Just a few feet away from his HQ, Winters could see the men from Easy.
They were grabbing something hot to eat, while a bunch of cameras and reporters stopped to ask them questions. Most of the men didn't mind being on camera, in fact, a few were trying to steal the spotlight and go into gory details about combat.
"If they come back here, you all remember to smile for the camera. Got to keep the morale up for them folks back home". Sink warned the two Captains.
"Why?" Winters asked.
"Damned if I know". Sink replied, "all right, Nix. What they got waiting for us in Foy?"
Sink and Nixon gathered around a map.
Winters looked over their shoulders, one eye on the map, while the other got distracted by his old Company. He could see most of them smiling, while others stared out with a distant look. Most of the men seemed to be doing okay, considering what had happened last night.
"At least one Company from the 10th Panzer Grenadiers dug in along here". Nixon was telling Sink, "they've also got at least one 88, although we haven't been able to spot it yet".
"How about armour?" Asked Sink.
Winters eyes soon spotted a jeep.
It stopped near his HQ.
And he was surprised to see Toye step out of the jeep, with a sling around his neck.
"As of last night, three Tigers". Nixon replied.
"Would you excuse me for a moment, sir?" Winters requested.
The Colonel nodded;
"yeah".
Walking out from under the canopy, Winters saw a reporter reach Toye before he did. With a camera shoved in the Sargent's face, the reporter asked;
"how do you feel about being rescued by Patton?"
"How do I feel about being rescued by Patton?" Toye muttered, "well, I'd feel pretty peachy about it, if it wasn't for one thing. We didn't need to be fucking rescued by Patton. You got that?"
Winters could feel himself smile a little.
Shaking his head, he walked over to him;
"Joe?"
Toye met his stare;
"sir".
Giving the reporter a nod, Winters told him smoothly;
"excuse us for a moment".
The reporter and his cameraman quickly scurried off.
Toye sighed;
"sorry, sir".
"About what?" Winters asked, "Patton? I couldn't agree more".
A small smile met Toye's lips.
"What are you doing here?" Winters asked him.
"I 'wanna head back to the line, sir".
"Joe, you don't have to do that". Winters said, "get yourself back to the aid station. Heal up".
Toye took the sling off from around his neck;
"I'd really like to head back with the fellas, sir".
Before Winters could respond, a familiar voice cried out happily;
"Sarge! Hey, it's Sarge!"
Toye was full on smiling.
Looking passed Winters shoulder, he saw Heffron, Jackson and Rory run over to him.
They all looked utterly pleased and relieved to see him again.
"Hey, Sarge!" Heffron beamed, "long time no see, huh?"
"Yeah, what's it been…two days?" Jackson joked, with a smile.
Rory smiled up at him;
"welcome back, Sarge".
Sighing again, Toye raised his eyebrow;
"you three been keeping 'outta trouble?"
They all nodded.
"Sure have". Jackson confirmed, "just ask Guarnere".
"Yeah, he's been leading us". Heffron told him.
Toye was back to smiling again, glad to see his squad;
"where's Eddie?"
"He's sleeping". Jackson smirked, "fella can't sleep at night".
"Yeah, says it's too quiet". Heffron teased.
With a chuckle, Toye reached down and gently knocked Rory's helmet;
"well…what the hell are you doing standing around me for, huh? Finish your Goddamn food, would you?"
Heffron sighed happily;
"we missed you ordering us around".
When the three of them left, Toye continued to smile.
Chuckling quietly, Winters looked at him;
"alright, Joe". He said, "go back to the line, huh?"
He smiled at the Captain;
"thank you, sir".
…
That afternoon, 2nd Platoon and a small section from 1st, made their way back to their old positions overlooking Foy. Winters and Nixon went along with the men from Easy. The rest of the Company planned to join them the following day. During their time away from their old positions, 1st Battalion had taken their foxholes. And the men didn't receive a warm welcome.
Before Rory could jump into her foxhole, she noticed something at the bottom.
Pulling a face, she told Jackson and Heffron;
"we've got crap in our foxhole".
"What?!" Heffron exclaimed, "who the fuck – those damn micks!"
But Rory couldn't blame them. The ground surrounding Easy was scattered with empty shells and tree bursts. 1st Battalion had obviously been targeted by the enemy in Foy. With their foxholes filled with branches or caved in with mud and snow, the men were ordered to refortify their cover.
"We should build a roof". Heffron suggested, "instead of using our ponchos".
"Alright". Rory said, "I'll get some branches then".
Jackson smirked;
"yeah…can't be too hard to find, huh?"
"Me and Jack'll dig up the snow". Heffron told her, "don't go far".
Rory walked along their position, picking up branches for their cover. Along the way, she bumped into Toye, who was doing the same. Rory gave her Sargent a tiny smile;
"it's real nice having you back, Sarge".
He smirked;
"old Guarnere not good enough?"
"That it ain't". She told him, "we just like having you around".
Toye was about to open his mouth when a cry cut him off;
"INCOMING!"
Before they knew it, a shell hit their position.
Only, it wasn't like the usual 88, it felt more powerful.
When the shell exploded, the woods lit up in a terrifying white. Trees burst and the earth shook, like an earthquake. Rory lost her balance and the branches. Falling to the ground, another shell hit their position. And a few seconds later, another one followed.
Toye got down on the ground with her and took hold of her arm.
Desperately, his eyes searched for a foxhole.
But it was hard to see.
The ground was vibrating from impact.
Taking over his eyesight, was mud, snow and flashing lights.
Toye squinted and eventually spotted someone jumping into a hole.
"TAKE COVER! TAKE COVER!" They yelled, "TAKE COVER!"
Toye's grip on Rory tightened.
He could feel her shake.
Looking down at the girl, Toye knew she wouldn't manage the run towards cover. She was practically frozen on the spot. Biting down on his lip, he grabbed her and got onto his feet. With Rory now in his arms, Toye began the unstable run towards cover. Eventually, the person who had taken cover looked up;
"OVER HERE, JOE!" Luz yelled while waving a hand in the air.
"PUT YOUR DAMN HAND DOWN!" Toye told the guy off.
Rory's arms were wrapped around Toye's neck tightly, fearing for their lives. But like most times, her eyes remained open, while she desperately wanted to close them. Toye managed to reach the foxhole with Luz. He crouched in front of it and tried to take Rory's arms off his neck. But they seemed to be stuck there, like glue.
"KID, GET OFF!" He ordered her, "I'VE 'GOTTA CHECK ON THE OTHERS!"
"NO!" Rory screamed.
Her grip tightened.
They couldn't lose Toye again to the aid station.
But Toye was a lot stronger than Rory. And he set himself free from her hold.
Though, Rory tried again to grab him.
She leaned out of the foxhole and tried to grab his boot;
"SARGE!" She screamed, "COME BACK!"
Another shell went off, which muted her pleas.
Luz wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled the girl inside the foxhole. She landed with a slump across his lap. Hand balling into a fist, she punched the snowy earth in frustration. Rory's hands went towards her ears, where she tried to muffle the screeching from the shells. Every time they went off, her body jumped and her shaking increased. Luz pulled her into his chest and wrapped both arms around her. They curled up into each other as if creating a shield to keep them safe.
Rory could feel her eyes burn.
She hadn't even blinked.
Luz was rubbing her back as if sensing her distress.
And he might have said something but not even Luz could hear himself speak.
After five or so intense and heart-stopping minutes, it stopped.
Rory could hear the blow of wind, while it whooshed over the silent section of the woods. No one made a sound; everyone was quiet and tense. The shock from the shelling left others more quickly and they were soon on their feet, warning the men to stay down. Lipton was one of them, who raced up and down the line, making sure the men were okay.
Eventually, Luz mumbled;
"I 'gotta go and…and see".
Nodding, Rory slowly moved off his lap.
Giving the girl a tight smile, he assured her;
"we'd know by now if something wasn't right".
Again, she nodded.
And remained quiet.
Luz quickly left the foxhole and moved out of Rory's sight.
Left on her own, Rory let out a shaky breath.
All she could do now was wait.
They were at risk of another shelling. And knowing the Germans, they probably would hit their line again. Rubbing the back of her neck, she slowly moved to the edge of the foxhole. Sitting up, she looked for her friends. But couldn't see anyone. Which was either a good sign or a bad sign. Biting her lip anxiously, she wondered what to do.
And then, she heard a voice;
"I 'gotta get up…I 'gotta get up".
The voice spoke again;
"I need my helmet".
Rory knew that voice. It belonged to Toye.
Hands pressing down against the snow, she climbed out of the foxhole.
Taking a few steps forward, she called out for him;
"Sarge?!"
And all at once, cries for help echoed throughout the forest.
Rory frowned and looked around her.
Toye's voice got lost in those cries for help.
And Rory felt lost when she couldn't hear him.
Still, she decided to walk along the line, hoping she'd hear him again.
But instead of Toye's voice, she heard someone cry out;
"INCOMING – GET DOWN!"
The first shell slammed into the earth, the second and third followed shortly after. Men quickly retook their cover and hugged the ground, feeling powerless to do anything but wait. Some guys prayed; others just hid in silence. But they all hoped, the next shell wasn't for them.
Rory jumped into a foxhole, which was already occupied.
Lipton grabbed a hold of her, pulling her deeper into the hole.
There, the pair of them huddled together and waited for the shelling to stop. It felt more severe the second time around. Rory could feel a few tears roll down her cheeks both from fear and worry over her Sargent. Her stomach was knotting up, from the intense panic she felt inside. And her chest and throat got tight, while her body threatened to scream out. But Rory bit down on her tongue, preventing herself from screaming.
With a tiny sniff, Rory leaned into Lipton's side, body shaking.
She tried to keep her breathing under control, while her mind tried to conjure up a nice and happy thought to keep her company during the shelling. Rory thought about Mr and Mrs Barnes, she thought about her trip to Paris with Captain Winters. She thought about Heffron and Jackson laughing and Toye's singing. For a few blissful minutes, Rory lost herself in her own memories.
And surprisingly, she was pulled away from those happy thoughts, when the shelling ended. It was quiet, Rory could hear branches softly hitting the snow. Lipton looked down at her and noticed the stained tears on her cheeks. Giving her arm a rub, he assured her;
"I think the worst is over".
Rory rubbed her cheeks and nodded.
Together, they moved towards the edge of the foxhole and peered out.
Across from them, Luz called;
"Lip!"
"Are you okay?!" Lipton asked him.
Luz nodded and gave him the thumbs up.
Looking around, Lipton ordered everyone to;
"stay down! You stay down!"
"1st Sargent Lipton!" A frantic voice called.
Looking over, the three of them saw Dike.
He didn't have his helmet on, and he was weaponless.
Breathlessly, Dike looked at Lipton;
"you get things organized here. I'm 'gonna go for help!"
And very quickly, Dike left.
He left the line. Leaving Easy to pick up the pieces without a leader.
Once again.
Giving her head a shake, Rory looked at Lipton;
"I heard Joe!" She told him, "we've 'gotta get to him!"
Lipton's hand fell on her shoulder;
"no, stay here, Rory. Prepare for a possible infantry-"
"I don't care!" She yelled, cutting him off.
And with that, she grabbed the edge of the foxhole and pulled herself out;
"I've 'gotta get to him – I'm sorry!"
"Rory!" Lipton yelled after her.
But she quickly ran off.
Sighing heavily, Lipton got out of the foxhole and reached Luz;
"what the fuck?" Luz muttered, referring to Dike, "Lip, where the fucks he going?"
"I don't know". Lipton replied, "listen, get Battalion on the line. Tell them to notify BAS".
Luz nodded and reached for his radio;
"Battalion's up, Lip!"
…
Rory stopped running when she heard someone scream out;
"MEDIC!"
Eyes widening, she raced towards that direction.
And ended up running past Malarkey.
"Hey!" He called, "where the hell are you – Rory!"
Not giving him much of a choice, Malarkey got out of cover and raced after her.
Rory wasn't aware that she was being followed. But she could make out where that cry for a medic came from and she recognized the voice behind it; it was Buck. Her legs carried her quickly through the trees until she reached a small opening. Rory stopped dead on her tracks, causing Malarkey to almost crash into her back. He would have yelled at her for not following orders but soon saw what had Rory's attention. Malarkey moved past Rory, who was in a small state of shock and jogged towards the two Sargent's, who was tangled up.
Blood was everywhere.
There was a trail of it on the snow, from where Guarnere had tried to drag Toye to safety. But he ended up getting hit too. Toye was missing his right leg. Guarnere's leg was barely hanging on. Malarkey managed to carefully untangle his wounded friends. But he needed help. His eyes caught sight of Rory. Rubbing his lips together, he called for her sharply;
"I need you now, Roo. Right now – come on".
Toye opened his eyes and groaned;
"Jesus…fuck…Malark…what's a guy 'gotta do to get killed around here, huh?"
Malarkey swallowed back the tightness from his throat.
Shaking his head, he looked back at Rory;
"come on…Roo…I need your help".
Taking in a deep breath, Rory's boots crunched against the bloodied snow.
She could hear quiet moans of pain coming from both Sargent's but neither of them made a huge fuss. In fact, they both asked Malarkey for a cigarette. Which of course, Malarkey gave them a cigarette each.
Rory's eyes looked down.
She could see their wounds.
And pieces of flesh scattered across the ground.
It took the breath out of her.
Two medics soon rushed past Rory.
And she stopped walking.
Standing still, she watched Roe and Spina get to work on the Sargent's.
More of Easy had turned up. Each in a small state of shock.
Jackson quickly rushed towards Toye. Dropping next to him he shook his head in disbelief;
"what the hell, Joe?!" He almost told him off, "what the hell…".
With a shaky sigh, Toye mumbled;
"take care of 'um, huh?"
"We need a jeep". Roe said, "can someone get us one?"
"I'll go". Jackson offered, already on his feet.
Heffron was standing next to Rory.
The pair of them looked towards their Sargent.
And eventually, he caught their stares.
Lifting one hand, he beckoned them over.
But Rory felt glued to the spot.
With a frown, Heffron took hold of her wrist;
"you 'gotta see 'um, Roo". He mumbled, "come on".
With Heffron leading her there, Rory found it easier to move. Toye tried to smile, he wanted to assure them that he would be fine. He was still their Sargent, after all. And a fantastic one at that. When they both reached Toye, Heffron still had a hold of her wrist.
Toye gave Heffron a wink;
"she'll be alright, Heffron".
He nodded;
"yeah". He whispered.
"Look after each other, huh?" Toye told them quietly, "don't let-"
"YOU WILL TAKE THESE FUCKING MEN!"
Eyes widening, everyone turned towards that yell.
And were surprised to find it was Jackson.
He had a gun to the jeep driver;
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHERE THESE SUPPLIES ARE GOING!"
Toye snorted;
"think we've got our ride 'outta here…".
Heffron and Rory both looked back at the Sargent.
He sent them a tiny smile;
"don't let nobody get you down, huh? You're a team. A good fucking squad. Don't you forget that. I'm proud of you all".
Heffron felt his eyes softened;
"couldn't have done it without you, Sarge".
Toye shrugged one shoulder;
"yeah, you're right". He teased weakly, "I'm the best, huh?"
But Heffron was serious when he replied;
"yeah. You are".
Toye's eyes moved to look at Rory;
"don't you worry, kid. These fellas have got you well looked after. And listen, you sure proved them wrong, huh? You're a little fighter".
Before Rory could respond, a few more people came down to help place Toye and Guarnere onto a stretcher each. Guarnere was lifted first and before he passed out, he said;
"hey, Joe. I told you I'd beat you back to the States".
Next, they lifted Toye up.
The two men carried him to the jeep, with Roe keeping pressure on his wound.
Turning around, Rory watched her Sargent being carried away.
With a trembling bottom lip, she watched them placed Toye into the back of the jeep.
"You've 'gotta do exercises like this together". Toye once told her, "and learn to trust one another. Cause out there, you've 'gotta rely on each other for everything".
And they did.
Feeling her eyes fill with tears, she called out;
"wait!"
Rory quickly ran over to the jeep, just as Toye was safely placed on the back.
Jumping up, she sat on the tailgate and took Toye's hand;
"don't you worry 'bout us, Sarge". She mumbled thickly, "cause we're 'gonna rely on each other, right? We're a good team".
Toye was blinking heavily, while he fought the urge to pass out.
With a tiny nod, he whispered;
"good. You understand now, huh?"
Sniffing, Rory nodded;
"yeah, I do, Sarge".
"You're a good kid, Roo". Toye told her, "I'll see you back in the States".
"Bye, Sarge". Rory croaked.
Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she jumped down from the jeep.
And then saw Buck opening the door and entering the jeep.
Frowning, she asked him;
"sir? You get hurt?"
But he didn't respond.
Her frown deepened. Rory walked towards the passenger side and asked again;
"sir, you hurt?"
But still, she didn't get a response.
It both confused and worried her.
Soon, a hand was placed on her shoulder, pulling her back.
Rory looked up at Lipton;
"where's he going, Sarge?"
The jeep engine started.
And Lipton didn't respond.
Rory faced Buck again;
"sir…where you going?" She asked.
The jeep began to move, Rory panicked;
"where you going?!" She demanded.
Lipton held Rory back, while the jeep sped off down the road.
When it disappeared, she was left breathing heavily.
Shaking her head, she whispered;
"is…he's coming back, right?"
Lipton gave her shoulder a squeeze;
"no". He told her quietly, "no, he's not coming back".
Rory's face scrunched up in frustration;
"he can't leave us!" She snapped, "why's he leaving us?!"
"Calm down, alright?" Lipton said, "we've got a lot to deal with right now".
But Rory wasn't listening.
They had just lost two of their best NCO's.
And now, they were losing Buck.
…
One hour after Toye and Guarnere left, Buck didn't come back.
And neither did Dike.
Rory was incredibly frustrated. While some men around her sat quickly, one of them sobbed. They left that man to sob it out in his foxhole. Rory didn't blame him for feeling hopeless, but she tried not to feel that. She was still sure they could get Buck back. But Rory hadn't been told the main reason for his leave.
Leaving the line, Rory briskly walked over to HQ.
Winters and Nixon were both sitting under the canopy.
And for a moment, she stopped and tried to calm herself down.
The two Captains looked a little defeated. Rory had to remind herself, that they had known the men they had lost that day, for a while now. But then she thought about Dike. Her face turned into frustration once more and she walked over to them.
They could hear her harsh footsteps against the snow.
Winters had a feeling it would have been Rory.
She stood outside the canopy.
He looked at her and noticed the anger burning in her eyes.
With a tiny sigh, he nodded;
"yeah, come in".
Rory stepped inside.
And immediately, Nixon offered her a hot drink;
"coffee?"
Blinking a few times, she shook her head.
"Alright". He mumbled.
Reaching into his pocket, Nixon brought out his flask;
"whiskey?"
Winters rolled his eyes;
"Nix…". He said firmly.
Shrugging, Nixon opened up his flask and took a drink.
He then said;
"more for me then, huh?"
After a small pause, Rory asked;
"how come he left?"
Looking at her, Winters sighed softly.
He then nodded towards the seat next to him;
"take a seat, I'll tell you".
Still looking a little peeved off, Rory sat herself down on the camping chair. And she practically sunk into that seat, having not sat on anything as comfortable since they left Mourmelon. She placed her hands on the armrest and leaned back a little, before looking up at Winters.
"Do you remember when Jackson had to be my runner for a few days?" Winters asked her.
Rory nodded.
She remembered that.
"Do you know why Jackson was my runner?"
Again, she nodded and replied;
"yeah, …he was sad".
Tilting his head to the side, Winters corrected her kindly;
"it's a different kind of sad, Rory". He said, "I've never felt it. You haven't but Jackson did. And so does Lieutenant Compton".
Her eyes brightened a little;
"so, he'll be back in three days?"
With a tiny frown, Winters shook his head;
"no, Rory". He told her quietly, "no, Buck's 'gonna stay off the line now. It wouldn't be smart to put him in charge of a Platoon".
Rory's face scrunched up again;
"how come he gets to go?"
Winters bit down on his lips, trying to think of an answer. It was hard to explain, when he too, still felt frustrated and saddened by Buck leaving.
"It's a bit like an illness". He said, "if you catch it early enough, you can rest for a few days and get better. But if you don't treat it early…well, you'll crumble".
A small amount of understanding reached her eyes.
Winters told her;
"combat fatigue, Rory. I've seen it happen; I've seen the early signs, but I never saw them in Buck".
Frowning, Rory's eyes left his stare.
"Maybe you didn't see it 'cause Buck was too busy trying to hold us together". She whispered.
"Yeah, maybe". Winters agreed softly.
She looked up at Winters again;
"what happens now, sir?"
Sighing, he told her;
"we keep holding the line". He said, "keep doing your job, keep focused. And hang tough".