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

Prudence

Room 251
Inpatient Treatment
Wurzburg Army Medical Center
Wurzburg Army Post
West Germany
03 December, 1987
1100 Hours

I was reading a Zane Grey when the knock on my door made me look up. My eyes were a little tired anyway, something I was told was normal after the long weeks in a coma. My family had gone out to eat and look around, understanding when I told them I just needed a little time alone without everyone fawning over me.

"Come in," I called out, setting the book to the side, next to the can of Coke on the table.

The three men making up the top of the pyramid of my fucked up little company came in.

"Sergeant Bomber," The Colonel said.

That made me frown.

"What, nobody told you?" The stocky CSM asked, sitting down in a chair. The Colonel moved over to stare out the window.

"Tell me what?" I asked.

"You made the point spread while you were unconscious," The XO told me, sitting down. "So we promoted you while you were unconscious, figuring that might jerk you out of your coma."

Great, three comedians.

The Colonel turned around, dropping a camo folder on my lap. I opened it and stared. A set of order promoting me to E-5, a package of AAFES subdued E-5 rank, and another set of orders placing me in charge of Poseidon, FSTS-283, with a assigning date of TBD (To Be Determined).

"Wait, Poseidon?" I asked.

"The leadership in command of that site was... lacking," The disgust in the CSM's voice was thick enough to cut it with a Bowie knife. "Half of the soldier's were poorly trained, morale was in the toilet, and the site suffers from serious deficiencies."

"A perfect job for you," Colonel Henry stated, still staring at the snow fall outside the window. "You have taken part in restructuring a 'hot-site' twice, once when Atlas was found, the other when the site suffered a munitions detonation," He said. "You've shown high leadership potential, the ability to get the job done under extreme pressure, and the initiative to do what needs to be done without someone holding your hand."

There was silence for a moment before Major Miner cleared his throat and I looked at him.

"While majority of the lower enlisted are still in place, operational realities forced Colonel Henry to replace 90% of the officers as well as the NCO's in order to bring 2/19th in line with the TO&E," The Major told me.

"Wait, what?" I asked. The idea that the big Colonel had just marched everyone off and, for all I knew, straight over a cliff, startled me.

"The unit's officer corps was sadly lacking in ability, leadership, or even loyalty," The Colonel said, reaching out to touch his finger on the glass opposite of a fat snowflake that had stuck to the outside. "The majority of the E-5's and above were little more than petty time servers out to punch a time clock and ignore their duty and responsibilities while giving one another awards that their subordinates earned."

His voice was as cold as the snow outside.

"This means we need experienced leaders to work the more critical sites, such as Atlas, Perseus, Poseidon, Hercules," The Major continued. "With only one of the Stillwater brothers in play, and Sergeant Stokes out at Atlas, we need every soldier to be put in the position that will make the most of their abilities."

"That means, seeing that your doctors are more than satisfied with your recovery, and disagree with my belief that you should be put on convalescent leave for at least sixty days, that you will be returning to duty within seventy-two hours," The Colonel stated. I looked over, and saw that his fist was clenched at his side, his knuckles pale. "I want you to take over Fourth Squad, Third Magazine Platoon, and FSTS-283, rehabilitate it's crew members, and restore the site to war-fighting capability."