Roach

Chapter 14

"Where have the three of you been." Shepherd states, rather than questions, when we get back from drinking. I'm leaning on Ghost a little since I think I drank more than him. Soap had a glass of whisky when we got there though other than that he stayed sober.

"Took them out for dinner and drinks, sir." Soap answers for the three of us.

Shepherd gazes over Ghost and I then back to Soap. "You weren't supposed to leave the base."

"Can't remember you telling us directly to stay."

"I thought it was implied."

Shepherd and Soap lightly argue, giving Ghost and me a chance to slip away.  We get a few meters closer to the base before Shepherd stops us.

"Lieutenant Riley. Sergeant Sanderson. I don't believe I was done talking to the group."

Ghost stops dead in his tracks, leading to me stumbling forward a little. He turns to face Shepherd. "Apologizes sir. Though I think the sergeant needs to lay down."

Shepherd crosses his arms. "That can wait Lieutenant."

"Sir, he really needs--"

"I'm aware, though I want the three of you to be present when I say this." 

Ghost nods slightly, then helps me stand again. Soap walks over to stand with us.

"I'll only say this once. I'm holding the three of you to a very high standard. I'd appreciate it if you three weren't drinking when you're still on duty."

"Sir, I just wanted to get to know them." Soap says, defending us. "It was my idea anyway."

"I don't care if it was your idea, Captain."

"Sir--"

"My statement stands. Drink in your off duty times, not while you're on duty."

"Understood, sir." The three of us say in unison. Shepherd nods then lets us go.

Soap groans when we're out of earshot of him.

"Kill joy." I mutter, still trying to walk without Ghost's help but it's not fully working.

"You said it, Roach." Soap says, "I didn't even really get to drink."

"Unfortunate." Ghost chuckles a little. "Think Shepherd's going to be as much as a stick in the mud as Kempson."

"Kempson really wasn't as bad as this though..." I comment, looking up to Ghost.

"That's true. He woulda let us drink in our downtime."

Soap smiles a bit, seeming to think of something though he keeps his comments to himself. He soon leaves us, letting us go back to the bunk room we were at earlier. We notice that some of the bunks, that we thought were empty, have people in them. They seem to all be asleep even though it's not that late. Maybe its round 10 at the latest, which isn't that late when this is a full time job.

Ghost makes sure I lay down fine, and now I'm grateful that he did take the top bunk since I don't think I could make it right now. He helps me take one of my boots off, while I take and struggle with the other one. He then jumps onto his bunk and takes his boots off, letting them hit the ground. I look up, staring at the bottom of his bunk. It sounds like he's laying down and getting comfortable.

Closing my eyes, I let my mind wonder and try to fall asleep. It feels weird being drunk in another country. I've always tried to avoid it while in Europe, or if I drank it wouldn't be enough to get me as wasted as I feel. I wonder if Cal would of acted similarly. If he would of drank as much as I did when he got here. We would always joke saying that if we ever came to the States, that we'd of made it.

Morning seems to come faster than I thought. Then again, I had to of fallen asleep at some point. Ghost hits my shoulder when he jumps down. "Come on, Roach."

"I'm up... I'm up..." I sit up, putting a hand on my head.

"'You shouldn't of drank'," Ghost says mocking Shepherd. "'I won't allow my elite soldiers to go to the pub. Ever.'"

I laugh a little then get up, starting to stretch. "'Soldier's aren't allowed to have any sort of fun.'" I add, in my best Shepherd impression. Which leads to Ghost laughing a bit.

We shower then walk around the base, soon seeing Soap talking with other soldiers. Ghost seems to smile as he sneaks over to them. I just stand back and watch. Before Soap can see, Ghost puts his hands on Soap's shoulders. Soap jumps then hits him back, causing Ghost to laugh. "Didn't think we were supposed to talk to anybody."

"We aren't, well not to some of them. Shepherd came in with some more men." Soap replies as I walk over.

"Really? I'm surprised that it wasn't just going to be the three of us." Ghost's gaze shifts to the other men.

Soap laughs a bit, "Well then the shipment today will surprise you. We're supposed to get a lot of men coming through. Maybe another day or so will be spent here before we head more inland."

"Doesn't sound too bad."

"Not too bad at all." Soap turns to the other three soldiers that he was talking to. "Lieutenant, this is Archer, Meat, and Toad."

"Some array of nicknames. You lot will address me as Lieutenant, Ghost, or sir. I won't respond to anything else. Understood."

"Yes, sir." The three say in unison. They seem to have a wide array of accents.

"Go easy on their training, Ghost. I'll leave you and Roach in charge of it."

"Sounds like we'll have a lot of 'em comin' in if you're leaving us in charge of these three."

"Think Shepherd has our numbers at twenty right now. It might go and be upwards of fifty." Soap starts to walk away. "Good luck, Ghost."

"I think you'll need more luck than I will Captain."

Soap seems to nod at that as he's walking away. Ghost motions for the guys to follow us as we head to a training course that the Americans already have set up. We stop and face the three.

"Where you lot from?" I ask.

"Irvine, Scotland," Archer answers first.

"Bet MacTavish's happy to have another Scotsman on the team," Ghost comments then looks at the other two.

"I'm from Kansas, so bit west of here." Toad says.

"Just a bit?" Meat questions.

"Okay it's more than a bit than a bit, but it's still in the States."

Meat laughs a little, "And I'm from London Ontario."

"There's a London in Canada?" I ask.

"Yes sir there is. I usually have to specify whenever I say that 'I'm from London'."

"Yeah I bet." Ghost says. "I'm from Manchester myself." 

"Really now. It's not bad of a town." Archer smiles. "Though didn't take ya as one to be from there."

"Didn't expect you to be from Irvine." 

Archer and Ghost laugh a bit, they then soon start training.

"Where are you from?" Toad asks me.

"Hm? Oh, I'm from Hawes. It's right outside Manchester." I respond, smiling a bit.

"Small town boy then." Meat comments, making me chuckle a little.

The three of us talk before Ghost calls us out and gets me training with them.