Moon Dust | Generation Kill

Chapter 21: Lights in the Night

Sitting in what little shade she could find, Katie watched from across the way as Brad lay underneath his humvee, hammering away at the undercarriage in an attempt to fix what he could. 

Ever since the shooting of that boy, Brad hadn't been quite himself. Maybe it was because he was still worried about the fate of the boy, or maybe it was because he was still worried about what could have happened if the shooting had happened due to a call he had made. Either way, Katie was determined to forget about the incident herself and try to figure out what exactly was going on in the head of her once seemingly fearless team leader.

"I brought some water if you want me to fill up your camelbaks," Trombley offered as he shuffled through the sand toward Katie and the others she was sitting with, an obvious attempt to get back into the good graces of everyone who was still appalled by his shooting spree. "Figure I'd save you a trip over to H&S."

Staring up at Trombley for a few seconds, Jacks glared hard before turning his attention elsewhere. "Hey, Garza, hand me that LSA up there, will ya?"

Turning around, Garza reaching for the LSA, joining Jacks in the game of ignoring Trombley. Still feeling slighted, but not wanting to be as rude as the others, Ray shook his head. "Yeah, no thanks, James."

With a forced smile and a small nod, Trombley continued on his way. Watching him leave, Jacks scoffed. "Fucknuts thinks he can buy his way out of shooting those kid by getting us a drink of water."

"I tell ya, Jacks, it's this new generation." Ray took a sip of the red coloured liquid in his water bottle. "In the opinion of this marine, it's all that damn gangster rap and those video games that are desensitizing today's youth to violence."

Pausing, Jacks was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yeah."

"In the opinion of this marine, you're an idiot." Katie pulled her gaze away from Brad and looked to Ray. "But then again, you aren't the only one. You guys hear that the battalion colours were on that supply truck that was ordered to be left behind? They're missing now."

Garza shrugged. "Yeah, that might as well happen."

"Yup. Might as well." Katie spotted Schwetje and Griego making their way toward one of the humvees where Doc Bryan and a few others were sitting. For a few minutes, she watched as the small group conversed. 

Standing up, Katie looked down at Ray and Whiskey. "Watch him for me, will you?" 

"Yeah, sure." Ray gave the dog beside him a few scratches on the side.

Katie chuckled. "I was more telling Whiskey to watch you, but that works too, I guess." She smirked at her own dig before starting for the conversation that was taking place a few humvees over. 

With her boots on the hot sand being anything but stealthy, the gathering turned to the woman as she approached them. "Corporal Shaw," Schwetje greeted the dog-handler. "I've asked the men to speak freely, should they so wish. Is there anything you'd like to say during this time of clarity?"

Katie looked around at the other men, and by the looks on their faces, knew that they had refrained from telling any sort of truth. Katie might not have been around the block as many as some, but she knew enough to know that when encouraged to speak freely, a smart subordinate never actually speaks freely. 

"Ugh, nothing at this time, sir," Katie answered. "Thank you for the opportunity though."

"You are very welcome." Schwetje smiled as he turned to look at Bryan, who was sitting on a crate and cutting sections of fabric to use as bandages. "Doc, how about you?"

"I'm all squared away, sir." Bryan didn't even bother to look up from his task.

That, however, apparently wasn't good enough for Schwetje. "Doc, look, we're all aware how much the men look up to you. I'd like to know what you're thinking."