Friends
By: AliasCWN
Tully and Hitch left the mess hall to go watch a baseball game some of the troops had organized. The base was a beehive of activity as the Allies beefed up their ranks for a big push. New tents to house the arriving troops were springing up everywhere.
"Tully Pettigrew, you're under arrest."
Tully froze while Hitch spun around to face the speaker.
"Delmar Jenkins." Tully turned with a big grin on his face and offered his hand to the other man.
Hitch looked from one to the other in confusion. At the sight of Tullys' smile, he relaxed. Tully and Delmar were slapping each other on the back and sporting happy grins.
"Hitch, this is Delmar Jenkins. He was a deputy sheriff back home."
Hitch nodded at the other man cautiously. "He can't arrest you here can he?"
Tully laughed. "Nope. Couldn't do it back home and sure can't do it here."
"Tully," Delmar explained, "outran everyone who even tried, not just me. We knew he was running shine but we never could catch him at it." He slapped Tully on the arm. "Always wanted to say that though."
"Delmars' an old friend, despite the jewelry he liked to wear on his shirt."
"Jewelry! I'll have you know I was a darn good deputy. I guess I came as close to catching you as anybody." The other man protested.
"And that wasn't even close." Tully introduced Hitch to his old friend. Delmar gripped his hand tightly.
"Do all of your friends try to arrest you?" The blond wondered.
"Only the ones who wear badges." Delmar answered for Tully.
"Well look who's here. If it ain't Pettigrew." A big, pock-faced man walked up behind Delmar. He glanced at Tully before giving Hitch the once over.
"Tully, you remember Jackson Wedlow. Used to run with the Simpson boys." Delmar pointed at the big guy. "He got drafted the same time I did. We went through boot camp together and we been together ever since. Us Kentucky boys have to stick together."
Wedlow stared at Tully but made no move to shake hands. Tully remembered him, and he didn't like what he remembered. Wedlow and the Simpsons had been bullies and troublemakers.
"Looks like you forgot your roots Pettigrew. Running with the fancy boys now."
"Friends are friends no matter where they hail from Wedlow. And Hitch is a friend."
"Lay off Jackson. You don't even know the guy." Delmar stepped between Tully and Jackson. He was glad to see that Hitch didn't seem inclined to take offense. They'd just arrived at the base and he didn't want any trouble.
"Look Delmar. Are you going to be around for a little while?" Tully ignored Wedlow and directed his question at Jenkins.
"Just got in for the big build up. I guess we'll be here a day or two at least."
"Meet me outside the mess hall around 1800 hours. We can catch up on what's happening back home." Tully looked pointedly at Wedlow. "And I'll meet you there." Tully stressed the 'you'. Delmar nodded. "Come on Hitch."
Delmar watched them walk away. "Why'd you have to try and start trouble?" He glared at Wedlow. "We just got here. For once I'd like to get to know some folks before you chase them all away."
"You want to get to know that pretty boy?"
"Jackson, Tully Pettigrew always knew how to pick his friends. He didn't pal around with just anybody. So yes, I'd like to get to know his friend."
Jackson laughed at the notion and walked off to find the mess hall.
Delmar was waiting alone outside the mess hall later that day.
"Delmar Jenkins?" A private approached calling his name.
"Yeah, that's me."
"Got a message for you from the Rat Patrol."
"Who?"
"The Rat Patrol." The private repeated as if he couldn't believe Jenkins didn't know who he meant. "Private Pettigrew to be more exact."
"Oh Tully. What's the message?"
"He said to tell you that he's sorry but he can't meet you. The Colonel just sent them out on a patrol."
"Okay, thanks." The private started to walk away but Jenkins called him back. "Any idea when they'll be back?"
"Nope. When the Rat Patrol goes out they can be back the same day or two weeks later. Depends on what they find while they're out."
"You mean if they run into trouble?"
"If! If trouble doesn't find them they go looking for it." The private walked away shaking his head at the question.
Delmar returned to where his unit was assigned tents and began asking questions. He wanted to know if anyone had heard of the Rat Patrol and what they knew. He got an earful.
Two days later the new units started moving toward the German line. Delmar and Jackson found themselves in a truck near the middle of the convoy. The monotony of the endless desert had them dozing in their seats. They woke with a start when the convoy came under attack. Officers took control and began to organize the defense. Delmar watched as the truck behind them exploded. Luckily, it was empty, the soldiers had already taken cover and were returning fire.
A tank appeared above the convoy and took aim at the stopped vehicles. Several halftracks were spread out along the length of the convoy adding their heavy weapons to their offensive.
Delmar watched the Germans push toward them. Men were down all around him. Seeing the tank turn it's turret toward the truck next to him, Delmar yelled a warning to those close by. They made a rush for cover further from the truck. The sound of a 50 caliber firing, followed by a second, gave them hope that help had arrived. He watched in amazement as two jeeps jumped over the top of the dune and attacked the tank. One jeep baited the tank, dodging and darting in front of it's guns. The second, coming in behind, threw hand grenades. The tank took a direct hit to the turret, it's guns falling silent. The jeeps split up going in different directions. The halftracks were their next targets. The battle was quick but fierce, the 50's catching the fuel tanks of the German vehicles. Cheers arose from the men of the convoy when the halftracks burst into flames. Both jeeps vanished behind the hills as the Germans concentrated their fire on the new threat. Delmar and his companions charged at the disorganized enemy. The 50's were still rattling in the distance. Without the support of the tank and the halftracks, the Germans were outgunned. Behind the hill the 50's were still engaged in harassing the attackers. At shouts from their officers, the Germans retreated. Delmar and his fellow soldiers gave them a noisy send-off.
Later that night the convoy made camp at an oasis. Tired men piled their blankets wherever they could find a spot without too many rocks. The evening meal was a quiet affair. The wounded had been sent back under the guard of the Rat Patrol and the officers were busy making out reports to give to their commanders when they reached their new positions.
The quiet purr of jeep engines drew Delmar from his daydreams. Following the sounds, he spotted two jeeps rolling slowly into the camp. The sentries hailed them but let them pass after speaking to the sargent in the lead jeep. As they stopped in front of the convoy commanders' tent, word began to get around. A crowd started to form as curious soldiers recognized the jeeps.
Delmar watched as two sargents climbed out of the jeeps and entered the tent. The drivers maneuvered the vehicles around the bystanders toward the water hole. By now Delmar had heard enough about the Rat Patrol to realize who they were. He made his way to the jeeps as the drivers attempted to get through the crowd of grateful men to fill their water cans.
"Here, I'll get that." Delmar took the jerry can from Tully. "This one's for water, right?"
Tully looked up in surprise. "I didn't know you were in this convoy. Are you okay?"
"Thanks to you and your buddies." The ex-deputy grinned. "Man I was never so glad to see a man with a gun."
"That's cause we weren't aiming them at you."
"There's that too." Delmar agreed. "Got time to talk a bit before you pull out again?"
Tully looked around at Hitch.
"I have to get water, then I can fill the gas cans while you two catch up. Sarge and Doc will probably be a while. Just stay close enough to hear if Sarge whistles." Hitch hoisted the empty water can from his jeep and headed for the water hole. Tully and Delmar followed with the other can.
"Delmar and I will go over the jeeps while you get the gas." Tully offered after they placed the now full water cans in the rear of the jeeps.
Hitch nodded and took the two gas cans to get them filled. Several guys offered to show him where the gasoline supply was being stored. They headed off, everyone asking Hitch questions at once.
Tully and Delmar lifted the hood of the first jeep and Delmar held the light for Tully to check for any damage. They laughed and talked about home and people they both knew. The second jeep had a small oil leak that Tully soon had fixed with Delmar's help. They were just strapping the hood down when a private came running toward them.
"You'd better come quick." He looked from Delmar to Tully. "That friend of yours' ," he looked at Delmar, "is trying to start trouble with his friend." Here he nodded at Tully.
Tully and Delmar took off at a run. When they found the confrontation, Tully was relieved to see that it had not yet escalated into blows. Hitch was facing Jackson Wedlow , his eyes blazing.
"Hey Hitch. Got those cans filled yet? The jeeps are ready to go."
Hitch, who had noticed them coming up behind Wedlow, didn't respond. He never took his eyes off the big man.
"Jackson knock it off. Whatever started this was probably just a misunderstanding." Delmar stepped between the two men, facing Wedlow. He hoped Tully's friend would back down now that Tully had arrived.
"No it wasn't." Someone in the crowd yelled helpfully. "Jackson called this other guy a fancy pants pretty boy and flat out called him a coward."
"Hitch." Tully coaxed. "Since when do you care what he thinks? Come on. Sarge and Doc will be back soon. You don't want any trouble." He tried to draw the blond away.
Hitch jerked his arm free, still watching Wedlow.
"Come on Hitch. Let it go."
"Yeah, back off pretty boy. Run home to mama." Wedlow continued to push the confrontation.
To everyones' surprise, especially Wedlow's, Hitch laughed. Tully, knowing his buddy, was not yet ready to relax.
"Run home to mama? You didn't just say that?" Hitch laughed again. Shaking his head, he bent down and retrieved the gas cans by his feet. "I can't believe a grown man would say anything so stupid." He handed one of the cans to Tully and started to walk away with the other. Hitch had made sure his right hand was empty, a precaution Tully noted uneasily.
Jackson, thinking the other man was making fun of him, made a grab for the blonds' arm. Delmar grabbed Jackson's arm and yanked it down. He pulled the angry soldier toward him and began to whisper frantically in his ear. Tully pulled Hitch away before Wedlow could try again.
The crowd appeared disappointed that there hadn't been more excitement. Some of them stayed to watch Delmar and Jackson while others followed Tully and Hitch back to their jeeps. They were still there, talking with them, when Delmar returned alone.
"Hey Hitchcock. I'm sorry about Jackson. He didn't mean anything by it. He just gets ornery sometimes. Once the fighting starts he'll settle down."
"Keep him away from me Jenkins." Hitch walked away still angry. He'd promised Tully to do his best to avoid trouble, but he hadn't cooled down yet.
Tully gave Delmar a warning look as the two of them watched Hitch walk away.
"I'll try Tully, but I'm not his keeper."
"I'm not responsible for Hitch either, but he's my friend Delmar. I can't stand by and see him get in trouble. And I won't let Wedlow pull any of his dirty tricks. I'll be staying close to Hitch until we pull out."
"Yeah, I got it Tully. Jacksons' reputation isn't any better here than it was back home. But he's the only one around I can talk to about home. You understand don't you?"
Tully did understand. He missed the folks back home too, but he had friends here who helped him cope. Friends he could talk to. The two old friends called it a night and Delmar went to find his bed while Tully went to find Hitch.
The Rat Patrol was assigned a tent for the night. Early the next morning they were back in the desert watching for signs of the Germans. They went out ahead of the convoy, scouting for ambushes. The rest of the trip was uneventful and Tully bid a quick so-long to Delmar before the Rat Patrol returned to their base.
Three days later the Allies launched their new offensive. The Rat Patrol was kept busy spotting mortar units and calling in counterstrikes. They found and reported new minefields that were a potential danger to the advancing tank force. A radio call from them alerted the Allied commander to a group of Germans trying to launch a flanking action. They moved tirelessly around the battlefield, staying out of the main fighting but keeping their eyes and ears open to keep the Allies informed of the Germans' movements. They often encountered ambulances racing between the fighting at the front and the hospital tents at the rear. It was hard to judge how the battle was going from a distance, but they were relieved when the ambulances passing them became fewer and further between. Gradually both sides settled into their new lines and began to lick their wounds. Exhausted from the constant vigilance and driving, they headed to their base to fill out endless reports in triplicate before getting some much needed rest.
The jeeps were restocked, refueled and sent to the motor pool for servicing. Tully and Hitch had dropped the sargents at headquarters. Now that the jeeps had been taken care of, they were free to return to their tent.
Tully noticed the note on his bunk right away. He picked it up and stepped to the door to use the light from outside to read.
Hitch watched as Tullys' face paled.
"Everything okay Tully?" The blond ask quietly, knowing that something was wrong.
Tully raised his head and his eyes were sad. "Delmar Jenkins got hurt real bad. They're going to send him home."
"Maybe you can still catch him before they ship him out." Hitch watched Tully struggle with the news. He hadn't run into anybody from his home town. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted if he had. It was obvious that Tully and Delmar had been close. "Want me to walk along?"
Tully looked relieved. "Yeah, would you? He's probably already gone but I ought to at least go check."
The two of them made their way to the hospital tent. The beds were all full. They had to wait around until someone noticed them. Finally a nurse came over to help them. Tully couldn't help but notice her dull eyes and slumped shoulders. He realized that everyone was exhausted after the long battle.
"We don't want to bother you.' He started. The nurse waved it off and waited for him to continue. "We're looking for a guy who came in in the last couple of days. According to this note I got, he's going to be sent home. I was wondering if they sent anyone out yet?"
The nurse nodded as he talked. "The most seriously wounded have been flown out as soon as they're stable. Give me your friends' name and I can check for you."
Tully gave her the name and she checked her list. As it turned out, Delmar was still there. She directed them to the next tent, wished them luck, and hurried back to her patients.
They found Delmar without any problems, As they walked up to his bed he opened his eyes.
"Hey Tully. Hitchcock."
"Delmar. How're doing?"
"Not so good. Didn't duck fast enough. They took my foot. Guess I'm going home."
"There are worse things." Tully suggested quietly.
"Tell me about it." Delmar lowered his head. "Jackson didn't make it. Guess he won't be getting into any more trouble. At the end there, he ran out on me. Just left me there to save himself. If you can't trust someone from home, who can you trust?" Delmar looked up into Hitchs' eyes. "Can Tully trust you?"
Hitch looked surprised. "Yeah." He answered. "I've got Tullys' back. Guaranteed."
Delmar nodded sadly. "I believe you. Tullys' lucky to have such good friends. I guess he was right. Friends are friends no matter where they come from. "
"You take care of yourself Delmar. We'll let you get some rest. Tell everyone back home I said howdy."
"Will do Tully." Delmar closed his eyes and was asleep before Tully turned away.
"It sounds like he'll be alright. He's done with the army but he's going live to go home." Hitch tried to cheer Tully up. "Sorry about Wedlow. I know he was from your home town too."
Tully shook his head. "Wedlow was from home but he wasn't any example of the folks back there. He was a troublemaker and we were never friends. Delmar is a friend though. I hope everything works out for him." Tully stopped and looked out over the desert. "Hitch, you know I would never run out on you, right?"
"Sure Tully, I know that. Just like I would never leave you."
"Thanks for being my friend."
"Any time Tully. Any time."