Field Training - Chapter 1 - Jess' POV
Today marks the one year anniversary of the whole 'Armageddon' incident as I liked to call it and as I keep thinking back to that day I can't help but think I could have been a bigger help to Lester when the creatures got into the ARC if I had some sort of field training or something. I've had this conversation with Lester already and although he tells me that I was a big help to him I know he thinks the same thing, I don't even know how to shoot a real gun for crying out loud! I know since the incident though Lester is trying to push so everyone has combat training in case we are ever in that situation again which means I can finally get some field training but I'm not to sure when all of that will happen.
So I have decided to take matters into my own hands and come up with a plan to speak to Becker when I get into work and ask him if he can give me some sort of fire arms training or combat training or something to help me protect myself better and I know already that he is going to say no so I have come up with a good little plan to make him see my side of this. I don't know why but he thinks that I can't handle what they do, that I can't do it which is further from the truth, I may be sweet innocent kind Jess but when I need to I can kick ass… I just need some help learning to do that properly.
Pulling into my parking space I had a look around and seen Becker's truck already parked so I took a deep breath and called the lift to take me to the hub where I knew Becker would be because since the incident he is always at the hub to say hello to me every morning without fail then once I'm logged onto the ADD he will go back to his beloved armoury to do… whatever it is that he does in there. I honestly don't know how someone can spend so much time in an armoury with plastic guns that don't need cleaning or reloading and he does the inventory when he first comes into work so I have no idea what else he does in there, I'm not sure why he has an office.
Oh yeah Becker has an office, it's on the second floor a couple doors down from Matt but I don't see the point in him having it as he is hardly ever in there! He splits his time between the hub and the armoury and he probably goes in his office twice to fill out all of his field reports or something but apart from that he's never in there. Actually he is in there when we get a whole new load of recruits but that's mainly call the people who sent him the recruits and shout at them because the recruits sent are pathetic and miserable
I got to the ADD and as I knew he would be, Becker was hovering around the hub on his tablet looking for anomalies even though that was what the ADD was for but whatever makes him happy, I needed him to be a happy Becker today "Morning" I said confidently as he hovered closer to me.
"Morning Jess. Does everything look OK on there?" He asked indicating to the ADD.
"Of course" I answered and he turned off his tablet knowing I wouldn't lie to him.
He stayed still next to me for a few moments just watching what I was doing but then he seemed to move away from me and look on his tablet again when it made a beeping noise and he groaned in annoyance "Lester E-Mailed complaining about my spelling in the field reports… again" He said annoyed "I'm a shit speller and he knows it" He complained.
"Do you want me to sort them for you?" I asked and he nodded "Put the ones he wants you to redo on a memory stick then I'll do them for you" I said and he smiled and thanked me "While you here, can I talk to you later?" I asked seriously.
"Yeah sure. How about you come to my office around lunch and I'll also give you the memory stick then OK?" I nodded and he walked off to the lift, presumably to go to the armoury.
OK I can do this. I can be strong in front of Becker and demand to be given field training… no I can't I'm weak! I put my head in my hands as all the conversation possibilities ran through my mind and they varied from him being the greatest person ever and saying yes to him growing horns, a tail and shouting at me harsh enough to make me cry. Oh God please don't let me cry in front of him how pathetic would I seem then? He will not give me any sort of training if I start crying after being shouted at.
The morning seemed to drag but as the time drew closer and closer I became more nervous but no one seemed to notice as most people are a little bummed as it marked the one year anniversary of people losing friends and the demise of Phillip Burton who in the end didn't seem like the monster we all thought he was, he just simply didn't fully understand what he was doing.
Really I'm quite glad no one could see me this nervous because it means that I don't have to explain myself to anybody and listen to them tell me how my plan is going to fail and Becker will win I could just save my argument for Becker and not have to argue with anyone else about it, Abby knew my plan and during the morning she has been asking me if I was ready, if I was OK and all of that and of course I lied each time telling her I was fine, strong and ready when really I was nervous, weak and unprepared for the battle ahead of me.
When it got to lunchtime I handed my chair over to Connor so he could work whilst I had my meeting with Becker and they both wished me luck as I headed towards the lifts and to Becker's office. I knocked on the door and heard him faintly on the other side telling me to come in which I did and I closed the door behind me and sat down on the chair on the opposite side of his desk to him "Hi… here's the memory stick" He said and handed me a memory stick which I put in my pocket "Now what did want to speak about? Is it one of the men bothering you again? Are you in trouble or something?" He asked worriedly, it was sweet that he was worried about me but we all knew he wasn't worried enough to give me what I wanted.
"None of the guys are bothering me, I'm not in any trouble or anything like that but I wanted to talk to you about… well what today is. This time last year we were all fighting for our lives and we all thought we were going to die but by some miracle we didn't and we're still here but when I was trapped in here with Lester he knew exactly what to do and exactly how to get rid of the creatures and I just stood there behind him cowering like a little girl. Lester told me I was a big help to him that day but I can't help but think I could have been an even bigger help if I had some sort of field training, whether it be combat training or fire arms training… just something I was completely unprotected. If Lester had died I would have been on my own and defenceless but I didn't know how to shot a gun or fight, Becker I really want to have some field training" I explained to him.
He looked at me from his seat surprised that this was what I wanted to talk to him about, I could see in his eyes he didn't know how to respond to me but eventually he did "Jess you will never be put in a situation where you have got to shot or fight again so I don't see the point in giving you the training" He said.
"Liar! For whatever reason you just think that I can't handle it but you need to know that I am stronger then you think I am and I can handle it, what if something like that happens again but that time I'm not as lucky and something happens to me… are you going to be able to live with yourself knowing you could have helped that by showing me how to shot a gun or throw a decent punch?" I knew it was a cheap shot but I knew it would get a reaction out of him.
"This conversation is over as far as I'm concerned… in fact as far as I'm concerned this conversation never happened now leave" He stated which wasn't the reaction I wanted.
"Fine but you remember this conversation at my funeral" I told him angrily and walked out of the office slamming the door shut behind me and making my way down to the menagerie where Abby would be as it was the creature's feeding time.
As soon as I walked into her office she knew the conversation didn't go well and as I explained to her how the short conversation went she agreed that I probably shouldn't have told Becker my death would be on his hands as he does feel bad about the people that have died on his team and he does feel responsible for each of their deaths in some way or another but she also agreed with me that I should be given some sort of training to help me protect myself whether it be against a creature or a person.
When my lunch break was over I went back to the ADD and took Connor off so he could go on his lunch break and I had only been back on for thirty minutes when I got an E-Mail of Matt saying he heard mine and Becker's conversation from his office and he would have a word with Lester and Becker about it because he agrees that everyone who works here needs to be prepared for anything that can happen.
It was awesome that so many people were on my side but this sort of decision does land with Becker and if he says no then it's a no unless Lester tells him he has to and I'm not sure if Lester will or not but now my case was out there and it was about time people started listening to me for a change, I always seem to be ignored unless I was telling them how to get away from dinosaurs over the CCTV.
The amount of times I have helped Becker out with things, like his paperwork, I thought as I took the memory stick he gave me out of my pocket and I threw it on the desk in front of me and asked myself if Becker deserved my help after he spoke to me so rudely and told me to leave his office so rudely but we all knew I was going to do them for him because it was him who asked me, I know it sounds pathetic and it is pathetic but I can't help it. I'm drawn to Becker in a way that he isn't drawn to me which is why I do everything he asks me to and why I do him so many favours.
Becker was dick!