A/N: Thank you Jayden, fan, kmb123 and queenie for your reviews! I'm still so happy that you're still reading and enjoying my work! Keep it coming, please!

Oh! And I just saw that this story has broken the 100 review mark! Oh my goodness! You guys are awesome! Love it! Thank you so much!

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy! Reviews make for happy days!


We had been in the coldest part of the world that I had ever experienced in my life. It didn't help that we were not prepared for this weather, and most of us were facing the dangers of trench foot and frostbite. On top of it all, we were desperately running out of medical supplies.

It became a morning ritual for Doc Roe and me to head out into the frozen world around us, searching for the other platoons so that we could scrounge their supplies.

On this particular morning, the fog had come in overnight and it was impossible to see very far in front of us. We quietly walked through the forest, careful to know where we were going and what lay around us.

I stopped as I noticed that Roe was bending down. I figured that he needed to tie the laces to his boots, so I took this moment to look around. I searched the area as best as I could given the fog when I heard Roe hiss.

I looked over my left shoulder to gaze at him. He pinched his finger and bright red blood came out. He wiped it off and stood up looking at me. He took a few steps forward, but suddenly stopped.

I approached him looking out in the direction that he was staring. The fog had begun to lift in the area before us and we stood there, forced to stare at the scene before us. In the field before us, we saw a battlefield covered with dead men from both sides. They were frozen in place. Some were holding their wounds, the ones they had before they died from them, and men without legs, frozen in place, forever screaming in pain.

Roe and I didn't saw a word. There was nothing to do but start to leave it behind us. We didn't search the scene for anything that may be useful, as we couldn't say how old the battle had taken place. It could have happened hours ago, and the enemy could still be lingering nearby. We had no choice but to leave.

We were lucky enough to find our way back to our camp on the front line. In the past, we had stumbled into enemy lines because of the conditions around us and because our lines were so thin. It was a normal occurrence to see the enemy or have them in our area. I made a mental note to say something to Strayer or Sink the next time I saw them, if no one else would.

Just as we headed toward the front of our line, we started to pass by Dick's foxhole. He was trying to shave in this weather, which made me smile as he had to be so clean and proper, setting a good example for the men regardless of the conditions.

Dick whispered to us in a serious and urgent tone, "Duck! Duck! Duck!"

Roe and I lowered ourselves to the ground as we waited for the sound of a gun or something. Dick motioned for us to approach and we did as quietly and quickly as possible.

Dick picked up his M-1 and knelt in his foxhole as we climbed in behind him. He pointed his weapon in the direction that we just came from and he shouted, "Komme sie hier!"

I scanned the white world around me trying to see what he could. I finally saw the faintest outline of a man in the woods before us, squatting to do his business.

Dick shouted again, "Komme sie hier, schnell! Schnell!"

It wasn't until after he finished ordering the man in the distance did we hear footsteps approaching us and the man emerged from the whiteout before us.

Dick looked through the man's papers, as the man had his hands on his head. The young German kept looking between Winters, me and the men around us. The kid kept looking at me and I knew why. I'm sure that he was wondering why I was even here and there were times I couldn't help but ask that myself. It wasn't until I looked around at the men who were still with us that I knew the answer. I stayed because I loved these men and I was a soldier, just as my father had trained me to be. This is where I belonged.

I broke eye contact with the soldier before us to look at the picture that Dick had discovered in the man's belongings. It was a picture of his family, most likely his parents and siblings. Dick looked at the kid and placed the picture back into his pocket. The man looked relieved to have it back.

Dick searched the other pockets and he pulled out a bundle from the kid's pocket. He looked at it briefly before realizing what it was. He stated, "Doc, bandage." He tossed it to Roe.

Roe caught it and looked it over before placing it into his pack.

Dick ordered, "Take him back to regiment."

Just as the men walked away with the young soldier, we heard the familiar sound of a Jeep approaching us. We turned to watch as it came to a rolling stop. Sink climbed out of the Jeep and asked, "As you know, General McAuliffe is acting division commander-"

McAuliffe cut Sink off by saying, "Give it to me straight."

Strayer stated, "We've been taking ground in one position General, losing it in another. Now it looks like a stand off. We're digging in on the edge of the forest."

Dick added, "We're under sporadic artillery fire, General. We're taking a lot of hits and we don't have an aid station. We've run out of food, winter clothes and we have little or no ammo. The line's spread so thin, the enemy wanders into our C.P. to use our slit trenches, sir."

I smiled as I was thankful that Dick mentioned what I was about to. I glanced over my left shoulder to see Roe standing off to the side, waiting for this conversation to come to an end.

Dick added, "We just can't cover the line."

I heard a rustling sound coming from the ground near Sink's feet, and looked down to see a tarp move and Nixon squinting up at the men.

Sink asked, "Good morning, Captain Nixon. You got anything to add for General McAuliffe?"

Nixon blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the morning light. He crawled out of his covered foxhole. "General...ah, yes sir. General, I took a walk on the line about 0300 last night. I couldn't find the 501st on our right flank. I tied in with a squad on our second platoon...but sir, we've got some considerable gaps in our perimeter."

Strayer added, "I don't have enough people, sir. We're spread too damn thin."

Sink suddenly met my gaze and asked, "Patterson. Would you like to comment on anything?" Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on me.

I glanced quickly at Roe, then cleared my throat as I addressed the men before me. "Sir, I went looking for 3rd battalion with our medic, trying to get some medical supplies, but we couldn't find them. We have hardly any medical supplies. We're scrounging what we can, but it's not enough."

Sink nodded while McAuliffe ordered to all of us, "Hold the line, Colonel. Close the gaps! This goddamn fog won't lift anytime soon, so you can forget about air cover. Your 1st battalion just pulled out of Foy with Krauts on their tail. Tanks, artillery...you got no back up. There's a lot of shit heading this way."

With that, the Jeep rode out carrying Sink and McAuliffe. Strayer and Nixon shook their heads in frustration as they dispersed. Once Dick started to head back to his foxhole, Roe looked at me. I followed him into Dick's foxhole.

Dick looked up at us. "Doc..."

Roe asked, "Can I scrounge a bandage from your aid kit, sir?"

"How are you fixed?" Dick asked as he held the gaze of our medic.

Roe sighed before stating, "No plasma, a couple bandages, practically no morphine." Dick grabbed his med kit and held it out to Roe. Roe took it from him and continued, "In fact, I tried to find my way up to 3rd battalion looking for supplies like Lieutenant Patterson said, but I lost my way."

Dick said, "If you can't get over to 3rd, hook up with Doc Ryan. He'll fix you up with what he's got to spare."

Roe placed the items he took from Dick's kit into his pack. "Thanks, Captain."

Before Roe could leave, Dick asked, "Eugene?" Roe stopped and turned to face Dick. Dick stated, "Get everything you can. You're gonna need it."

Roe left and I smiled as I watched Dick finish up his shaving. He saw my smile and asked, "What?"

I smirked as I replied, "You missed a spot."

"I did not..." Dick looked into his mirror, searching. "Did I?"

I stood up and approached him. I pointed to the spot that he missed. "There."

Dick smiled as he looked at the spot through his mirror. "Look at that. I guess I did."

"How can you shave in this weather and not cut yourself?" I pondered.

Dick laughed. "I have cut myself. Several times, in fact. I'm shaking so much, I was afraid I might cut my neck open!"

I laughed but suddenly grew serious. "Do you think that Sink or McAuliffe will help us?"

Dick met my gaze. "I don't know. I hope so."

I nodded as I started to get out of his foxhole. I took a step forward to leave when Dick said, "Hey Kate?" I turned to listen to him. "Be careful out there. Let me know what goes on, all right?"

I nodded, unsure of what to say to that. I wasn't even entirely sure what he meant.