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On New Year's Eve, Winters and Astrid arrived back in Lancaster. Back in the warm Winters's family home, they settled in for the night and headed to bed after bringing in the New Year. It was hard to believe Astrid was seeing another New Year in America. It had been almost three years since the Germans occupied Guernsey and it had been two years since she last saw her family. She arrived in America in 1941, with hopes of seeing home again soon. But Astrid was beginning to fear the war would never end. It was hard to see the light at the end of the long and dark tunnel facing Astrid. She wanted peace at the end of the tunnel but longed for her family to be there as well. Lying on the camping bed Mrs Winters had set up in Winters's room, Astrid stared up at the dark ceiling while her friend slept in the bed next to her.
Hearing movement in the hallway, Astrid rolled onto her side and saw light coming from under the gap between the door and floor. Someone stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. After a few moments, Astrid heard the sounds of retching and vomiting. As if she was back in camp, the medic side to her kicked in and Astrid quickly left the bedroom and headed for the bathroom. She knocked a few times and didn't get an answer, so, decided to invite herself into the bathroom. Kneeling in front of the toilet was Mr Winters. Without saying a word, Astrid grabbed a towel and ran it under the cold tap. Rinsing the towel out, she then pressed it against the back of Mr Winters's neck and rubbed the older man's back. Her stomach pulled with sympathy at the sounds the man was making. He had a firm hold of his stomach, his face was pale, and he looked to be in a great deal of pain. After a few minutes, Mrs Winters then rushed into the bathroom.
"Good Heavens". She gasped, "Richard, what's going on?"
The older man groaned. "Supper didn't agree with me, darling. I'm quite alright. Don't make a fuss".
"Of course, I will!" She exclaimed. "You're never sick, dear".
Supressing a hiss of pain, Mr Winters admitted, "My damned stomach is hurting".
"I'll call for the doctor".
"Darling, it's New Year's Day". Mr Winters said, "Let the man sleep".
There was a short pause. And Mrs Winters said, "I'm calling the doctor". She left before her sick husband could argue. Astrid placed her hands on Mr Winters's shoulders and pressed his back against the bathtub, so he was leaning against something and resting. Emptying toothbrushes out of a cup, Astrid filled it up with water and handed the cup to Mr Winters.
"Thank you, Astrid". He said weakly before taking a sip.
Nodding, Astrid sat down next to him. "Do you still feel sick, Mr Winters?"
"No, not anymore". He said, "I'm fine, really".
"Maybe it was indigestion". She said softly, "My pappa got that a lot".
"That sounds plausible". Mr Winters said, "I do get heartburn frequently".
Humming softly, Astrid said, "Maybe you should cut back on dairy".
He raised his eyebrow. "What will I put in my cereal?" Mr Winters asked her lightly.
Astrid felt her lips twitch and she shrugged.
He sighed. "I don't think the doctor is necessary".
Rubbing the back of her neck, Astrid softly cleared her throat. "Mrs Winters is only worried".
"She'll go grey". He murmured. "Edith carries the world on her shoulders sometimes".
"Why?"
Mr Winters smiled kindly and looked at Astrid. "She's a parent, Astrid".
Astrid frowned. "Well…maybe Mrs Winters doesn't have to do that". She said, "Maybe Mrs Winters should only worry about things she can…control".
His smile softened. "Now, there's an idea".
Looking up at the older man, Astrid smiled small.
Mr Winters's smile widened and like her Lieutenant would do to her, Mr Winters ruffled Astrid's hair affectionately. "Go on back to bed, Astrid. You'll worry Dick if you're tired tomorrow".
"Oh, it's fine, Mr Winters". Astrid said softly, "I can stay with you".
With a quiet chuckle, Mr Winters gave her arm a gentle nudge. "Go on, Astrid. I'm quite alright. Besides, I've got Edith by my side".
"Well…okay, Mr Winters". Astrid reluctantly rose to her feet. "Will you come get me if you need me?"
He smiled and nodded. "I promise, Astrid".
Walking back into the bedroom, the closing of his door woke Winters up from his sleep. Just as Astrid was heading to bed, Winters turned on the small lamp and squinted his eyes against the light. With a frown, he rubbed his eyes and looked towards Astrid, who was getting into her bed.
"Are you okay?" Winters asked, voice still thick with sleep.
"Yeah, I'm fine". She replied quietly, "But your dad was a bit sick".
"What?"
"He's okay". Astrid said softly, "Your mum's calling the doctor".
With a small sigh, Winters got out of bed. "Go back to sleep, kiddo". He said, "I'm 'gonna check on my dad".
"Okay, Dick".
Turning off the light first, Winters left his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Astrid lay on her back, once again staring up at the dark ceiling. She felt worried about Mr Winters and hoped the man would feel better in the morning. Astrid could hear muffled voices coming from the bathroom and hallway – Winters had bumped into his mother and his father was still telling them off for being worried. Another voice soon entered the hall. Ann had woken up, worried about her father. After a gentle telling-off from Mrs Winters, Ann reluctantly walked back into her room. As soon as Ann closed her bedroom door, the sound of retching could be heard from the bathroom again. At first, Astrid wasn't overly worried. But then she heard Winters call out for his dad and he sounded panicked. Getting out of bed, Astrid rushed out of the room and ran into the bathroom. Eyes looking into the toilet, she saw blood. Both Winters and his mother were worried. Grabbing some toilet paper, Astrid wiped the blood off Mr Winters's mouth when the man stopped vomiting.
"I'm calling an ambulance!" Mrs Winters exclaimed.
"Astrid, what's happening?" Winters asked. And the alarm and worry in his voice startled Astrid. She hadn't heard her friend so panicked before. Taking in a deep breath, Astrid looked up at Winters and sent him a tiny and assuring smile.
"It's okay, Dick". She said, "He probably tore something in his throat from being sick. But to be on the safe side, you should probably call for an ambulance". Astrid wasn't an expert. She was only a combat medic. Only the doctors could know the real reason behind Mr Winters's sudden illness. So, with that bit of advice, Mrs Winters rushed down the stairs to call for help. Fingers going on Mr Winters's wrist, Astrid noticed his pulse had quickened. And his skin felt warm and sweaty. "Could just be a virus". She mumbled, thinking out loud.
"Ann was sick a few days ago". Winters said, "Could it be the same thing?"
Astrid nodded. "Probably, yeah".
Mr Winters sighed. "Just the stomach flu. Nothing I can't handle, son".
Winters smiled sadly at his father. "You had mom worried, dad".
"Don't make a fuss, son". He grumbled. "I don't need no ambulance, that's for sure".
"Well, you're getting one, dad". Winters warned him. "Mom's orders".
Frowning, Astrid looked up at Winters. "Is the stomach flu, a tummy bug?"
"Yeah". Winters told her, "Suppose stomach flu is an American thing, huh?"
"Must be". She mumbled softly.
Sounding out of breath, Mrs Winters reached the bathroom again. "Ambulance is on its way, Richard".
"Edith…it's not needed". Mr Winters grumbled. "I've probably caught Ann's stomach flu".
"Well, I just want to be sure, dear". She argued gently. "I'm going to make you some tea and settle your stomach before the ambulance gets here".
When the ambulance arrived, Mr and Mrs Winters headed to the hospital. Ann had managed to fall back asleep, leaving Winters and Astrid awake in their beds. Naturally, Winters was worried about his dad and Astrid didn't want her friend to be alone with his worry – so, she stayed up with him.
"He'll be okay".
Winters sighed. "Yeah…I might have overreacted".
Frowning gently, Astrid shook her head. "No". She said softly, "You didn't".
After a small pause, Winters rolled onto his side to look at her. Smile playing on his lips, he asked her, "Did I see you dancing with George Luz?"
Licking her bottom lip, Astrid shrugged. "It's fine". She said, "Um – we just – we were only dancing to one song".
He smiled. "And?"
Again, Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, it was fine". She mumbled, "I'm not a good dancer".
Winters's smile softened. He sighed gently. "You're growing up, huh?"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's not like I – I kissed him".
He raised an amused eyebrow. "I'm not sure how well Sobel would've taken that".
Smiling small, Astrid huffed out a tiny laugh.
Winters smiled again. "He's a good guy, Astrid". He said, "However, there are rules".
"I know". She said quietly, "Nothing's 'gonna happen anyway".
"Why do you say that?"
With a small shrug, Astrid cleared her throat. "It's just – um – I'm not ready for…for anything like that". She said, "I like seeing John Wayne movies with George. And he's funny and nice. But that's okay for now".
"Well, you've 'gotta do things at your own pace". Winters said, "If you rush into things, you might end up unhappy".
Like always, Winters always knew exactly what to say. Comfortable with that advice, Astrid gave him a tiny smile and nod. Smiling back at her, he reached over and ruffled her hair.
"Should we try and sleep now?" He asked. "I feel less worried. How do you feel?"
"Yeah, fine". Astrid said lightly. "We can try and sleep now".
…
Two days after New Year's Day and things were back to normal with Mr Winters. The doctor discharged him and told the man to rest and drink plenty of fluids. However, when things in the family home settled down, another surprise came around the corner. Winters received an invite to a party with his old college buddies and he wanted Astrid to go along. Of course, Winters never pushed her into saying yes. In fact, he told her straight away she didn't have to go. But Astrid was sure she'd be okay. It wasn't going to be a huge gathering and she was used to busy places with drunk guys around her. Dressing in their Class A uniforms, Winters drove them to a house ten or so minutes away. Parking close to the large house, Winters turned to Astrid, who was sitting in the passenger's seat.
"If you feel uncomfortable, tell me and we'll leave". He said to her kindly.
Astrid nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, alright".
Smiling back at her, Winters cut the engine. "Okay, let's go".
The strangest part about the party was the people inside. The young men didn't enlist to fight. They weren't in the army. They wore normal clothes, talked about life at home as if there wasn't a war going on. Winters's old college friends were Quakers. Due to their beliefs, they didn't have to enlist and were exempt from the draft. It didn't bother Astrid. Not at first. Winters talked to his old friends, and no one spoke about the war. Astrid listened in, noticing they only talked about their time at college. Someone handed Astrid a beer and she thanked the person. After almost downing that beer, she put it down on a dresser and spotted a female walking into the house with a man. It took Astrid a few moments to realise who that female was – Ellen. It was Ellen. Smile tugging on the corners of her mouth, Astrid walked over to Ellen. Standing in front of her friend, Astrid was fully smiling at Ellen. However, Ellen didn't smile back at Astrid. The man Ellen was with grabbed her hand and pulled her away in another direction. Frowning, Astrid watched the couple walk over to a small group of men in the sitting room. She thought it was weird. Unless Ellen simply didn't recognise Astrid. But Astrid hadn't changed that much since they last saw each other. Grabbing herself another beer, Astrid twisted off the cap and took a few sips of the bitter alcohol inside before walking over to Ellen. Once standing behind her, she cleared her throat.
"Ellen". Astrid addressed.
With a small sigh, Ellen turned around. "Oh, hey, medic". She greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"These are Dick's old college friends". Astrid said, "We both got invited to the party".
The man Ellen was with turned around and looked down at Astrid. "Who's this, Ellen?"
"My friend, Astrid". She replied, "She's a medic".
Astrid stuck out her hand. "Hi". She greeted softly, "Nice to meet you".
"Brian". He introduced. But didn't shake Astrid's hand. "How do you know Ellen?"
"We met last year". She said, "In a-"
"my parent's house". Ellen quickly cut Astrid off. "Astrid was on a weekend pass and decided to visit the city. That's how we met".
With a tiny frown, Astrid nodded and decided to go along with Ellen's story. "Yeah, that's it".
Ellen smiled, almost nervously, and looked at Brian. "Do you know Dick Winters? He's Ellen's friend".
"Yeah, I know him". Brian said and sent Ellen a tiny glare. "Do you?"
"No". Ellen said, with a little laugh. "No, I don't know him, Brian".
Brian put his arm around Ellen. And pulled her into his side. "Good. I don't like him much".
Ellen smiled. "Well, I don't really know him, Brian".
Astrid frowned up at him. "You don't like him?"
Brian shrugged. "Not really".
"Why?"
Ellen cut in. "Should we get a drink, Brian?"
"Yeah". Brian agreed. "But stick with me, baby. I trust you but I don't trust these guys".
Astrid's eyes wondered around the room. The men seemed fine. Most of them had brought their girlfriends along. If anything, Astrid didn't trust Brian. She wasn't blind. Astrid noticed that Ellen looked and even sounded nervous. Watching the couple walk away, she noticed Brian's tight grip on Ellen's shoulder, as they neared the make-shift bar. Finishing off her beer, someone handed Astrid a shot of whiskey. Knowing it probably wasn't the best idea, Astrid decided to take the shot anyway. Very quickly, Astrid decided that she didn't like Brian. After downing another whiskey, Astrid grabbed herself a beer and walked off to locate Winters. He was standing inside a large kitchen and leaning against a counter, talking with another guy. She wanted to ask him about Brian and share her worries. But her Lieutenant was busy. Leaving the kitchen, Astrid spotted Brian again. Her stare hardened into the back of his head. And she watched, as Ellen had to pull Brian's arm off of her, just so she could leave his side and walk towards the bathroom. Taking a sip of beer first, Astrid followed after Ellen. She stumbled a few times, already feeling the effects of alcohol. Catching up with Ellen, Astrid blocked the bathroom door and stared at her friend.
Ellen rolled her eyes. "What'cha doing medic? Out of my way".
"I don't like him".
"Who?"
"Brian". Astrid said, "I don't like him…sorry".
Ellen sighed. "He's fine, medic". She said, "He's just protective over me, is all".
"He gives me a bad feeling".
"So?" Ellen remarked. "You don't know the guy, medic. Get out of my way".
Astrid frowned. "Are we still friends?"
Ellen groaned. "Get out of my way!"
"Why didn't you smile at me-"
"you sound like a needy kid!" Ellen exclaimed. "Listen, thanks and all for getting me 'outta that shitty place". She said, "But I got it from here, alright? I don't need you looking out for me or whatever, medic. I'm fine".
Frown deepening, Astrid asked, "Do you still live with Dorothy?"
"No". Ellen grumbled. "I moved in with Brian last month".
Astrid sighed sadly. "Why? Dorothy and Trent like you".
"Mind your business!" Ellen snapped. "You're starting to piss me off, medic".
"I just want to help".
"I don't need your Goddamn help!" She yelled, "Move!"
But Astrid didn't move. And Ellen only grew more frustrated. Quicker than she could blink, Ellen slapped Astrid across the cheek. Feeling a sharp sting, Astrid rubbed her cheek and stepped to the side, unblocking the bathroom door. Without saying another word, Ellen quickly walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
"I'm sorry". Astrid said to the door, hoping Ellen would hear. "I just…I lost Margo and I don't 'wanna lose you too".
There was a short pause.
"Who's Margo?" Ellen asked.
Sighing, Astrid leaned against the bathroom door. "My best friend. She's dead now".
"I'm sorry, medic". Ellen said quietly, "But I 'gotta do what's right for me, ya know? And I love Brian. And he loves me".
"Has he hit you?"
"Only twice". Ellen assured her, "But I deserved it. I was being an asshole".
Astrid frowned. "Ellen…".
"Don't worry 'bout it, medic". Ellen said, "I can take it".
"But…but you shouldn't have to". Astrid mumbled, "You don't deserve to be hit, Ellen".
Ellen chuckled quietly. "I didn't even tell you why he did it, medic".
"It doesn't matter".
"Oh, it does". Flushing the toilet, Ellen then opened the bathroom door. She smiled. "I'm a bitch, medic. I treat some people like shit, ya know? I get what I deserve".
Astrid shook her head. "I don't believe you".
"I ain't leaving him". Ellen said firmly. "And you ain't 'gonna change my mind".
Before Ellen could walk off, Astrid gently took hold of her hand. "Are we still friends?"
Facing Astrid, Ellen smiled with amusement and nodded. "Yeah". She said, "I'm going back to Brian now. Enjoy the party, medic".
When Ellen walked off, Astrid finished off her beer. Putting the empty bottle down, she walked along the long hallway and entered the sitting room. Music played from the record player and couples flocked to the open space for a dance. On a long table, sandwiches and other cold foods were there for the taking. Astrid thought about grabbing something to eat but decided to drink more alcohol instead. She couldn't relate to the people around her. They were too happy and oblivious to war. After finishing another shot of whiskey, Astrid found a chair in the corner of the sitting room and sat down. However, most of the people were nice. And they didn't care if Astrid or Winters were in the army. But Astrid cared that they didn't enlist. It made her feel like they didn't care about the world falling apart.
She was drunk. Astrid felt a strange sensation in her stomach – it was warm and bubbled like a teapot. Her stare landed on Brian and Ellen, who were dancing together in the middle of the room. To Astrid, Ellen looked nervous. And Brian might have even looked angry. It was enough for Astrid to feel that familiar intoxicated rage. Rising to her feet, Astrid moved across the open space and pushed through dancing couples. When reaching Brian, she wasted no time locking her arms around his waist and tacking the man onto the ground. It didn't feel right, picking a fight in a Quaker's home. But Astrid was lost in the moment and was too angry to feel guilty for ruining the party. Pulling her fist back, Astrid punched Brian right on the nose. She didn't give him any time to react, before punching him again. However, that was all Astrid was allowed – two punches. Because just as she was preparing herself to punch Brian for the third time, arms went around her waist and they pulled her off the man.
"That's enough!" Winters snapped, "Stop it, Astrid!"
Ellen set Astrid a deadly glare. "Don't ever talk to me again!"
Astrid frowned at Ellen. "I was helping you".
"Fuck you, medic!"