This is the follow up to Becky's Marine. I've received much feedback concerning the series and many requests for it to continue. This is the beginning of that continuation. Thank you all for your support.
This is a series mainly centered on Marines on deployment. There might be some not so PC things said here (and definitely in part 2). Please do not take offense to this, I'm just trying for an accurate portrayal.
*******
It had been a long night, taking my turn as Sergeant of the Guard. Though I didn't have to do much of anything, I still had to be awake and available through the night. The benefit was that I got the following day, today, off. It had been a quiet night, as they all were, with me watching movies from someone's hard drive and catching a nap when I could.
I had just finished showering and was climbing into my tiny excuse for a bed when Tyler came over, throwing the curtains aside and giving me several soft jabs in the ribs.
"Wake up you lazy fuck," Tyler said as he hit me. "We're almost there, aren't you excited?"
"Ecstatic," I said gruffly. "What are you rambling about?"
"Our first port bro. Pearl harbor!"
I had forgotten that today was the day we pulled into Pearl harbor, mooring close to where the doomed Pacific Fleet had been on that fateful Sunday morning. It was tradition to man the rails when we entered Pearl, a sign of respect to those who had paid the ultimate price.
"Wake me when we can go out then," I said.
"You don't wanna join us peons on the flight deck?" He asked with mock surprise. "You cut me deep Drew, real deep."
"You poor thing, do you need to cuddle?"
"God no, not with your ugly ass." We both laughed, enjoying the harassment we gave each other.
"Where's Ryan?" I asked.
"Don't know, I think sergeant Ruiz has him doing something stupid again."
"That motherfucker, always fucking with my Marines. I'll have to have a talk with him."
"He really needs to lighten up, maybe get laid once in a while," Tyler said, his mischievous grin showing.
"Could you imagine that, Sergeant Serious getting laid," I said, laughing at the thought. "He would keep his stone faced expression the whole time."
Tyler started laughing, picturing Ruiz, whose expression was always cold, unfeeling and serious, having a good time. Soon both of us were in stitches, me almost rolling out of my rack.
There was a short silence, both of our bodies recovering from the laughter. I reached in my pillowcase for my earplugs, putting one in my right ear.
"I'm serious, wake me when it's almost time for us to get off this floating prison."
"Alright, I'll wake you then," Tyler said, sliding one curtain closed.
"And tell Ryan that I wanna see him before we go. If Ruiz gives you any shit, tell him to see me as well."
"Will do, goodnight honey."
"Goodnight darling."
He chuckled as he closed the other curtain and walked away. I laid there for a few minutes, eyes closed, thinking of Becky. I wondered what she was doing, how she had been these first nine days. My thoughts drifted to Carl and Jeanna, their engagement and what their plans for the future were.
Lauren's words rang in my head again, clear as the morning she had said them. "You keep those boys safe over there," she had said. I hoped I could remain true to that. With all the unknowns of war, I could only do my best to try.
----
"Rise and shine pumpkin, Gunny's liberty brief starts in fifteen, enough time for you to get dressed and join me for a smoke," Tyler said as he flung the curtains open, light flooding the cramped space between me and the bunk above me.
"Alright, I'm up. Just please, for the love of the gods, stop you infernal howling," I groaned, rolling out of the rack.
"Not gonna happen bitch. We're in Hawaii!"
"I'm aware of where Pearl harbor is, asshat."
"Me too, that's why I'm so excited!"
"Did you see Ryan?"
"Yeah, he'll get with you after the libo brief."
"Thanks. Let's go have that smoke."
We had a quick smoke, returning just in time for the briefing. Gunnery Sergeant Ernesto Sanchez was a short, stocky man of about 30, what little was left of his hair had begun to turn grey. He was originally from Juarez, Mexico, having gotten his citizenship while serving in the Corps. Though not very imposing, his personality was more akin to a starved doberman than a man.
"Listen up," Gunny Sanchez said in his thick Mexican accent. "This is our first port, don't fuck this up. Hawaii may seem like a whole different country, but it's still a state. If you're under 21, no drinking. Those of you who can drink, be smart and have a plan to get back to the ship.
"Those of you that surf, this isn't California, the waves here are much bigger. Know your limitations. If you've never surfed, now is not the time to learn."
At this point, First Lieutenant Brad Price joined the meeting, standing behind Gunny Sanchez. Where Gunny wasn't very imposing, Lieutenant Price more than made up for it. At 6'6 and 285 pounds of muscle, the man was built like a brick shithouse, easily the largest man in the battery. His ebony skin was covered in tattoos and he spoke with a thick southern accent.
"Gunny, if I may?" LT Price asked.
"Of course sir, go ahead."
"I've been surfing for the past 10 years, I know my limitations. I'm not confident enough to go surf the North shore, that means I shouldn't see anyone else there either. If you can't swim, don't go out further than you can stand, especially Gunny."
We all laughed at his jibe. It always made me feel good to hear the senior men act like the rest of us, makes them feel human.
"Hahaha," Gunny said in mocking. "Everyone surfs on a surfboard and Gunny surfs on a boogie board." We all laughed harder, I knew where this was going, but it was funny as hell.
"Shut up!" Gunny yelled. The room went deathly quiet, until Gunny started laughing.
They gave us the number for the local taxi service, assigned men to shore patrol and dismissed us. Tyler and I ran to get changed into civilian clothes, with Ryan coming to talk to me.
"Sergeant Anderson, you wanted to see me?" Ryan asked, keeping it professional.
"Yes, get changed. We're going out."
"But, aren't you not supposed to hang around junior enlisted?" Ryan asked fearfully.
"Listen, I told Lauren I'd watch over you guys, now how can I do that if I'm not with you?"
He thought for a minute, standing there as we got changed. "Good point," he said finally.
"Good, now go get changed, we got a town to burn down."
----
Nine days, nine days without a phone call or a letter. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't stressed out, and his deployment has only begun. Carl and Jeanna had been helpful, listening when I need an ear, talking when I needed it and holding down the fort when I wasn't around.
Before he left, Andrew had given me his parents email address and phone number. "If you need anything at all, feel free to call or write them," he had said. "You'll need a strong support network, and I can't think of anyone better than the two people who have been through two deployments."
At 4 pm the phone rang, I was in the middle of dinner and quickly dropped what I was doing and raced to pick it up.
