Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.
A Little Piece of Home
By Suzie2b
The Rat Patrol had taken shelter for the night in a bombed out village about 128 kilometers into German territory. The night had been quiet as each man took their turn on sentry duty. As the sun rose the next morning, Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were packing up the jeeps to leave.
Tully was looking through his jeep and mumbled, "I could've sworn I brought it out."
Moffitt dropped a machine gun into its holster. "Lose something, Tully?"
"That small pack that Charley gave me. I thought for sure I brought it out here with my bedroll."
Hitch got behind the wheel of his jeep. "Saw it inside just a minute ago. I would've grabbed it, but my hands were full."
Tully started to move back to the small house they'd spent the night in. "Huh … oh well. Thanks, Hitch. I'll be right back."
He went inside and immediately saw the pack by the wall where he'd slept. "Boy, my memory must be going bad. I thought for sure I'd grabbed it earlier." Tully bent down and picked up the pack, but when he straightened he bumped a shelf with his head. He frowned—it was the fourth time he'd done that since they'd got there. As he turned to head outside, he heard something hit the floor and looked to see an Italian grenade roll across the floorboards. When it hit the stones of the fireplace, Tully heard a click and watched as the grenade's pin popped out. He only had moments to dive for cover.
The explosion rocked the ground. As Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch ducked for cover behind the jeeps, they saw the house collapse.
Before the smoke had a chance to clear, Hitch was on his feet. "Tully!" He started to hurry around the jeep.
Troy grabbed his arm. "Wait, Hitch!"
"But Tully…"
"I know, but let's not make it worse by rushing in."
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Tully opened his eyes and looked around. There was light shining through an opening above him. What had happened slowly dawned on him as his ears rang and his body began to hurt. He knew he was lucky to be alive. He pushed debris off his chest and tried to move a large beam off his abdomen, but it wouldn't budge. He tried to move his legs, but they were trapped under another piece of timber. "Damn! I can't believe another building's fallen on me!"
From outside, Tully heard voices. With his ears ringing they were muffled, but he thought he heard his name being called. He yelled, "I'm here!"
Moffitt called back, "Can you be a little more specific?"
Tully grabbed a broken board and shoved it up through the opening, hoping it could be seen. "I'm to the right of where the fireplace is … or was!"
Troy pointed to where he could see the board moving. "There!" He hollered, "We're coming, Tully!"
They moved carefully over the debris. Troy took the board and looked through the opening at his private. "You okay?"
Tully wasn't going to lie. "My ears are ringing. I hurt all over and I'm pinned down."
Troy nodded. "Hang on, Tully. We'll get you out."
Tully held the small pack against his chest and listened. He could just hear his three friends moving things around and one of the jeeps start up. After about ten minutes, he saw Moffitt's face above him and asked, "How's it going, sarge?"
Moffitt nodded. "We're just about to open things up for you. Cover your face."
Tully put his arms over his face and waited. He heard the jeep begin to move and then felt a portion of roof slide away as small bits of debris fell on him in a cloud of dust.
Moffitt knelt down and moved Tully's arms away from his face. "Let's have a look at you." There were a few small cuts on Tully's face and his bare chest, but his clothing had shielded him from being cut up any worse. "Where's the worse of your pain?"
Tully took a shallow breath. "My stomach is the worse. Right where that beam is."
"How about your legs?"
"Real sore, but they don't feel broken."
Troy knelt across from Moffitt. "We'll have you out of here in a minute, Tully."
"Right, sarge."
First Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch levered the beam off of Tully's legs. Then Moffitt prepared to pull him out when the second timber was levered up. Once he was pulled free, Tully was carried a safe distance from the debris field to lay by one of the jeeps.
Moffitt opened Tully's jacket to examine his abdomen. A large, purple bruise was forming. He gently probed the swelling and Tully gritted his teeth against the pain. Hitch checked Tully's legs and was relieved to find only bruising.
Moffitt stood up. "Hitch, why don't you clean up Tully's face and chest?" As the private reached into the jeep for the med kit, he signaled to Troy and walked away.
Troy followed his fellow sergeant out of ear shot of the other two. "How bad?"
Moffitt took a breath and let it out before he said, "All signs point of internal bleeding, but I can't know for sure. We need to get him to a doctor."
"Do you think he can stand the ride in a jeep?"
"We're more than 120 kilometers from our lines, Troy. I'll have to check the map to see where the nearest field hospital is located. I hate to think of Tully bouncing around in a jeep."
Troy sighed. "Yeah, but choice do we have?"
Moffitt shook his head. "None. If we can get him across our lines, we can stop and call for an ambulance."
They returned to where the privates waited and Troy said, "You ready to get to a doctor, Tully?"
He nodded. "Have to admit … I'm not feeling too good."
Moffitt and Hitch got Tully into the back of the jeep where he could curl up under a blanket. Then Moffitt quickly scanned the maps for the closet field hospital.
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They had just crossed American lines when Tully finally put a hand on Moffitt's shoulder and asked him to stop. He was very pale and in a lot of pain. Troy and Moffitt got him out of the jeep to lay down on a blanket.
Moffitt said, "Hitch, radio the field hospital for an ambulance. Tell them their patient has internal abdominal bleeding."
Troy reached into the jeep for a med kit as Hitch finished the call. "I take it you got through?"
Hitch nodded. "They're on their way. They should be here in about an hour." He looked over at his friend. "Tully's in bad shape, isn't he?"
Troy nodded. "Yeah, he is."
"And it's going to be at least two more hours before he gets to the hospital."
Troy handed the med kit to Moffitt. He got a shot of morphine out for Tully, who was squeezing a fistful of sand in each hand.
As he gave Tully the injection, Moffitt said, "How long before the ambulance arrives?"
Troy replied, "About an hour." He looked at the growing bruise and swelling on the private's abdomen, then back a Moffitt with a worried expression.
As Tully fell unconscious, Moffitt said quietly, "Let's hope he has at least that much time left."
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The field hospital was ready and waiting when the ambulance arrived. Tully was immediately taken in for surgery. One of the nurses smiled slightly and said, "Your friend will be in surgery for some time. Why don't you go to the mess tent and wait? Someone will be along to get you when he comes out."
Hours passed slowly as Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch waited for word about Tully. When it finally came, it wasn't what they'd hoped for.
The surgeon walked into the mess tent and poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting down with them. "Private Pettigrew survived the surgery and is in stable condition. There was a tear in his spleen and he lost a lot of blood. We were able to repair the tear, but there's still a chance we'll have to go back in and remove it. We'll know more in a few days."
Troy sighed. "Can we see him?"
"He's sedated and on pain killers. He won't know you're there."
"We'd still like to see him."
The doctor nodded and led the three out of the mess tent. As they passed by the jeeps, Hitch reached in and grabbed the pack that Charley had given Tully.
When the doctor left Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch next to Tully's cot, they saw a very pale young man. Plasma and IV fluids dripped into each arm. Pristine white bandages had been wrapped around Tully's abdomen.
Hitch found a chair and sat down next to his friend. He took a book he'd seen Tully with out of the pack before he laid it on the cot under one hand. "I'm gonna stay a while."
Moffitt put a hand on Hitch's shoulder. "Are you sure? Tully probably won't wake up for hours yet."
"I'm sure. There's no way he's going to wake up alone."
Troy nodded. "Okay. One of us will be back to spell you in a couple hours."
After Troy and Moffitt left, Hitch watched Tully's chest rise and fall for a while. Then he looked at the book in his hands. Alaskan Adventures by Rex Beach. Hitch had seen Tully reading it using a flashlight the other night before he went to sleep. He went to the page that was marked with a matchstick and began to read aloud.
When Troy and Moffitt returned a couple of hours later, a nurse was checking on Tully and Hitch was watching everything she did closely.
Troy asked, "How's he doing?"
The nurse smiled. "Not too bad. There's only a low-grade fever and he's resting comfortably."
When she walked away, Troy turned to Hitch. "Let's get something to eat. Moffitt will stay with Tully for a while."
Hitch shook his head. "I'm okay sarge. I don't feel hungry."
"You haven't eaten since this morning. Let's go."
Hitch stood up slowly, reluctant to leave his friend. He handed the book to Moffitt and showed the sergeant where he'd stopped when the nurse had arrived. "I've been reading to him off and on. It's a pretty good story."
After Troy and Hitch left, Moffitt sat down in the chair that Hitch had vacated. He gently gave Tully's shoulder a squeeze before sitting back to begin reading.
About an hour and a half later Moffitt caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Tully's hand had closed slightly on the pack. Moffitt continued reading, sparing an occasional glance at the private's face.
Finally, Tully opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision. Moffitt set the book aside and said quietly, "Nice to see you back among the living, Tully. How are you feeling?"
Tully's voice was hoarse. "I feel like a house fell on me."
Moffitt smiled. "Well, if you're keeping count … that was number three."
Tully gave the sergeant a weak smile. "Wasn't Hitch here before?"
"He was. Troy took him to get something to eat."
"I could hear him reading. Could hear you too. Thanks."
Moffitt could see the pain in Tully's eyes and called a nurse over. "Is it time for his pain medication?"
She looked at her watch, then smiled at the patient. "How bad is it?"
Tully started, "I'm…" Then saw the scowl on Moffitt's face. "Hurts some."
After an injection of morphine, Tully sighed as he fingered the pack under his hand. "Glad I didn't lose it. It's like having a little piece of Charley here with me."
Moffitt saw that Tully was struggling to stay awake. "Why don't you close your eyes and rest? Do you want me to read some more?"
"If you wouldn't mind, sarge. I like hearing a familiar voice."
"I don't mind in the least, Tully."
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A week passed. Tully was steadily improving. The doctor was convinced that the repair work to his spleen had been a success. Over time the IVs had been removed and Tully was able to slowly start a liquid diet. Color was returning to his face. After a few more days he would be transferred by ambulance to the hospital at Ras Tanura.
Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch walked into the hospital tent as nurses fussed about getting Tully ready to go. When they were finished, Tully was on a stretcher and bundled in blankets.
Moffitt looked at him and smiled. "You're looking better every day. How are you feeling?"
Tully smiled. "Not too bad. Still hard to move around much though. It'll be good to get back to base."
Troy grinned. "I know of one person that will be glad to see you." Tully chuckled, then winced slightly. "We've been keeping Charley up to date on your condition daily."
"Does she know that I'm coming home?"
Hitch replied, "I spoke to her about an hour ago. I'm sure she'll be at the hospital when we get there." He took the bubble gum out of his mouth, bent down, and kissed Tully on the cheek.
Tully's eyes opened wide as his face reddened. "What the heck was that for?"
Hitch popped the gum back in his mouth with a grin. "Charley told me to give you kiss for her."
Tully wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. "Somehow, coming from you it's just not the same."
Two orderlies came to take Tully to the ambulance and Troy said, "We're going to follow the ambulance, so we'll see you when we get to base."
Tully nodded. "Hey guys, thanks for everything."
A nurse came by with a fully loaded medical kit over her shoulder. "My name's Barbara. I'm going to be riding with you. If you need anything, just let me know. Are you ready to go?"
"No offence, but I couldn't be more ready."
She smiled. "None taken. I hear you have someone important waiting for you in Ras Tanura."
Tully grinned. "Yes, ma'am. The most important person in my life."