Bokumbo’s face. “Pick ’em up,” he shouted. “Don’t leave your rags laying around. You’re no bloody violet. Stevens, over here. Double. Get them knees up.” He chased Stevens into the Medical Officer’s room.
Bokumbo, still chuckling, turned to Roberts. “Medical inspection. Man the only place that crazy doctor inspected — . How come he can tell I’m A.1 by just looking at my secret weapon? Or maybe he’s a genius. If that’s how they judge health, old Willie’s the healthiest soldier in the British Army.”
“No talking,” said Williams.
“Yeah,” said Bokumbo. “He’d be the healthiest soldier in any damn army. Man, I’m well blessed, but Willie ... ”
“I told you no talking. Roberts. Bokumbo, you’re on a charge.”
“Roberts didn’t speak, Staff.”
“And don’t answer me back.”
“Staff,” said Bokumbo, “you charge me. That’s O.K. But this man didn’t say nothing.”
“Bokumbo, you’re a cert for a diet of bread and water unless you stop flapping that big trap of yours.”
“Staff,” said Bokumbo. “I told you he didn’t speak.”
“Och,” said McGrath. “Why the hell don’t you shut up, darkie. You’re giving me a headache.”
“All right, McGrath,” said Williams.
“Staff. I don’t want these two dropping me in it.”
Stevens ran out of the M.O.’s room with Wilson still chasing him and ranting away. “Stevens. What the hell’s the matter? Holding on to your pants like a young bint who still believes the yarns her mother told her.”
Stevens stopped to button up his shorts, looking on the ground too upset to speak.
“You ain’t made any different from anybody else, are you?” shouted Wilson. “Gawd. I’ve met all kinds in my time. Now you cut out this bashful virgin act. Ah!” He pushed Stevens. “Get out of my sight. Next, Staff.”
“Double over, McGrath,” said Williams.
The R.S.M. doubled McGrath into the M.O.’s room and Williams turned back to Roberts and Bokumbo. “You two had a great time of it with the R.S.M., but I’ll be looking after your welfare from here on and I’ll tell you now. I hate the bloody sight of the pair of you.”
Williams walked away and faced Stevens who had dressed himself but still looked embarrassed. Stevens looked on the ground.
“Haven’t made up my mind yet whether you’re fish or fowl,” said Williams.
Stevens sniffed but made no reply.
“One of those shy lads are you, Stevens?”
“It’s, well, sir, I — you see ... ”
“You what? One of those lads who can’t make up his mind if he’s a boy or girl, are you?”
“I’m married, sir.”
“Are you now? And who’s who in your little partnership?”
“If you think — ” Stevens looked upset. “We don’t have to be treated like this, do we? I mean, we aren’t animals.”
McGrath doubled out of the M.O.’s room followed by the R.S.M. “Next, Staff,” shouted Wilson.
“Double over, Bartlett,” said Williams, still looking at Stevens.
Bartlett doubled away and Williams stood for a long time staring at Stevens, then walked away and stood with his back to the prisoners.
Bokumbo looked at Williams’s broad back and smiled humorously to himself. Nothing Williams had said or done so far had impressed him very much. Bokumbo, like so many strong men, was by nature normally very easy-going. It took a lot to upset him. Insults, real or imagined, seldom affected him deeply. As a rule he would switch on an easy-going smile and put it down to the other man’s ignorance.
He felt sorry for Stevens. Indifferent to Bartlett, vaguely curious about Roberts, but it was McGrath that interested him most. He had summed him up the moment he had first seen him outside the Courts Martial centre and liked the way he had doubled out of the Court with a broad grin on his face after he had been sentenced. He knew a hard case when he saw one and instinctively he respected McGrath.
The R.S.M. and Williams hardly interested him at all. They
Bokumbo, still chuckling, turned to Roberts. “Medical inspection. Man the only place that crazy doctor inspected — . How come he can tell I’m A.1 by just looking at my secret weapon? Or maybe he’s a genius. If that’s how they judge health, old Willie’s the healthiest soldier in the British Army.”
“No talking,” said Williams.
“Yeah,” said Bokumbo. “He’d be the healthiest soldier in any damn army. Man, I’m well blessed, but Willie ... ”
“I told you no talking. Roberts. Bokumbo, you’re on a charge.”
“Roberts didn’t speak, Staff.”
“And don’t answer me back.”
“Staff,” said Bokumbo, “you charge me. That’s O.K. But this man didn’t say nothing.”
“Bokumbo, you’re a cert for a diet of bread and water unless you stop flapping that big trap of yours.”
“Staff,” said Bokumbo. “I told you he didn’t speak.”
“Och,” said McGrath. “Why the hell don’t you shut up, darkie. You’re giving me a headache.”
“All right, McGrath,” said Williams.
“Staff. I don’t want these two dropping me in it.”
Stevens ran out of the M.O.’s room with Wilson still chasing him and ranting away. “Stevens. What the hell’s the matter? Holding on to your pants like a young bint who still believes the yarns her mother told her.”
Stevens stopped to button up his shorts, looking on the ground too upset to speak.
“You ain’t made any different from anybody else, are you?” shouted Wilson. “Gawd. I’ve met all kinds in my time. Now you cut out this bashful virgin act. Ah!” He pushed Stevens. “Get out of my sight. Next, Staff.”
“Double over, McGrath,” said Williams.
The R.S.M. doubled McGrath into the M.O.’s room and Williams turned back to Roberts and Bokumbo. “You two had a great time of it with the R.S.M., but I’ll be looking after your welfare from here on and I’ll tell you now. I hate the bloody sight of the pair of you.”
Williams walked away and faced Stevens who had dressed himself but still looked embarrassed. Stevens looked on the ground.
“Haven’t made up my mind yet whether you’re fish or fowl,” said Williams.
Stevens sniffed but made no reply.
“One of those shy lads are you, Stevens?”
“It’s, well, sir, I — you see ... ”
“You what? One of those lads who can’t make up his mind if he’s a boy or girl, are you?”
“I’m married, sir.”
“Are you now? And who’s who in your little partnership?”
“If you think — ” Stevens looked upset. “We don’t have to be treated like this, do we? I mean, we aren’t animals.”
McGrath doubled out of the M.O.’s room followed by the R.S.M. “Next, Staff,” shouted Wilson.
“Double over, Bartlett,” said Williams, still looking at Stevens.
Bartlett doubled away and Williams stood for a long time staring at Stevens, then walked away and stood with his back to the prisoners.
Bokumbo looked at Williams’s broad back and smiled humorously to himself. Nothing Williams had said or done so far had impressed him very much. Bokumbo, like so many strong men, was by nature normally very easy-going. It took a lot to upset him. Insults, real or imagined, seldom affected him deeply. As a rule he would switch on an easy-going smile and put it down to the other man’s ignorance.
He felt sorry for Stevens. Indifferent to Bartlett, vaguely curious about Roberts, but it was McGrath that interested him most. He had summed him up the moment he had first seen him outside the Courts Martial centre and liked the way he had doubled out of the Court with a broad grin on his face after he had been sentenced. He knew a hard case when he saw one and instinctively he respected McGrath.
The R.S.M. and Williams hardly interested him at all. They
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