" You showed me that pain has purpose, and we need to be broken, shattered into pieces so we can learn to put ourselves back together."
- s. p
***
They were moving the next morning, to Nuenen, to see if they had possible chased the Krauts all the way here. The ride was extremely peaceful. Charlotte rode on the very end of the tank near the front of the machine, her legs hanging down over the edge as the gentle breeze brushed past her face. They passed the Nuenen sign, she got an eerie feel.
" Vincent Van Gogh was born in Nuenen." Webster exclaimed from above her.
" Yeah? So what?" Cobb mocked. She rolled her eyes.
" Sure teach a lot of useful stuff at Harvard." Hoobler said with a chuckle. She let out a chuckle and smiled turning to where the tanks were heading.
" I appreciate your Harvard knowledge." she said, with a small smile to Webster.
" See?" Webster said pointing to her, " Someone understands the importance of using their brain."
" I ain't a girl, Web. I don't get infatuated by that shit." Hoobler answered with a chuckle.
" Who's says I am?" she answered with a brow and a smirk.
" Vincent Van Gogh actually painted one of his most famous paintings in an insane asylum, Starry Night." Webster said with an award-winning smile to the girl. She smiled wide again, the wonder and curiosity growing larger in her eyes.
" Really?" she asked in wonder.
" Jesus Christ, stop flirting with smart people stuff." Cobb muttered.
" It's not flirting, Roy, it's called 'talking about reality'." she answered with a smirk his way.
" Well, let's just say at the moment reality's a bit insane, and I'd rather see God walking down the street himself with open arms, going on about some book club he's in with really good pie." Hoobler commented, and Charlotte chuckled fully. She turned her head ever so slightly, and the joyfulness faded. She felt her heart stopped when she saw a person, head shaved with a bundle in their arms. Charlotte gulped as they neared. A silence had fallen in a hush over the tanks. Charlotte didn't know what came over her, but she was jumping down, and pulling her helmet off walking towards the mother and the child she could see wrapped up. People yelled at her to come back, but she advanced forward. It was all too similar to the mother and child in Carentan a few months ago. She met eyes with the mother, and Charlotte felt her heart drop at the sight. She immediately dug into her medical bag and handed the woman a small first aid kid, some bandages, her spare rations, and her only chocolate bar. Charlotte smiled at the woman, handing her and her child the supplies. The woman weakly smiled and nodded to the young medic. Charlotte squeezed her shoulder as if saying everything would be alright again.
" Come on, Tarvers, let's move!" Foley, presumably yelled her way. Charlotte turned with one last smile, and hurried to climb back up on the tank, repositioning herself to stare in the familiar daze she always wore nowadays.
" Je bent zonneschijn." she heard the woman say quietly as Charlotte jumped onto the tank. Charlotte smiled, she was the sunshine. She couldn't help but feel bad for the mother as all the paratroopers watched with questioning looks as the tanks passed by. She couldn't look back. But no one dared to say a word to Charlotte about it. Charlotte knew that the woman probably had no choice and that there was some unknown father somewhere, the mother and daughter left behind completely. They continued down the road, as it became wider, having two tanks pull forward. A few of the soldiers jumped off and hurried into the trenches as Lt. Brewer, a fairly new addition to Easy Company, walked forward with his binoculars and watched the small town. Brewer walked further forward and Charlotte knew this was bad, there could be Krauts anywhere or a sniper peaking out.
" Lieutenant!" Bull yelled, Brewer swinging around. A single shot rang out, and Brewer collapsed in a pile on the ground.
" Sniper!" someone yelled, which is what she had already said to herself.
" Sarge!" Miller yelled, as she hastily shoved her helmet on. Panzers moved quickly through the grass, as she jumped down and slid into the trenches with the other soldiers. Soldiers panicked jumping from the tanks and into the nearby trenches to let the tanks take over. Charlotte poked her head above the trench and tried to keep an eye on Brewer who was in pain and struggling. The Shermans began to fire shots at the oncoming Panzers, ultimately succeeding and letting a few barely alive Krauts crawl out from them. Soldiers starting fire but Charlotte was focusing on Bull running towards Brewer.
" Medic up front! Medic up front!" Bull yelled. Charlotte took that as her cue, pushing through the ranks of men, holding her helmet as she jumped, and hopped. She jumped over the trench edge and sprinted toward Bull. She felt a hand on her back and swung around to see Mampre there.
" Go, Sunshine!" he yelled. She nodded, pushing away from Brewer and back into the trenches. She grimaced when she turned back around and saw Mampre on the ground clutching his leg. Bull continued to yell at the soldiers to move, and get running. She saw Spina go running up to the sight and begin addressing Mampre and Brewer. She followed the Easy soldiers into the down, cautiously using her small frame to her advantage as she hid behind houses, and fences, peeking every which way for the enemy. She managed to maneuver herself into a position near Joe Toye, as the two, and a few Privates behind them peeked around the corner. Toye nodded to her and she went backwards with a nod. It was quiet as they ran through the town, with not a German insight. The Americans continued their advanced through the multiple fields and layers that culminated the town of Nuenen. Multiple dogs barked, as the men and the young medic continued the advance through the town.
Charlotte carefully kept an eye out for Krauts if there were any that decided to come their way. Yet there were none as they continued to move forward, deeper and deeper into the town. Charlotte, being more so left behind and on her own, move stealthily behind the Mortar Platoon where Buck began shouting orders. She moved forward, her feet light, cautious and gentle, a regular one of a medic. She meshed with Bull's squad of Privates, and suctioned herself to the ground, peering around the corner. Bull proceeded around the corner and forward, stopping on every post before settling at the far end one. Charlotte looked back at the group of Privates, and nodded before hiking herself up and hurrying over the second post where Bull was standing a few feet away from. She saw the horror etched on his face. There was a Tiger, hidden in camouflage and the depths of the town buildings, seemingly not there but waiting for a signal. Johnny, Babe, and a few others moved into what seemed to be an abandoned dining area and peered the same way. The British tanks were slowing coming around the corner, and she mentally cursed herself. Bull began signaling to Johnny, Charlotte's heart racing a million miles a minute.
" Stay low." Bull called, then nodded to Charlotte. She nodded back. Babe and Johnny raced toward the tanks, Johnny climbing atop the large vehicle and speaking animatedly towards the British Tank Commander. Johnny jumped off, disheartened and turned with Babe back toward their positions. Suddenly the Tiger's turret moved and suddenly aimed straight for the British tank making its way the next few yards. The British tank exploded, the Tiger previously firing on it. Charlotte shoved herself to the ground, pushing her hands on her head as debris and metal flew by her.
" Fall back!" yelled Bull. Charlotte shot up collapsing again, her knees buckling. She pushed forward, propelling herself further forward until she crashed against a house. She felt a sudden pain enter her head. It was incredibly intense and so painful, that her eyelids start to fall and her eyes glazed over. She blacked out, falling unconscious from the overwhelming pain, the only thing her body could do, and slumped against the house. Gene was a mess. He had gathered the rest of the medics together, to ration supplies, but when the 2 others appeared and Charlotte wasn't there, his heart missed a bit. Maybe she was off, alone trying to regroup or with her friends. That's what he tried to tell himself when he asked her friends where she was, but they expressed deep concern noting how she didn't show up.
" Captain Winters, sir?" Gene called hurrying over to the HQ. Winters looked up alarmed.
" What is it, Doc?" he asked, placing the map in his hands down.
" Charlie, she's uh she's still missing, sir. No one's seen her." Gene exclaimed, Winter's heart dropping.
" What do you mean, she's missing, Doc?" Winters asked, stepping closer to the distressed medic.
" She hasn't shown up. We all looked everywhere for her, but she's nowhere. Bull's missing too, so we're assuming they're together somewhere." Gene stated softly to Winters. Winters nodded and bit his bottom lip. There was an overlying wave of stress that sunk over Easy Company that night like some intoxicating smoke that wouldn't go away. Soldiers hearing about how Charlotte might've just been killed this very day along with Bull struck tremors in their hearts. Liebgott seemed to be rather a mess. She was one of his closest friends and having to hear that she might be dead angered him. He was angry for what this war has cost him and that fact that someone, like their Sunshine, might be dead angered him even more. The NCO's seemed to be the only thing that calmed him down. They came personally and talked to all the men, pushing reassuring thoughts into their brains, saying Charlotte would be back soon enough with a smile and a wink.
Many of the men followed by that, their hope sparking every time careful footsteps came past their foxholes, or a jolly quiet laugh flew up upon the quiet night. It was never Sunshine, but most of the time everyone expected to see the short girl, with her lopsided helmet making her way with her quiet footsteps through the darkness of the night, and her beautiful smile, and adorable braids.
But instead, the group of American soldiers in the fields of Holland, were left with a deafening silence.
___
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