Thanks to Don't Make Me Blue and Jump Girl for suggesting romances for Eugene Roe, Buck Compton, and Joe Toye. If you have story ideas for "A Fine Vacation," please submit. I am trying to finish up "The Final Mission."
As soldiers escorted them to a tent, Sergeant Guarnere told the girls to leave their backpacks outside. They heard enough noise outside to know they were being heavily guarded.
"This is just so bad in so many ways," said Edie as she peeked out through the tent. She saw men digging foxholes.
"What's the worse that can happen," asked Molly?
"They shoot us as spies," said Katie. Frustrated with her friends she sat in the corner of the tent with her arms crossed.
"They wouldn't do that would they?" Molly curled up in a ball. "We are too young to die."
"And too damn pretty so stop worrying. This is no time to go fetal on us," said Joanie. "Come on sit up. Nobody is shooting anybody. Are they Edie?"
"No, I don't think they will, but they are probably going to have more questions than answers after going through our backpacks. They will probably want to interview us individually. Just stick to the truth because that is bizarre enough." She sat by Molly and rubbed her shoulders. "Come on sweetie. It is going to be all right." The time seemed to drag on. Edie got up and peeked outside again. "It's getting dark. Heads up, here comes Sergeant Guarnere along with someone who has the rank of a Captain."
"I think I am going to be sick," said Molly. She bent over and started to retch in a bucket.
"Jesus," said Guarnere.
"Don't' shoot us," screamed Molly!
The Captain rolled his eyes. "No one is going to shoot you. We just have some questions for you." He gave the bucket to Guarnere who handed it to a private and told him to clean it. Then he gave each of the girls the canteens from their packs.
"All right," said the Captain."Which one of you is Edie Witherspoon." Raising her hand, she eyed her friends as if to reassure them everything would be ok. "Good, follow me."
Joanie jumped up, "She's not going anywhere without one of us." Guarnere looked, and the young woman balled up her fists. He tried not to smile, but he admired how she stuck up for her friend.
"Listen, we just want to ask her some questions. I promise she will be all right," said the Captain. He was extremely handsome with dark hair and luminous brown eyes. There was a dent in his helmet.
Edie remembered seeing him just before boarding the trucks. We should have kept on running, she thought. Patting her friend on the shoulder, she said, "It's ok, Joanie. We are all Americans here. Don't worry. Try and take care of Molly. Make her get some sleep or something."
"How are we supposed to sleep without our sleeping bags? This ground is damp and cold," said Kate bitterly.
"Will get your bags as soon as we are through examining them," said Guarnere. We are going to send some chow over too."
"After you Miss Witherspoon," said the Captain.
Edie stepped out into the night air. She had been cooped up in that tent for so long, she stopped and stretched. This raised the attention of some of the men who stopped digging and stared. Guarnere noticed this too, "What the hell is the matter with you guys, you never seen a woman before. Get back to those foxholes. Follow me, Miss Witherspoon. With the Captain bringing up the rear, Edie soon found herself facing the tall officer that she had yelled at earlier.
"Have a seat Miss Witherspoon," he said softly.
On the table, Edie saw their passports, makeup kits, diaries, cameras, and other personal items. Edie sat down and forced a smile, but she began to feel weak in the knees.
"Relax Miss Witherspoon; no one is going to hurt you. We just have some questions. I am Captain Richard Winters, but I believe you already know that. This is Captain Lewis Nixon. Do you know who he is?"
It would have been an easy lie, but Edie decided to tell the truth. "If I remember correctly, he is Lewis Nixon, an Intelligence Officer with 2nd Battalion."
Both men looked surprised. Captain Winters continued. "According to these passports, you and your friends were born in 1984. Is that correct?"
She nodded. Edie felt herself going cold. This was not a good sign. When she felt like this the last time, she fainted. Stay strong, she told herself. There is nothing to fear. You have done nothing wrong.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know what to tell you, but it all started this afternoon." Edie went onto explain the picture session, then the storm and waking up into what she described as hell. She felt exhausted, but then the other Captain started asking questions about how she knew so much about Market Garden. Edie explained that she was a history major. "My concentration is social and cultural history, but any American History student can tell you about Operation Market Garden or a least the bare facts. I cannot recall all of the details because that is not my area of expertise. The hope was to enter Berlin by Christmas and end the war in Europe, but there were a lot of snafus."
"Such as?"
Edie squeezed her eyes as if she could push the answers out of her mouth. "I think the Germans blew some bridges before you could cross over, and there were hold ups with the British tanks. In addition, Montgomery gave these stupid orders not to damage buildings so their tanks kept getting knocked out by Panzers. Hmm. I think the main problems were that not everything went according to Montgomery's plan. I believe historians think it was a good idea on paper, but there were just a lot of unfortunate delays, especially around Arnhem, which enabled the Germans to mount a stronger counter offensive than anticipated."
"What about Eindhoven?" Nixon was very calm. He seemed neither suspicious nor angry.
"I just know about that from the book about Easy Company by Stephen Ambrose."
"There is a book about Easy Company?" asked Winters. "What is the name of this book?"
"It is called Band of Brothers. It follows the company from Taccoa to the end of the war."
Edie asked if she could have some water. She was starving, and the adrenaline she felt earlier, was long gone.
"Hear that Dick, they write a book about Easy. We must be doing something right."
Dick nodded but he noticed Edie seemed to be fading out on them. She was obviously tired and stressed. Winters poured her some water and gave it to her.
"Thank you. I am sorry about the remark I yelled at you earlier. I was just nervous."
"Yes, I remember you yelled 'your mama."" He smiled and gave her a curious look.
"It is a really old slang term from the seventies. I have no idea why I said that." She put the cup down on the table, but missed. "Oh, I am sorry." Stooping to pick up the cup, Edie sat back up a bit too quickly. "Oh, nuts," she said. Everything was becoming dark and swirling. Edie felt herself sliding out of the chair onto the ground. The next thing she knew Edie was staring straight up into Captain Winters's very blue eyes. He was standing over her holding her legs up while her head was still on the ground. "Please tell me I did not do something stupid like faint."
"I am afraid you did. When is the last time you ate?"
Edie rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. "We had a snack just before we took the picture."
"Yes, that is a most unusual camera."
"It is a digital camera. You can take hundreds of photographs and store them on the camera before downloading them to a computer. You have no idea what I am talking about, do you?
"No, not really. Are you feeling better? Sergeant Guarnere went to get you something to eat."
"Thank you. I think I am all right now if you want to let my legs down."
"Let's give it a few more minutes. Do you know what happens after this battle?"
"Do you mean to Easy Company?" The Captain nodded.
"I am not sure I should tell you because it may cause you act differently in the field and endanger you or your men. Then that would change the course of history, and it would be all my fault. I don't think I can handle that kind of responsibility."
Winters looked over at Nixon. The two men shrugged. What Edie said made sense. "What can you tell me about what has happened in the war thus far and too Easy Company?"
Edie offered a brief introduction to the European War and the various revisionists' theories behind Hitler's rise to power. Then she launched into a lecture about the American entry into the war. Just as she was about to start describing the formation of Easy Company, Guarnere returned with some bread and a pan of stew. Winters let her legs down and helped her to the chair. In between bites, Edie provided them with a history of the Company, including the incidents with Captain Sobel. "He is such a tragic figure."
"Tragic, how," asked Winters?
Edie hesitated but decided it wouldn't hurt if they knew how pathetic Sobel's life was in the end. She described how Guarnere tries to get him to the reunions, his failed suicide attempt and how hardly anyone came to his funeral.
Both Captains shook their heads. "Christ," said Nixon, "He could not even kill himself without screwing it up." Nix took a swig from a flask. He noticed Edie gave him a sad look. "What? Don't tell me I screw my life up to?"
"No, it is just that, never mind," said Edie.
"I have a right to know. It is my life."
"Nix, settle down," said Winters. However, Nix did not want to and asked Edie again to tell him what was with the pity look.
"You drink too much, and it gets in the way, but you come out all right eventually." Edie tried to put it as polite as she possibly could. How do you tell someone something like that? Fortunetellers have a bitch of a job that is if they can tell the future.
"How about old straight and narrow, here?" Nix pointed to his friend.
Edie had second thoughts about what she told Nixon, but before she could decide what to do, Captain Winters did it for her.
"I would rather not know." He noticed how relieved she was when he said that. At first, he worried but when she smiled, he decided that it must be all right.
"I am afraid I am in a terrible position here because of what I know," she said. "Part of me wants to tell you about certain events that may shorten the war, but without knowing the actual consequences if I do, it terrifies me to think what could happen if I do. What would you do?"
Winters thought about it. He realized that she was in a difficult spot. "Well, I agree you should not talk to the men about anything personal that may happen to them. It probably would make them less effective in combat."
"I agree, but there is a major battle ahead, but it could have a faster outcome if I tell you what I know. Don't worry, Easy comes out all right for the most part. It's just bothers me that if what I tell you has the impact that I think it will it might mean and early end to the war in Europe then you and your men might be sent to the Pacific and get wiped out. I would never be able to live with myself."
"Are you saying we don't drop in Japan?" asked Guarnere. "Whew, that's a relief."
Edie clamped her hand over her mouth. Oh, my God what should I do? I need someone to talk to about this. She ran down the lists of Generals that she remembered. Eisenhower is the obvious choice. The idea of talking to Patton scares the shit out of me. Omar Bradley or McAuliffe are good choices. "Do you think I could talk to General Bradley? He always struck me as an excellent General, who cares about his men." She started shuffling the stew in her mouth.
This struck Captain Nixon as funny. "Ho, Ho, Ho, you want us to try and locate Omar Bradley just like that. That is rich, Miss Witherspoon."
Having finished eating, Edie felt somewhat better, but she was still tired. Winters noticed how defeated she looked. It was not an easy position fpr anyone to find themselves to be in because either way someone would probably be wounded or worse. "Let's talk about this Nix."
Over at the tent, the girls finished eating, when a man with a strong southern accent asked if he could enter. "My name is Private Eugene Roe. I'm one of the medics with the company. Sergeant Guarnere said one of you ladies might need some medical attention.
Joanie poked her head and saw two men. One was the Private and the other was a Sergeant. "I take you are Private Roe." He nodded. "Who are you tall, blonde, and very handsome?"
"My name is Joe Toye, m'am." The Sergeant touched the brim of his helmet out of courtesy.
"I'm Joan Riordan, but my friends call me Joanie." She held out her hand. Joe eyed her suspiciously but decided there would be no harm in shaking her hand. His large hand practically swallowed hers, but neither seemed to mind.
"Joe, you are supposed to guard them, not play patty cake with them," said a big booming voice.
"Sorry Lieutenant, but a gentleman cannot refuse to shake hands with a lady especially when she offers hers first."
"You've got a point Joe. It's not much of one, but it is a point." The Lieutenant grinned so hard, Joanie thought his face would break.
The second thing Joanie thought was good Lord; it is GI Joe in the flesh. A walking, talking, drop dead, good-looking Lieutenant GI Joe and a big strapping one to boot, Joanie thought. "Hey Katie come here a minute," There was one thing about Katie, she had no problem in expressing her appreciation for the male anatomy.
Now Kate felt only slightly better since eating. None of it changed the predicament they were in and she really wasn't in the mood for Joanie's antics. Standing up, she started fussing as she stuck her head out the tent. "I thought there was a medic out here, Molly still looks kind of green." She stopped when she took one look at Buck. Holy Jehosophat if he is not the most gorgeous hunk of manhood in this or any other decade. "Woof."
"I beg your pardon," said the Lieutenant. He tried hard not to smile at the pretty blonde.
"That's what Kate says when she sees a handsome man such as yourself," laughed Joanie. She saw Kate's face freezing up. "I'm sorry girlfriend, but you do."
"Lieutenant, I apologize for my comment and my friend." Grabbing Joanie's arm, she turned to Eugene and said, "Come on Private, let's see what you can do to cheer up pretty Molly."
Roe checked Molly's vitals. She was still shaking with fear. "M'am, there is nothing to worry about here. No one is going to hurt you or your friends."
"Kate said you would shoot us as spies. We are not spies. I majored in Art History, and I am Democrat."
"Sweetheart this is the 1940s," said Joanie. "Practically every American with a brain in their head is a Democrat."
"Oh," She looked so miserable that Eugene felt sorry for her.
"Listen, I am going to give you something to help you sleep. I don't have too many of these, but most of the men never have trouble sleeping when they get the opportunity."
Molly thought about it and shook her head no. "I don't want to take any of your medical supplies. One of the men might need it down the road. I will be fine. I'm just tired and cold."
"Listen Molly, Private Roe is right when he says the soldiers rarely have trouble sleeping. Besides they can't take a sleeping pill when they are on the line, can they?"
"No, m'am, not if they want to stay alive. Now Molly, do you mind if I call you by your Christian name?"
"No."
"Good, take this, and I will go see what I can do to find all of you some blankets."
"Or at least our jackets from our packs or better yet our sleeping bags," suggested Kate.
"I will see if that is ok with the Lieutenant. I will be right back."
"Thank you Private Roe," said Molly.
"Yes, thank you Private. We all could use some sleep," said Katie. She sat down beside Molly, put her arm around her weary friend, and tried to smooth out her hair. "It's going to be fine Mo, wait, and see. Edie will figure this thing out."
"Well, I will say one thing," said Joanie. "We couldn't be held prisoners by a better looking bunch of men than these guys. Molly, you should see the Sergeant just outside this tent. He is soooooo fine. I wonder if Edie is checking out the officers."
"Is that all you can think about right now?" Kate shook her head. "You know we are in a hell of situation here."
"No, I completely forgot that we are stranded in Holland in the middle of one of the biggest failures of World War II and we are being held captive by soldiers from our own frickin' country. Thank you so much for reminding me Katherine. I really cannot express my deep appreciation for being told how royally screwed we are at this moment."
"Knock it off in there," said Sergeant Toye. "The boys out here are trying to sleep."
"He's right," whispered Molly. "Both of you need to shut up. We have got to stick together."
True to his word, Private Roe came back with their sleeping bags and their jackets. He made sure they were all comfortable before heading back to his foxhole. Molly tugged on his jacket and whispered thank you and good night.
"Good night to you to Miss Molly. See y'all in the morning"
Sitting up, Joanie waited anxiously for Edie. Why on earth is it taking so long for her to get back, she wondered.
"Are you worried about Edie," whispered Katie. When Joanie nodded, Kate moved over and snuggled up to her. "Me too. Listen, I am sorry for being such a bitch."
"Hey, one of us had to be in this situation. It might as well be you." She laid her head on her friends shoulder.
"Gee thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Soon they were both asleep as was Edie. While Winters and Nixon debated calling in the brass, she laid her head on the desk to rest her eyes. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep. Guarnere put a blanket on her shoulders and asked for permission to step outside for a smoke. Winters nodded and looked over at the sleeping Edie. Bending down, he scooped her up at placed her on a cot.
"Hey, that's my bunk," said Nix.