Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 1

A/N: Gif credit to @captainronspeirs on Tumblr!

"Too slow running up Currahee, Landry. Your skinny little girl legs weren't made for combat. Weekend pass revoked."

Valerie clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead as Sobel shouted in her face. She could handle Sobel. She'd grown used to it in the weeks since she'd come to Toccoa. She knew she could do it faster. She just needed to push a little harder. The worst part was she wasn't even the last one up and down, he just had a special sort of dislike for her. Well, she'd prove him wrong if it killed her.

She glanced to her left and saw Lieutenant Winters glancing her way with pity in his eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised an eyebrow at her quizzically.

Valerie clenched her jaw again as she looked away. The one thing she couldn't stand was pity. She didn't need it, and she damn well didn't want it either. Winters had never said anything to her, but she'd seen all the pitying glances he'd sent her way every time Sobel shouted at her for something over the last few weeks. She'd had enough of it. If she saw him do it one more time, she was gonna lose it.

Once Sobel dismissed them, she turned to her platoon and let them fall out. With a huff, she made her way over to George Luz, who was looking at her in amusement.

"Hell, Val, I'm surprised you haven't socked ole Sobel in the jaw yet," he joked, punching her in the arm gently.

"Yeah, well, if he keeps pickin' on me, then my fist may just accidentally slip," she grumbled. She trudged along with Luz towards the mess hall, letting the others pass them out. She and Luz had clicked right away once she'd joined Easy. He'd made some stupid joke about Perconte somehow still being the shortest even now there was a lady in the ranks. She'd socked him in the arm for calling her a lady, and he'd socked her right back, laughing his head off, and that was the birth of a beautiful friendship.

"Now, that's a fight I'd pay good money to see," laughed Liebgott as he jogged past with Grant and Tipper. George then proceeded to do a scarily accurate impression of Sobel telling her off and then recoiling from the force of a punch in the jaw.

"Quit actin' the idiot, Luz, you're gonna get us caught," she grinned, looking around to make sure no one would overhear them. As she looked behind her, she met the eyes of Lieutenant Winters, this time shining with disapproval. She stopped in her tracks and stared back at him defiantly.

"You head on in, George, I'll be right behind you," she mumbled, never taking her eyes off of Winters. Luz looked between the two of them for a second before nodding, clapping her on the shoulder as he walked off.

She stepped up to Dick and stopped a few paces from him, crossing her arms and looking up at him defiantly. He had a few inches on her, but that didn't matter. She wouldn't be intimidated and she wouldn't back down.

"If you've got something to say to me, then spit it out," she stated bluntly. He looked back at her in surprise, clearly not expecting her to be so to the point. He gulped slightly before responding.

"I just think you should be careful what you say about Sobel. Just because you're a lieutenant doesn't mean you're immune to punishment, and he already gives you enough grief as it is. Don't make it any harder on yourself."

Valerie felt her blood begin to boil. She clenched her fists as she felt heat creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you," she said sarcastically. "How kind of you to give me pity advice on how to keep my head down and make it 'easier on myself '."

Dick looked at her in confusion, his eyebrows furrowing. "I didn't mean..."

"Oh, please, you've been sending me pitying looks since my first day here. I ain't no delicate lady. I can handle Sobel and his stupid hatred of me. I don't need you pitying me, and I don't need you giving me advice on how to look out for myself either. I can handle myself just fine, alright?"

She turned on her heel and marched into the mess hall, not giving him a chance to respond and not glancing back at him either. She'd meant everything she'd said to him. The last thing she wanted was for the men to be looking at her like some kinda pity case. She was just as tough as they were, and she could hold her own just fine. She quickly grabbed a tray and plonked herself down beside Luz.

"What's got you all in a twist, Val?" He asked when he saw the stony look on her face. She shook her head dismissively as she took another bite of her lunch.

"I'm fine, George," she insisted. "Just hungry is all."

~~~~~

Valerie was heading back to her room that evening when she ran into Dick in the corridor. She strolled past him and entered her room without a word. She was fixing her hair for bed when a knock on the door caught her attention. She was surprised to see him standing on the other side of it.

"Can I help you?" She asked shortly.

"Would you mind if I stepped in for a minute?" He asked quietly. She sighed but stepped aside and allowed him in, closing the door behind him. She crossed her arms and leaned back against her locker, looking at him expectantly.

"Look, Landry, I think you misunderstood me earlier," he started. "I wasn't trying to lecture you, I was just trying to help..."

Valerie rolled her eyes at that. "It sure as hell felt like a lecture to me," she grumbled.

"It wasn't, I was just trying to..."

"Help, yeah, I know. And I'll tell you again what I told you today; I don't want pity from anyone."

"Look, I didn't mean anything by it..."

"You men are all the same," she blurts suddenly, completely ignoring him. "You see a woman and you think 'oh, what a poor, delicate flower, I must pity her in her time of distress.' Well, I ain't no delicate flower, and I don't need your pity because I'm not in distress. I've done the same training you have, I'm just as capable as any of those men, so I don't appreciate you thinking I need your pity or your help."

Dick frowned, his cheeks reddening under the tinny overhead light. He rarely got mad, but this infuriating woman was starting to raise his hackles. If she would just give him a chance to explain, she'd realise he hadn't meant any of the things she was rattling off.

"I never said you were a delicate flower. Why are you putting words in my mouth? If you would just listen..."

"Oh, please," Valerie laughed sarcastically. "Like I already said, I've seen those pitying looks you've been giving me, and I don't appreciate it. You're just like the rest of 'em."

"Alright then," Dick grumbled, "since you seem to think so little of me, then I take back my apology. I have nothing to be sorry about anyhow because I didn't do anything wrong. In fact, if anyone should be apologising, it's you for flying off the handle like you have."

"Keep your damn apology," she snapped, pushing off of the locker and standing up straight. "And you're out of your goddamn mind if you think I'll apologise to you for telling the truth."

"You are completely impossible, Landry."

He turned and stomped out irritably, closing the door roughly behind him. He couldn't figure her out. He'd only been trying to help, and there was really no need for her to get so angry about it. He hadn't even said anything bad. He'd tried to apologise and make things right between them, but she'd thrown it back in his face.

He was even more annoyed at himself for allowing her to get under his skin and cause him to lose his temper like that. He couldn't let that happen again. He'd just have to steer clear of her from now on.