Maybe One Day

Chapter Thirty: Points

Austria was breathtaking to say the very least. After we had moved out of Berchtesgaden, I constantly had my camera out. I had even found a stash of film in the Eagle's nest which I took for myself. More pictures to take! I was constantly snapping pictures of everything around me. With the beautiful rolling hills and trees, the men were happy. We weren't fighting, we weren't cold, right now there weren't any threats and that weight lifted from our shoulders left us feeling light and happy. The smiles of my brothers around me shone brightly in the noon sun and I couldn't help but beam at how happy they were now. They're more than deserving of this. 

Winters had told me before we moved out that we were heading for an Austrian town called Zell Am See. When we got there I had orders to start taking care of both wounded American and German soldiers. I had no problem doing so, but some of the replacements still had a nasty attitude towards them. When I witnessed a replacement sneer and spit on one, I grabbed him by the collar and turned him around to face me.

"We're medics, alright? We don't discriminate. Our job is to help, heal, and comfort. If you have problems treating them, turn in your stripes and collect your gear." I said. 

"I can't believe that you would side with them after what they did to Jews." 

"Treat them with respect or get out of my regiment." 

When the medic finally realized that I was serious he backed down and nodded feverishly, quickly apologizing to the man and going back to work. I nodded and turned away to continue my rounds, and later my paperwork. It took a couple weeks to treat all the POW's and get them shipped out but after that, there was virtually no work for me to do. All my paperwork and reports were done quickly, we had more than enough medics on hand to treat any injured... I could relax. Although when I relaxed, my thoughts drifted to the war in the Pacific. With the war on that front still raging, we'd more than likely be shipped off to fight it. Fighting in Japan would be entirely different than fighting in Germany. As I had told the members of Easy a while ago when we were on the troop ship to England, the Japanese would be an entirely different enemy. 

Sometimes I swear I could have that ESP thing some people talk about. It always seems that whenever I get a hunch, more often than not it comes true. Such was the case when Speirs came to talk to me in my office whilst I was doing paperwork. 

"We're probably going to be called to the Pacific theatre, so we're going to begin training again." he said.

"Sheisse." I said, rubbing my eyes. "When you and the NCO's get the training schedule together I'll make the schedule for what medics go with them. I won't be happy going to the Pacific, but we have to be ready."

"Meg, you have enough points to go home. In fact, you have MORE than enough. You've been in service since before the war started, your brothers are being considered your dependents now that your parents are passed. You can go home." he said, sitting down in the chair before my desk. 

"While I'm gone, Rabbi Ackermann and his wife are caring for my little brothers. While I want nothing more than to go home, I'm not leaving my family here. I can't leave them." I replied.

"Are you sure?" 

"More than sure." I nodded. 

Later when I was in the mess hall, I took a scrap piece of paper from my satchel and the pencil from behind my ear and started working out the points. 

"How many points do y'all have?" asked Perconte.

They all went around discussing it while I was still working it out. I set the pencil down and looked at the paper before crumpling it up and throwing it onto my tray.