***
The upward blast of air tore at her jump suit and inflated Jill’s nostrils. She opened her mouth and the blast of air puffed up her cheeks; she thought she must have looked like a chipmunk. She bobbed up and down in soft, gentle, one-foot-high cycles.
At first she went up when Jack went down. Jack moved his arms and legs in subtle movements that caused his bobbing to match hers. Bobbing in unison, Jack reached out and grasped one of her hands. Jill reached out and grabbed his other hand.
“Do what I do,” Jack spoke in a commanding but gentle voice.
Jill watched as he slightly straightened his left leg, moving him to his right. This slow movement was pulling both of them to the edge of the airflow where she had had her bad spill only minutes before. Fear washed across Jill’s face and he gripped her hands tighter. Then Jill slightly straightened her left leg. That pulled her in the opposite direction, which started them in a gentle rotating motion in the center of the VWT.
“Let’s ‘Promenade home,’” Jack yelled.
“Promenade? You square dance?”
Jill and Jack relaxed their left legs, and straightened their right legs. That reversed their direction and they slowly turned several more circles in the other direction. They reversed their direction numerous times, and each time they slightly increased the speed. Jill’s confidence grew with each maneuver.
“It’s time for you to solo. I’ll stay close if you need help,” Jack yelled.
Jill’s eyes widened as Jack released his grip on her hands. He floated to the far side of the VWT leaving her alone. Very alone.
Jill glanced at Jack, then tightened her jaw as she turned, first to the right, then to the left. She changed direction several times, and each time she spun faster.
Jill enjoyed her newly acquired skills. Her adrenaline flowed and she had forgotten about her painful ankle. But eventually, her stomach began to churn. She realized that the spinning was taking a toll on her, and she was developing motion sickness just like the instructor did. What do I do now? If I don’t stop, Jack will see me get sick.
Just then, Jill heard a loud but friendly voice. “Enough for today, ma’am. Be sure to land on your good foot.”
Jill was glad Jack was ending the session. She blinked several times, fighting back her nausea. She gently pushed down on the airstream with the palms of her hands. This pushed her toward the dreaded edge of the VWT airstream. She steered herself to the launch platform, determined to make a better exit than her first one. The instructor stood on the edge of the launch platform, his hands stretched out ready to catch her. Jill looked over her shoulder, concentrating on where she wanted to land. She noticed the outstretched hands of the instructor, and frowned. The instructor saw the expression on her face. Reluctantly, he lowered his arms and stepped back.
Jill slid gently off the bubble of lift. Her good foot hit the edge of the launch pad exactly where she wanted. She quickly grabbed the handrail and steadied herself on her good but wobbly leg. She made a near perfect landing without any help from Jack or the instructor. Jill smiled, and turned to look at the instructor. He flashed a smile and spoke loudly over the noise of the VWT. “You need to get to the infirmary. My driver is standing by, and he’ll take you as soon as you get out of the jump suit. Don’t worry about your Hummer; I’ll have it dropped off at your barracks.”
Jill nodded, hopped down the stairs on her good foot, and began removing the jump suit.
Jack and Jill: Army Page 9