War To Come

Chapter 10- Hurting

"Hey Jenkins. What're you doing here?" Asks a confused Beyer.

I had made my way to where Beyer's room was. I had turned back twice contemplating whether I wanted to actually do this or not. It hadn't even been an hour since the 'accident' happened.

"Can we talk? About what happened?"

He nods his head opening the door more. He motions for me to come in. He shuts the door behind me while I scan his room.

It's twice as big as my room with Mavericks. There's one queen bed, a couch, a closet, and a connecting bathroom, so why did he use the community one that day?

"Why did you come here? I'm sure your team would have been happy to help." He suggests sitting down on the couch. I sit down opposite of him on the bed.

"Don't get me wrong they're great. I would die for them and they would do the same for me. I just needed to talk to someone who was there." I am completely vulnerable in front of him. My emotions have been laid out. He can do with them as he pleases.

"What makes a person so angry that they feel the need to lash out?" I ask.

"I don't know." He honestly says grabbing the back of his neck. "He was a coward. To just jump on you like that from behind."

"He was a lot more than that. He was a dickhead, asshole, douchebag-" Beyer stops me there.

He laughs. "I get it."

"How did he even get through training?"

"To be honest Kyle was a good candidate. Sure he was a little rough around the edges, but we knew some guys would be like that. He was good with the guys, but with you..." He trails off.

"I get it I'm a girl. Why can't everyone see past that? I've been through the same shit they've been through and they still see me as weak."

"Not so much as weak, more like a threat."

"I threat?." I smirk.

"They know you're strong. That's why when I pair you with a guy from another team they don't want to lose to a girl. The guys on your team would fight you without hesitation and would accept a win or loss."

I nod. This conversation wasn't how I thought it would go, but it was making me feel better. The only thing that distracted me was still the bad thoughts running through my head.

I stand up. "Thank you. I needed that."

"Any time." He says opening the door for me like a gentleman.

**

The next morning my alarm clock goes off at five thirty. Like any other day we needed to be in the weight room training by six. I quickly get up waking up Mavericks. We turn our backs to each other while we change.

As we walk down the hall I pass a mirror. I glance seeing dark blue and brown marks faintly in the shape of hands around my neck as well as the slowly disappearing injuries from the sparring. If Mavericks noticed he didn't say anything.

It was leg day again and we went through our routine. Mavericks, Langston, Samuel, Storm, and I were in a group and Rucker, Turner, Goss, Myers, and Cole were together. This just made the circuit go faster. While doing the circuit my lungs and throat hurt, due to the events of yesterday.

Just like Mavericks no one says anything about my new mark. I see the other teams stare, but I ignore them while I focus on my training.

We finish first and head to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.

When we walk in I see Beyer. I avoid eye contact. My team and I sit down at a table across the room from Beyer, good.

"How're you feeling?" Asks Turner.

"I'm good." I say.

The conversation ends there. Being with me for this period of time has taught them when they need to push and when they don't. This is one of the times they don't.

We make small conversation, but there's an elephant in the room and its name is Tara Jenkins.

Once it's time for swim training my team talks to me about not having to do it, but I refuse. I won't let one incident be the end of me. 

---

The rest of todays training would be done at the beach, Beyer informed us. 

We stand in our teams as Beyer explains what the training consists of.

"Today, you will be putting together the scuba gear. Once attached you will go into the water and swim until you see the under water mark. Your time will stop once you have managed to get on the boat."

"Easy." I hear a guy, Dodson, comment.

"Something you wanna say?!" Beyer's says.

"Nothing sir!"

"I think you do! Please share!" 

"I don't understand the level of difficulty, sir!"

"Let me tell you the level of difficulty! In the field there aren't just sharks in those freezing waters. Your enemy will be down there with you. If you assemble your gear wrong and something were to happen you will die!"

Dodson shuts up.

"Now, Go!"

My team and I take off. We each grab some scuba gear and get to work. Thankfully Storm has done this before and explains to everyone where everything goes. Once we each have our gear assembled we make our way to the water. 

We submerge ourselves in the freezing water. It's calm under the waves. I look behind us to see a few teams have made it into the water. Just as I think were in good hands I feel no oxygen coming in through my mouth piece. I hold my breath.

I look around and see one of the navy seal graduates in the water with us. He's going around and messing with our gear. I calmly try and put everything together, but I forget where a certain piece goes. I'm losing time and oxygen. Then I remember. I quickly put the piece where it needs to go and immediately the oxygen is flowing back. 

I take a deep breath. 

We finish in third place due to my mini panic attack.

"Sorry guys." I say wrapping a towel around me.

"For what?" Asks Turner.

"I didn't have my head in the game, I just-" 

"Don't apologize Jenkins, you didn't do anything wrong." Samuel cuts me off.

I nod not going into it anymore than that.