Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.
How Things Worked Out
By Suzie2b
The Rat Patrol had successfully finished their latest mission and had stopped in Tipasa for the night. After a shower and change of clothes, Moffitt had gone to find a barber. After that he was meeting Troy, Hitch, and Tully for a few drinks before dinner. As it turned out, he was the first to arrive at the bar. He ordered a beer and found a table that would accommodate the four of them.
As Moffitt sat sipping his beer, he let his mind wander a bit. Sergeant Sam Troy hadn't approved of him at first. "He said he didn't know me from a croquet ball. I guess I couldn't blame him." Trust was a big thing in their line of work. But after that first mission, Troy had requested that Moffitt stay on as a permanent replacement for the man the unit had recently lost. "Troy is a born leader. A take charge type. Hard as nails. However, there is another side to that man that people seldom see. And if you didn't know him, you'd probably never see that it's his eyes that show it. Troy does care about people. He worries as much about us as we do about him." Perhaps, though, sometimes he cares too much. Like when they were assigned to take an Australian sharp shooter to kill General Koenig in Koorlea. When Troy discovered that the general had his family with him he wouldn't allow Corporal Freebairn to do his job. Troy chose to capture General Koenig rather than have the man's children see their father killed in front of them.
Moffitt smiled as his mind went to his driver, Private Tully Pettigrew. "A grown man with a child's heart." His caring attitude had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. Tully was a quiet, patient man and some might think him shy because of that. But he was wise beyond his years and always learning. He wouldn't hesitate to do is job as a soldier. Very loyal. Very protective. Moffitt's smile broadened a bit as he thought, "He's courageous, but perhaps too much so for his own good." The smile faded as he remembered the two times Tully had taken a bullet that was meant for someone else. An excellent driver, Tully always took care of Moffitt when they were under fire. He hadn't known the private as long as Troy and Hitch had, but the time before his friend had met Charley was quite different. "Charley is a beautiful woman who seems to have calmed Tully down. He doesn't get into near as much trouble now. They are very much in love and he would do anything for her."
In his mind Moffitt could see Private Mark Hitchcock, or Hitch as he's known to his friends. Boyish good looks and charm. A self-proclaimed ladies' man. "But I've seen the other side of Hitch. The side the ladies will never see. He'll fight to the bitter end if necessary. He's afraid of nothing so far as I can tell. I've seen his blue eyes turn to cold steel." A hard working soldier who strives to do the best job possible. Another excellent driver. Hitch and Tully were much alike. Same age and same attitudes about many things. They got along well together. However, where Tully was brought up in a simple farm life with just a high school education, Hitch had been more privileged. Moffitt knew that Hitch had been in college working on a degree in mechanical engineering before joining the army. "Yes, he is a ladies' man. At least one girl at every base I would guess, and a string of broken hearts across North Africa."
Moffitt's reflections were interrupted when his three friends appeared and sat down around the table with their beers. Troy smiled as he said, "You looked like you were lost in thought. Anything you want to share?"
Moffitt returned the smile easily as he looked at Troy, Hitch, and Tully. "No, just having a little trip down memory lane."