Beads of sweat rolled down John’s dirt-crusted face. His body was battered and bruised. Under the glaring watchful eyes of Sergeant Jay, Stan was unable to be heavy-handed while giving John the beatdown under the guise of teaching combat basics.

The fuck? Is Jay seriously going to babysit me with this newbie dweeb? Stan looked back at the panting John and glared daggers at him as John trembled trying to stand up.

What’s so spectacular about this guy? Why is Jay paying him so much attention? He’s just a civilian nobody! Stan clenched his fists.You wanted me to train the fool, right? Fine!

In his bout of fury, Stan rushed in towards John. Seeing the charging Stan, John gritted his teeth and focused. He lowered his stance and braced himself for a fight. He would no longer be learning from taking a beating. Time slowed. At the last second, as Stan tried to tackle him, John extended his arms out, slightly nudging Stan’s face to the side, and pushing along with it, Stan’s arm and body.

The little redirection gave John enough time to sidestep the charge, and he copied one of Stan’s earlier moves and kicked at the back of Stan’s knee. Stan buckled forward, beginning to collapse to the ground. He was shocked at John’s retaliation, but he immediately became enraged. With his fit and nimble body that was falling forward, he twisted himself midair and spun out a low kick at John’s ankle.

John was not nearly as quick to react and crashed on his side while Stan fell and rolled onto his back. John was still out of it, but suddenly something heavy sat down on his chest. Opening his eyes, they widened at Stan, who pulled back his arm that reached into the sky for a punch. John squirmed, trying to break free, but Stan pinned down John’s arms with his knees.

“You powerless nobody! You trying to get smart with me!”

“Stan! Sto-!”

Stan’s arm moved too fast for Jay to intervene and stop. A sharp whack rippled into the surroundings as Stan’s fist made contact with John’s jaw. John’s head snapped and jerked to the side. His anger did not diffuse but flooded out even more. Lifting his other fist for more blows, it suddenly could not move. It was caught and held firmly in Jay’s hand.

“I am rather disappointed, Stan. You are better than this. What happened to no injuries? You said you understood.”

“Let go of me!” Stan bellowed with a furious shout.

“Is this how you speak to me now, soldier?” Jay calmly asked and responded with a downcast voice.

Stan ignored all reason. Hot breaths of air came out of his every deep exhale. He was mad at Jay and his new favorite that only he had the right to be. It was childish, but after everyone, including his family and even the military turned their backs on him, there were not many he could count on that genuinely looked out for him. And yet, John took that away from him so easily.

“We aren’t in the freaking military anymore, Jay! I don’t even know why you bother trying to do all this! What does it matter!? This is First World! Unhand me!”

Jay loosened his grip, and his face drooped with a crestfallen look. Stan looked up and noticed the sadness and a sense of betrayal on Jay’s face. He looked away feeling guilty for what he thought he caused because he did not follow orders. But he forgot about Jay’s true role and purpose, which was the ultimate cause for Jay’s feeling of betrayal.

Unable to keep looking up at the sergeant, Stan looked down and away from Jay. But he was only further reminded of the dislocated jaw of the knocked-out John beneath him.

“I need some space. Excuse me, sergeant.” Stan said, pushing off John and walking off while the others made sure to steer clear around Stan and keep distant.

“This did not go as planned at all,” Jay said, blankly looking at Stan’s back that disappeared down the mountain path.

“I told ya so. Now the others will further ostracize Stan.”

“Finnnnnne. Rub it in. Here. Hold John up. I am going to pop in his dislocated jaw.”

“Good thing he be out cold.”

Jay had no way with delicacy. After Sam lifted John into sitting, Jay grabbed John’s jaw and simply shoved it back while adjusting it left and right like some kind of mechanical piece. Jay was the type to bang on non-functional items to get them to work again. But his rough handling worked, John’s jaw snapped back with a popping sound. John jerked up from the sudden sharp pain that soon disappeared.

“Welcome back to the world of the living, Johnny boy. You were out cold for a minute there.”

John straightened his posture, and Sam let go. He touched his jaw, which still ached.

“I want to request to change partners, sergeant.”

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Jay looked at John, feeling partially at fault, but he needed John to help out Stan.

“Denied. Stan is the best fighter out of everyone here. You will grow faster by training with him.”

“If I survive, you mean, sir. I know firsthand Stan can fight, but he’s out to get me. I can feel it. Please, sergeant?”

“No. And do not beg. Men do not beg. We are not dogs. Stan will come around. You two will get along. He is a good person if you give him the chance.”

John shook his head, refuting and disagreeing silently. Doubt that. He seemed like bad news to me.

“Come on, Jonny boy. Give the guy a chance. I was not an evil instructor, right? I got my reasons. I am sure Stan has his.”

John peered deep into Jay’s eyes, searching for some hints of a lie. He would immediately reject it if he saw any signs of the sergeant trying to make him puke or other bad intentions. However, he found none and sighed. It seemed the sergeant genuinely pleaded for help.

“Just a bit more because you are requesting it, sergeant. But I refuse to be a punching bag. If this keeps happening, you have to allow me to change training partners.”

Jay sighed and gave in. “Alright. I will talk to Stan later after he cools off. Just give him a chance. He can teach you well.”

“Yea, but I’m sure I can learn from you guys or the others too.”

Jay sighed again and nodded his head in defeat. “Ok. That will be all for today. You may leave a little early and get changed for dinner. Report back tomorrow at 6 AM sharp for more training. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

John limped back up the mountain, and Sam muttered his thoughts to Jay. “Well, ain’t he a good sport. I’m starting to see why ya got a good impression from the guy. But Stan ain’t gonna be easily changed, and it not be John’s duty to change him either. You sure ya want to interfere and put those two together?”

“I dunno what to do with Stan anymore, Sam. If he cannot make it here, he has no other place to go. I do not want to see another one of us unaliving themselves. I can only hope John understands.”

John knew not of Jay’s intentions. He slowly limped up the mountain path using the wood fence as support as he disappeared from Jay’s and Sam’s sight. It was a long road back to his room on the top floor of the building, but John managed to slowly walk without a limp in his step once he reached his room.

Opening the door, his roommate, Nathan, greeted him while laying down and flipping through a naughty magazine.

“You’re back early. Welcome back-“

Nathan abruptly shot up, taking a closer look at John’s dirty and disheveled state. “Whoa! You okay, John? Looks like a rough day. Did ya barf?”

It was a long day, and John was tired, aching, and still angry. But he knew he shouldn’t take it out on Nathan. He awkwardly laughed to disperse the anger seething through his wrinkled face.

“Haha. Yeah… I mean no. I did not barf. Sorry. I’m rather exhausted. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Oh. My bad, John. Hey! I know what would cheer you up. Let’s go grab some dinner after you shower and freshen up, yeah?”

The suggestion of food reminded John of the sea of delicious cuisine waiting for him in the canteen. He could smell the fragrant delectable dishes and remembered how they taste. The aches and pain from earlier in the day seemed to fade away. Even Stan’s manhandling did not seem to bother him anymore. He held his stomach and swore with fierce determination.

“This time I'm going to eat everything! No holding back at all!”

“Yeah! That’s the spirit, John! Hurry and get ready! I’ll wait for you, and then we can go feast!”

John bobbed his head up and down, rushing to get his bag of hygiene items, a towel, and some change of clothes. He rushed back into their shared bathroom and shut the door. John nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw something unfamiliar flash in the mirror. However, taking a closer look, he understood why Nathan freaked out upon seeing him.

Dirt and pebbles matted into his brown hair. His pale sickly face was covered in grime, and his jaw was slightly swollen and turning shades of purple and blue. He looked at the panda eyes forming below his forehead that Stan secretly gave him by throwing punches at his eyes when he faced away from Jay.

Damn. That Stan guy did a real number on me. Threw me around and punched me like a rag doll. But at least I got in one good kick. Should leave a nice bruise on the twisted bastard. Why is the sergeant so hell-bent on me giving the guy a chance? Does he want us to be friends or something? What the hell, Sarge? You said this place wasn’t all kumbaya, but here you are trying to be a hypocrite. I don’t get it.

John slowly pulled up his shirt over his head, grunting from the stinging pain from his arms and back. He was left wide-eyed, seeing his pale body littered with bumps and bruises.

“That bastard. Damn. How was this teaching? He practically just kicked my ass the entire time! Payback's gonna bitch, Stan!”

John fully undressed, stormed into the shower, and allowed the hot water to melt away his stress and the grime off his body. He yelped in pain as he attempted to wash his body clean.

Nathan tried focusing on his erotic magazine but shook his head.

“Poor guy, you’re hurt. But stop making weird noises when I’m enjoying watching the sexy ladies, okay?”

But John could not hear his complaints and kept whelping and grunting away. Fresh and clean, John walked out of the bathroom with a new set of clothes he brought with him.

“Bruh-“ Nathan had to stop to keep himself from laughing at John’s set of black eyes. They reminded him of a panda. Calming himself to no upset John, he then continued, “They really pushed you hard during training. You’re all bruised up.”

“You have no idea, man. My whole body is black and blue. The sergeant and one of the trainees did not cut me any slack at all. There was no war, but I was left with all these scars.”

John went and stuffed away the old dirty training gear in a foldable laundry basket and went back to wash his hands.

“You ready, Nathan?”

“Anytime. The ladies here won’t leave me anytime soon.”

John chuckled. “Who even buys those these days? You could find a real chick here.”

“Less drama when a man needs a quick blow and go if he deals with it himself. I don’t mix pleasure with coworkers. Problems happen. Especially in the military.”

“You’re ex-military too?”

“Too? Well, I guess there’s a few of us here working as Field Workers. Most ex-military are Field Guards though. Man. The ladies in the military were even fewer, and I sure as hell didn’t want a dude trying anything funny. Not that I care what anyone’s preferences are so long as they kept it to themselves and did their jobs.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for telling me? But yea, I get what you mean. I’m not into dudes so no worries, if that’s what you are trying to get at.”

“Oh no! Dude. It’s fine whatever you’re into. I didn’t mean to imply you were. I was just generally saying, but good to know. Hey. Since we’re on that topic, if we ever need the room to ourselves let’s pull a sock over the doorknob. You know, the general code for us putting on a condom for some action.”

“Uh. Yeah. Sure thing, Nathan.” Bro you have a weird way with words. It’s too blunt. But I agree. We all need some private fun time.

John’s stomach growled at the perfect time. He was ready to eat and leave the awkward conversation.

“Alight. Shall we go get some dinner? I’ll leave my ladies here in the open if you ever need them.”

“Uh. Thanks, Nathan. But I, uh, don’t like sharing my ladies. Appreciate the offer though. Let’s go eat some food, yea?”

“Well, alright. They’ll be in my bed if you need them.”

“Sure thing, Nathan. Sure thing.”

John awkwardly glanced as Nathan stuffed his naughty images under his bed. John wanted to leave the odd situation but needed to wait. He sighed from the exhausting day and from his awkward interaction with his roommate. However, there was light at the end of the bumpy tunnel in the form of a buffet with fresh steaming delicious food.