Christmas Past
Part 2
Scream stopped by his fire team's tent to do a final head check. He peeked in under the tent flap and his eyes were met with complete darkness.
Scream: Sound off, Rawhide 1!
One by one, three men of the team notified Scream that they were there.
Scream: Where's Tariq?
Smoke: Maybe he got lucky…he best hope it ain't with his sister.
Dim: He doesn't have a sister here in Iraq.
Smoke: That he know 'bout.
Angel: Don't pervert the man with your own fantasies, Smoke.
Dim lets out a laugh he's been trying to hold back.
Smoke: Yah, shut the fuck up…bro'.
Scream: ALL YOU ASSHOLES, SHUT THE FUCK UP…WHERE THE GODDAMN IS TARIQ!
Dim: He's at the head, sir.
Scream: DON'T CALL ME GODDAMN SIR! HE GETS BACK, YOU ALL GET SOME SLEEP! I'M GETTING YOU UP AT 0300 HOURS! CAPT. BARON WANTS US TO CLEAR ANOTHER TOWN! YOU'RE NOT UP AND READY TO MOVE, I'LL PERSONALLY COME IN HERE AND DRAG YOUR GODDAMN SKUNK ASS OUT OF THAT RACK BY WHAT EVER PART OF YOU I GET HOLD OFF, AND FOR YOUR GODDAMN SAKE, YOU BETTER BE WEARING A FUCKING CUP!
The tent goes silent as Scream departs. The silence doesn't last.
Dim: Scream seriously needs a tranquilizer. He's too strung out.
Angel: Either he does or we do. Hate to be that stressed after a couple years.
Smoke: You ain't gonna be here a couple of more days, if you don't let me get some fucking sleep. Don't know shit 'bout you fucks, but I need my equipment down there and I want it in working order. What the fuck some girl gonna think she reaches down and there ain't nothing for her to grab.
Tariq quietly slips back in the tent.
Tariq: You guys still up. Thought you be out cold by now.
Dim: Get some rest. Sarge is getting us up earlier in the morning.
Tariq climbs into his cot.
Tariq: What were you talking about when I came in?
Dim: Smoke's sex life.
This time Angel lets out a loud laugh before saying his nightly prayer for himself and his fellow soldiers. Smoke abruptly pulls the covers over his head.
The next morning, Rawhide 1 along with another detail are loading up two trucks with guns, ammo, Kevlar vests, and all popular MRE'S. Doublewide slams the hood of the second hummer down as Mrs. B climbs in the driver's seat of the first van. Doublewide walks to the back of the van and surveys it with her eyes.
Angel: Problem with the truck?
Doublewide: Nah, just waiting for Sgt. Scream's orders to move.
Smoke: Don't hold your fucking breath. He ain't here.
Angel: Yeah, that's weird. Anyone know Scream to be late for an assignment.
Tariq: Come to think of it, I haven't seem him at all this morning.
Dim: I'll check the Staff/NCO's tent.
Smoke: 'Member what the man said 'bout anyone who ain't here when we ready to move out. See how he like his manhood threatened, shit.
Scream is finishing adjusting his Kevlar vest and his ICOM, when something on the ground catches his eye. He bends down and picks up a medium sized gift-wrapped box. On the front is the recipient's name and address and just underneath is a stamp, "RETURN TO SENDER".
Scream (to himself)I'm sorry, sweetheart, I tried. Really I did.
A shadow appears at the entrance way of the tent and brings Scream out of his deep thought. Scream scrambles to put the package back under his cot when he realizes Dim has joined him.
Dim: Sarge…
Scream: What, soldier? WHAT THE FUCK YOU FIND SO GODDAMN IMPORTANT YOU NEED SNEAK UP ON ME!
Dim: I didn't sneak, I just walk…
Scream: What do you want?
Dim: We're packed and ready to go. Just waiting on you, sergeant.
Scream: Get back on the van, I'll be there as soon as I get there.
Dim: That's all I wanted to hear.
Dim about faces but something causes him to turn back around and hesitate just out side the tent flap. He watches as Scream ducks under his cot and carefully maneuvers a box further underneath it and out of sight of anyone's vision. Scream stands up but remains still, staring at his cot as if he expects the box to jump up through it. He finally departs but notices he still isn't alone.
Scream: Something else, soldier?
Dim: Everything alright, sarge?
Scream: You standing there holding up our detail. Other than that, all's fine.
Dim: I mean you, sergeant. You okay? That box…
Scream: I'm pissed that my fire team is the last to leave. Who you think LT. Underpants is going to come down on if we ain't there to clear the town. (pause). MOVE IT!
Dim shakes his head and leads the way to the van. He jumps aboard obviously hurt by the sergeant's attitude. The others notice, but Dim shrugs it off as Scream looks over his team, steps up in the van and gives Mrs. B the word to proceed.
Scream: ROLL IT OUT, MRS. B!
Later that night, the team return to the base with two insurgents that they captured in the now cleared out town. Flex-tied and turned over to the lieutenant and captain, the fire team heads for the mess tent. Seated together at a table, they start complaining amongst themselves about the condition of the provisions. Scream slowly approaches their table but continues past them and heads for a table in the corner.
Mrs. B: I know Scream ain't stuck up, but why he can't just sit with us?
Dim: As a superior, he has to keep a professional distance from us. Only when he needs to eat with us, he does.
Angel: Hey, I'd buy that if it was just us. He don't even sit or hang with the other sergeants.
Dim: Just doesn't want to talk to anyone, probably.
Doublewide: Yeah, make you wonder how he got the nickname of "Scream". He hardly says anything outside battle.
Tariq: I can see his point about keeping his distance.
The fire team look at Tariq waiting to find out his logic, when they are distracted by Scream slamming his tray against a trashcan and onto a cart. Then he walks by them without so much as glancing down on them. The team swing their attention back to Tariq.
Smoke: You know something about bossman, we don't?
Tariq: Maybe. Back when we cleared that other town of insurgents, you know when Smoke got accused of killing those two civilians…
Mrs. B: Hold on. Scream's been like this since day one we met him. What that have to do with anything?
Tariq: That was only part of it, but it may explain his solitude. I was the next one scheduled after Scream to give a deposition about what happened that day to the captain. I guess I was too close to the tent, cause I overheard Scream tell the captain that he had lost several of his friends because of so-called "civilian interference".
Angel: Wow. Man knows what he's doing. Don't want to know anyone too much cause they may not be here when you wake up in the morning.
Dim: Probably, Tariq, that's one reason why he keeps his own company, but I think there's more to it. (pause) I think Scream's got deeper personal problems that we haven't touched on yet.
Smoke: Ah, shit. Here it comes…more psycho- garble from the Dimwit.
Doublewide: Quiet Smoke. Go on, what you know about the sergeant?
Dim: This morning, when I went into his tent to get him, he was sitting on his cot staring at a package. He tried hiding it and doesn't think I saw…he had this look on his face, I can't explain it.
Smoke: Then don't bring it up, Dimwit.
Unable to interpret what he was thinking that morning outside Scream's tent to the others, Dim shook his head and remain quiet for the rest of the meal.
Afterwards, the team was sitting around outside the male soldiers tent talking when Scream walked up to them.
Angel: What's up, Sergeant?
Scream: Just wanted to tell you about the good job you did today in town. Don't stay up to late and lay off the bottled water.
Scream turns around when he is stopped in his tracks.
Tariq: Thanks, Sergeant. Would you like to join us. We were just talking about some of the tricks we pulled when we were kids. Remember, tonight's Halloween. You did go trick-or treating when you were younger, Sergeant?
Scream: The last thing I needed in my life was a sugar buzz. Carry on, team.
On that note, Scream continued onward to his tent. Inside, Scream sat down on his cot momentarily before rising slightly and reaching for his wallet. He opened it and removed a small picture from it. It was a picture of a much younger Scream, possibly 19 or 20. He was standing next to a small blonde-haired boy in a khaki army outfit, his left arm draped around the child's shoulders. In his other arm he held a tiny baby girl in a bunny-suit. Both he and the boy were smiling at the camera and the young boy held up a large bag of Halloween treats. Scream smiled at the picture, took a deep breath trying to pull back tears that were falling from his eyes. He then kissed the picture and held it tightly against his heart. Then he put it under his pillow. Scream pushed his muscular hands across his face to wipe away any signs of tears and gently lowered his head down on his pillow as he pulled his feet, still booted, up on his cot.
Scream (to himself)Goodnight, my angels.
He reached up and turned out the his light, then squeezed his blanket tightly in hopes of preventing any nightmares from disturbing his sleep…at least for this night.
To be continued. Please read and review.