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Every man had a turn at cleaning the latrines and it was Nelly's turn again. On a Saturday morning after the latrines had been used, Nelly rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Mop and bucket at the ready, she started with the dirty and damp floor. Nelly had picked up a few tips along the way when cleaning the latrines; it was best to do it barefoot – that way, her boots wouldn't trail in any mud. And the men wouldn't use their latrines while it was being cleaned, they'd use another latrine. Nelly always started with the floor. Then, she'd move on to the sinks, and the toilets and clean the floor one more time. Pulling hair out of drains gave Nelly the ick – she liked getting that over with as quickly as possible. The toilets didn't bother her as much as the hair did. Winters was due to inspect the latrines at 1000 hours – Nelly had three hours to get it clean and pristine. However, at 0930 hours, Evans poked his head into the latrines.
"Murray?" He called.
Leaning out of a stall, Nelly looked over at the 1st Sergeant.
"Captain Sobel's coming at 0945 hours".
She frowned softly. "He is?"
"Yeah – orders changed". Evans said, "You'd better hurry".
"Aw, fuck...". Nelly said through a sigh.
Evans huffed. "Yeah...good luck".
"Shit!" She hissed.
So, after cleaning the place carefully, Nelly was in a rush to get the rest of the toilets done and give the floor another quick mop. Dunking that sponge quickly in and out of each toilet, Nelly felt splashes of water hit her face. She was sweating, and dirty and her hair was a mess. Nelly cleaned in her PT gear – she didn't want to get her fatigues covered in filth. Her knees and elbows were red and bruised from leaning on them and they were filthy. Nelly looked like she had spent the last two hours rolling around in coal. She was a mess. But the latrine was very, very clean. Nelly was sure someone could eat off the floor – it was that clean. But she wouldn't advise it.
"Private". Sobel entered the latrine at 0945 hours on the dot.
Standing at attention, Nelly saluted the man. "Sir".
Her job now was to stand and wait for the inspection to end. Sobel took his job very seriously. The Captain inspected every nook and cranny. It was always a tense few minutes when Sobel was doing the inspections. Nelly stood with the mop and found herself leaning against it – her body felt tired after that rushed fifteen before Sobel arrived. Five minutes after Sobel arrived, Nelly heard the sound of a bike breaking. Winters soon walked into the latrines. And frowned upon seeing Sobel. The Captain walked by his XO and bowed his head – acting as if Winters didn't exist. When he stopped by the door, Sobel turned to look at Nelly.
"You'll need to do the end stalls again". His voice sounded board. "And the floor – it's still dirty, Private Murray. Not good enough for Colonel Sink's inspection. You have one hour to get the job done properly, Private".
"Yes, sir". Nelly replied softly.
And Sobel left – leaving Winters in a stump of confusion. He looked down at Nelly. "What was he doing here?"
"Evans said Sobel changed the order, sir". Nelly grumbled. "He only gave a fifteen-minute warning".
With a small sigh, Winters set the girl a smile. "Well, let me continue my inspection. Maybe Captain Sobel missed something, huh?"
Nelly groaned softly. "I hope not, sir". And then she frowned at her Lieutenant. "He didn't tell you, sir?"
"No, he didn't". Winters said.
"Weird". She said quietly. Nelly decided she was telling her friends about it – it was strange that Sobel changed the time without informing Winters. Nelly assumed Sobel was up to something.
"I'm sure it's fine". Winters assured her, as he poked his head into a stall. And he did see a few splashes of dirty toilet water inside the stalls. "Yeah...you'll have to mop this area again".
Frowning, Nelly walked over to the stall and looked down at the floor. She sighed. "Fuck".
"Hey!" Winters lightly scolded her with some amusement. "Language".
"I'd hate to be an Officer's wife...".
Winters chuckled. "I'm sure it's different at home".
Nelly shuddered. "I'd hate to be Sobel's wife...".
"Alright, that's enough". He scolded lightly again and then ordered her softly, "Grab the mop and bucket, trooper".
Turning around, Nelly walked toward the bucket. "I'd hate to be a wife".
"You're still young". Winters said, "Plenty of time for that sort of talk".
"My mum was eighteen when she married dad". Nelly said, "He was like...twenty-two".
"Young". Winters noted.
"Yeah, sir". Nelly agreed softly while she kicked the bucket toward the stall.
Winters raised his eyebrow at her current action. "I think it would be best to carry it, Murray".
With a faint nod, Nelly picked the bucket up and carried it the rest of the way.
He chuckled quietly and ventured into the next stall. "You're not in a good mood today".
"It's never good enough...". She complained. "It's always...it's just never good enough".
"Yeah, I know". Winters sympathised. "The army likes things done extremely well and even then – we still get told it's not proper".
"Even you, sir?" She asked as she dunked the mop into soapy water.
"Even me, trooper". Winters confirmed softly.
"Do you think...Sobel gets told that too, sir?"
With a small hum, Winters left a stall. "I'm pretty sure he does, Murray".
A smile lifted her lips. With a nod, Nelly began mopping the stall floor. "Alright, sir". It was almost comforting to know that her superior Officer's got told off every now and then. Sobel getting a tiny slap on the wrist to humble himself, pleased Nelly.
"Nelly?" A voice called from the latrine door.
She took a step out of the stall. It was Grant.
"Are you almost done?" He asked, "When's the big inspection?"
"One hour – at eleven". She replied.
Grant sighed.
"Just use the other latrine". Nelly said, "I won't be long".
"I would". Grant said, "But it's busy...the line is super long".
With a tiny nod, Nelly kicked her bucket out of the stall and followed after it. "Right – just use this one then, Sergeant".
Grant smiled. "Thanks, kid".
Winters stepped out of a stall at the back and sent Grant a nod. "Sergeant".
"Sir". Grant greeted kindly before stepping into the stall.
Walking toward a sink, Nelly turned on the taps to give her hands a wash. She lathered her hands in soap and scrubbed them to get rid of the muck and dirt. There wasn't much point to Nelly washing her hands now, she had more floors and toilets to scrub. But they were black from dirt – Nelly just had to wash them. When Grant left the stall, it was back to cleaning. Nelly finished cleaning the latrines at half ten and left with Winters. They took a short break before Sink did his inspection. And while they waited, Evans came over to Winters.
"Lieutenant Winters". Evans said, holding a piece of paper. "Captain Sobel's compliments, sir". After handing the Lieutenant the piece of paper, Evans walked off.
A few seconds went by, and Nelly chanced a glance up at Winters – only to find a look of disbelief across his face. "What in the world...". He whispered to himself. Nelly grew worried.
"Sir?" She questioned.
Winters must have needed another witness. So, he read the letter out to Nelly.
"Subject: Punishment Under 104th AW.
To: 1st Lieutenant R.D. Winters.
1. You will indicate by indorsement below whether you desire punishment under 104th AW or trial by Courts Martial for failure to inspect the latrine at 0945 this date as instructed by me.
Herbert M. Sobel, Captain Commanding".
Nelly's frown deepened. "What does that mean?"
"I'm 'gonna see him now". Winters sounded pissed off. "Wait here – I'll be back for Colonel Sink".
And off Winters went, leaving Nelly in a confused and worried state.
Nelly only had to wait five minutes for Winters to return. He looked so annoyed but handled the inspection with Colonel Sink very well. And once the inspection was over with, Nelly raced off to the Nissan huts.
The first people she told weren't her friends – it was Punchy. And her Platoon Sergeant was just as shocked as she was. After informing Punchy, Nelly rounded up her friends behind the barn and told them exactly what happened and what the letter said. Like Punchy, they were in a state of shock and anger.
"This is...crazy!" Skip exclaimed. "So, Sobel wants to get rid of Winters? Why? That's insane! Winters is our best Officer!"
Sighing heavily, Malarkey sat down on the bench. "Face it – Sobel's wanted rid of Winters for months now". He grumbled. "Sobel's jealous...Winters has our respect. And none of us respects Sobel".
"This is such high school bullshit". Alex muttered, "Sobel's a dick".
"I told Punchy". Nelly said.
"Good". Skip nodded. "Maybe the Sergeant's will sort something out".
However, Nelly said, "In Crossgates...all the miners went on strike. They wanted them to stop using little kids as slave labour – so, they went on strike. All of them. No one worked for three months. And no money was made". She said, "So, they all threatened to fire the miners. But it still didn't stop them from striking – in the end, the miners won".
"You're saying we should go on strike?" Malarkey questioned.
Nelly shook her head. "Not really...". She said, "But we could do something like that".
"Like what?" Alex asked her. "Tell Sink we'll leave if Winters leaves?"
"No". She said, "We tell him...we leave if Sobel stays".
Malarkey raised a finger. "That's mutiny".
But Nelly disagreed. "It's a right". She said, "It's a protest".
"If Colonel Sink sees this as an act of mutiny, he has every right to shoot us".
Standing next to Nelly, Skip grinned and tossed his arm over her shoulders. "I say – we get rid of Smaug and get our Arkenstone". He said, "The Arkenstone being Winters. Because that man has been under Smaug's spell for a while now and he's not 'gonna choose a punishment – he'll go for the Court Martial".
Malarkey sighed. "I really wish he wouldn't but yeah...I can see why he would".
"It can't be us who does it". Alex said, "We're just Privates".
"The Platoon Sergeant's". Malarkey suggested.
"So, that's – Ranney, Salty and Punchy". Skip listed.
"Not enough". Nelly said, "All the Sergeant's – three can be replaced with promotions".
"But if we get all the Sergeant's...Sink won't be able to replace them". Skip smiled down at Nelly. "I'll bet this is why you made a good agent, huh? Doing shit like this".
"How will we round them all up?" Alex asked.
There was a short pause. Until Skip said, "We leave a notice for a Sergeant meeting in the barn – anonymously. Just in the squad huts – we can't have Evans knowing". Skip grinned. "And then our Nelly just slides and in...reveals the greatest plan in the history of plans".
...
The four friends waited until they knew what Winters picked. The waiting followed into the next morning. And they eventually heard Winters requested a trial by Court Martial. But it was a waiting game once more. In the afternoon, Punchy informed his Platoon of the following;
"His forty-eight-hour passes have been denied until sometime in December. And he has to write his own letter of appeal with reasons for objection and request a trial by Court Martial – that's all I've heard".
"So, what now?" Guarnere asked. "We just sit here or what?"
Punchy sighed. "Nothing, Bill". He said, "Training's been put on hold until this shit clears up. But we're not allowed to leave the village".
"Christ...". Guarnere grumbled. "This is bullshit, Punchy".
"It is". Punchy agreed and faced the rest of his men. "I'm not lying to you here, guys – this is serious. We could lose a good Officer and a good man. And we could end up jumping into combat with Sobel and without Winters".
Nelly and Malarkey briefly looked at each other. And then Nelly raised her hand.
Punchy gave her a nod. "Yeah?"
"I was there". She said quietly, "No one told me Sobel was doing the first inspection – Evans told me fifteen minutes before Sobel was going to arrive".
"I don't think that'll help, bub". Punchy told her with a frown.
"But Winters didn't know". Nelly argued softly. "I didn't know – only Sobel and Evans did". And she boldly claimed, "They've conspired against him, and they've conspired against us".
Malarkey sat there next to her, looking as proud as punch.
"Winters was supposed to inspect my work". Nelly thumbed her chest. "Not Sobel – Winters".
A tiny smile met Toye's face. And he gave Punchy a knowing look. "I told you my shitheads were smart".
Punchy sighed. "Right but – Sobel won't back down from this, not until Winters is gone. And I'm sorry, bub, but they won't take a Private's word – or even a Sergeant's".
"Why?" Nelly frowned.
"You have no proof to back up your statement". Punchy said, "This is as good as the law. Every court needs a witness and evidence. You're a witness but you have no evidence. You have your word but that won't be enough...especially up against Sobel".
And then, Grant's hand shot up in the air. "I was there – for a minute".
Punchy looked at him. "You were?"
"Yeah". His hand lowered. "Winters was inspecting the latrines – it was after 1000 hours".
Punchy sighed again. "Sobel will use that against Winters".
"So, we're fucked?" Guarnere asked.
And Punchy nodded. "Yeah – we're fucked".