A Soldier in Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

hallway.

 
    She removed the thin
covers from her body and quickly made her way to the bathroom and brushed her
teeth with the disposable toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter.

 
    She removed her uniform
and stepped inside the shower. The warm water washed over here. She closed her
eyes and tried to imagine she was any place else. The water ration wouldn’t
last long, maybe three minutes at most and that was being generous.

 
    No, I can’t think of that. I have to hurry, I’ve got
to eat.

 
    She quickly stepped out
of the shower and dried herself off with a towel. It all felt so rushed, it
felt impersonal.

 
    Before putting her
uniform on she examined at her naked reflection in the small mirror. She was
thin, thinner than the others. She could see her hip bones and rib cage were
already slightly visible. She splashed some water on her face to help her wake
up and then slipped into her drab uniform.

 
    She kneeled down and
laced her black boots up tightly before she began to make her way to the dining
hall.

 
    The dining hall was
buzzing with voices. She silently cursed herself for not waking up earlier.

 
    Damn, I should have got here sooner. There will be a
line.

 
    She was pleasantly
surprised to find that along with oatmeal and protein shake that they were
having canned fruit. She eyed a can of mandarin oranges that someone had just
placed on their tray. They looked succulent, sweet, and full of flavor. She
remembered a time when such delicacies were freely given; a time before the
rationing. There was once a time when there were three meals a day, not just
two.

 
    “It’s to prevent
scurvy,” a soft masculine voice called out behind her.

 
    She slowly turned
around to see a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed man. He flashed a smile
revealing straight, perfectly white teeth. His blue eyes had a
warmth to them.

 
    “Sit with me? We have
some time our shuttle got delayed another thirty minutes,” he said.

 
    Michelle didn’t reply;
she only nodded in agreement. She studied his face; he was handsome with an
all-American boy look about him. His blonde hair and light blue eyes reminded
her of her parents. It also reminded her of Amy. She felt a ping of sadness hit
her. She didn’t want to think about them, she didn’t want to face that they
were gone. She didn’t want to wonder if Amy was OK or not.

 
    “I’m Aaron, B56700,” he
stated as they sat down at an empty table towards the corner of the cafeteria.

 
    It seemed like the spot
provided them with some sort of privacy as the busy nervous chattering from the
others masked their conversation.

 
    “Michelle, A3343Z,”
she replied.

 
    “I haven’t heard of anyone having a letter at the
end of their code, only at the beginning,” he replied.

 
    Michelle rolled up her uniform sleeve to reveal the
thick black letters and numbers on her wrist.

 
    “Well, there it is,” she said giving a small smile.

 
    He grinned. “I’m going
to have to nickname you, Z.”

 
    The pair both picked
took a large gulp of their protein shakes.

 
    “You have been very
quiet. Everyone else is trying to get to know each other,” Aaron said with a concerned
look.

 
    “I… I know,” Michelle
replied quietly unsure of what to say.

 
    “We might as well be
friends, were all each other has up here,” he said
warmly.

 
    Michelle nodded. “I
guess , I’m just trying to concentrate on the task at
hand.”

 
    “What do you mean?” he
questioned.

 
    Michelle ran her hand
through the few strands of hair that weren’t tucked into her ponytail and then
pressed her hands together. “I mean, we are all soldiers now. We have to forget
who we used to be.”

 
    He shook his head. “No,
I think you have it all wrong.”

 
    “Why?” she asked.

 
    “Remembering who we
used to be helps us to be better soldiers. Without remembering who we used to
be, what are we fighting for?” he replied.