AN: TW MENTIONS OF RAPE
It was sad to see Lavenson leave Easy and his 1st Platoon. The man had been promoted to 2nd Battalion Staff. And in his place, was 2nd Lieutenant Harry Welsh. He was a funny little Irish guy from Pennsylvania. Welsh was rough around the edges, a man who kept on getting demoted from Sergeant after getting into fights. But someone saw potential in him and decided to send Welsh to Officer Candidate School. Welsh quickly became good friends with Winters. During the time of his arrival, Nixon and Matheson joined Battalion Staff with Lavenson. Also taking command of 1st Platoon was an officer named Heyliger, who went by "Moose".
Easy was turning into a fantastic Company, run by excellent officers. The only man who let them down was Sobel. The tension was so clear between him and his officers, even Robin was beginning to notice it. And because Robin was noticing the tension, her friends were starting to grow seriously concerned with Sobel's leadership abilities out in combat.
Lying down on a bed, Robin tried not to move while one of the medics wrapped a white bandage around her leg. She wasn't injured, the medics were only using her body as practice. Sobel picked Robin as a wounded man out in the field. Robin was carried back to camp on a stretcher. She didn't mind at all being carried back to camp. Her body was fried after that three-day field exercise.
Eugene Roe, one of their medics, finished wrapping her legs and moved onto her stomach.
Robin frowned a little;
"what's wrong 'wi me?"
The medic simpered;
"a lot".
She huffed;
"aye?"
Roe hummed;
"your bodies in a real fragile state…you're 'gonna need some morphine".
She didn't look very sure;
"really?"
"No…I ain't giving you it for real, Bowie".
Robin squirmed on the bed, once Roe began wrapping the bandage around her stomach. He raised his eyebrow and looked at her face;
"you're 'gonna break more bones if you keep moving".
She sighed;
"right…sorry".
Roe looked back to his bandage;
"you 'gotta piss or something?"
"Nah". Robin mumbled, "I'm alright".
"Good". Roe approved, "cause you ain't going nowhere right now".
"You trying to be funny or something?"
"That ain't in my nature". Roe said, "you want me to crack a few jokes?"
Shaking her head, Robin muttered;
"nah, it's alright".
Left foot moving around, as if she was trying to shake off a fly, Robin sighed;
"'am 'a 'gonna be here for ages?"
"Nope". Roe mumbled, "you ain't got nowhere else to be, anyway. I got you for another hour".
"Fuck…". She whispered.
Shaking his head, Roe smirked small;
"I ain't holding you for torture, Bowie".
"If 'a say I need to piss, will you let me go?"
"Nope".
Robin sat up a little when Roe's hand pressed down on her stomach.
Eyes wide, she yelped;
"the fuck?!"
Roe looked at her, confused;
"what?"
"Fucking touching me and that…stop it, eh?"
"It's my job". Roe reminded her, "just relax, huh? I ain't 'gonna be much longer".
His hand didn't leave her stomach.
Robin looked panicked;
"come on, eh? Just – just stop it, eh?"
"Bowie, what are you 'gonna do if you get wounded?"
"I'll fucking suffer". She replied quickly, "get off, come on".
Roe's eyebrows twitched;
"I've 'gotta finish this, alright? It won't take long-"
"get 'aff me!" Robin snapped.
Fully sitting up, she shoved Roe's hand off her stomach. He was about to start yelling back because he almost knocked into the man on the other bed, but his expression changed, when he heard her quick breathing and saw the pure look of terror on her face. Running a hand down her face, Robin mumbled;
"shit – sorry, doc".
Shaking his head, Roe mumbled back;
"it's fine, Bowie".
"Nah, fuck – shouldn't have pushed you".
With a sigh, Roe took a step towards her again;
"yeah…that was uncalled for".
"Aye, well…I said stop".
"I wasn't hurting you". Roe said.
But then asked;
"was I?"
Robin huffed;
"nah…nah, that didn't hurt".
"So, what's the problem?"
Shrugging, she looked down;
"just don't like being touched or that".
Clearing his throat, Roe told her;
"okay…that don't make my job any easier if you get wounded, Bowie".
Rubbing her eyes, Robin shrugged again;
"'dunno what to say".
Head tilting to the side, Roe's face formed into a frown;
"I've 'gotta finish this exercise, Bowie. It's an order from Sobel".
From the start, Robin had felt extremely uncomfortable. She didn't want to continue. But if she straight up refused, Roe would demand an explanation and Robin couldn't tell him. So, with a tiny nod, she lay back down against the pillow and kept her eyes covered. Roe got stuck back into work, though made an effort not to touch her stomach or any exposed skin.
…
Leaving the medics barrack an hour later, Robin found her hands were still shaking. Her stomach continued to churn with unease and nausea, despite the exercise ending. She was pale and looked sweaty and her heart was still racing against her chest. Licking her dry lips, Robin moved away from the barrack and almost bumped into Winters.
Giving her a smile, he took a step back;
"sorry, I – are you okay?"
His expression quickly changed when he saw the look on her face.
With a nod, Robin whispered;
"probably just tired, sir".
Shaking his head, Winters said;
"you look worried…I've seen that look on you before".
"Just leave it, eh?" Robin sounded annoyed.
And though she sounded annoyed, she didn't look angry.
"We've got some free time". Winters pointed out, "how 'bout a walk?"
"Aye, alright, sir". Robin mumbled.
A small friendship had formed between the Private and Lieutenant since they spent a few days with each other during their furlough. There was something in the air, whenever the pair of them were alone together. Robin found herself trusting Winters more and more. But there were still some things she'd prefer to keep for herself. Taking a stroll around the athletic field, Winters mentioned his parents and his little sister, Ann. But he soon grimaced when he mentioned his sister.
Shaking her head, Robin assured him quietly;
"it's alright, sir…you can talk 'bout your sister".
"I'm sorry, Bowie". He still apologized, "I should ask how you're doing".
She shrugged;
"I'm alright".
Winters looked at her;
"you are?"
"Aye, well…some days are harder than others, eh? But I just…I 'dunno, I just sort of go on 'bout my day. What else can I do?"
Nodding, he said softly;
"yeah, I understand".
Clearing her throat, Robin asked;
"can we sit for a minute?"
"Yeah, of course".
They both sat down on the warm and soft grass. Spring truly was a wonderful time of year in North Carolina. Robin's hands rested on the grass, she stretched her legs out and leaned back. The warm sun shone down against her boots, causing them to shine. They looked newly polished. She then noticed Winters was carrying his Bible. Robin looked at the Lieutenant;
"you always carrying that book around?"
He smiled and nodded;
"keeps me inspired".
Robin slouched down and leaned against her elbows, giving her hands a break. Staring up between the trees, she could make out the cloudless blue sky. With a content sigh, she mumbled;
"this place is braw, eh?"
Winters agreed;
"yeah, like paradise on earth".
"Shame we've got a dark cloud following us around, sir".
Winters frowned;
"what?"
Shaking her head, she told him;
"Captain Sobel".
He sighed;
"we shouldn't discuss him, Bowie".
"How 'no?"
"Well, I could lose my job, for one".
"Nah, you won't". Robin mumbled, "cause I won't tell anyone, sir".
"I still don't 'wanna discuss him". He said, "this is my hours free time. I'd like to enjoy it".
She huffed out a tiny laugh;
"fair enough, sir".
"How was it being a casualty?"
"Shite".
Winters frowned;
"yeah…you just don't like being touched, huh?"
"Thought you wanted to enjoy your free time, sir?" Robin mumbled, "if we get into this, we're not 'gonna be having a good time".
"I just 'wanna help".
"Aye, well…don't think you can, eh? Already fucking happened…".
"What?" Winters asked her quietly, "what happened, Bowie?"
Sitting up fully, Robin stared out across the field.
Licking her bottom lip, she told him;
"Rosie liked birthday parties the most, eh? Cause everyone was there, and we were all smiling and that. Was a bit different once mum got locked away in that hospital, but Rosie was alright, she was just glad some folk turned up".
Nodding, Winters asked;
"something happen on her birthday?"
Rubbing the back of her neck, Robin mumbled;
"dad has a wee brother, Uncle Alan, we'd call him. Lives in Fife, in this town called Rosyth. He works in this fish factory. Rosie used to call him goldfish. And he looks like a fish, eh? But we'd never say that to his face…aye, well, he'd come up for all our birthdays and that. Would spoil us with toys and dresses, cause he was more minted than us. He had more money".
Clearing her throat, she continued;
"for her eighteenth, he bought Rosie this peach dress and 'cause he didn't 'wanna leave me out, he got me a green one. I was thirteen at the time, didn't really give a shit either way but we put on our dresses and ate cake and that. Was full of excitement, eh? I fell asleep wearing that dress. And so did Rosie".
Robin swallowed back the lump in her throat.
Scratching behind her ear, she whispered;
"woke up in the night…I was cold, eh? Covers were off my body cause…cause he…".
With a shaky sigh, Robin looked down at her hands.
They were trembling again.
"Rosie was sleeping". She whispered, "fast asleep. But I was wide awake…feeling cold and weird. Uncle Alan…he just pulled the covers off me and…and he just raped me, man".
Feeling his heart sink, Winters paled.
His eyes were a little wide from disgust and shock.
Shaking her head, Robin licked her bottom lip and mumbled;
"he just did it…didn't give a fuck about me. Didn't give a fuck that it was 'gonna fuck me up. He just did it, cause he could, eh? He was stronger and bigger than me. He did it. And then he fucked off home the next day. He kissed Rosie and me on the cheek goodbye, he shook my dads' hand and he left".
A hand was covering Winters's mouth.
He shook his head, not knowing what to say.
But Robin didn't see his shocked expression.
"I sat with it for a week and then I tried to kill myself". She said quietly, "but wee Rosie, eh? Like I says before, she saved me. But I didn't want to be fucking saved".
When her bottom lip started to quiver, Robin bit down on it.
Eyes filling with tears, she sighed and blinked them away.
"Robin, I…". Winters spoke quietly, "I'm just…I'm just sorry that happened to you".
Shaking her head, Robin mumbled thickly;
"shouldn't have fucking told 'ye, sir".
"No, I think you needed to tell someone". Winters said softly, "you've kept this to yourself for a long time, Robin".
"Aye but, you don't need to hear it". She whispered, "it's fucking horrible".
"It's horrible what he did to you". Winters corrected her, "you did nothing wrong, Robin. None of that was your fault".
Tear rolling down her cheek, Robin quickly wiped it away.
He held out his hand.
Sniffing, Robin looked down at his hand and took it.
Giving her hand a squeeze, Winters told her;
"you're still the strongest women I've ever met, Robin".