Thanks for reviews everyone! I'm a little torn in half here... Nix or Speirs, Speirs or Nix, but we'll see what's gonna happen later on...
Chapter 12 On the Mainland Again
When the company was dropped near Eindhoven, they managed to land all in the same area and weren't scattered around like it had happened in Normandy. After Livia had landed she picked up fast her stuff and joined John Martin and Buck Compton, who were near her. This time the drop was much less stressful because there wasn't any firing from German side, and all they weren't in the middle of the battle right away like they had been in Normandy. And the fact that it was a daytime was different comparing to circumtances in France too, so the jump wasn't so hard at this time. Buck led Livia to ditch near the field and they waited there until the whole company was together again. Livia saw how the allied planes flew above them and hoped that they had been succesfull in their mission.
Finally the whole battalion which had landed on the same area, got up and to move again and after an hour walk they got to the edge of the town which they knew to be Eindhoven. It seemed like the town was rather peaceful and the whole battalion approached it from their own sides. Livia had joined Winters and Nixon who were further back in company's lines when the first platoon led them to the town. They saw pretty soon that there was no Germans anymore and the Dutch people welcomed American troopers to the town with open arms.
Livia felt like the whole town was there on the streets of Eindhoven. Women were hugging and kissing the soldiers, which made Livia amused though it seemed like the women didn't care who they hugged, also Livia found herself from the tight embrace of the liberated citizen every now and then. Men were also hugging the soldiers and shaking their hands and it was very hard to keep moving when they were stopped almost every step they took. Everyone was expecting the British 2nd Armored and Guard Armored, and Livia was also anxious to see her fellow country men to arrive.
Livia was standing with Winters, Nixon and Welsh on one street corner, when she saw that some of the women were dragged on the middle street. Then the men ripped their dresses and some other women started to shave their hair off.
"Why they are doing that?" Livia asked a little horrified. She felt awfull watching these women humiliated in the middle of the town when people were yelling insults to them. At least judging their tone of voice they were yelling insults. They spoke Dutch and Livia didn't understand a word what they said, but she could take a pretty good guess.
"These women slept with Germans." Came the answer behind her with heavy Dutch accent.
Livia turned to look at the man who joined them like did Winters and Welsh.
"This is mr. van Kooijk from Dutch Resistance." Nixon introduced the man.
Livia turned back to look the women which were crying out loud while they were shaved. She felt bad for them. She didn't accept the fact that they had slept with German soldiers, but she guessed that these women didn't have much other choises. She doubted that not so many of them had done it by their free will, but human nature did what it had to do to survive and these women maybe didn't have too many choises when Eindhoven was occupied by Germans.
With a heavy sigh Livia turned her head from the sight and met Nixon's inguiring look.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes." She said simply and when she saw Winters and Welsh moving away with mr van Kooijk, she took Nixon by his arm and pulled him with her when she followed the men. Suddently they started to hear loud cheers.
"Right in time." Van Kooijk smiled and Winters got to stand of the lamp post, so that he could see what was going on.
"It's British Armored alright." He stated.
"So, is our job here done?" Livia asked. She was little relieft that there had been no Germans any more when they got to Eindhoven.
"Yes." Winters got down from the lamp post stand. "Though I think we are spending the night here."
They found soon the place where everyone could sleep, but before Livia went to bed she was determined to talk with some of her country men. After she had a meal, she asked Popeye to come with her and he didn't think twice when he left to the city with the nurse. Livia asked him to come with her because she knew that when guys would hear, that she was alone at the city they would be far from pleased. Althought Eindhoven appeared to be secured, there was the chance that some German snipers were still hiding in the city. The nurse and the private wandered around the town and talked with the people until Livia saw a group of British soldiers, grapped Popeye by his arm and headed towards the Brits.
"Hey guys, mind if we talk for a moment?" She smiled to the five men who looked at her and Popeye a little amazed.
"Of course." One of them, who seemed to be a sergeant replied. "Are you from the American troops?"
"Yes. I'm nurse Livia McMillan and this is a private Robert Wynn." She introduced them.
"I see you have a British Red Cross sign on your uniform, miss. And your accent..." The sergeant said. "Are you a Brit?"
"Yes. I am." Livia smiled.
"I'm Thomas Grayden." The sergeant said and introduced the other four men.
"Nice to meet fellow country men here." Livia gave them a big smile.
"It's our pleasure." The other sergeant, who had been introduced as Nick Walson replied. "But why a British nurse is here with an American Battalion?"
"I worked at their base in England and then I was asked to join them as a field nurse." Livia explained.
"Ah. So, how is it being with a Yanks?" Sergeant Grayden asked smiling.
"Great. I love them all and they are great soldiers." Then Livia glanced to Popeye and grinned. "Though no one beats Brits."
Livia and Popeye spoke with the British soldiers for a while and when Popeye stated that it was time to get back to their lodging, Livia touched gently sergeant Grayden's arm.
"It was so nice to talk to you all. But I think I have to do like the private here said. We have to get back."
"It was nice to talk to you too, miss." For Livia's surprise sergeant Grayden gave her a gentle hug, but after first amazement she responded to the hug.
"Take care, all of you!" Livia said when she was about to follow Popeye who had already taken few steps away from them.
"You too, miss McMillan!" Sergeant Walson called after her when the other men waved.
When Livia and Popeye got back to their logde, everyone guessed that she had indeed met some of her country men, because she was in good spirits and talking all the time, they already knew that when the nurse was excited – or nervous – it was no need to try to get her talk, she did it with her own will. Luz and Perconte gave out a little exaggerated sigh when Livia finally said that she was going to bed. As a response she just rolled her eyes to them knowing that in reality they had listened her talking happily. She was sleeping is same room with Doc and one other medics Spina, and wanted to get to bed before they would come to the room. She was in deep sleep when the medics came and didn't hear a word when Doc and Spina whispered to each others watching the sleeping nurse.
On the next morning the whole battalion got to move again. Most of the guys got the lift from British tanks as did Livia. On their way they saw a woman, who was holding a little baby and her head had been shaved bald. Livia guessed that the father of the baby was some German soldier, but despite that she felt very sad for the woman. Livia couldn't even imagine what kind of life the woman would have when she had been driven out of her home.
They were going to small city called Nuenen, when Livia suddently heard firing and saw one of lieutenants falling down. Before she realized anything else, she was pushed down from the tank, then she was practically thrown to the ditch and something very heavy landed on her. She managed to prevent hitting her face to ground and while she was laying on the ditch listening the firing, she realized that it was Buck who was laying on top of her. When the firing finally ended and she heard Winters yelling commands, she gasped.
"Get off, Buck. Get off!" She had been squeezed against the hard ground for a while and she felt like she needed air badly. Buck moved carefully up and helped the nurse up too.
"Are you alright?"
Livia looked up to concerned striking blue eyes.
"As well as I can be." She said gasping for air. "You almost squeezed me."
When the road was secured, Livia and Doc went to check on the lieutenant who had been shot on the neck, and a medic who had been shot on the foot when he was going to take care of the lieutenant. They got the woundeds ready for transport and then they followed others to the edge of town where the company was engaged to heavy fiting already. Livia hid behind the fence of one of the farmhouses knowing that guys would bring the wounded ones in such a spot where she could take care of them. There was a lot of Germans in the town and the firing was fierce. Livia peeked once in a while behind the fence, and suddently she saw Hashey and Perconte dragging private van Klinken towards the place where she was. She signed to the men and when they saw her, they put van Klinken to place where it was safe enough for her to check on him. Livia ran towards them low and trying to not get shot. When she reached them, she saw that the private was hit badly and with a small nod she let Hashey and Perconte to know that she would manage by herself. Livia had to cut some of the private's clothes so that she could take a better look of him and she didn't like what she saw. Van Klinken was badly wounded, but Livia did what she had to do and she tried to bind at least some of his wounds. Suddently she heard Buck's voice yelling 'fall back, fall back' and when she looked up from the private, she saw that the guys were indeed falling back. Luz and Malarkey were just coming towards her and stood by the nurse and van Klinken.
"We have to pull back. Let's go, Livia." Luz took her by the arm and pulled her up.
"But Robert..." She looked down to van Klinken who lied on the ground.
"We'll take him." Malarkey replied and with Luz's help he got the private up.
When Livia ran to ditch, where she had at least some kind of cover from the bullets she ran fast and low towards their trucks and when she got there she waited until Luz and Malarkey got van Klinken there. She bent down to private again to make sure that they could transport him with other woundeds, when she saw Perconte and couple of other guys dragging a barn door. When she took a better look, she noticed that Buck was laying on the door.
"He's ready to transport." Livia said to Malarkey before she ran to rather bizarre looking group.
"What happened to him?" Livia looked to Doc, who was just helping Buck up from his momentary stretcher.
"He got hit."
"Where?" Livia watched concerned to Buck. It seemed like it wasn't really bad, but she saw that he was in pain.
"To his ass." Perconte commented.
"You too?" Livia sighed. "What's wrong with you all?"
"He's gonna be alright, don't worry." Doc commented before he helped Buck towards the trucks.
"Better be." Livia muttered before she turned to go to the truck where the injured were put on, because she wanted to make sure that all of them were actually in the land of living still.
The last of the woundeds was just lifted to the truck, when she saw Nixon and Winters talking by one of the jeeps and before she even realized, she saw Nixon falling down. Livia gasped and stood silent for few seconds before she ran to Winters and Nixon. When she reached them they both were already taken cover from one of the jeeps and Nixon sat on the ground leaning on the side of the jeep.
"Are you alright?" Livia asked concern on her voice when she bent down on her knees.
"Yes."
"Is he really alright?" Livia turned to Winters, who nodded. She was still woried about the lieutenant, who was very dear to her and watched him closely.
"And you too, Livia. Quit looking me like that!" Nixon finally snapped when her concerned look started to disturb him.
"Are you really alright?" Livia asked once again.
"Yes, yes. Only ricochet hit my helmet. I'm alright." Nixon sighed. "But thanks for being worried over me."
"Of course I am. You are my friend and I'd hate to see you getting hurt." Livia replied before she ran to the truck where she was supposed to get in. She was actually relieft that nothing had happened to Nixon, though everyone weren't so fortunate, like she had already found out. There was four killed and 11 wounded from Easy and she was afraid that everyone of the woundeds wouldn't make it, but Buck would and she was happy about it.
When John Martin was helping Livia to the in the same truck with him, she noticed the sad expression in his eyes.
"What is it, Johnny?" She asked when the sergeant sat next to him.
"It's Bull..." He started.
"What about Bull? Don't tell me that..." Livia couldn't end her sentence because she didn't want to say out loud what she was thinking.
"No, he's not wounded or killed... It's worse, no one has seen him after we had to fall back. He's missing."
"Oh, my God. Not Bull!" Livia gasped. He liked the lieutenant very much and he was also liked by the men. When the trucks left the small town, everyone on the truck were silent and sad. It wasn't just because Bull was missing, the fiting had been fierce and no one liked the fact that they had to pull back, but German resistance just had been too heavy. It had been hard to Livia too and quite soon she felt few tears coming down on her cheeks and sergeant Martin saw it.
"Bull will be alright, kid. He will join us soon again." He said with comforting tone and put his arm on Livia's shoulders.
"I really hope so... I don't want to loose him." Livia sobbed a little.
"Either do we." Martin said sadness in his voice. Then he saw Livia yawning. "Are you tired?"
"A little."
"You should try to take a little nap." He pulled Livia closer so that her head was leaning on his chest.
"I don't know if I can..."
"Just try it. You can sleep there." Martin said giving a hard glance to other men on the truck and they all knew that it was better not to say anything.
For Livia's own surprise she did sleep a little, she was so exhausted that she took a short, light nap leaning on sergeant Martin's chest and she woke up when he moved a little.
"We are soon stopping for the night." Martin said when the nurse looked up to him.
"Ah. I think I slept after all." She yawned and pulled herself on better position.
"You did. And it's good. We have to sleep when we have the change."
"Any word from Bull?" The lieutenant was first in her mind and she looked to other men, who looked still sad.
"No, not a word." Webster replied.
The rest of the drive was silent and when the trucks stopped for the night, Livia kept herself busy for the rest of the evening, she didn't want to think what might had happened to Bull and the other one who she was rather not thinking was lieutenant Speirs, who she hadn't seen after they had left England. She knew that Dog company was somewhere near and she had seen some guys from that unit, but not Speirs. It was dark already and some of the guys were digging foxholes when Livia saw Webster, Hoobler, Garcia, Cobb and few others guys leaving. Guarnere was standing near her watching after them and Livia went to him.
"Where are Web, Hoob and others going?"
"They're going to look for Bull." He replied quietly.
"You're kidding, right?" Livia watched concerned to Guarnere.
"No, I'm not. I would have gone myself but the guys volunteered."
"You're all nuts. Nuts I say." Livia grunted when she was walking away from the sergeant waving her hands. She needed to be alone and she wantered to one of the trucks and got on the drivers seat. She watched for a while the blaze of fire which she saw in the distance. She knew that it was Eindhoven which was burning, because Germans had started to bomb the city after they had left. Before she realized she fell asleep until she woke up later on that night when someone was shaking gently her arm.
"Livia, you can't sleep here in the truck. It's not safe." Nixon said quietly when the nurse opened her eyes.
"It's more comfortable to sleep here." She argued.
"Maybe it is, but Dick told me to get you out of there. You can sleep in same foxhole with me."
"Alright then." Livia sighed and got out of the truck. She followed Nixon to same foxhole with him and was soon in sleep again leaning Nixon despite her worry over Bull and Webster, Hoobler and others who had gone look for the lieutenant.
On the next morning the company was getting ready to move on and Livia was just talking with Winters and Nixon, when she saw a jeep coming and for her delight she saw not only Webster, Cobb and others in the jeep but also Bull. A big smile came to her face and Winters turned to look the reason why the nurse suddently had so happy look on her face.
"Ah, Bull. I'm happy to have him back." He stated.
"I told you that he'll make it." Nixon said watching also to Bull who was talking with guys who had gathered around him.
"Actually you said that he won't make it, Nix." Winters commented.
"Humor me this time and tell a little white lie, Dick."
"I can't do that." Winters smiled a little and glanced then to Livia who was watching them a small smile on her lips. "What are you doing there still? I thought you had run to Bull already."
"It's so nice to listen you two bonding." The nurse giggled. "But can I go?"
"Since when you have needed my permission to leave?" Winters asked slightly amused.
"Since you were appointed as a commanding officer of Easy. I can't do anything without your permission." Livia grinned.
"Yeah, right. Like you don't." Winters grinned also. "But go and talk to Bull. You clearly want to do it anyway."
"Yes, sir." Livia saluted and then she ran to Bull.
Winters and Nixon watched after the nurse laughing.
"I think we would be one messed up unit if we didn't have her." Nixon stated smiling. "But we weren't really bonding, right?"
"No, Nix. We weren't."
"Never liked this company none." Livia heard Bull saying when she reached him and other guys who seemed very happy about the fact that the lieutenant had come back and seemed unharmed.
"Don't you like even me?" Livia asked smiling when she sneaked between Guarnere and Hashey and stood right infront Bull.
"You're exception, kid." He smiled watching to the nurse.
"I'm so happy to see you." She gasped then and hugged then lieutenant realizing that when she did it, he let out a little moan.
"Are you hurt?" She asked concerned and took few steps back to take a good look on him.
"It's not bad. I just have a small wound on my shoulder." Bull replied.
"Let me take a look of that." She took Bull by his hand and pulled him towards the medical truck.
Bull's wound wasn't so serious, but Livia made sure that she cleaned it well and then she had put the bandage on it the whole group was ready to move on again.
During the couple of next weeks the company was engaged to some battles and for Livia's relief they didn't loose anyone very close to her, but she still mourned over the guys they did lost. She had heard that lieutenant Speirs was still alive and kicking and causing some slight horror among his men. But the Easy company didn't ran to Dog company, so Livia didn't actually see him, but she didn't have to see him for remembering the kiss he had given her.
It was late autumn and the weather was getting a bit colder in Holland where they still were. The unit was spending it's night in a big barn and some of the guys were patrolling in crossroads near by. Livia was just writing a letter to her parents and caressed once in a while a German shepherd which Talbert had found and taken with him. All of a sudden they heard loud yelling, then the barn door was thrown open and Livia saw that Liebgott and other guys who were patrolling carried someone in.
"It's Alley!" Livia heard someone yelling when she jumped up and ran to the men.
"Jesus, what happened?" She gasped when she gave a look to private and saw that he was badly wounded and in great pain.
"Germans. In Crossroads." Liebgott replied simply.
"Alright." Livia said ripping Alley's uniform so that she could see the wounds better. "Get Doc Roe, I need his help."
One of the guys went to get Doc and Winters started to give his orders, which made Livia understand that they would have to get Alley soon to that kind of condition that he could be moved, because they all would we moving out of the barn. When Doc came to Livia's aid, they took care of Alley while the others got ready to leave. The whole company moved by foot, the only exceptions being woundeds and Livia who got to the only truck which was in their use on that day. They weren't far from PC and there was no possibilities move the whole company with trucks.
Livia stayed on the truck looking after Alley and couple of other guys who had been wounded a day before, but Alley was the one she was worried most. The morfin helped him to his pain, but he was breathing heavily and there was a big chance that he would have a high fever. The company had been divided in smaller units, and couple of guys were securing the trucks while others were out on the fields. Livia couldn't sleep on the whole night, once in a while she heard firing from the distance and she just sat on the truck listening the noises and keeping on eye the wounded guys, which would have to get to hospital as soon as possible.
The sun had got up already when Livia suddently started to hear firing again, she left the truck and stretched her legs listening the noises which didn't come so far away like she had thought during the night. For Livia it felt like ages before the firing stopped and she got the word that Germans had fallen back.
She knew that the truck couldn't get to the place where the company was, so after she had gotten the word that Germans had fallen back, she jumped on one of the jeeps which were passing them and drove with one of the commanding officers to meet the rest of the company.
When she got to the place, she saw that the woundeds had been gathered already on the same spot. When she got out of the jeep, medic Spina came to her.
"Good that you came, Livia. Here's several guys wounded, so we need every extra hand."
"Alright. Which one I'll take first?" Livia asked.
Spina showed her a group of guys who hadn't been checked yet and Livia started her work. She had checked three guys, when she decided to take a short break and because she saw John Martin and Bull Randleman standing just few steps from her, she went to them.
"Hey, guys. Are you both alright?"
"Hey. Yeah, no problems here." Martin smiled slightly.
"Same here." Bull commented.
"Have you guys seen Dick or Nix?" Livia asked then and Bull, who guessed what she was thinking smiled a little.
"They are both alright. Thought I'm still wondering how Winters managed to do it without getting shot."
"Do what?" Livia raised her eyebrows.
"He really proved that he's a great leader." Bull said simply.
"I never thought Dick would do it, but the sonofabitch did it." John Martin sighed.
"He did what?" Livia was curious of hearing what the commander had actually done and both men heard also a hint of annoyance in her voice. She hated it when guys didn't tell her what was going on, and Bull and Martin knew it.
"We were hiding on the ditch all ten of us, and Dick told us to move when the red smoke would start coming from the can. He threw the can and started to run across the field himself. Of course we had to obey his order and wait, though everyone wanted to move before the smoke came. When it finally came we ran like we would have Krauts on our asses and when we got to the bank, Dick was shooting Krauts like devil himself." Martin explained.
"You're kidding." Livia gasped, she hated it when the guys did something like Winters had apparently done.
"No, he isn't." Bull intervened. "I saw it too. That man is crazy."
"Takes one to know one, Bull." Livia stated squinting.
"Are you implying that I'm crazy?" He asked raising his eyebrows.
"I don't imply, Bull."
"I know you don't, kid." Bull grinned slightly. "You always say things like you think they are."
"But I'm usually right, aren't I?" Livia raised her eyebrows. "Now, if you excuse me, I have patients to take care of."
"She hides it so well, Johnny." Bull sighed when the nurse had gone.
"What?" Martin turned to look at him, he had no idea what the lieutenant was talking about.
"Her worry over us and everything basically. She hides it well."
"She doesn't hide it always, Bull." Martin replied remembering the occasion when they had thought that they had lost Bull. "She just knows that breaking down in every occasion wouldn't do any good. But she doesn't keep it all inside. Actually I know that she speaks with Dick, Nix, George and Doc about the things she sees and feels every once in a while."
When Livia went back to the spot where the wounded had been gathered, she saw Dukeman lying on one of the stretchers and he didn't seem to move at all.
"Livia..." She heard Doc's voice very near and turned to him.
"Is Duke...?"
"Yes. He got killed." Doc replied sighing and put his hand on her shoulder. " Would you take a look on Webster? I need to take care of Boyle."
"Is it bad?"
"Web? No. It isn't." Doc replied.
"Alright then." Livia sighed. She knew that it was better to work than mourn over the guys or worry about them, but she couldn't help it. She was so attached to these men that she hated to see them be killed or wounded and above all she hated that kind of suicide runs, which Winters had done, but she also understood that they did what they had to do and there was no time to think about it.
When Livia got to Webster, she saw that Doc had been right, he wasn't so badly wounded.
"Hey, Web. Where did you got hit?"
"On my leg." The private grimaced showing his leg.
"Alright. I'll give something for the pain and then I'll take a better look on it." She gave Webster a painkiller and looked then his wound. After cleaning it, she put a bandage on it, when Wesbter stated.
"I yelled that they got me." He had a hint of annoyance on his voice. "Can you believe it? 'They got me', could I be any more stupid?"
"It's just natural, David. I can guess that you got a quite a scare, though this isn't that bad."
"But still..."
"I've heard worse." Livia had a serious expression on her face when she looked to the private. "And believe me, it's better to yell something you think might be stupid than yell out of awful pain."
"I guess you are right." Webster sighed.
"I'm always right." Now ever so slight smile came to her lips. "But you know, this means that you have the chance to take a break."
"Yes. And it's a good thing." The private sighed.
"Okay, you're ready. You should get to one of the trucks. I think we're moving on again." Livia stated taking her stuff.
Before the company continued it's way, Livia talked with one of the medics, who told her that Dukeman was the only one who got killed and there was 22 wounded. Just before Livia got to the one of the trucks which carried the woundeds she saw colonel Sink, who had also appeared from somewhere, talking with Winters and the captain didn't look too happy. Livia decided to ask Winters about it later, but now they had to move on.