As promised, here's the first installment of the Carentan episode! Let me know what you think!
Also, in case you don't know, the beautiful song that this story is titled after is "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn. If you're not familiar with it, check it out on youtube! It's one of my favorites.
"Alright! First Platoon! Get into formation. Second and third, fall in." Welsh exclaimed the next day as the soldiers of Easy Company gathered around. "No playing grab-fanny with the man in front of you. That means you, Luz."
The mean around laughed and Luz smiled cheekily, winking at Eleanor, who had fallen in next to him. "What if it's not a man?" He called back, earning an eye-roll from Welsh.
"Where we going?" One of the men asked.
"We're taking Carentan. General Taylor's got the whole division on this. Hoobler will take point. First platoon, lead the way." He commanded. At the mention of General Taylor, Luz smirked and launched into one of his famous impressions.
"Now remember, boys: flies spread disease...so keep yours closed!" He imitated, earning laughs from those around him. He beamed with pride as Eleanor threw her head back and laughed especially hard. Being away from Easy had clearly been most of Eleanor's problem yesterday. Now that she was back among friends, she felt almost a hundred percent better.
After Easy had walked straight through the night and gotten separated from the other companies about half a dozen times, the sun appeared on the horizon and the buildings of Carentan cast their morning shadows in the distance. While Eleanor was relieved that the walking was finally over, a bundle of nerves danced in her stomach at the thought that she was about to enter her first real battle. As they neared the town, everyone kept low and Welsh began murmuring orders down the pipeline.
"Price." The men called quietly, gesturing toward the front of the line, where Welsh had apparently indicated that he wanted to see her. Staying low, she made her way to the front of the group, Luz following behind her.
"What's up?" She asked when she arrived, sizing up the town. The first building beyond the gates had a large blue sign that read 'Cafe de Normandie.'
"I want you to stay close to me. Got it?" Welsh told her seriously.
"Yes sir." She replied, her heart pounding hard at the thought of being at the front of the action.
"Luz, you stay on her, too." He commanded.
"Don't gotta tell me twice, sir." Luz replied, and although it was clearly meant to be a joke, his tone came out as serious as the grave.
"Alright, here we go." Harry whispered. Though it was only seconds, it felt like ages before he finally yelled out "Move! Move!"
Adrenaline carried Eleanor's feet forward and she ran next to Welsh, with Luz flanking her other side. It only took moments for the Germans to catch on to their presence and before Eleanor even had the chance to flinch, she heard bullets whizzing past her.
"Keep moving!" Harry shouted over the noise, and Eleanor obeyed, keeping her head down. When they reached the gates of the town, they ducked behind the wall for shelter. Luz attempted to send a couple of shots around the corner, but bullets were raining down on them.
"Where the fuck is everybody?!" Harry was shouting, "Where did everybody go?!"
"I have no idea!" Luz screamed back sarcastically, clearly frazzled as well.
"Nobody followed us!" Eleanor shouted, looking back at the men huddled in ditches on the sides of the road.
"No kidding!" Luz replied in exasperation. Eleanor's system was already in fight or flight mode and she was angered by the realization that she actually couldn't do either. She itched to start pulling the trigger on her rifle and feel some semblance of protection, but she wasn't a combatant. She was only supposed to shoot in direct defense of herself or a wounded soldier. It was in this moment that she truly understood that being a combat medic was no joke. She was expected to run through this chaos without using her weapon.
"Okay, here they come!" Harry called when Winters finally managed to get everyone moving again. "Let's go!"
Eleanor ducked down low again, running into Carentan behind Welsh and Luz.
Eleanor understood why she was at the front of the assault. There was more chance of getting to cover before the shooting started. However, she soon realized that the front was not an ideal place for a medic. All of the men who were falling to the ground as they pushed further into the city were behind her. Once the entire company managed to breach the city, Eleanor broke away from Luz, attending to any of the wounded that she could find. Luz attempted to stay nearby, but without a medic badge, he couldn't just step into the middle of the street like her without getting dropped on the spot.
Eleanor found that once a wounded soldier was in sight, leaving cover wasn't so scary. Just as long as she had that hurting soldier to focus on. It was a law that she'd seen in play many times before she joined the army - someone else's panic could force your own to take the backseat. Somebody had to be calm, and as a medic, she'd been designated as that someone.
She peeked around the corner of the building she had just ducked behind and glanced around to try and spot any shooters. In the distance, someone was calling for a medic and Eleanor was making her way in that direction. She took a deep breath before forcing herself around the corner and taking off at a full sprint across the intersection of two streets. She ran straight past Lipton, who was calling out orders, but Eleanor tuned him out as she came to another building across the street and rushed around the corner to take cover.
She was listening hard for the next "medic" call to decide which way to go next, but all that rang around her now were gunshots and Lipton's frantic shouts. Either another medic had reached the wounded soldier, or he was gone. Eleanor hoped it was the former. When she risked another glance out in the open, she cringed as she saw Lipton still standing in the open, waving his arms as a mortar exploded right in front of him.
"Lip!" She screamed as the percussion sent him flying backwards into the nearest building. Without a second thought, she left her cover and rushed to his aid where Floyd Talbert already had him propped up against the wall. Eleanor skidded to a stop, kneeling in front of him.
"Hey, Lip." She told him with a calm smile. His eyes flicked to hers, but he was clearly in shock. "We're gonna get you fixed up here." She and Talbert watched as his eyes flicked downward in worry and glanced down at his bloodied crotch. They exchanged a concerned glance and Eleanor reached down, sticking her fingers in the rip and pulling it open further. She leaned down to be at eye-level with it and took a quick look before exhaling in relief.
"You're okay, Lip! Everything's right where it should be." She announced, getting a relieved laugh from Talbert and a barely discernible nod from Lipton. Another man about fifty yards off called for a medic and Eleanor glanced over her shoulder. "It took a chunk out of your thigh, but it didn't hit anything serious; it's just a flesh wound." She told both men hurriedly. "Tab, get him out of here." She ordered and Talbert nodded quickly.
"Sure thing." He replied, already helping Lipton up. "And Nora, be careful." He added.
"You too." Eleanor responded with a nod before running off to see to the other soldier.
The moment she slid up next to this soldier, she knew that he wouldn't make it. She placed her hands on his chest to put pressure on his gaping wounds as his pale lips began speaking to her, his eyes wide.
"It's okay, Private." She told him gently. "Try and stay calm."
"My m-my mom told me not to join s-so-to join so young." He sputtered.
"Yeah?" Eleanor replied, trying to keep his attention as chaos continued to ensue around them. "How old are you?"
"Seve-seventeen." He said ,causing Eleanor to frown. He must've joined the army as young as fifteen. It wasn't uncommon for boys to forge their papers and pass for eighteen. She wished she wouldn't have asked - she could've done without knowing how young he was.
"Only seventeen? You're far braver than I am." She told the young man, doing her best to give him a dazzling smile. He smiled back for a moment, clearly proud, before his smile faded and his eyes moved to look past her in a daze.
"Private Thompson?" She said, reading the name tape on his uniform.
"I don't...wanna die." He said gently, before the light left his eyes and his breathing sputtered to a stop.
"I know." Eleanor whispered to herself. "I know."
It was a miracle she hadn't been hit, for as long as she'd been sitting out in the open. Although the krauts tended to refrain from shooting at her due to her medic badge, she was never safe from stray bullets, grenades, and mortar shots. Despite knowing all of this, Eleanor couldn't bring herself to care as she stared at the body beneath her hands.
"The hell is she doing?" Luz shouted over artillery fire to the man next to him. "Nora, move on! You gotta keep moving!" He shouted at her. When she didn't move, he stepped out of cover but quickly jumped back as a sniper bullet flew past his head. "Dammit." He muttered.
Eleanor knew that she needed to keep moving and that others would need a medic, so she slowly stood. The sound of artillery around her still sounded muffled and her gaze was still fixated on the stilled face of the boy on the ground.
"Jesus Christ, what is she doing?" Luz exclaimed, watching her stand there. He silently prayed that Shifty had sights on the sniper that had he and his group pinned down. His heart dropped into his stomach as he heard another whistle and watched a mortar round soar past, headed straight for Easy's lady medic.
"No!" He screamed, watching in horror. Moments before the mortar landed, the figure of another paratrooper sprinted across the road and grabbed her, hauling her behind a corner with him. Luz gasped in relief.
"Ah, I could puke. That bird's gonna be the death of me." He groaned, and the two men next to him muttered their agreement.
Eleanor's world was still moving at half-speed when an arm hooked around her waist and pulled her (or rather, carried her) around the corner of a building that stood nearby. The moment they were concealed, the corner was blasted to pieces. Eleanor turned her face away from the explosion as her rescuer pushed her back against the wall and pressed his body flush against hers, trying to shield her from the flying rubble.
The explosion snapped Eleanor back to reality and she turned her face to see that Ronald Speirs had been the one to snatch her up. She faltered for a moment, having expected to see George Luz, or Donald Malarkey, or Bull Randleman, or anyone else, really.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." She whispered. He wasn't looking at her, his gaze stuck on the corner next to them that had a sizable chunk taken out of it. When he showed no intention of releasing her, Eleanor became worried that he was wounded. An image of shrapnel sticking out of his back flooded her mind and, without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him and ran her hands gently up and down his back, feeling for blood.
When she found none, she was struck by the intimacy of what she was doing and the position they were in. She dropped her hands and cleared her throat, looking back up at Speirs to find that he was now looking at her, his intense gaze roaming over her face.
"...I'm alright." She told him after a moment, unsure why exactly she felt the need to assure him. With a curt nod, Speirs stepped back a bit, remaining close but putting a few inches between them.
"Me too." He replied.
"Good." Eleanor said awkwardly after a moment. In the distance, she heard another call for a medic as the chaotic noise around them seemed to subside - it was almost over. When Eleanor heard the cry for a medic, she snapped out of her awkward stupor and pushed past Speirs.
"Thanks again!" She called out over her shoulder as she rushed off to find the source of the cry.
After turning through a few alleys, she spotted Liebgott cradling Tipper in his arms, with a couple of soldiers standing by in shock.
"We're gonna get you all fixed up, Tipper." Liebgott was telling him softly.
"Hey, Tip." Eleanor said calmly as she kneeled in front of him. "Let me see what we're working with, here." She looked first at his bloodied face - some of his flesh had burned and he probably had at least one burst ear drum. The wound on his leg was big, but the capillaries had already been seared shut by the heat of the explosion, so he wasn't losing too much blood. There was also a steaming piece of shrapnel sticking out of his foot. The main priority for him would be treating the burns so that he didn't get an infection.
"This isn't bad at all, Tip." She assured him, and the men around her seemed to deflate in relief, too. "You're going to be just fine. We need to get these wounds clean before we wrap them up." She explained, gesturing to the men standing up. "Come on, guys, let's get him up and to an aid station."
The two men reached down and lifted him out of Liebgott's arms before rushing him off to the aid station. Eleanor sighed before standing up. She glanced around to see that the assault was over. They'd successfully taken Carentan. She reached a hand down to help Liebgott up and he accepted it, hauling himself to his feet.
"Is he really gonna be okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, he'll be just fine. He'll probably be going home. Which is more than we can say for ourselves." She told him with a wry smile. "You'd make one hell of a medic, Liebgott." She told him truthfully and he rolled his eyes, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"And miss the chance to shoot at these krauts? I don't think so." He replied jokingly, as the two of them tried to navigate their way toward the town square, where a building was sure to be designated as medical station.
Eleanor winced as she stepped out of the aid station and back into the daylight. She'd been all but shoved out by Roe and the other medics as she'd neglected to take a break multiple times since they arrived in Carentan. Thankfully, the aid station wasn't too flooded with casualties. She wandered over to the statue in the middle of the town square, where she saw a number of men from Easy Company relaxing and chattering happily.
"Whaddya hear, Whaddya say, fellas?" She greeted jokingly as she reached the group. The men all exclaimed happily at her presence and she plopped down on the ground next to Malarkey, leaning into his side and closing her eyes.
"They finally kick you out of the aid station?" Skip asked with a smirk.
"Ah, shut up." She muttered in response, though her lips turned up in smile. The men continued talking around her and Eleanor let her mind drift as she readjusted her head on Malarkey's shoulder.
"Hey, you alright?" Malarkey whispered. Eleanor opened one eye to find him staring down at her, concerned. "Heard you froze up earlier." He added gently. Eleanor groaned before pulling her head upright. She assumed he'd heard it from Luz's big mouth - he'd already given her an earful about it.
"It was nothing. I'm fine. I promise." She assured him. He didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway. They turned back to the others just in time to hear one of them insist that they'd be back in Berlin by Christmas. The other men scoffed and got into it about the likelihood of the Germans surrendering.
"Enjoy it while it lasts. We'll be moving out soon." A new voice cut into the conversation seriously.
Eleanor had to shield her eyes from the sun in order to see the standing figure and she sat up straighter when she discovered it was Ronald Speirs. He held her eyes for a moment as Moore asked "out of town, Lieutenant? Already?"
"That's right." Speirs replied, turning to look down at him. He stood silently for a few more moments before moving to walk away.
"Don't they know we're just getting settled here?" More added, causing Speirs to stop in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder and fixed Moore with an intense stare, saying nothing. The tension among the group could be cut with a knife.
"Lieutenant Price, a word?" He finally spoke, not breaking eye contact with More.
"Yes, sir." Eleanor replied, ignoring the astounded looks the men were giving her as she got to her feet. Speirs walked off without looking back and Eleanor followed after him, sending a shrug and raised eyebrows back at the men as way of explanation.
Speirs stopped about fifty meters off before turning to face her. Rather than speak, he simply stared at her, and Eleanor, feeling the heavy pressure of his gaze, broke silence.
"Is something wrong, sir?" She asked.
"Cigarette?" He asked, pulling a pack out of his pocket and holding it out to her. Eleanor shook her head.
"No thank you, sir. I don't smoke." She replied, eyeing him curiously. He gave a slight nod and pulled one out of the pack with his teeth, lighting it. Eleanor stood awkwardly, waiting for him to finish.
"Mind explaining to me what happened earlier, Lieutenant?" He asked around his cigarette, those eyes once again boring into hers.
"Earlier…?" Eleanor began innocently with raised eyebrows.
"When you almost got blown to pieces." He elaborated matter-of-factly.
"Oh." Eleanor replied softly. She wasn't about to pour her heart out about watching a boy die to Ronald Speirs. "I had been pretty close to a blast right before that. I think I was just a bit disoriented." She lied confidently. Speirs' steely eyes seemed to see straight through her. "It won't happen again." She assured him.
"Make sure it doesn't." He said simply before turning and walking off.