The family day went great except the fact that nobody got to see Hanson except during meals. The rest of the time the soldiers spent with their families and showing them around the base after getting permission from Hanson or just sitting in the barrack and talking about the last nine weeks had gone for them. At 1700, Hanson got a radio call from Ella, who was Caylee's battle buddy with an update. All that got through on the radio, however, was just Hanson being told Caylee woke up and then fifteen minutes later he received a call from Ella to get the full update on the situation.
{Flashback}
They just sat down to dinner in the chow hall, and the room was quieter seeing as how it was mostly staff. There were other soldiers too, but they were there for Advanced or Dragon Training. It was only family day for the ten soldiers who came in late and had to be trained by Hanson himself. Parents got to sit with their soldiers and enjoy the meal which appeared to be spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Hanson was still quiet; they hadn't seen much of him unless he was handling a base issue. Vincent, Ricky, and Thatcher just kept reminding the new soldiers not to mention anything because it would set him off and they didn't want that. Raelyn and Taylor especially, the two of them got scolded by Hanson during the third week of training, and as punishment, he flipped only their beds, then made them clean it up in front of him on a time limit.
In the near silence of the room except for light conversation, the static of the radio was heard, and they all glanced towards Hanson wondering if that was the update on Caylee he was waiting for. "Ni-ght Fu-ry, Night F-ury this is Si-lve-rwh-ip. Do you read me? Ov-er." Hanson pulled the radio of his belt and held down the button.
"Barely, Silverwhip. I copy one out of five. Over." Hanson replied.
"Ac-idfi-re aw-a-ke. Over." Now the group understood the names being used, they were call signs to identify people without using names. Hanson's was Night Fury because he was the only person who had one. Ella's was Silverwhip, and Caylee's was Acidfire, Hanson had mentioned it during Drill Sergeant Time once. They created their call signs based on their dragon type and name. Ella owned a Razorwhip she named Silverfire and Caylee had a Changewing she called Acida. Pretty smart indeed. What the soldier gathered from that radio transmission was that Caylee was awake and a look of relief seemed to wash over Hanson.
"Call me. Now. Night Fury over and out." Hanson put his radio back in its place and closed his eyes to look up, silently thanking the Gods that Caylee was alright. Fifteen minutes later, his phone rang, and he left the chow hall to answer it. Hanson returned twenty minutes later, and the group wasn't sure what to make of his mood, though. Hanson sat down and sighed rubbing his temples in a circular motion.
"How is she?" Thatcher asked first.
"Awake, still tired and sore. El said that Cay was on fluids and oxygen for now. The bullet went through her chest and out her back. Punctured her lung and it collapsed but thankfully, it wasn't bleeding, and they were able to use a chest drain and re-inflate it. Caylee wasn't awake for long, just to ask where she was, what happened, then they checked to make sure her memory was okay. After that, she went back to sleep. Right now, she's listed critical condition and under observation. The recovery is going to be long. A week or two in ICU and then they'll move her to finish the remaining month or two recovery or possibly send her back here to Berk, it hasn't been decided yet. But she will be at the CSH at least a month," Hanson informed them as calmly as he could manage.
"It's like yours was then. You spent a week in ICU on oxygen, fluids, and antibiotics." Ricky smiled a bit.
"Yeah, it took me two months to recover, and I still get chest pains and shortness of breath even now three years later," Hanson retorted and closed his eyes.
"But at least she's alive, Hanson. That's what is important here, she's still alive and will recover." Thatcher put a hand over Hanson's shoulders now and hugged him. Hanson nodded to him now.
"Seriously, don't know what I'd do without you three, thank you." Hanson smiled some as they went back to eating.
{End Flashback}
Today was Sunday, their BCT graduation! All of the parents were back and in the stands while the soon to be graduates were getting ready in their ACU's for the first part of the ceremony where they would march out and stand on the field while Hanson spoke a bit.
"It's finally here!" the girls squealed excitedly.
"The day we graduate as privates," Franklin exclaimed with them.
"Not necessarily! Hanson said that some of us might get individual achievements," Dustin reminded while getting his outer coat on then sitting on the trunk near the foot of his bed to ties his boots. The ceremony was being held in twenty minutes, so they needed to hurry up and get to the field, the signal for them to start marching was when the green smoke bomb went off, and they would walk through with Thatcher in front, Ricky, and Vincent on the sides.
"Come on; we gotta move!" Eli warned them. Gods have mercy if they were late, Hanson would make their Advanced Training awful to go through.
"Soldiers! Line up!" Thatcher ordered them firmly as they quickly formed together outside. "Forward march!" he commanded, and they marched in formation to the forest edge to await the signal. The distance from their barrack to the woods edge closest to the field was a ten-minute walk. Arriving at the woods on time, they stayed as they were supposed to for the remaining ten minutes. On queue from the speakers, they heard Hanson announced them as the graduating soldiers that were going to be part of the 22nd Alpha Platoon to the 105th Drake Company of Fort Riddari. The bomb fired, and green smoke was seen while they marched through under their command to do so.
The ten graduates reached the field and stood before the one set of bleachers that held their families. Thatcher, Vincent, and Ricky were in position as well while Hanson stood at the podium with a smile. "Welcome family and friends to Fort Riddari military base for another Basic Combat Training graduation. Standing before you at parade rest are your sons, daughters, or friends who arrived just nine short weeks ago as civilians and here they are as soldiers." Hanson now took a breath. "Up every day at 5 am, in bed by 9:30 pm, rain or shine they would train hard and long and all that work brought them to this moment, where they become graduates and move on to the next phase of their training. I am very proud of them all," he finished.
The talking went on and on for another fifteen minutes with Hanson talking about what it meant to be a soldier, where the new soldiers would go from here, and how the remainder of the ceremony would go after they returned from the barracks to change again. That process took about twenty minutes to get back to their barrack and change into their class B uniform then come back to the field standing in a straight line at parade rest once more. Now it was time for the actual graduation, and since there were only ten of them, Hanson made a choice to announce them one by one to come up and shake his hand and get their certificate of completion just as if it were high school graduation.
"Now the time has come for you become graduates of BCT. When you're name is called, make your way up to the podium to receive your certificate of completing Basic Training." Hanson informed them.
"Remember to stand at attention and salute when you approach him and salute again when you walk away," Thatcher whispered to them as they nodded understanding their orders.
"Dustin Bazerk," Hanson began, and Dustin left his position to walk to Hanson. Dustin stopped and stood at attention before offering a salute then shaking Hanson's hand and getting his certificate. "Congratulations," Hanson told him. Afterward, Dustin saluted again and returned to his place in the line of soldiers. "Heather Bazerk," Hanson continued as Heather took her place before Hanson as her elder brother had, received her completion certificate and congratulations from Hanson before returning to her spot with her friends.
"Aubree Hofferson," Hanson said next as Aubree forced herself to take a breath then smile as she made her way up to him, Hanson offered a smile to her as he handed her the certificate and shook her hand, "Well done soldier," he told her. Aubree gave a salute then she moved back to her place in the line. "Franklin Ingerman," Hanson called next as Franklin made his way up to get his and then back to position with the others. "Sawyer Jorgenson," was said next as he repeated the same as the others. "Grant Larsen," Grant held together his excitement while he went up and stayed professional to receive his.
"Sylvia Ostbarg," Hanson said with a smile as Sylvia went up with a smile, got her certificate after saluting and shaking Hanson's hand, then returning to the line. "Raelyn Thorston," was called and Raelyn copied the order of things as the others did. "Taylor Thorston," Hanson smiled while Taylor went up and smiled as he got his. "And finally, Eli Trapp," Hanson finished as Eli approached with a salute and received his certificate before returning to place with his friends.
"Let's give it up for our new soldiers!" Hanson called out as the parents and other guests who came stood and clapped for the ten who just graduated from Basic Combat Training! It was momentous for sure. "Now, before I conclude the ceremony. I always save the best for last. In training, the soldiers get watched closely and at this time, I would like to point out the soldiers who did exceptionally well and earned high achievements than just their graduation today. When I call your name, please step forward from the line." he added looking down at his paper a moment. "Sylvia Ostbarg, Franklin Ingerman, Heather Bazerk, Eli Trapp, and Aubree Hofferson."
Confused and unsure of what was about to happen, the five of them stepped forward from the line but remained at parade rest while Hanson came down holding a few small envelopes in hand. "During training from the first day to the last, the five of you showed the most drive and improvement over the last nine weeks. Each of you has earned a new rank along with your graduation status. The rank of Private First Class," Hanson told them calmly while handing the envelopes out to them by name. However, he stopped at Aubree and didn't give up the envelope. "Except you, Hofferson. You will not be advancing to Private First Class today. Since day one, you have proven yourself a fearless, strong, smart leader and as such, you will be receiving the rank of Corporal. Congratulations,"
Hanson handed her the envelope as she failed miserably at holding her composure before him, she couldn't believe she made Corporal! Hanson shook her hand and then she gave him a salute that he returned with a smile. Hanson stepped back now as he motioned to the five of them, "Let's give it up again!" he called out while clapping and then the crowd did as well. "And now, we can enjoy the festivities. Soldiers dismissed!" he ordered them before stepped out of the way while parents, siblings, and friends came rushing down to congratulate them on a job well done.
Given that the time was only 4 pm, they got to spend the better part of the hour after the ceremony with their families and friends while Hanson stayed back with his three friends and talked to parents about training or answered what questions he could. As dinner time came around, there was a banquet for the graduates, and during that time the talk was about the promotions and Aubree's being the main one because she made Corporal and they were proud of her. Aubree had always been one to strive for excellence, and that is exactly what Hanson saw take place over the last nine weeks of their training. Of course, all Hanson could think now was that they better enjoy tonight because tomorrow on Monday at 5 am sharp, it was the start of the Advanced portion which was four more weeks of intensified training.
