Does This Class as Life or Death?

now, i'm not completely sure if the italian is right, so i apologize. r&r please!

Since I was a Major, I wasn't allowed too close to the front, although I would go there at night to check on the boys in the OP. I was sat with Sink, back at the HQ, but all I could think about was the boys on the front line. I couldn't help but think I should be there. My heart went out for Smokey. I knew that he'd be paralysed later that day. He was one of my good friends and it broke my heart that I knew his fate.

So you can imagine my shock, when he comes waltzing by, as I made my rounds after the battle.

"Smokey..."

"Did you hear about Lucky?"

"Lucky?"

Lucky, was one of our replacements in Alpha. He was tall and blonde and all the time we'd been out here, he'd never been hit. So when Smokey said he'd been hit and paralysed, after he told him he'd cover his machine gun if he went to get ammo for him.

"I tell you, I've never felt so grateful in my life Cal." He told me, almost solemnly, looking out at the German line. I sighed. Poor Lucky wasn't so lucky now. I sighed, it was a horrible way to lose a friend. I felt guilty, because at the same time I felt sad about Lucky, I was glad that Smokey was alright, and it just tore me inside.

"I'll go see him. You know anyone going into town?"

"Colonel Sink's just been down. If you run you might catch him." he told me, pointing to CP. I took off jogging, passing Perco who was brushing his teeth, and George, who had moved into his fox-hole since Skinny had been hit.

I managed to get to the CP, just as Sink was walking to his Jeep.

"Sir! Sir, are you going to town?" I asked, catching my breath.

"Why yes Major, why?"

"I was wondering if I could have a lift, I want to see a soldier from my regiment. He was paralysed today."

He looked at me and nodded, and I hopped in the back. I hadn't seen Eugene all day, so I wondered if he was still at the aid-station. Sink made small talk with me, asking how I was doing, and then what I thought about our progress. I answered as I thought I should, trying to keep the small talk to a minimum, because I didn't want to accidentally say something about Norman Dike, the Military Houdini.

We pulled up by the church and I thank the colonel for the lift and made my way into the church basement. Pulling an orderly to the side, I asked where Lucky was. He pointed over to a corner and following his directions, I found the fallen soldier.

It killed me inside to see the poor kid just laying there, in the cold, not being able to move, and fearing that he'd never walk again.

"Hey Lucky." I smiled softly as I approached him. He turned his head, the only thing he could do, and smiled. I knew he was trying to be positive, but I could see the tear tracks down his face. Renee was hovering around in another room, I knew she would have been trying to comfort him. I rubbed his cheek, and the 19 year old started to cry again.

"Shh don't cry Lucky." I mumbled, holding my own tears back.

"Lucky? You think this is lucky?" he wailed miserably.

"No, I don't think it is, but you're still alive sweetheart and you saved someone today."

"I don't care any more. I'm never going to walk again!"

"Don't say that." I cried softly, letting a few tears fall, as I grieved for the lad laying on the stretcher in the cold, cramped basement. I wiped away his tears, with a small hankie that Renee passed me.

"Lucky, you are lucky! You could have died, but you didn't! You should count your blessings."

"And what's going to happen to me after this? We're stuck here, and I'm fucking paralysed!"

"I'll look after you. And that goes for all of Alpha and Easy. I'll always be there for you all and if I have to look after you, I will."

"You mean that?" he sniffed. I nodded. I'd do anything for my boys.

After an hour sat with Lucky, I left, promising to come back when I could. I found Wayne Sisk following me on the way out. He had some trouble getting up the stairs, but wouldn't have me help, the stubborn thing. He told me he was glad that I'd come to see the guys when they were here, and thanked me for turning a blind eye to him going AWOL.

"I'll just pretend you're a stalker. Maybe they won't say anything if I pretend not to notice." I smiled, helping him up the last few steps, much to his dismay. Quickly glancing to see if there were any medical staff to stop Skinny's escape, I caught sight of Gene in a very compromising position.

He was barely hidden by the skeleton of a building, with his arms wrapped around a nurse, holding her body tightly against his, their mouths pressed firmly together. It was only when someone called Renee's name that I realised it was her. She pulled away quickly, looking around to see who had shouted her, before giving Gene one last look, as she took off towards a medic shouting her name.

I frowned, helping Skinny into a waiting Jeep.

"Roe! Come on, we gotta get back to the line!" I yelled to him, as the driver started up the Jeep. He hopped in the back with me, as Skinny sat in the front.

"What was all that about?" I whispered, as the Jeep pulled away, back to the line.

"Nothing. It was nothing."

"It obviously wasn't, you had your tongue down her throat! What's going on?" I asked, genuinely concerned about the events and the ones involved.

"He won't.." He began to mutter.

"Who won't what? Con?"

"Yeah.. he won't..."

"Gene, what won't he do?"

"Love me..."

I listened patiently, as Gene explained to me the situation between him and Con. They loved each other, I think anyone could have seen that, but Con was frightened what people would think about their medic, and refused to show any kind of affection when their friends were around. Thus Gene was having second thoughts about him being with Con.

"I'm going ta admit dis.. it's taken me a while, but I love him... but he's scared of the consequences. I can't be with someone who's afraid to be with me... I just feel neglected and I need him the most now..."

I sighed, knowing exactly how he felt about being neglected. Telling him I'd have a word with Con and I wouldn't mention his little kiss with Renee, I set off to see Winters and Nix.

"Ladies." I smiled, at them, earning strange looks from Peacock and Dike. Buck and Welshy were there too, as were Ron and Lip. "Tertius." I added with a smile, nodding at Ron. He nodded back with a small smile of his own. Rubbing my belly, (as it had become some what of a habit now) I sat down near Buck, who gave me a funny look. I could see him looking at Winters and then to the rest of the officers.

"You say anything Buck, I'll knock it up to 8 holes and two bullets." I told him with a slight scowl, shifting uncomfortably. I certainly felt a lot bigger than I looked.

"How are you feelin'?" Lip asked.

I shrugged. I said I felt bigger than I looked, but other than that, I was fine.

"I don't know about you, but when I got up this morning, I swear my butt stuck to the ground... either that or now it's so big it gets wedged into places..." I joked, coughing and hacking. Nix said I should go to the aid-station and get checked out. I shook my head, explaining, that while I didn't get sick much, when I did it hit me hard.

"I'll go when it gets worse."

"Oh not this again." Dick groaned. I shot him a playful glare.

"Where can I possibly go other than a cellar in a church?"

"She has a point." Ron nodded.

"See. I like this guy, he's got the right idea."

"And what would that be?" Lip smiled a little as the two of us rose to our feet.

"Always agree with the hormonal woman... anyway, I came to tell you, that Sink wants another Kraut patrol later."

Winters looked a little depressed, as did the rest of the men... well aside from Dike. I could only guess he'd do a Harry Houdini again and disappear.

"I'll get some men together." Lip sighed, moving to the opening of the CP.

"No need." I waved him back for a moment. "He wants me to take my guys..."

"Do you think that's wise?" a voice asked from behind me. I smiled at the familiarity of it.

"Well, we know what's occurring at this point in time, right? So I'll just say we went, made a bit of contact, no wounded, and came back after." I replied, turning to the owner of the voice behind me.

"Lying to the top dogs... well, there goes my role model." Edward Eugene threw his hands up in the air dramatically.

"You're just like your granddad you know." I told him, hitting him on the front of his helmet.

"Don't you hit me too!" he grumbled. I noticed a small scratch on the side of his face and began to fuss. "Mum, get off! Let Lydia worry about me."

"Mom?" Nix asked confused.

"I'll tell you later.. How is Lydia?"

"Erm.. Pregnant..."

"Oh God... you don't mess around do you? You're just like your dad!"

"Why would you tell me that?" he groaned.

"What is this? The baby boom or something?" Ron asked. I shot him a look and he backed off. There was only one person scarier than Ronald Spiers. And that, would be me, ladies and gentlemen. I ushered Edward Eugene out of the CP and walked around for a while, checking on people. We talked about a lot of things, and then he had to leave. Placing a hand on my belly, which suddenly felt a hell of a lot bigger than before, I smiled, thinking about how I couldn't wait when I'd meet my children properly.

I wandered over to Roy's fox-hole, the one he shared with Hoob, and as of late, Perco and George. Roy smiled when he saw me, standing up in the hole, as I squatted by the fox-hole with a huge smile, that felt rare for some reason.

"Hey."

"Howdy there!" I grinned. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Ma'am." Hoob nodded.

"I thought I told you not to call me that Donald." I smirked, sitting down instead.

"Yeah, well force of habit... hey, you tell me what's wrong with him? The other day he was being his usual moody self and suddenly he's like a whole other person."

I looked from Hoob to Roy, and grinned a little bit more. I shrugged, laying a palm on my tummy and wrapping my other arm around my fiancé's waist.

"Well whatever it was, it's worked."

"Good." I nodded, standing up. Roy hopped out of his fox-hole, offering to come with me, wherever it was I was going.

"Come state?"

"Bene, grazie. E tu?"

"Così così. Grazie."

"Prego... you're Italian is really coming on well." I smiled, hugging his arm tight, as I gently grasped my belly, feeling the life inside me wiggle. Amidst this chaos, I was content.

"Cal, I was wondering... there's shit flying about everywhere here, people getting hit left, right and centre... does this class as life or death situation?"