Page 35 of Overkill

This was absolutely not normal. It was not a thing for friend groups to discuss tampons. But here we were, letting all the flap in the breeze in front of strangers.

“Why not ask the medic?” Griff asked, as if that were a totally normal response. “You always carry it in your first aid, no?”

“Nah,” Goose said. “I, uh…recently used up my supply.”

The fuck? He had tampons for bullet wounds and nose bleeds, and I didn’t recall him having any recent issues with either.

“Oh my god,” Mamma Mack said with a long, almost sad, sigh. “Mary?”

“Yup!” Goose said, eyes wide, face drawn with tension. “Boy, am I not prepared.”

“What the hell, Goose?” Taz walked up to him and smacked him on the chest. “Why didn’t you call us?”

“She didn’t want a bunch of people to know!”

“What?” Taz was pissed. “Why not? This is a big deal!”

“Normal girls don’t want a damn team tracking her cycle for her!” Goose said, smacking his forehead.

At least he knew this was weird.

On deployments—hell, even in garrison—we all knew when Taz was on the rag. We stayed clear of her as much as we could, quietly leaving chocolate and baked goods as offerings to Aunt Flow.

“Taz wouldn’t know normal if it kicked her in the kneecaps.” I said as loud as I could, tilting my head to Melody and hoping they got the fucking hint to rein it in. “Melody, I am so, so sorry.”

“I…” She looked more confused than offended, so I counted it as a blessing.

“Speaking of which…” Goose said. “It’s the 15th. Why aren’t you asking Taz for—”

“God damn it!” Taz screamed, stomping her booted foot on the pebble drive.

“What?” Griff glanced at his wife in confusion.

Oh, shit.

Taz looked helplessly at her husband. “I…wanted you to be the first to know, but I guess we’ll make this a fucking team thing!”

“I don’t understand.” Griff’s eyes went wide with terror. “Are you alright?”

I’d understand how some people were so obtuse.

“She’s pregnant, you idiot.” I reached up to my hair, finger combing it back before pulling it into a ponytail just to do something with my hands, because these shenanigans were gonna give me a headache. It was too weird to try to explain to a sane person, much less one I was head over heels for.

“You’re…” Griff gazed adoringly at Taz. “Pregnant?”

Taz smiled. “Surprise?”

Griff was stunned into silence.

“Great, wonderful. Vitayu! I still need tampons. Come on.” Daria grabbed Taz’s hand, then gave me an annoyed look. “Show me where they are in that pit of a home you have, and then you can take the pretty girl next door back to her cottage so the little birds can help her sweep the chimney, or whatever it is she does.”

“Seriously? No reaction at all to the fact that you’re about to have a goddaughter?” Griff shook his head and waved his hands as if she were the most insane thing about this whack-a-doo conversation.

“I’ve known she was pregnant for at least two weeks now. Duh.”

“What?” Taz said.

“Please, if you don’t think I saw the pregnancy sticks in the cabin’s trash, you’re crazy.” Then she looked at Taz’s chest. “Also, the girls have been very bouncy lately. Good for you!”