Josiah and the River (Chapter 02)
Created | Updated Dec 28, 2003
Petty Officer Robert Patterson was having a bad day. Six hours of patrol in the non-secure zone and he's welcomed home by this p***k telling him what a s**tbag he is. The p***k in question was Lieutenant Junior Grade Dillon Richards. He was new to this station and thought the best way to earn the "respect of the men" was to be an ass.
"You clearly broke operational protocol! Fifteen minute communications schedule is the standard operating procedure and your last 3 communications with control were in excess of twenty minutes! Have you no regard for the work we do here? I don't like your attitude, Patterson! That kind of slack-ass approach to doing your job will get you or your shipmates killed!'
What the f**k did this little s**t know about killing? Richards, or "Dicky,"as Patterson liked to think of him, was one of the new breed of officer. Officers who came into service after everything went to hell. They grew up the privileged sons and daughters of the people wealthy enough or connected enough to live a decent life. Their mommies or daddies dealt with their mandatory service requirement by getting them an appointment as an officer.
Patterson came from a rich family too. But they didn't survive the blast of the Theodore Roosevelt. The nuclear aircraft carrier took out the entire Naval Academy and most of Annapolis when it went. Patterson was Driving strike boats for the Coast Guard in Washington DC when it happened. He saw the reflection of the fireball in the sky from 40 miles away.
His new family was the service and so it was natural for him to stay with the government forces when it consolidated and began to fight against it's own citizens. Bob didn't spend a lot of time thinking about that. He drove boats and did his job. All his buddies from before were dead so he thought it must be his lot in life to survive.
And survive he would. He'd be here a lot longer after this p***k moved on.
"Do you think the United States Government would entrust a 2 Million Dollar Maritime assault vehicle to a s**tbag like you? Huh? Well, not anymore if I have anything to do about it! I'll see if we can find some s**tbag who can drive a boat without running it aground for Chrissakes!"
Petty Officer Patterson said nothing. He stood at attention and continued to stare at the wall above "Dicky's" head. He knew it would be useless to point out that the boat was undamaged and they went aground because they had no reliable navigational data for the river. All of their charts were from before the river rose 30 feet. "Dicky" probably couldn't even read a damn chart anyway.
"In the future, you WILL follow protocol, you WILL maintain the comm schedule and you WILL comply with my orders! Is that clear?" Dick was getting worked up now
"Yessir!" said Patterson out of the corner of his mouth, deadpan, eyes fixed on the wall. This seemed to get Dicky even more worked up and he came around his desk to stand in front of Patterson.
"I do NOT appreciate that tone, Petty Officer Patterson! Or would you like it to be Seaman Patterson?" Dick was now standing toe to toe with Patterson and yelling into his chin. Patterson stood a good twelve inches taller than the officer and could never take him seriously when he hollered like this. Dicky was too much like a yappy dog that needed a good kick, or a bullet.
Patterson said nothing. He continued to stand at attention, waiting him out. Dick paced back and forth with a very prominent vein displaying itself on his too-big forehead.
"Dismissed!" he screamed at Patterson. And the big Bosun's mate made a perfect about-face and exited the office.
Petty Officer Patterson exited the Lieutenant's office and stormed down the passageway towards the barracks. Oh, hell. At the end of the hall, leaning against the door to the barrack wing smirked another boil on Bob Patterson's ass. Machinery Technician Second Class Billy Waters. Bob often thought Billy Waters was the only enlisted person who pissed him off as much as officers did.
"I hear it's gonna be a lot easier for you to s**t now that the "JG" has chewed you another asshole" Billy said past his ever-present toothpick as Bob approached. Bob kept walking and Billy said, "Maybe you should try driving your boats on water instead of trying to drive them on land!"
Poor Billy didn't even have a chance. He distinctly remembered blinking and then he was on the floor and his nose had apparently exploded. Bosun's Mate Second Class Robert Patterson was deceptively fast for someone his size and his fist broke Billy Waters' nose before Billy had the chance to realize he was being hit.
By the time Billy blinked the tears out of his eyes and put a hand to his profusely bleeding nose, Bob Patterson was through the door at the other end of the hall and in the barrack wing. Billy Spit out his now broken toothpick and said, "Sonavabitch!"
Copyright (c) 2003 Michael D. Cooney
"You clearly broke operational protocol! Fifteen minute communications schedule is the standard operating procedure and your last 3 communications with control were in excess of twenty minutes! Have you no regard for the work we do here? I don't like your attitude, Patterson! That kind of slack-ass approach to doing your job will get you or your shipmates killed!'
What the f**k did this little s**t know about killing? Richards, or "Dicky,"as Patterson liked to think of him, was one of the new breed of officer. Officers who came into service after everything went to hell. They grew up the privileged sons and daughters of the people wealthy enough or connected enough to live a decent life. Their mommies or daddies dealt with their mandatory service requirement by getting them an appointment as an officer.
Patterson came from a rich family too. But they didn't survive the blast of the Theodore Roosevelt. The nuclear aircraft carrier took out the entire Naval Academy and most of Annapolis when it went. Patterson was Driving strike boats for the Coast Guard in Washington DC when it happened. He saw the reflection of the fireball in the sky from 40 miles away.
His new family was the service and so it was natural for him to stay with the government forces when it consolidated and began to fight against it's own citizens. Bob didn't spend a lot of time thinking about that. He drove boats and did his job. All his buddies from before were dead so he thought it must be his lot in life to survive.
And survive he would. He'd be here a lot longer after this p***k moved on.
"Do you think the United States Government would entrust a 2 Million Dollar Maritime assault vehicle to a s**tbag like you? Huh? Well, not anymore if I have anything to do about it! I'll see if we can find some s**tbag who can drive a boat without running it aground for Chrissakes!"
Petty Officer Patterson said nothing. He stood at attention and continued to stare at the wall above "Dicky's" head. He knew it would be useless to point out that the boat was undamaged and they went aground because they had no reliable navigational data for the river. All of their charts were from before the river rose 30 feet. "Dicky" probably couldn't even read a damn chart anyway.
"In the future, you WILL follow protocol, you WILL maintain the comm schedule and you WILL comply with my orders! Is that clear?" Dick was getting worked up now
"Yessir!" said Patterson out of the corner of his mouth, deadpan, eyes fixed on the wall. This seemed to get Dicky even more worked up and he came around his desk to stand in front of Patterson.
"I do NOT appreciate that tone, Petty Officer Patterson! Or would you like it to be Seaman Patterson?" Dick was now standing toe to toe with Patterson and yelling into his chin. Patterson stood a good twelve inches taller than the officer and could never take him seriously when he hollered like this. Dicky was too much like a yappy dog that needed a good kick, or a bullet.
Patterson said nothing. He continued to stand at attention, waiting him out. Dick paced back and forth with a very prominent vein displaying itself on his too-big forehead.
"Dismissed!" he screamed at Patterson. And the big Bosun's mate made a perfect about-face and exited the office.
Petty Officer Patterson exited the Lieutenant's office and stormed down the passageway towards the barracks. Oh, hell. At the end of the hall, leaning against the door to the barrack wing smirked another boil on Bob Patterson's ass. Machinery Technician Second Class Billy Waters. Bob often thought Billy Waters was the only enlisted person who pissed him off as much as officers did.
"I hear it's gonna be a lot easier for you to s**t now that the "JG" has chewed you another asshole" Billy said past his ever-present toothpick as Bob approached. Bob kept walking and Billy said, "Maybe you should try driving your boats on water instead of trying to drive them on land!"
Poor Billy didn't even have a chance. He distinctly remembered blinking and then he was on the floor and his nose had apparently exploded. Bosun's Mate Second Class Robert Patterson was deceptively fast for someone his size and his fist broke Billy Waters' nose before Billy had the chance to realize he was being hit.
By the time Billy blinked the tears out of his eyes and put a hand to his profusely bleeding nose, Bob Patterson was through the door at the other end of the hall and in the barrack wing. Billy Spit out his now broken toothpick and said, "Sonavabitch!"
Copyright (c) 2003 Michael D. Cooney
