The summer months continued to drag on, days passed as stuff was slowly happening with their lives, while not interesting as it was something many of us would skip over. Come September and the second year would soon begin in full as the first years had gotten used to the school and their year was starting. Thus programs were beginning to pop up.
Brook had her time divided between her classes, her music program, and her friends. She had got used to her crutches as she was still hobbling along to spend the time, However her days with them are numbered seeing her injuries were healing. Nonna soon approached her as she had some interesting news for her.
"Well it's time to attend your second after-school program as you're getting much more energy than when you were first here and according to the doctor, she would like to look at you in a couple days from now as she would be pleased to do something for you," Nonna told her as she was getting impressed with how the girl was growing. She soon handed her a program sheet with the newer programs as well as traditional favorites, some programs from last year were either discontinued or merged into other groups since those groups were small and would be better off being in a similar group. Nonna looked over the programs as she soon wondered what would be the best for the girl. She began reading over what was available as she was looking and deciding on what would be the best for her. "Hey what about this sporting club, they have airsoft rifles." Nonna suggested as Brook began to flashback. The flashbacks included her experience with the Saunders Rebellion as Nonna soon walked over putting her hands on the girl's shoulders as she was wondering if the girl was off. "Hey Brook are you alright?" Nonna asked her. Brook soon began to speak.
"Well the whole rebellion thing is getting to me. I was a part of it and they had weapons. Father wouldn't allow me to pick up one at all worried that I might turn into a killer." Brook told Nonna as she was insecure about this. Nonna knew she needed to encourage the girl to talk about this.
"I know you're still hard hit from this as I know you've made your mistakes in the past but you need to move on from these so you can become a better person." Nonna encouraged her to forget about what her past was like and to just sign up. Brook gulped as she knew at the end of the day, Nonna was right. She soon circled the sporting club as she hoped Katyusha would be just as nice to her about it as she was when the summer began. Nonna soon took the papers as she began to walk away as she reminded Brook one more thing. "Katyusha wishes to speak to you." And with that Nonna soon left as Brook had been signed up for another program. She soon got up as she began hobbling along on her crutches as she was going to meet up with Katyusha.
Upon reaching Katyusha, she was at the hospital where Brook was first taken in when the summer months began. Nonna stood beside her as Brook was still on her crutches. Nonna looked at her as Katyusha began to speak.
"Ready to have your bandages taken off?" Katyusha asked as she knew that the injuries that she sustained were just about healed as far as she was concerned. Brook nodded as she was wondering what it would be like to walk freely again. She soon hobbled along as she went to the room where the Nurse was waiting for them. The nurse walked in as she looked at them as she began to speak.
"So Brook, are you ready to have your bandages removed?" She asked. Brook nodded yes as she would enjoy it if she was no longer bound up in her bandages. She soon puts her crutches aside as the Nurse soon gets out the special saw that was used to remove casts like the ones on Brook's wrist, foot and leg. She soon got started on the wrist.
While loud, this saw was harmless as it began to cut along the bandage. Brook giggled for a moment as the saw was tickling her skin. Soon she moved on to her foot and ankle as she cut along there as well. Same results with the wrist, it just merely tickled her. Then came to the leg which was the most damaged part when she fell. She soon began cutting along there as it tickled her as Katyusha looked on. Once the cutting was done, she took a special pair of scissors as she began cutting along where she sliced with the saw to remove the bandages from that area. Once done, the wrist bandage popped open as Brook squeezed her left hand. And surprisingly, no pain. Nonna looked at her.
"Your hand feels like it is new. Now you have both of your hands to complete your tasks." Nonna replied. Soon the bandage from the ankle was removed as once again, much like the hand and wrist, her foot and ankle fully healed. Katyusha looked with much delight. Soon the leg bandage was cut as she took it off, the leg while healed for the most part. She soon looked at them.
"Her leg is still red and a bit swollen, for the most part feeling around, it has healed but I think she is going to need an ace bandage around there for hopefully another week or two to heal. This bandage you can put on and take off without my assistance plus you get to keep it." The nurse told the news as she got out one of the ace bandages she had. She soon popped it open as she began wrapping it around Brook's leg where she reported the findings. Once done, she puts two clips on as it was a signal to keep it on. "I don't think you will be needing the crutches anymore." She soon took them off from the girl as Brook got up and began walking around. She was more than pleased to be back on her own two feet.
"It's a miracle, I can walk again." Brook began laughing as she wasn't having much pain at all standing. Nonna and Katyusha were more than happy to see her finally up and about. Nonna walked over as she took the Ushanka off of the girl.
"I guess you won't be needing this anymore." Nonna told her as her hat held something to the group. Brook looked confused as she was walking out.
"Was there anything special about the Ushanka in particular?" Brook asked as she was wondering if this hat had anything special. Nonna looked at her.
"Yes this hat has a red cross on it as it signals that you're sick or have been injured. It helps separate you from the crowd and whom I need to focus on. I want people like you to feel better so I come to you and help you out." Nonna told her as she explained the significance of this hat in particular. She soon paused as she began speaking again. "However you can get Ushankas with various symbols on them much like the one you were wearing but they only come in two colors, light brown and chestnut. The symbols you can get are of the school, the various animals you're attached to or the old серп и молот if you ask me." Nonna told her if she wanted to get one, make it her's and stand out from the crowd.
"So when can I get one?" Brook asked as she was excited. Nonna looked at her as she knew she would get one for her.
"Let me get it and I will give it to you when a special day comes around." Nonna replied as she and Katyusha walked away to attend their classes. Brook did much the same thing.
When the classes were done, she was heading to the after school program as she was one of a few that attended since these programs were much smaller and were considered secondary. Brook was at the front of the group as their instructor came along as he was a tall, muscular instructor as he looked at the girls that joined his program, he looked at them back.
"Welcome to basic training comrades. My name is Commissar Nakhimov but call me Comrade Commissar. I sensed that Tovarisch Katyusha sent you to the front lines while more tanks were being produced. If you want to survive, you will do as I order you to. Today we are going to introduce you to your rifles and see how well your aim is. I will teach you all how to shoot straight now head over to the columns if you want a rifle." Nakhimov introduced himself. Soon the students came out as they went to go grab their rifles. The rifles were mostly wooden with the metal out. All the rifles had orange tips at the end of the barrel as they were deemed safe. Brook grabbed one as she ran back to Nakhimov.
"Товарищ комиссар, я получил винтовку, как вы хотели." Brook responded as she held up her rifle that she had chosen. Nakhimov nodded as a grin formed over his face.
"Ahh native Russian speaker eh? Very good. Now these rifles are M1891/30's meaning this particular line of rifles were made in 1930. The orange tips on the barrel means that these rifles don't fire any real bullets, however we try to get as close to the real rifle as possible. The bullet the real rifle will use is the 7.62X54mm round. They hold up to 5 rounds and you can't just fire them off like some of the modern weapons as they would need to be worked. Now native Russian speaker, let me see that rifle of yours and show your comrades how it's done." Nakhimov explained to the students what the rifle was before asking Brook to give him her rifle to perform a demonstration. Brook soon got up and walked over as she handed the man her rifle. He took it as he lined up his eye with the sights and pulled the trigger, clicking, the rifle was empty so nothing came out. He soon turned back to the students as he explained one more thing. "Now if you want to extract empty round casing, just pull the bolt back as the empty casing will eject from the rifle. Push the bolt forward to ready up the next round." Nakhimov turned the bolt handle upward as he pulled it back giving a demonstration as he soon pushed the bolt forward as if he was cycling in a new round. He soon gave a stripper clip containing 5 rounds to Brook as he handed her back the rifle. "Now native Russian speaker, let me see how good your aim is."
Brook opened the bolt of the rifle as the capacity was empty. She took the stripper clip and pushed the rounds down. Once done, she knocked the stripper clip away as she cycled the bolt forward. Raising the rifle. She aimed down for the target that was there. She clicked the trigger and bang! The pellet hits the corner of the targets as Brook cycled in a new round. She fired again, the pellet missed the target entirely, she cycled again, readjusted her aim and bang! She nails the target in the bottom left section of the target. Cycling the round, she raised herself up and fired, the round hitting the top right area as she cycled her last round in and she fired, the round hitting in the top left area as he soon walked over 4 hits out of 5.
"Not bad for a newcomer but your aim could be a lot better. Now everyone, step up to the shooting range and let me see how well your aim is." Nakhimov challenged the rest of the students to see if they could match their shots with Brook with their rifles. The students came close to her but they mostly had poor aim like her. Nakhimov looked at the targets before turning to the group. "Not bad but your aim needs to be better if you are going to kill the fascists." He soon lined the students up as he had one last thing to say to them. "Now remember all rifles look the same but they behave differently depending on the user. These rifles and the wristbands are yours to keep but do not in all accounts use them against your classmates, none of you want to be sent to Gulag or Siberian Mine right?" Nakhimov asked, wondering if the students will keep their oath and not attack their own classmates.
"Yes comrade Commissar." The students responded as Brook got her wristband from the club, this wristband was gold as she really impressed Nakhimov despite her poor aim.
"Very good, we'll meet next week so we can teach you how to properly aim. Katyusha should be proud of you." Nakhimov soon dismissed the group as they all walked back to their dorms to do their homework and whatever else they needed to do.
Brook decided to sit pay a visit to Nina and Alina as she wanted to see how the two small girls were doing. She knocked on their door as she wanted to come in.
"Come in." Alina told whoever was at the door. Brook came in as Nina was still in her wheelchair and Alina was taking care of her. Nina was surprised to see her friend was up and walking like normal.
"Brook you're off your crutches, you can walk again." Nina told her as Alina came over to hug her friend. Brook's left leg was still in an ace bandage but the clips were still holding her cast together.
"So how much longer until Nina is out of her wheelchair?" Brook asked curiously as she wanted to see how long until her friend was going to be walking again. Nina looked at them as she began speaking.
"Another 3 weeks my legs are healing but I've been bound to a wheelchair for a little over 3 months now." Nina told her as she was wheeling around. Alina looked at her as she began speaking wondering if she would like to hang out with them.
"Hey me and Nina are going to watch Stranger Things, want to watch it with us?" Alina offered her if she wanted to sit down and watch television with them. Brook having nothing else to do wanted to take up on their offer.
"Sure. We can just chat and talk about what programs that we've been accepted to." Brook told them as Alina went off to get snacks. Nina soon looked at her friend.
"What program did you get accepted to?" Nina asked as she positioned herself near the couch. Brook looked at her friend as she began speaking.
"Nonna told me to join a sporting club as she wants me to forget about my past that isn't alcohol drinking, she really wants me to toughen up." Brook responded as Alina poked her head out as she was making snacks.
"That's good, me and Alina are a part of Pravda's Sensha-Do team but I'm itching to get out of this wheelchair so I can finally get into a tank." Nina told her as she told her what their program was. Brook wanted to urge them to not join but it was their own choice and she couldn't do anything about it. Soon Alina came back.
"Hey we're watching season 3 of Stranger Things. You don't know the show that well right?" Alina told her as she put down the chips. Brook nodded as this was her first time watching this show. Alina soon turns it on as it was going to be a peaceful evening between the two of them.
The climb into the light was getting closer.
[A/N]: Boy this chapter was a major frustration to get together seeing how I am having a very bad case of writer's block like I am mostly out of ideas or could be writing filler dunno if I should skip over a lot of things so I can reveal more of the plot or try to continue explaining stuff to further flesh out the characters. Let me know so I can decide on what is going to happen next. That is all.