"Hello…I want a room". Dallin told the hotel clerk.
The older man behind the desk raised his head. His small and rounded glasses perched on the end of his nose. And he raised one thin eyebrow, long and thin fingers reaching for a pen.
"We have the Castle Sweat available". He told her smoothly.
Dallin nodded;
"that sounds nice".
Winters frowned a little and warned her;
"Dill…that's a pretty expensive room".
Reaching into her jacket, Dallin brought out a leather wallet;
"what do I get?"
The desk clerk smiled;
"a large sitting area, with two bathrooms and two separate bedrooms. Each bedroom has a double bed and-"
"okay, thank you". Dallin cut him off, nodding, "that sounds nice".
It took a large chunk out of her moon fund, but Dallin was happy with the room. Located on the top floor of the hotel, the sweat was elegant and spacious. Neither Dallin nor Winters had stepped inside something so luxurious before. The bellman brought up a bottle of champagne and two glasses, instead of their two duffel bags. And once the bottle was popped, Dallin took the bottle and poured herself a glass.
Sitting down on the couch, Dallin put her feet up on the coffee table.
With a sigh, she took a sip of the champagne and declared after;
"life is not pain anymore".
Winters chuckled quietly at her comment, while he tipped the bellman.
"Thank you, son".
"Enjoy your stay, sir". The bellman was happy with the generous tip and left the room with a smile on his face. Winters closed the door and turned back around, smiling at Dallin, who was enjoying a glass of champagne on the couch. Walking towards the couch, he grabbed the top and jumped up. Swinging his legs around, he was soon sitting next to her.
Dallin looked at him, with a confused expression;
"does Edinburgh make you young, sir?"
"I'm enjoying this room". He said, "its overpriced but…this could be really nice".
Humming in agreement, Dallin took another sip of her champagne.
"You're not scared of Speirs?" Winters asked her, with a smirk. "Seems like the whole of Easy are intimidated by him".
Dallin shook her head;
"not everyone…I don't think Bill or Joe give a shit, sir".
"You're probably right about that". He said, "Speirs might just be as crazy as Bill".
She shrugged;
"maybe, sir".
Winters looked at his watch;
"you 'gonna shower? Dinner starts at six".
Nodding, Dallin downed the rest of her champagne;
"where are we going?"
"Here". Winters replied, "you got your Class A? It's a formal dinner".
"I have…something better".
He was a little worried about that answer;
"you're not 'gonna wear your PT gear, are you?"
Dallin smiled;
"it was supposed to be a surprise…".
Winters sighed;
"Private…don't you dare".
Putting the glass down on the coffee table with a sigh, she said;
"guess you will just have to wait and see, sir".
Chuckling, Winters warned her;
"Dill, I can still put you on latrine duties here".
…
"Your parents…they are dead, little rat".
Closing her eyes, Filipina tried to tell herself that he was lying.
"What do you live, for now, little rat?" The Gestapo asked her smoothly, "hm? What is there left? If I do not kill you here…they will kill you somewhere far worse…than this place, little rat. But you still live, ja? Because…you believe…there is something worth living for".
When he laughed, Filipina felt sick.
"There is nothing, little rat". He told her, with a smile, "nothing…pain…a lot of pain. But you deserve that pain, little rat. Because you are a rat…you are not human. None of your kind are".
Opening her eyes, she whispered to the floor;
"so…kill me".
He laughed again;
"nein. I will not kill you…not yet. You know…I think one day, I will put you with the other rats. But do you know where the rats eventually go?"
Very quickly, Filipina shook her head.
His smile widened;
"up…up…up the chimney, little rat. Into the sky, as smoke".
Filipina tensed.
And her body stilled.
Seeing no other reaction, the Gestapo grew bored. He turned to face another officer and gave an order in German. He spoke so quietly and quickly, that Filipina couldn't translate what he had just said. So, when the officer left the cold room, he left Filipina in suspense.
"There will be none of your kind left". The Gestapo told her quietly, "only our race, the superior race…will live on".
If it was possible, Filipina's face dropped further.
But she suddenly looked terrified when the door opened.
She saw a bucket.
And knew what was inside.
Her body began to tremble and shake, while tears reached the corners of her eyes. Shaking her head, Filipina started to beg and plead for this to stop. They heard her beg and they saw her tears, but they didn't care for them. They only wanted to cause her more pain. And like most times, the bucket was on her lap, while an officer forced her head to look down.
"Your friend wishes to say hello…little rat".
Once the cover was removed, Filipina screamed.
…
Eyes opening, Dallin rolled off the bed;
"NIE! NIE!" She screamed, "PRZESTAWAC! PRZESTAWAC! PROSIC!"
With fast and heavy breathing, Dallin continued to scream out;
"PROSIC! PROSIC!"
And though her body trembled and shook, Dallin searched the ground for a way out.
She wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.
She wanted the pain to end.
Her hands grabbed and pulled her hair;
"PRZESTAWAC!" She screamed; throat hurting and voice breaking.
Dallin's eyes pooled with tears and the tears rolled hot and fast down her pale cheeks. She gasped and choked on her tears, as her heart tried to crash its way out of her body. At one point, Dallin was hardly breathing but she never noticed it. She was in a world of pain and terror, that's all she was focused on. In her mind, Dallin wasn't inside a beautiful hotel sweat, she was stuck in a cold room, staring at her dead friend's face.
Having seen Toye handle Dallin before, Winters knew what he was doing. Getting behind the distressed Paratrooper, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled Dallin back into his chest. There, he spoke calmly and strongly into her ear;
"breathe…it's okay…breathe".
Skip wasn't there with a cigarette at the ready.
And Guarnere and Grant weren't around to clean up the mess.
But with Winters commanding her gently to breathe, Dallin was aware she wasn't back inside that cold room. Though her breathing was still quick, she had stopped screaming. Her eyes danced around the darkroom, where she could make out shapes, like a dresser, a chair and a wardrobe.
She was in Edinburgh.
Dallin made it to Scotland.
"That's it…". Winters murmured into her ear, "that's better".
Her breathing was beginning to even out, while she started to calm down.
Dallin's hand grabbed a hold of his arm.
And she sunk further into his chest.
Frowning, Winters gave her chest a pat;
"do you need anything?"
She shook her head.
"Do you 'wanna sit here for a bit?" He asked softly.
Dallin nodded.
"Okay". He whispered, "we can do that".
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
Occasionally, Dallin's breathing would hitch.
And a few tears would roll down her cheeks.
But she eventually broke that silence;
"sorry".
"It's not your fault". Winters told her, "just like it wasn't mine".
"I thought…Scotland was safe for Jews".
"It probably is, Dill". He said softly, "but we can't control our dreams, remember?"
Letting go of Winters's arm, she wiped her face and asked;
"do you see…scared person when you look at me?"
Winters shook his head, with a thoughtful look;
"no…I see a brave young woman. And out in the field, I see a fearless Paratrooper. That's how I see all of you. The best soldiers in the whole Army. But when we're back and out of combat, you all make me feel old".
Dallin sniffed;
"old?"
Winters nodded;
"I feel like I've aged since coming back from Normandy. And when these replacements come in, I'll feel like a dinosaur".
She huffed;
"that is…silly, sir. I do not think twenty-six is old".
"I'm a lot closer to thirty than I am to twenty". He mumbled, "and I don't 'wanna be fighting a war at thirty".
Wiping her nose with her sleeve, Dallin asked;
"you want family at thirty?"
Winters shrugged one shoulder;
"I've put a down payment on some land…I've always wanted to own a farm. But yeah, one day I'd like to start my own family".
Dallin sighed and relaxed more into him;
"maybe for me…a family one day".
His lips twitched;
"yeah? I think you'd like that-"
"but after moon".
Winters smiled and nodded;
"yeah…I think going to the moon would take a while. You can't leave your family for long".
"Yes…so, family comes after moon".
"Why did Kacper want to go to the moon?"
Dallin's lips created a soft but sad smile;
"Abba told us that when we die…we become stars. When Kacper was small boy, he lost his best friend. His best friend died, he drowned in a lake. When Abba told Kacper his friend was now a star, Kacper said no…his friend was too bright and powerful to be a star…so, he must be the moon".
Winters smile softened.
"So…Kacper promised to visit him on the moon". Dallin whispered, "and Kacper was very smart. If anyone was going to the moon…it would be my brother".
"That's…touching but sad". Winters mumbled.
She nodded;
"yes…and if I do not get to the moon…I hope the person who does, has great meaning like Kacper".
"I'm sure they will".
…
Tired in the morning, Winters and Dallin walked out of the hotel and met Lieutenant Speirs outside. Speirs was going to show them around Edinburgh. Mostly, the castle. Dallin found the Scottish accent to be weird but nice. She also appreciated the bagpipe players, who appeared on most corners of the streets. Edinburgh had a lot of small and narrow closes, going from one street to another. The city was mostly made up of cobbled roads and very old buildings. It was a beautiful place, with friendly and helpful locals. They were proud of their city.
During a short break in a café, Dallin made a new friend.
Christina Stewart, who was visiting Edinburgh with a few friends. Christina lived across the River Forth, in a region called Fife. Her husband, Alexander, was in the Blackwatch. She worked in a factory, which helped make plane parts for the bombers. Though, Christina never told Dallin where the location of her work was.
"Are you enjoying Edinburgh, Dallin?"
Dallin nodded;
"yes…you have nice city".
Christina smiled;
"aye…it's a nice place. I couldn't be living here. Me and Alex have plans to head back down to Newton Stewart…we want to raise sheep".
Dallin smiled;
"my Captain wishes to own farm one day too".
"My dad was a farmer". Christina told her, "and his dad…runs in the family, eh?"
"Where are your parents now?"
"They live close to us". She replied, "dads a Great War veteran. They're getting old, eh? Need to be keeping an eye on them".
"Chrissy, we ready, hen?" One of Christina's friends asked.
"Aye, in a minute Jean".
Dallin rubbed the back of her neck and gave her new friend a nod;
"maybe…I see you after war, Christina?"
The Scottish woman smiled;
"aye, I'd like that, Dallin".
Before Christina left, she gave Dallin her address. And Dallin promised to keep in touch. Watching her new friend leave the café, Dallin got up and walked over to Winters and Speirs, who was still drinking their coffees. It was almost ten, since eight, they had explored a lot of the city and Dallin was eager to see the castle.
"New friend?" Winters asked her, with a smile.
"Yes…Christina Stewart". Dallin replied, "her husband fights in war too".
"Blackwatch?" Speirs guessed.
"Yes, sir".
Dallin looked to be in deep thought. Drinking the last of her coffee, the three Paratroopers left the café and headed up towards the castle. They could go inside but were limited. Though, they were free to explore the grounds of the castle. And from the top, they had a great view of the city. Some parts of Edinburgh reminded Dallin of Krakow. Like the castle, old buildings and the Princess Street Gardens. But of course, Krakow was massive compared to Edinburgh.
And though the view was stunning, Dallin didn't feel complete.
She missed her friends.
She missed being around Skip, her cousin and the men from 2nd Platoon.
She missed Shifty, Popeye and Kiehn.
She missed Lowrey.
And Bloser.
Feeling her eyes start to burn, Dallin blinked the sensation away and swallowed the lump in her throat. There were a lot of parts she missed before Normandy. Dallin missed being close with Shifty, but she knew it wasn't right. She wanted them to remain close, only as friends. But her heart still called for him sometimes.
"Private Gorski?"
Turning around, Dallin looked up at Speirs;
"yes, sir?"
Hands behind his back, Speirs took a step towards her;
"I've decided to take you and Captain Winters out for dinner tonight".
Nodding slowly, she agreed to go;
"yes, okay…is it fancy?"
His lips twitched;
"yeah…don't show up in your PT gear".
"I will…try not to".
When she didn't smile, Speirs cleared his throat and asked;
"are you alright?"
"Oh…this is just my face". Dallin told him.
His eyes lightened;
"we share a common expression…only, I don't look as sad".
Sighing, she mumbled;
"well…I suppose Germany hurting my people, made me sad".
Standing beside her, Speirs looked out towards the view.
Eyes softening, he said;
"I liked living here…I remember being happy here, but I don't remember much else".
"Our cities have something in common". Dallin said quietly, "they have castles".
He smiled;
"you don't find that in America, huh?"
"America is new country…Europe is thousands of years old".
Speirs placed his arms on the wall and leaned against the bricks;
"you miss Poland?"
"I don't think about it much". She admitted, "I think everyone tries not to miss home, sir".
"What was Poland like?"
Dallin raised her eyebrow;
"sir…I don't think about home".
He felt his lips twitch;
"that's a very direct way to speak to an officer, Private Gorski".
With a small sigh, Dallin mumbled;
"when I think of Poland now…I see Nazi's and Gestapo…I don't see Jewish community thriving, I see my people being tormented and killed. I will never return to Poland, Lieutenant Speirs".
"You don't remember where you grew up?"
"Yes…I do". She replied, "but…I don't-"
"think about it, right". Speirs cut her off softly, "your Captain tells me you like to garden".
Dallin nodded;
"that's right, sir".
"What else do you like to do?"
Head tilting to the side, she said;
"I like…making small animals out of wood. And I like music. And my friends".
"I like music". Speirs said, "I like Billie Holiday".
Dallin smiled small, while she proudly told him;
"yes…I saw her in Chicago with my cousin, Carl".
Speirs's eyes widened a little;
"you did?"
She nodded;
"Lady Day…could silence the war, if they'd let her".
Speirs lit himself a cigarette;
"you want one?"
Nodding, Dallin took the one he lit up;
"thank you, sir".
"You booked a nice hotel". Speirs commented, "pretty pricey".
She shrugged;
"I save a lot of money".
He hummed;
"you remind me of my sister, Elise. She's always been careful with money".
Dallin looked at him;
"you have many sisters, sir?"
"I have three". He told her, "and one brother…all older than me".
"Were they all born in Edinburgh?"
"Nope. Plymouth. In England".
Dallin raised her eyebrow;
"oh…well, me and Kacper were born in Poland".
With a tiny smile, he nodded;
"yeah…the accent is a give-away".
Her eyes lightened;
"you don't sound Scottish, Lieutenant".
"I was four when we moved to the States, Private". He told her, "that'll be why".
"My Abba's parents were from Israel". Dallin said, "it's why I look…the way I look".
Speirs looked at her.
His eyes searched her face for a few moments in silence.
Before he told her;
"there's nothing wrong with the way you look".