A Time To Kill
By:AliasCWN
The training session broke up and Mark Hitchcock joined the others filing out of the room. He listened as several of the instructors debated a question that had been asked in the class. The lecture on the latest advancements and techniques in munitions had been too short for his satisfaction. He was wondering if any of the instructors would be willing to take more questions on the subject. With Troy and Moffitt running an errand for Captain Boggs and Tully busy, he had time to kill.
"Private Hitchcock?"
"That's me." He responded as a clerk called his name.
"Message for you Private."
Taking the folded paper, Hitch thanked him and found a spot along the wall where he would be out of the way. He opened the note and smiled as he noticed who had sent it.
"Everything all right Private?" One of the instructors asked upon seeing the note.
"Fine Sir." Hitch replied. "It's from my buddy, he's lonely and he wants me to join him for a beer." Hitch smiled again.
"Well, we're done here so there's no reason to hang around." The officer returned the smile. "You asked some very interesting questions in there Private."
"It was a very interesting lecture."
The officer chuckled. "After you see your friend, drop by the office anytime if you have any more of those questions."
"Thank you Sir, I'd like that."
Someone called to the instructor and he excused himself to respond to the summons. Hitch watched him go with a happy grin. He couldn't wait to share what he had learned with Tully. Still smiling, he headed toward the bar.
Tully Pettigrew sat alone near the back of the room. He replayed a conversation he had had with several other soldiers earlier in the night. He knew what he had to do, but he wasn't sure that he could go through with it.
The door opened and he spotted Hitch before the other private spotted him. Grinding his matchstick into splinters between his teeth, he rehearsed his planned speech one more time in his head. He knew the moment that Hitch spotted him. The blond smiled and started across the room.
Tully stood up so fast that his chair fell over backwards. He didn't notice, he was watching Hitch's face when Hitch saw his expression. Hitch lost his smile, replacing it with a frown. There was confusion in his blue eyes as he noticed Tully's angry glare.
Tully stalked forward a few steps and raised his voice so it carried to everyone in the room.
"What were you thinking? That was the dumbest thing you've done yet! I'm tired of covering for you Hitch!" He could see the hurt and confusion in his friends face but he took a breath and continued. "This is the last time Hitch. I won't tell anyone about this, but we're done! This friendship is over! One of us needs to find a new unit on some other base. I never want to see you again. Do you understand?"
"No, I don't!" Hitch answered quietly, ignoring all the men around them who had grown silent at the exchange. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Cut it out Hitch! I won't tell, but now it's over. We're through."
"Tully."
"Are you leaving or am I?"
Hitch stood before him, speechless, the hurt written plainly on his face. "I'll go. I'll talk to Captain Boggs in the morning. Sarge needs you." Dropping his head, Hitch turned and left the room. As the door closed behind him Tully turned back to his table. Grabbing the chair, he slammed the legs onto the floor angrily. Flopping into the seat he picked up his beer and emptied the entire contents in one go. When he signaled for another the bartender brought the drink and hurried away.
The talk in the bar resumed, louder than before Hitchcock arrived, if that were possible.
Tully reached for the second bottle, his mood still black. This time he nursed the drink, remembering the expression on Hitch's face, and the defeated tone of his voice as he agreed to Tully's solution.
The door burst open and an excited soldier rushed into the room. All talk stopped as he pushed to the center of the room and paused.
"There's a sniper out there! He just shot some soldier walking down the street."
"Did they get him?" Someone asked.
"Naw." The excited soldier answered. "He was gone before the MP's arrived. They said he fired one shot and disappeared. Chances are, they won't find him."
"Who got shot?" Another voice called out.
"Some private named Hitchcock."
Mark Hitchcock awoke in the hospital. His back hurt but he couldn't remember why. A nurse noticed that he was awake and rushed to his bedside.
"How are you feeling Private?"
"All right, I guess. What happened?"
"A sniper, they say." The nurse answered as she checked his vital signs. She noticed the spike in his pulse as it all came rushing back.
A doctor arrived and again checked his vital signs. "You've been out since last night. We removed the bullet and your condition is stable Private. You're being moved to a larger hospital at another base."
"Why? If I'm stable, why do I need a larger hospital?" Hitch tried to shake the cobwebs from his head.
"I don't know Private. I just follow orders and I have orders to get you ready to travel. I'll give you some morphine before you leave."
"Thanks Doc. Has anyone been in to check on me?"
"The MP's were here."
"No, I mean like a friend…" The blond hesitated while the doctor waited. "Has Private Tully Pettigrew been in to check on me?"
The doctor looked at the nurse but she shook her head. "Sorry Private, not that I'm aware. I know the MP's were here and Captain Boggs dropped by to ask about your condition and order you moved to another base. I could ask the night shift if it's important."
"No," Hitch sighed tiredly. "Nevermind." He gave the nurse a half-hearted smile. "When am I scheduled to leave?"
"Right now Private. The ambulance is waiting outside."
"Wow. Someone's in a hurry to get rid of me." Hitch tried to make it sound like a joke but the thought hurt.
The doctor administered the shot of morphine and made a note on his chart. Two medics moved him to a stretcher and he was taken to the ambulance. One medic followed him into the rear of the ambulance while the other one closed the back doors and called to the driver.
"All set to go."
The driver waved a hand out his window and drove away. He paused at the gate to allow the guard to examine his papers. Once cleared, he drove off of the base, whistling as he drove.
The sun beat down on the roof of the vehicle as it traveled along the road. The medic wiped the sweat from his face and leaned across the space between the two stretchers to check on his patient. The morphine had taken effect and the patient was resting comfortably. After a while the road became rough and he struggled to keep from bouncing off of the empty stretcher. Kneeling next to the patient, he tugged the straps holding the wounded man firmly in place; it wouldn't do to have him slide off onto the floor.
"Can you take it easy?" He called to the driver. "You're going to kill this guy if you aren't careful."
The ambulance slowed and stopped. The driver got out, slamming his door. The medic jerked involuntarily as the rear doors were yanked open. The driver stood just outside grinning at him, a rifle in his hands.
"Is the patient suffering?"
"Not yet," the medic replied uneasily, "the morphine has knocked him out." He eyed the gun in the driver's hands. "Is something wrong?"
The driver grinned again. "Not yet."
"What do you mean? What's happening?"
"I'm taking over this ambulance." He waved the gun, telling the medic to get out. "I have plans for this particular patient."
"He needs to get to a hospital." The medic warned.
"That's not up to me." The driver grinned. "That's up to his buddy."
"What buddy?"
"Tully Pettigrew. You," the driver pointed at the medic, "are going to take a message to Pettigrew for me."
"I can't do that." The medic argued. "I have to stay with my patient."
The driver pointed his rifle at the patient and shook his head. "I want Tully Pettigrew to meet me at the Al Azan Oasis. Tell him to come alone. If I see anyone else, this guy will be dead and I will be gone. No MP's, no other troops."
The medic looked around. "Where are we?"
The driver pointed behind him. "The road to the base is back there, just follow the tracks. Tell Pettigrew what I said. If he wants this guy to stay alive, he'll take my warning seriously."
"That's a long walk." The medic observed.
"Then you'd better get going." The driver replied. "If Pettigrew's not here by dark I'll put another bullet in his buddy and take off. I can always finish this later if Pettigrew's yellow."
"Another bullet? You're the sniper?"
"He ducked at the last second or he'd already be dead." The driver growled. "But I have to admit, this might work out even better." Waving the rifle toward the medic, he stepped back. "Get going, Pettigrew has until dark."
With one final look at the unconscious patient, the medic gave in to the order. Keeping his head down and his eyes on the tire tracks, he plodded through the sand toward the distant base.
Hitch opened his eyes to the dull throb of his wound. The morphine hadn't worn off yet but it would soon be time for another dose. The ambulance was driving over some rough ground, throwing him around in the back. He noticed that the medic was no longer in the back with him. The straps holding him onto the stretcher bit into his arms and he shifted uncomfortably. The ambulance continued to rock from side to side, telling Hitch without a doubt that they were no longer on the road.
He groaned softly, hoping that they would soon return to the smoother travel of the regular route. The bouncing of the vehicle kept him awake, giving him plenty of time to think. All of the hurt came back as he remembered the scene at the bar. He still didn't know what had Tully so angry. He'd left the bar so hurt and confused that he hadn't been paying much attention to his surroundings. Only some sixth sense had caused him to duck when he had. He could still remember the bullet slamming into his body, driving him to the ground. He'd lost consciousness, waking up in the hospital. Now, on his way to another base, it was all just one big puzzle. The only thing that made sense was that Tully had talked Captain Boggs into sending him away.
Hitch drifted off and awoke again when the ambulance came to a stop. Stifling a groan, he waited for the medic to check on him and give him more morphine. The pain in his back had returned with a vengeance.
The back doors jerked open and a soldier Hitch had never seen before peered in. He wasn't a medic so Hitch asked for the medic.
"He's not with us anymore." The soldier grinned.
"What? Why? What happened?"
"He took a walk." The soldier smiled. "If you're lucky, Tully Pettigrew will be coming for you."
"No." Hitch shook his head. "Tully won't come for me. He's mad about something and he told me to get lost. We're not friends anymore."
"That's too bad for you." The soldier smiled coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"If Pettigrew doesn't show up, you're dead. I want to kill Pettigrew, but I'll settle for you."
"Why?"
"It's personal."
"He won't come." Hitch repeated.
The soldier growled and reached into the ambulance. He pulled on the foot of the stretcher until the whole thing dropped to the ground. Hitch grunted in pain as the stretcher hit the sand. The soldier pulled a knife from his boot and cut the straps holding Hitch in place. He grabbed the front of Hitch's shirt and pulled him across the hot sand.
"You'd better hope he comes," the soldier panted, "cause if he doesn't show, you're dead."
"And if he comes?"
"I'll kill him instead."
"He won't come." Hitch repeated.
The soldier growled again in anger. He dropped Hitch and stood over him. "I'm going to tie you up and leave you here. If Tully survives our meeting, he can cut you free."
Hitch didn't answer, his mind working on a solution. The soldier stalked to the ambulance and returned with rolls of gauze. Kneeling next to Hitch, he grabbed his left wrist and began to tie the gauze around it.
Seeing his chance, Hitch grabbed the other man's hand with his left hand. Pulling him down, Hitch reached out with his right hand. The soldier fell forward, losing his balance, before catching himself with his free hand. Leaning over the wounded man, he smiled evilly. "Now what did you think you were going to do?"
"This?" Hitch snarled, striking out with his right hand. The knife he had pulled from the other man's boot was grasped firmly in his fist. The soldier twisted away, making him miss his mark. He felt the knife slide between the ribs, but not where he had intended. Grunting with surprise, the other man pulled the knife free. Swinging around, he hit Hitch across the face with the back of his hand.
Blood spurted from Hitch's nose, spraying both of them. The soldier snarled again and drove the knife into Hitch's shoulder. Hitch tried to roll away but the other man grabbed his arm. Picking up the gauze, he bound Hitch's hands together. The gauze dug into the flesh, cutting off the circulation. His feet were next, leaving him at the other man's mercy.
Hitch watched in a daze as the soldiers returned to the ambulance and drove away. He listened as the sound of the engine rounded a dune and stopped. He twisted his head and tried to locate the other man. Finally he found him, seated behind some rocks at the top of the hill. Hitch caught the occasional flash of sun on the binoculars the other man held.
Soon the sun beating down on him put Hitch into a daze. He longed for a drink of water but he was pretty sure that the other man would only ignore the request. Closing his eyes, he waited.
Tully Pettigrew approached the oasis carefully. He parked the jeep a safe distance away so he could check it out first. Pulling binoculars from the jeep, he focused on the hills around the oasis.
He couldn't see any motion around the oasis but something on a nearby hill caught his attention. Focusing the glasses differently, he looked again. It didn't take long to figure out that the still figure lying on the side of the hill was his missing buddy. Tully noted the white gauze around his wrists and ankles; it was a sure bet that he wasn't going anywhere under his own power. Tully swore under his breath as he noticed the bloody face and shoulder. He'd never meant for Hitch to get caught up in his problems.
They had found the unconscious ambulance driver tied up in an alley. Then when the medic had returned with the message, Tully had begged the Captain to allow him to come alone. The Captain had been adamant in his refusal. Tully glanced back toward the jeep to check on the medic he had brought along. Satisfied that the man was staying put, he turned back toward Hitch.
Raising the glasses, he scanned the rocks above the slope where Hitch lay. A small part of a rifle barrel was visible between two rocks. Tully watched it, waiting for any sign of movement.
Occasionally he would focus on Hitch, but there was no movement there either. He strained to catch the rise and fall of his chest but the distance was just too great. Hitch had his arm thrown over his head to block the sun, making it impossible to see his eyes. Tully went back to watching the man in the rocks.
Movement on the other side of the oasis drew his attention. Two Arabs, mounted on sleek, spirited steeds approached the hills. Tully watched as they came closer, their eyes darting left, and right as they rode. They were approaching from the other side of the hill so they could not see Hitchcock but Tully saw the slight change in posture as they spotted the man on the hill. Reining the horses toward the oasis, they headed for the water. Tully watched as they dismounted, their robes flowing freely. The man on the hill had not reacted to their presence. Both men watered their horses first before taking a drink themselves. Tully watched them move around the oasis until they were partially hidden from view. The horses were in plain sight but the man in the rocks still did not react. Tully watched, ready to call attention to himself if the hidden watcher moved at all.
"How much longer Private?"
Tully turned at the call from the medic. "We can't rush this or he'll kill Hitch."
"Well somebody had better do something pretty soon or I won't have a patient to worry about." The medic looked up at the sun. "Wounded men can't take the sun like healthy soldiers can."
"How long can he last?"
"Hard to tell." The medic shrugged, his own concern written on his face. "The morphine would have worn off hours ago. Would that guy have given him another dose?"
"Not likely." Tully admitted.
"Then you'd better get to him sooner rather than later." The medic suggested.
A whistle drew Tully's attention. One of the Arabs stood among the rocks pointing down at Hitch.
Tully yelled for the medic to follow and he ran for the wounded man. Dropping to his knees next to Hitchcock, he cut the gauze.
The medic dropped next to him in the sand and checked for a pulse. "He's alive." The medic pulled some morphine from his bag and administered the shot. Next he cleaned and bandaged the knife wound in the shoulder.
Troy and Moffitt raced down the hill to stand above the medic. While the medic worked, they removed the loose Arab robes.
"Grady?" Tully looked up to ask.
Troy shook his head, looking up the hill toward the rocks. "He was dead when we reached him. Looks like a knife wound."
"Apparently he bled to death." Moffitt explained. "It appears he sat down to wait for you and was bleeding internally. He bled out."
"This guy needs to get to a hospital." The medic interrupted.
"The ambulance is on the other side of the hill." Troy explained. "We'll bring it around so we can get him loaded." The medic nodded. "Tully, you drive the ambulance. Moffitt and I will bring the jeep and the horses. We promised Assim that we would return the today. We'll meet you at the hospital."
"Okay Sarge."
Moffitt went to retrieve the horses while Troy went for the ambulance. They loaded Hitch and the dead Grady into the back. Tully drove while the medic watched over Hitchcock.
Moffitt tied the two horses to the rear of the jeep while Troy drove. They followed and watched the ambulance move slowly until it reached the packed roadway. Once on a smoother path Tully picked up speed, leaving them and the horses behind. They exchanged worried looks as it faded into the distance.
"Okay Tully, time to talk." Troy faced Tully outside of the hospital while they waited for news about Hitch.
"The guy's name was Grady Cotterman." Tully began. "He was from back home."
"What was his problem?"
Tully sighed. "A few years back, before the war, Grady and I had a disagreement. At the time I thought we had worked it out, it was nothing." Tully looked at the floor as he talked.
"What kind of nothing Tully?" Moffitt asked gently.
"Family nothing. Grady's cousins, a couple of no-goods, were harassing my cousin. Carrie Sue was coming home from school and they waited for her by the trail. Only a neighbor coming by broke up whatever they had planned. They bothered her in town on several occasions too. I finally had a talk with them and convinced them that it would be better to just leave her alone. They stayed away from her after that but Grady thought that I came down too hard on them. Everybody in the county knew what was going on and they agreed with me. Grady and I talked it out and I thought that he was okay with it, that is, until he showed up here."
"What happened here?"
"I don't know Sarge. I got a visit from a couple of his friends. I didn't even know that he was on the base. They said that they were worried because he had been saying things; making threats, against me and Hitch. They were worried that he was losing it. Something happened before they got here but they wouldn't say what." Tully paused, his guilty feelings obvious. "I tried to protect Hitch. I thought if I sent him away, if Grady thought I didn't care, he'd leave him alone. I got him shot Sarge."
"No you didn't. He'll understand."
"But you didn't see the look in his eyes when I embarrassed him in front of the entire bar. You didn't see the hurt on his face." Tully's normally calm eyes blazed with emotion.
"I admit Tully; there may have been a better way to deal with that." Moffitt assured him gently. "But I'm sure that if you explain."
"I hurt him Doc; I wouldn't blame him if he never trusted me again."
"That's something you're going to have to discuss with him Tully. That's between you two, but I'm betting that he forgives you." Troy responded gruffly.
"Yeah Sarge," Tully moaned, "he'll forgive me, but will he ever fully trust me?"
"I don't know Tully. If the situation were reversed, would you trust him?" Troy asked. "Look Tully, don't make the decision for him, give him the facts and let him decide for himself."
"I told him I never wanted to see him again. I even told him that one of us had to find a new unit." Tully continued miserably.
"Did you have to say that?" Troy asked in disbelief.
"I needed to get him away and I needed Grady to think I didn't care. It had to look convincing. Maybe I did too good of a job; if you had only seen the look in his eyes."
Troy shook his head. "You've got your work cut out for you Tully. Talk him into staying; I don't want to lose either one of you."
Hitch awoke to the soft sound of someone reading aloud next to his bed. Forcing heavy eyelids open, he finally focused on Moffitt. "Doc?"
"Right here Hitch. Is there something you need?"
"No." Hitch muttered weakly. "Just wondering what you were doing here."
"Reading to you. Don't you like the book?"
"Don't know, I guess I didn't hear much." Hitch closed his eyes, fighting to stay awake. "I'm sure going to miss you guys." Losing the fight, he drifted back to sleep.
The next time he opened his eyes, Troy was sitting next to the bed. "Hey."
"Hey yourself. How are you feeling?"
Hitch gave it some thought before he answered. How was he feeling? "Okay I guess." He finally responded. "What happened? Is Tully okay? That guy said that he wanted to kill Tully."
"Take it easy Hitch, Tully's fine."
"I told him that Tully wouldn't come." Hitch sighed. "He wouldn't believe me."
"Hitch."
"That's okay Sarge. I knew he wouldn't come, he told me so. He said that he never wanted to see me again. Don't know what happened." Hitchcock's voice drifted off as he remembered the scene in the bar.
"Hitch." Troy tried again, but his driver had already fallen asleep.
"Is he awake?"
Troy looked up at the sound of Moffitt's voice. "He was, but he fell asleep again."
"Did he say anything?"
"Just that he knew Tully wouldn't come. He asked if Tully was okay."
"The MP's want to talk to him but they aren't in any hurry. With Grady dead there's no rush." The British sergeant informed him.
"How's Tully?"
"Taking it hard." Moffitt shrugged. "He still blames himself for all of this."
"He's going to have to face Hitch and work this out."
"Not now Troy."
"No, Hitch needs to stay awake long enough to hear what he has to say. But he can't let this fester Moffitt; it's not good for either of them. It's a good thing we got back when we did."
Tully approached the hospital with hesitant steps. Troy and Moffitt had been taking turns watching over Hitch in case he woke up. He knew that Hitch had been awake several times but he hadn't been eager to face his friend after what he had done.
Troy looked up as Tully walked down the aisle. He smiled at seeing the younger man. "MP's all through with you?"
"Yeah, for now." Tully admitted. "Unless something comes up I'm off the hook. They talked to Grady's friends and they told them about Grady's threats. They checked ballistics and matched the bullet that they took out of Hitch with a bullet from Grady's rifle."
"Tully," Moffitt paused to choose his words carefully. "You said that if you killed Grady, or Grady killed you, there would be problems back home."
Tully nodded.
"So what happens now? Will Grady's family have it in for Hitch? I know you said that some of them really hold a grudge. Can they find him here?"
"No." Tully shook his head, looking down at his sleeping friend. "I worked that out with Captain Boggs. The official report will say that Grady was guarding the ambulance and was killed by a German patrol. Only a few people know what really happened and they've all been sworn to secrecy, Grady's friends have agreed to spread the official story. The Captain said that I should explain it to you; he was pretty sure that you would go along with it."
The two sergeants nodded their agreement.
"I'm glad that's over." Moffitt sighed.
"Oh, it's not over yet Doc." Tully declared. "I still have to talk to Hitch. If I can't talk him into staying with me here, I'll have to find another unit; I won't make him leave." Tully continued sadly. "I'm not sure how he's going to feel about any of this."
Troy caught Moffitt's eye and jerked his head toward the door. "We'll leave you to work this out with him Tully. He should be waking up again pretty soon."
Tully looked up and looked like he was going to argue but Troy turned away. "Talk to him Tully. Work it out. I don't want to lose either one of you."
Troy and Moffitt returned after their evening meal to check on the two privates. They found Tully still siting by the bed, just where they had left him. He had picked up the paperback that Moffitt had been reading and was quietly continuing the story. On hearing their approach, he looked up and smiled happily.
"You talked." Troy guessed.
"Yeah, he was awake for a while." Tully looked stunned.
"And?" Moffitt urged him to continue.
"And he forgave me. He said that he understood and he forgave me."
Troy smiled at the younger man. "I figured he would. So you're good again?"
"Yeah." Tully answered in a hushed tone. "He said that he never stopped trusting me. He admitted that he was hurt but that once he stopped to think about it, he knew there had to be a reason. He said that he trusted me to figure it out and fix it."
Troy laughed at Tully's surprise. "You always said that he was smarter than he looked."
"I said that he had to be smarter than he looked." Tully corrected with a grin. "But I was only kidding."