"What the hell are you thinking, Corporal Benally!" The man with the vomit on his shoes screamed.
"Corporal?" I whispered to myself. I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my vision. Blinking several times before the blurs turned into figures and faces... faces of soldiers I had never met before. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion.
"Answer me, Corporal!" The man, a Captain, yelled again.
"Sir, he just fell 10 feet and landed on his back." The man who I surmised was the red haired blur answered.
"I did not ask you Lieutenant Winters, I ask the scum of a Corporal who puked on my shoes." The Captain yelled.
"Corporal?" I asked. They both looked at me. "I'm not a Corporal." My voice was still rough. I looked around confused as to my surroundings. I was no longer in a desert, but a lush forested area. The air was humid and smelled of mildew, a vast contrasted to the arid, sulfuric smell of the desert town I was last in. "Where's Will?" I asked as a growing concern for my best friend mounted.
"Who's Will?" The redhead, Lt. Winters, asked.
"He's, uh, his brother, sir." Another man answered, coming forward from the crowd.
"Brother?" Winters asked the man as I mumbled the same question.
"Yes, sir." The man nodded and elbowed me in the side. Winters turned his concerned eyes back to me.
"Luz, I think you better take him to the infirmary." He ordered the man.
"Lt. Winters, I say who goes to the infirmary and who doesn't!" The Captain growled as he glared at me.
"Yes sir, Cpt. Sobel." Winters snapped to attention. Sobel sneered at him then turned his look of disgust back to me.
"It is his own fault that he fell and if he cannot take that small drop then he does not deserve to be a paratrooper." He shoved his face into mine. "Do you want to give up, soldier?" He spat the last word with so much contempt that my mouth worked without conferring with my brain.
"No, sir." I tried to sound strong, but it came out weaker than I wanted.
"Good. Your weekend pass is revoked." Cpt. Sobel glared at me then looked out of the corner of his eyes at Lt. Winters. "You are to put on full gear and run up Currahee. Now." He was punishing Winters by punishing me. He grinned sadistically as he stalked off. I stared in confusion at the spot he had just vacated.
"Roe." Lt. Winters called, "time to put those new skills of yours to work." I turned to the man, Luz, who had said Will was my brother.
"What's a Currahee?" He patted my shoulder and looked at me in concern as another man came over and took my face into his hands. He gently turned my head to and fro, then turned my face towards the sun, pulling my eyelids open when I closed them, assessing how my eyes dilated "Ow."
"You're head hurt?" The man, I assumed he was Roe, asked.
"More and more by minute." I answered as I took in the unfamiliar surroundings with furrowed brow. Roe turned my head to face him and used quick, light fingers to check my head for any injuries.
"What do you think?" Lt. Winters asked Roe sane completed my torture.
"Well, sir, honestly? I think he should be checked out by a real doctor." Winters nodded and sighed.
"Go on and get your gear on." He turned to Luz. "Take him and make sure he's okay." Luz nodded. I started to walk off, a thick cloud of confusion dulling my senses. Luz grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me in the other direction. As we passed, I saw Winters watching me with a worried brow.
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"You're one lucky son of a bitch, you know that?" Luz growled when we had made it to the safety of the barracks. "Do you know what an injury like that could have cost you if Sobel hadn't intervened?"
"Where am I?" I asked him in confusion. He looked over at me.
"That must have been some hit to the head." He walked over to me slowly. "You really don't know?" I shook my head. He knitted his eyebrows. "You're in Camp Toccoa."
"Georgia?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "The hell am I doing here?"
"I've been trying to figure that out since you told me." He chuckled.
"Told you what?" I was beyond confused.
"That you're more of a Joanna than a Joseph." I blinked and looked at him blankly. "You're a Dame." He said slowly. "A woman."
"Well, yeah." I was even more confused. "So..."
"So, you're impersonating a man so you can fight in the war."
"Why would I need to impersonate a man?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Because women can't join the army." He was starting to look really worried.
"But women have been in the army since 1978." He put his hand to my forehead. "What?" I cried and pushed his hand away.
"Darlin' its 1942."I stopped and looked him up and down. He was wearing an old style of uniforms, ODs instead of the normal ACUs. I looked out the screened in window to the neat lines of perfectly uniformed barracks to the men either dressed in PT gear or similarly dressed to Luz. I walked over to the calendar on the wall 27th November, 1942. I flipped through it but it all said the same, day, month, 1942.
"Oh holy crap." I felt dizzy again.
"Hey! Put your head between your legs and breath." Luz rushed over to me as I started to hyperventilate. He rubbed my back for a bit. "I'd love to sit here all day and listen to the no doubt fascinating story you're about to explain to me, but you really need to get geared up. You still gotta run Currahee."
"What's a Currahee?" I asked as the dizziness passed. He rolled his eyes and pulled me out the door.
"You see that hill there?" He pointed. I nodded. "That is the bane of our existence, also known as Currahee." He pulled me back in. "Now," he opened up a footlocker at the end of the very last bed and started tossing things out at me. "You need to get your gear on before Sobel comes back and court-martials ya." I blearily started to strap on the gear he tossed to me, wondering just what in the hell was going on.
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Lt. Winters came in about five minutes later just as I slipped my canteen into place. Luz jumped to attention and I quickly followed.
"At ease." He nodded as took off his helmet and fixed his hair. He looked over at me. "How you doing, Corporal?" He asked. I stood there blankly before Luz elbowed me in the ribs.
"Uh, fine, sir." Remembering I no longer had double bars on my chest but now had double chevrons on my sleeve. Winters nodded but looked me over worriedly.
"Right, well let's get going." He exited and Luz and I followed. "Alright." he took a stopwatch out of his pocket and pressed a button. "Go." I took off towards the small hill on the horizon.
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Forty minutes seven point three one seconds later I stood panting in front of Winters and another of the Lt's. They looked at me in slight surprise. I wanted to tell them that it was nothing compared to Ranger school, but figured after what Luz had told me I had better keep my mouth shut.
"Well done, Corporal" Winters nodded to me. I was about to take a drink from my canteen when Sobel stalked over to us.
"Lt. Winters. Lt. Nixon" he nodded to the men and then turned a sneering look to me. "So, tell me. How bad did he do?"
"Uh, well sir," the other Lieutenant, Nixon, started. "He ran a 40 7 3." Sobel looked at him in disbelief.
"That has to be wrong." Sobel replied.
"No, sir." Winters answered, showing the Captain the time on the watch. "You see, sir." Sobel stared at it for a moment.
"No. It must be wrong. He couldn't run it without gear in that time yesterday. He sure as hell couldn't have run it in that time with full gear today." He turned to me. "Do it again." He ordered.
"But sir..." Nixon started.
"That's an order!" Sobel yelled. Nixon looked strangely at me then turned to Winters for help.
"Sir, can he at least have a short rest?" Winters asked.
"No. If he can run it in that time, then he should be able to run it again without rest." he turned to me. "Right Benally?" I stood straighter, wanting to glare at the man but my Ranger training kept me from doing so.
"Yes, sir." I saluted. He looked shocked a moment, then ripped the watch out of Winters' hand.
"Good." He pressed the button. "What are you doing here still?" I saluted then took off back towards the hill.
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It was 20:00 before I fell blissfully onto my bunk. My stomach growled but I refused to pay it any mind. I had completed the second run in slightly more time than the first and was promptly told to run it again, Sobel still convinced I couldn't have made it that fast so I must have cheated. Half way through I was joined by Luz along with several NCOs and most of the men. I thought about slowing down just so I wouldn't have to run it again, but I decided I wouldn't give Sobel the satisfaction. I made it back 1 and a half minutes later than my first lap, the rest of the company at me heels. I smiled as I came upon Sobel, Winters, and Nixon all sporting a stopwatch, the two Lieutenant's making sure that there could be no disputing the time. Sobel was ticked off, but couldn't do anything about it. He whispered something to Winters which caused the man's mouth to curve into a frown, then stalked off. Nixon smiled at us and ordered everyone to dinner.
We got to the barracks and I dropped my gear with a grateful groan. The men slapped me on the back and joked about how my dinner was on them. I gave a tired smile then waved them off as they left for chow. It cleared out until only Luz and I were left. He walked up to my supine position on the ground and nudged me with his toe.
"You know, the showers will be free with everyone at chow." He casually told me. A small smile played on my lips as I looked up at him.
"Good idea." I struggled to sit up but fell back down. He laughed as he grabbed my outstretched hand and hauled me up.
"Just make it quick." He said in all seriousness. I nodded to him as I grabbed my shower kit from my footlocker. He was on his way out when I stopped him.
"Hey Luz?" I called.
"Yeah?" he turned to me.
"Why?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Why do you want me to succeed?" He had protected me since my rather odd entrance into this world and seemed to have protected me before I came here... if that was even possible.
"You haven't given up. You've endured everything we have and haven't complained once, even if all the guys around you have. You've proven yourself." He frowned slightly. "I thought about turning you in when you first told me, but you had already lasted nearly 3 months. I figured I'd let you stick it out if you could." He thought for a moment before he grinned. "Besides, I could use a Dame to cuddle up next to when the lonely hard nights come 'round." I rolled my eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"Thanks."
"Sure thing." He grinned and left for the mess. I grabbed my gear and made my way to the showers. Once there I checked to make sure all was clear before stripping down and removing the bandage that wrapped around my chest. I winced as I felt the raw skin from where the tight wrap had rubbed the flesh away. Having set all my clothes right by the shower in case I had to dress in a hurry, I washed the sweat away then dressed quickly, a huge knot of worry in the pit of my stomach the entire time. I only relaxed when I finished tying my last shoe string. Checking myself in the mirror I saw a more boyish looking me staring back. I started to stuff my dog tags in my shirt when something caught my eye. I pulled the object up and saw that it was my West Point class ring. I read the tags and found that they were my original ones that still read Cpt. Benally, Joanna on them. At least now I had some proof that I wasn't from this time. I tucked them safely under my shirt, put on my winter coat, and made my way out the door.
"You should get something to eat, Corporal." I heard a voice from behind me. Startled, I whipped around to see Lt. Nixon leaning just to the side of the door. My stomach dropped to the floor and cold sweat started to make it harder for me to grip my shower kit. My mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping out of water. He took a long drag from his cigarette before stubbing it out on the wall. He looked my fish impersonation and raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I kept watch. Nobody came in." In the clouded haze of my mind I managed a slight nod. He grinned at me and walked off towards the officers' mess. I numbly made my way to the barracks.
So Nixon knew as well? I had to remember to question Luz as to who else know, but that could wait until later. I tossed my kit into the footlocker and fell blissfully onto my bunk.
Wait… Nixon watched me shower? Did he see me naked? Oh, we were going to have words...
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I was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, but alas, it was not to last. A low hum started to tickle my ears before it became a dull roar. I thought I had woken up to the sound of the armoured division and the strange experience at Toccoa had been nothing but a fever induced dream due to blood loss, but the roar started to turn into voices, shouts and laughs. I heard a crack as the screen door to the barracks was thrown open and smacked off the wall.
"Jesus Perco, the kids trying to get some sleep!" I heard Luz's voice, then the sound of skin on skin contact.
"Ow, the hell was that for George!" A second voice sounded irritated. Luz answered. Ah, so his first name is George.
"The kid just ran up Currahee three times in full gear and you come barging in, banging things around and wakin' him up."
"He ain't awake!" The voice, Perco, complained.
"Yeah, he is." I groaned as I pushed myself up.
"Ya see?" Luz gestured to me. Perco said something about it not being necessary for George to hit him which spurred on an argument between the two. I watch in amusement as they traded good natured barbs.
"Alright, settle down boys." One of the noncoms grinned.
"Whatever you say, Lip." George sat on the bed next to mine and lit a cigarette. Lip walked over to me and sat beside me on my bed.
"Didn't see you at chow." He said. "Feelin' alright?" He asked in concern. He reminded me of Will in the way he looked after the men. He had been one of the noncoms that had run the last Currahee excursion with me. It was something Will would have done for his boys. I smiled tiredly and nodded.
"Sure, Sarge. Just a bit tired."
"How 'bout your head." I nodded. "Your back?" I nodded again.
"Both fine." He smiled then patted my knee.
"Good." He stood up as another man came over.
"Don't baby the men, Lipton. They might get soft." He playfully scolded. Lipton grinned.
"Don't see that happening anytime soon with this one, Martin." Sgt. Lipton smiled at the man as he walked off.
"Hell of a job, kid." Martin grinned at me.
"Thank you." He nodded.
"Get some sleep, huh?"
"Yeah." He walked off too, leaving George and I facing each other. I looked around the room and noticed the guys dressing in clean clothes, some in their dress browns. I looked at George confused.
"Their passes weren't revoked... only yours." He grinned.
"And you?" I asked him.
"Bah, I have all weekend. I figured I'd stay at least one night with my poor pathetic friend." I was glad to hear it because there were so many things I need to ask him, so many things I needed to tell him. We sat in silence until the room cleared and the distant roar of the men faded in the dark.
"Penny for your thoughts?" George asked me. I looked over at him and took a deep breath.
"You're going to think I'm nuts." I started.
"More so than you already are?" he buted in, "not likely."
"Wanna bet?" I shot back.
"Alright, give it your best shot."
"Well, for starters. I wasn't born in 1921," I paused a moment, gauging his reaction. "I was born in 2020."
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Hope you enjoy it. R&R please!
Amanda.