After leaving Emmett, I went to assemble the soldiers that would be coming with the first escort. I left about ten behind to gather the next group, and organized who would be going in the first group. The people who had shown up by then were mostly the older couples and singles who didn't have much to pack or deal with before the attack.
As promised, I arrived at the tent at noon with three servings of bread and a flask of water. When I walked into the tent though, they were sound asleep.
"Alyssa. Alyssa, wake up, it's lunch time." I whisper, gently shaking her shoulder.
Her eyes fly open and she screeches, flailing out for a second, before realizing it was me.
"Oh, uh, sorry sir. I was, uh..."
"Nightmares?"
"Yeah." She sighs.
"It's fine. Bread?" I offer.
She reaches out and takes a piece before sitting next to her sister and shaking her awake. I hand her another slice and sit back on Emmett's cot.
"Water?"
"Thanks." Samantha says softly, taking the flask and nodding back a few gulps.
"So... you are welcome to stay here as long as you need." I try desperately to make conversation.
"Yes sir. Thank you." Alyssa says, picking at a piece of lint on her skirt.
An awkward silence follows and grows until I feel I need to break it again.
"You should probably meet Carlisle a bit more formally, and there are a few other people you need to be introduced to."
"Like who?"
"Emmett, for one, he really is pretty nice once you know him. Then there's the doctor and the cook, and a few old friends of mine, Josh, Mathew, Al, and Devin. You can trust all of them with pretty much anything."
"Emmett?"
"Yes... well... he'll be staying with some other soldiers until we can get another tent, which may be a while. I'll be staying with Carlisle."
Alyssa nods slowly and tears off another chunk of bread.
"Do you plan to stay with the army?"
She gnaws at her lip, brushing the toe of her bare foot in circles on the dirt floor.
"Is that all right?"
"Yes, for as long as you need to. It won't be much of any trouble."
"Until I can get a job?"
"Longer, if you need to."
She forces a tiny smile in response to my offer.
"Can you read?"
Samantha shakes her head no and Alyssa bites her lip and shrugs her shoulers.
"Kind of. I know how to, but I'm not very good at it."
"Do you know arithmetic?"
"We can count and do basic addition and subtraction, but that's pretty much it."
"Have you ever been to school?"
"No sir. All I know is what my mother taught me, and I tried to teach Samantha, but I wasn't very good at it myself."
I pop the last bit of my bread into my mouth as Samantha does the same, then get up and hold the the tent flap open for them, Alyssa helping her sister. I hold out my arm and she takes it, struggling as it is on one foot. Alyssa gives a faint smile and lets go of Samantha to walk on my other side.
"Where first?"
"I was thinking Carlisle's tent."
"He was the one who came in earlier, right?" Samantha asks.
"Yes, the blond one."
"He's the commanding officer of the camp, Lieutenant Cullen, everyone calls him Carlisle though."
When we enter the tent, Carlisle is sitting on the cot, thumbing through reports.
"Ah, Jasper, how's the evacuation going?" He starts.
"Well, the first train is ready to leave tonight after dinner. I will be escorting them across the bridge, along with one platoon. Then there is a squad that will be escorting them the rest of the way while the rest of us go back to prepare for the next train. There will be one train of evacuees every night, they will leave at twenty one hundred hours and the platoon of escorts will return to the encampmet around two hundred hours."
"When will the girls be leaving?"
"Well..." I step aside and gesture for them to come in, "I'm going to leave that up to them."
"Oh, um, uh... Hello." Carlisle stutters, scrambling up from the cot and pulling his hat from his head.
"Hello Lieutenant." Alyssa mumbles, her cheeks turning an abnormal shade of red, remembering earlier today no doubt.
"You can call me Carlisle." He stumbles over each syllable.
"Uhm... thanks."
"You're Alyssa, and this is your sister Sarah? Right?"
"Samantha." She whispers.
"Oh, sorry. Samantha." He tries out the name.
"I was wondering if we could get another tent for them?"
"Oh. Well. That may be a bit of an issue. We are very low on extras, between the shortages and Emmett, I'm afraid that we don't have any extras right now. I'll make sure you get the next free one, but that's all can do. Sorry. Have you seen Rosalie yet?"
"Yes, but there is barely enough room to stand in there, let alone add two more cots."
"Oh." He rocks back on his heels and purses his lips. "You shouldn't have much of a problem getting Emmett a new tent mate, but not many want to be with a major, you know. I would love to have you with me, but we can't do that for long, Cook is already ragging on my about everything from how we serve food at mealtimes to how our horses are tied. You're welcome to my tent, but only for as long as you can keep it a secret from Cook."
"Yes sir. I'll figure something out."
"I know you will Jasper, just don't forget about the evacuation, we need to get the first group out tonight."
"Yes sir, we'll be leaving this afternoon."
I nod and excuse us to lead the girls to meet some other friends of mine.
-0-
At dinner we sit around the communal fire again and slurp up our grain.
"Eh, Jasper, who you bring into camp?" Matthew asks.
"Alyssa and her sister Samantha."
"How did you know them?"
"Orphans. Found them while I was putting up evacuation notices. By the way, girls, this is Matt."
"Childhood friend?" Alyssa asks.
"Um... well... yeah. Kinda'. He's Maria's older brother. He spent a few summers with my father and I on our ranch."
"Did you... get along?"
"Well enough. It was a bit awkward because even then the engagement had been made... so... yeah."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I'll see about bunking with Mason. He and I are pretty close and I think he has a tent to himself. Y'all can stay in my tent and Emmett will find someone." I say, swallowing the last of my grain.
"Thanks." She whispers.
"And, if you have any trouble with anyone, don't hesitate to tell me or Carlisle."
I take up their empty cups and lead them back to the tent. I pull out an extra coat and toss it into my pack.
"You're welcome anywhere in the camp, just watch out for yourselves. If it comes down to it, Emmett really is a nice guy, he's just... well... he's just him. I'll be back in a few hours, I'm coming back as soon as we are on the mainland."
"Yes sir. Thank you." Alyssa says.
"Goodbye. I'll see you later." With that I swing the pack onto my shoulder and head out to the hitching post to find Ross.
-0-
It too much longer than I thought it would to get the civilians to the mainland. I didn't get back until early the next morning, three or four.
I suck into my tent and set down the pack. Both the girls were sleeping curled up on one cot. Alyssa was holding Samantha close even in her sleep. Alyssa was shivering, despite her sister's warmth, and I layered another blanket over them. I had to admit, it was getting much cooler tonight than it had in the past few weeks.
I ran a hand through my hair, glancing around. I couldn't sleep with Carlisle tonight, I hadn't had time to ask him earlier and I figure it is rude to show up in someone's tent overnight. From the looks of it Emmett had found another buddy to tent with luckily so I headed out to the bar.
Like everything else in this camp, it was inside a tent. A miserable, rotting, white cotton tent.
"Hey there Jasper Boy! Where you been buddy? I don't see you around here often! Not often at all! Not often at all! Not often at all!" Emmett slurs, a drunken smile stretched over his face.
He patted me on the back and pulled me into a huge bear hug, sloshing his beer all over.
Technically, alcohol was banned in the camp, all the bar really served was water and the occasional glass of iced tea.
"Emmett!" I shout, taking the bottle from his hand and sliding it down the bar. It was really just a piece of wood balanced over two chairs.
"Aw, Jasper, why do you always have to be so up tight? Just have a drink."
"Emmett! I don't drink and you know that!" I grad the back of his collar and drag him out of the tent and a few paces away to where the horses are tied up.
"What? It can't hurt. I mean, worse case scenario I make an ass of myself."
I shove him, face first, into the trough of water in front of the horses.
His arms flail out before he goes limp and bubbles start trailing up to the surface at a steady pace. I let go and he falls backwards onto the ground.
"Whatchya doing that fo'? This was my last uni-uni-uni-uniform. My last uniform."
"Pull yourself together!" I shout at him.
"Oh yeah?" He laughs. "Too bad I'm drunk. Drunk as a... as a... as a really drunk guy.
"Yeah. You are." I spit.
"Aw, come on buddy, you've never gotten this worked up over something like this before... what's bothrin' ya'?"
"Nothing." I sigh, slumping down next to him, leaning on the horse trough.
"Oh, I've known you too long for that Jazzzzber. Tell me what it is."
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
"If you were fine, why were you at a bar?"
"I was getting an iced tea."
"Now don't lie to me. Wana smoke?" He offers, flipping open a package of cigarettes.
"Sure." I mutter, taking one from the pack and holding it between my lips.
He flipped open a lighter and reached up to light one for himself, but I grabbed his writs and took the lighter.
"I've got it." I say, lighting his, then mine.
"Thanks."
I take in a breathful of smoke and let it slide out between my lips.
"So. What are you doing still up?"
"I took the first caravan out today. A few people are escorting them out the rest of the way up to the safe houses."
"Mmm." He responds, taking in another puff of smoke.
"What about those girls? I saw 'em in the tent earlier and decided to just spend the night at the bar."
"You're going to need to find a friend to tent with for a while until Carlisle can get us another tent."
"Kay. What bout you? You staying in the tent with them? Eh?"
"No. I'm going to be staying with Carlisle for a while."
"I thought you had finally found a girl."
"Emmett. She's twelve."
"And I'm drunk."
"Just go to sleep."
"But this is fun! We never get to just talk like this anymore."
"Emmett-"
"No, really, admit it, you're having a good time too."
"Emmett, you-"
"I know, I know, I'm drunk, but besides that, isn't this great!"
"No, Emmett, you're burning a hole in your pants."
He looks down to where the cigarette ash had been collecting on his leg.
"Gah!" He shouts, brushing and whacking at the burning cloth. "Well damn. I thought it was getting warm out here."
Shortly after he collapsed into a deep sleep which I assume would end with a hangover. I guess I dozed off too because a few hours later the bugler was going around playing revelry.
"Emmett! Get up!" I shout into his ear.
"Who! Huh? Whaaaa?" He shouts, narrowing his eyes and glaring at me. "What was that for? You need to go to roll call. Carlisle will miss you."
"Yeah, but you being a major and all you don't gotta. I get how it is, tormenting your friend are you? But I'll get you! Yeah, I'll get back at you!" He shouts as he walks away.
I'm not sure if he was still drunk, or if this was just part of the hangover. I don't remember much about my alertness during that week that it took me to get myself straight after drinking that half-fermented brew.
I looked off towards Carlisle's tent and decide to see if he is there and if I can stay with him tonight.
"Jasper?" He asks as I walk up to the front flap.
"Yeah Carlisle?" I respond, pushing my way in the flap.
"There you are. I have the paperwork for last night's evacuation. I dealt with signing all the evacuees in but you'll need to do it for the rest of them."
"Yes sir. I was wondering if I would bunk with you fir a few nights?"
"Sure thing Jasper, did Emmett ever find a tent?"
"I'm not sure, last night he slept outside the bar."
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah. He's hungover. Bad."
"Good god. Will you tell him to get his sorry ass in here."
I smile as I always do when he cusses. It's not that it's a particularly rare thing, it's just that he's very parental and he used to scold Emmett for cussing. I suppose he would have done the same to me, but he never really needed to.
"I'm not sure about how much control he has over his sorry ass right now, but I'll try."
"Thanks Jasper." He chuckles.
I flip through the paper work and wander into my tent where I find Alyssa, Samantha, and another girl I don't recognize sitting on the floor playing with dolls.
"Hello Jasper!" The third one says as I walk into the tent.
"Well hello, now who are you?" I ask, crouching down to her eye level.
"Anna. Anna Hale."
"Oh, so you must be Rosalie's little girl. Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss, I'm Jasper, though apparently you already knew that."
"Yeah, you're the tall blond man that Emmett shares a tent with. Right?"
"That would be me. Have you seen Emmett anywhere? I thought he might be in here."
"No sir, but I think I saw Mommy talking to him last night before bed. Does that help?"
"Yes ma'am, I think it does. I'm going to finish up this paper work then head on out and see if I can't find him."
She giggles and sits back down with Alyssa and Samantha, playing with the dolls.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"No sir." Alyssa replies.
"Breakfast should still be out, come on, let's go get something to eat."
They follow silently, except Anna who stays in the tent. We each get a slice of bread and take it back to the tent with us. Samantha got two and gave the extra to Anna. I hold mine in my mouth as I thumb through the journal Carlisle gave me.
I sit on my old cot and lay open the journal. For families there was the family name, followed by the father, then mother, then any children in order of birth. If any others were with them they were mixed in with the children by order of birth. Individuals just had their own name and birth date. I go through and start counting families, children, adults, men, women, seniors, and people with special conditions. After everything has been documented, I fold up those papers and slide them into my bag.
Right before lunch time Rosalie comes into the tent, looking for Anna.
"Oh, there you are. Oh, hello Jasper, Emmett and I were going into town and were gona' spend the afternoon on the strand. Alyssa and Samantha are welcome to come with. You are too of course, I just assumed you were busy with the evacuation and all."
"Yeah, I am, Alyssa, Samantha, do you want to go with Anna and Miss Rosalie and Emmett to the strand?"
"Sure!" Samantha chirps.
"Okay, and tell Emmett that Carlisle is going to kill him."
"God, what did he do this time?" She grumbles.
"He'll know, but if I were him, I would avoid Carlisle until y'all got back tonight."
"Okay, thanks Jasper."
"Sure thing."
She takes Anna and Samantha by the hand and leads them out of the tent, Alyssa staying close by her sister's side.
That night, after I finished documenting everyone, I still had a few hours to kill before I had to lead off the next train, so I went into town to a diner I had head some friends talking about.
It was a little green place on the very edge of town, said to have the best chicken fried steak in the state, and as we all know, if chicken fried steak isn't in this state, then it's no longer chicken fried steak. It's just a piece of beef that someone fired.
"Howdy sir. Can I get you something to drink? Beer? Tea? Lemonaid?" A woman asks as I sit down at the bar.
A petite woman with short cropped hair scooted over beside me, sitting too close for a stranger.
"Um, uh, an iced tea would be great."
"Coming right up." She says, handing me a menu.
"You kept me waiting long enough." The other woman whispers in my ear.
"I'm sorry ma'am." I respond with a tip of my head.
"You're Jasper, aren't you?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Major Jasper Whitlock, I do believe."
"Yes, I'm sorry ma'am, but do I know you?"
"Not yet you don't. You will soon enough though. You're taller than I thought you would be though."
"Um, excuse me-"
"Oh, my bad, I didn't introduce myself," She cuts me off. "I'm Alice. Mary Alice Brandon."
"And, how exactly do you know me?"
"I just do."
"Okay, can I get you something?"
"No thank you, I'm fine." She says as the waitress puts my tea down in front of me.
"Anything else sir?" She asks.
"No ma'am, I'm fine."
I sip on my tea as Alice makes small talk about everything from the weather to the war. When I finish, she holds out a hand that I take without hesitation. She hops off her seat and I get a good idea of how tall she really is. She can't be much taller than 5'4'', if that.
"Come on, I wana' go meet Carlisle."
"You know him."
"Sorta."
"But, let me guess, he doesn't know you?"
"Right. I also know Emmett and Rosalie and Those little girls, Alyssa and Samantha and... what's the youngest one's name? Annie? Anna? Yes, Anna I believe. And that cousin of yours... Matt. Yes, him too. Him and that sister of his, Maria. Hmph. I do not like Maria. Matt, sure, he's nice and all, but Maria... no way. Not her. The entire time when we went to visit her brothers she was flirting with you! Right in front of me too! And for the entire trip. Hmph." She pouts.
"Um... excuse me, but how do you know Maria."
"Well, you see, the thing is, I can see the future."
"Okay." I say.
"Just trust me on this. Emmett is going to get his butt kicked by Carlisle when they get back to camp. He'll be on mess duty for the next month. And he raids y'all's tent and throws out all the alcohol."
"No, that's wrong, I alr-"
"You missed three bottles. One in his socks, another in the bag with his maps, and another under your cot."
"Under mine?"
"Yes. I'm surprised you've never checked there. Have a look for yourself."
"I will. So, where is Carlisle's tent? That's where you're staying, isn't it?"
"Yes ma'am, I am. It's near the edge of camp. We should be there pretty soon."
"Oh, good. Do you think Rosalie would mind if I stayed with her tonight? Or is Anna at the camp today."
"Anna was at the camp today, but I'm not sure if she's sleeping there."
"Okay, if not, do you think the girls would mind if I stayed with them?"
"I suppose not, but wouldn't your family miss you?"
"Oh, no, my mother is dead and my father sent my to the asylum since e thought I was making up the whole future seeing thingy. I'm perfectly sane though. I swear."
"I believe you. And you don't need to check in with them or anything?"
"What, the asylum? No way. An orderly helped me escape. He was nice. He was the one who administered my shock therapy."
"You had shock therapy?"
"Yeah. It hurts. A lot. I can't remember anything before the last shock. Michael, that's the orderly, says it was the same way after every shock. The pain completely brain washes you, you can't remember anything before it. Michael helped me fill in the blanks and eventually helped me break out."
"They shocked you that badly?"
"Yeah. I have burn scars on my sides and my arms and my legs from it." She says, rolling up a sleeve of her dress to show me the red, puckered spots about the size of a silver dollar on the bottom side of her arm. "They are worse on your sides. That's where they administer the stronger shocks. The arms and the legs are just used punitive shocks, the sides are used to do the shock therapy. Every week or so."
"Oh... "
"It's fine, you don't have to say anything. If I remember correctly, you have quite a few scars too."
"Um, yeah. Some from accidents, mostly caused by Emmett, and some from the war."
"Yeah, you got shot, didn't you?"
"A few times."
"Ouch, that had to hurt."
"Well, I still have all my memories if that's what you're getting at."
She laughs, "Yeah, well, I figured so much. Is this Carlisle's tent?" She asks, pointing at his tent, picking it out from a sea of hundreds.
"Yes, how do you know?"
"You're still asking that?"
"Good point." I say, pushing aside the tent flap and gesturing for her to go in ahead of me.
She hops up on her toes and kisses me on the cheek. Just a quick little peck. But, it was still the first time I had ever been kissed.
