Saturday at last! Aubree, Sawyer, Grant, Eli, Heather, Raelyn, Dustin, Taylor, Franklin, and Sylvia woke up bright and early when the lights flipped on at 5 am to get showered and ready for the day because their families would be arriving at 11 am which was only six hours away! The ten of them couldn't wait and luckily for them today, Hanson wasn't making them to Physical Training. Instead, he ordered them to wake up, shower and get themselves dressed in their ACU's. After all that, it would be then cleaning up their barrack. Main things to complete before breakfast at 6:30 am was for them to make their beds up and make sure everything was off the floor. When they returned from breakfast, it would be them sweeping, tidying their closets, dusting, cleaning the doors and windows of the barrack.
Hanson informed that usually all parents wanted to see living quarters and he expected them to make it spotless because he would be checking it over before he released them to their parents on the field for the day and he also reminded them that if they were given orders they had to obey them. With that understanding, they agreed and got back to work on making their beds and making sure things were picked up. Breakfast was enjoyable and quiet since a lot of the other soldiers who graduated Basic were gone already and moved on to other places for their Advanced training. Each island had something new of offer for that training and Berk was the main island for Dragon training.
"I can't believe we're graduating as privates tomorrow!" Heather exclaimed happily.
"I know, it's so exciting that we survived the intense training of the last nine weeks." Franklin smiled while fixing up his bed to get out the creases in the blanket and making sure it was tucked in properly.
"Pfft, you think nine weeks of Basic was hard? Advanced is worse," Vincent chuckled while entering the barrack with Thatcher and Ricky. Hanson was busy making sure the rest of the base was ready for family day so they wouldn't see him until parents began arriving.
"But that's only one month of more combat training, right?" Aubree inquired.
"Yeah, you spend the month working on more advanced combat scenarios set for how things would be if deployed," Ricky informed.
"Oh, so we get a glimpse of what it would be like in war?" Taylor asked next.
"Exactly," Thatcher nodded. "Scenarios setup for the different types of missions such as recon, contact, ambush, all those," he added.
"Sounds interesting," Sylvia smiled. Without warning, Hanson stepped into the barrack and he looked anything but happy which made them worry. It was only 7:45 am, how could he be mad this early in the morning.
"Uh, Colonel?" Ricky said nervously because he and the other two knew from the last eight years that when Hanson was mad to tread with caution. Hanson looked over at him, "Are you okay?"
"No. Ella just called me and let me know that five people got wounded last night and Caylee was one of them," Hanson stated.
"Oh my Gods, what happened!? You just talked to her last night and everything was fine," Thatcher asked quickly.
"It happened an hour ago during a patrol change. Cay got shot in the upper chest right side, El said she hasn't had any updates since Cay went into surgery thirty minutes ago," Hanson was now pacing back and forth with worry for his girlfriend.
"But she's been shot before, Hanson, I'm sure she'll pull through fine." Vincent reminded.
"She's never been shot in the chest before, Vin. And she blacked out while being carried to extraction," Hanson retorted while continuously looking down at his phone waiting for a call. The others could see how worried he was, hearing his girlfriend was shot and in surgery with no update had to be nerve wracking.
"Maybe Ella can't get service to call you. You know how hard it is to get a call through when the signal doesn't hold long," Thatcher reminded, "Why don't you use the radio? Call her company section in Afghanistan and get an update that way?" he offered.
"And this is why we're best friends, Thatch!" Hanson exclaimed as he grabbed his radio off his belt and turned the dial on the top to flip it on as all they heard was static at first as he pressed the button and lifted it towards his mouth, "Delta Wing. Delta Wing. This is Night Fury. I repeat this is Night Fury. Over." he said and released the button.
"Delta Wing responding Night Fury. How copy? Over." came the slightly broken up reply through the radio.
"Three out of five, Delta Wing. Over." Hanson replied.
"What can I do for you, Lieutenant Colonel Haddock? Over."
"Update on GSW soldier Caylee Bog from Sharpwing platoon. Over." Hanson answered him.
"I'll send you to her CO, Colonel. Hang tight," there was a brief pause now as they waited. "This Sharpwing leader. How copy, Night Fury? Over."
"Four out of five, Sharpwing. Update on my girl, Lieutenant. Over." Hanson sighed.
"Soldier airlifted to CSH for GSW treatment, out of surgery and still unconscious, sir. Over."
Hanson closed his eyes, "Send her battle buddy to sit with her until she wakes up. I want to be informed immediately when she does. Over."
"Orders confirmed and understood, Lieutenant Colonel Haddock. Sharpwing over and out." Hanson turned the radio down and clipped it back to his belt.
"At least she's out of surgery, the wound couldn't have been that bad if all this happened an hour ago, my friend. Try and calm down, you blacked out when you got shot in the chest too." Ricky patted his back.
"That doesn't mean I can't worry about her when I'm here and she's there. You know how much she means to me," Hanson sighed heavily.
"We are aware. Which is exactly why you need to ask Caylee to marry you!" the three of Hanson's friends yelled at him and took him by surprise, and he blinked a few times, even the others in the room did.
"For Odin's sake, Hanson. You've been with her for SEVEN years!" Vincent reminded.
"And Thor knows she won't say no to you." Thatcher grinned. "Seriously bro, what are you gonna do? Date her forever?"
"You know how it's been guys with our tours and us always just missing each other except for leave. I don't want to just propose and have to say goodbye in a week or two. Things have been crazy for us and when I ask her, I want it to be perfect where we can enjoy the engagement and planning without the worry of a tour holding off the plans." Hanson informed.
"So you do want to marry her. We were starting to think you were just nervous," Thatcher smiled lightly.
"Is that what you thought? I wasn't proposing to her because I was nervous?" Hanson questioned as the three of them nodded. Hanson shook his head as he moved to his locker near his bed and unlocked it, opening the door he pulled out a red heart shaped box and left it in his palm for them to see. "I've been ready to propose to her for a while. I bought this on leave during the fourth tour," he admitted and then opened the box to show them. Sitting inside the black holder was an engagement ring with a round center diamond nestled by two more diamonds, there was also intertwining waves of additional diamond lines.
"Holy Odin, Hanson," Vincent breathed out.
"As I said, I've been ready. Now it's just a matter of finding the moment," Hanson smiled as he closed the box and put it away in his locker once more. "If nothing goes wrong, I plan on asking her when her tour ends and she gets back home," he added calmly.
"We're invited to the wedding right?" Thatcher asked with hopeful eyes.
"Duh, who else you think I'm making my best man? You, Thatch. Then Vin and Rick as groomsmen." Hanson laughed a little while connecting hands with them.
For Aubree, it hurt to hear that Hanson was planning to propose to Caylee because she always saw herself with Hanson and becoming his wife. Now, that hope was just a dream that would never come true. Breaking herself from the group, she continued to clean up the barrack silently. Heather, Sylvia, and Raelyn noticed her sadness and looked at one another worried if she was alright after heard Hanson was going to propose to his girlfriend when she came off of her tour. Hanson noticed Aubree's sudden departure from the group that was standing around him too, he knew it's because she still had a crush on him but what could he do about it now? His heart belonged to Caylee and Aubree never spoke up before his leaving. If she had, maybe things would be different. However, she didn't and this is how things were now.
(11 am)
As soon as the clock struck 1100 hours, Hanson was at the main gate of the base with Toothless to let the families of his ten recruits in, of course, he had to give them rules first and the run down of the day from arrival to departure. "Welcome families, to Fort Riddari family day. A couple of quick mentions, you have until 6 pm with them, and you have to stay with your soldier the entire time. No wandering the base, thank you. Now you may come in and follow me to the barrack where your soldiers are eagerly awaiting for you," Hanson smiled as he motioned for the gate guards to unlock and open it up.
"You're Hanson Haddock," one instantly stated after the families had come inside.
"That I am," Hanson replied.
"The kids must have been thrilled you trained with them, it's has been a long eight years after all!" exclaimed one woman, Hanson recognized her as Aubree's father, Colden Hofferson.
Hanson chuckled a little now, "My apologies, perhaps you misunderstand my purpose being here. I did not train with Aubree, Taylor, Raelyn, Franklin, Sawyer, and Grant. I trained them."
"But, how? You're no older than they are," asked another parent.
"I have eight years more experience than they do. I joined four months before I turned fifteen after bonding with my dragon, and have been here since. Now I am the leader of this military base at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, therefore, more than qualified to turn your sons and daughters from civilian to soldier," Hanson explained. "And yes, my father is very much aware of where I have been," he added. The remainder of the walk to the barrack was silent, upon arriving there and the parents seeing their children all lined up at parade rest and in their ACU's.
"Squad! Attention!" Thatcher ordered as they snapped into position quickly, "Hand salute," he said next as the ten soldiers brought their hands up in salute to both Hanson and their parents. "At ease," he added calmly as the soldier relaxed a little, "As you were, go on with your families now," the man smiled as the soldiers hurried to hug their parents. Hanson smiled, he remembered when his father came to see him on family day. Seeing as Thatcher, Vincent, and Ricky would be close and watching them to answer questions, Hanson stepped back and moved to his office to relax a little with Toothless in tow.
"We're so proud of you all," said Franklin's mother.
"And you made new friends," Raelyn's and Taylor's father stated now.
"Come inside the barrack and we can introduce everyone," Aubree smiled while still being hugged by her mother tightly. Together, they moved inside and stood with their families to go around the room for introductions.
"Dad, these are the friends we made at Reception week. That's Aubree Hofferson, she's my battle buddy. Then there's Raelyn Thorston and Sylvia Ostbarg, Sawyer Jorgenson and Grant Larsen, Taylor Thorston and Franklin Ingerman, and Dustin is battle buddies with Eli Trapp," Heather introduced to hers and Dustin's father.
"Everyone, this is mine and Heather's father, Oliver Bazerk," Dustin added.
"This is my Dad, Colden Hofferson," Aubree said afterward with a smile. "Mom passed away last year,"
"This is my Mom, Kristan Trapp," Eli went next. "Dad is away on business, unfortunately," he shrugged.
"It's alright, I'm sure we'll meet him eventually. This my Dad, Jayson Ostbarg," Sylvia motioned to her father, "Mom couldn't get off work," she added.
"Got my Dad over here, Stanley Jorgenson. Mom refuses to come because she hates that I joined," Sawyer sighed a little.
"This is my Mom, Maria Larsen. Dad is currently deployed in Germany, so he's going to call tomorrow and watch the graduation from Skype," Grant smiled wide.
"These are our parents, Tristen and Mikayla Thorston," Raelyn introduced with her twin brother, Taylor beside her.
"And my parents are Trisha and Kyle Ingerman," Franklin said going last of the group.
"Who are these gentleman over here by the door?" asked Maria Larsen curiously.
"Oh! Those are Hanson's friends he made when he joined up eight years ago. Second Lieutenant Thatcher Hedsen is his battle buddy," Sylvia explained.
"And then there is Master Sergeant Vincent Grimborn, younger brother to Staff Sergeant Ricky Grimborn. Hanson and them are friends and a team," Aubree finished the introductions gently. "We've been in here the last nine weeks, Hanson too. The four of them sleep closest to the door," she added in.
"Where is Hanson anyway?" Colden asked curiously while looking around.
"Probably in his office next door to the barrack," Heather informed with a smile.
"The Lieutenant Colonel is having some personal matters going on he needs to sort out. You will see him for lunch and dinner," Vincent mentioned firmly while making sure to eye the soldiers silently as if to tell them not to say anything about Caylee being hurt because he was still worried and hadn't gotten an update yet. They understood of course and remembered that the barrack wall separating them from Hanson's office was paper-thin and he could hear them talking. For now, they were going to focus on them and the fact their parents were there after a long nine weeks of separation from them, today was going to be a good day and tomorrow even better because there were graduating Basic Combat Training!
