Welcome to chapter 2. Now what I said about that the first three chapters remains untouched, well wasn't exactly true. I edited a few things out. Just a few minor things that didn't exactly made the story better.
Note: MacGyver's hair changes to the third season hairstyle.

(We fade in with the drum solo of Castle Cleigh Prison playing from Blown Away on the background)
Chapter 2
Military Training
West Point

The American flag was going along with the soft morning wind at his pole. It was 0600 hours and the sun was up already.
West Point was empty. Here and there soldiers were walking around but most of us were still asleep. But not for long anymore. The humming sound of sirens went through the Point and everybody started to wake up.
‘Get your lazy asses up!’ a raspy deep voice said. ‘The war doesn’t wait and neither do I.’
I woke up and saw a man kicking my bed. ‘Get up!’
The man seemed about my height, short hair and early in the fifties.
‘Come on, everybody. Get up and get outside in your uniforms.’
‘Understood, sir!’ the room replied.
‘Talking about a good morning,’ Jack complained.
‘This is the army, Jack, get used to it,’ I said.
‘You get five minutes!!’ the man shouted. ‘Those who aren’t there in five minutes, can give me twenty and ten laps around the territory. Now hustle!’
‘Understood, sir!’ the room replied again.

Exactly five minutes later we were all standing outside near the training field in two lines. Jack, Chuck, Neill, Jesse, Tommy, Charles and Andrew were standing in my line. I was standing in the middle of them. Also Murdoc was in our line.
Behind us was the rest of our group.
Three older men in uniform came to us. Two of them I knew. I remembered one of them of the registration and the other woke us up hardly five minutes ago. The third one I was unfamiliar with. (The music fades away here)
‘Good morning, gents and congratulations with your timing. It was exactly five minutes on the dot. Let me introduce myself. I’m colonel Jack O’ Neill. These two people here are generals Peter Thornton and George Hammond. We are going to do everything what is necessary to make of you the best soldiers the American military has ever seen. We’re going to learn you how to ignore bad weather and how to operate on the battlefield.’
‘We’ll also learn you how to shoot with guns and how to quickly take care of your brothers, who’ll get injured on the battlefield,’ general Thornton said. I winced when I heard of the shooting practice.
‘Fighting is also a priority,’ general Hammond said, ‘especially now during these days, because you may never know when we get sucked in the war as well.’
‘Alright, since we’re up to our first practices together I want you to give me fifty push ups,’ O’ Neill said.
‘Fifty?’ I asked out loud. ‘What happened with the twenty, sir?’
‘That’s the smartass I was talking about,’ general Thornton said to O’ Neill.
‘MacGyver, huh?’ he said.
‘That’s right, sir,’ I said.
‘From Minnesota?’
‘That’s right again, sir!’
‘I’m also from Minnesota.’
‘Great, you’re my state mate, sir.’
‘Well, state mate, take two steps in front of you,’ he said.
I did what he asked of me and took two steps ahead.
‘The twenty, soldier MacGyver has multiplied to fifty.’
‘Yes, sir! Fifty is as good as twenty, sir.’
‘I hear you talking now. Most soldiers begin to act up when they have to do fifty. But you’re nothing like that are you?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Good, sir. Then we’ll raise it up a little more.’
O’ Neill and I shared a challenging look.
‘Just look in front of you,’ he whispered on a clear voice. Then he looked at the soldiers behind me. ‘Gentlemen, this smartass here, thinks he’s going to be a good soldier. He can prove it now. We are all going to do one hundred push ups and he’s going to do the counting.’
I remained calm and decided not to react on it. I just figured it had to do something with what happened yesterday at registering.
‘On the knuckles!!’
Some of us protested against that.
‘And I don’t wanna hear anything. Or else you give me two hundred. Ready? Now.’
We all took our push up positions and started doing them.
‘One!’
One push up.
‘Two!’
The second one.
‘Three!’
The third one and counting.
‘Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven.’
Almost in half.
‘Fifty.’
The half of it.
‘Seventy. Seventy-one, seventy-two.’
We had to bite through the pain from our knuckles on the concrete.
‘Ninety!’
Only ten more.
‘Ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five. Ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine. One hundred!!’
Tired, we all got up again.
‘And that’s how I handle smartasses,’ O’ Neill said.
I looked at my knuckles. They were all red, but they weren’t bleeding though.
‘Get back in the line,’ he said to me.
I went back in the line.
‘Dismissed!’
Everybody split their ways.
‘Private MacGyver!’ O’ Neill said.
I looked back his way.
‘I strongly recommend that you take a haircut and that’s an order.’
‘Sir, I…’
‘That’s an order, private.’
‘Yes, sir.’
I walked away from him and then Murdoc deliberately walked into me. Shoulder against shoulder.
‘You better watch out,’ he hissed and walked further.
He was definitely p*ssed off because of the hundred push ups.
O’ Neill saw what happened. ‘Don’t mind him. He’s just a difficult person.’
I didn’t say anything else and just left for my friends.
‘What was that all about?’ Jack asked.
‘Nothing really. I think I just got my comeuppance for yesterday at registering.’
‘Well, don’t let them get to you. We knew it was going to be tough,’ Neill said.
‘It’s not that what bothers me.’
‘What’s on your mind, MacGyver?’ Jesse asked.
‘Murdoc. He just deliberately bumped in on me.’
‘That’s Murdoc,’ Andrew said. ‘He does that with everyone.’
‘Well, if that’s bugging you, I think you should go and talk to him. You make easily friends, MacGyver,’ Jesse said.
‘That may be. But I don’t think I wanna be friends with an assassin of British Intelligence.’
I kept my eye on Murdoc as he was walking further away from us.

The following evening, we were dressed in a white T-shirt and a short gym pants with white running shoes underneath.
‘Alright gentlemen for our last exercise for today, we’re going to run a few miles around the perimeter,’ O’ Neill said. ‘During the running we’ll meet a little obstacle course, we’re all going through. Alright, is everybody ready?’
‘Sir, yes, sir!’
‘Excellent. General Thornton, would you kindly start timing?’
‘It would be my pleasure.’
Thorton took out his pocket watch.
‘Alright, five, four, three, two, one! Go!’
So we all started to run at ease. When we do our normal marching O’ Neill usually goes; “Left! Left! Left! Right! Left!” Now he goes rapidly; “Left! Right! Left! Right!”
‘Come on, everybody, keep up!! Left, right, left, right!! One, two!! One, two!!’
We ran by others, other companies who were doing different exercises. Some were doing push ups, others of this X jumping. You know? When you flap your arms up and down and your legs open and close. Others were touching there left foot with their right arms, and right foot with their left arms.
After running for a few more minutes we finally got at our obstacle course.
‘Alright, gentlemen, we’re here but don’t stop running. The idea is to run through the obstacles course. It’s very easy. I’ll show you. Jump in the tyres.’
O’ Neill jumped in the tyres that were set in the two rows of six tyres with his left and right leg. Very easy that was.
‘Crawl underneath the barbwire through the mud. Then monkey swing to the other side. Climb on the ladder use the pulley to go down and in the end jump over the wall.’
‘Sir, that’s easy enough for us!’ I said.
‘Well than, private MacGyver. Would you be so kind to do it first?’
‘Sir, yes, sir.’
‘Alright, the rest of you follow him,’ O’ Neill ordered.
As I started to run in the tyres, Jack was close by and the others as well. I crawled through the mud, mudding my clean white training. Then just like a monkey in the zoo I swung to the other side and climbed up the ladder to a frame where in a pulley and cable was installed. I held on the cable and went down at a pretty good speed. Finally there was the wall, so I leaped over it.
‘Piece of cake, sir.’
When we all passed through the obstacle course, we ran back to our starters point.
‘General Thornton, how long did it took?’ O’ Neill asked.
‘Ten minutes on the dot!’ he said surprised.
O’ Neill was overall satisfied.
‘Very good! Dismissed!’
We all parted our ways that evening as we would do for many evenings to come.
The trainings were cold, heartless and merciless. That’s how we toughened up. Training every day and night to become the perfect soldiers. Learning how the ignore bad weather and how to handle… guns.

The gun training was my least favourite part of the military training due to the gun accident I had in the late 20’s where in an innocent boy got killed.
After refusing once again to participate at the training O’ Neill took me apart from the others. He was definitely agitated.
‘What the hell is your problem with this part of the training?’
‘Well, sir, it’s quite simple. I despise guns.’
‘You despise guns? Why?’
‘Because sir, twelve years ago I was involved in a gun incident. A boy got killed.’
‘Twelve years ago? It’s a long time ago, private. Don’t eat yourself up for something you can’t change.’
‘But I was responsible, sir.’
‘It’s in the past. Get over it. You’re a good soldier and it’s my job to keep you good. You learn how to use these guns.’
‘Yes, sir, but it’s not with the biggest pleasure.’
‘War is hell, son. I know. I fought in the Great War and lost many friends there. I didn’t like learning to shoot either, knowing that the man you kill could be your best friend. But in a war you just ain’t got a choice. These trainings will be tested on the Bushmaster’s competition over six months and you have to be ready by than.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Good. Now get started.’
I went back to my post and looked at the table where a bunch of weaponry was assembled. There was a 9mm Beretta, a Colt .45, an OSS Hi-Standard pistol with silencer, an MP40 half automatic machinegun and a Winchester rifle.
‘Alright! We’ll do it just like before!’ O’ Neill barked from my left side. ‘Take the Colt and the bullet clip from the table. Load the gun and pull the barrel to trigger it.’
Everywhere the triggering sounds were heard.
‘Aim at your target.’
We all extended our arms and waited for O’ Neill’s signal to fire. Several seconds ticked away slowly and painfully. The seconds seemed to last forever. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and started to sweat. My hands started to shake terrible. My breathing became more intense when the moment to fire approached.
‘Sir?’ I said.
‘Stay focussed,’ he answered. ‘Keep looking at your target. He’s the bad guy.’
In an attempt to control myself I started to count in my head.
‘One, two, three!’
‘Fire!’
The gunshots were fired and the bullets flew into their targets. O’ Neill ran up to the dummies to check them out. ‘Bulls eye, private MacGyver!’
Jack had missed his one.
‘You missed, private Dalton.’
‘That happens, sir,’ he replied on that.
‘You can’t afford to miss at war, Dalton,’ O’ Neill spat back.
Chuck, Jesse and Neill hit their marks but it was no bulls eye. Neither was it for Andrew, Charles or Tommy, but for the most of our group they hit their marks, with the exception of Jack that is.
Besides me there was another soldier that had shot a bulls eye.
‘Bulls eye, private Murdoc!’
O’ Neill came back to us.
‘Gentlemen, you all did well to today, except you Dalton. You could use the practice. Within six months you all have to be ready for the Bushmaster’s competition. That’s a testing simulation where in your reacting abilities and behaviour in war is tested. You’ll be divided in two groups to find a silver box with a whistle in it. The group that finds it wins. But more on that within six months. Tomorrow morning at 1100 hours, you’re all expected in the infirmary for your physical examinations. Be there or be square. Dismissed.’
Our group parted ways.
‘MacGyver, wait up!’ the colonel said.
‘Yes, sir?’
‘How did that feel?’
‘The shooting?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Not good, sir. I don’t like guns and I don’t like violence. But I don’t got much of a choice, or am I wrong?’
‘No, you’re not wrong. Once you’ll learn it it’ll go like clockwork.’
‘Unfortunately, it will go that way, sir.’
‘Here take my gun,’ he said and offered me his gun. ‘Take it.’
I took his gun and he took me back to my previous position.
‘Aim and fire at the dummy.’
‘What?’
‘You can shoot the whole clip empty.’
I started aiming and before I could shoot he held me back.
‘Oh, wait, before you shoot I have to ask you; how does it feel in your hand?’
By looking and feeling, strangely enough it felt good, but my common sense said otherwise.
‘It feels good,’ I said somewhat lying.
‘Good. Now fire!’
With fifteen shots, I emptied the clip in the dummy. They all hit their target right in the middle. O’ Neill was clearly impressed.
‘Wow! You’re a crack shot MacGyver. You’re someone to look out for at the battlefield.’
‘That may be, but still I don’t really like it.’
‘But you just said, it felt good in your hand.’
‘The gun may feel good in my hand, sir, but the fact and the thought that I could kill someone with it, doesn’t feel good and that’s the real problem.’
‘You’re no pick nick, MacGyver. But it’ll change, believe me.’
‘You never know what happens when the world changes, sir.’
‘You can go.’
‘Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.’
‘And get yourself a haircut, that’s an order.’
‘Yes, sir.’
When I walked away from here, Murdoc bumped in on me again.
‘I told you to watch out,’ he said again on that hissing tone.
‘Right!’ I said.

A haircut and a few hours later we were all having our lunches in the cafeteria. Jack, Chuck and Neill were already sitting at the table
‘Jack, move over,’ I said when I came to him with my tray.
Jack moved over and when I sat down Andrew and Charles also took their seats. Not much later Tommy and Jesse joined us.
‘God, is it me or is the food here worse then in high school?’ Jack complained.
‘What do you think?’ I asked back.
‘I think, it’s pretty good,’ Jesse said.
‘Everybody has their own taste in good food,’ Tommy said. ‘I miss my mother’s spaghetti and pizza’s. She’s so good in making them.’
‘I miss my mother’s broiled chicken,’ I said while I was chewing on something.
‘I miss the birthday cake my mother beat to death when I got ten,’ Neill said.
‘That was so hilarious,’ Chuck said recalling the memory.
‘What happened?’ Andrew asked.
‘On my tenth birthday we had a little party and as a little joke, I hid a rubber spider in it. When my mother was cutting the cake, the spider appeared. First she freaked out and then she took a broom and splats! Goodbye, birthday cake.’
There was laughter around our table.
‘That was one hell of a birthday,’ Neill laughed.
O’ Neill approached the table.
‘Hey, fella’s. Enjoy your meal,’ he said while passing by. ‘Nice haircut, MacGyver.’
‘Thank you, sir. You join us?’
‘Nah, I eat with the generals. Enjoy it,’ he said and left.
‘How the hell can you enjoy this?’ Jack mumbled.
‘Jack!’
‘So what do you guys think of tomorrow?’ Jesse asked.
‘Tomorrow, we’ll be surrounded by hot and wanting nurses,’ Tommy said full of lust.
‘You guys are sick, you know that?’ I responded on that.
‘Yes, we know that!’ Tommy answered. ‘I’ve seen some of them walking around here. What do you think of nurse Carter, MacGyver?’
‘Nothing special. My girlfriend is at home, I don’t need to look at girls.’
‘MacGyver, you big wussy,’ Andrew laughed.
‘Guys, I don’t care about your wild and perverted imaginations, I just wanna keep my lunch down,’ I said back.
Everybody laughed again.
‘MacGyver, that goody two shoes!’ Andrew said.
‘Guys, cut it out.’
‘No, you cut it out,’ Andrew said jokingly.
‘Cut it out all of you,’ O’ Neill said smiling while he passed by again to get something.
There was more laughter around the table.
‘Okay, guys. Going to get some more meat,’ I said. ‘I’ll be right back.’
On the moment I got up from the table, Murdoc bumped into me again, for the third time. (Slow tense music comes up) He bumped into me that I dropped my tray. Because of the clattering sound on the floor all the eyes in the cafeteria suddenly went into my direction. I was getting sick of Murdoc always bumping into me.
‘That’s the third time,’ he hissed.
‘You bumped into me. You got a problem with me or something?’
‘You better back up,’ he said pushing me.
‘Hey, there’s no need in pushing.’
‘You know something, you’re absolutely right!’
(Music breaks open)
Whack! All of a sudden he hit me with his right fist. I hit the floor hard and in no time a small crowd surrounded us cheering and whooping.
I got up angry. There was no need in pushing and there was certainly no need in hitting.
‘Hey, you didn’t need to hit me. I despise violence, but you’re giving me no other option in communicating with you.’
I walked up to him and when he tried to hit me again, I blocked his move and with a countermove, I hit him back with my own right fist.
Murdoc fell against some of the bystanders and they fell against the table on the floor with him above them.
‘See what happens? You hit me, I hit you. We’re even.’
Murdoc attacked by tackling me. He tried to get me on the floor with the tackle while I tried to get him of off me. While struggling I hit our table with my back, he pushed me against it and I ended up on my back on top of the table. We rolled over it, causing all the trays to fall on the floor. Also we ended up on the floor, with Murdoc on top of me. He started hammering on my face. He had a chance to give four shots to my head. I pushed him of off me. He came at me again and I kicked him sideways in the chest, followed by my left and right fist. Murdoc went down again but got up with a silver tray and hit me with it in my face. With a right hook he hit me hard on my eye and with his left, he hit my lips and chin. It caused a bleeding. The blood ran from my lower lip over my chin. My right fist swung again, hitting him against the nose. I didn’t hear a crack, but the blow was hard enough to cause a bleeding. I also hit him against his eye with my left and with another right I send him through some chairs, making him and the chairs fall over.
Murdoc didn’t want to give up and attacked me again. We started struggling again but this time O’ Neill intervened.
‘Alright, can it!’ He yelled harshly while he got to the fighting ground. He started to pull Murdoc and me from each other.
‘Break it up!!’
Murdoc was still struggling to get to me.
‘I said; break it up!!’ O’ Neill growled.
He pushed me pretty hard to one side and nearly pushed Murdoc over to the ground.
‘What is your problem, anyway?’ he said to Murdoc.
‘He started it, sir!’
‘That’s a lie,’ I yelled.
‘You, be quiet,’ he ordered to me.
‘He’s been bumping in on me from the start,’ Murdoc said.
‘It’s the other way around!’ I said in my own defence.
‘MacGyver, I told you to shut up!’ he said and than turned to Murdoc. ‘If you cause any more troubles, you’ll be on guard duty for the rest of your military training. You’ll start this evening with guard duty at 2200 hours till 0600 tomorrow morning for one week.’
‘Yes, sir!’ Murdoc replied.
O’ Neill came to me. (Music fades away)
‘Fighting in the cafeteria with a son of a b*tch like him is something I don’t expect from you, private MacGyver.’
‘I’m sorry, sir.’
‘You’ll get guard duty the week after him, the same hours, got any problems with that?’
‘No, sir.’
‘I know, he provoked you. I saw him bumping in on you earlier. If he bothers you again, you come to see me.’
‘Understood, sir.’
‘And clean this mess up.’
‘Yes, sir,’ I acknowledged.
‘Right,’ O’ Neill said raising his voice again and looking strict out of his eyes. ‘Everybody who’s finished with eating goes back to his barracks and stays there until the next training.’
The show was over and everybody parted ways. Some finished their foods, others went to their barracks.
Murdoc and I started to clean the mess up we made during our fight. Neither of us spoke. Fifteen, twenty minutes later the cafeteria was clean again.

The next morning at 1100 hours, we were all at the infirmary for our physical examinations. It was very busy in the infirmary. Nurses, doctors, soldiers were walking around, going from one place to the other. While the other was going to get his ears checked another went to do the eyes test and so forth.
Jack and I were undressing ourselves in the locker rooms.
‘Well, Mac, I’m ready! How bout you?’ Jack asked from behind his locker.
‘All set,’ I replied.
We both closed our lockers and looked at each other. We were standing there in our white T-shirt and shorts.
‘You look ridiculous!’ we said in unison.
‘Hey, guys!’ a voice said.
We looked over our lockers to see Andrew standing there half naked.
‘What is it, Andrew?’ I said.
‘You think, the ladies in there would like these?’ he asked while showing his muscles.
‘I don’t know. Ask them!’
‘I think so. Besides, I’ve a lot more to offer than you two,’ he said laughing.
‘Oh, yeah? Like what?’ Jack wanted to know.
‘Balls!’
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
‘That’s sick!’ I said.
‘Yeah, I know,’ he said and left smiling the locker room.
‘That guy is sick,’ Jack said disapproving.
‘Why? Because he’s got some and you don’t?’ I said taunting Jack and patted him on his tummy. He playfully hit me on the back.
‘How’s the eye?’ he asked.
‘Black.’ I said and we left the locker room as well.
While going through the other, Jesse and Tommy came back.
‘Hey, how did it go?’ I asked.
‘Fine,’ Tommy said.
‘Jesse, you look kind of woozy,’ I said. ‘What happened?’
‘The effects of the shot,’ Tommy replied.
‘He fainted?’ Jack asked.
‘Not really. He remained a man when he saw the needle, but when he felt the sting and the second when it was all over, he started to act up. It’s like he’s high or something.’
I waved my hand in front of him.
‘How many fingers were those, Jesse?’
‘Four?’ he asked.
I frowned at Jack.
‘Absolutely normal,’ I said reassuring.
‘I don’t know what it was in that syringe, but it didn’t seem like tetanus to me.’
‘What’d the nurse say?’
‘To put him under the shower in case fever might come up. It’s probably just an allergy.’
‘Yeah, well, get him under the shower and if there’s something wrong, get a nurse or us. We’re here,’ I said becoming serious again.
‘Yeah. Come on, Jesse,’ Tommy said, pushing him in the locker room.
‘Jack?’
‘Yeah?’
‘If you get shots, ask what’s in them.’
‘Check.’
A blond woman came to me and boy was she pretty.
‘Private MacGyver?’ she asked.
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘I’m nurse Carter and you’re my next patient.’
‘I’m all yours.’
‘What about me?’ Jack asked.
‘You hold there, cowboy,’ she said. ‘Your nurse is coming right away.’
‘Mr. Dalton?’ a voice said.
‘Yes,’ he said smiling turning to a big woman from I don’t know how many pounds.
‘You’re next!’
Jack’s smile disappeared like snow for the sun and swallowed deeply.
‘We go for your shot.’
‘May I ask what’s in them?’ Jack asked desperately.
‘Why, medicine, of course,’ she answered firmly.
‘May I go now?’ he asked even more desperate.
‘After your shot and fully bodily examinations. Follow me.’
Yeah, this was getting very amusing.
‘Be careful, Jack. She’s got a moustache,’ I said to taunt him some more.
Jack raised his fist in anger.
‘Follow me, hotshot!’ Carter said.
I followed nurse Carter to her outpost. It was a small room sealed off with white curtains. Jack was at the outpost besides Carter’s.
‘Mr. Dalton, you better drop your pants!’ I heard that nurse say.
‘Not in a million years!’ Jack said.
Nor Carter, nor I could keep us from laughing.
‘You have to drop yours too,’ Carter said while preparing her syringe.
‘Entirely?’
‘No, that’s for later,’ she said.
‘Later?’
‘Come on, now, cowboy. Just lower it for a few inches. It doesn’t hurt.’
‘How about the arm?’ I suggested.
‘Nope, lower it,’ she said.
‘Hold still, Mr. Dalton. I can’t get it in.’
‘Not for all the gold in Fort Knox.’
When I realised, I was acting like Jack but less worse, I quickly lowered my underpants.
‘Now, there’s a good boy. Cute butt, by the way. It looks like O’ Neill’s butt.’
‘Pardon?’
A moment later it was all done, just felt a slight sting and got a lollipop for it. Than she did all the basic stuff on my, checking my ears, nose, throat, breathing.
‘Mr. Dalton, please hold still.’
‘Not for all of BB Bartell’s money.’
‘Mr. Dalton, I promise it doesn’t hurt.’
‘Yeah, right and fish can ski.’
‘Mr. Dalton, I won’t ask you again.’
‘Good.’
There was a little silence and than a whole lot of noise and stuff falling.
‘Aaaaaaggghhhh!!!’
‘Finally.’
‘Is he always like that?’ Carter asked.
‘He’s a real baby sometimes.’
‘Okay. Fill it up,’ she said giving me a mug.
‘With what?’
‘Just go to the men’s room.’
When I left Carter’s outpost, I met Jack again, he was rubbing his butt.
‘Did it hurt, Jack?’
‘That is a monster!’
‘I didn’t feel a thing,’ I said proud.
‘Good for you. What do you got do next?’
‘Filling this mug, Jack. And you?’
‘Eye test. She’s probably as blind as rat.’
‘Well, good luck, Jack.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Mr. Dalton! This way.’
Poor Jack. Ah well. I at least was lucky to have nurse Carter. I walked up to the men’s room to do my stuff and came back to Carter’s outpost.
‘Did it work?’ she asked.
‘Yeah,’ I said giving the mug to her.
‘Splendid. Come on, it’s your eye test now.’
I followed her to the eye test table. Jack was still doing it.
‘A-W-P-Q-X-Y!’
‘The next line, Mr. Dalton.’
‘D-X-S-H-I-T!’
‘I’m sorry, Mr. Dalton. No good at all.’
‘Is it not going well, Jack?’
‘You know, what I’m thinking now, Mac?’
‘What?’
‘The last four letters I just said. That’s what I’m thinking.’
‘Sorry, for the intrusion, nurse,’ Carter said. ‘But private Dalton, read them correct.’
‘No, he didn’t.’
‘Yes, he did! Soldier, what’s your eyesight?’
‘They’re both good. I’m a pilot, you know?’
‘That’s what he thinks,’ I said.
Carter read his dossier.
‘He read them correct, nurse. He’s got a 10/10 peripheral vision. This man is qualified to become a pilot or a sniper.’
She gave the dossier back to the nurse.
‘If there’s someone who needs glasses, it’s you, nurse. And if you don’t mind, there are peoples waiting.’
Jack’s nurse was slightly embarrassed because a younger nurse showed her to her place.
‘Well, I have never… Follow, Mr. Dalton.’
‘Thank you,’ Jack said grateful to Carter.
‘You welcome, private,’ Carter said smiling sympathetic to him.
I patted him on the back when he followed his nurse again.
‘That was kind of you, nurse Carter,’ I said. ‘Flying means a lot to him.’
‘Yeah. I felt sorry for him and that cow of a b*tch is bugging me and the entire nursing squad on the Point.’
‘Maybe she just made an honest mistake.’
‘It’s not that. She’s been here from years before the Great War. Time catches up on everyone, she just doesn’t want to leave.’
Chuck, Neill and Charlie passed by.
‘Hey, Mac!’ Neill greeted me.
‘Hey, guys. Is everything going alright?’
‘Yeah,’ they replied.
‘What are you going to do next?’
‘Ear test,’ Chuck answered.
‘Good luck.’
‘Yeah you too,’ Charlie said.
‘So, nurse, what’s next?’
‘First tell me, what happened to your eye?’
‘What this?’ I said pointing to my black eye.
‘Yeah.’
‘I had a little fight with… Murdoc.’
‘Murdoc? That guy from British Intelligence?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Be careful when you’re around him. He’s a very dangerous man.’
‘Yeah, and for some reason, he doesn’t really like me.’
‘Than I better watch my step.’
‘Yeah, I’ll bet.’
‘Can you read the top line?’
I covered one of my eyes with my hand.
‘P-O-T-C-D-M-C.’
‘Correct, now the next line, slowly.’
‘L-O-T-R-T-R-O-T-K.’
‘Very good, now the last one.’
‘M-L-T-O-A.’
‘Good, you got the same eyesight as your friend. 10/10. Now your ear test and that covers it.’
We went to the hear testing box where Jack was in. He was finishing his test.
‘And?’ I asked when he came out of the box.
‘It was alright, I think.’
‘OK, Mr. Dalton, this way,’ his nurse said again, ignoring Carter.
‘I’ll see you in a bit.’
Nurse Carter explained how things worked, if I hear things in my left ear I had to raise my left hand and when I hear the beep right, right.
I did the test and passed this one as well.
‘Congratulations, soldier. You’re perfectly healthy.’
She gave me my dossier and I was ready.
On my way back I ran into O’ Neill.
‘So, how did it go?’ he asked while I saluted.
‘Everything is just fine, sir,’ I answered.
‘Excellent. And the eye?’
‘It’ll heal.’
‘Good. We need healthy soldiers for the Bushmaster competition.’
‘I know that, sir.’
‘You’ll do good on the battlefield.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Remember, within six months you get to show what you can.’
‘Yes, sir. I won’t disappoint you.’
‘I know,’ he said and left.
(Tense music comes up again)
When I turned around to see where O’ Neill was going, my eye caught Murdoc. He saw me too. He was dressed in black. If looks could kill, he would’ve killed me right away. He was still p*ssed off because of the consequences he had to carry from our fight. Well, I had to carry them too, a week later. While I saw him walking around his look made clear that he would get me someday, no matter what he had to do for it.
(The music reaches it's peak and we fade out here)

Original story post: July 12 2006, 01:08 AM.

Well also this one is now updated to the rewrite. Have fun!