Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Somehow, I knew that.
Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
Vulture45-70
Veteran Member
Snippets here and there-keeping us hanging on for MOAR
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
It was a tense meeting. Each were nervous for their own reasons. Paige because she still didn’t know them very well and felt severely in their debt for who knows what all. The Sargent Major and the Commander felt guilty for the entire incident and letting her getting hurt. They felt it was a serious failing as leaders.
“We will do everything we can to speed your recovery, I feel personally responsible for no securing Frickel’s ass when I dressed him down that day. I understand the Sargent Major has stayed on top of your situation. I need you to focus on getting healthy and soon. I have lots of work for you. With only a skeleton crew here at the base, I am consolidating the arms rooms to maintain a firm control of the assets. Some of the people we shipped out of here were in positions which could have compromised those assets. I anticipate the schools here and the entire base will be basically mothballed for the foreseeable future as the entire DoD tries to get a handle on the damage. When you are cleared for light duty, you will be the primary armorer for the facility. I will need inventories cross referenced so we know what we have vs what we should. Any under the table spares I want secured separate. I don’t care if we have too much, as long as we have everything we should. I’m having all the sections doing the same thing. We are in the ‘spend your time on all the rainy day project’ mode. By mid-winter, everything should be repaired, refitted, reset and ready for the next class, whenever that might be.”
Paige was stunned by the enormity of the task she was being handed.
“Sir, I don’t have enough rank for such a job. I definitely don’t have the manpower. It will be quite some time I’m told, before I can do that kind of lifting and moving this will require. Are you sure you have the right person for such a job?”
“Your concerns are noted. I know I have the right person. You were willing to stand up for what was right, even though it might cost you your position here or even your career. As for your concerns about lifting and moving, I have at my disposal plenty of strong backs to follow your commands. I need your brains and knowledge, they can lift and tote for you. Your concerns about rank are not up on current events. One of the points I jabbed Frickel with was it would be blatant where my belief lay when you walk in with your new stripe. You were supposed to get it that next Monday. You earned it. When you come back to work, I expect you to be wearing it.”
Paige was floored. This was out of the blue. She was now a senior NCO. This was a major milestone. She also couldn’t help but picture Frickel’s face when the Commander told him that!
“Sir, I will do everything in my power to live up to your trust in me. I will start thinking and planning everything I’ll need to do.”
“Your first job is your recovery. Get healthy, then get to work.”
Paige heard the dismissal in his statement.
“Yes Sir, Count on it!” She practically floated from the room as she left.
“We will do everything we can to speed your recovery, I feel personally responsible for no securing Frickel’s ass when I dressed him down that day. I understand the Sargent Major has stayed on top of your situation. I need you to focus on getting healthy and soon. I have lots of work for you. With only a skeleton crew here at the base, I am consolidating the arms rooms to maintain a firm control of the assets. Some of the people we shipped out of here were in positions which could have compromised those assets. I anticipate the schools here and the entire base will be basically mothballed for the foreseeable future as the entire DoD tries to get a handle on the damage. When you are cleared for light duty, you will be the primary armorer for the facility. I will need inventories cross referenced so we know what we have vs what we should. Any under the table spares I want secured separate. I don’t care if we have too much, as long as we have everything we should. I’m having all the sections doing the same thing. We are in the ‘spend your time on all the rainy day project’ mode. By mid-winter, everything should be repaired, refitted, reset and ready for the next class, whenever that might be.”
Paige was stunned by the enormity of the task she was being handed.
“Sir, I don’t have enough rank for such a job. I definitely don’t have the manpower. It will be quite some time I’m told, before I can do that kind of lifting and moving this will require. Are you sure you have the right person for such a job?”
“Your concerns are noted. I know I have the right person. You were willing to stand up for what was right, even though it might cost you your position here or even your career. As for your concerns about lifting and moving, I have at my disposal plenty of strong backs to follow your commands. I need your brains and knowledge, they can lift and tote for you. Your concerns about rank are not up on current events. One of the points I jabbed Frickel with was it would be blatant where my belief lay when you walk in with your new stripe. You were supposed to get it that next Monday. You earned it. When you come back to work, I expect you to be wearing it.”
Paige was floored. This was out of the blue. She was now a senior NCO. This was a major milestone. She also couldn’t help but picture Frickel’s face when the Commander told him that!
“Sir, I will do everything in my power to live up to your trust in me. I will start thinking and planning everything I’ll need to do.”
“Your first job is your recovery. Get healthy, then get to work.”
Paige heard the dismissal in his statement.
“Yes Sir, Count on it!” She practically floated from the room as she left.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Paige was floored. This was out of the blue. She was now a senior NCO. This was a major milestone. She also couldn’t help but picture Frickel’s face when the Commander told him that!
Don't think that Frickel will realize anything even Paige and her new rank.
Thanks CCG.
Texican....
Don't think that Frickel will realize anything even Paige and her new rank.
Thanks CCG.
Texican....
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Exactly, sort of
End of two, Jesse got the radio message Paige was headed his way
Vulture45-70
Veteran Member
Damn Mr. Bill you must have know my 2nd x wife
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The meeting with the Sargent Major was a bit more relaxed, at first. Paige and Sabine went into his office. Paige was expecting a short reiteration of what the Commander said but once they were in his office, it took on a much more serious feel.
“Where do I start? There is a whole host of unofficial crap the commander didn’t go into. Your report helped us identify and remove more than just one problem. We were able to select the ‘help’ we needed to send the second wave the base sent to the coast for clean-up. This let us make sure we did not run into any political roadblocks as we were cleaning house. You should not run into any of Frickel’s friends or those with like attitude. They are gone or know to keep their opinions and body parts themselves. A gentle reminder has been issued.”
He paused to offer them some coffee before he continued. “The balancing act the Commander and I are working with is what do we really own and what do we just own right now. You and Sabine we own outright. This means we have more power and flexibility with what we do with you two. The rest of the base? We are doing as much as we think we can get away from. In all honesty, we are probably going to be working hard resetting everything, just to ship it all off as we close the base. That’s what the Commander and I think will happen in the long run. Have either of you been at a closing base?”
Both shook their heads.
“Well, lots of inventorying, packing and resetting and repacking and re-inventorying. We don’t know the base will closed, but I would be very surprised if we don’t. This also means take a hard look at where you might want to go to for your next duty assignment. I’ll try and help you guys as much as I can in that regards, but I got a feeling some of us, like me and the Commander, will get hit with a reduction in force since we are retirement eligible.”
“I’ll swing by in a day or two with some new uniforms for you since you are down two uniforms. I’ll make sure they have those new stripes on them.”
We can talk more when we are away from the shop. There’s more we should talk about, but not right now. Sabine,” he looked over at her. “I think you; Henrik and Andrea should have movie night and explain things to Paige.”
Sabine nodded. Paige looked confused but that was happening a lot lately. This was different. Foreboding in a way she was not sure what to make of it. She trusted her friends but with the lapses in her memories what were they trying to tell her. What had she done?
“Where do I start? There is a whole host of unofficial crap the commander didn’t go into. Your report helped us identify and remove more than just one problem. We were able to select the ‘help’ we needed to send the second wave the base sent to the coast for clean-up. This let us make sure we did not run into any political roadblocks as we were cleaning house. You should not run into any of Frickel’s friends or those with like attitude. They are gone or know to keep their opinions and body parts themselves. A gentle reminder has been issued.”
He paused to offer them some coffee before he continued. “The balancing act the Commander and I are working with is what do we really own and what do we just own right now. You and Sabine we own outright. This means we have more power and flexibility with what we do with you two. The rest of the base? We are doing as much as we think we can get away from. In all honesty, we are probably going to be working hard resetting everything, just to ship it all off as we close the base. That’s what the Commander and I think will happen in the long run. Have either of you been at a closing base?”
Both shook their heads.
“Well, lots of inventorying, packing and resetting and repacking and re-inventorying. We don’t know the base will closed, but I would be very surprised if we don’t. This also means take a hard look at where you might want to go to for your next duty assignment. I’ll try and help you guys as much as I can in that regards, but I got a feeling some of us, like me and the Commander, will get hit with a reduction in force since we are retirement eligible.”
“I’ll swing by in a day or two with some new uniforms for you since you are down two uniforms. I’ll make sure they have those new stripes on them.”
We can talk more when we are away from the shop. There’s more we should talk about, but not right now. Sabine,” he looked over at her. “I think you; Henrik and Andrea should have movie night and explain things to Paige.”
Sabine nodded. Paige looked confused but that was happening a lot lately. This was different. Foreboding in a way she was not sure what to make of it. She trusted her friends but with the lapses in her memories what were they trying to tell her. What had she done?
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ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
It was a tense ride back to the house. Paige tried to get Sabine to let her in on what the Sargent Major was talking about. Sabine kept evading, then finally stonewalling on the topic.
“Come on, since it’s about me, I need to know! Am I in trouble? What did I do? It couldn’t have been too bad, otherwise they wouldn’t have given me the stripe! You guys are scaring me! Tell me!”
Finally, Sabine relented, a little. She wanted to talk to the others before she told Paige everything, but right now Paige was screwing herself into the ceiling with worry bordering on panic.
“Look, it’s nothing you did, or at least you you. Some stuff went down while you were in the hospital that the bosses couldn’t talk about at the shop. Hell they can’t really admit to knowing about any of it. Henrik, Andrea and I know due to some extenuating circumstances. We will tell you, but it’s not something to just blurt out in the car. Let’s get back to the house, you do your exercises and rest a bit while Andrea, Henrik and I figure out the best order to tell things in to keep them straight and not confuse you. Please?”
“I don’t understand. Why don’t you just tell me?”
“Because if I tell it wrong, it will just confuse you more and not help.”
“I don’t like it. Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”
The rest of the ride was quiet, the only sound other than the wheels on the road was the tunes on the radio.
“Come on, since it’s about me, I need to know! Am I in trouble? What did I do? It couldn’t have been too bad, otherwise they wouldn’t have given me the stripe! You guys are scaring me! Tell me!”
Finally, Sabine relented, a little. She wanted to talk to the others before she told Paige everything, but right now Paige was screwing herself into the ceiling with worry bordering on panic.
“Look, it’s nothing you did, or at least you you. Some stuff went down while you were in the hospital that the bosses couldn’t talk about at the shop. Hell they can’t really admit to knowing about any of it. Henrik, Andrea and I know due to some extenuating circumstances. We will tell you, but it’s not something to just blurt out in the car. Let’s get back to the house, you do your exercises and rest a bit while Andrea, Henrik and I figure out the best order to tell things in to keep them straight and not confuse you. Please?”
“I don’t understand. Why don’t you just tell me?”
“Because if I tell it wrong, it will just confuse you more and not help.”
“I don’t like it. Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”
The rest of the ride was quiet, the only sound other than the wheels on the road was the tunes on the radio.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
“Look, the Sargent Major was wanting her to know.” Sabine said for the fourth or fifth time, she wasn’t counting.
“It’s too soon. What good will come of it? None, I tell you. I didn’t sit in that bed with her working through all of this, hiding in town, just to have some guy screw her up by pushing too hard too fast. If she wanted to know something, she would have asked. She didn’t until he opened his big mouth!” It was Casey all over again. She wasn’t going to lose another friend because somebody thinks they need to face their trauma!
“The Sargent Major wants her to know so she knows she doesn’t have anything to fear from Frickel ever again! Hell, look at everything he has done! He put his own daughter at risk for Paige!”
Andrea cut her off.
“Let’s talk about that! What kind of father puts his daughter in harm’s way like that! Especially knowing the parallels! There’s some father of the year! ‘Hey, this chick that looks like my daughter got the hell beat out of her! Let me get my daughter to come down here and antagonize him!’ Who the **** in their right mind does that!’ Andrea was in full roar now. “So now this guy wants to pull a mind **** on the chick that looks like his daughter by showing her this horrible footage when she is just now coming to grips with being attacked and surviving! So, tell me again how it makes sense!”
Sabine wasn’t sure what to do to defuse this but she had to try. She hated upsetting Andrea anyway and this seemed to be about more than Paige.
“Andrea, we have to tell her something. She knows she was attacked. She knows Frickel isn’t on base any more. She also knows she isn’t on base. She is worried about more attacks from the darkness. If we show her the footage of Violet disassembling Frickel, she will know he is never jumping out of the bushes at her again! By telling her how far the Commander and the Sargent Major were willing to go on her behalf might go a long way towards her being able to trust and have faith in someone again! You have no IDEA how much just that one person willing to risk it all to help you, to BELIEVE in you, makes a difference!” Sabine tried to pull her temper back, but now her passions were ignited as well.
“You don’t even know some of the things they have done to try and help her, and us! Hell, they could have checked the block, thrown Frickel in the brig until the normal command staff returned, with all his political connections, it would have probably ended with it being all Paige’s fault and Frickel getting a medal for beating the **** out of her!” Sabine was in full rage even thinking about it, but now it was her. The trial, the persecution, when she was the victim, not him. The Master Chief in the back of the courtroom, willing her to hold together on the stand.
Andrea was still adamant.
“It’s too soon to go into this with Paige! I’ve seen what ruin it can lead to. It could break her. I can’t lose another friend like that!” In her mind, it was Paige in the shower stall, the sheet tight around her throat instead of Casey. She couldn’t deal with it again. Junior High felt like a long time ago, but sitting in the bed with Paige brought that horrible summer back in all its crystal clarity.
Sabine didn’t give an inch. “We have to tell her something, even if we don’t show her the videos. She deserves that much. The Commander, the Sargent Major, Veronica, and sure as hell, Violet earned it. We owe them. Paige needs to be told.” During the last part, Sabine was stripping down. She changed into running shorts and a tank top. “You and Henrik can talk it through. My vote is we tell her. It’s not like she went out and did evil things. It’s about telling her how much people went to bat for her. I’ll be in the barn getting some exercise.” She walked out of their bedroom without another word, leaving an angry and frustrated Andrea on the bed.
“It’s too soon. What good will come of it? None, I tell you. I didn’t sit in that bed with her working through all of this, hiding in town, just to have some guy screw her up by pushing too hard too fast. If she wanted to know something, she would have asked. She didn’t until he opened his big mouth!” It was Casey all over again. She wasn’t going to lose another friend because somebody thinks they need to face their trauma!
“The Sargent Major wants her to know so she knows she doesn’t have anything to fear from Frickel ever again! Hell, look at everything he has done! He put his own daughter at risk for Paige!”
Andrea cut her off.
“Let’s talk about that! What kind of father puts his daughter in harm’s way like that! Especially knowing the parallels! There’s some father of the year! ‘Hey, this chick that looks like my daughter got the hell beat out of her! Let me get my daughter to come down here and antagonize him!’ Who the **** in their right mind does that!’ Andrea was in full roar now. “So now this guy wants to pull a mind **** on the chick that looks like his daughter by showing her this horrible footage when she is just now coming to grips with being attacked and surviving! So, tell me again how it makes sense!”
Sabine wasn’t sure what to do to defuse this but she had to try. She hated upsetting Andrea anyway and this seemed to be about more than Paige.
“Andrea, we have to tell her something. She knows she was attacked. She knows Frickel isn’t on base any more. She also knows she isn’t on base. She is worried about more attacks from the darkness. If we show her the footage of Violet disassembling Frickel, she will know he is never jumping out of the bushes at her again! By telling her how far the Commander and the Sargent Major were willing to go on her behalf might go a long way towards her being able to trust and have faith in someone again! You have no IDEA how much just that one person willing to risk it all to help you, to BELIEVE in you, makes a difference!” Sabine tried to pull her temper back, but now her passions were ignited as well.
“You don’t even know some of the things they have done to try and help her, and us! Hell, they could have checked the block, thrown Frickel in the brig until the normal command staff returned, with all his political connections, it would have probably ended with it being all Paige’s fault and Frickel getting a medal for beating the **** out of her!” Sabine was in full rage even thinking about it, but now it was her. The trial, the persecution, when she was the victim, not him. The Master Chief in the back of the courtroom, willing her to hold together on the stand.
Andrea was still adamant.
“It’s too soon to go into this with Paige! I’ve seen what ruin it can lead to. It could break her. I can’t lose another friend like that!” In her mind, it was Paige in the shower stall, the sheet tight around her throat instead of Casey. She couldn’t deal with it again. Junior High felt like a long time ago, but sitting in the bed with Paige brought that horrible summer back in all its crystal clarity.
Sabine didn’t give an inch. “We have to tell her something, even if we don’t show her the videos. She deserves that much. The Commander, the Sargent Major, Veronica, and sure as hell, Violet earned it. We owe them. Paige needs to be told.” During the last part, Sabine was stripping down. She changed into running shorts and a tank top. “You and Henrik can talk it through. My vote is we tell her. It’s not like she went out and did evil things. It’s about telling her how much people went to bat for her. I’ll be in the barn getting some exercise.” She walked out of their bedroom without another word, leaving an angry and frustrated Andrea on the bed.
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sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
“What aren’t you guys telling me?” Paige sounded frustrated and a bit whiney. She was hoping Henrik would go ahead and tell her. Instead, he held strong.
“Some of the things that went on while you were out were ‘unusual’ and I don’t know how much you should know. It was nothing bad, but I don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better.” He stood there, hoping she would just accept it and not worry. He wanted nothing to stress her out or make her overly concerned. If he could put her in a protective bubble, he would. He had failed to protect her, he had failed to avenge her, but at least he could try to keep her safe now.
“If it has to do with me and the shit that went down because of me, I have a right to KNOW!” Paige was getting a bit lightheaded yelling like this. She had been trying to breathe carefully with the damage to her ribs. It was good for the lungs, clearing out the garbage down deep, but the ribs and the bruises objected furiously. The grimace on her face clued Henrik in.
“Paige, calm down. You’re hurting yourself. It’s nothing to get worked up about!”
“BULLSHIT! You guys are pulling a bunch of secret squirrel shit! Don’t hide stuff from me! Don’t keep secrets! If it has to do with the whole event, I need to know! I paid for it with my BODY DAMMNIT!” She collapsed, doubled up in a coughing fit, first to the side of the bed, and then slid to the floor, every cough eliciting a cry of pain. Soon she was sobbing and clutching her side weakly.
Now Henrik felt like total shit. He bent down and scooped her up as gently as he could. He lay her on the bed on her side and held her hand.
“We will tell you what we can. I promise. We just don’t want to tell too much too soon. Don’t worry. We will tell you.” He had hurt her again. When was he ever going to stop hurting her? After a while, she fell asleep.
“Some of the things that went on while you were out were ‘unusual’ and I don’t know how much you should know. It was nothing bad, but I don’t want you to worry about anything but getting better.” He stood there, hoping she would just accept it and not worry. He wanted nothing to stress her out or make her overly concerned. If he could put her in a protective bubble, he would. He had failed to protect her, he had failed to avenge her, but at least he could try to keep her safe now.
“If it has to do with me and the shit that went down because of me, I have a right to KNOW!” Paige was getting a bit lightheaded yelling like this. She had been trying to breathe carefully with the damage to her ribs. It was good for the lungs, clearing out the garbage down deep, but the ribs and the bruises objected furiously. The grimace on her face clued Henrik in.
“Paige, calm down. You’re hurting yourself. It’s nothing to get worked up about!”
“BULLSHIT! You guys are pulling a bunch of secret squirrel shit! Don’t hide stuff from me! Don’t keep secrets! If it has to do with the whole event, I need to know! I paid for it with my BODY DAMMNIT!” She collapsed, doubled up in a coughing fit, first to the side of the bed, and then slid to the floor, every cough eliciting a cry of pain. Soon she was sobbing and clutching her side weakly.
Now Henrik felt like total shit. He bent down and scooped her up as gently as he could. He lay her on the bed on her side and held her hand.
“We will tell you what we can. I promise. We just don’t want to tell too much too soon. Don’t worry. We will tell you.” He had hurt her again. When was he ever going to stop hurting her? After a while, she fell asleep.
It never ceases to amaze me that some men think women can't handle the emotional garbage. We may vent and handle it differently, but for the most part I have seen women keep it together in a crisis better than men. Now after the need to care for others wears off.....well, that can get messy.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very true Moldy on that. Thank you for another addition.
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Like....I dunno....a cliff? Maybe? Could happen.
Vulture45-70
Veteran Member
Best to tell Paige letting her figure out who her friends are instead of giving her a dose of Bull-hit
Lake Lili
Veteran Member
Thats how we spell it... How do you spell it...
NOOOOOO! I can’t take it anymore!! lol. But, I don’t know best either!!!
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Henrik stuck his head into Andrea and Sabine’s bedroom. He saw Andrea sitting on the edge of the bed. She was twisting the amulet she always wore around and around her finger, staring off into space.
“Hey, where’s Sabine?”
Andrea was startled. She didn’t hear him coming. It always amazed her how quiet and stealthy he was by nature. He was always surprising them. Not intentionally, purely by accident.
“She’s out in the barn exercising. We had a fight.” She said sadly.
“Same fight I just had with Paige? What to tell her and when?”
“Yeah. It’s too soon. I don’t know why she needs to know at all.” Andrea sounded angry but Henrik could hear past that to the underlying fear.
“She is going to need to know sooner or later. There will be the whole trial and such. She will end up knowing. It’s better if she hears it from us, rather than some defense attorney. I just don’t know if the time is yet.” The two stood there for a few silent moments. Then Andrea asked.
“So why did you need Sabine?”
"Paige screamed herself into a coughing fit, which lit off all the pain from her ribs. She is calmed down and sleeping now but I was wondering if it would be better if Sabine checked her out and made sure she didn’t tear or shift anything.”
At hearing Paige hurt herself, Andrea popped off the bed and headed towards the stairs. Over her shoulder she spoke to Henrik.
“Go tell Sabine. I’ll go check on Paige!” and bounded down the stairs.
“Hey, where’s Sabine?”
Andrea was startled. She didn’t hear him coming. It always amazed her how quiet and stealthy he was by nature. He was always surprising them. Not intentionally, purely by accident.
“She’s out in the barn exercising. We had a fight.” She said sadly.
“Same fight I just had with Paige? What to tell her and when?”
“Yeah. It’s too soon. I don’t know why she needs to know at all.” Andrea sounded angry but Henrik could hear past that to the underlying fear.
“She is going to need to know sooner or later. There will be the whole trial and such. She will end up knowing. It’s better if she hears it from us, rather than some defense attorney. I just don’t know if the time is yet.” The two stood there for a few silent moments. Then Andrea asked.
“So why did you need Sabine?”
"Paige screamed herself into a coughing fit, which lit off all the pain from her ribs. She is calmed down and sleeping now but I was wondering if it would be better if Sabine checked her out and made sure she didn’t tear or shift anything.”
At hearing Paige hurt herself, Andrea popped off the bed and headed towards the stairs. Over her shoulder she spoke to Henrik.
“Go tell Sabine. I’ll go check on Paige!” and bounded down the stairs.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Henrik walked into the barn, concern and a bit of shame on his face. He saw Sabine working out. He helped her set up her gear months ago when she got it. She had an old helicopter fastrope hung from the rafters a good twenty-five feet or more up. At the free hanging end of the rope, a full sized punching bag hung. This was for two things, Sabine regularly beat the hell out of it, and it provided a counterbalance steadying the rope while she climbed it over and over again.
She was halfway up the rope when he walked in. He knew she had been working hard. She was wet to the core, the steam visibly boiling off of her in the cool autumn night air. Before he knew how to begin, Sabine spoke.
“What do you want?” She was short of breath as she climbed.
“I pissed off Paige. We got into a fight. She got to yelling and ended up in a coughing fit. She hurts pretty bad. I got her calmed down and onto the bed, but I don’t know if you should check her out in case she pulled or tore something.”
Sabine stopped climbing. She slid down the fireman pole sized rope and dropped to the ground. She turned towards Henrik.
“You’re a ****ing idiot!. You and Andrea! Both of you want to wrap Paige up in bubble wrap and stick her on a shelf to keep her from ever being hurt again. If you do that, we may as well have let Frickel kill her that day! She is not fragile! She is not frail! The only thing that can make her that is everyone telling her she is. That’s not who she is and I won’t let you two convince her she is!” She grabbed a towel from the workbench where she left it earlier. “She is physically hurt. That will take time to recover from. We can’t let you guys make her mentally hurt as well. She got sucker punched! Anybody can have that happen! We have to re enforce that part and move forward. I think we should have teed up the video, made some popcorn and watched Frickel get the shit kicked out of him by Violet, laughing and defusing the event. Instead, you and Andrea want to make it into high drama. That doesn’t work. You loved the strong, capable Marine you first met. Don’t try to change her! You will lose her if you do, either she will leave or vanish into her own mind. Either way, it would be kinder to just hold the pillow over her face until the kicking stops.”
Henrik reeled as if struck by a sledgehammer. Damn it, she was right. Can he do nothing right. He would do anything for Paige. He loved her with every fiber of his being. He needed to look at what she needs and support, not smother. He had to pull his head out of his ass before he destroyed the best thing in his life.
“Sabine, can you talk to her and help me know how to fix it? I love her and I don’t want to lose her. I just want her safe. What do I do?”
“Stop trying to hold her back. Stop keeping things from her. Start trusting her to know what she needs. Give her all the info, then she can make choices. You won’t like some of them, but if you try to make them for her, she will cut you out of the process. If it happens too much, she will just cut you out of her life. Listen twice as much as you talk and let her lead for a while. She can pace herself, if she knows the score.”
“Where did you learn all of this?”
“A thousand shitty life lessons and a hundred thousand errors. Let’s go make sure she didn’t hurt herself too bad.” Sabine walked past Henrik and out into the night air. Henrik saw the steam rise from her shoulders. It was so thick it reminded him of campfire smoke in the moonlight.
She was halfway up the rope when he walked in. He knew she had been working hard. She was wet to the core, the steam visibly boiling off of her in the cool autumn night air. Before he knew how to begin, Sabine spoke.
“What do you want?” She was short of breath as she climbed.
“I pissed off Paige. We got into a fight. She got to yelling and ended up in a coughing fit. She hurts pretty bad. I got her calmed down and onto the bed, but I don’t know if you should check her out in case she pulled or tore something.”
Sabine stopped climbing. She slid down the fireman pole sized rope and dropped to the ground. She turned towards Henrik.
“You’re a ****ing idiot!. You and Andrea! Both of you want to wrap Paige up in bubble wrap and stick her on a shelf to keep her from ever being hurt again. If you do that, we may as well have let Frickel kill her that day! She is not fragile! She is not frail! The only thing that can make her that is everyone telling her she is. That’s not who she is and I won’t let you two convince her she is!” She grabbed a towel from the workbench where she left it earlier. “She is physically hurt. That will take time to recover from. We can’t let you guys make her mentally hurt as well. She got sucker punched! Anybody can have that happen! We have to re enforce that part and move forward. I think we should have teed up the video, made some popcorn and watched Frickel get the shit kicked out of him by Violet, laughing and defusing the event. Instead, you and Andrea want to make it into high drama. That doesn’t work. You loved the strong, capable Marine you first met. Don’t try to change her! You will lose her if you do, either she will leave or vanish into her own mind. Either way, it would be kinder to just hold the pillow over her face until the kicking stops.”
Henrik reeled as if struck by a sledgehammer. Damn it, she was right. Can he do nothing right. He would do anything for Paige. He loved her with every fiber of his being. He needed to look at what she needs and support, not smother. He had to pull his head out of his ass before he destroyed the best thing in his life.
“Sabine, can you talk to her and help me know how to fix it? I love her and I don’t want to lose her. I just want her safe. What do I do?”
“Stop trying to hold her back. Stop keeping things from her. Start trusting her to know what she needs. Give her all the info, then she can make choices. You won’t like some of them, but if you try to make them for her, she will cut you out of the process. If it happens too much, she will just cut you out of her life. Listen twice as much as you talk and let her lead for a while. She can pace herself, if she knows the score.”
“Where did you learn all of this?”
“A thousand shitty life lessons and a hundred thousand errors. Let’s go make sure she didn’t hurt herself too bad.” Sabine walked past Henrik and out into the night air. Henrik saw the steam rise from her shoulders. It was so thick it reminded him of campfire smoke in the moonlight.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
2T2-Crash
Contributing Member
Like I spelled it, keeps popping up as Sargent in the story. Which is funny because I once worked with a Sergeant Sargent. lol
ETA: dang I love this story!