The truck took us to a safe place where we could all rest and regain our strength. I had to be lifted off the truck and carried down the steep bank which took us to a field. I was rested against the ground with the bank giving my back support.
I watched as Lieutenant Martin rushed around asking everyone, desperately, if they had seen Bull. Sergeant Randleman aka Bull had not returned. No one knew where he was. It made me feel sick to my stomach to think of Bull lying somewhere alone. No one knew if he was dead or alive. But if he was alive, I didn't think he would be for long with all of those Germans lurking around back there.
"Hey!" Luz cried.
I jumped violently when I heard Luz's voice. My thoughts were so wrapped up in thinking about Bull.
"Holy Shit" I put my hand on my chest and breathed deeply "You scared me shitless"
"How's the leg?" Lieb asked.
I sighed "Well, my ankle is throbbing constantly and my knee feels like its burning"
Doc Roe over heard me complaining and crouched down in front of me. He stared at my leg with his worried eyes and examined my ankle.
"Does this hurt?" Roe twisted my leg gently to the right.
"OUCH!" I shouted angrily.
He nodded his head and walked away. We watched curiously as he found his aid bag. He pulled out a syringe and marched back towards us.
"Morphine" he said when he saw my worried face.
"Oh god" I sighed in relief "I could really use that"
He stabbed the needle into my leg and the pain immediately stopped. It was like I had been kissed by an angel and the medicine in its lips had found its way into my blood stream and restored peace within me
"That should do it" Roe put the empty syringe into his bag.
"This is heaven" I whispered, with bleary eyes. I starred up at the stars above me. They looked more beautiful than ever. "Wow"
Lieb waved his hand in front of my face.
"It's like she is on drugs" Luz pointed out "well obviously she is but..."
"Some people react like this on morphine" Roe explained "It's perfectly normal"
But then, everything started to change. It was like someone had sucked out the good feeling through my chest. My eyes started to well up with tears but I wasn't crying. My chest began to tighten up with every breath and a wave of dizziness hit me hard.
I put my hand on my chest and started to breath heavily.
"Wow wow wow what's wrong?!" Lieb turned my face to his and searched for an answer.
"Doc!" Luz shouted at Roe who was watching me carefully.
His brow was furrowed so deep that I thought his eyes would completely disappear. He searched around in his aid kit in panic.
"Whats happening?!" Lieb insisted that he knew now.
Water was falling from my eyes and my head grew heavy.
Hoobler walked past then stopped abruptly when he saw the commotion.
"What's wrong?!" Hoob crouched down beside Doc and stared at me.
"Doc!" Liebgott shouted impatiently.
Roe pulled out a cloth from his aid bag "Someone give me their canteen!" he said forcefully.
By now, my head was almost ready to roll off my shoulders, as their voices became muffled.
Lieb gave Roe his canteen. He immediately unscrewed the lid and soaked the cloth with the precious water.
"She is having an allergic reaction to the morphine, it's quite rare and it's not severe" Roe finally explained.
Not severe?! I thought to myself but I couldn't bring myself to talk.
"Lieb, Luz move her forward so we can lay her down" Roe instructed.
"Is there anything I can do?" Hoob asked. We met eyes just before I was lowered to the ground and he gave me a quick reassuring smile.
"Um, Luz, Hoob give her some space" Roe moved up beside me "Lieb put her head on your lap; there is a slight possibility that she could swallow her tongue if this reaction is worse than we feared"
Holy shit.
Lieb shuffled up behind me and gently placed my droopy head on his lap.
"We need to try and calm her down so we can regulate her breathing" Roe explained.
He pressed the wet cloth over my head. The cool water gently soothed my dizzy head.
"It's ok, Rose" Lieb said softly. I looked up at him and he smiled slightly.
Doc Roe wiped my brow with the damp cloth and said gently "Take a deep breath in and out" I obeyed by inhaling through my mouth and out through my nose "Again" he said and breathed with me "In and out"
My breathing started to regulate and my sore teary eyes began to function normally.
"Luz, your canteen please" Roe reached over me to Luz who was sitting a few feet away from me.
Luz fished out his canteen and handed it to Roe without a word.
"Ok, Wilson, we need you to try and sit up so we can get some water down you" Roe said calmly.
They all gently pulled me up to sitting and Roe guided the canteen to my dry lips and the cool liquid slid down my parched throat. Once I had finished, Roe moved the canteen away from my lips and they all stared at me.
"What the hell are you all staring at?" I said playfully.
They all smiled and Luz laughed.
"Thank god, you're alright!" Lieb hugged me from behind and I smiled like an idiot.
"How are you feeling?" Roe asked, still in his serious doctor mode.
"I feel fine" I said truthfully "Thank you Eugene"
He smiled slightly and walked away, his work was done.
Luz hugged me too and said "Hey, Short stuff, don't ever scare us like that again"
"I won't as long as no one gives me morphine" I shook my head "I better not get wounded again that's all I can say"
"Being allergic to morphine is real bad luck" Hoob pointed out.
"It could be worse" Luz said smugly.
"How the hell could it be worse?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.
"You could be allergic to me" he winked.
"How does that work?"
"I dunno" Luz pulled a strange thinking face "but just imagine it...how could you survive without me"
I poked him hard in the ribs "You're an idiot"
He laughed "Says you"
"Yeah, says me" I laughed too.
"You two..." Lieb laughed a little "... always find a way to laugh about a situation don't you"
"Come on Lieb" I ruffled his bouncy brown locks much to his displeasure "You've only just figured that out?"
He flattened his hair back down and smiled "No, I figured that out on day one"
Once the numbing morphine had worn off, I was back to being in constant pain. I had to be taken everywhere by Luz and Lieb because I was still unable to walk unaided. They even had to take me to go pee...
By then it was nightfall and Lieb and Luz took me further out into the field to sit with Webster, Cobb, Hoob, Garcia and Hashey.
"Any sign of Bull?" I asked Web when Lieb and Luz set me down before leaving to go sit with Penkala, Skip and Malarkey who were further down the field.
Web shook his head and sighed thoughtfully "No"
Guarnere joined us and crouched down in front of Hoob "Any news on Bull yet?"
Hoob shook his head.
Guarnere looked at the floor for a moment before saying "If there ain't no body then there ain't nobody fucking dead!" He announced aggressively to all of us who had already accepted the fact that we would probably never see Bull again "Understand me?"
The replacements nodded quickly, probably out of fear.
Hoob jumped up and said "I'm gonna look for him"
Guarnere Jumped up with him "Not by yourself you're not, I'll go with ya, I'll get some ammo"
Hashey stood up "That's alright, I'll go"
"Me too" Garcia said.
They had grown to love their sergeant like the rest of us.
Guarnere nodded "Alright...go get 'em"
Webster moaned "Alright...what the hell" and stood up to leave.
"Be careful!"I shouted to them "Bring Bull back safely"
I looked at Cobb who was sat staring into space whilst nervously fiddling with a piece of grass. He caught me looking at him.
"I ain't going back up there" he said.
I shook my head and led down on the floor. I wanted to go, but there was no way I could, not now.
...
"Wilson" I heard Doc Roe's voice calling to me.
"Hm?" I said as I sat up and rubbed my bleary eyes "Yeah?"
"There is an ambulance waiting on the road" he said softly and placed his hand on my shoulder "You're going to hospital"
My stomach screwed up in knots and my heart dropped.
"What?" I said shakily "I can't leave"
"You need to get your leg fixed up" he explained "You can't carry on with your leg in that state"
"I'm fine!" I insisted "I can manage"
"No" he shook his head "no you won't"
I felt tears brewing behind my eyes but I kept them back "Can I at least say goodbye?"
He nodded "You have five minutes. Get someone to assist you to the ambulance"
I stared at Cobb who was still beside me.
He nodded and stood up "I'll go get them"
He knew exactly who I wanted to see.
I stared at everyone dotted around the field. I couldn't believe that I was leaving them. My worst nightmare was coming true. I didn't know how long I was going to be away from them. But even a day without them was unbearable let alone a week or even a month.
Skip, Lieb, Luz, Penkala and Malarkey came running over from the other side of the field.
"Rose" Lieb said softly and brought me into a tight hug. My tears started to flow "Don't cry, please don't cry"
"I don't want to leave you" I exclaimed into his shoulder "I don't want to be without any of you"
Luz broke our hug and pulled me into him.
"It's going to be okay, Shorty" he whispered "They are going to fix you up then they will bring you back to us"
One by one Skip, Malarkey and Penkala hugged me before our massive group hug.
Luz and Lieb scooped me off the floor and they all walked me across the field, up the bank and to the road where the ambulance awaited to take me away.
Doc Roe was waiting beside it with a team of medics.
I was lifted onto a stretcher and wheeled into the vehicle. My heart pounded as I was pushed further and further away from my friends. A medic was about to push the door shut when Liebgott stopped him and charged through the door.
I propped myself up on my elbows and searched his face when he approached me.
"Here" he reached into his pocket and handed me a necklace with the Star of David on it "To keep you safe"
I pulled the necklace over my head and let it drop around my neck "Thank you" I pulled myself up further and kissed him softly on the cheek.
His eyes were transfixed on mine. I moved my head closer to his...
Roe entered the Ambulance and sat on a chair beside me "You need to go Liebgott"
Lieb turned away, nodded and walked away, leaving me.
"Wait!" I shouted to him before the doors were closed.
He turned round with a smile "Yes?"
"Say goodbye to Webster for me?"
His smile dropped and he nodded "Okay" before walking away.
The doors were slammed shut. I could feel a lump in my throat forming and uncontrollable tears fell from my weary eyes.
"Hey" Roe said softly and stroked my shoulder "You are a strong woman"
I shook my head "Not as strong as everyone thinks"
He smiled "Trust me, Wilson, you are the strongest woman any of us have ever met"
I smiled back "Thanks, Eugene"
...
The journey to the hospital was long and rough but I managed to fall asleep to make the time pass quicker.
I awoke to a lot of noise but I didn't open my eyes. I tried to picture myself back with easy but I kept getting distracted by painful groans and the constant clacking sound of nurses shoes rushing up and down hallways.
I opened my eyes. I was in a hospital bed wearing a white hospital gown. There were men in beds everywhere. Soldiers, like me. Nurses darted around in white pinafores with red crosses on their chests and white head scarves.
I pulled myself up slowly so I could properly evaluate the room.
A nurse on the opposite side of the room saw that I was awake and walked over to my bedside.
"How are you?" she asked with a Dutch accent and tucked in a small piece of dark red hair that was poking out of her head scarf.
"I'm okay" I spoke quietly. I started looking around the room "Where is Eugene? uh I mean Doc Roe"
Her smile faltered a little "He went back"
"Oh" I said and stared at my hands. Not even having Eugene there made me feel more alone than ever "He never said goodbye"
She sat down at the end of my bed "He wanted to but he said you needed the rest so he wouldn't wake you"
I smiled a little "Thank sounds like Eugene"
"I think you are very brave" she said suddenly.
"Hm?" I said, although I heard what she said.
"I wish I could be brave like you" She looked at her hands and that was when I realised they were blood stained "Not only are you fighting the war but helping women become more respected"
"How's that?" I asked.
She smiled brightly at me "Don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"You are on the front page of almost every news paper across the world"
My eyes widened "I am?"
"Yes" she stood up "because of you a lot of women have been given a lot more respect"
"How?"
"I'm not saying that there is drastic change bit it's a start...it's going to take a long time before us women are equals to men but you have given it a push in the right direction! People have been calling you 'The Allies' Rose'" she rustled around in her pocket and presented me with a news paper clipping of a photo of me taken back in Aldbourne and the title 'The Allies' Rose'.
"Wow" I said as I stared at the newspaper.
"Britain and America are arguing over you" she shook her head and laughed "both want to claim you as a citizen of their country"
"I didn't mean to start and argument" I blushed a little.
"Nurse Berg" a husky male voice appeared at the end of my bed.
"Yes" she replied.
"We need to get Wilson ready for the operation" he said whilst running his hands through his dark hair. He was a tall man and seemed to be fairly friendly.
The word 'Operation' got me a little excited because instinctively I thought that it was a war based operation and that I would be returning to my friends. But then I realised, in a hospital, an operation is when you are put to sleep and cut open.
"What operation?" I asked worriedly.
He smiled reassuringly "Oh, it's nothing to worry about. We will just have a look inside your wound to check that everything is in order then we will properly seal it with stitches"
I nodded "Okay"
...
The operation went smoothly and according to Doctor Boer, the man who told me of the operation, my knee was fine and I should make a speedy recovery. But I didn't. I had been in that hospital for a whole week but I still wasn't allowed to return to my unit.
The swelling on my ankle had gone down days and days ago but my leg still played up. I was taken on daily walking exercises but Doctor Boer just wouldn't let me go. I had little problem walking but occasionally my leg would give way.
...
More days passed but I had lost count by then. All I wanted was to go back. I wanted to see my friends. I needed to be with them. What if they are dieing out there while I'm stuck here doing nothing to help? That thought ran through my head ever second of every day.
"Do you think Nurse Berg likes me?" the man named Hugh who was in the bed to the right of mine disturbed my thoughts.
"What?" I asked.
He was sat up in his bed fiddling with his head bandage. He came in four days before this one. He was shot in the side of a head by a sniper and was incredibly lucky to be alive.
He smiled nervously "Do you think Nurse Berg would go on a date with me?"
"Pfft" I shook my head "Even if she wanted to, how would you do that while we are all stuck in here?"
His smile dropped and he looked down.
"Sorry, Hugh" I said, feeling guilty "I'm sure Nurse Berg would love to go on a date with you, after the war"
He laughed a little.
...
By now my leg was fully functional and I was ready to go back to the war. Doctor Boer had told me that I was going to leave at 10 am where a truck would be waiting outside the hospital to take me back to my beloved friends.
10 am
Hugh held the door open for me when I walked out of the hospital that had been keeping me captive for god knows how long. Hugh insisted on seeing me go because we had become good friends during our time at the hospital.
Doctor Boer helped me over to the Army jeep. He tuted loudly as I limped over to it.
"What?" I asked.
"Are you sure you're ready to go?" he asked me and gestured to my limp.
"I'm fine!" I said quickly and hopped into the jeep before he could change his mind.
He laughed and shook his head and said "Alright, goodbye Wilson" before walking back into the hospital.
Hugh stood hopelessly beside the jeep so I jumped out and gave him a quick hug.
"Goodbye Hugh" I whispered "and good luck when you get out"
He nodded thoughtfully "You too"
I gently kissed him on the cheek before climbing back into the jeep. The jeep pulled out of the hospital grounds and the driver drove in the direction of my friends.
With ever mile that passed I felt happier and happier because I knew at any moment, I would be back where I truly belong.
A/N
ITgwendolendragon- Thank you so much for your review! It really brightened up my day!
drvirtue- I'm so glad you like my OC! I really wanted to write about a girl that was quite strong for a change so I'm glad you picked up on that. Thank you for your review!
FallynAshe- Thanks for your review! It's nice to see that you obvious understand Rose.
Guest chapter 24 . Jan 2- Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like my portrayal of Liebgott and I couldn't have put it better myself. 'Badass'
Thanks as usual for all the rviews! Keep them coming? They make my days so much better.