Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.

Don't Drink the Water

By Suzie2b

Sergeant Croft was driving Charley back to Ras Tanura after her latest mission to get updated maps and information to a company headed for Egypt.

They had only been on the road two hours when the jeep sputtered to a halt. Croft got out and looked under the hood. He checked the fuel line, radiator, hoses, even the gas gauge. He tried once more to start the vehicle, then threw up his hands and said, "I'm not a mechanic. I don't know what's wrong with this thing."

Charley looked around at the empty desert. "Do you have a radio?"

"Yeah, but we're out of range for any of our guys to hear and I wouldn't want to alert the Germans that we're stuck out here."

"So, how long do you think it'll be before someone comes looking for us?"

The sergeant shrugged. "We're not due back until this afternoon. Don't know how long they'll wait before sending out a search party."

Charley sighed. "How come these things don't happen at an oasis, or even a waterhole? Always in the middle of nothing."

Croft chuckled. "Yeah. Seems that way, doesn't it." He reached into the back and pulled out a map bag. "Let's see if there's something close enough to walk to." He studied a map for a minute, then said, "This shows the closest waterhole to be about forty kilometers north of here. Think you can walk that far?"

Charley smiled. "Guess we're going to find out."

They gathered the map bag, two canteens, compass, jackets, one machine gun and Charley's satchel before heading out.

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The Rat Patrol rolled into Ras Tanura at five-thirty that afternoon. Sergeants Troy and Moffitt were dropped at headquarters to give their report to Captain Boggs. Privates Hitchcock and Pettigrew took the jeeps to the motor pool.

Tully got out of the jeep and looked around. He frowned when he didn't see what he was looking for.

Hitch walked around the jeep and stood next to his friend. "What's the matter?"

"I don't see the jeep that Croft and Charley took. I thought they'd be back by now."

"Maybe they got a late start this morning."

Tully sighed. "Yeah, maybe. But I think I'll check to see if Croft has signed in. Could be the jeep was taken for service."

While Hitch put their jeeps on the service list, Tully checked the clipboard with the names of those who had signed out vehicles. He found Sergeant Croft's signature next to the day and time he picked up the jeep. However, it had not yet been checked back in.

Hitch asked, "Any luck?"

Tully shook his head. "Croft hasn't signed in."

"I wouldn't worry about it yet. I'm sure they'll show up pretty soon. Let's go get some dinner."

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It had taken twelve hours of walking in the loose sand with minimal rest stops to get to the waterhole. It was dark when Charley and Sergeant Croft arrived. They were exhausted and cold. They took shelter against a dilapidated structure and huddled together for warmth. They were asleep in minutes.

When the sun started to peek over the horizon, the sergeant awoke with Charley curled up against him. He smiled and gently laid her head on her satchel with a slight feeling of jealousy for Private Pettigrew. Croft reached for the canteens and found there wasn't even a swallow left between them.

He stood up and stretched as he looked around. Seeing the well, the sergeant walked over and lowered the wooden bucket into the water. After he pulled the full bucket up and set it on the edge, he filled one of the canteens. The water tasted clean and cool as he drank his fill. By the time he noticed the faint odor of bitter almonds, it was too late.

Charley awoke to the sounds of coughing and retching. She quickly sat up and looked around until she spotted Sergeant Croft near the well on his hands and knees. She scrambled over to him as he collapsed to one side. "What's wrong?"

Croft groaned and wrapped his arms around his stomach. As his heart raced, he panted out, "The … well's been … poisoned."

"Oh my God! How much did you drink?"

"Enough." Croft started coughing and retching again, then he was hit with convulsions.

Charley didn't know what to do. "No! Please no!"

When the convulsions stopped, Croft lay unconscious. Charley held his hand and listened as his labored breathing slowed over the course of a few minutes. She unbuttoned his shirt and put her ear to his chest. His heartbeat was quickly slowing as well. And then Sergeant Croft was gone.

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Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully were in Captain Boggs' office first thing in the morning. "As you know, Miss Williams and her driver didn't make it back as scheduled yesterday. It could be nothing, but I'd rather be safe than sorry." The captain handed Troy a map. "This is the planned route they were going to take. If something has happened, you'll hopefully find some sign of them along there. I do not want to call Colonel Williams with news that his daughter is missing again."

Troy looked at the map and handed it to Moffitt. "We'll find them, sir."

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Charley used Sergeant Croft's helmet to dig a grave next to his body. She took his dog tags and slipped them into her jacket pocket before rolling him into the grave. When she was finished burying the sergeant, she left his helmet on top of the mound. As she stood up, Charley wiped sweat and tears off her face with her sleeve before taking her jacket off and dropping it next to the well. Then she took a small tablet and pencil out of her satchel and wrote the word "POISON" on a piece of paper. She tore the paper off and put it on the edge of the well next to the bucket with one of the canteens on it to hold it in place.

Charley picked up the map bag, checked the compass to make sure she would be walking east, slung her satchel over her head and across her shoulder before she picked up the machine gun and headed out.

##############################

The Rat Patrol drove the route indicated on the map. It was mid-afternoon when they came across the abandoned jeep with its hood still up. Hitch and Tully looked the vehicle over and decided that the problem was probably the carburetor.

Tully stared out at the open desert. "Since we didn't see any sign of them along the way, which way do you think they went?"

Moffitt had a map spread out on the hood of the jeep and said, "The logical thing would be to head towards water." He put his finger on the map. "There's a waterhole a little over forty kilometers from here."

"That's a long walk in desert heat and sand, doc."

"But not impossible."

Hitch mentioned, "They took the maps and compass. They must know where they're going."

Troy nodded. "All right, let's shake it."

Forty-five minutes later they were at the waterhole. The first thing they saw was the grave marked by Sergeant Croft's helmet.

Moffitt said quietly, "I wonder what happened?"

Tully noticed a canteen on the edge of the well and went to investigate. "Hey, sarge! Look at this!"

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch joined him. Tully was holding the note. "Looks like Charley wrote this. The well must be poisoned."

Moffitt caught a whiff of bitter almonds as he leaned close to the bucket. He nodded and concluded, "We now know what happened to Sergeant Croft."

Hitch noticed something on the ground next to the well. He picked it up. "Is this…"

Tully took the small jacket, looked at the name sewn into the collar, and found the dog tags in one pocket. "It's Charley's." He frowned worriedly. "She should've stayed here and waited."

Moffitt shook his head. "With no food or drinkable water and only a grave to keep her company … I don't think I would have stayed either. If Charley's smart, and we know she is, she would've gone east … back toward the route they were taking in the jeep."

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Charley was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry. The sun beat down on her as she stumbled along, looking at the compass occasionally to check her course. She had dropped the machine gun when it became too heavy to hold. The map bag was dropped when she decided it was unnecessary and she had no idea where her jacket had disappeared to.

Charley staggered to a stop and dropped to her knees. She wanted to cry, but she didn't have the energy. She certainly didn't have enough moister in her to make tears. She let herself fall onto the sand and was soon unconscious.

##############################

The first thing they found was the machine gun, then further on the map bag. Tully was going at breakneck-speed across the desert with Hitch hot on his tail. They were determined to find Charley before it got dark. Tully didn't want to think about her alone in the dark, cold desert.

Moffitt signaled Tully to stop. He stood up in the jeep with the binoculars to scan the desert. Hitch had pulled up beside the other jeep and Troy was also looking through binoculars.

Suddenly Moffitt saw something that appeared out of place on the sand and pointed. "There! That must be Charley!"

A quick burst of speed and Tully was barely stopped before climbing out of the jeep. He got to his knees and scooped the unconscious Charley up, holding her close. After checking her pulse, Moffitt held a canteen and coaxed her lips apart. A trickle of water flowed into her mouth and down her throat. Charley coughed and opened her eyes, though they weren't focused.

Moffitt again held the canteen to her lips. "Here … take a sip."

When Charley realized it was water, she weakly tried to push the canteen away.

Tully took her hand. "Shh, it's all right."

Charley's eyes struggled to focus. Her voice was barely a whisper when she said, "Poison…"

"No no. This isn't water from that well. It's safe."

"Tully?"

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, it's me. You're going to be okay now."

Moffitt tried again with the canteen and this time she swallowed a mouthful.

Troy breathed a sigh of relief. "We'd better get her back to base. Tully, you ride in back with Charley."

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Charley spent the night and the morning of the next day in the hospital at Ras Tanura being treated for dehydration and mild sunburn. All she wanted was to sleep.

When she was released from the hospital, Tully took her straight home. He was just starting up the stairs with Charley in his arms, her head against his shoulder, when he was stopped by the café's owner, Hassan, who was concerned. After a quick explanation, Tully took Charley upstairs. He helped her change and tucked her into bed wearing her teddy bear pajamas. She slept for most of the afternoon with Tully sitting on the bed next to her reading and listening to her breathe. Charley stirred when there was a light knock at the door. Tully opened it to see Lila, the café owner's wife, holding a large tray of food.

Lila smiled and whispered, "I don't wish to disturb. But I thought perhaps you two would be hungry after your ordeal."

Tully grinned. "Thanks, Lila. This is great. How much…"

She put the tray in his hands. "Nothing this time. Just tell Charley to get well." Then she closed the door and walked away.

Charley yawned and sat up. "Smells good."

Tully placed the tray on the table. "Feel like eating?"

Charley got out of bed. "I'm starved."

She got a bit lightheaded and Tully caught her as she swayed. "Slow down. Dr. Baker said you're supposed to take it easy for a few days to get your strength back."

Charley slipped her arms around him and smiled as she leaned against his warm chest. "Whatever you say, Nurse Pettigrew."