Drill Sergeant Lovato

Part 2

Well, I had thought I was on the right track, but everything that happened following the one on one through the next day was awkward. DS Lovato didn't spend hardly any time inspecting the barracks when Sanders and I cleaned it the next morning, she barely said anything to me during training, and she seemed oddly distant in general. When she was addressing the whole platoon, she'd look at me every now and then and then clearly avert her eyes to someone else as soon as I made eye contact with her. 

Was my massage that bad? 

At the end of the day, before she dismissed us, she finally addressed me personally. 

"Make sure you all get plenty of sleep tonight and hydrate. Your diagnostic PT test is in the morning." She informed us. Then she looked at me. "Because of this... Russo." 

"Yes, drill sergeant?" I was just happy she finally talked to me. 

"We will not be doing PT tonight at 2000. I don't want you to be sore for the PT test." 

That would have nice and considerate, if we ever actually did PT together. But she knew as well as I did, that all we ever did was talk. So that was bullshit. She just didn't want to see me, for some reason. 

I got up from my bunk at 2000 anyway, and went to her office. 

"Drill sergeant, Private Russo requesting permission to speak to you." I knocked on the door. 

"Denied, Russo. There is no PT tonight, I told you already." I heard her say. 

I didn't like the why she was 'denied'. 

"Roger, drill sergeant. But I wanted to ask a question about something else?" 

I was trying to use more military lingo now. Other privates rarely said 'Yes, drill sergeant' anymore it seemed. 'Roger' was the official way to respond. I asked Sanders why, since she seemed to know everything, and she explained to me that 'Roger' used to be word for the letter R in the military alphabet. Saying the letter R meant 'received', as in, you heard what someone said. 

It couldn't hurt to show DS Lovato that I was learning things. 

"Is it related to anything with training?" She asked me. 

No... "Umm... yes, drill sergeant." I lied. If I could just be allowed to go in so I could talk to her... 

I heard her chair squeak as she got up. The door opened and I started to walk in, until I realized she barely opened it, and I almost ran into her. She was blocking the doorway, leaning against the door itself. "What is it, Russo?" 

"It's uh, actually... can I speak to you in private, drill sergeant?" 

"You said you had a question regarding training, Russo. How could that be private?" 

Damn, she was being difficult today. 

Okay, I'd actually read something about this in my field manual. If someone was designated as your NCO they were obligated to answer any question you had about anything.  

"I'm just using the uhh... open door policy." I explained, using the term I remembered. 

She sighed and extended her arm, pushing the door further open. "Fine. But next time, don't say it's related to training if it's not. I don't like liars." 

I fixed my eyes on the open door, then back to her. "So... I can... come in, drill sergeant?" 

"No, Russo, I just opened the door because I like the breeze." She said, her voice dripped with sarcasm. 

Geez. Maybe she was PMSing or something... 

I nodded and walked in, ducking under her arm. She stepped out of the doorway, letting it close, then faced me with her arms folded. "What seems to be the issue, Russo?"