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After a few minutes, Wade declared Harper as ready as she would ever be to travel, and Miller quickly gave out orders.

"Horvath I need you on point. Reiben and Jackson, help Harper. Wade, take Jackson's position and Reiben's weapon. Upham take Jackson's sniper and bring up the rear. Mellish, flank Reiben, Harper and Jackson. Everyone be alert. We are in enemy territory."

Everyone got into their positions, though Wade wished he could have been one of the ones next to Harper. Jackson reluctantly handed over his sniper glaring at Upham for only a second before turning to Harper. His look seemed to convey that if Upham so much as put a scratch on the precious weapon, Jackson would hit him so hard, his grandchildren would feel it. Wade snatched Reiben's weapon, ignoring the same look Jackson had given Upham.

Reiben and Jackson got on either side of their wounded and weak comrade and hoisted her up. It was gentle, but enough to make Harper moan. Wade's head instinctively snapped around hearing her in pain. He saw the blood already seeping through the clean, white bandage on her shoulder. Reiben had put it around his shoulder, and it was ripping the stitches.

"Reiben find another way to hold her," Wade said turning and surveying the empty countryside.

Reiben looked down at Harper and realized what he was doing wrong. He gently put Harper's arm to her side as they began moving. The group moved out slowly with everyone taking up their positions around Reiben, Harper and Jackson. Miller and Horvath kept a keen eye on the trees in front of them looking for the distinctive flash of machine guns. Jackson's trained eyes scanned the tops of trees for the flash of the sniper rifle as it fires. Mellish and Upham had their backs to the procession watching the rear for advancing enemy, and Wade was doing a little bit of both, plus trying to keep a doctor's eye on his patient, who looked like she was getting weaker by the second.

They walked in silence for what seemed like ages. The only sound was the crunch of dry grass under their feet and cracking shells far in the distance and the occasional moan from Harper. As they progressed, however, her moans became few and far between, which worried Wade. There were many different things that could be causing her to stop feeling pain. One of which was her body probably going into shock. Wade tried to push the thought out of his mind and push the group faster. The tree line was still about 20ish minutes away. Wade didn't know if she could last that long, but at that moment they had bigger things to worry about.

Jackson had stopped dead. The squad all looked at him curiously, but they knew his keen senses to well to not follow his lead. They all stopped also and waited silently. Jackson's ears and eyes worked, both straining to catch what had made him become ridged, then suddenly he saw it. He dropped to his knees. Everyone followed suit and he whispered, "Upham give me my Springfield."

Upham immediately obeyed, crawling quickly through the grass to the sniper's side. He handed over Jackson's 'baby' just as Miller made his way through the 4 foot high grass.

Reiben quickly took his B.A.R from Wade who had crawled over to see to Harper. The squad circled themselves around the medic, translator and injured comrade.

"What is it?" Miller asked.

Jackson parted the grass with the barrel of his sniper and waited intently. The rest of the squad did the same, though they had nothing to aim at but air. Very soon though, they realized what Jackson had sensed. A single man in complete German soldier outfit came bursting out of the bushes. Reiben tensed to shoot but Jackson held up a hand. Reiben glared at him but loosened his trigger finger.

Once again, Jackson's feeling had been correct. About 25 seconds behind the single German, there was a pack of about 13 chasing after him. The squad glanced at one another wondering what to do next. Miller looked back at the German's in pursuit and immediately wondered why they weren't shooting at the one German. It suddenly came to him, but he didn't have time to explain it to the rest of the squad.

He stood up and aimed at the pack of Germans. He took his first shot and just as the man hit fell and the rest turned around the men in Miller's squad were up shooting to. Within 30 seconds all the Germans had fallen, and all that was left was the lone German who had been running. He tried to keep running, but Miller yelled, "Thunder!"

The surprise on all his men's faces were evident. Reiben almost dropped his B.A.R. The lone German stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. He looked at Miller for a long time then said quietly, "Flash."

Miller's men let out a collective sigh as the American ran over to the group.

"Captain Miller. Charlie Company, 2nd Rangers," said Miller nodding to the young man.

"Matthews, 1st of 506th," he answered.

"Warren?"

Everyone turned to see who's voice sounded so weak and feeble. They were all surprised to see Harper. She was struggling to sit up, but because of the obvious infection and blood loss, Wade was easily keeping her pinned to the ground.

"Harper you need to hold still," Wade said firmly. "I have to look at the wounds."

Harper wasn't paying attention. She was desperately trying to get to the newcomer. Matthews looked curiously at the soldier on the ground who knew him. He looked Harper over confused then it seemed a light bulb went on in his head.

"Harp?" he asked forgetting his soldier training and shoving past Miller. "Harp what are you doing here!" he yelled apparently forgetting he was in enemy territory.

"Shut up soldier!" hissed Miller.

Warren looked back at Miller apologetically then quickly back to Harper.

"Now isn't the time to ask questions," said Wade who was checking Harper's shoulder wound.

"Warren… I haven't seen you in.-"

"Now isn't the time, Harp," said Warren interrupting her. "I'll talk to you as soon as you are better."

That seemed to satisfy her and she passed out. Her head fell back into Jackson's open hands. Wade finished re-bandaging and said to Miller, "We need to move fast. The stitches aren't doing what they are supposed to. They are actually doing more damage since we are moving so much. We just need to get to a safe place and let her rest."

Miller nodded and said, "get her up. Fall in."

It took the squad almost an hour to reach the trees after Harper passed out. Though he didn't want to, Jackson had to let Reiben take over carrying Harper for the last half of the trip. Though Jackson was strong, Reiben surpassed him. Jackson let him take her but stayed on his heels keeping a protective eye on her at all times. The newcomer also kept an oddly virulent eye on her, though this didn't make Jackson uneasy for some reason. He hadn't talked to him yet, but something told him this man, well boy if Jackson compared him to his own age, would jump in front of a tank for Harper.

When they finally made it far enough into the trees to make Miller happy, Wade went to work re-doing stitches and bandages. Weston hovered, occasionally asking if there was anything he could do, but mostly he just got in the way. Finally Wade told him to go make friends with the squad. Weston took the hint from the hard eyes of the medic.

He glumly walked toward the firelight where the rest of the squad was gathered. Wade's small fire looked almost insignificant to the large one Reiben, Jackson, Mellish, Upham, Miller and Horvath had positioned themselves around.

"How do you know Harper?" Jackson asked immediately.

"Harp and I go way back," he answered sitting between Jackson and Upham. "How's it going Tim?" he asked lightly patting him on the back.

Upham, who hadn't been paying attention, jumped and fell backward off the log he was sitting on. Reiben and Mellish snickered and Weston looked afraid he had hurt him, but otherwise no one even acknowledged the stupidity of the translator. Weston turned back to Jackson and said, "I helped her through a lot of crap from her family."

When the squad's faces remained blank and confused, (all but Reiben) he continued.

"I met her in her 6th grade English class. My mom was the teacher. I was in 8th grade at the time. I came in after my classes were over to help her and that where I met Harper."

He let his gaze fall to the fire as he continued.

"The first thing she said to me was 'are you going to hurt me like my father does?' I told her I would never hurt her and she asked me if I would adopt her. I laughed, but after a week of her asking every day, I began believing how bad her life was. I kind of watched out for her for the rest of her elementary years, then when she got into junior high, she and I were inseparable. We lived a block away from each other so every night she would sneak out after her father hurt her, and climbed through my window. Every night for eight years I stayed up until I heard her on my balcony. She would come and stay the night with me, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, sometimes saying nothing at all. I would just hold her. We would fall asleep like that and sometimes she would be there when I woke up, and sometimes she wouldn't. she was mysterious to say the least, but I cared about her."

Weston's face had taken on a dreamy look while Jackson's had turned dark and stony. Weston noticed it and suddenly laughed. The squad jumped, not expecting the outburst.

"Don't worry sharpshooter, she and I were never together. Actually I think you are probably the only other man she has ever let into her life." He glanced around then added, "Well probably all of you. I was terrified she would do something stupid when I left. Well she did the dumbest thing, but at least she was surrounded by you men. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for protecting her."

None of the Privates said anything. They were examining their boots, or the ants on the ground. Weston looked around confused. Mellish finally spoke.

"We didn't protect her. She almost died once before, and now-"

He stopped and glanced at the unconscious woman and her ever watchful doctor. Wade was sitting on a log, resting his head in his hands, and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hand.

"And before this is over, Wade is probably going to die of stress," said Mellish letting his head fall to his hands.

Weston reached over and grabbed Mellish's jacket by the collar.

"She is not going to die. If I have to kill every last Kraut to save her. She isn't going to die. Was I mistaken in thinking you would throw yourselves under a tank for that girl?" he asked pointing a convicting finger toward Wade and Harper.

Wade looked up hearing the elevated volume of his voice.

"No," said Reiben looking at Weston. Though it was ironic because Reiben had actually jumped under a tank for her, he was not laughing. They could all see a storm brewing, but no one, not even Miller felt like stopping it, but it was Jackson who broke the silence in an angry rage. He jumped up and in one quick motion, he had pulled a large hunting knife from his boot and had it at Weston's neck.

"Where have you been for the last week? Have you been here for her? Have you been risking your life to keep her safe? Have you been risking you're neck to save our lives? I don't think so, so until you have you can keep you comments to yourself, because I… care… about… her… more… than… you… will… ever… know…"

The last 10 words were quiet and venomous, and also said an inch away from Weston's face.

"Where was he keeping that?" whispered Reiben to Mellish referring to the knife.

Mellish shrugged as Jackson let Weston go. He looked taken back as Jackson left the circle to go sit by Wade.

"Way to go asshole," said Reiben as he and Mellish followed Jackson and sat across from Harper's sleeping form.

After some internal debate, Upham followed them. Horvath and Miller sat back down to talk over plans for the coming days which meant Weston was left to either sit in awkward silence with the group around Harper or try to find sleep. He chose the latter.

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