ESO SOLDADO

Part Five - Crossroads

Rene walks into the barn First Platoon is staying in, wearing his full gear with his gun resting on one shoulder, and his rifle on the other. He scans the different faces, looking for one in particular, smiling at Dukeman and Talbert as he catches their eyes from where they're sitting on a table in the middle of the barn. Rene finds who he's looking for sitting on the ground looking his radio over, smirking as he walks towards him.

When Rene reaches George, he looks at Winters before setting his gun down on the table next to George's radio. George looks up, smiling at Rene, who returns his smile as he reaches into his pocket. Rene grabs out a pack of cigarettes, holding the pack of cigarettes out for George to take, "your cigarettes, Mr. Luz."

George smiles up at Rene as he grabs the pack, "thank you, Mr. Flores." George grabs his pack of gum, "here is your gum, Mr. Flores."

Rene smirks, grabbing the pack of gum, while ignoring his heartbeat picking up, and the burning on his hand as their fingers touch. He slides the gum into one of his breast pockets, "oh, thank you, Mr. Luz." He clears his throat, before grabbing his gun up and moving to sit next to George on the ground, taking his helmet off before setting his rifle down next to him, beginning to look his gun over.

George turns towards him, "you gonna sleep down here."

Rene nods with a shrug, "yeah, I figure I can give the new guys the penthouse."

Rene looks up from his gun at Talbert as he puts the last piece into place, while Talbert sits down, shaking his head lightly as he glances over his shoulder, "new guys giving the replacements the what for and why is." Rene puts his gun down, beginning to play with the dog Talbert found, a small smile on his face. Talbert scoffs, "I swear one of them has never shaved."

Winters nods, "yeah, kids."

George puts a cracker in his mouth before he looks up at Talbert, "this is a hell of a dog, Tab."

Rene looks at Tab, "yeah, Tab, he is."

"Thank you." Talbert holds up the stick, throwing it for the dog, "there you go."

Winters watches the dog for a moment, "what'd you call it, Tab?"

Talbert looked at Winters, "Trigger."

George puts a cracker in his mouth, before handing one to Rene, smiling at Tab, "that's good, I like that. Trigger."

Rene eats the cracker, looking at Winters, "can we keep him?" Winters gives Rene a look mixed with surprise and annoyance, not answering him.

Talbert looks at Rene shaking his head lightly, before looking at George, gesturing to the radio, "got anything on this?"

George shakes his head, "no, it's all quiet."

Rene scrunches his face, "no, why would—"

Rene is cut off by the barn doors opening, and the dog begins to bark, "we've got penetration!"

"Alley's hurt, we need the Doc." Rene, Winters, Talbert, and George quickly get up, moving to help out.

"All right, get him on the table."

"Yeah, it's Alley."

"All right, I got this."

"Easy."

"Alley, you're gonna be okay."

"Rene, get Doc Roe."

Rene nods before he turns, sprinting out of the barn, running as fast as possible to where he knows Roe is. Rene stops, almost running into Roe, who smiles at him, "woah, woah, you okay?"