Side By Side

10

Warnings:
-None

Clay's POV

I was following the road on the map and we walked really fast while carrying the heavy things for the barrack we would build ourselves so we could sleep somewhere tonight. We kept walking and I was constantly telling people to walk quicker and to switch carrying certain things with others who had something heavier.

I kept following the map and eventually arrived at an open area, seeing the sergeant wait for us. 'LAY DOWN ALL THE STUFF!'

We immediately dropped it at the grass and a few people were panting so loudly that they sat down.

'STAND UP!' the sergeant screamed. They stood back up and we stood in a row next to each other. I wiped sweat from my forehead and panted softly since I felt a bit lightheaded. I had constantly been carrying the heaviest thing alone because others didn't want to help and I also helped people and read the map.

'Clay, are you alright?' the sergeant asked as I felt my face turn very pale.

'Yes, sergeant,' I whispered, getting really lightheaded.

'What did you do during the march, Clay?'

'I- carried t-that thing alone, read the map and helped others to keep going, sergeant,' I summed up, stuttering because I couldn't focus anymore.

'Everyone, help Clay pull his bag off and let him sit down! NOW!'

Two people pulled off my bag and let me sit down on it as I leaned forwards, breathed out.

'WHY DID NO ONE HELP CLAY CARRY THAT? WHY DOES CLAY HAVE TO ACT LIKE HE'S THE SERGEANT BECAUSE NO ONE DOES ANYTHING HERE? DO YOU SEE HIM NOW? HE'S FULLY EXHAUSTED AND YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO STAND!'

It was quiet and I felt my body shaking a bit, feeling a pain in my shoulder because I held the heavy object there for the whole walk.

'GIVE CLAY WATER! DON'T JUST STAND THERE! YOU'RE A TEAM.'

Someone knelt down and lifted a water bottle up to my face. I sipped some water and sighed softly, standing up again. 'Sorry for sitting down, sergeant.'

'Are you alright?'

'Yes, sergeant. Just a bit shaky and lightheaded, sergeant.'

'Everyone is going to build the barrack together and eat something meanwhile. You have half an hour!' he yelled. 'Clay, eat something first before you start helping.'

'Yes, sergeant,' I answered at the same time as the others.

I slowly walked to the man who was making soup. He gave me a wooden bowl and filled it with a weird soup that I didn't recognise. I didn't care and was given another small cup with food.

I walked away and started eating it quickly since I knew how to build the barrack and no one else did. I finished the food and put it away as I ran to the others.

'This is wrong, break it down! You need to connect these two and then lift it up and connect these!' I yelled as I broke it apart, laying it down on the floor. I started building it on my own because no one seemed to understand how to build it.

'You're so unprepared,' I scoffed as I started building it on my own, screaming at some people to help me lift the barrack up.

Some recruits just walked away to eat food and I yelled for them to come back. They started helping me with the last parts and I set up the barrack, just under the amount of time we were allowed to.

I was panting as I stood back in line, seeing the sergeant walk up to me. I didn't say anything as he looked at me and then tapped my shoulder. 'Clay did a great job UNLIKE ANY OF YOU!'

He looked around and walked from the left side to the right side and breathed out.

'CLAY IS NOT THE ONLY SOLDIER. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING! IF YOU LET HIM DO ANYTHING ON HIS OWN, YOU'LL EVENTUALLY SACRIFICE HIM! IF CLAY GOES TO BATTLE WITH YOU, YOU WILL ALL DIE INCLUDING CLAY BECAUSE NO ONE HELPS HIM!'

It was quiet and the sergeant shook his head. 'Do you know what we do in the army when people don't listen? We make them feel as bad as they possibly can. Clay is going to do push-ups now and every time he pushes himself up, he will thank you all for this!'

I rolled my eyes as I sat on my hands and knees, starting to do push-ups. I knew everyone felt really bad now I had to do push-ups and I screamed out their names, thanking them for giving me this punishment.

The sergeant told me to stop after I thanked everyone twice and I stood up, sweating and breathing very fast.

'LISTEN UP, because of YOU, Clay got a punishment, do you realise that? You should feel very guilty BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR FAULT. HE DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE TEAMWORK!'

I leaned forwards with my hands on my knees to calm my breathing down again. I was frustrated with the others, but I understood why the sergeant did this. He wanted to make the others feel really guilty so they wouldn't make this mistake again.

'Now, go inside of the barrack and dump all your stuff. We are not done for today.'

I lifted myself up again, having my vision turn back since I did twice as much as all the others and they were already exhausted.

I noticed that I couldn't stand still anymore because of dizziness and I tripped over my feet, falling down on the floor. 'I'm so sorry, sergeant,' I mumbled as I tried to climb back up. 'I'm not too weak, I promise, sergeant!'

I climbed back up and stood in silence as the dizziness went away slowly.

'I'm very sorry, sergeant. I'll work better from now on, sergeant.'

'You need to work less, Clay. Everyone let you do anything because they were too weak to. You've done more than an advanced soldier is able to and you're just a recruit. You've done too much, you don't need to apologise. I want you to go through some medical checks before continuing.'

'Yes, sergeant. Where do I go for that, sergeant?'

'This way, follow me,' he answered as we walked away together. I really hoped this wouldn't be it for me, my dream would be crushed in just a minute...

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