Isolation & Fear (Damned of the 2/19th Book Seven)

Chirp

Room 319
Intensive Care Unit
Wurzburg Army Medical Center
Wurzburg Army Post
West Germany
03 December, 1987
0900 Hours

I looked up when the door opened and three men came into the room. All three in their Class-A uniforms. Combat tour hashes on their right sleeves that practically started at their elbows, chests heavy with medals, all three with Airborne, Air Assault, and Pathfinder badges, all three with the simple "Special Weapons" scroll on their right shoulder, and the III CosCom patch with Special Weapons scroll above the circle on their left. Two were white, the Major and the Sergeant Major, the black guy was a Colonel, bald with his mocha colored scalp dull rather than polished like most bald men I'd seen.

Following them was Chief Henley, in a wheelchair, looking angry as a nurse pushed him in. It was honestly the first time I'd seen Chief Henley out of uniform, and the sight of him in a hospital gown startled me.

"Specialist Nancy Nagle," The big black Colonel said. His voice was a pleasant rumble. I nodded as he continued. "I am Colonel John Henry, no relation, the assigned commanding officer of Second of the Nineteenth Special Weapons Group."

The Major stepped forward, parade ground crisp as he held out on of the camo'd folders, then opened it to show me the orders assigning him to group. I nodded, the Major snapped it closed, and returned to parade rest.

"This is Major Miner, the assigned executive officer, and Sergeant Major Standford in the acting office of First Sergeant," Colonel Henry said. There was a slight Jamaican accent hidden under the odd blurred accent that everyone in the military picked up after a few years. "You know Chief Warrant Officer Two Henley."

"Yeah, yeah, the fat dumbass is shot in her cock sucking device, not through the head like that Texas retard," Henley snarled.

I saw a slight smile at the edges of Henry's eyes.

Holy shit.

I looked at the three of them again. Major Miner's eyes held grim determination, but a weird pride shown through; SGM Standford's eyes had a pleased look hidden in them; the Colonel's eyes were amused.

They were the first three I'd seen in leadership positions of Group with any emotion in their eyes since I'd gotten here.

"As your new Group Commander, I am here to ensure that the hospital is providing you the best care they are capable within their facilities, staffing, and logistic realities," Colonel Henry continued. "Group cannot accomplish its vital mission as part of the strategic deterrent if its soldiers are provided substandard medical care and a lack of properly trained medical followup."

...oh shit, here it comes...

"However, I am satisfied with your care, and I have met with your primary care physician, who has assured me that you will be undergoing speech therapy once the replacements for your shattered teeth have set and your tongue has healed sufficiently," He said. "But that is not why I am here."

...and back to Atlas with me...

"We are here to correct an oversight that, in my opinion, existed merely to punish you for being forced to take justice into your own hands after the Uniform Code of Military Justice and its enforcers failed you," He said solemnly.

I frowned in confusion.

Colonel Henry held out his hand, and Major Miner slapped a folder into it. The big Colonel opened it, glancing down at the typed pages inside.

"While investigating the remaining soldiers of this unit, Chief Henley was good enough to point out, from his hospital bed, that while you have been over the point spread required for promotion to E-5 since you arrived, you had been under a bar to promotion," He told me.