Managing to reach the courtyard, she rejoined the group outside.
Stopping in a spot, she looked around her. Not long passed when her eyes landed upon a familiar face.
It was that girl from last night, Trina.
She managed to see her too, and with that, they both began their ways towards each other. The closer they got to one another, little by little, the smiles on their faces grew.
"Good morning, Claire," Trina voiced when she reached an arm's length distance from Claire.
"Good morning to you too, Trina.".
"Did you manage to find a room?" she asked.
Claire nodded, but slight worry started to build up within her. 'Should I tell her that I spent a night at the Captain's house?...'. Upon some further thought, she decided it was better to leave such details out.
"That's good. I am glad to hear so," Trina began. "Now I feel bad. I should've let you have the bed...".
"No, no, no. It's all good. Don't be ridiculous. I didn't mind it at all.". A pause. "I am glad that we managed to spot and sort out such an error.".
Claire noted slight relief across Trina's face. "Thank you, Claire. But really. Thank you, you are really understanding.".
Before anything else could have been said, the sudden quiet took Claire and Trina by surprise.
When they turned, a tall, broad figure caught their attention. It was Gabriel.
Hearing giggles from a few girls that surrounded her, Claire glanced at them - but not that they registered.
Then...
"Atteeeention!" the Captain shouted. "Today, we will be separating you all out into groups. Some of you will be aiding in the medical sector. A group of you will be helping out with the cooking. While the rest of you will be going out into the battlefield. Is that understood?".
Everyone, Claire too, rose one of their hands to their foreheads and straightening themselves upright. They replied with "Yes, Captain!".
Claire kept her eyes on Gabriel as she let her hand fall back down. She looked at the way he held his hands behind his back as he walked over to a soldier. Lieutenant Mason.
From there, he took a clipboard that contained sheets that were held by the clip at the very top of the board.
Walking back to where he just stood a second ago, he took a pen that the board contained by its side, and looked through the list. Looking back up, coincidentally, his eyes landed on Claire.
Within seconds, Claire broke it by looking down at the ground.
"Just like I mentioned, not even a minute ago, you all will be split up into three groups. Each group have their own leaders and buses. When everyone has been placed into a group and boarded onto a bus, we will begin your journey to your leaders. You will meet them in our second camp. And in the second camp is where the real deal will begin...". A pause. "Alright...". With that, Gabriel went through the list he possessed and assorted each person into one of the three groups. "Miss Claire Emerson..." Gabriel called out. She replied by looking up at him as she felt her heart stop. First, he looked up at Claire. "The medical sector... you may leave now, go to your designated bus.".
Claire did as she was told. She glanced at Trina as she looked back at her. A small smile was exchanged between the two. Before walking away, she also turned around and have Gabriel one, final look. As if he felt her eyes on him, subconsciously, he replied by looking back at her. That look alone was enough to steer her gaze away. And with that, she continued to do what she was assigned. To find her bus.
Finding the vehicle she was meant to be in, she took her seat in one of the front rows of the bus. She waited, patiently - just like the rest did. They saw more of their fellow soldiers walking over to the buses.
Very soon, the final few of their army force made their way to the parked vehicles and very soon, Gabriel walked into view. Claire looked at him as he approached the buses.
She heard the engine of the bus hiccuped to life and with a mighty shake, it woke up. It was as if Gabriel walking out was a sign for all the drivers to power up their vehicles.
From bus to bus, Claire found her eyes following Gabriel as he walked up the steps of her bus. With that, he walked over to Claire's row. And, as luck might have it, the seat next to Claire was vacant.
He excused himself with a smile before taking his seat beside Claire. "Accuse me of lying if you wish, but, believe it or not, this bus was the only one with a spare seat.".
Claire nodded to his words before turning around. Only when she turned around did she allow the slight satire his words carried get to her. A small smile appeared on her lips.
With a tug, the bus began its way, following the other buses in front of it.
***
They all managed to reach the second base in a little over an hour.
The doors from the buses opened up and allowed them all to disembark the bus. Claire looked around herself, she noticed the barrier that surrounded the base, the barrier they had to pass through to get inside.
Moving her gaze elsewhere, she noticed a bunch of beds under a shelter. They were all made out of wood and none of them contained a mattress.
She took a step closer towards them but stopped in her tracks when she noticed dried stains on the wood. It was very obvious what the stains were. Blood.
Her stomach turned ever so slightly at the sizes of the stains each wooden bed contained.
"Alright, everyone!" Gabriel called out. "I need you to assort yourselves into your given groups. There's a word or two a colleague of mine, Lieutenant Mason, wants to say to you.".
They all did as they were told, and seconds later, that soldier who gave the Captain the list of names walked out and took the Captain's place.
"Alright..." he began. "Before anything, I want to wish you a warm welcome and I hope you slept well. Today, as I warned yesterday, will require a good night's worth of sleep," Mason voiced. "I guess I just wanted to-". Then, there was a sudden interruption.
The sound of sirens blared through the warm, morning air.
Everyone looked at each other as worry slowly began to rule the already tense atmosphere.
Claire looked around herself before her eyes were caught by Gabriel running towards Lieutenant Mason. She saw them conversing before they both split and went their ways.
From there, Claire looked around to see if she could see Trina anywhere. But then, her eyes were prompted to fearfully look up into the sky as the sound of a plane flying above the base was heard. Its sound blended in with the noise made by the sirens.
"Everyone!!!" the Lieutenant shouted aloud. "Split and move to your designated groups now!... The medical group, your leader is Laura!.".
Claire saw a woman run through the crowd before she took a chair from nearby and used it to stand up. "That's me!" she shouted. "The medical group, you are with me!".
"Alright, the catering group, you follow Olga and George, while the rest of you will follow and aid Captain MacIntosh and me in the battlefield. Let's get a move on, now, now, now!!".
Seconds passed before ambulances pulled up where Mason and Gabriel stood only seconds ago. From them, a flood of injured soldiers hopped out of the vehicles before they were helped out to the wooden beds. Claire looked at the soldiers, trying to comprehend the pure escalation and its severity that just occurred. To herself, she noted the injuries. They all varied from mild grazes and bruises to severe wounds and gashes. Bullet wounds, severe bleeding.
Once more, Claire felt her stomach beginning to slightly turn.
"Help us!... P-please! Please, help us!" the cries of the injured men filled the site.
And so, Claire's first, official day in the Military began from this moment on...