The laughter eventually died down.
Neither of them seemed to know what to say next.
Around them, recruits continued running laps around the training field while instructors barked orders and whistles pierced the morning air. Somewhere farther away, a UH-60 Black Hawk lifted from the airfield, its rotors beating rhythmically against the sky.
Life inside Basa had resumed.
Or at least, it was trying to.
Chandrika adjusted her glasses.
"I should get back to training."
Adrian nodded.
"Probably."
She looked at him.
"You sound like you're encouraging me to suffer."
"You volunteered."
"I didn't know there would be this much running."
"Everyone says that."
A sigh escaped her lips.
Ryan was right.
Military training hurt.
Everything hurt.
Her shoulders hurt from carrying a rifle.
Her legs hurt from running.
Even muscles she didn't know existed somehow hurt.
And yet...
She didn't regret joining.
Not even a little.
The military had saved her.
