Happy Easter season! The snow is finally melted and the temperature is finally warming up. I do apologize for the longer-than-normal wait. I got sick this last week and I've been busy with the end of the semester. Finals are in a couple of weeks, so that's fun. :/
Enjoy this next chapter! :)
Chapter Nineteen: Bully
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Alice's voice broke through the ringing in Suzie's head. Groaning in pain, Suzie forced her eyes open. The infirmary ceiling is becoming a recurring view that she does not enjoy. Alice stood above Suzie with her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed.
Good to see you, too.
"Have you lost your mind? That stunt you pulled on Lemay gave you a concussion. I thought you were stupid before, but now I know you're just reckless." Despite the harsh tone, Alice pressed a wet washcloth against Suzie's forehead.
Suzie opened her mouth to argue. Only a painful croak came out. Alice offered Suzie a glass of water and helped her sit upright by placing a pillow against Suzie's back.
The water eased some of the pain in her throat. It took several tries to force out a weak: "He was going to kill me."
"You think I don't know that? Lemay got disqualified and Stone is considering kicking him out of the army. That man has issues."
"His eyes…" Suzie muttered. She clutched the glass of water with both hands. An image of Lemay's crazed expression flashed through her head. Lemay's rabid facial expression sent shivers down Suzie's spine, stirring the water in the glass. She had no idea why Lemay and Garcia hated her. She did nothing to warrant such attacks. Yet, everything time they met, they either taunted her and Richard or tried to kill her—twice now.
If she had a dollar for every time Lemay and Garcia tried to kill her, she would have two dollars. She could not buy much with two dollars, but the fact that it happened twice rocked her to her core.
A gentle hand settled on Suzie's shoulder, freeing her from the haunting memory of Lemay's large hands squeezing her life away.
"Hey, Stone wants to talk to you once you're better," Alice said. "Maybe he'll consider your statement and kick Lemay out. A man like that is not someone soldiers could trust on a battlefield. Honestly, he could be working for the enemy and I wouldn't even be surprised."
The enemy.
A splitting headache seared through Suzie's head and she doubled over. Her stomach twisted into a churning knot and she almost vomited over the sheets. Alice swiped a bucket from seemingly nowhere and set it on Suzie's lap.
Tears stung in Suzie's eyes as she clutched the bucket's edges and stared down at the rusting metal bottom.
The enemy. Could Lemay be working for the enemy? For the Nazis? For Hydra?
The knot in her stomach tightened. Travis' bloody body on the church floor and Ma's hand slipping from Suzie's grasp flooded her mind. The tears fell in little droplets that hit the bottom of the bucket with soft "plinks."
The Hydra man in the alleyway who bit a cyanide tooth had the same deranged expression as Lemay when he had Suzie pinned to the ground. Could Lemay be a spy? Did Hydra send him to follow her here to finish the job that they started in the church? What about Becca? She could be in danger and Suzie had no way of knowing or stopping it.
Fueled by the urge to protect her sister, Suzie shoved the empty bucket to the floor and flung the blankets off. She swung her legs to the side of the bed and managed a few steps before she collapsed to her knees. Alice joined Suzie on the floor, positioned between Suzie and the curtained entryway.
"Slow down there, tiger. You've got a concussion."
"Becca! I've gotta help my sister!"
Placing her hands on Suzie's shoulders, Alice blocked Suzie from crawling forward. "You won't accomplish much if you can't even walk. Get some rest, talk to Stone, and send a letter to your sister. Chances are you're having a breakdown because of your concussion. Calm down."
"But Becca…"
Alice wrapped her arms under Suzie's shoulders and dragged her to the bed. Suzie sagged against Alice's chest and allowed the nurse to her under the blankets.
"Hydra…gotta stop 'em. Please…Becca…"
Alice placed a wrist against Suzie's forehead. "You're burning up. I'll believe you more when it's not the fever talking."
"Becca…"
"Get some rest. I'll be here if you need me."
Suzie sobbed. Fresh tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. Alice adjusted the pillow and guided Suzie to lie down. As Suzie slipped into unconsciousness, Lemay's demented eyes hovered in the recesses of her memory—a vivid nightmare of a bully.
The fever broke a day later. Suzie did not remember much from the day before until Alice reminded her and asked what "Hydra" meant. Breaking down, Suzie explained everything from Bucky's disappearance up to the fight in the showers. Alice said she considered Lemay an unhinged bully, not whatever Hydra did.
Once she got approval from Alice, Suzie went to talk to Stone. Alice offered to go with her or send Richard to help, but Suzie wanted to go alone.
The demons of anxiety plagued Suzie the entire walk from the infirmary to Stone's office. Nothing could convince her that Lemay and Garcia did not have some vendetta against her—personal or not. As much as she wanted to end their reign of terror by herself, she knew involving Stone would be the best way to do so.
When Suzie opened the door to Stone's office, her stomach dropped and a sharp claw of fear tore along her nerves. Even though Stone's office had cooler air than outside, Suzie shivered and almost closed the door to leave.
"Hello, Barnes," Garcia said.
Lemay, as always, sat beside Garcia. The larger man clutched something in his hands. Both grinned once the door swung closed behind Suzie.
"Come in, Barnes," Stone said and motioned to a seat in front of his desk.
At that, Garcia switched seats, forcing Suzie to sit between him and Lemay. Lemay's huge arm brushed against hers as she sat down—a mouse trapped between two starving tigers.
"I'm sure Alice already told you why you're here." Stone placed his palms against his desk and stood up. "I want the full story from both sides. This little feud has gotten out of hand and it ends now. All three of you are good soldiers and I would hate to send any of you home because of this absurd behavior."
"Sir, if I may, we would like to share something we discovered," Garcia said. He waited for Stone to nod and continued, "We have proof Barnes is a spy."
The accusation came too suddenly for Suzie to control her reaction. Her mouth dropped open and she sputtered without forming proper words. Her? A spy? Who did they think they were, accusing her of such things?
Stone remained stone-faced and held up a hand to stop Suzie from protesting. "Go on, Garcia."
How dare they! Suzie gripped the edge of her seat and glared at a pen sitting on Stone's desk to prevent herself from tackling Garcia and driving her pocketknife through his eye. That would make him think twice before bullying her.
"Barnes, here, has been acting strange. He uses a towel to cover himself when showering. He also changes and uses the bathroom by himself. That incident where he cut himself while shaving was just a ploy to let him get close to one of the nurses. We've seen Barnes sneak out of the barracks during downtime to go to the nurses' showers.
"This nurse, Alice, has fallen for his tricks and flirting. Barnes seduced her to get information about the army."
A corner of Stone's eye twitched at the mention of Alice. Only Suzie seemed to notice the rare display of emotion. Sensing Stone's quiet annoyance, Suzie offered, "Sir, I can explain everything—"
"Garcia, get to the point," Stone muttered, his voice lower and sterner than usual.
Stone's reaction and Garcia's absurd accusations unsettled something inside Suzie. The entire situation seemed wrong. She had no idea what to do, and she hated it.
"Walter and I thought that Barnes was just a womanizer or an effeminate man. Then we found this in Barnes' footlocker."
Lemay slammed the item in his hands onto Stone's desk and pushed it in front of Suzie.
Dammit.
The cigarette box that contained Suzie's tampons mocked her from where it sat on Stone's wooden desk. Originally, she considered Aunt Ida a genius for hiding the tampons in there. Now, it put her entire position in the army in jeopardy.
Lemay opened the cigarette box and dumped the tampons out onto the polished surface. He used an edge of the box to push one roll of cotton closer to Stone.
In other circumstances, Suzie would have laughed at the men treating women's sanitary products like radioactive or contagious items. Instead, Suzie swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to control her shaking. Sweat beaded against her forehead and a drop rolled down her back.
"What is that? Not cigarettes, that's for sure," Garcia said. "There's probably some secret spy equipment hidden in those."
Stone glanced up from the items on his desk. A corner of his lips pinched downward and he crossed his arms over his chest. "What is your point, Garcia?"
Garcia gestured wildly, almost hitting Suzie with his outstretched arm. "Can't you see? Barnes is a spy and he's using a nurse to get his information! His weird behavior throws us off from his true intention. All this is a ploy to trick us into letting our guard down! Do something about this evil traitor!"
Unable to take it anymore, Suzie lept to her feet. The chair scraped against the concrete floor and tipped over with a crack that sounded like a gunshot.
"Excuse me?! I haven't done anything wrong! You two are attacking me! Why are you so obsessed with everything that I do?" Suzie shouted. "I've minded my own business! You've almost killed me, twice! If anyone's untrustworthy, it's you two!"
"You bastard!" Garcia growled. He clenched his fist while Lemay placed a threatening hand on Suzie's shoulder.
"Hey!" Stone yelled. All three snapped to attention. "Lemay, Garcia, get out. We'll talk later about your recent actions. You've endangered your fellow soldiers. We do not tolerate this kind of behavior."
"Sir…" Garcia protested.
"Out. Now."
Two military police officers stepped into the office and escorted Lemay and Garcia away. The door finally slammed shut, leaving Suzie alone with Stone.
Moments passed in silence. Stone paced the length of the small office, his hands clasped behind his back. Standing ramrod straight, Suzie focused on the picture frame of a little girl sitting on a younger Stone's shoulders.
"I don't believe you are a spy," Stone finally said. "I don't know why Lemay and Garcia have something against you. Perhaps they are jealous that you are a better soldier. An unconventional soldier who has made a radical and different decision than expected, yes, but a better soldier nonetheless."
"Sir, I don't understand," Suzie said. All this talk about spies caused a headache to return. The knot in her stomach loosened a little once Lemay and Garcia left. It would still take more to make it completely unravel.
"Alice told me everything." Stone collapsed into his chair with a heavy sigh. He gestured at the tampons scattered across his desk, which Suzie gathered and stuffed into her pocket before sitting down. "You should thank her. If it wasn't for her, I never would have considered your side of the story."
"Sir, I'm not quite sure what you're trying to tell me."
Stone rested his intertwined hands on his desk and leaned forward. His brown eyes narrowed under his graying eyebrows. "Private Barnes, in other circumstances, I would never risk my position in the United States military to help one renegade soldier finish basic training. However, I am aging and losing my eyesight; and, therefore, I cannot travel overseas to go with my niece. I'm sure you have already met her. She's quite a firey young lady.
"She has a hard time making friends. She's been struggling more ever since her sister died. I tried the best I could to protect her and raise her once her father died and her mother abandoned the family, but..." Stone let out a heavy sigh, "my abilities can only do so much. I can tell that she cares about you; she needs a friend. When your unit ships out, I want you to keep an eye on her because she will be leaving, too. Maybe you two will keep each other out of trouble. A young woman like yourself will help her in ways that I cannot."
Too many revelations poured out in quick succession for Suzie to respond. She sat in the chair, her mouth agape. Stone was Alice's uncle? He knew about Suzie being a woman? Why did Alice tell him that? When did that happen? Why hadn't she been sent home yet?
She glanced up at the picture frame hanging on the wall behind Stone's desk. Now that she thought about it, the little girl on Stone's shoulders did resemble Alice. Both had smiles in the picture, strange to see on two usually stoic people.
"With all due respect, sir, you are mistaken. I've always been a m—"
Stone held up a hand to interrupt. "Barnes, there is no need to lie to me anymore. I had Alice tell me everything after the fight against Lemay. I have no intention of kicking you out or telling anyone else. This is quite a surprising turn of events; one that I did not expect in the slightest. I do admire your bravery in taking on such a wild endeavor. You did not need to be here, and yet here you are, sitting in front of me as a brilliant soldier of this country."
Her heart raced a hundred miles an hour, trying to keep up with all the information. The fan in the office could not compete with the sweat pouring down her face and soaking through her clothes. She knew someone would eventually find out, but she never imagined it turning out like this.
"Sir." Suzie swallowed to ease her dry throat. "I don't know what to say."
"Thank Alice. If not for her, I would have sent you home. I am only letting you stay because of her. Promise me that you will protect her, and I promise to keep your secret safe."
The wood grain on Stone's desk blurred into a mess as her thoughts swirled in a tornado. The chair she sat on tipped a little as she leaned forward on the seat and she almost slid out. She wanted to—to collapse onto the floor, curl up into a ball, and contemplate the events of the last hour. She had so many questions, but she doubted Stone would appreciate her asking.
"I suppose you want to know why I'm here," Suzie sighed. She dug her fingernails into her bent knees to try and focus on the conversation instead of the million thoughts rushing through her head.
"The more I know, the more chances there are of others finding out about you. I doubt they would be as understanding as me. I've seen the way you tackle every training session. The knockdowns you've taken don't seem to stop you from rising again. If it were up to me, I would promote you; yet, doing so would only put more unwanted attention on you. Perseverance is a trait difficult to find in men, and even rarer in a young lady."
Lightheadedness made Suzie float above the conversation. Stone's voice buzzed in and out like a muffled voice through snow. She would not go home. She would be able to sail overseas and find her brother.
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but be careful, Barnes," Stone said. He stood up and walked around the desk toward the door. "We're in the middle of a world war and everything is only going to get more dangerous once you step foot overseas."
"What will happen to Lemay and Garcia?" Suzie asked as she stood up and joined Stone at the door.
Stone's hand slipped from the doorknob. He dragged a hand through his short, graying hair and sighed. The wrinkles on his face appeared more prominent in the sunlight streaming through the single window. "We need as many soldiers as we can get. I'm afraid their actions are not enough to convince the higher-ups to send them home. Don't worry; I'll handle it."
"Thank you, sir." Suzie saluted which Stone returned.
Stone nodded to let Suzie stand at ease and opened the door. A warm breeze blew through the doorway. The end of February brought ever-increasing temperatures and new anxieties as basic training drew to an end.
Halfway down the steps leading to Stone's office, a thought popped into Suzie's head. Turning to see Stone standing with the door open, she met his eyes.
"Sir, may I ask you a random question?"
"Of course." Stone pushed the door open more and held it open with his foot.
"Have you heard of Hydra?"
Stone shook his head. "Sorry, it doesn't ring any bells. Is it something I should be concerned about?"
Suzie paused. So far, only she had heard of this organization. Perhaps she misheard the man in the church alleyway. If not for worry gnawing at her chest every time she thought about Hydra, she would assume that she was overthinking it.
"I don't know, but I think it would be a good idea to be aware of it," Suzie finally said.
"I'll keep it in mind." Stone saluted. "May God be with you wherever you go, Barnes. Serve this country well."
"Thank you, sir. I will, sir." Suzie saluted again and hurried down the steps, eager to return to the barracks. She had only been in the infirmary for two days, but she already missed Richard. She wanted someone to talk to, and she assumed that Alice was too busy dealing with "idiotic patients."
Still, Suzie left Stone's office with more questions than she had answers. Alice would clear up some of Suzie's burning questions. It hurt a little to find out that Alice broke her promise. Deep down, Suzie knew that Alice must have had a good reason to do so and she trusted Alice knew Stone would not tell anyone.
The wild game turned out surprisingly well. Garcia and Lemay would hopefully leave her alone now. Stone said that Suzie would graduate from basic training and travel overseas soon. That meant she would soon find Bucky and help end this horrible war.
And she had allies.
Richard still did not know about Suzie's secret. Even so, Suzie trusted him to have her back. Alice, with all her sarcasm and blunt attitude, would still help Suzie if she ever needed it. As for Becca, she was safe in Indiana with Henry and Ida, away from the horrors in Brooklyn and the ones that Suzie would face in Europe.
Uncle Henry told her that life would be easier if she found a group of trustworthy people. Having a team of friends would always benefit more than any individual skill. Now, Suzie could see why. With others helping her, she felt stronger, ready, and more capable of taking on the world—taking on this mysterious Hydra—and bringing Bucky home for good.
Watch out, Hydra. Suzie thought as she walked to the barracks. You're about to burn for what you took from me.
She needed this win. And it made all the difference in her life as a proud United States soldier.
Yes, Stone is Alice's uncle. That's why Alice seems to know everything before everyone else does. Stone's a tough guy but he really cares about his niece and would do anything to protect her. I promise Suzie will be leaving basic soon. More shenanigans will ensue. You haven't seen the last of Garcia and Lemay either.
I do not know when the next update will be. I will try my best to update as soon as possible. Until then, stay healthy! :)
Also, the song, Bully, by Shinedown inspired the title of this chapter.