AN: A lot of swearing in this one sorry, it's been a while and it's moving slowly but hopefully this will finish Bastogne, I've added a bit and changed it!
Rose spent the night in the CP with Dick and Lew, the three huddled very closely together, Rose didn't get much sleep thinking about Buck, Babe and Bill watching the line, she wondered how he'd taken the news. Bill had always liked having Rosie close to him so he could keep an eye on her.
Earlier that Night...
"Bill get up it's your watch" said Toye to his sleeping friend who had been shivering and snoring in his sleep, Bill woke up rather quickly and looked around him; there was no sign of Rosie.
"Hey Joe, where is she?" he asked confused, she'd probably have been needed at CP she was after all an original Toccoa man and she knew the company better than anyone, if anyone could judge their performance it was her.
"You aint gonna like this" said Joe huffing, Bill glared at him "alright I'll tell you, she was pulled off by the Captain earlier today and she's being at CP all day, they're moving her off the line probably to work with Sink" he said, he looked like he had more to say but couldn't say it, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"And?" asked Bill fully awake now clenching his fists slightly looking tense.
"Jeese Bill don't shoot the messenger...they don't know if they're taking her bars, she'll probably go down to a Sergeant or something I don't know" he mumbled but it was clear enough to Bill, she was being snatched out of his view, how on earth would he protect her now.
"Shit, that's fuckin low the prick, she asked to be treated correctly and that son of a bitch does that, I can't fuckin believe it doesn't he know what's happened?" vented Bill mainly too himself "maybe it is a good thing though, her hands are so wrecked I'm surprised she can use them, her face is all chapped up, she's freezing and goddamn she's getting skinny" he said his eyes watering but quickly drying again.
"I know, I know, she's struggling I get that but fuck sake she's worked so hard to gain the approval of the brass and they're throwing it away on the words of a fuckin imbecile" said Joe back in his usual gruff manner which had only being worsened by the conditions of Bastogne.
"Fuck this I've got watch" said Bill storming off managing to compose himself before he reached Buck and Babe.
"Bugger! I forgot Rose is in a foxhole alone tonight Bill's got watch" said Luz frantically as he was closing his eyes "I'll go find her" he announced leaving the warmth of the body heat surrounding him. His heavy steps left clear markings in the snow as he trudged towards her shared foxhole only to find it empty. Luz quickly made his way back over to where the boys were. "Where the fuck is she?" he asked slightly panicked looking at everyone's faces and loud enough for surrounding foxholes to hear them.
"She's at CP" said Toye plainly causing confusion amongst the men of Easy.
"What the fuck is she doing up there?" asked Malarkey probably one of the closest to Rose in the Company.
"She had a run in with the CO, Brass are deciding if she's gonna lose the bars and Captain Winters thinks that Sink will take her" explained Toye briefly, this was possibly the best reason to hate Dike right now, even though many of the boys thinking about weren't actually close to her or talked to her often enough they still lost a good officer for no reason.
"Son of a mother fucking bitch" said Luz, he wasn't normally one to swear out of combat but right now he was a little angry, this was echoed by the men around him.
"Come on guys we got to rest up" said Talbert hushing them, they all started grumbling but soon they were all in a very cold and tight slumber."
23rd December 1944, Ardennes Forest
The boys of Easy were making an attack on the edge of the woods overlooking Foy, Rose could hear the MGs ringing and the buzz of battle which was the men shouts and orders being given, now Rose truly understood what Dick meant by the fact that he had to watch Easy go without him and he could only listen to the reports, it was like hearing an account of how well Ginger Rodgers performed but you could never really get the same feeling, this however was much more serious and much less glamorous. Lewis could see how agitated she was getting; Colonel Sink was going to see her in a few minutes when he arrived and for that she was entirely inconsolable when it came down to telling her it won't be as bad as she imagines.
Rose climbed out of the CP in front of Colonel Sink and saluted him sharply and to her surprise she saw the regimental Doc, Doc Kemp next to him. "Morning Lieutenant" said Sink gravely making Rose swallow nervously.
"Good morning Sir" she replied, her voice unusually high and her eyes darting in between the two officers in front of her. Sink tried to smile but he was just too cold.
"I hate this business, we've got stuff to be doing and plans to be making for the goddamn assault of Foy and you decide to be disrespectful" he said seriously making her swallow again and go red in the cheeks, she never thought about it that way, then in a turn of events he cracked a smile at her, a small one, he was still cold stiff but it was there nonetheless. "I've been pressured by my higher ups to stop you from stopping Dike do his job correctly because you're too much of a distraction" he said waiting for a response which he realised she wasn't going to give, the girl in front of him was not the fiery he'd met in Toccoa. "He said that you demanded something of him, I wasn't given what it was, enlighten me Marshall" said Sink harshly.
"I didn't demand him to do anything that prevents him from doing his job, I admit it was selfish on my part but I asked to be called Lieutenant treated as such, I'm not a Miss when I'm out here sir" said Rose looking forwards at Sink and Kemp with a hint of red climbing up her neck.
"That's not selfish but he says you're a distraction and distractions get people killed" said Sink looking at her, she could tell he didn't want to.
"Don't you think after two years with these men my disappearance will be a distraction sir" she said slightly venomously and with disgust, she he didn't want to do but she was in Dick's company now, he was the Captain surely he was the one that had the final say.
"My decision is final Lieutenant" he said heatedly and gestured for her to follow, she turned around and gave Dick a salute and handshake "don't worry we'll never forget you Rose" he said to her as her eyes turned red but she had no more tears. "Come on Marshall" said the Colonel and she did so with her gun resting on her knees and her helmet firmly on her head. Doc Kemp was washing out her hands and bandaging them but Rose was completely numb right now she wasn't protecting the boys.
When they got to the regimental HQ Rose stepped out and was ushered in by Colonel Sink, as they were walking he was telling her about her new duties "So Marshall you'll be taking documents to wherever I need them, getting me coffee, checking our supplies and typing up for me understood?" he asked her.
"Yes, sir" they got into the room with all the other orderlies in it and they were all female some giggling at her and other looking at her with disgust "what shall I do with my gun?" she asked making some of the younger ones gasp and Kemp chuckle which he disguised with a cough.
"You'll put it under your desk for now and any other weapons in the drawer, there is a new uniform in the back for you" said Sink "that'll be all" then the pair exchanged salutes.
"Kemp can I ask you a favour, when I'm changed can you get these to the line for the men?" she asked the Doctor who shook his head.
"No, hopefully you'll need them again, I'm saying Lieutenant that you won't be here forever, Dike will go soon" he said and walked off in the opposite direction, it just made it worse knowing she might go back, it made this all feel very grim and she felt bad that she was indoors and relatively warm.
Rose sat down on the furthest desk as it wasn't occupied by anyone and sat down propping up her gun next to the desk and then standing up. First she reached down into her boot and pulled out the knife Nixon had given her before the jump to Holland, the other knife came out of her other boot from what her Grandpa had given her in England and finally the one strapped to her arm hidden in the cloth came out from Buck who'd given it to her in Normandy. The other women all stopped what they were doing; the cockiest one had the audacity to speak up.
"Why have you got them, they're not standard issue and you don't get close enough to the Germans to stab them and beside you have a bayonet" she said as if she knew what the line and combat was like.
"A) Private it's none of your fuckin business b) My superior Officers and my friends gave them to me c)tell that to Bull who was almost captured in Holland and d) have you ever been on the line or shot a gun, you can't shoot straight with a bloody bayonet on and who said they were for stabbing, hedges need cutting, rope needs cutting, your chute gets stuck and that is your lot" said before walking out of the room. She heard them talking when she was getting changed in the next room.
"She's rude she can't waltz in here and talk down to us" said the same woman; she looked to be Rose's age as well.
"She's a first Lieutenant though she's got to have earned it" said another thoughtfully.
"Yeah by spreading her legs, how many do you think she's had it with?" said the rude one.
"I don't know but she's a Brit, they're not known for their brains" giggled another, they all joined in, there had been no paperwork come through all day and this was the best gossip they'd had.
Rose could hear them as she folded her uniform. She wasn't going to let them get to her like she let Dike get to her. Her old uniform smelt fusty and was cold but she didn't want it washing, she didn't know why but she was scared someone would find it and then she'd never see it again. The uniform they gave her was that off a female field nurse, the pants and the jacket, the shirt, the whole shebang but they'd made sure it had the insignia on that she wore on her jackets on, she did look a bit odd in a nurse's uniform with infantry insignia but she couldn't care less, she attached her bars to the collars and walked back catching her reflection in a window, her face was dry and bruised, there was blood in her hair line her hair had grown, she hadn't paid much attention but when she joined it reached her shoulders, now it was half way down her back and was frizzy, it greatly contrasted the clean clothes she was wearing, they fitted her and she thanked the stars for that, the male clothing rather squished her up as it had no room for female assets.
Rose walked back in the room and she sat down again with nothing to do she took to trying to comb her hair out with her fingers. "Don't you think this is dishonourable to a soldier like yourself" said the same woman as before, Rose managed a fake sweet smile.
"I'm an officer, and you're right it is a disgrace for an officer such as I to be pushed around by the brass and do such menial work" she said, they took offence to that, she had called them menial but nobody was about to call her out on it "who the fuck are you anyway?" she asked, she'd been around Liebgott too much and Bill for that matter.
"Private Margery King" she said proudly to Rose, she suspected that more was coming "my brother is the commanding officer of Item company" she said.
"Can't say I've met him...oh wait that's Henry, I know him" said Rose blandly, he wasn't an outstanding person but he was courteous enough, they all turned their focus to the door as Colonel Sink walked in Rose saluted first and the rest followed.
"Hope these lot are nice enough Marshall but I need your bars" he said bluntly, Rose unclipped them almost automatically and handed them over, it was when they dropped into her hands that she felt inadequate and small, she could see King smirking at her.
"You're now a Staff Sergeant, here you go" he said to her and handed her the chevrons.
"Sir, I was a staff sergeant before Normandy, I've done so much more and you know it, you commissioned me for a reason" she said in a quiet voice that only Sink could hear.
"Well one day you might get them back" he said in a hushed tone, she saluted and so did he. She could see the others smirking at her, they threw her a sewing kit.
"Well best get sewing Staff" they said to her and went back to talking amongst themselves.
Rose took of her jacket and placed the chevrons on where she needed them but her hands were shaking, it wasn't a nervous shake or a scared shake it looked like the shake her Grandpa had. She picked up the needled and thread but she couldn't thread the needle, she was shaking a little too much and she was having a hard time moving her fingers from the bandages wrapped around her hands. The smallest woman in the room walked over to her and offered her a hand.
"Do you want any help Staff?" she asked her with a very sympathetic face.
"I'll manage Corporal but thank you anyway" replied Rose, as much as she needed help she wasn't about to accept it from a woman she was trying to earn the respect of, her pleasant tone seemed to catch the girl off guard, she expected that she thought that she was like all the other soldiers, gruff and impolite all the time. A common misconception thought Rose, she'd never say anything ill of her boys, she was very biased but she did think that she could take any of them to meet her grandmother and she'd love them.
"Sure thing, but if you need anything or have questions just ask...and oh don't let Margery get to you, she's always been a pain" she said as she walked off. Rose spent a good quarter of an hour trying to thread the needle becoming thoroughly upset and she was ready to throw it out of the window. When she finally started sewing the same girl came and sat by her with a supply list for Battalion. Rose threw her a quick smile.
After thirty minutes and twenty needle pricks later she was finally able to say she'd sewn them on. "They're perfect, who taught you to sew?" asked the corporal.
"I didn't learn I got on with it my first CO was a stickler for detail, in training I'm not sure I ever got a weekend pass" chuckled Rose to the girl with a slight smile on her face.
"Sobel?" asked the Corporal smiling knowingly.
"Yeah how did you know?" asked Rose with an impressed frown.
"Everyone knows about Easy Company staff, they're sort of legends to be fair, we've always admired you, through the papers and battle reports" said the Corporal.
"Really?" asked Rose putting her jacket on again, she could imagine that she was a sight for sore eyes but this girl seemed to be impressed to be honest.
"Oh yeah, you've acted as a medic the best you could, you've got two combat jumps, you survived Sobel and you're a good shot...not to mention the Bazooka" she smiled.
"Me and Harry, I mean Lieutenant Welsh" she corrected herself chuckling "how come you're in the Army then?" asked Rose.
"I couldn't let eight sisters join as nurses now could I? I had no nurse training but they did, I enlisted in '43 when I turned eighteen they put me in England but Hester wanted me up here" she said.
"Oh I'm surprised I didn't recognise you, Clarence was always on about you, I saw you a few times in France, you're Ruth Hart?" said Rose berating herself but relieved to find someone who knew at least an acquaintance.
"That's me" chuckled Ruth "well I'll see you around I'll run this through, you might want to wash your face, the end bed is yours and there is a tap, bowl and mirror in the bathroom" she added and walked out. Rose felt guilty using the amenities that the men couldn't but she knew if her boys were there they would want her to take full advantage.
Rose sat there for a few hours every now and then filling out a form or writing something up but at the moment there was nothing for her to do.
She slowly got up and carried her weapons to where the beds were, if you could call them beds, they looked to be as comfortable as the bunks on the Samaria were but right now she couldn't care less, anything was better than snow. She dumped them down and found the tap and bowl, she managed to scrub the blood off with her finger nails as not to wet the bandages that were wrapped around her hands and pulled her hair up in the best way that she could by plaiting it and then making two buns at the bottom of her neck. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, her jaw and cheek bones had become more defined with the weight loss and her neck seemed thinner, her hair was lip despite being thick, her face was red and bruised and her lips were chapping...not exactly the sweetheart of the 101st any more thought Rose cynically, she'd hit a rock bottom, her tears started to leak out but she'd be damned if any of the other heard her, she wiped away the tears furiously and walked back in, there was a ration of food on her bed with a note saying "Eat", she also noticed a chocolate bar was underneath the bowl which made her smile.
The next day she had heard a report that Smokey had taken a hit and was paralysed but there had been no other casualties, Rose knew it must only be getting worse on the line if Toccoa men were being taken out at the rate they were, they were the people that really needed to survive. She'd been worried sick whilst she was typing up Sink's report from Dick and had managed to make only a few grammatical errors even though she wasn't sure any of them would notice.
Christmas eve came with being woken up at half past five just like every morning then getting a quick breakfast but today she was surprised to see Colonel Sink walk into the room looking chirpy everybody stood to attention but he put them all at ease. "Marshall, I've got something to tell the Easy Boys thought you might like to join me" he said and walked out, she took the last mouthful of her breakfast and followed him out, a smile gracing her features, she grabbed her jacket and her gloves and followed him out, the air was brisk but she was used to it, if it had been any of the others she was sure they'd just stay there.
They got to the line and the boys were all there with their bowls in their hands joking and laughing with one another. Malarkey's head popped up and his mouth opened in a wide smile "Holy shit, it's Rosie!" he called as she loaded out and Sink went to talk to Dick for a minute. The boys all crushed her in a hug and Bill managed to kiss her cheek undetected, she smiled up at them all brightly.
"Whoa hang on a second, those are chevrons, officers don't wear chevrons?" said Skip confused.
"Nope but Staff Sergeants do" replied Rose shrugging.
"Bastards, but I'm sure as soon as Dike is gone you'll be back with us" said Luz smiling.
"Thanks Luz" she smiled "I've made a friend though, like an actual female friend, Corporal Hart, she's a top girl" said Rose.
"Hang in there you've made a friend?! How?" joked Malarkey with her, they were all relieved to see her happy mood.
"I have no idea but she was the one who used to file all of Easy's paperwork, she works for Hester" she replied, the boys around her nodded in agreement, they had all liked Hester very much.
"We're all sitting down to a Christmas eve dinner or turkey and hooch back at the division CP, but I'd be damned if I don't like Joe Domingus' rancid ass beans better" he said making the company chuckle, they seemed to have their spirits raised after the drop the other day "hello Easy Company." The Company replied with a hello sir.
"Men, General McAuliffe wishes us all a merry Christmas, what's merry about all this you ask? Just this, we've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West. Now, two days ago the German Commander demanded our honourable surrender to save the USA encircled troops from total annihilation...The German Commander received the following reply "to the German Commander: Nuts!" said making Easy bark out with laughter. "We're giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present, an being privileged to take part in this gallant fear of arms, we truly are making ourselves a Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas to you all and God bless you" he finished leaving Easy in a perfect state of happiness.
"Nuts" the men were crying out laughing to themselves, Sink shook his head affectionately the boisterous young lads receiving the news.
"Marshall" barked out Sink, Rose nodded solemnly to him and smiled sadly at the men.
"Merry Christmas boys" she said smiling as best she could.
"Merry Christmas Princess!" they all chorused at her making her blush, it had been a while since they had called her that.
Later that night there was news that Harry Welsh had been hit and without a second thought on her soldier instincts she was running to the hospital.