A chilling sensation crept at Jester's back. He jumped out of his bunk and faced the imposing figure who stood at the entrance with a fiery glare.
"Caballero come to my office!"
Jester's shoulders drooped. "I knew it wasn't good..."
The fuming Captain left after giving his order. Before Jester left to follow his Captain, his red eyes glared at Sanchez, but the shameless comrade wasn't affected and winked at him instead.
"This man...is unbelievably numb!" Jester, with a distorted face swiftly when out. He will only gain wrinkles if he stays close to Sanchez longer.
Outside the captain's office, his heart was pounding in his chest.
"Permission to enter sir!"
His heart was thumping around 60 times before a loud voice replied.
"Come in!"
"I thought I'll wait here for an hour!"
The captain was sitting at his table with a pile of documents.
"...Sir." A shaky voice called.
The captain stared at him. Jester stood obediently, but his mind was rebelling.
"Who is at fault here, it's not me. It's either the flirt and numb Sanchez or this exaggerated homophobe captain." Jester's mind was whining, but his lips were zipped. His rebellious mind is suppressed with an unknown power that his captain possessed. This Captain's intimidating power is really strong!
Jester's thoughts wandered as he patiently waited for his unreasonable punishment. He bravely endured Vince's intent gaze. Later, Vince resumed his work without uttering a single word!
Jester was ignored. His thought was yelling. "Wait, sir! Aren't you going to punish me?!"
His mind was revolting, but Vince expectedly pays no heed to his inner struggle.
"What should I do now? Stand still...? Excuse myself...? Maybe I should wait, it took him a minute to answer me at the door." Jester appeased himself.
"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand..." He counted for almost two minutes but Vince still ignored his presence.
"This won't do. This awkwardness is killing me..."
Jester puffed out.
"...Sir!"
Vince stared at him.
Jester's heart beat faster. What's wrong with him? He is the one who is being bullied, yet Vince's gaze made him feel guilty. He was gone nuts but still managed to compose himself.
"What should... I do?"
"Stand still until we depart for our mission later."
"Mission later..." Jester thought as he glanced at his watch. It was three in the afternoon, and they will depart at six.
"It's...three long hours!" His mind was getting crazier!
"Sir, I can do a hundred push-ups instead!
Jester suggested while his captain just looked at him without uttering a single word.
"I can also...clean your office." He added.
"Cleaning your office for three hours is far better than standing like a dumb."
But Vince's office was very clean and ordered.
A crooked smile appeared on Vince's face before returning his focus on the papers.
Jester found himself in the most awkward moment in his whole life. "Isn't this bullying...? Power tripping...? My life was fine before... Why did I join the army...? My dear brother, forgive me, at this very moment I regret pursuing your passion."
Over two hours passed, Jester was dying to exit Vince's office, but this man shows not even a bit of concern even if someone's going to be petrified in his front.
"Am I invisible here?" Jester started to question his existence. It was the longest three hours in his life. He did everything in his mind to distract his thoughts, from singing the national anthem a dozen times to reminiscing his happy memories from childhood up to the present.
And then, after two and half hours... At last, after a long time of burying himself in his paperwork, his high and mighty Captain was finally done!
"Get dinner for two." Vince said. His fiery eyes cooled down and his tone was softer.
"Yes sir!" Dying to exit from that stifling room, Jester exited without thinking much of his captain's order, but outside, his steps halted.
"A dinner? He's going to dine inside... And why is it... dinner for two?"
Jester cringed. "The punishment is not over yet! do I have to dine with him... alone? Just because he is the captain he can do whatever he wants, this is an absolute abuse of power!"
Jester was extremely wronged by Vince's out-of-line order.
Coming back, he arranged the tray on the table adjacent to Vince's working table.
"Sit down."
"Yes sir."
"Our latest mission is tough. I just finished studying their campsite and the terrain is tricky. Nevertheless, I've made my plans, but I still want you to be careful."
"Did I hear it right or did I get it wrong? Captain's concern on me...isn't it a bit special? Didn't he hate me? And this dining together...isn't it a bit special too?" Jester overthought his Captain's concern.
"Yes sir, I'm confident that I can take care of myself and I can fulfill my part in this mission."
Vince stared at him for a moment.
Jester was uneasy. There's something in his senses that makes him feel anxious whenever his captain stares at him. He lowered his eyes, pretending to focus his attention on the table.
"Good, then let's eat. We have to stuff our stomachs well before departing."
"Yes sir."
Jester breathed out, releasing the strange feeling. "You're getting crazier each day."
A few minutes after they started eating, the strange feeling didn't disappear. Jester was distressed. "I should eat quickly, this room's oxygen is getting less. I might end up dying here."
He was busy stuffing his mouth when Vince stared at him again.
"...Sir?" With a full mouth, Jester asked and realized later that his manners were gone offline. His face turned red.
"Eat slowly."
"I...still need to organize my things... sir."
"How insensitive this captain is! Can't he feel that someone is being suffocated here?" Jester's thought ranted.
"We have enough time. You will suffer indigestion if you won't chew your food properly. It would be inconvenient to our mission later."
Jester heeded, but his face was hot and red. "Why did I feel like I am an ignorant and helpless child in front of this man? For goodness' sake... I am a thirty-year-old capable man! Jester Caballero... where is your dignity?!"
After a long time of mental suffering, Jester was finally out of his captain's office. He leaned on the wall, puffing out before heading to the barracks.