Copyright: 03/2016
Fan-Fiction based on TV Show Combat! Copyright Selmur Production, Inc., ABC, Image Productions etc.
Disclaimer: Combat! and its characters do not belong to me, this WWII story is a piece of fan-fiction and I am not being compensated in any tangible way for this story.
TO ALL WHO SERVED – THE END
Lorie and Bill walked out of the cemetery. Lorie tried not to stare at Bill. She just couldn't get over how much he looked like her, her what; her dream, her hallucination, the guy she met while she was time traveling?
Bill noticed Lorie's confusion. He wanted to put her at ease.
"I know you said coffee, but I was wonderin' if you had already eaten lunch?"
Lorie hoped that he hadn't heard her stomach growl. "To be honest, I didn't even eat breakfast this morning. "I'm pretty hungry."
They headed towards the parking lot. I rented a car but if you feel uncomfortable about ridin' with me…."
For some reason Lorie, who usually was cautious about strangers, felt very at ease around Bill.
"No not at all, I came out here in a cab."
"Well, in that case, I know of a pretty nice restaurant around here; it's called La Sapiniere. It's about a half mile from here. It has wonderful seafood. If you like mussels, they have this dish called Moules a la Crème."
Lorie laughed at Bill's French. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh but your attempt at French is very cute."
Bill's cheeks turned a bit pink. "I know, my French is horrible, I just don't have an ear for foreign languages but like I said, the food is great!"
"I love seafood and I also know their food is good, I am staying at the hotel."
"Hey, me too."
Bill opened the car door for Lorie.
As Bill drove, they sat in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence but more companionable, friendly like.
Bill pulled into the parking lot. He jumped out and ran around to open Lorie's door. For some reason, he felt like he was on a date.
As they entered the restaurant, the hostess happily greeted Bill.
"Hello Monsieur Kirby."
"Hello, Michelle. Do you have a table for two?"
"I have one with a lovely view of the garden."
"That would be fine, thank you."
Once the couple sat down, the waitress was immediately at their table. Lorie smiled at her. "I know what I want for lunch. Bill has told me about your wonderful Moules a la Crème."
"Yea, that sounds perfect."
"I am so sorry we are all out of the mussels."
"We do have a wonderful quiche and salad and may I suggest a bottle of very our own Cidre Bouché."
Lorie nodded at Bill.
"It sounds wonderful, the lady and I'll have that."
Bill leaned forward and whispered, "Now tell me how you knew I looked like my great-uncle."
"I guess I better start at the beginning."
As they ate their lunch, Lorie poured out her story. She watched Bill's face. Lorie wasn't sure what Bill was thinking. She was afraid that he might thinking that he was talking to a woman who had completely lost her mind but he never gave her that impression.
By the time they had finished their lunch, Lorie had finished her story. She did leave out a few things; mostly, it was her feelings toward Pvt. William G. Kirby. How could she tell Bill that she was attracted to his great-uncle? Even in her head, it sounded ludicrous.
"Why don't we go outside and sit in the garden?"
"Lorie, maybe you saw me here at the hotel and heard my name or saw my signature on the guest register?"
Lorie thought about it. "When did you arrive here Bill?"
"I got here on the 5th."
"I wouldn't have seen your name on the register because I got here on the 4th and I would have remembered seeing you."
"Okay, well what about the photos?"
"I found a small shop that will process the film. The man said the pictures will be ready this afternoon."
"Let's go get them."
They got back into Bill's car and he began to drive to the shop. Lorie rolled down the window and the wind blew in some dust.
"Ouch!"
"What's the matter?"
"I got something in my eye."
Lorie opened her purse and reached in and pulled out an olive green handkerchief.
"Oh my word. I can't believe it!"
"What can't you believe?"
"The handkerchief, it belongs to…."
"Who?"
"To Kirby."
"I know it sounds crazy but he gave it to me."
Bill didn't say anything, he really didn't know what to say.
When they arrived, Lorie got out and practically ran into the shop. Bill decided to wait in the car.
She saw a man at the counter. "Hello, do you remember me? You said my pictures would be ready this afternoon."
"Do you have your receipt?"
Lorie looked inside her wallet and found the receipt and handed it to the man.
The man pulled out a drawer and found her envelope and handed it to her.
Lorie pulled out her wallet and paid the man for her photos.
She walked out and got into the car. Lorie took a deep breath and pulled the pictures out of the envelope.
Lorie hurriedly rifled through the pictures and finally got to the last few. She took another deep breath and looked at the photos. There at the end of the roll were pictures of men she knew as Caje, Doc, Littlejohn and Billy. Lorie handed them over to Bill.
Bill looked at the photos but he wasn't convinced. He guessed the men could be reenactors.
She then handed him the last two pictures. There was a picture of a blond sergeant and then one of a man with a BAR slung around his neck and that unmistakable crooked smile.
Bill looked at pictures. He stared at the last photo. How could it be? It was definitely was his great-uncle.
"Now do you believe me?"
"I wanted to believe you but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking you imagined it all when fell and hit your head. But how do you explain this?"
"I don't know Bill. It's like I said, for about two days I went back in time to 1944. I may never know why or how I got there."
"I want to tell you that your uncle was very kind and took good care of me. Can I ask you something?"
"Yea sure."
"Did Kirby have a good life?"
"Yea, I believe he did have a good life. He was very happy. Uncle Bill fell in love and got married. They had four kids."
"Can I ask you something Lorie?"
"Sure."
"You liked him, didn't you?"
"Yes I did. He was a good guy, like you."
Bill smiled at Lorie. "Thanks. I may not be an infantry soldier from 1944 but I'd like to get to know you better. What are you doin' tomorrow?"
Lorie smiled back at him. "What did you have in mind?"
The End