Free Learning to Stand by Claudia Hall Christian Page A

unbecoming of an
officer.”
    She paused to let the information sink
in.
    “ But guys get DUIs all the
time. They don’t get discharged.”
    “ You’re an intelligence
officer, Sergeant Flagg. A Special Forces Intelligence Officer.
Tell me. Who do you know who is a Special Forces Intelligence
Officer who has received a DUI?”
    Larry fell silent.
    “ No one, I
guess.”
    “ We can demote you. Hell,
the Admiral might want your beret.”
    “ My beret? Yeah, you may as
well take my beret. You hate me anyway.”
    “ Hate you?” Alex
groaned.
    Jesse appeared by her side. “He got his
orders to go to the sand. He’s leaving in three months. He’s
freaked about going to war so he got shit faced.”
    Alex crossed her arms.
    “ Don’t let him ruffle you.”
Jesse moved in front of her. “And don’t yell. It’s a
hospital.”
    Alex gave him a curt nod.
    “ What does the great Jesse
have to say?” Larry asked. “He’s the only fucking person you care
about, and he’s not even alive.”
    “ You can see
Jesse?”
    “ I see the dust light up…
like sparklers… So what did he say?”
    “ He said you got your
orders.”
    Larry face blanched then went red. His mouth
flapped open and closed. Looking away from Alex, he mimicked her
crossed arms. When he turned back, he was one hundred percent
angry, drunk and hung over.
    “ You forget me. Every single
time. Troy thinks I’m a joke. Matthew treats me like I’m three
fucking years old. Raz won’t even talk to me. Vince pinches his
eyebrows when I talk. No response. Just this weird look. Trece told
me he was going to kill me. Kill… ME! And the Jakker openly laughs
when I talk.”
    Alex could barely contain her disgust for
the Sergeant. She fought, worked, struggled and suffered to get a
chance to wear a beret. This stupid, selfish drunken fool would
throw it away.
    “ Here are your options.”
Alex pressed forward to keep from throwing up. “First, you must
apologize to your commanding officer for your conduct, attitude and
diatribe. Once your commanding officer accepts your heartfelt
apology, you must apologize to the men.”
    “ Then what?”
    “ Colonel Gordon can move you
to a team at MI, either Fort Carson or Cheyenne Mountain. They do
straight up Military Intelligence. Your other option is to work
this out right here, right now.”
    “ I… I… Can I think about
it?” Larry asked.
    “ No,” Alex replied. “We’ve
been assigned to a complicated and challenging situation involving
the President’s best-friend. We need to be able to count on every
member. Today. Right this minute.”
    “ Oh,” Larry said. He lay
down on the hospital bed and stared at the ceiling. After a few
moments, he whispered, “I don’t know how to work it out,
Major.”
    Tears squeezed from his blue eyes.
    “ I might be able to help
you.”
    “ But don’t want to help me,”
he said.
    “ Fuck Larry! Are you twelve?
You are a God damned Special Forces SOLDIER in the United States
Army.”
    Alex bit her lip to keep from any further
yelling. Jesse was right. Yelling in a hospital was stupid. Shaking
her head, she moved toward the door.
    “ I’m sorry, sir,” Larry
said. “I’m drunk, hung over, and sick. I’m behaving very poorly.
Especially to you. Is there a way to make it up to you?”
    “ You can tell me what this
is about,” Alex said.
    “ Did you send me to Iraq to
get rid of me?”
    “ No, Larry,” Alex said. “You
joined Forces straight from college. You have to do at least one
tour. The rest of us were regular Army before we trained for our
Berets. My Sergeant, for example, did three tours in Afghanistan
before going through training. Vince went to Annapolis, graduated
top of his class before becoming a SEAL. He’d still be underwater
if he wasn’t injured.”
    “ Oh.”
    “ Exactly,” Alex said. “I
think it will be good for you to get out in the field and actually
do what you were trained to do. Isn’t that why you joined? To serve
your