Kicking it with Kit
Chapter 1
Going Home
I left the box of uniforms on the bed, and hoisted my duffel over my shoulder. I was done, finally and officially done. I had signed the papers, shook the necessary hands, and saluted for the last official time. The boys that knew I was leaving had showed up as I was finishing up packing and given me hugs. I had heard a lot of "Sorry to see you go Needle" and "Don't think this means we don't get to see you around sexy." I loved my boys, we had become family over the years. I don't know what it is about working with a team that has your back, even if it's just breakups or guys bothering you in a bar. But it creates a family atmosphere the likes of which I hadn't experienced before this. I worked with such a select group over the past 4 years that we had developed that bond.
I guess I should back up a little bit. My name is Stephanie Michelle Plum, nicknamed Needle, and my days in the ARMY Rangers are done. Yeah, yeah I know what you are thinking a female Ranger? No way... Yes way I was one of the best medics this place had ever seen, second only to the legendary Brown. I was normally sent out with the 2nd best team in the country, as Bobby Brown took care of the "Big Guns" as we liked to call them. I had fallen in love with the ARMY and serving our country, especially when they paid for my tuition to medical school. I had done my service and time, and now it was time to go home.
When I reached my new truck, my guys were there. Buck, brothers Hawk and Talon, Screech, Zip, Dutch, Mack, and Bo. I had served with this group of guys, and they were my family. I allowed myself to draw some flashbacks from my memory. Hawk teaching me to shoot his sniper rifle at his home in Georgia on leave. Bo and I racing across the open desert of Nevada at his family ranch. Zip taking me out dancing in Miami at his Sister's club. Talon taking me bow hunting in Georgia, and helping me bring down my first buck. Attending Screech's wedding to his wife Amanda, and watching as Screech brought out his first born son to the waiting room. Finding out Mack and Dutch were partners, not only in our team but in life, and sharing their ceremony on the beach in California. These were things that brought me closer to each of these wonderful men that I had served our country with. I was closer to them than I was my own sister. Hell than I was with any of my family. The only person I considered myself closer with was my best friend Melanie. I spent every spare moment and summer on her ranch learning to ride horses and later barrel racing at all the local rodeos.
Snapping out of whatever trance my flashback had put me in I threw my duffel into the back seat of my new truck. A black and chrome 2014 Ford F-350. I'd picked it out when I had finally put my old Mustang in storage. So of course, being a country cowgirl at heart, I picked out a jacked up, leather interior, fully loaded diesel 4x4 truck. Who could blame me, I loved this damn truck.
I turned to my boys giving them each our own special greeting, before kissing them on the cheek. With that, Bo settled a cooler full of snacks and drinks in the back seat. I jumped in my truck rolled down the window and waved as they all drove away.
I sat back against the cool leather seat with my hands on the wheel as I took a deep breath before pulling out to head towards the highway. I was headed home for the 1st time in over 6 years.
As I drove I allowed my mind to wander. I had applied and received a position as an ER Certified Nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Trenton, NJ where I grew up. I still wasn't sure the exact reason I was going home. It could have been a desire to reconnect with my family, although I'm almost 100% positive that was not going to happen. The more likely reason was to become fast friend with my best friend Melanie once again. We had stayed connect through facebook and by writing back and forth. She had been my connection to my hometown and the people I once thought I knew. It seemed my mother had all but shunned me, never talking about her "other daughter" and instead focusing on my sister St. Valerie. Valerie was always the perfect little "Burg" clone of my mother.
I grew up in a little suburb called Chambersburg. The houses were all identical, little duplexes with small but very upright designs. Living room, kitchen, laundry and dining room on the bottom floor, 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom on the top floor. The windows are always clean, gossip is always shared between cleaning and making lunch and dinner is always on the table at 6pm sharp. Girls marry young and have babies shortly after, divorce is equal to murder and everyone is always more concerned about how it makes you look not how it makes you feel.
Now St. Valerie was always the perfect one, could cook in the kitchen with my mother, while I always burned water. She was a talented ballerina, while I could never remember a routine. She aced Home-Ec, while I was 'forced' to take shop class for fear of burning down the building (the joke was on my mother and the school, I loved shop class!).
I had called Melanie that morning letting her know that I was heading home. I would stay at her ranch while I looked for an apartment about half way between the ranch and work. I already knew that I now controlled my life that I would jump immediately back into riding and barrel racing, possibly even learn to rope. I had lived for the freedom of racing across the pasture or arena. The strength of team it took to make you competitive. It wasn't just sitting there and letting the horse do the work. There was a give and take involved in an intricate team dynamic. Perhaps that's why I loved what I did in the Army. It allowed me to care for that team dynamic, and each individual team member. Don't get me wrong I loved the adrenaline, the hunt, the knowledge that I was doing something to help all the innocents back home. But most of all I loved helping others, being a medic let me do that. Being an ER Nurse would also allow me to do that.
I was pulled out of my head when the GPS rang out, alerting me that my exit for my hotel was coming up. I shook my head and pulled off, heading towards KFC for a quick pick up dinner before I checked in. KFC coleslaw was my weakness, just the right amount of sweet and spice, with plenty of crunch and sauce!I may not have been born in the South, but by spending most of my last 6 years of leave down there, I had fallen in love with the cooking! I could only hope my workouts and metabolism could keep up!