Page 28 of Be With Me
Chapter 14
Pre-deployment briefings always. Seriously? It’s not like things changed that much. Why the hell it took a fricking week was beyond Mooney. He needed to figure out what he wanted to do for Debbie before he left. Christ, they’d only been married a few months and here he was leaving her for a year. Guess they’d find out if she had what it took to be married to a soldier. It wasn’t like he was getting out anytime soon. Nothing like trial by fire.Lord, let her be military spouse material. That woman owned him from head to toe and every part in between.
Mooney looked around the theater, almost full. He was close to the front since he was trying to set a good example. They should start the show soon. He stood up and looked around. He probably should count heads on his team. There was Cassidy, Townsend next to him. Where the hell was Newman? If he blew this off, his ass was so Mooney’s. Looking around, he noticed Newman leaning against the wall in the back. Now, Rickson… there he was.
Just as Mooney went to slide back into his seat, a guy bumped into him. Like it wasn’t hard enough to fit in these chairs; not like soldiers today were the same size as when they built the theater decades ago.
“Sorry about that. This seat taken?” He pointed to the empty seat next to Mooney.
“Nope, have a seat. Rafe Luna, MP.” Holding out his hand to shake, he waited for the guy to respond.
“Brian Holt, Transportation. Ready for this?” Brian asked.
“Oh yeah… not. Have a new bride,” Mooney said. Why he offered that bit of information was beyond him.
“Worried about Suzy Crotchrocket?” Brian settled in his seat and glanced around. “Timed it right. Almost time for this to start.”
“Can I squeeze into that seat?” A voice came from above Mooney making him tilt his head to look up. Another he didn’t know. Christ, new faces to keep track of.
“Sure, Rafe Luna, MP,” he offered as he half stood so the new sergeant could get by.
“Mike Mullvaney, quartermaster.”
“Brian Holt, Transportation. Guess we’re both attached to the MPs?”
“Looks like it. Guess it’s better than the artillery,” Mike pointed out as he sat down.
“Oh yeah. Man those guns are fuckers to move,” Brian agreed before turning back to Mooney. “You didn’t answer. Worried about Suzy at home?”
Mooney shook his head. “Nah, not worried about catching anything when I get back. Just worried that Debbie’s going to come to the realization that being with me is against her dreams and leave my ass.”
Both Brian and Mike nodded at that. “Hard to find the one and then have her leave for better things,” Mike said.
“We all look for that one. Count yourself lucky you found her,” Brian agreed.
“I do. I’ve got a few friends that’ll check in on her while I’m over in the sand. She’s got a job to keep her busy and her family isn’t too far away either.”
“Sounds like things could just go your way,” Brian said.
“I’m hoping so. What about you two? Leaving someone behind?” Mooney asked to turn the conversation away from him and his anxiety.
“Not me, you?” Mike chimed in.
“Not as lucky as our new friend here,” Brian volunteered. A loud screeching noise had the three of them turning to the front to see a captain standing at the podium.
“If we can have your attention, we’ll get started,” the captain on stage said. “Now, the deployment will start…”
Mooney shifted down in his chair and got ready to be bored. Second deployment for him, pretty standard briefing ahead… get your power of attorney, will, yada, yada yada… Shit! He needed to change his POA and will and… fuck! He pulled the notebook from his thigh pocket and started making a list. Maybe the briefing wasn’t the worst thing for him this time.
§ § §
Debbie looked around the nurses’ station, trying to decide where she was needed next. The unit wasn’t the most welcoming place to be. She wasn’t sure if a floor was the right place for her. Couldn’t seem to fit in.
“Luna, let’s move it,” the charge nurse called out. “There are meds to be given out. Go get the cart and medicate these patients.” Hearing her married name made Debbie smile and look at the bridal set on her third finger. It was still new but not enough to keep her from frowning at her next task.
Not her favorite thing to do. Count out pills. She wasn’t concerned that she’d give the wrong meds to a patient. It was tedious. Ah well, one-on-one time with patients did make her feel like she was connecting.
“On my way. Did Janice sign out from the pharmacy?” If Debbie was lucky, Janice had set her up this morning.
