Author's Note:
Thank you so much FallynAshe for the review! It really inspired me to keep working on the story! It makes me so happy that you love Marie! Really makes my day! I'm so glad that you're looking forward to the next chapter! :)
And thank you sakura2113 for the story favorite!
Thank you Straight Edge Queen for another awesome review! I'm glad that you appreciate how slow and steady I'm taking with Marie's development as a person/adjustment to the war, and with her and Malarkey's relationship. I'm trying to keep things as realistic I can :)
Despite all their efforts, the siege of Carentan still wasn't finished. Marie had found Emilia and was able to coax some of the depression out of her. She'd never seen Emilia so down before, but seeing a good friend get hit bad would never come easy, even with all the training they'd endured. Marie imagined if Em, Muck or Malarkey got hit like that. The very thought made Marie shudder and want to vomit. If any of them died, she'd never be able to get over it, and that scared her. This was war after all, any of their lives could be taken at any moment.
The sun was high as the long day dragged on. Marie and Emilia sat with Muck, Malarkey, More, Penkala and Blithe. Having some R&R after the fight today was much needed and appreciated. They sat outside, the bright sun shining down on them to the point where it almost felt harsh. Marie could already feel a sunburn forming on her pale cheeks. She watched as Muck unwrapped a packet of cheese and went to take a bite, waiting to see what he thought of it before she tasted her's. The men were talking about the possibility of getting to Berlin by Christmas, but Marie didn't think the war would be over that quickly.
Muck gagged on the cheese, sticking his tongue out in disgust. Marie couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. Emilia and Malarkey joined in. It had been a long time since all four of them got to truly laugh together. It felt blissful, like the old days.
"Enjoy it while it lasts." A new voice cut in. Everyone stopped laughing and turned to see Lieutenant Speirs standing before them. Marie stiffend instantly, remembering the day when her and Malarkey and the POWs. "We'll be moving out soon." The Lieutenant informed them.
"Moving out of town, Lieutenant, already?" Malarkey questioned.
"That's right." Speirs replied, walking past the group. Marie stared up at his tall figure, entranced but also slightly afraid by his presence. She saw Emilia doing the same.
"Don't they know we're just gettin' settled here?" More interjected, annoyed by Speirs' news. Speirs stopped walking and turned around to face More. His steely gaze at More made a chill run down Marie's spine. He glared for a moment longer then continued to stalk off to wherever he was headed.
"Nice, Groucho." Muck said to More flatly.
"What?" More asked defensively.
"Real smart. You know you're taking your life in your own hands. Ain't that right?" Muck told him, looking over at Malarkey for confirmation. Marie nodded at Muck, letting him know she agreed with his statement.
"What are you talking about?" Emilia asked, confused.
"I told you, we didn't actually see it." Malarkey answered, giving Marie an uneasy stare. She gulped, the memory flooding back to her. They explained to the confused Emilia about how Speirs gunned down all those POWs after he'd given them each a cigarette. There were disputes to whether he really did it, or if one of his men did it. The rumors sounded hard to believe, Muck being one of the ones whom didn't think he did it, but Malarkey thought he did.
Whether he did or not, they would never find out.
"Well whatever he did, he's handsome as sin." Emilia commented, ending their arguing.
Marie couldn't help but crack a smile at her words. It was true, Speirs was attractive to the point where it seemed dangerous. He had a nice rugged quality to him, but Marie was still a little afraid of him. Ronald Speirs wasn't her type, anyway.
"You're smitten with Speirs?" Penkala asked her incredulously.
Emilia rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. He's just easy on the eyes is all."
Marie gave Emilia a devilish smile. She knew who Em was really sweet on, she could tell whenever Tab was around she looked at him differently, and he did the same. After years of Emilia taunting Marie about Malarkey, it was finally her turn.
"Yeah, Speirs isn't your type. We all know who you're into." Marie added, smiling impishly.
Emilia shot her a look. The boys stared back and forth between them, as Emilia glared at Marie, and Marie held onto her mischievous smile. Marie was ready to open her mouth and reveal Emilia's little secret, but Em raised up her hands to quiet her down.
"Oh God, we aren't going to sit here and talk about school girl crushes, are we?" Muck said, over exaggerating a groan.
"You're not a little bit curious?" Marie asked him.
"Well, if it's one of the guys, maybe." Muck admitted, giving Emilia a teasing smile. She sighed, shaking her head at them.
"Who is it?" Penkala asked Emilia.
"Whoever he is, he's one lucky bastard." More muttered, giving Em an amused smile.
Before anyone could say another word, Welsh's voice filled the air, commanding 1st platoon to move out. Marie watched everyone get up, waving goodbye to Muck and Emilia. Blithe didn't move though. He hesitated, his movements slow to react.
Finally he followed the rest. Marie shook her head as she watched him, Malarkey standing beside her, his gaze following her's. He nudged her gently in the forearm, cocking his head in a different direction.
"We need to go." He told her.
She nodded and followed him to 2nd platoon's position.
The gunfire on the outskirts of Carentan forced them to take cover in the hedgerows. It was now nighttime and Easy was still stuck waiting outside in the dark. Marie's stomach growled loudly as she sat in her foxhole, listening to the distant, occasional shots from German gunfire and to a few of the men singing cheerily. The sky lit up with lightning every once in awhile, followed by booming thunder that made Marie jump, thinking it was a bomb. She had no idea what the guys had to be so cheery about.
She got up from her foxhole, feeling that she needed to stretch her legs. She massaged her kneecaps, trying to spark life back into them. The Germans were waiting toward the south, regrouping and prepping for battle to fight for the town back. At dawn they would strike. Marie hoped that this would be the last time they'd have to fight in Carentan.
She starting trudging through the grass, thick with dew and damp from some light rain they had earlier. The mosquitos were out in full force tonight, much to everyone's irritation. She smacked at her neck as they bit her countless times; there was no way she could stay still the way they were swarming in the fields. She stumbled around, blindly, focusing most of her attention on escaping the little buzzing vampires.
Marie lost her footing for a moment, almost stumbling fully into a foxhole. She found her balance, perched on the side, almost sliding in. She startled both of the soldiers inside, she could see them, dimly, ready to draw up their rifles.
"Marie? Jesus Christ, don't do that." She heard Martin's voice grumble from below. He drowsily wiped his eyes as Marie climbed into the foxhole, trying not to bump into the other soldier. She noticed that Blithe was with him, and he was crying again.
"Sorry, Johnny." She whispered apologetically.
"Whatcha doing wandering around here? You're pretty far from your platoon." Martin asked her, shifting in his spot to get more comfortable.
"The singing was getting on my nerves a bit. I'm not feeling happy enough to join. Not to mention these mosquitos are just awful tonight." Marie told him.
He nodded sleepily. "You should get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow. At the crack of dawn you know they'll be stirring us awake."
"I don't think I can sleep knowing the Germans are so close." Marie admitted meekly.
"It'll be fine. Blithe's keepin' watch." Martin assured her. Marie looked over her shoulder at the teary eyed shoulder, staring off into the darkness. Marie didn't feel very confident with Blithe keeping watch, she didn't know how Martin could fall asleep so easily.
"Medic!" Someone cried in the distance. Marie was immediately on her feet. She looked back at Martin, whom shrugged but looked alarmed. She jumped out of the foxhole and went off to find who was screaming.
"Where are you?" She called, squinting her eyes in the darkness. She saw a few figures gathered around a tree, and someone slumped over to the ground. She jogged over, clearing out the crowd so she could get a better look. It was Tab.
"What happened?" She demanded, turning her head to look at the men standing idly by. One was rambling on hysterically, saying that he 'thought he was a kraut' over and over again. She noticed Lieb amongst the crowd, he kneeled beside her.
"Kid thought he was a kraut." Lieb whispered to her. "He got stabbed by his bayonet a few times.
Marie didn't like the sound of the situation. Talbert was gored by his own man, and in the chest too. She tore open his clothing, straining to get a better look at his wounds. There were two wounds, one high and one low. She went through her pack as quickly as she could, taking out bandages, gauze and sulfa powder. She cursed herself for not having a flashlight in her pack, trying to patch up the wounded in the dark was very difficult.
"How long has he been laying like this?" She asked Lieb.
"Uh, I don't know. Just fix him." Lieb clipped, on edge because of his nerves.
"Dammit, Lieb. It's important that I know! Puncture wounds have to be bled out for a few minutes before they can be treated so the wound can clean itself out." She replied evenly, trying to keep the situation calm for Tab's sake. He sat there, leaning against the tree, whimpering in pain.
"Yeah, I'd say it's about five minutes." Lieb answered.
Marie then proceeded to clean out his wounds. Preventing infection was her first priority when it came to injuries like this, applying pressure and stopping the bleeding came later. After she cleaned them out, she wrapped him up with gauze and bandages, making sure they were tight enough to halt the bleeding.
"You're doing just fine, Tab. The wounds aren't that deep, so you should be just fine." Marie assured him in a soft voice. Honestly, she wasn't sure if he was going to make it, medics could never be too careful. But she didn't let the uncertainty show in her face or her voice.
"Em's going to be upset." He rasped.
Marie pursed her lips, knowing that he was right. Emilia had just witnessed Tip getting seriously wounded, and now Tab was going to be taken off the line for stab wounds.
"I'll take care of her." Marie told him. "You just worry about getting better." She heard quick footsteps approaching then, she looked to see Roe coming up at them, holding onto his helmet as he ran.
"Whatta we got?" He asked, instantly at Tab's side, and studying Marie's treatment techniques carefully.
Marie explained everything to him, before she knew it they were loading Tab up on a jeep to be taken back to battalion, where he'd be shipped back to England. She felt a weight in her stomach, knowing that she'd have to confront Emilia with the news.
Morning signaled that another battle was going to commence. It was now D-Day plus seven, Marie couldn't believe that a week had passed since they'd all dropped into Normandy. The days seemed endless and would bunch together the longer they were all stationed in Carentan. Marie was starting to lose her track of time, which frightened her. Things like that made soldiers forget that there was more to life than war.
Everyone laid on the outskirts of Carentan, getting their ammo ready for another attack. Marie had managed three hours of sleep, but it was a restless and unsatisfying sleep. She kept thinking of Emilia's reaction when she told her the news about Tab.
Marie planned to tell Em right when she woke up, not wanting to put it off any longer. She saw Em gathered around with Welsh, going over the map, routes, and possible strategies with him. Donald Hoobler sat on stump beside them, humming to himself as he reloaded his sidearm. Marie waited awkwardly behind the hedgerow, stalling for as long as she could.
"No, we don't know what they've got. We may be attacking a weaker force, possibly more paratroopers." Welsh explained to them, studying the map that Emilia was holding out for him. He noticed Marie standing by, and acknowledged her with a welcoming smile.
"You know how they can be." Hoobler added, receiving a few smirks and laughs from the nearby soldiers.
"What brings you to 1st platoon?" Welsh asked the nervous medic.
Marie smiled thinly, her eyes falling on Emilia. "I just need to speak to her, sir."
"Make it quick, I've got to finish briefing these guys." Welsh told her.
"What's up, Hun?" Emilia questioned her, cocking her head.
"Well…" Marie paused, biting the inside of her cheek. She hated doing this right now, Emilia had been so distant since she witnessed Tipper's almost demise. Now she had to tell her the man she possibly had feelings for had been shanked by one of his own guys. "Talbert was wounded by a bayonet last night. One of the jumpy privates mistook his for a kraut. He's patched up and has been sent to the hospital." Marie continued on, quickly spilling out her sentence.
Emilia didn't respond, she gazed at Marie with heavy eyes, then looked back down at her map. "I see." Emilia replied in a low voice.
"Jesus! He gonna be okay?" Hoobler asked Marie.
"Yes." Marie lied. Truth was she had no idea what Tab's condition would be.
Welsh gave her a sad look, but continued on with the briefing. "Fire and maneuver, that's the name of the game. Fire and maneuver. Dog and Fox company will be on our left flank, moving with us. Any questions?"
Before anyone could speak up, the sudden bursts of 88s erupted. Everyone immediately took cover. A man standing by Luz's foxhole got hit right in the neck. He collapsed, while Luz pulled him into the safety of the foxhole with his free hand. His other hand was latched onto his radio receiver.
"Here we go again!" Hoobler exclaimed over the gunfire.
Marie ran over and leapt into Luz's foxhole, almost landing on his lap. She took out some gauze and bandages, quickly doing everything she could for the wounded soldier. She crawled out of the foxhole, and ran over to 2nd platoon. Easy Company was giving everything they had against the Germans, but this time it didn't seem enough. It felt like the Germans were the ones pushing them back this time.
Marie saw Guarnere in the distance, covering fire on a small hill. She made her way over to him, skidding on the ground to a stop, trying to avoid being hit with any bullets.
"Everything okay down here?" She asked her squad leader, panting. She hadn't had time to catch her breath and the barrage just started.
"No wounded that I've seen, yet!" Guarnere yelled back to her. An explosion rocked them both, followed by splintered trees crumbling around them, shooting bark in every direction. Marie planted her heels in the dirt, forcing herself not to slide down the hill. A deep rumbling shook the ground, as if a giant was stomping across the lands.
"What the hell is that?" She shouted over to Guarnere.
"Panzer's!" Guarnere bellowed. Large German tanks suddenly appeared out of nowhere and were rolling ominously across the fields. The sight of them made Marie's heart skip a beat, they were not ready for this.
The tanks started to fire, destroying everything in sight. Trees were knocked over from the stumps, timbering down and almost hitting panicked soldiers. It was a nightmare. Marie let herself roll down the hill, out of sight from the incoming tanks. People in their foxholes were getting blown to bits; even the cover of the foxholes couldn't protect them against the horrible destructive force of the Panzers.
Shit! Marie thought fearfully.
"Malark, get over here!" She heard Buck's voice call among the chaos. She crawled forward on her hands and knees, keeping her eyes peeled for Malarkey. She saw Malarkey making his way across a pasture. He was about a hundred yards away, too far for Marie to follow him. Mortar fire rained down around him, making Marie's head swim with fear.
She closed her eyes, feeling the pressure set in. Everywhere she looked trees were exploding. Marie covered her ears and started to scream, releasing all the built up stress inside her. She knew she was a sitting duck in her current position, but part of her didn't want to move. A tank had struck a tree a few yards from her, its stump had almost been sliced down the middle. It started to fall, unable to support its weight. The sound of the explosion had knocked Marie back to her senses, she noticed the tree about to crash down upon her and was able to evade it last second.
In the distance Dog and Fox Company was retreating, leaving Easy's right and left flanks wide open. Easy was the only company holding the line now. This had been the first time Marie had thought that they were all actually going to die. She stood up and decided to run to see Malarkey anyway. This could be her last chance to ever see him. She booked it across the pasture, tanks and mortar fire raining down all around the fields. She saw the building where Malarkey had run into. It grew closer and closer with every step as Marie pushed herself toward the doors.
She stumbled inside, almost landing on her face as she thrust open the doors. Roe and Malarkey jumped, startled by her abrupt entrance. She stood immobile at the building entrance, trying to catch her breath while her lungs struggled for air.
"Good timing, Hun. I need your help." Roe said in a hurried voice. Marie saw that the building was full with wounded soldiers, all waiting in line to be treated. Roe was currently wrapping up a soldier's bare chest. Roe's sleeves and hands were soaked in blood; she watched as he methodically patched up the wounded soldier.
Malarkey held his right hand, waiting in line like the rest of the men. She realized he had been wounded. Alarmed, Marie jogged over to him, checking him over.
"I took a shrapnel to the hand." Malarkey told her, holding up his bloody hand.
"That's a Purple Heart wound, Malark." Roe calmly said to him. Malarkey gazed over at him, stunned by the scene of so many badly bloodied and wounded men in one setting. Outside the tanks still roared with vengeance, a grim reminder of what was waiting outside those doors.
"I don't want any Purple Hearts. But how about a bandage?" Malarkey replied.
"I've got one, Don." Marie answered, rummaging through her pack. She pulled out one and started to wrap up his hand. Marie bit her lip in concentration as she patched him up, making sure his right hand would still be of use to him.
"Thanks, Hun." He said hastily. He went over and grabbed all the ammo his hands could carry.
"You're going back out there?" Marie asked him, knowing it was a dumb question.
"Of course! Stay here and help the Doc!" Malarkey told her, running out the door and back into the fray.
She said a silent prayer to herself for Malarkey, Emilia and Muck.
It was mid-afternoon now, and the hope of conquering Carentan was diminishing. There were so many wounded and close casualties stacking up that Marie and Roe could barely keep up with the demand. She was running drastically low on morphine and sulfa, leaving only some bandages and gauze left in her pack. She needed to stock up on her supplies, but it was impossible at this moment. Marie felt that they were going to be overrun at any moment. She pictured the tanks crashing through the building and crushing them all.
But there was a sound outside that Marie hadn't heard since Carentan had begun. The men outside were cheering. She looked puzzled over at Roe, whom returned her glance. She decided to go outside and see what the sudden lifted mood was about.
Outside she saw more tanks, but they didn't look like Panzers. She ran over to the hedgerow, keeping her head low. She spotted Muck and Malarkey taking cover in the hedgerow, cheering along with the rest of Easy Company.
Marie crouched beside them, staring at the newly arrived tanks as they rolled across the field.
"Check it out, Shermans!" Muck said gleefully to her, elbowing Marie to get her attention.
It was the 2nd Armored Division and they brought about sixty tanks as reinforcements. Marie's mouth gaped at the sight of the tanks pushing back the Germans. She couldn't help but smile in relief at the sight.
"About damn time!" Malarkey exclaimed.
Marie saw as Easy Company started to shoot unmercially at the retreating Germans. The sight made Marie actually feel satisfied. She partly wished that she had a weapon and that she could join them. She felt angry at the enemy for causing them all so much grief since it all started.
Before she knew it the blitz was over. Easy emerged from their cover and went to check the fields, riddled with debris and death from the long, hard fight. Marie saw Winters had found a wounded an dying German soldier, laying on the ground. He had orderd Malarkey to put the poor soul out of his misery. Malarkey followed orders, putting one right in the German's head.
Marie closed her eyes and looked away. The German's young face was pleading with Malarkey to pull the trigger and get it all over with. Marie felt guilty for wanting to join in on the killing earlier when the Germans were retreating. She stared into the German's blue eyes, bloodshot and tearing from fear and fatigue.
Winters saw her distressed posture and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She turned to face his sad, smiling face. She couldn't bring herself to return the smile.
"Good work out there today." He complimented.
Marie laughed humorlessly. "I wasn't much help out here in the field, sir."
"Of course you were! You patched up dozens of soldiers with Roe today. You'll get the hang of things, Marie. It was one of the hardest fights we've had on Carentan yet."
Marie instinctively raised her hand and touched her gash on her forehead, remembering the previous battle. Winters glanced at her forehead then back at her, giving her another melancholy smile.
"Don't be so hard on yourself." He told her softly. He trudged off, leaving her, Malarkey, and the dead German soldier. Malarkey walked up to her, studying her face for a moment.
"We're still not done with Carentan yet, are we?" Marie asked her friend, not really wanting to hear the answer.
Malarkey smiled wearily. "No… I think we have a few more things to check on. We're Easy Company, Hun. We're never 'done'."