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You watched as 1st sargeant Lipton laid on the couch. It pained you to see the condition he was in.
Pneumonia.
You had just gotten off the line in Bastogne and were now in Haguenau. To put it bluntly; it was disgusting, but you'd take it over Bastogne anyday. You did everything you could to take care of Lipton.
You took off your helmet and approached him, handing him a mug of tea. He sat up as you sat next to him.
"Lip you really need to go lay down. There's a bed in the back and Ron found you some fresh sheets. You need to rest."
He drank his tea.
"I know (Y/n), I just want to help the men get situated" he said pointing to Webster who was fresh out of his 2 month stay at the hospital.
"Mr Purple Heart over there can take care of himself. You need to take care of yourself Lip. That's what the men want."
He scoffed at your remark. "You're right" He said as he inched closer to you as if he had a secret. "(Y/n), there's word going around that they're sending out a patrol tonight across the river. they want you to go. I'm trying to talk them out of it but they need your firepower if things go sideways."
"Talk them out of it?" You said curiously.
"Yes. It's dangerous. They want you to secure the prisoners and bring them back across the river." He sighed. "Maybe It's my bias towards you, but the whole situation seems unnecessary to me." He said looking you in the eye. You knew why he didn't want you to go. He wanted you to go home with him after the war. He hadn't asked you yet, but you and Lip could practically read each others minds at this point. You'd been inseparable since Toccoa.
"Lip if they need me to go I'll go. There's nothing I can do about that. It's direct orders." You patted his shoulder. "Now let's get you to bed, how irresponsible of you to get pneumonia at a time like this." You said sarcastically as you directed him to the room.
"Wait." He grabbed your hand. "I want you to check in with me before they send you out." He looked concerned, and rightfully so.
"Of course" you said with a hint of confusion on your face. He walked to the bed and rested his weak body.
"Alright professor" You walked towards Webster. "Let's get you to a bunk."
As you walked out you overheard Speirs and Winters conversation about the night patrol. It really was happening.
You and Webster made your way over to 2nd platoon in which Sargeant Malarkey was now in charge of.
"Hey look what the cat dragged in." Liebgott exclaimed as you and Webster approached.
"That hospital must've been real comfy huh Harvard?" He said with an almost angry undertone.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Webster asked confusingly.
"Well it's just we've been through piss and shit on the frontlines and you've been having a grand ol time with your tiny little leg wound." Liebgott replied as Sisk and Heffron gave looks of agreement.
"That's enough Joe." You looked at Liebgott furiously. "Let's not forget who the enemy is here."
Liebgott was clearly annoyed, but nodded to you as you walked towards Malarkey who was looking out the window.
"Word is there's going to be a patrol tonight across the river. You're leading." You said disappointingly to a frail and exhausted Don Malarkey.
"Shit" He looked down at his feet. "Do we have a roster of the men going on this patrol?"
"So far just you and me Don. That's all I know." You said patting his shoulder. "But from the looks of it you should be resting. Hell we all should. Who gives a shit about German pow's at this point in the war anyways." You lit Malarkey's cigarette for him. The men nodded to you in agreement.
"Hey (Y/n)." Heffron said. "How's Lip?"
"He's resting. I basically had to force him to lay down. You know Lipton. He's always gotta be there for the men."
"That's for sure." Heffron replied in admiration.
"You doing ok?" He said. All of the men looking at your tired face. They all knew your attachment to Lipton. Losing him would mean losing your future.
"I'm alright given the current circumstances. I'm sure we're all exhausted at this point huh? At least we get to sleep in beds tonight." You said as you patted Webster on the shoulder before exiting the room.
As you walked into the street Speirs approached you.
"Sargeant (L/n)."
"Yes sir?"
Speirs always gave you orders personally. Your theory was that he was protective of you as the only woman in the company, maybe he was just being polite. However the two of you had the utmost respect for one another.
"I wanted to give you the roster for tonight."
Here we go.
"It'll be you, Malarkey, Liebgott, Luz, Powers, Heffron, Jackson, Wynn, Webster, Martin, Cobb, and Randleman."
Your palms started to sweat. Lots of good men could lose their lives tonight over this shit war if things went sideways, but that's always been a possibility, it just felt even more pointless tonight.
"You'll be fine (Y/n). It's a standard patrol. Nothing you haven't done before and came back from. You'll go out at 0300 hours." Speirs handed you a paper to give to Malarkey. You knew Malarkey was in no condition to lead this patrol, but orders were orders.
"Yes sir."
As you and the men prepped your weapons, you looked at the concentration in their faces. You really hoped the operation would go smoothly, and you all make it out alive.
You prayed.
You walked over to the building Lipton was staying in and prepped him a can of soup before entering his room, it looked horrid but he needed to eat. He was reading a book, and waiting for your arrival. He lit up at the sight of you. He missed your face, but he looked disappointed seeing you in your gear. Grenades strapped to your chest. You sat on his bedside as he sat up.
"You're really going huh." He said with his Lipton puppy dog face you loved so much.
"Orders are orders. You know that." You swept his bangs out of his face, admiring his now rested but still exhausted features.
"Don't worry Lip. If all goes smooth I'll be back within the hour. It's just a standard patrol. They want us to bring back live prisoners so that's what we'll do." You were trying to believe your own words.
"Ok...you'll do great. You always do. I just can't shake this feeling that I'm going to lose you. Maybe that's selfish, but this war has taken so much from everyone and I feel like you're my biggest motivation to win the damn thing."
Lipton had never been so blunt about his feelings for you. They were there, but never spoken out loud.
"Lip...I don't know what to say. Just think of all we've been through together. We've made it out of all of these situations alive. What's so different about tonight?"
"I won't be there." He said with tears
forming in his eyes that he refused to let fall.
The two of you gazed at each other for a second. You went in for a hug and felt the warmth of his body. You wished you could stay this way forever.
"Don't worry Lip." You rested your head on his shoulder. "I'll make it back alive just for you." You were half joking but dead serious.
He scoffed "just for me? Ok I'm counting on it." He smiled.
You swore his eyes twinkled everytime he looked at you. He was the most beautiful and gentle man you'd ever seen. You kissed his cheek.
"Careful" He said concerned. "I don't want you to get sick."
"Honestly Lip, sickness is the least of my worries right now."
You got up and adjusted your helmet and gear, getting ready to head out. He grabbed your hand and rubbed it just to get one last feeling of you. You exited the room as he watched you go with a horrible feeling in his stomach. What if this was the last time he got to feel your embrace?
𝟎𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬:
You and the men were loading up the rafts to go along the River. You silently squeezed yourself in with Shifty and McClung as you pulled the rope to approach the other side of the river. You gave Shifty a reassuring look and patted his knee. The two of you had grown close since Toccoa.
"We got this shift. Just a standard patrol."
You said trying to convey optimism towards him. He was clearly nervous.
"I know it (Y/n). I just wanna get it over with." He said while getting out of the boat and offering you a hand as you reached land.
The operation was ago and you stealthily followed the men towards the building. Private Jackson miscalculated his grenade distance and walked right into the explosion.
"Shit!" You exclaimed approaching him to asses his wounds. You knew he was a goner but you were going to do everything you could to try and save him.
The room was pure chaos. Martin and Heffron were taking the prisoners as Webster set up the explosives. You wanted them to hurry up and get the hell out of there so you could get Private Jackson to Doc Roe.
As they finished, you all ran out. Martin grabbed Jackson from one side as you guided him on the other. You made your way back to the boats as you realized a prisoner was left behind on the bank. No one cared anymore. You needed to get back to the other side.
You rushed Jackson into a dank basement and left him with the men.
"I'm gonna find Roe. Shifty you guard the prisoners. Martin keep an eye on Jackson's breathing!" You said as you ran out of the basement
"Medic! Medic!" You said running through the streets. Lipton must've heard you because he ran out of a building with Doc Roe. You briefly gave him a look of disappointment for getting out of bed and he shrugged to you. The three of you then ran back to the basement.
"Right here Eugene!" You said clearing the way for him to operate on Jackson. The men looked concerned. Could he make it? There's no way. He took a grenade blast straight to the skull.
"Stay with us Jackson!" Roe said urgently as he pierced him with morphine. It was to no avail, Jackson was choking on his own blood and was dead in Roes hands in a matter of seconds.
Roe slammed his helmet on the ground out of frustration.
Everyone fell silent. You just lost a man, and a good one at that. You and Lipton looked at each other as tears formed in your eyes. You felt like it was your fault, like there was more you could do. Lipton knew your thought process well, and gently shook his head at you.
"It's not your fault." He whispered as he put his arm around you and slowly directed you out of the basement.
You sat on the snowy concrete, palming your face in your hands.
"Come on" Lipton said grabbing your hands and lifting you up. "Let's get you cleaned up."
As you made your way back to his room you just sat on the edge of his bed, not knowing how to comprehend what had just happened.
He prepped a bucket of water and got in his knees in front of you, beginning to wipe the blood off of your hands.
"Lip you're sick. I should be taking care of you." You avoided eye contact.
"Look at me" He said placing his hand on your chin. "I'm always here to take care of you (Y/n). Especially after the gravity of this situation."
You let him wipe your hands. He was so gentle and made sure to wipe every crevice of your fingers. He was precious.
"He was so young Lip." You held back tears.
He looked up at you giving you all of his attention.
"He had told me a couple of days ago that all he wanted to do after the war was help people. He was a good guy with good intentions, and now he's a dead body on a basement floor." You were now bursting in tears.
Lipton didn't know how to respond so he clutched your hands, pushed the bucket of water to the side, and just held you in his arms with your head in his chest while you let out all of your pain.
"I don't know why things are the way they are." He said breaking the silence. "It kills me inside Everytime we lose a man, it really does. Jackson was a good young man with a whole life ahead of him and now it's gone, but I believe it's up to us to continue his legacy."
You were now eye level with a Lipton.
You went in for a kiss.
He quickly interrupted "Hey hey as much as I'd like to do this I can't, I don't want to get you sick." He said as your faces were still inches apart. Longing to feel your lips on his. You gave him a pout.
"Well from the way I see it, if I get sick then I can be shacked up here with you all day." You said almost smirking, wiping the tears from your cheeks.
He laughed, and you went for it. Placing your hands around his neck as he placed his hands on your thighs. You could feel the passion between the two of you and wondered why you hadn't shared 1,000 kisses before.
"Well that was long awaited." Lipton said blushing.
"I think I'm better already." He smirked as you went in for another kiss, the two of you half smiling. You could stay this way forever.