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Nick stretched his arms up over his head as yawned and forced himself to get up. Sitting up, he looked around to find that everyone else was still sleeping. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake up a little more. He reached down and struggled to put his shoes on, finally resorting to untying them completely.

“I’ve gotta freaking piss.” He mumbled out loud to himself.

He stood up stretching once more before walking towards the exit of the berthing. (AN: Berthing is a really large tent made of canvas for those who don’t know. This is what you initially sleep in when you arrive. In most cases once you arrive to your “POST” you are assigned to a hard structure or a trailer.) He pulled the canvas door open and stepped out into the Kuwaiti heat.

“You got to be fucking kidding me!” he said as he shielded his eyes from the sun. “There is no fucking way I am going to be able to handle this heat.”

Squinting his eyes he looked around spotting a pot-o-potty. Taking another deep breath of the hot air Nick started the walk towards it. Looking around Nick realized that it is really a desert. It looked like he was walking on a beach, only there was no water…anywhere.

Stepping into the port-o-potty he quickly pulled his hand up to his face. “Holy shit…that is rank.” She said as the harsh aroma of heated feces filled his nose. Taking a deep breath he bravely closed the door behind him. Holding his breath Nick quickly peed and jumped quickly out of the port-o-potty.

“How in the hell am I gonna handle this?” he asked himself as he ran his hand through his hair.

“You get used to it.”

“Huh?” Nick asked looking around to the voice.

“You get used to it, and once you get to your post there will probably be trailers set up that have showers and toilets in them….I am Barrin.” He said reaching his hand out.

Nick reached out and took the hand of the stranger introducing himself. “I am Nick, and I seriously doubt I will get used to this.”

“Yea, that is what I thought my first tour out here. After a couple of weeks you won’t know the difference between 90 degrees and 120 degrees. You won’t really notice the funny smells anymore, and the cokes here will start to taste like the cokes back home.”

“You get coke here?” Nick asked shocked.

“Yeah, but it taste funny at first. There is just something a little funny about it. I don’t notice it anymore. In fact when you go back to the states after your tour the coke there taste funny.”

“How many times have you been out here?”

“This is my third time, and hopefully my last. I just wish this war would be over already. I mean at first when this all happened, I couldn’t wait to get out here and fight. I mean they attacked out country, but now I don’t know. I feel like instead of things getting better they are getting worse. Iraq is now friendly, but now we have Iran who is working with North Korea and we all know that those are some crazy mother fuckers.”

“Yea, I am not too much into the political side. I don’t know what I think about it all.” Nick admitted honestly.

“Well trust me, by the time you get out of here, one way or another you will have an opinion.” Barrin stated matter of factly.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, but I better get back to my tent and see if my friends are awake.”

“Berthing….”

“Huh?” Nick asked confused.

“The tent, it is called a berthing. And the bathroom is called a ‘head’ and a water fountain is a ‘scuttlebutt’ and a wall is a ‘bulkhead’….military jargon. You will pick it up over time.”

“Can’t wait!” Nick said sarcastically.

“Well, maybe I will see you around. Take it easy.”

“Yea man, you too.” Nick replied. Walking back toward the ‘berthing’ Nick looked around at all of the people scurrying around. Most people were wearing camouflage, but some were walking around in short and t-shirts. There were all types of people out there too. Nick had an idea of what a soldier looked like, but most of these people looked nothing like he had imagined.

Nick smiled as he remembered a conversation he had with Marcus back home before leaving.

“No way man….I am gonna stick out like a sore thumb.” Nick said as he took a gulp of his beer.

“Whatever. What do you think you are supposed to look at?” Marcus asked laughing at his friend.

“I don’t know, like a soldier. You know a mean looking guy with big muscles. Or a tall guy with a very intimidating voice, like Kevin or you. Not me. I look nothing like a soldier.”

“You are crazy. Let me guess, you probably think all female soldiers have short hair and look butch.”

“Well yea, aren’t they? I doubt there are any hot girls out there. Why would a hot girl join the military when there are plenty of other things she could do.”

“Hummm, I don’t know, maybe because she isn’t as shallow as to think that her looks should get her out of serving her country. Maybe because she wants to prove to people that she is more than just a pretty face. I bet there are some hot chicks out there just because they wanted to piss someone off or to prove to daddy that she is more than just pretty.”

“I doubt it man....Do you realize that I am probably about to go for six months without any ass.” Nick said as if it were the end of the world.

“Well, you could always go gay?” Marcus said with a serious look on his face.

“What the fuck….man you have got to be kidding me?” Nick replied looking at Marcus like he had lost his mind.

“No man I am serious. A pretty boy like you, I am sure it would be easy to find a boyfriend.”

“Dude…” Nick stared at Marcus shocked“I can’t fuck believe…”

Marcus busted out laughing as he looked at the horror on Nicks face. “Dude, I am joking.”

“Man don’t do that to me!”

“You should have seen the look on your face.” Marcus held onto his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably. “It was priceless.”

“You are an ass.” Nick said laughing along with his friend.
“Yea, I know….but that is why you love me.”

“Love you, who said anything about loving you?” Nick said seriously.

Marcus batted his eyelashes and pulled his hands under his face. “Bit Nicky….I thought that you and me were gonna be together forever…and now you don’t love me?”

“Dude, I swear you are worse than AJ. I don’t know why I am still friends with you.”

“Because I am your body guard and it probably would suck if we hated each other. Plus I bring all the ladies you way. Without me…Nick Carter would still be little chubby Nick that all the other guys picked on.”

“Shut up man….I am more than capable to get any girl in here…..without your help.”

“Really?....wanna bet?”

“What girl….point her out and I will guarantee I can get her to leave with me.”

Marcus looked around the club scoping out possible candidates and finally laid his eyes on the perfect girl. She was dressed conservatively and looked like she wouldn’t be interested in who Nick was. She was really pretty, but not in a slutty way. She would surely be a challenge. “Her.” Marcus said pointing to the girl he had chosen.

“Her…she is cute. She looks kind of…I don’t know…uptight.”

“Precisely.” Marcus replied smirking at Nick.

Nick took one last swallow of his beer and stood up. “Here goes nothing. Wish me luck.”

Nick laughed to himself as he recalled the night. He pulled the canvas door open and stepped back into the berthing. AJ was putting his shoes as Brian lay watching him. Nick couldn’t help but be thankful that he had his to ‘brothers’ there with him. They were going to keep him sane.