. He’d have to make some for Blueberry when he got home. Oh yeah, he might be losing it. The next four weeks were definitely going to test him and the others.
He really wanted to write a letter to Briar and tell him about all that was going on but every time he sat down to write, he fell asleep. Maybe instead of a whole letter, he could try just writing the date and something short and once he filled the paper, mail it. Yeah, that might work or he could just keep adding to it and adding to it and give it to Briar at the end. Sorta like a journal. Randolph reached into his ruck and pulled out a small notebook.
Dear Briar, figured out I don’t have a lot of time to write so I’m just going to jot things down that I want to share with you when I’ve got the energy. Miss you all the time.
Day 21 – never realized how much this was going to suck. Missed you when you deployed but it wasn’t like this. This time it’s like you’re sitting on my shoulder kicking my ass each day. Kinda makes it a bit easier.
Day 25 – only about three hours of sleep over the past four days; watched one of the guys just blackout standing waiting for patrol orders. Christ, I hope I can keep it together.
Day 31 – had an inspection today and two, count them two, were stupid enough to hoard items from MREs. What they were thinking, I’m not sure. One had a vanilla dairy shake, the other had kept random things like coffee packets and salt. Got some mail from Dad today and really think there’s something wrong.
Day 33 – graded patrols suck. Okay, a lot sucks during this phase but the scenery here is unbelievable. You should see all the stars in the sky. Wish we could share them. Maybe we’ll go on vacation to some mountain cabin and lie out under the stars.
Day 35 – you cannot get through this by yourself. We grouped together today and tried to motivate each other. Focus for a few more days of the mountains or recycle through and spend four more weeks.
Day 39 – today started with a formation and the RIs started calling out roster numbers. Praying began for all of us whether religious or not. Please don’t call my number, please don’t call my number. My Ranger buddy’s number was called and he can’t figure out why. I can’t figure it out either. His patrols were organized. The RIs finished and bless the Lord, my number wasn’t called.
Day 40 – airborne refresher for the jump into Florida phase tomorrow. Hooah. Miss you so much.
§ § § §
Jack came bouncing into the living room, waving an envelope in the air. “Look what I’ve got.”
Briar just sat there watching him. Some days it took all Briar had to get from the bed to the couch. He knew that it was more mental at this stage than physical but… Where Jack got the energy after a full day at the clinic and then black belt class, Briar didn’t know.
“Going to guess?” Jack stopped in front of Briar, holding the letter in the air.
“You won Publisher’s Clearinghouse?”
“Ha, ha, very funny. Seems like Randolph found a bit of time and wrote you a letter.”
Briar sat there blinking. He hadn’t expected to hear from Brand while he was gone. Sure, he’d written him letters and sent a package but he knew how little sleep and rest they got during each phase. He took the letter from Jack and ran his hand over the writing. A tiny piece of Brand, he was going to save it for later.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” Jack seemed just as interested in what Brand had written as he was.
“In a little bit. I’m going to make dinner first.” Briar pushed himself off the couch and grabbed the cane next to him. It had taken him a few weeks but he was getting the hang of all that was involved with his prosthetic. He’d only gotten a few chaffing spots that he’d babied so he didn’t get blisters.
“Seriously? You’re hearing from Randolph for the first time in weeks…granted it’s a letter and not a call but still.”
“Yeah, I’m going to wait to read it. I’m hungry for fried chicken tonight. You burned a lot of calories today so it shouldn’t matter, right?”
“I was thinking pizza with maybe some wings?” Jack asked hopefully.
“You’ve still got an aversion to your kitchen, don’t you?”
Jack was smiling while nodding his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He reached for his phone and just as his hand closed around it, the tone for the clinic sounded off. “Shit. Doctor Dillon.”
Briar could tell that he would be eating dinner alone tonight within thirty seconds. A mask dropped over Jack’s face that said an animal was hurting.
“I’ll be at the clinic in ten minutes.” He hung up the phone before turning to Briar. “Order yourself something. Don’t go cooking a big meal just for yourself. You deserve a break too. I know you were at PT for four hours today and don’t think I didn’t see that small wince when you stood up. You’ve been pushing too hard and are going to set yourself back. Now, call the pizza place, have something bad for you, take a bath and read Randolph’s letter.”
“Should I salute after all those orders?” Briar snarked at Jack.
“Nah, I don’t need anything that formal. A ‘yes Jack, thank you for watching out for me’ will suffice.” Jack grabbed his car keys from the side table and headed to the garage door. “I’ll be back… when I’m back. Could be a really short emergency or an all-nighter.”
A short one would mean the animal died before Jack could save them. A long one? Jack would give all his energy to help the animal. Briar didn’t know which to hope for. Long would mean hope for the animal but would drain Jack. Somewhere in between would be good.
Briar noticed BB looking toward the French doors. Maybe he’d just sit out back and read Brand’s letter. Yeah, he’d always liked looking at the stars.
Chapter Twenty-two
By the time he got to Camp Rudder, Randolph was close to being a zombie. Okay, it wasn’t just him. He was kinda looking forward to this phase the most. Urban operations, waterborne operations, and CASEVAC. A good portion of the enlisted soldiers in this class had some combat experience in one or the other of the current Middle East locations so urban operations weren’t completely foreign to us. Our officer counterparts? Yeah, not so much.
Eighteen more days and he’d made it. Okay, he still had to get his Go for this phase and he knew it wasn’t going to be easy. He was so close he could almost taste it. Briar, Siah and May were coming down for graduation. Guess Jack was on-call for the clinic because of some conference that the other vets were at, so he couldn’t make it. The others told him they were going to celebrate his achievements when he got home. They didn’t want to flood the graduation.
He’d called his cousin during his last pass and Russ had said that his father was fine. Randolph had sent him the graduation information, so he might be there too. What a decision—who to ask to pin on his tab. His lover or his father. Christ, he should take the chicken way out and have May or Siah do it. He had enough time to think about that later. First to finish this fucker.
§ § § §
He’d done it. He’d earned his tab. Randolph wasn’t sure if it had really sunk in. Might not even sink in until he had to update his uniforms back home. The last two weeks were almost a blur. There were a few things he knew he would never forget. Having a soldier fall because of not paying attention and having a broken log go through his leg; watching the Apaches hover overhead during the training operation; the sunset many of the nights here at Camp Rudder.
It was time for them all to clean up and report for their twelve-hour pass. Briar, May and Siah were going to be waiting in the parking lot. Randolph just hoped he stayed awake. Maybe he could talk Briar into taking a nap with him.
Soon enough he was walking across the parking lot and there they were. Randolph held himself back from running but he was so glad to see them…okay, Briar more than the other two.
“Hey, stranger!” Briar said as he got closer.
“Hey, yourself.” Randolph couldn’t stop looking at Briar. It took him a minute to realize the difference. Briar was standing on his own. Not even a cane in sight. He’d known that Briar was working with the prosthetic, but seeing it was amazing.
“Ahem, nice to see you too,” Siah teased, breaking Randolph’s focus. He turned and smiled at May and Siah.
“Hey guys. Any chance you’re going my way? Maybe for some food, and I’d almost kill for a nap.”
May reached over and smacked him on the shoulder. “Proud of you.”
“Let’s feed Phinny then I think I’d like to go to the movies, Carter.” Siah winked at Randolph as he walked away.
Briar covered his mouth with his hand, faking a yawn. “Oh I don’t know if I’m up for a movie, I might need to lie down.”
Randolph started laughing and the others joined him. “Christ, I missed you all.”
“Food, move it,” May said.
§ § § §
If Briar hadn’t expected Brand to look so drawn and exhausted, he would’ve been worried. Brand looked like he’d lost at least ten pounds, if not more, and had dark circles under his eyes. But even with that, Briar was happy to see him again.
Carter was driving, with Siah in the front, and Brand had collapsed in the back seat next to him. Brand reached over and took Briar’s hand in his. Once they’d left base, Brand dropped his head onto Briar’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Yeah, he didn’t mind being Brand’s pillow.
