Hi guys :) As this is my first story, I have been struggling a bit with the formatting. Please be patient with me while I figure out the best way to structure the story. This chapter nearly wrote itself, it went so well. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
It was D-Day plus 17 or 18 and they finally got the chance to rest. They had taken the village the day before and Battalion, in its never-ending benevolence, had allowed them a small break. Ella was grateful that they didn't move out until late in the afternoon. It had become a habit for the men to be sitting in small clusters, talking, smoking, eating or sleeping. Surprisingly, Vest started handing out mail.
"Sergeant Sawyer, J.V.!", he called.
The girl raised her hand. "Here!" She was laying on her back, head pillowed on her musette bag. Sleep was starting to reach out to her, but she would never pass up an opportunity to read a letter from her mother.
"There ya go, Shorty." With his mail-call duties, Vest had quickly gotten to know those who regularly got letters from home.
"Still with the initials, huh?", Skinny teased her. "And you really won't tell us?"
She shot him a dry look, amusement curling the corners of her lips. "Where would the fun in that be?", she teased. "Besides, I know that betting pool still exists."
They chuckled.
"What's your mom writing?", Toye asked, leaning over from where he was sitting.
"Give me a minute to read, would ya? I haven't even opened the envelope", Ella laughed. She didn't know why, but many of the men in Easy Company were always eager to know what Isabel had written to her daughter. Some had been really excited when they'd heard Ella's mother had met somebody and had wanted to know everything about the man.
One of Isabel's letters had thus been filled with almost nothing but information about James:
You wanted to know more about James. There is so much I could tell you about him. I feel like I am 16 again, Ella, I feel like when I met your father. He is 38 like me and he is a teacher in Ohio. When we met, he was visiting an old family friend. None other than Dr Miller! The world is a small place, wouldn't you agree? He is taking some leave to finish his novel. We have been going out for a month now and I cannot say how happy I am!
The men had taken great delight in debating whether or not he was a good fit for Ella's mother, which left the girl feeling rather confused and slightly embarrassed. After all, they were discussing her mother's love life!
.
"C'mon, Shorty, don't leave us hanging here", Guarnere whined.
"Have some patience, Gonorrhoea", she grinned, eyes never leaving the letter.
My charina Ella,
Cordialas gratulaziuns per l'anniversari, mia figlia! My dear Ella, you have achieved so much in your life already. I am so proud of you. And I am sure both Nico and your Papa are, too.
I know this letter won't reach you for a while, still, I hope you and your friends are alright. The news of the invasion has reached us this morning. You can imagine how worried I am. If you need to talk about some of the things you'll certainly experience over there, know that I am always here for you.
James and I have been talking about our future together. I love him very much and we are happy, charina. We are considering marriage, but we both agreed that you should have a say in this, too. You know Papa has told me a long time ago that I should move on with my life. For years, I couldn't. Part of my heart will always belong to Thomas.
I know how much you love Papa and I understand this is a lot to ask, especially when you are on another continent fighting a war. But will you give it some thought? We will of course wait for your answer, Ella, no matter how long it takes.
Work has been keeping me busy lately. The hospital is a lot bigger than Dr Miller's small clinic and there are many accidents in a city this big. If I remember correctly, John Martin is from Ohio? I think I might have met his wife, Pat, at the shop last week. Such a lovely woman. Turns out we even live on the same street! The world sure is small…
My sweet Ella, I think of you every day and I pray that you are safe. How are your friends? Does George still steal the letters from you because he is too impatient to wait? If he'd done that with me, I'd have given him a slap on the wrist. Although…no, I don't think I would, he sounds like too nice of a man for that.
Do you still practice French with your fellow medic, Gene? I am looking forward to your letter, charina.
I love you, Ella.
Your Mama
Isabel
Ella left out the passage about Johnny's wife, because she wanted to ask Martin first. She also kept the part about her mother possibly getting married again to herself, she had to think about that before she told them and got them all excited. And she didn't tell the boys about the birthday wishes at the beginning as she didn't want to celebrate. It was only a date after all.
.
Toye, Guarnere, Buck and Skinny laughed when the girl got to the part about George.
"Ey, Luz!", Guarnere hollered over to the man in question, who sat a few feet away, tinkering with his radio.
"What?", Luz called back.
"Ella's ma here talks about you in her letter!"
"Really?" He looked over at her with a mixture of confusion, expectation and excitement. Rolling her eyes in fond amusement, she read the sentences aloud. Half the company heard them of course and cackled loudly.
Luz grinned widely. "Aw, your mother loves me", he said.
The brunette smiled. "I guess she does." Not that she was surprised, it was hard not to like Luz.
Over the next three weeks, Easy Company cleared one small town after the other. Battalion apparently wanted to know the contents of every single house, shack and stable on the entire peninsula. Nixon became a regular on their patrols, pointing out the buildings that needed to be checked.
Thankfully, the number of injuries stayed comparatively low. The wound on Ella's forearm scabbed over and faded to a thin, red line. The medics were rotating back and forth between the platoons as per usual. Whenever they were with 1st Platoon, they payed close attention to Blithe. After the Battle of Bloody Gulch, as the papers apparently called it, the blond had lost all fear. Which would have been a good thing if it weren't for the fact that fear was essential for survival.
Ella knew what Lt Speirs had been trying to tell the frightened private that night, but he had phrased it rather poorly and so, Blithe had taken the wrong lesson to heart.
.
On D-Day plus 25, they were hiding in the thick undergrowth while Nixon and Welsh discussed the mission.
Welsh turned around. "Need to take a look at that farmhouse. Who wants to go?" Unsurprisingly, nobody volunteered.
"I'll go", Blithe offered quietly.
The lieutenant studied the rest of his men. "Anybody else?"
They looked anywhere but at him. Sighing, he said: "Martin, Dukeman, you just volunteered. Hubba hubba."
The young medic watched with baited breath as the three men stealthily crept towards the farmhouse. Blithe was in the lead. He made it to the upturned cart that was lying a few yards away from the building. He paused, then turned towards Martin and Dukeman.
A single shot rang out. Blithe collapsed.
"Covering fire! Covering fire!", Lt Welsh yelled.
The girl ducked out of the way from where she had been crouching next to Shifty and got ready to move.
Johnny and Dukeman grabbed Blithe by the jacket and pulled him back.
.
"Medic up!", Welsh shouted. Ella couldn't obey his command. She wouldn't be able to help Blithe if she got shot by one of the guys first.
"Medic! We need a medic down here!", Martin cried.
Oh what the hell, she thought and leapt to her feet.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!", the lieutenant then shouted. Zu güatig.
Ella ran, sidestepping man after man. "Move! Coming through! Outta my way", she called. Crashing to her knees, she immediately focused on Blithe while telling Dukeman: "I got it." Johnny was pouring sulfa onto the bleeding wound on the blond man's neck, muttering: "Take it easy, Blithe, take it easy." His hands shook.
"We got you, Blithe, it's alright", she said gently, pressing a bandage to his neck to stop the blood from spurting out. It soaked through within a minute and she hurriedly pulled out another to put on top. "It'll be okay." When she cast a quick glance at his face, her stomach filled with ice. He was calm, way too calm and his eyes stared up towards the sky, empty and dull. She had to put her ear over his mouth to make sure he was still breathing. Because usually, only the dead had such lifeless eyes.
.
Johnny Martin fought the urge to punch something. He was kneeling on the ground next to Blithe, helplessly watching Ella work on him, his own hands slick with blood. The young girl was moving with the brisk efficiency of someone who knew what they were doing. She seemed to be doing seven things at the same time: Checking his pupils, making sure he wasn't choking on his tongue, keeping pressure on the wound, tying the bandage…
All the while, light, soothing words spilled from her lips, a stark contrast to the frantic, angry thoughts racing through his mind.
"It's okay, Blithe, you'll be just fine. Stay with me, alright?", she spoke in that friendly, soft tone of hers. Her hands were still applying pressure to Blithe's neck, fingers caked with blood. Her eyes flickered up at Johnny and she gave him a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't give up, Albert. You made it, you'll be okay."
He was still staring at the sky.
"You're not dead, Blithe, and you won't be for a long time."
Johnny's eyebrows shot up when he realised what Ella was referring to. She had heard what Lieutenant Speirs had said that night?
Slowly, Blithe's gaze wandered towards the young girl kneeling beside him, her small hands pressed against his neck. She smiled warmly at him. "Hi there, Albert."
He just stared at her, blinking a few times.
"It's alright, Albert", she said, looking him in the eyes, dark green orbs filled with reassurance and warmth. "You're not dead. You're going home and you're going to live a long and happy life. It's okay." There was more than understanding on her face. It was pure empathy.
The last thing Blithe saw before he succumbed to the darkness was her smile. It was beautiful. It made him think of home. Of sunshine. Of peace.
After a month of almost non-stop fighting, they were pulled off the line. Ella had stared at Lieutenant Winters for a good ten seconds before the news finally sunk in. He had found her shock rather amusing, much to her embarrassment.
A bunch of trucks brought them to a field camp north of Utah Beach. It was packed with wounded, some walking around, some lying on stretchers. They were all awaiting passage to England. In the medical tents, a foul stench lingered in the air, the smell of blood and infection. Ella and Gene had accompanied the last of their wounded and ended up helping where they could.
The medical personnel were glad for the extra pairs of hands. None of them considered that these two combat medics had been on the line for over a month and could do with a decent meal and some sleep. Ella had almost pulled rank on Gene to make sure he got exactly that. But she herself got so distracted with all the wounded that needed care, she simply forgot and kept going.
.
Until Captain Marcus Dunn, one of the very few surgeons, found out what outfit she belonged to.
"You're with E Company? 2nd Battalion, 506 PIR?", he questioned sharply. "And what, pray tell, are you doing here?" He was met with a confused look. "Jesus Christ, you've been pulled off the line after 4 weeks, don't you think you should eat, shower and sleep like the rest of your unit?"
The girl blushed, which was barely visible under the layer of dirt on her face, and said: "Sorry, sir. I got carried away."
Dunn sighed. "You should look after yourself, Sergeant", he chided. "It won't help anybody if you collapse from malnourishment and exhaustion."
She nodded. "Yes sir."
The doctor smiled. "Good." He wanted to say more, but was cut off by a shout from the tent entrance.
"Shorty!"
The young medic jumped and turned around, looking like the child caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
"I take it you know those men", Dunn remarked dryly.
She nodded sheepishly and plastered an innocent smile on her face as the men advanced.
"You, young lady, are in big trouble", one of them, a shorter fellow with unruly hair and brown eyes, stated gleefully.
"I take it you asked Gene where to find me?", the girl said, shifting a bit.
"Something like that", the next man replied. He was a tall, dark guy with a smoky voice.
The little frown cleared up quickly and she laughed. "Oh, that traitor!"
"Alright, get yer scrawny ass in gear, Shorty", the last of the men drawled, clapping her on the shoulder, "ye need a shower."
She shot him a playful look. "Are you saying I stink, Gonorrhoea?", she challenged.
He just laughed unrepentantly.
.
Ella was nervous about showering. At Toccoa, there hadn't been as many people and the thought of being alone in the shower with all those men around made her slightly queasy. Luz must have noticed her discomfort, because he said: "We'll be right outside."
He then went on to produce a bar of soap and a set of fresh ODs seemingly out of thin air. Her shower kit was dropped into her hands. They all kept a change of clean undergarments in their shower kits, it was just more practical that way. And for Ella, it made things a lot less awkward.
Toye peered through the door and gave her a nod.
"Thanks, guys", she muttered, slipping into the empty shower.
The three men sat down in front of the door, Bill pulling out a deck of cards.
.
Quickly shedding her grimy clothes, Ella turned on the water. She barely registered how cold the spray was. Moving on auto-pilot, the girl watched the water run down her body, washing away the grime and revealing her sun-tanned skin beneath. Scrubbing the dirt out of her locks, she quickly lathered up and washed her hair. It felt strange, being clean again. Sure, they had all dunked their heads in a stream or in a bucket from a well every few days. But that was completely different to a real shower.
Shutting off the water, the girl shook herself like a dog, drops flying everywhere. Towelling herself dry to the best of her ability, she put on the blessedly clean uniform. The cloth was stiff and starched, the complete opposite of her old ODs. Leaving her hair down to dry, she grabbed her kit and the soap and slipped outside.
"Alright", Luz called when he saw her, "Food!" He eagerly clapped his hands and the three of them flanked the young girl on their way to the mess tent. She looked even more tired after her shower with no dirt covering up the dark smudges under her eyes.
.
Grabbing a tray, Ella didn't pay any attention to the slop that was put on her plate. She slumped down at the first table within reach and waited until the guys were seated, Joe on her right, Bill and George across from them. Then, she shovelled the first bite of food into her mouth and sighed contently. A hot, nicely prepared meal. After living off K rations for days on end, it was almost a dream. Of course, it was Army food, but everything was better than those rations.
Her three escorts traded fond smiles when they saw how their young friend had to fight to stay awake. By the time she had polished off the last of her food, her pupils were tiny and her eyelids on half-mast. Chuckling, Bill ruffled her hair, the strands still a bit damp, and grabbed her tray to take it away.
George and Joe coaxed the sleepy girl into a standing position. "C'mon, kiddo", George prompted, "bedtime."
Ella gave a small whine and rubbed at her eyes. She didn't want to move. She just wanted to sleep.
Bill joined them again and grinned. "Alright, lil' lady, let's find you a rack."
.
"You're gonna fall asleep walking", Joe observed after less than a minute, slanting her a dry look.
The young girl blearily blinked up at him. "'m fine", she mumbled. A huge yawn betrayed her words immediately.
Rolling his eyes, Toye easily picked her up and shifted her onto his back. She was so light, he thought to himself, probably just about 100 pounds.
Loosely slinging her arms around his neck to hold on, Ella murmured drowsily: "I can walk", despite making no move to get back on the ground.
"Sure you can, Shorty", Toye replied, hoisting her up a bit higher.
"Well, ain't you lucky. Getting' a piggyback ride from the great Joe Toye", Bill joked.
The girl hummed contently and rested her chin on Joe's shoulder. Her even breaths brushed warmly against his skin.
.
"Awww, isn't that the cutest thing?", Luz gushed as they neared the large tent where most of their company was billeted. Ella's head was nestled against the crook of Toye's neck, her eyes closed, arms slack. Bill grinned widely at Joe, who tried to glance at the girl from the corner of his eye. A small, rare smile appeared on his features.
There weren't many of the guys in the tent, most of them still outside, soaking in the sun, playing cards, smoking or just relaxing. The few men that were inside were all deeply asleep. George, Bill and Joe had all claimed a bunk as theirs already and were looking forward to grabbing some shut-eye.
Getting Ella settled on her bunk took some manoeuvring, but they succeeded eventually. With an efficiency that comes from years of practice as older brothers, the three guys took off the girl's boots and jacket without disturbing her much-needed sleep. She turned and snuggled into her pillow. Satisfied that she was comfortable, they stumbled to their own bunks. They were asleep before their heads made contact with the pillows.
Returning to Aldbourne, Ella was very excited to find that she would be staying with Mrs. Elaine Morris again. The woman had been so kind and welcoming to them when she had been billeted with her before D-Day.
Johnny had to smile at the young girl's joy. One of his wife's latest letters came to his mind.
My dearest Johnny, she had written, you have told me about Ella, the young woman in your company before and you have spoken very highly of her. You mentioned that her mother moved to Ohio some time ago? I might have met Ms Sawyer at the store last week. Such a wonderful woman and imagine this, she lives on the same street as us! I really must invite her over for tea some time, I would love to get to know her, and Ella by extension.
My dearest husband, you are the kindest man I know, and I hope you will look after Ella. She sounds like an amazing person and I admire her courage. The vultures from the newspapers are still writing the most appalling things about this poor girl. My heart breaks for her, Johnny, and for her mother, who has to read all these awful stories about her daughter.
"Ella!"
Her head whipped around. "Yes?"
"Looks like I got stuck with you once more", he commented.
Her head tilted in curiosity, reminding him once again of a puppy. "Oh, you mean we're both housed with Elaine again?" Excitement glowed in her eyes, then a flicker of uncertainty crossed her young face. "Is that okay with you?"
He couldn't help but grin at her apprehensiveness. "Course it is."
She beamed happily.
.
Elaine was just as thrilled to see them again. The woman engulfed both soldiers in a tight hug, tears of joy in her eyes. "Oh, I am so glad to see you are both alright!", she sniffled, "come in, come in, you must be tired after the long trip." They couldn't deny it.
Making them sit down at the kitchen table, Elaine served them tea and excused herself to get their room ready again. "I didn't expect any guests so soon, so I haven't made the beds yet", she apologised before bustling away.
Ella stared at the steam curling up from her tea cup, a faraway look in her eyes. Johnny studied her over the rim of his own cup. The girl blinked, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "Are you going to London tomorrow?", she asked.
They had all received two new uniforms each, all their back pay and a 7-day pass. The biggest part of Easy Company would set off tomorrow morning to blow most of their pay in the city. Since they were the first soldiers to return from the victorious invasion of Europe, there would be plenty of free food and booze around, according to Malarkey and Skip.
Martin shook his head. "Nah. Gonna enjoy the peace and quiet around here for a while. What about you?"
She took a sip of her tea. "Same here. I'm sure the guys will have a great time, but I'd only end up playing chaperon for them."
He chuckled. It had happened before that the young girl was the one to ensure they didn't do anything stupid and that they got back to their billets. Johnny grinned as he remembered one time where Ella had manhandled a completely wasted Don Hoobler out of a bar and back towards base.
"What?" the young girl smiled, intrigued.
"Just thought about how you almost carried Hoobler to his bunk."
She snorted. "Yeah. That was fun. He thought I was his girl back home, told me how much he loved me. It was embarrassing to no end." She scratched the side of her neck, just below the jawline. "I was about ten seconds away from smacking him."
His eyebrow rose at that. The way he recalled it, Ella had been kind and indulgent like always, nodding along to Hoob's drunken ramblings and reassuring him that his girl would surely still be there when he got back. "Huh", he made. "Didn't look that way."
The brunette shrugged and gave him one of her lopsided smiles that showed how much more there was to her than meets the eye.
.
Ella, and the few others that had opted to stay in Aldbourne, enjoyed the simpler routine of the English village. Every morning, she went for a run, past the shops and towards the open fields. After a quick shower, she had breakfast with Johnny and Elaine, at the woman's insistence. "I know well enough what the Army thinks they can call food", she had said, "besides, it is so nice to have company."
Then, Ella would help Elaine around the house or simply do whatever she felt like. She spent a lot of time with her friends, playing cards, relaxing or walking around town, talking about this and that.
She wrote to her mother the first evening back, telling her that she was safe and healthy. She didn't say much about what she had experienced in France, but she mentioned some things. She asked how things were back home, how she liked Ohio, if she had made any new friends, how James was.
Ella hadn't forgotten about the question Isabel had asked her in her last letter. During their time in Normandy, the young girl had had enough time to think about it.
You deserve to be happy, Mama, she wrote. You have given up so much for us, for Papa, for Nico and for me. I would not presume to stand between you and James. He makes you happy and that is the only thing that counts for me. Tell me about your wedding plans, assuming you have already made them. Oh, Mama, I am so excited and happy for you! I can't wait to tell the boys, they will surely be excited, too.
She brought the letter to an end and signed her name at the bottom. Sealing the envelope, she felt a pang of homesickness hit her. I vermiss di, Mama, she thought, dashing away a tear that had escaped her. I vermiss di so sehr.
.
Gene and Ella took to sitting in the library together in the afternoon and reading about new medical discoveries and procedures. They both wanted to be as well-prepared as possible. After dinner, she often found herself at the local bar with Bull and Johnny, the two close friends teaching the girl how to play darts and pool.
One night, as they were walking back from the pub, they passed Lieutenant Speirs. "Good evening, sir", Ella said politely after he had returned their salute.
"Evening, Sergeants", he replied calmly, nodding at her before continuing on his way.
"You know him?", Johnny asked.
The girl shook her head. "Not really. We crossed paths once or twice and he spoke to me once after we took Carentan."
Bull looked down at her. "What did he want to speak to you about? He ain't Easy Company", he drawled.
Ella chewed on her bottom lip and stayed quiet for a moment. "He…he wanted to know about a rumour about me that had gone round in his company", she answered eventually.
The two men frowned.
She sighed. "It's a long story and I haven't really told anyone about it", she said, looking at the ground.
"You don't have to tell us, Shorty", Bull assured the small girl, his large hand coming up to squeeze her shoulder.
They didn't speak about it any further. The haunted look on the young girl's face was something neither man wished to see again, so they let it lie. The next time, it would be Ella who brought up the topic.
.
She got many odd looks from the British people when she walked down the street in her uniform or her ODs. Some commented that it wasn't proper for a pretty young girl like her to wear trousers like a man. But many came over to shake her hand and congratulate her on her bravery and strength.
It confused Ella because she didn't view herself as particularly brave or strong. She was just like any other paratrooper. When the girl mentioned it to Elaine one evening as she helped her host lady with dinner preparations, the woman smiled.
"To the people, you are a hero, love. You all are, but being the first female combat medic in history, it is inspiring", she spoke. "We have been at war since 1939 and the people get tired of it. Your unique story gives them something to hold on to."
Ella cut the vegetables in front of her in deep thought. Elaine turned back to her cooking, chattering about the goings-on of the small village.
The young girl wasn't sure she was this beacon of hope the people wanted her to be. She had read enough disparaging articles about herself in the newspapers to know that not everybody saw her as an inspiration.
Soon enough, the week was over and the soldiers returned as their leave was up. Ella listened to the stories of their exploits with great amusement, laughing as they told her about all the things they had seen and done while in London.
Lipton returned from the hospital and everybody was excited to have him back. The small brunette bounded over and hugged him, a huge grin on her face. Lip smiled and returned the hug gladly. He hadn't realised how much he had missed the young girl with her never-ending kindness and easy smiles.
Winters, now promoted to Captain, put them back to work without delay. Training resumed and despite the jubilant atmosphere, they all took it very seriously. Each of them knew that the consequences could be fatal if they treated it as a joke. Having jumped into combat, watching their friends die, it gave an entirely new meaning to the drills.
Sure, they grumbled and complained half-heartedly, but what would the Army be without soldiers bitching about training? Everyone acknowledged the importance of the varied lectures and manoeuvres, knowing that they needed to be able to fight on any terrain, in any weather.
There was a lot of more serious complaining about the replacements. To fill their diminished ranks as quickly as possible, the Army had condensed paratrooper training to 8 months. Each of the new guys were certified paratroopers, but it was a far cry from what the original Easy Company had went through under Sobel. Especially in the physical fitness department, the replacements lacked the stamina and strength the Toccoa men had built up over their two years of training.
Ella couldn't really blame them for it; it wasn't their fault. What bothered her was the replacements' eagerness for combat. She couldn't fathom what could possibly be exciting about watching fellow soldiers get hurt and killed. Broken bones, burns, bullet and shrapnel wounds, missing limbs, blast injuries that turned men's torsos to mush and spattered their brains in all directions. There was absolutely nothing to look forward to. Still, Ella treated the replacements with decency and friendliness and took care of them when they got injured in training.
.
When she wasn't busy bringing her own skills up to scratch, Ella sometimes helped out training the new guys. She proved to be a real asset, especially in hand to hand combat, where she forced them to be creative and react to less than clean moves.
Medics went through the same training as any other soldier and as a T-4, she held the rank equivalent to that of an NCO. Formally, she didn't have any authority over the soldiers, but Easy Company had always treated their technicians with the same respect as any other enlisted man.
Her friends were incredibly grateful for her calming presence, because especially the more temperamental among them were sometimes about ready to strangle the replacements.
"I swear to God, Shorty, that guy can't shoot his way out of a paper bag!", Liebgott cursed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
"Deep breath, Lieb", she advised, putting a hand on his shoulder. "They didn't have as much time to hone their skills. Maybe get Shifty to take a look at his technique, he'll probably see the problem."
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Liebgott nodded. "Alright. Thanks, Shorty."
The girl grinned. "Versuch bitte, niemanden umzubringen, Lieb. Zu viel Papierkram."
His mouth curled into a smirk.
.
Unfortunately, some of the replacements were less than happy about having a woman in their company. The veterans didn't pick up on it at first since Ella was mostly instructing the new medics together with Gene and therefore didn't have that much contact with the replacements like the rest of them. But after the first lecture on first-aid which was held only for the replacements, the original Toccoa men started paying closer attention.
The first-aid lesson had been 'replacements only' for the simple reason of determining how much they knew. The results had been disheartening. They could stick a syrette into somebody's arm and pour sulfa onto a wound. That was about it. They didn't even know how to properly apply a normal bandage, let alone a pressure bandage. Again, neither Ella nor Gene could fault them for it.
It was the disrespectful behaviour of some of the replacements that infuriated Gene. His friend had countered all the remarks, eyerolls and scowls with the same friendly nonchalance as always, seemingly taking the mockery in stride. She patiently answered even the most ridiculous questions that only served to try and catch her off-guard, giving a detailed explanation and not showing any weakness. And if there was a hint of sarcasm in her words, he pretended not to notice it.
.
Entering the barn that served as Easy's mess hall, Bull nudged Johnny and pointed towards a table in the back. Ella sat there with Roe, her back to them. "What the hell?", Johnny muttered. He had never seen the quiet Cajun medic this tense and angry. Studying Ella, he noticed the tell-tale slump of her shoulders.
They slid into seats next to the two medics who both greeted them with a nod and, in Ella's case, a tiny smile.
"You alright?", Johnny asked.
Doc glanced at the girl, who shrugged. The clench of Roe's jaw and the furrow of his brow were answer enough.
"Grub any good?", Bull changed the topic, poking at his own portion of slop.
Ella shot him a wry look. "Is it ever?"
The tall man chuckled.
They didn't talk much during their meal, too busy trying not to guess what their food actually was. But none of them missed the way Doc's mien darkened as a group of replacements walked by, laughing and joking with each other. When Ella had left the table to dispose of her tray, the normally private Roe fixed them with a look and asked: "Have you heard the rumours about Ellie?"
They frowned. What rumours?
Doc clarified: "Some replacements gave her a lot of shit today. And I heard some of them talk about her."
Johnny's eyes narrowed and Bull's expression turned dead serious.
"What did they say?", Johnny demanded.
"Some stuff about not wanting a dame in the company."
There was bound to be more, Bull thought.
If these stupid replacements disrespect our girl, there'll be hell to pay, Johnny said to himself, an enraged look on his face.
.
By next morning, several other Easy Company members had heard the rumours. A few of them were inclined to sock the mouthy replacements in the face. They kept themselves in check, though, knowing full well that Ella would not be happy if they got into a fight with those dumb kids.
Lipton was aware of the replacements' attitudes towards their female medic. He advised the men to stay calm and give their girl a chance to take care of it. "She can handle herself, boys. You know that", he said.
Toye, who was looking especially murderous, sighed and nodded, trying to rein in his anger. He hated it, hearing these kids talking about Shorty as if she was some sort of trashy wench.
.
Ella had overheard her fair share of the slander. Most of the replacements involved didn't notice that she had caught their whispered conversations, but a few of them deliberately spoke loud enough for her to hear. She ignored them, walking by as if they weren't there. But it hurt.
When Leelan, one of the bolder guys, insolently asked during class if, since she was a girl and bound to have them, she treated gunshot wounds with tampons, she froze. Thankfully, Gene stepped in and gave the kid a stiff talking to while Ella distracted herself by answering Private Jackson's question about why shrapnel should not be pulled out immediately.
That afternoon, it was her turn to do inventory at the infirmary and she was glad for it. The question about the tampons had rattled her more than she cared to admit. So, she used the boring, mind-numbing task to soothe her frayed nerves. Little did she know that her friends were planning to put the replacements in their place.
.
"Lip!", Bill called, hurrying to catch up to the man.
"What is it?", Lipton asked.
"Did ya hear what happened this morning? Doc yelled at one of 'em replacements." Trust Bill to know all the gossip and share it with anyone in the vicinity.
"What happened?" Lipton knew Doc Roe as an even-tempered, quiet man. It seemed rather out of character for the level-headed medic to lose his cool.
Guarnere's expression turned to a scowl. "Fuckin' replacement said something nasty to Shorty. What I heard she was really upset. Didn't let it show of course, but you know…"
Lipton frowned as they reached the mess hall. Sitting down at a table with his food, he asked Bill to tell him exactly what he knew. When Buck sat down next to them a few moments later, he immediately joined in, having heard many rumours and disparaging comments about Easy's girl himself. He suggested discussing the issue with the rest of the NCOs.
They held an impromptu meeting after dinner, before another scheduled drill. They unanimously agreed that something had to be done. Lipton cautioned that any direct interference on their part might make matters worse since it would give off the impression that Ella couldn't handle the problem herself. They turned it over and over in their minds, trying to come up with a solution that wouldn't undermine their girl's authority.
.
The drill was scheduled from 1930 to 2230. It was hand to hand combat training and the non-coms knew exactly who would be supervising the disrespectful replacements.
The Toccoa veterans kept glancing over to them as Ella let the new guys grouse and cuss at her, seemingly impassive. They all saw the sharp edge behind her patient smile, but the replacements were completely unaware of the gathering storm.
"What do you know about fighting?", Corporal Leelan complained when she corrected his stance for the third time, "you're a medic, a goddamn broad."
Ella arched an eyebrow, looking quite amused. "Your point being?"
"Everybody knows women don't belong in combat. They are too faint-hearted", he proclaimed, loudly and full of misplaced confidence.
Around them, the men had long since given up the pretence of sparring.
Ella looked completely unimpressed. "I see", was her flat reply, "Unfortunately, only one of us has been in combat before, and it isn't you, Corporal Leelan."
She gave him a hard look, the same look that had called Liebgott and Guarnere to heel on the Samaria ages ago. When she continued, her tone was still conversational, but there was pure steel behind it. "Now, Corporal, I'm going to say this once and only once, so you better listen up real good: I don't care what you think about me, I couldn't care less. You can hate me all you want. Just keep in mind that pissing off a medic is not the smartest thing to do."
Another dangerously innocent smile appeared on her lips. "And you royally pissed off Doc Roe today. So, you might want to watch your mouth a little with me, Corporal, because otherwise my gender will be the least of your problems when you get wounded. Am I understood?"
Leelan was gaping at her with wide eyes and managed a strangled "Yes ma'am" along with a frantic nod.
"Good, now get back to training", Ella ordered.
Lipton ambled over, hiding his own grin behind a stern mask. "You heard Sergeant Sawyer, Corporal, get moving!", he barked when the replacement didn't immediately comply.
"Yes sir." Leelan hastily saluted and scurried away, face flushed beet-red.
Ella turned to Lip, a soft, grateful smile on her face. "Thanks, Lip", she said quietly.
He squeezed her shoulder in response. He could feel the tension of her muscles under his hand. He sent her over to her friends, Buck stepping in to supervise the formerly cocky replacements.
.
That night, when the guys invited her along to the pub, she begged off. "Sorry, boys, it's been one heck of a day." They kept their pleading and pestering to a minimum, they could all see that today's events had taken a bit of a toll on their girl. They patted her on the back, mussed her hair and waved, wishing her a good night.
"Night, boys. Don't do anything stupid", Ella said, grinning cheekily.
The men laughed, some already heading towards the bar, some lingering to chat for a bit.
Luz beamed gleefully as he said: "Boy, you sure showed that idiot. I think he nearly pissed himself."
"Yeah, he won't give you any more trouble, I'm sure", Toye agreed. A scowl darkened his face. "He'd better not, if he knows what's good for him."
Luz nodded along, far too happy with that statement to mean anything good. The girl shook her head, but gave her two friends each a peck on the cheek before shooing them off to the pub.
In the end, only Ella and Lipton remained. Being the gentleman that he was, Lip offered to walk her home. "It's on my way and I don't mind", he said, giving her his soft smile. Ella graciously accepted and they started walking down the street in comfortable silence.
.
"Thanks, Lip."
He looked over at the young girl. She raised her head to meet his gaze, a placid expression on her face. A small smile played around her lips.
"For what?", he feigned innocence.
The smile broadened, taking on the amused quality of someone who knew exactly what the other was trying to do. That kid is too perceptive for her own good, he thought fondly.
"It was only right", he said. "They were openly disrespectful, you don't deserve that."
A blush crept up on Ella's cheeks, but thankfully, it was invisible in the dark. She shrugged. "I've had worse", she offered, aiming for nonchalant.
"Doesn't mean you have to bear it, though", Lip pointed out calmly.
She gave a low hum. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread inside her and she couldn't help but grin.
They arrived at Elaine's residence.
"Thanks for walking me back, Lip", Ella said, turning on the porch to smile at the sergeant.
"No problem, Ella. And if replacements give you any more trouble, let us know. We got your back."
She nodded. "I will, Sarge", she promised, eyes twinkling. "Good night, Lip."
"Good night, Shorty."
Ella waved and then let herself in, grimacing at the squeaking of the door hinges. Shaking his head and smiling to himself, Lipton continued on his way.
.
On the kitchen table lay an envelope addressed to Sergeant J.V. Sawyer. Picking it up, Ella immediately recognised her mother's writing. Climbing the stairs to her and Johnny's room, the girl clicked on the light of the bedside lamp and sat down on her side of the bed. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.
My charina Ella
Your letter arrived this morning and I had to answer it right away. How are you, mia figlia, and how are your friends? I hope they are treating you alright or I might have to send them a letter, too.
To answer your question, I have indeed made a few new friends. Apart from Pat, who has become very dear to me, there are some other women that I regularly have tea with. Mary is a soldier's wife, too. Elizabeth and Grace work at the hospital with me, they have a fantastic sense of humour. And Grace bakes the most amazing pies! Then, there is Larry, he is an orderly at the hospital. Such a sweet man. But there is a fiery temper beneath the surface, so it is better not to try his patience too much. And finally, Carlo, he runs the hospital cafeteria. He is Italian and prides himself of making the best cannelloni in town.
Pat is with me right now, writing a letter to her husband. She says hi and hopes that you are well. She has heard a lot about you from John and always tells me that she cannot wait to meet you in person.
My charina figlia. I cannot tell you how much your words mean to both me and James. We are glad that you have given us your blessing, I know this must be a rather strange situation for you. We have not set a date yet, but I would love to have a spring wedding. Think of it, all the flowers blooming, the warm weather, it would be fantastic. James prefers summer, which has its own appeals. Nothing is set in stone and I reckon we will just wait and see.
As for the dress, I still have Oma Johanna's dress, the one I wore when I married Thomas. It is timeless and with a few small adaptations, it will fit me without any problems. I asked James what he thought about me wearing the same wedding dress and he said he would marry me and not the dress.
We have not made any further plans as we both would like for you to be included. After all, you would be my bridesmaid, if you want to, of course.
I miss you very much, mia figlia, and never forget that I am so proud of you.
Lots of love
Your Mama
Isabel
Smiling, Ella folded the letter and set it on the nightstand. Changing into her sleepwear, the young girl looked out of the window. "Buna notg, Mama", she whispered before closing her eyes.
Celebrating the return of some of the wounded was always a merry affair. Talbert and Smokey had come back from the hospital a few days ago, giving the men a perfect excuse for a celebration. They donned their dress greens and had dinner at the mess hall, the food actually identifiable once.
Ella had arrived fairly early, sitting down at a table with Luz and Skip who were engaged in an animated debate over the latest comic books.
"C'mon Shorty, help us out here", Skip said, "Superman is better than Batman."
"No way, Superman is boring, he is basically all-powerful, it's just no fun", Luz immediately protested.
Ella laughed. "I'm afraid I don't know much about superheroes, guys", she apologised.
Which was probably the wrong thing to say, because the two immediately launched into an incredibly detailed description of various comic book heroes, their powers and their weaknesses. Skip, of course, advocating for Superman; Luz praising Batman.
It continued even as the tables filled up, Bill playfully bumping into her as he jauntily slid into the seat next to her. Ella gave a small yelp when he nearly shunted her off the bench, earning her a round of laughter from the guys.
.
During dinner, Luz and Skip somehow roped the entire table into their argument. Unfortunately, each of the guys had their own favourite superhero, making it even more impossible to reach an agreement.
"Seriously, Shorty, you gotta know some of those", Perconte stated from her left. She sighed and scratched her forehead, just along the scar running through her eyebrow.
"I heard of some of 'em", she admitted, "only comics I ever got to read were Disney comics, though. You know, Mickey Mouse, Tarzan and the likes." A light blush blossomed on her cheeks. "But Nico loved Green Lantern", she added.
"Oh, he got good taste, your brother!", Skip approved. The rest of the table nodded in agreement, each wearing the serious expression of a connoisseur.
"So, what's your favourite then?", Luz questioned.
Her blush deepened. "Donald Duck. It's funny how he likes to annoy people, but gets all riled up when the tables turn."
"So, kinda like Perconte", Johnny snarked, making the whole table – including Frank – laugh.
.
Stomach filled, Ella sat back to listen to Smokey's poem which he had created during his stay at the hospital. "The Night of the Bayonet", he announced the title. She snickered, knowing full well what it would be about.
"The night was filled with dark and cold, when Sgt Talbert, the story's told,
pulled on his poncho and headed out, to check the lines, dressed like a Kraut.
Upon a trooper our hero came, fast asleep, he called his name:
Smith, oh Smith, get up! It's time, to take your turn out on the line."
Ella laughed along with everybody else. Behind her, she heard the replacements wondering where the heck this was going.
"But Smith, so very weary, cracked an eye, all red and bleary.
Grabbed his rifle, he did not tarry, hearing Floyd, but seeing Jerry."
"Oh my God!", poor Smithy cried out, burying his face in his hands, as the men laughed.
Smokey continued cheerfully:
"'It's me!', cried Tab, 'Don't do it!' and yet Smith charged toute suite with bayonet.
He lunged, he thrust both high and low, and skewered the boy from Kokomo."
.
Under the applause, Ella heard a voice behind her declare: "I'm heading back to barracks." Her eyes narrowed as Bill turned in his seat, stopping the red-headed replacement she recognised as Heffron with a hand on his chest.
"You Heffron?", he questioned.
"Yeah", the private confirmed.
"Where you from?", Bill continued his interrogation.
"Who's asking?", Heffron asked back.
Ella had to suppress an eyeroll and exchanged an amused glance with Johnny. Skip's expression switched from confused to excited.
"You from Philadelphia?" Bill knew that everybody at his table could see through his act, but it was just too good an opportunity to mess with a replacement. He didn't miss the glance Ella shot him, silently telling him not to take it too far.
"South Philly, yeah", Heffron confirmed, a frown creeping up onto his youthful features that was somewhere between confused and annoyed.
"I could tell", he remarked, keeping the sneer on his face for a moment before he broke. "17th Street." He grinned at the kid with a triumphant 'gotcha'-look.
"Yeah?", Heffron's face lit up in surprise. "Front Street! Hey!" He enthusiastically shook Guarnere's hand.
Ella and Luz looked at each other with grins tugging on the corners of their mouths, shaking their heads.
Bill invited Heffron to sit down, which he happily did.
"Fuck, you see that?", Skip asked Johnny incredulously as the two Philadelphians started talking about the characters they knew back home.
"Small world", Ella shrugged, still grinning.
.
Smokey grabbed their attention once again. "Since you weren't wounded by the enemy and thus didn't qualify for a Purple Heart, we've taken matters into our own hands", he announced, taking off one of the 3 medals on his chest. He held it out. "Tab, this is for you."
Luz leant back to clap the man on the back as they cheered and applauded.
"I could have shot the kid a dozen times", Tab claimed.
"Yeah right", came Liebgott's dry remark. Ella could hear the grin in his voice.
"I just didn't think we could spare a man", Floyd finished, making the men laugh again.
She called over: "How very gallant of you, Tab!"
He turned in his seat and pretended to be offended. "Are you calling me a liar?", he cried.
"No, I just remember you cursing a blue streak before I even used the sulfa", she shot back, eyes twinkling with mischief. The dimple on her cheek made her smile look lopsided.
"She got you there, Tab", Malarkey joined the teasing.
Talbert bore it good-naturedly, laughing at his own expense.
.
Ella immediately knew that it was bad news when Lipton got up. If not by his expression, she could tell from the set of his shoulders. "Couple of announcements to make, men!", he spoke, voice loud enough to carry over the chatter.
"And woman!", somebody shouted.
An indulgent smile appeared on his face. "And woman", he ammended, glancing at Ella, who blushed. "First, the training exercise scheduled for 2200 has been cancelled."
Muck raised his hands in a 'Thank you, God'-gesture. "Oh yeah!"
"Secondly." Lipton's face grew serious. "All passes are hereby revoked. We're heading back to France, so pack up all your gear. We will not be returning to England, boys and girl."
Ella sighed heavily as resignation washed through her. She had expected it, they all had, but it still left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Anyone who has not made out a will, go to the supply office. Trucks depart from Membury at 0700. As you were", Lip finished.
The mood killed, the young medic decided to leave. It was quiet, the men all sombre, in their own thoughts.
Dear Mama,
I'm not sure if you have received my last letter yet. By the time you read this one, I won't be in Aldbourne anymore. We're moving out again and we won't be returning to England. Please don't worry about me, Mama, I'll be fine. Like you said before, I have the best company in all of Europe looking out for me. Besides, I can't leave the others alone, it would hardly be fair to make them do all the work.
Don't get me wrong, Mama. I'm not looking forward to going back. I think none of us are. But this is what we signed up for. It's my job and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. And if that means being on the front line for weeks and months, I'll do it. All I want is to be with the guys.
They remind me of Nico, Mama. In some way, they have become my brothers, too. Each in their own way. Some probably a bit more than others, but I think of them as my second family now. Today, George and Skip were arguing about comic books. They were just as enthusiastic as Nico. I told them that he liked Green Lantern the best. Do you know what Skip said? "He got good taste, your brother." He would have liked Skip. Or any of the boys, really. I think they would have gotten along great.
How are you, Mama? I'm sorry, I should have asked first. I got a bit carried away, I guess. I remember you telling me about Pat, Johnny's wife. I would love to hear more about her. And how is James?
It's late and I should get some sleep, we're leaving early tomorrow.
I miss you, Mama.
With love
Your daughter
Ella
And that is the end of Carentan. Next up: Operation Market Garden. I must have seen that episode about ten times by now. My favourite moment is when Bull returns. Johnny's face lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees him. Great acting, great scene :) What are your favourite scenes? And who's your favourite character? Let me know :)
Translations:
charina: dear, darling
Cordialas gratulaziuns per l'anniversari: Happy Birthday
mia figlia: my daughter
zu güatig: too kind (mostly sarcastic)
I vermiss di: I miss you
I vermiss di so sehr: I miss you so much
Versuch bitte, niemanden umzubringen: Please try not to kill anyone
Zu viel Papierkram: Too much paperwork
Buna notg: Good night