" Courage is fear holding on a minute longer."
- General George S. Patton
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" I don't think that's how that works Joe," Hazel said as Joe glanced at her, pulling his hand back from rock, paper scissors with a smirk.
" You sure, Parker?" Joe said, " Because I know rock covers scissors and paper, paper covers rock, but gets cut by scissors and scissors cut paper but get crushed by rocks." Hazel smirked at him.
" Oh really, Mr? Paper covers rock." she said as her 'paper' covered the rock. Joe looked at her.
" You know I'm right." she said proudly, leaning back against her bed, headstand with a growing smirk on her face. Joe smirked shaking his head.
" I don't-" Before Joe could finish, a voice was heard over everyone's.
" Start packing your gear! We've been called to the front!" Bill's voice called over the group. Hazel slowly looked over her eyes widening, fear skyrocketing her entire system.
" The front?" she whispered sitting up. Everyone knew about the fighting from the 28th and the 4th in Belgium. But they were supposed to be winning.
Why was the Airborne being called up?
Hazel gently met Joe's gaze, as hers became riddled with worried. He watched her eyes. She bit back her lip and looked over towards her sniper which was lent up against her bed, all shiny and cleaned up, with a new scope fitted to it - just an updated version of the Redfield, where condensation was almost nonexistent. She sighed, and felt Joe's gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked towards him with a soft smile.
His eyes were telling her it'd be okay.
It had to be.
But to the front with Lieutenant Dike; that scared her.
Everyone began packing up, shoving things in their bags and Hazel made sure to pack as many socks as she could shove into her bag, as well as scarves. She slowly clasped the Star of David and softly kissed it before placing it on her neck with the dog tags. She put on an extra army issued sweater, and pulled her ODs on overtop before adding the scarf around her neck, tucking it in around her neck. Her gloves would freeze to her skin, but they were the only thing she had to combat the cold and her tiny fingers.
What the hell was going on?
Nixon gave orders for Catherine to find Peacock. Catherine found the man in the snow flurries, eyes searching for someone. Clearly it was her, when he saw her and went running towards her.
" Catherine." he said as he approached.
" Hey, Tom." she said, " What the fuck's going on?"
" Germans broke through the Ardennes forest, and it looks like we're being sent in." Peacock explained and Catherines' heart dropped.
" Shit." she said letting out a breath, her thoughts of Christmas Day football out the window, more trips to Paris canceled, and Christmas in a warm bed, gone.
" We need to find Strayer." Peacock said gently grabbing her arm, " Come on." The two, rather frantic Lieutenants hurried through the blustering snow towards the trucks that sat right outside Mourmelon-le-Grande, eyes peeled looking for the Colonel. They were only able to find Winters, but that filled Catherine with relief. Peacock asked Winters.
" Sir?" Peacock called.
" Lieutenant Peacock?" Winters said before Winters noticed Catherine next to him.
" Lieutenant McCown," Winters said with a nod and she nodded back, worry filling her stomach like an acid.
" Sir, have you seen Colonel Strayer?" Peacock asked the ginger haired Captain.
" Where's the Company Commander?" Winters asked through the blustering wind.
" Oh, Lieutenant Dike, I've been looking for him all day." Peacock said, and Catherine spoke up.
" I haven't seen him yet, today, sir." Catherine said and she saw Winters internally grumble a bit.
" I mean, how is it that the 4th Army's problem gets dumped on the Airborne?" Peacock asked as a barrel of fire came up nearby, and Buck was visible in the light. Buck had recently just arrived back with Easy Company and the glazed look in his eyes told a different story. Catherine stood next to Winters as she shook her head, a bitter chill finding its way into her body.
" Lieutenant Peacock, Lieutenant Compton, Lieutenant McCown." came a voice, and the trio turned with Winters to see Dike coming up to them with no helmet and no gear.
" Cap'n Winters." Dike said, saluting, as he approached and moved in between Catherine and Winters, shoving Catherine into Peacock, with a grumble a bit.
" Oh, Lieutenant Dike, I've been looking for you." Winters said, and Catherine smirked.
" Sir, we have a problem." Dike said and Catherine bit back a sarcastic remark.
" Colonel Strayer has not yet returned from some wedding that he's attending in London." Dike said and Catherine glanced at Peacock and Buck's expression which remained a little confused or blank.
" Can you believe that?" Dike said as Catherine shifted from her left to right foot, " We're going to the front," Dike looked to Catherine who nodded in confirmation to ease him off a bit, " we're going to the front here, and our CO isn't even in the same damn country."
" You have a bigger problem, Lieutenant Dike." Winters said, " You have men and women returning to action without proper cold weather clothing and not enough ammo."
" Sir?" Dike answered, utterly confused.
" I suggest you take a canvass of the entire base." Winters said looking at Dike, " Get what materials you have before you roll out. Or have you done that already?" Catherine found sarcasm lacing Winters tone, and a hint of annoyance.
" No, sir." Dike answered, as more snow flurries started falling, and Catherine glanced at Peacock.
" K rations, as many as you can scrounge." Winters said, and Catherine knew he wanted the best for Easy, " We don't know if we'll be resupplied or not."
" Yes, sir." Dike said nodding.
" What about ammo?" Peacock asked.
" There is no more ammo." Winters said and Catherine blew out her cheeks.
" Distribute it amongst the men and women as best you can so, at least everybody has something." Winters said as Catherine glanced, rather embarrassed at Dike.
" Yes, sir." Dike answered.
" Lieutenant Compton, Lieutenant Peacock, Lieutenant McCown, inform Lieutenant Shames of the situation." Dike said to them, " Get all your platoons as best equipped as you can," Winters looked to Catherine who met his eyes, a bit of anger in her system at the current situation, " and then report back here to me, understood?"
" Yes, sir.' the three replied.
" Lieutenant McCown," Dike said, as she didn't leave with Peacock and Buck who looked at her hesitantly.
" Cap'n." the two said as they left. Catherine looked back at Dike.
" Since you're more of an assistant and move between company and Battalion, stay with Captain Winters." Dike ordered.
" Yes, sir," she answered.
" Those three can take care of the platoons," he said.
" Yes, sir." she said with another nod. Dike then saluted to Winters before turning and hurrying away. Catherine and Winters watched him hurry off. Catherine looked back at Winters, completely and utterly confused.
" Does he know I"m not your assistant?" she asked him a bit sarcastically.
" Probably not." Winters said and she smirked. She saluted.
" I'll see you around, sir." she said and Winters saluted her before she hurried off in search of Nixon.
The men and women were loaded into trucks together, shoved in like cattle, in the darkness of the night in the middle of December, as the trucks pulled away towards where ever their starting point would be. Hazel had been later than the rest, Buck had come to her with spare sniper ammo he'd found and the two had been the last shoved in the truck, and Hazel had been smooshed in between Malarkey and Liebgott, shaking like a leaf. Her sniper under her legs, her helmet on her knees, as she leaned back as comfortably as she could on what she could think of only as Liebgott's arm. It was already so ungodly cold, and the warmth of the guys in the truck was the only thing keeping her from shivering too much. She gazed around at the men in the truck and saw Tab, Bill, Joe Toye, Ramirez, Babe and Popeye, as well as Skip, Penkala, Shifty and Chuck. A mess of people from 1st, 2nd and 3rd platoon-everything right now seemed a mess.
" I guess the blackout's not in effect." Buck said, as Hazel glanced up at him the bitter cold going down her neck. Liebgott slowly put a cigarette in his mouth from next to Hazel as she glanced towards him biting her lip.
" Luftwaffe must be asleep." Buck said.
" What a difference a day makes, huh, Lieutenant?" Ramirez said.
" Christ, I miss those C-47s." Bill said.
" We've got a tailgate jump here." Tab said as Hazel glanced at him, his sarcasm thick and cold. Hazel watched as one of the replacements tried lighting up Popeye's cigarette. It wasn't working as best it could.
" I just wanna know where they're sending us, what the hell we're supposed to do with no ammo." Babe said.
" Hey, kid," Bill called to the replacement lighting up Babe's cigarette, " what's your name again?"
" Suerth. Suerth Junior." Suerth said.
" You got any ammo, Junior?" Babe asked him.
" Er, just what I'm carrying," Suerth said.
" What about socks, Junior, you got extra socks?" Toye asked him.
" A pair." Suerth said.
" You need four, minimum." Skip seemingly scolded holding his finger to him, " Feet, hands, neck, balls," everyone joined in, " extra socks warms them all."
" Okay, we all remember that one. But did we remember the socks?" Skip asked as Hazel glanced at Suerth who sat slightly weirded out it seemed. She couldn't pin point his expression.
" Yeah, I'd give my goddamn boots for a cigarette." Bill commented.
" We're all out of ammo and socks." Malarkey called.
" I bet Junior's got plenty of both." Bill said.
" I don't." Suerth said shaking his head.
" How 'bout a hat, you got a hat?" Liebgott called to him.
" Hey, you got extra ammo?" Suerth asked back, and Hazel raised her brow with a smirk.
" What about a coat, you got a coat?" Liebgott asked him, feeling Hazel shivering against him.
" I need to pee." she heard Liebgott say to Malarkey and she suppressed a laugh.
" Shut up with the coat, Liebgott, no one's got one." Skip said to him.
" How about some smokes then?" Ramirez asked him with a smug look.
" Yeah, uh, I got some smokes." Suerth said digging into his bag.
" Oh, now you're talking!" someone yelled, as arms shot out toward Suerth for a smoke each, but Hazel stayed put; she didn't want to smoke. Soon the smokes were passed around, and soon everyone got their long awaited cigarette. People were lighting each other's and soon it quieted down again. Hazel looked over her shoulder, past Liebgott toward the darkness and the snow covered terrain, her stomach flipping inside her chest. Nothing felt good about the situation they were going into, not at all.
It made her stomach hurt, at the fear that pulsed throughout her entire system. But she didn't know what she was fearing at the moment, as another shock wave of cold air pulsed down her neck and she leaned back, closer to Liebgott's warmth, as she felt his hand on her arm.
" It's ok." Liebgott said quietly to her, as he pulled the smoke from his lips. She nodded, gulping as she turned back and looked at the group.
Just two hours ago, she was sitting there, chatting with Joe himself, now she was on an icy road in the cold on her way to the Ardennes forest.
Trucks lined the sides of the road, as soldiers jumped down from inside, clothed in what gear they could manage. The people inside the truck had loaded on all their gear, what coats they had, and helmets, as the hatch dropped and they began jumping out.
The minute Hazel's feet hit the icy ground, she felt cold. They'd been on the road for over an hour by the time they arrived here, but as Hazel stepped forward, reality slowly kicked in. Her warm breath froze as she stood there, puffs of white air leaving her mouth as she breathed, and she could feel the blood leaving her fingertips already. She began to feel cold, as her multiple layers wasn't enough. She remembered the warmth she had felt in the tent.
That was gone now.
People poured pits of oil in the snow and lit them with matches so people could go up and warm themselves up the best they could. Hazel slowly walked over to one, and let the warmth reach her fingertips as she stood there soaking in the last few drops of heat. She felt a body next to her and looked over and saw Lizzie there, shaking as well. None of the girls had really any mass to them; they were all tiny, and the cold was already making an impact on each of them, Hazel could tell Lizzie was cold as her nose turned pink and her cheeks turned white, her whisps of hair coming from her helmet, framing her face in icy strands. She had another layer on.
" Where'd you get another coat from?" Hazel asked Lizzie, as her teeth gritted together.
" Tab." she said. Hazel glanced over her shoulder as Tab and Bill began corralling people; Tab had his basic ODs.
" He gave it up to me, I told him to keep it." Lizzie protested shaking her head as she shivered continuously, " Shit."
Catherine jumped out of the truck with Nixon, shaking from the cold already.
" Wait right here, don't go anywhere!" Nixon called to the truck, map in hand. Winters jumped out behind her, and came up on her side as she let out a chatter of her teeth, eyes glued to the map in Nixon's hand. She knew where they were.
" Welcome to Belgium." Sink said as they approached his car, " This area's known as Bastogne. Strategic crossroads town. Seven roads leading in, seven roads leading out, which makes it ideal for Kraut armor." Catherine could hear explosions going off in the distance and her heart sunk. Catherine glanced over her shoulder towards the road that would lead towards Bastogne.
It was like a weird feeling lying in the pit of her chest as Christmas thoughts left her brain. There was no way now that Christmas was about to be spent here on base. It was a bitter taste to swallow.
" Now, Ike wants to make sure that the Krauts can't use those roads, so we're gonna put a perimeter around Bastogne, dig in tight as a tick." Sink said looking at Winters who had pulled out his map.
" 2nd battalion will be deployed over here to the east in this wooded area." Sink said.
" Thank god, barely made it." a voice was heard and the group of 4 turned to see it was Colonel Strayer, Catherines' eyes widened as she looked to Nixon.
" Better get yourself some ODs, Bob." Sink told him.
" Okay." Strayer answered, before turning around and heading away.
" 1st Battalion's to the North on your left flank. 3rd Battalion's in reserve. Andy, let's roll." Sink called, as Catherine got a good look at the map, letting out a shaky breath.
" Sir, we're a little short on ammunition." Nixon said as Catherine resumed walking beside Winters again, getting a look at his map this time, her eyes scoring the entire thing.
" How short?" Sink asked.
" There was a limited supply in camp, sir." Winters said over Catherine's head as she bit her lip looking at the map before looking at Sink.
" Cap'n, you beg, borrow or steal ammo, but you defend this area." Sink said as he got back in his car and the three saluted, pulling their maps from his hood. Catherine dropped her salute after answering with a quick yes, sir, watching his truck pulled away her heart pounding.
" Fuck." she whispered looking at Nixon and Winters, her worry overwhelming her. The map in general, gave a clear vision, they could easily be surrounded as well.
Lizzie was shaking, standing next to Babe as Babe smoked his cigarette. Staring off toward the forest next to them. Babe's hand were shaking as he moved the cigarette from his lip to let out some smoke.
" Babe, you're shaking." Lizzie told him. He looked at her.
" You are, too." he answered, noticing the frozen features of her red nose. Her hands were frozen, nose bright red. Then both their gazes were caught by something in front of them. Lizzie stopped shaking and Babe pulled his cigarette from his lips, eyes staring forward.
" Jesus Christ." Babe said, as Lizzie barely moved watching the soldier, whole face basically wrapped up, slightly bloody.
" What the hell?" Lizzie muttered, eyes trained forward still. Babe and Lizzie glanced back towards where the man had come from; their eyes widened. A line of soldiers came, retreating from where they were heading, injured, exhausted and bloodied. Babe threw the cigarette.
" Hey, Bill, Don, come here, look at this!" Babe called, desperation and fear in his voice as he stepped forward to where Bill and Malarkey were both peeing on the side of the truck.
" Come here, look at this!" Babe said as they protested.
" Hold on!" Bill hollered, as Lizzie stood there now with Babe at her side again, eyes staring at the sight. Bill came up on her side.
" What the..." he muttered. Lizzie glanced at Bill and then Malarkey, eyebrow's scrunched up in concern and confusion.
" What the hell is going on?" Malarkey wondered aloud.
" I don't have a clue." Lizzie said softly.
" Hey, you're going the wrong way." Bill called out, hoping to get an answer.
" Hey, Pal," Bill called out, " Hey, pal, hey, pal, what happened?" He stopped an injured man who was walking slowly.
" Where the hell are you going?" Bill asked, looking at him confused, as Lizzie looked up from Babe's side at the man.
" They came out of nowhere, they slaughtered us." he said and Lizzie's heart stopped.
" You gotta get outta here." he said as Lizzie looked toward Bill and Babe with wide eyes.
" We just got here." Babe said.
" What do you mean we gotta get outta here?" Lizzie asked looking at him utterly confused.
" Gimme your ammo." Bill said as Lizzie looked to him.
" Take it, you'll need it." the soldier said his voice slowed and shallow as he did so. Lizzie raised a brow as Babe passed her a bandage, which she pocketed.
" Go on, get out of here." Babe told him as he turned and walked away. Lizzie looked up at Babe and then Bill, worry lines forming.
" What the hell?" she wondered.
" Holy Christ." Bill said as Babe looked at him. Her heart was racing, something she felt she couldn't control right now, as worry lobbed her system. Then her mind clicked.
" Hey, any of you got bandages?" she called, wadding into the crowd. Others started moving in asking for ammo or med kits as well, it was the only thing they could do. Hazel watched as she shuffled forward and felt ammo being dropped into her arms. She passed it to others, that ammo wouldn't work for her sniper. She took grenades though and med kits, whatever she could get her hands on.
" Make a hole!" a voice yelled suddenly, as honking echoed through the crowd.
" Make a hole! Hey, make a hole!" the voice continued yelling and people watched as a Lieutenant drove through boxes of ammo in his truck behind him.
" I got ammo, grab what you can." he called, as the soldiers moved towards him. As Hazel hurried over she saw Nixon, Catherine and Winters walking towards the truck.
" Lieutenant, you're a godsend." Nixon called, as Catherine, pulled her coat around her tighter.
" What's the situation?" Catherine asked him, as people began swarming around to unload to the boxes of ammo.
" Well, I heard you guys were coming in." the Lieutenant said, " There was an ammo dump, so here."
" Is it just you guys in the 101st?" he asked.
" Looks like." came a response from the crowd.
" What hit you fellows?" Winters asked him, as Hazel came forward to pull boxes from the truck and walked into Toye. She looked up at him with worry filled eyes and the two watched each other for a second. Toye's eyes were serious, filled with upheld anger. But they softened, watching her. Hazel watched his eyes. He nodded walking past her as Hazel walked forward, yanking another box from the truck.
She never saw that look on someone's face, especially someone like Joe Toye.
" Everything." the Lieutenant said, " The Krauts had Tigers, Panthers, SPs, Stukers, and infantry that just kept on coming."
" Fuck, man." Catherine muttered, as her and Nixon put a box to the ground.
" What's your name, Lieutenant?" Winters asked him.
" George Rice, 10th Armor." he said.
" Good work, son." Winters told him as Rice nodded.
" You got any more mortar rounds, sir, we're real short." Skip said coming up to Rice's side.
" Well, I'll try to make another ammo run if I can but, uh, don't count on anything." he said. to Skip.
" Thank you, sir, I'll take this, Cap'n," Skip said pulling a box from Winters. Rice got back into his truck as he looked to Frances, Nixon and Winters.
" A Panzer Division's about to cut the road south." he said to them, " Looks like you guys are gonna be surrounded."
" We're paratroopers, Lieutenant." Winters said looking at Rice, with wise eyes, " We're supposed to be surrounded." Catherine felt a smile crawl onto her face, as a swell of pride forced the smile on her lips to bloom. She looked at her feet in the snow, a smile upturned on her lips. Winters had never been more right.
" Good luck." Rice said, nodding and looking at the trio.
" Thanks." Nixon offered as the truck drove away. Catherine watched him go before looking at the duo. She smiled. Hazel was jostled a bit as men pulled ammo from where the NCOs stood handing it out. Tab came up to her and put something in her hands.
" More sniper ammo," he told her, and a small smile found its way onto her features.
" Thanks, Tab." she said through the chill of the night. He smiled at her. Then they were moving, in two vertical lines towards Bastogne, Belgium.
Hazel's footsteps were gentle, as she looked towards the dark sky which welcomed them with the sounds of explosions and bombs. Hazel sucked down a soft breath, as her stomach churned uneasily. Hazel walked behind Perconte and in front of Tab, her weapon held comfortably in her hands. Buck walked nearby to her, as they slowly moved away from the burning pits of fire, and the trucks and ammo and from France. Her heart pounded in her chest with each footstep. She could hear the sounds of explosions in the path they headed towards.
The unknown.
A familiar feeling found it's way into Hazel's chest; it was like D-Day, with no jump and no combat experience. But instead now, they knew this war, but not every aspect that was concealed within it. Hazel slowly walked forward and noticed Winters standing, and watching the company.
His Company, even if it were really Dike's.
Hazel met his eyes, his gentle, wise eyes, and smiled. It was a gentle, small and chilled smile, but Winters noticed it and nodded to her. He was watching his men and his women march into battle against the enemy, without second thought it seemed, with power and pride in each step. Everyone was going to fight this battle in the middle of the cold winter, where explosions welcomed them, flashing the sky like a dance every so often as they headed toward their fate. But they were paratroopers.
They did that.
They fought the unknown without fear, instead with courage and bravery, willing to risk their lives for this war which consumed them all now. Hazel looked around at her brothers in arms, her band of brothers, and saw on each of their faces, a similar determination, a willingness to move on in from a peaceful quiet they had to a ferocious battle they didn't know a thing about, ready to fight.
But they were willing to do that, to fight; they were paratroopers after all, moving into the woods of Bastogne, with no artillery or air support, short of food and ammunition and winter clothing, but they were willing do fight, through anything, right now.
Easy Company moved into the woods near Bastogne without any artillery or air support. It was short of food, ammunition, and lacked winter clothing.
" Farthest from your mind is the thought of falling back, in fact, it isn't there at all. And so you dig your hole carefully and deep, and wait." - ' Currahee ' Scrapbook of the 506 PIR.
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hello! we have finally made it to episode 6 and i can't even believe it took me this long to get here, i'm on page 282 in my doc right now!! :) but this is exactly how i want the story and if it has so many chapters, i'm okay with it!! it's tell their story, and i'm so excited to move into episode 6 which i feel is such an important episode especially for our favorite medics gene and lizzie!! thank you all for the love and support, expect another chapter after this one for bastogne! <3