Texas Nights - Book 13 of the Damned of the 2/19th

Lunch and Vicks

Room 275
15th FSB Barracks
Fort Hood, Texas
CONUS
Saturday
21 December, 1991
1200

The room was warm, the air blowing in from the HVAC system wafting across my back as I stood wearing a sportsbra, my hair unbraided with a sprig of holly clipped in it by my ear, and looking out my window. It was snowing lightly, the quad covered in a light dusting of snow. I could feel a faint knot of dread in my belly as I watched the snow flutter down.

For too many years snow meant death.

I put my hand against the window and marveled at the difference. In 2/19th the windows were double-paned with a quarter inch gap between the two panes. Here, it was just a single pain that I could feel tremble ever so slightly when the wind made the snow swirl. It was a chill, condensation from the air in my room beaded all over the glass, but nothing like the deadly cold that Alfenwehr would be covered by this deep into winter.

Chuck was heading toward the barracks, I could tell by the way he walked and the jacket he was wearing, carrying a tray of food from the chowhall for me, since I, like all of Actual, was restricted to my room until Monday.

"Whacha lookin' at, Chief?" my watcher asked. Another guy from Alpha Company, a lanky white guy just down the hall from me.

"Shh," my voice was soft, quiet.

He moved up next to me, looking out the window.

"I hate snow," he commented, then withdrew.

"Why?" I asked, still staring out the window.

"Lived in Colorado, up above Denver," he said. "Grew up always cold."

I nodded.

"Saw you've got a lot of cold weather gear in your locker," he said.

"Yeah," I said. Chuck was past the Bravo offices.

I couldn't look away. I was afraid if I did he would vanish, snatched away by something in the snow, and I'd never see him again.

Stupid, I know, but I watched him like my life depended on it. I knew I was getting too attached, too quickly, but I couldn't help myself.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a fantasy, today is a dream, there is only now.

"Stationed in a cold weather area before here, Chief?" Alpha-Guy-Three asked.

"Hardship posting," I told him, still watching Chuck. "Worse than Alaska," I decided to head off his questions.

"Oh," was all he said.

Chuck was past the Charlie Company office and I shifted so I could watch him to the doors.

"Mind if I smoke?" he asked.

I waved my hand. "Knock yourself out."

The snap of his Zippo was loud, but went largely unnoticed as I watched Chuck go into the door. I heaved a sigh of relief.

"You OK?" Alpha-Guy-Three asked.

"Yeah," I said, going back to watching the snow flutter.

"I wish you'd put on some pants," AG3 mumbled.

"You're not my real dad," I told him distractedly.

"It's really disconcerting," He added.

"Nobody asked you to be in here," I told him.

"Your CO wants you under observation. I kind of was asked to be here," He said.

"Not by me," I snapped. I put my hand back on the window. "My room."