It was early within the morning when Easy Company quietly invaded a small town overtaken by the German army. About three in the morning to be exact. Hiding beneath the cover of the darkened sky, the moonlight shining down dully between the trees and clouds.
The town had been converted into a small base, or headquarters for the Germans. Most of the homes were clearly not in use as the enemy had forced the remaining habitants out from their homes. Just a few homes were being used at barracks, and it seemed like the small town hall had been used as their aid station.
Four officers took a knee on a hill whilst using the brush as cover. Winters, Speirs, Nixon, and Compton all kneeled within a small line, close together, staring down their own scopes. Ronald Speirs pulled his scope down first and let out a scoff. Causing the three other Paratrooper officers to lower their scopes to turn towards the officer.
"Only a few guards posted out on a few balconies. For being such a "strong force", they're situational awareness seems to be at an all time low," he whispered. Winters let out a quiet chuckle and turned back to the front. Bringing the scope back up to his eye. Peering over to what seemed to be their aid station. Small jeeps continued to pour in and out hourly to drop off wounded Nazi soldiers. Two nurses continued to rush in and out. Same two nurses each time. Blood covered the aprons and dresses they wore, along with their hands. It was clear even from a decent distance away.
"Looks like that aid station is quite busy. Just two nurses it seems though, got to be careful of them," Winters stated quietly. To which Ronald just scoffed again.
"Why would they ever decide to side with them? To nurse those son's of a bitches back to health just to come and kill our men?" Ronald asked. His eyes now steadying on the nurses in the distance. Nixon was the one to pipe up this time.
"A lot of them don't make the choice themselves. Some of them don't have a choice. Kind of like how we draft men. They're people just like us. They don't want to kill our men, the soldiers do. They merely just want to get home. Just like us," he told him. Nixon was right. And Ronald knew that, but he didn't want to admit it. He wasn't going to, because he wasn't that type of man. So instead, he didn't.
"They all have a choice. Just like us," Speirs responded. Keeping his opinion voiced. Gritting his teeth. Nixon went to sarcastically respond, but Winters clapped a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back slightly. The location officer turned to look at his higher up. And Winters just shook his head. Knowing that his dear friend Ronald Spiers wouldn't give up his opinion. Making the "come along" motion and quietly walking away. Nixon just sighed and followed his tail closely.
Speirs sat alone for a bit longer. His dark eyes staring down at that aid station.Watching the two nurses now standing outside as they washed blood soaked linens and bed sheets in old horse troughs filled with water. "Yeah, we all have a choice," he repeated below his breath. Knowing no one would hear him. A small grunt came from his chapped lips and he stood up quietly. Grabbing his Thompson and turning around to follow his fellow officers back to their foxholes. They were to be invading soon, he just needed to prepare a bit.
///
It didn't take long to take over the small base. Maybe an hour, and only minor wounds and just one fatal casualty. Speirs and the other officers had been working with the rest of the Paratroopers to take care of the prisoners and organize them to take them to the holding base.
Ronald had been hanging back a bit, just watching over the small process of everything they were doing. It was going smoothly. Until one thing popped into his mind. His back straightened and his head went up. He looked up at all the groups of captured Nazis, and even around at the bodies. They weren't there. Where were the nurses?
In a flash he turned and began to briskly walk towards that aid station. He didn't see their pale blue dresses and white aprons anywhere. Even as he searched while he walked. His eyes fell back towards the building where medical supplies had been being hauled out crate by crate. But still no nurses. He grumbled slightly and picked up his pace. Pushing past some soldiers and walking through the large wooden doors. Pausing when he saw a bunch of bodies laying down with sheets over their heads. Clearly the men the nurses were trying to save. He huffed and looked up. Seeing a group of men with their guns pointed at one of the nurses. The other one is still yet to be seen. The nurse with the soldiers around her all peered down at her. Her hands behind her head in surrender.
"Please, please let me see if I can help her," she pleaded through a strong German accent. Ronald pursued closer. Wondering what she was bantering about. But as he walked closer, the officer was quick to understand. The other nurse, a pretty blonde woman, had been laying on her side. A pool of blood coming from her stomach. Ronald's eyes widened. As much as he hated the Nazis, and what he had stated to the fellow officers, this was a war crime. And the sound of the other H/C nurse crying didn't make him feel any better.
"Was this any of your bullets?" he asked sternly. Snapping his head towards the group of paratroopers, and weeping woman who still knelt on the wooden floor of the church. The woman was dead already, her body already beginning to turn ghost white, while the blood had stopped flooding from the wood. And her breath could not be heard. The downed nurse's chest did not rise, nor fall.
The young paratroopers jumped at the menacing officer. Swallowing fast as they all shook their heads. One decided to finally speak up. "The woman was on the ground before we came in here, sir. We heard a gunshot and some German and rushed in here. The little lady was on the floor bleeding out, and a Kraut standing with a gun to this one's head. He is over there," he spoke, pointing to the dead German who was slumped against a wall. His head bent over, as he too was dead.
"They are speaking the truth, it was the German soldier that had shot her. I was next, they thought that we were the ones that had been giving information to you Americans when you first stormed here," she paused as she tried to look away from her dead friend. Tears continued to pour down her face. "Please, I am not a threat. I had no choice but to be a nurse. I want nothing from this war. They would have killed me if I didn't. Please, I do not want to die," her English was broken. But so was her voice. Ronald stood there for a moment, wondering what he should do. She seemed sincere. And genuinely scared.
"I'll bring her to Roe, he could probably use the help," was all Speirs said. Leaving the men a little shocked. The woman slowly stood and wiped her eyes. Briskly walked past the corpses of her fellow nurse, and the rest of the bodies that were within the church. Following the paratrooper officer closely. Her flats hit the mud that was outside of the church, splashing up her legs and all over her shoes. She chose to ignore it for then, keeping silent as she walked behind the cold faced officer.
They walked in silence for quite a bit. The young nurse felt as if she was in fact a prisoner. The stares of the other Americans, her eyes stayed focused in front of her. Staring at Speir's back.
Speirs had gotten sick of the silence. He was one for it, but sometimes it was boring. And with this woman, he felt compelled to speak to her for some odd reason. Just an itch that he wanted to at least learn her name. "What is your name, little lady?" he asked bluntly. To which the nurse perked her head up nervously yet quickly.
"My name is Y/N L/N. May I ask you yours, Army Man?" She responded. Ronald nodded to himself. Taking in her words and taking a deep breath. Rounding a corner of one of the run down buildings, continuing to head towards the aid station where the other medics had been stationed.
"My name is Ronald Speirs, Captain Speirs is what you can call me," he responded. Y/N sat there and practiced the name under her breath. Repeating it quietly until she had gotten it right.
"You have a nice name, Captain Speirs," she complimented. Making Ronald's ends of his lips quirk upwards with a smile. He didn't even realize he did it. "I wanted to thank you, and your men. For not killing me. You must know that it wasn't our-" she paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "It wasn't my choice to be this way and help the Nazi party. Many people were trapped under the work of the Nazis. Many men and women did sign up for the role for the fatherland, but many were forced, sir," she tried to explain. Y/N was merely afraid of the worst. To be sent away and jailed, or killed. "All I wanted was my family to be safe," she finished.
Ronald stayed silent for a moment. He remembered what he said to Winters, Welsh, and Nixon. He knew the truth, and he was just an angry type of man. But with how this young woman said certain things, how scared she sounded, how she wept and begged when they first entered that church. It made his eyes open just a little bit.
"Are you hungry?" he asked bluntly. Y/N just lifted her head a little confused at the question. She had been thinking that she was a prisoner of sorts. She didn't exactly know how she would be treated, but definitely not like this. To be asked if she was hungry, unlike when she worked for the Germans. They pretty much told her when she was to eat, sleep, drink, use the bathroom. It was odd hearing the question after a while of just being given so many orders she was forced to do.
The young nurse didn't understand the truth of the Americans. She wished for liberation. Prayed for it even. She was still scared she would be arrested or killed. Much like what the Russians did to the German forces. But with the company of the rather quiet, intimidating officer gave her a bit of comfort. Especially from the looks of all the men that the two walked by. The hatred filled the eyes of some, who just screamed out to blame her for helping the Germans. Y/N merely tried to ignore it, just swallowing hard and looking forward. Continuing to step through the mud.
///
When Ronald had brought Y/N to Eugene , Eugene stared up at her with surprise. "Doc, this is Y/N, she is a nurse. She is going to help you out with the wounded for now. I'm going up to HQ to figure out if we are sending her with the other prisoners or not," he reported. Eugene just gave a respectful nod towards the officer. Y/N took a few steps towards the medic.
"I wish to help. My English isn't the best, but I am good with my hands. I promise," she said softly. It seemed her voice was almost permanently soft due to the harsh cold that attacked all of the soldiers. No matter what side.
Eugene just nodded and outstretched his arm to jester to the few wounded men that sat around. Y/N didn't hesitate, she went. Kneeling in the mud and aiding a soldier that had a large shrapnel wound across the thigh and down the leg. Muttering soft prayers within her language as she began to suppress and wrap the wound.
The Officer had found himself staring. His mind was a mess. He was a close minded, but very smart man at times. Very wise for his young age. He wanted to understand. But he knew everyone had a choice. Though, he wasn't as angry, just wanting to understand why it made her want to protect her family in a way to help the people she hated. It was a question for another time. Ronald glanced at Roe and back to the female. "If you have any problems, let me know. But other than that, keep an eye on her," The officer spoke to the medic. Roe gave a stiff nod and looked back at his patient. A man with a bullet wound in the shoulder. And Spiers turned around and began to walk off.
As he walked, he quickly began to feel frustration bubble within himself. The image of fear etched across Y/N's face when he had first seen her within the church, had remained burned within his mind. This was the first time he felt genuine remorse. He couldn't tell if it was from how pretty he had found her, or the sincerity in her begging for her life. Or was it both. He hated it. He didn't like feeling soft. Only hard and just his normal intimidating stature of an officer in charge. He wanted to brush it off, but the remorse filled his stomach with an odd feeling. He thought he was sick at first. But instead, it was butterflies. He hated it. He didn't know why he was feeling it. But he was.
A story of love at first sight. And he didn't know it. And neither did she.