Snippet #887489

Frank was trying to figure out how much he owed Mr. Davis. Numbers hadn't ever been his strong suit; it was like he was completely incapable of adding or subtracting. He would have asked Mr. Davis how much he held in his hand, but he didn't trust people with what little money he's able to spend any more than he trusted a gun without a firing pin. He grunted to himself in impatience as he sorted out the cash in his hand.

"Sorry, Jim, what was it?"

"$12.20, Sarge."

"$12.20...."

Frank looked down. At first he was slightly confused from hearing a 12 and then a 20, but he thankfully remembered the cents portion of it. He looked down at a ten dollar bill and a five dollar bill, reconfirming in his head that 15 was larger than 12. 10, 11, 12....14 or 13, the teens, and then 15. He slapped the two bills down on the table and nodded his head in confirmation.

"15."

"Alright, gimme a second to get your change."

As Davis bent over, struggling to get into his brand new register, Frank observed familiar scars on his arms. It brought him back to Petersburg; the trenches, the rain, the mud, the wet powder, moldy bread, the bayonets and blood.....good times.

"You remember Big P, Davis?"

"Yeah, what about it?" the register rung out as he hit it on the top.

"Just thinking about how we all went for a swim in one of those craters after taking Stedman. Boy howdy, we were like little boys that just got out of school. We couldn't wait to get in those craters filled with rainwater."

Davis laid Frank's change out on the counter and closed the register with a smack, then reaching into his back pocket.

"Yeah, fishing those bodies out wasn't the best fun, but as soon as we did, we had some good times."

Frank cracked open his soda bottle as Davis opened an old, dented Scotch flask.

"I gave you back 30 cents, soda pop is on the house, Sarge. Frontier Brigade."

They clinked the bottles together.

"Frontier Brigade."

They took a drink and Frank picked up his pack, filled with his newly bought goods, and began walking toward the door.

"See ya in a week, Jim."

"Cheers, Frank; don't croak, old timer."

Frank waved off the inside joke as he stepped out. He was blinded by the sun as he did, and tripped over the first step down and collapsed over his misplaced balance. His items went spilling all over the street of Jakal Flats, and he cried out as he landed on his ass.

"Son of a bitch!"

He tried picking himself up as he heard Davis cackling inside the store.

"Yeah, just remember I saved your ass at the Crater, Davis!"

He brushed the dust off his trousers and felt his back ache as he began reaching down to repack the goods, angrily grunting as he began slowly bending over.