"I won't do anything with the needle but fix my shirt, ma'am."
"I'd love to say yes but I can't," Carey said. "You won't need your BDU shirt tomorrow anyway so it can wait."
"Okay."
Carey stopped. "Three...two...
"Ma'am," Grace said quickly.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today," Carey said as she resumed walking.
"Would you have really dropped me, ma'am?"
"What do you think?"
"Um...out here by ourselves?" Grace shook her head. "I think you'd take pity on me after all the hard work I did on that obstacle course, ma'am."
"Maybe," Carey said. "And maybe I've been getting soft when it comes to you. Just keep an eye on it, Grace. I don't need any instructors telling me I'm letting you get away with something or playing favorites." The trail emptied out near the administration building. "I've got to get some paperwork done before afternoon classes. I'll see you in class."
"Yes, ma'am."
Though lights out was almost an hour before, Grace was still awake and sitting on the couch when Carey came in. "Hi."
"You should be sleeping," Carey said, kneeling to untie her boots. “Then again, why should tonight be any different from every other night I work late duty.”
"Everything okay?" Grace asked. "You're not usually this late."
"I had to catch up on some paperwork in the office," Carey said, setting her boots neatly by the door and heading to her favorite chair. "You girls are going to get a break tomorrow. I'm too tired to write up the test I was planning for SR."
"Cool."
"Don't get too excited," Carey said. "You're only going to get a day's reprieve." She rubbed her face and yawned. "Maybe two."
"Why did you have to work morning PT and the late shift?" Grace asked.
"All four instructors worked morning PT," Carey said. "Two of us still had to cover from dinner to lights out and it happened to be my turn."
"And you're doing PT tomorrow, right?"
"Uh-huh. We're going for a nice long run. Excuse me." Carey covered her mouth as another yawn hit.
"You should go to sleep."
"I am," Carey said. "Right now. Lie down. I'll get the lights."
"Okay, thanks," Grace said, slipping between the covers. "Good night, ma'am."
"Good night, Grace."
"Um..."
"What?" Carey said.
"When you say a nice long run, you mean three miles, right?"
Carey chuckled and made her way through the dark to her bedroom door. "Good night, Grace."
"You know you have an evil laugh, Instructor Carey?"
"Do I? Good. Save your strength for tomorrow. You'll need it."
"All right, girls, enough chatter," Instructor Donaldson said, causing them to come to attention. "You've had a month of three-mile runs. Those days are over!" Blue eyes darted from girl to girl. "You have grown both in body and spirit. I know you can do five miles." Several groans went up from the group. "And after everyone does twenty and stretches we'll get started."
Instructor Carey stepped forward, her eyes hidden behind mirrored glasses. "Now drop!"
Oh sure, Grace thought as she hit the ground. Not bad enough we have to run five miles, let's wear our arms out first.
Since Grace ran faster than Latisha and Jan, they quickly became separated as the line moved up the slight incline. She paid little attention to those behind her, concentrating instead on the tall figure in camouflage leading the pack. Oh sure, it's easy for you. You didn't have to do pushups first. She passed the three-mile mark, the crystal blue lake taunting her as sweat rolled down her face. Two more miles to go. I'll never make it.
Reaching the finish mark, Grace slowed down, then walked around to cool down as the other girls began trickling in. Bit by bit, everyone crossed the mark but one who was still out of sight. "It's Jennings again," Latisha said. "That fat ass ain't gonna make it."
"She's still at least ten minutes away," Grace said, looking down the road and seeing no one.
"Yeah, and every fucking minute we have to wait here is that much less we have once we get back to barracks," one of the girls standing near her said.
Grace turned to face her. "You try running five miles with an extra forty pounds strapped to your ass and see how easy it is, Rosetti."
"Suck my left tit, Waters."
"You gotta get Grenner to let go of it first," she said.
"Are you kidding?" Rosetti snorted. "I'd become an Amazon and cut it off before I'd let her near me. Besides, I'm not into dykes."
"Amen to that," Latisha said.
"I'm going.to go see where she is," Grace said, kneeling down and making sure her laces were tied securely.
"Why bother?" Jan said from her position lying on the ground. "Save your energy. Donaldson will get her here sooner or later."
"Yeah, well..." Grace began running down the trail, finding Jennings half a mile down the road with Instructor Donaldson barking at her heels.
"Hey...Grace," Jennings huffed. "What are you...doing here?"
"Thought you might want some company," Grace said. "The finish line is just over that hill." She ran alongside the overweight girl, slowing her pace to match.
"Let's go, Jennings," the blonde instructor said. "Waters, five miles isn't enough?"
"Just giving Christine a hand, ma'am," Grace said. "Come on, it's just a little more."
"I'll never make it," Christine huffed.
"Yes you will." Grace moved ahead slightly to keep herself in the other girl's vision. "Really, you're almost there." Once she matched the larger girl's pace, she sped up just a little bit. "Stay with me, just a little further." She smiled when Christine matched her pace. "Don't take a breath with each step," she said. "Try to slow your breathing down or you'll pass out."
"Let me...stop here," Christine practically begged, her breath coming in short pants.
"Come on, you can make it," Grace said, slowing down just a bit. "Listen, you don't want Grenner to have any more excuses to hassle you, do you?"
"That...damn...bitch," Christine huffed.
"Yeah," Grace encouraged, turning backwards to face the other girl.
"Just a little more." They crested the hill. "See? I told you," she said when the finish line came into sight. "After all you've done so far, this last little bit is a piece of cake."
"It's about time," Grenner complained as Christine crossed the finish mark.
"Doesn't matter how long it takes," Grace said. "She did it, that's what counts."
"Stay out of it, Waters."
"Make me, fat ass." Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Grace turned and walked away from her adversary. "Christine, you did a great jo—oof." She went face first into the ground, aided by a solid shove from Grenner.
"Grenner! You drop and give me twenty right now," Carey said as she approached. Grace stood up and brushed herself off. "Someone want to tell me what happened?"
"Lauren was giving me a hard time for being last, ma'am," Christine said.
"So why were you the one eating dirt?" Carey asked Grace.
"I told Grenner to stop picking on her, ma'am," Grace said.
"And what were you doing over here?" the dark-haired instructor asked. "I saw you sitting with Bowen and Jones ten minutes ago."
Instructor Donaldson walked up to them. "What's going on?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out," Carey said, looking pointedly at Grace.
"I went back to see how Jennings was doing, ma'am."
"She did," Donaldson said. "Last half mile or so."
Carey's features softened. "Why?"
"Um..." Grace looked around, seeing everyone in the near vicinity paying attention. "I just...I thought it was a good idea at the time, ma'am."
"Marilyn, can you...?"
"Sure," the blonde instructor said. "All right, girls, let's go."