February 9th, 1945
The word was out that the war was coming to an end. The new replacements that joined us after our heavy losses at Bastogne were eager to get in on the action before it was all over. They wanted to be proud soldiers who fought for their country. Their eagerness made me sick. They had no idea, not a clue of what they were getting themselves into. War for most of us used to be about pride and patriotism. After fighting for so long and seeing unimaginable horror, our picture was soon altered, never to be changed.
The journey to Haguenau in France was haunting. On more than one occasion, I would see the men who were dead sitting in the back of the truck smoking a cigarette. On more than one occasion, I believed for a moment that they were truly there I knew what war does to people, what it does to our minds. I guess I just wanted them all to be there so desperately that my mind created them. I didn't tell Lieb about what I was seeing. I kept my weary head on his shoulder the entire journey. Sounds cliché and all but Joseph Liebgott is my rock. Without him, I probably would have truly gone mad.
I hadn't realised I'd fallen asleep until an ice cold snowflake landed on my hot cheek and melted almost instantly. Haguenau was cold, damp and dreary. The buildings were all grey and the whole area was littered with patches of snow. I wasn't in any position to complain though. At least in Haguenau we would have a roof over our heads and there was word of a hot shower.
I lifted my head from Lieb's shoulder and rubbed my exhausted eyes.
"Good morning Princess" Lieb said with a warm smile.
I raised my eyebrows at him and chuckled "Princess?"
"God yeah you're right, you're not exactly lady like enough to have that title" he teased.
I punched his shoulder playfully "Excuse me...how rude..."
"Please continue your lovers tiff when I ain't around" Babe said suddenly. I turned towards him. His eyes were beyond vacant.
I glanced around the truck only to notice that everyone seemed...vacant. Bastogne and Foy really killed our morale. Lieb and I were obviously affected by it but we had each other...everyone else had no one. Their loved ones couldn't tell them everything is going to be ok, their loved ones couldn't hold their hand when they were scared or stroke their hair until they fell asleep.
I turned back to Lieb. I felt selfish and guilty because we never exactly 'toned down' our love for each other. They were probably all missing their girlfriends and we were unknowingly rubbing it in their faces. Lieb cautiously held my hand, being sure to not let anyone else see, and squeezed it gently. His warm touch seemed to sooth me but it couldn't repress my guilt.
"I'm sorry, Babe" I said thoughtfully.
Babe rubbed his hands together and shook his head "Don't worry, I was just bein stupid"
But he wasn't being stupid. He had a huge point. He could obviously sense my sudden guilt and he didn't want to make me feel bad which only made me feel worse because he was considering my feelings when they didn't deserve to be considered.
"Hey guys!" A very very very familiar voice cried out to us.
I turned my head sharply. There walking alongside the truck was David Kenyon Webster. I quickly dismissed his presence as another one of my hypnotic visions. He had been gone for so long that I almost wasn't expecting him to return. No one really was.
"Some Lieutenant told me to report to second" the vision of Webster said.
But then all the heads in the truck turned towards the vision of Webster. That was when I realised he wasn't a vision at all.
"Oh my god" I whispered and stared at Webster with a wide open mouth and smiling eyes.
Lieb's hold of my hand became tighter and he glared down at my smiling best friend like he was a diseased rat. Everyone was, but me.
"Rose!" he cried and tipped his head to me.
"David!" I cried and beamed down at him "Where the fuck have you been?!"
Jackson, sat across from me, tuted, sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.
Webster nodded towards him and smiled "Your names Jackson, right?"
Jackson stared at Web with dead eyes "That's right" he said scornfully.
"Who is leading the platoon?" Web asked.
"Sergeant Malarkey is-"
"What no officers?" Webster cried then turned to me "How's things been with you, Rose?"
"I guess you didn't hear..." Lieb said casually and fiddled with a lighter with his free hand which wasn't clasped restrictively around mine.
"No, what's that?" Web asked.
My heart stopped beating. It literally stopped. I glared at Lieb with scornful eyes and bit my lip nervously. I wanted to be the one to tell him...
Lieb rolled his eyes at me.
"They're making Malarkey Lieutenant" he said. My heart jump started and I sighed loudly, not even bothering to disguise my relief "he's on the fast track now"
"Really? That's great" Webster bobbed his head enthusiastically at Lieb.
"Isn't it?" Lieb said sardonically.
Web flung his belongings up onto the truck and clambered on. A sudden jolt forced him to fall into an already seemingly pissed off Jackson. Jackson scowled at Web who smiled innocently, clearly unaware of the aggression being hurled in his direction.
"So...you come from the hospital?" Jackson asked 'casually'.
Everyone in the truck reacted to Jackson's question. Lieb looked over his shoulder and his grip of my hand tightened. Babe monitored Webster with a look of snobbery. Grant rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. Everyone else seemed to have similar reactions, except me. I knew what was coming...
"Yeah" Web replied.
"Musta liked that hospital, cause uh we left Holland four months ago" Lieb pointed out. His tone was vile.
"Lieb please..." I said under my breath.
His tight grip loosened and he glared at my cowering face. His eyes penetrated my skull. His look was sickening...he had never looked at me with such disgust.
"I wasn't only there the whole time" Web said chirpily "There was rehabilitation then the replacement depot"
Lieb dragged his eyes away from mine "Well I'm sure you tried to bust out and help us in Bastogne, Web"
Suddenly, Babe exhaled threw his nose and turned his face away from Webster's sight.
Webster's innocent and deluded smile turned ugly. His grin was no longer cheerful and happy but vile and despicable.
"I don't know how I would have done that" Web said sternly.
"Well it's funny because Popeye found away..." Lieb glared at Webster and shook his head in utter repulsion.
I tried to calm them "Guys, please-"
"So did Alley, right, back in Holland?" Lieb turned to Babe who nodded his head in agreement "and Guarnere-"
That was when Babe's attitude changed. With the mention of his best friend Babe's rapport with Webster turned sour. Babe looked at Webster with hate and anger in his eyes.
"Yeah, where is Guarnere?" Webster asked and glanced over at Malarkey who was separated from us all "he still platoon sergeant?"
Babe exhaled aggressively. I grabbed his arm and he fidgeted irritably.
"You know what-" Babe snarled.
"Nah" Jackson interrupted "He got hit"
"Yeah?" Web cried.
"Yeah!" Babe exclaimed, as calmly as he could "yeah Bill got hit. Got his whole leg blown off"
"But you wouldn't know that would you" Lieb said bitterly "because you weren't there!"
"Lieb!" I grunted.
Webster slammed his hands down on his legs and laughed nervously "Look what's your problem?"
"What's my problem?!" Lieb snapped "my problem is you"
"Oh really" Web said sarcastically "and why's that?"
"STOP IT!" I yelled "STOP IT BOTH OF YOU PLEASE!"
They completely ignored me. It was as if I wasn't even there.
"You were layzyin it out in the hospital while good people like Bill were gettin hit and dyin!" Babe snapped aggressively.
Everyone expect Malarkey who seemed almost oblivious to the argument that was going on before him, nodded their heads in agreement and gave my best friend the most sickening look imaginable.
"Guys...that's not fair!" I exclaimed "Web didn't drop those shells! Web didn't shot those bullets and Web didn't kill anyone!"
"Yeah but we needed him. We needed every man we could get" Lieb glowered at Web "We needed you...and you weren't there"
The truck grounded to a sudden halt.
"Lets go!" Someone shouted. Everyone began gathering up their belongings and jumping out the truck.
I rose from my seat and felt for Lieb's hand, only to be rejected. He shook his head, jumped off the truck and walked away...without me. I watched helplessly as the one I loved stormed away with a huge repulsion towards me and the smiling idiot who stood beside me.
"What the hell is his problem?" Web said lightly and shrugged off the argument with a smile.
My head rolled slowly away from Lieb. I gawked at Web. I wanted to wipe that stupid smug smile off his goddamn face.
"Do you have any idea how hard the last four months have been?!" I said quietly. It took everything in me to not shout that my whisper sounded tortured.
Web lowered his head and mumbled "Ah Rose, not you as well..."
"Not me as well?!" I cried, allowing the true extent of my anger to be released "You fucking left me for four fucking months! You could have gone AWOL!" tears started to prick behind my eyes.
"Rose...please-"
"Why didn't you go AWOL?" my voice was strangled by my tears.
"Rose, I'm sorry...I-I...I would have if I could" he said "Please don't cry" he tried to touch my tear sodden cheek but I swiped his hand away.
"Don't...just don't..." I whispered and turned my back on my best friend just like Lieb had done to me.
We made residence in the bombed out houses. As a member of Second Platoon I was assigned to OP with Liebgott and the new platoon arrival...Webster. I tried to get Lieb to just look at me but he refused and acted like I was a little pest that needed to be squashed. Webster's arrival along with a new officer -Lieutenant Jones- was equally as sour. Webster too refused to look at me. But being Webster, he acted cool, calm and collective as if nothing had happened with the rest of the guys.
Lt. Jones yabbered on about what not to Malarkey and the rest of the guys sipped coffee in a corner. I was sat alone on my top bunk. Our 'accommodation' was dishevelled. The place was scattered with broken furniture. The air was thick with dust giving the place a depressing and muggy scent.
My ears pricked up as Lieutenant Jones said "So you wanna introduce me to the men?"
"Well, some are sleeping downstairs and the rest are right here" Malarkey replied. His irritable tone suggested that Jones had been waffling on about irrelevant what not.
I watched as Lieutenant Jones stepped closer to Malarkey "Sergeant, uh a patrol's being planned for tonight, 0100, across the river"
Malarkey looked up to see everyone gawping at them. He invited Jones to talk in private and quickly left.
"Hey, Web" Lieb cried.
"What?"
"Come here, I wanna talk to you a second" Lieb carefully placed his arm around Web's shoulders and pulled him aside.
"Why?" Web asked, walking with Lieb without protest. My eyes followed them across the room.
They stopped by the bunks "Want some coffee?" Lieb asked.
"No" Web said and shook Lieb off.
Lieb stared at Web's back; I could see he was trying to remain calm.
"So uh...what do you know about this patrol thing?" Lieb asked.
"Uhh nothing" Web said. I could see through his lies.
"Ah come on Web...you gotta no something" Ramirez cried from the bunk bellow me.
"I don't"
Lieb spat on the floor, only narrowly missing Web's foot "Ballshit, you were there right? At the CP...this is a prisoner snatch, right?"
"Tell us Web" I finally piped up.
All eyes looked up at me. Web nodded.
"Captain Speirs is to pick fifteen men...Lieutenant Jones wants to be one of them" Webster explained.
"I say let the kid go. He could use the experience" Lieb said.
"Probably could find fourteen replacements to help him out" Ramirez cried with false hope.
"Like that would happen" I grunted. I sparked up a smoke "So who's going, Web?"
Webster shrugged but Lieb wasn't having any of it.
"Why are you holding out on me I know you know?" Lieb cried.
"Just give us the names Web" Ramirez drawled.
"There are four...men...in this room that they think should be on the patrol" Webster gulped and stared at his feet.
"Who?" Ramirez asked abruptly.
I sighed "Geezus Christ, well obviously one of them is me..." they all peered up at me "It's obvious by the way Web hesitated when saying men"
I caught sight with Lieb. He gazed up at me solemnly.
"Is that true Web?" Lieb asked.
Web nodded "Yeah...it's true"
Lieb shook his head and stared at the floor with his hands dug firmly into his pockets.
"So who else?!" Babe asked impatiently.
"Well... if I tell you, you can't let on you know"
"You're secrets safe, Web" Lieb said sternly "Who is it?"
Everyone stared at Web like nervous children, waiting to be told. Web glanced at Babe. Babe shook his head with a wide open mouth.
Web nodded "Yeah, Heffron"
"Oh, shit!" Babe exclaimed.
I jumped down off my bunk and handed Babe my smoke.
"You'll be needing this too..." I said glumly.
"McClung...and you" Web nodded at Ramirez who stared solemnly back at him.
Soon after hearing about the pain in the ass patrol, shells started to drop on us so we had to seek shelter in the cellar bellow our building. Then we got showers. Well...the men got to shower. Being a woman, I waited patiently on my bunk for every single man in the company to shower before I got to dive under the hot fountain of glory.
I was monumentally pissed at the whole situation that occurred on the truck. I was pissed that Lieb was so harsh to Webster and I was pissed at Webster for only just showing up. My emotions were all over the place. I wanted to smack Liebgott but at the same time I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kick Webster in the butt but at the same time I wanted to hug him. But most of all, I was pissed at myself for not sticking up for my boyfriend and pissed at myself for shouting at my best friend. It was an impossible situation. Do I make up with Lieb but risk losing my best friend or make up with Webster and risk losing the one I love?
Lieb returned first from the shower. He strolled through the door rubbing a towel on his wet hair. God you're gorgeous. He removed the towel from his head and caught me staring at him. I quickly averted my eyes and drew my knees up to my chest. He threw his towel on the ground and climbed up to his top bunk opposite me. I made a real thing about not looking at him. Maybe just take a little glance...just a quick one. Oh shit he is looking at me. Take another one quickly and don't get caught this- oh shit he's still staring.
"You can look at me you know" Lieb said with a cheeky sideways grin.
My cheeks began to tingle as they slowly turned scarlet "Why would I want to do that?" I grunted.
He sniggered "Still pretending to be pissed at me, I see?" I couldn't help it. A small smirk crept onto my face, blowing my pissed off attitude "Look I'm truly, truly, truly sorry for what I did to Webster and what I did to you...I was just so angry you know that he came back all smug and annoyingly happy" I nodded thoughtfully and fiddled with my hands "Please forgive me, Rose...I love you more than anything in the world"
"Ok..." I said.
"Ok?"
"I forgive you stupid" I said and stuck out my tongue.
He jumped down from his bunk and quickly clambered up to mine. In one swift movement, I was in his arms again. His sweet embrace injected my weary bones with a tingly current of electricity. His breath caressed my neck as he stroked my spine with one trailing finger. He planted soft kisses on my collar bone and progressed under my chin. I couldn't stand his teasing any longer...and we were alone...need I say anymore?
I was expecting everything to be awkward...you know...after...but it wasn't. I was by Joe's side, wrapped up in a cosy bed where the war couldn't harm us. I sat up to look at him and found him with his eyes closed. I thought I'd be disappointed that he'd fallen asleep but I wasn't. Joseph Liebgott was on hell of a beautiful sleeper. I was completely, totally and utterly infatuated with him. I knew I was in love. We had just shown each other or love for one another.
"Rose, I've come to talk to you...I don't need a shower, I'm-" Webster stopped suddenly.
Lieb innocently slid off my bunk. I fidgeted awkwardly and tried to straighten my crumpled uniform. Webster's brow was furrowed in self pity.
"Webster...I've been meaning to tell you...I-I" I was chocked up. I couldn't find the right words.
Liebgott put his hands up innocently "Listen pal...we can talk about this-"
"I'm not your pal!" Webster spat "When have I ever been your pal?!"
Lieb rested his hand on Webster's shoulder only to be batted away "Come on, Web"
"Don't, just don't!" Web exclaimed "You've done nothing but come between Rose and I. Everything was perfect before you...before you" Webster flinched and shook his head.
"Webster it's not like that!" I cried. I started to cry uncontrollably "Please!"
"Save it!" he grunted and stormed out of the building.
I ran after him but Lieb grabbed my hand.
"I'll talk to him" he cried.
I shook off his hand and sprinted after my best friend.
"Daniel wait!" I cried after him.
"It's David!" he retorted and grounded to a halt.
I started sobbing loudly. I buried my face in my hands and poured out every stored emotion. I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Rose" Webster said "I just need some time...just give me some time"
I rubbed my eyes thoroughly without looking up. I didn't want him to see me cry, although it was evident. I withdrew my hands and my best friend was no longer by my side. Half of my heart had been ripped out...the half that belonged to David Kenyon Webster.
A/N
I am so so so sorry its been a month! I've tried to find time to right and I had bad writers block for ages I'm so sorry!
Hanna p- Thank you:) glad you liked it. I try and express feelings as best as I can so thanks :)
Jessie P- I love Winters and Roe too :P thank you
Caelypso Leone Hel G - Don't worry you English was perfect :) thank you so much! It means a lot to me :)
AvrilFrings- thank you so much
What did you guys think of this chapter? I made it quite 'juicy' for you.
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