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It was light when Nelly opened her eyes and she felt somewhat rested. She had slept through the night and onto the next morning. It was June the 7th now – there was no way Easy would still be at the rally point. But she wouldn't give up on her search to find them. Nelly was sure that if Easy moved out of Le Grand Chemin, another unit would take its place. So, she continued north. Because even if she hurt herself trying, Nelly was determined not to die in the forest. Packing up her gear, Nelly was back on her feet and hiking once more through the overpopulated trees and bushes. For the next two hours, Nelly didn't stop walking. She didn't take a single break. Nelly ignored her hurt stomach and dry mouth. She ignored every uncomfortable feeling in her body. She was sure north would save her from the dense forest.
And it did.
Three hours later and she reached the end of the forest. Nelly could have cried when her boots were met with an old muddy road. And she swore to never step foot inside a forest in Normandy again. However, Nelly didn't have the cover of trees to hide from the enemy. It was light and she made a fine target. "Ten miles...". She whispered to herself, "Just ten more miles". There weren't any signposts or life around her – Nelly could only trust the muddy road and hope for the best – again.
On either side of her, were grassy verges and drainage ditches. There were deep tank and truck tyre marks on the road, causing quite a lot of mud to walk through. In the distance – maybe two or three miles away, she could hear a fierce firefight take place. It was 0700 hours; Nelly could only guess she'd reach La Grand Chemin by late afternoon. Her socks were wet because of the soaking ground in the forests. And she itched from the mosquito bites. But it was the cramps in her stomach that hurt the most. The berries she ate yesterday were not in fact for eating. Dieter had unknowingly poisoned them.
With a groan, Nelly grabbed her stomach. "That...Nazi...bastard...".
She had no choice – she had to stop walking and take a break. Unfortunately, that break lasted a lot longer than she hoped for. Nelly was out of walking for the entire morning and most of the afternoon with a stomach upset so bad, that she'd have rather dislocated her shoulder again. Nelly had a low-grade fever, chills and body aches but she emerged from the trees weakly and began walking along the road. And because she had lost a lot of fluids, Nelly had to drink mostly all of the water inside her canteen. What started as a hopeful day, now turned sour and grim. Even the sky darkened with grey clouds to suit Nelly's current gloomy mood.
Bringing out her radio, Nelly searched for Skip while she walked.
"Gandalf?"
Once again, there was no reply.
"I'm sick but...I'm still going...barely...". Nelly mumbled. "I found a road so...I'm hoping for the best...also, I'm never going in a fucking forest again...". Quietly, she added, "Hope you, Balin and Thorin are okay...over and out".
Radio back inside her musette bag, Nelly reached for a cracker to nibble on. Her body was weak and exhausted. And she needed to find water. Ten minutes after eating that cracker and her gut cramped up again. It didn't matter how much her body needed the energy; Nelly decided to put a ban on eating until her stomach settled. Back in the forest once more, she could only tough and wait it out. And she did so, for almost half an hour. The sickness was putting off so much time, at the rate she was going, Nelly wouldn't reach the rally point until dark. Hiking up her trousers, Nelly was back on the road and walking once again. And because talking to herself on the radio gave her some sense of normality and comfort, Nelly held the radio toward her lips.
"Gandalf...I'm sick and running low on water...I can't eat anything...I think those berries were a purgative or something...or that bastard poisoned us...I'm not sure if I should keep going or find another place...maybe Le Grand would bring me closer to you...or maybe I'm lost again". Nelly's lips rubbed together. And she stopped walking. "I might be lost...". It dawned on her. "I could be lost...now what?"
For almost five minutes, Nelly stood and allowed her brain to come up with a backup plan. And when she thought of something that could work, she told the radio.
"The beaches...I'll head to the beaches...I'll just...". Nelly's head tilted up toward the sky. "I'll just follow those birds...the ones that – that like beaches and stuff...". Because at the beaches, Nelly was sure to find an ally. Maybe not a trooper from the Airborne. "Maybe not you but...maybe a British soldier or something...or a ranger...I don't know but I'm not getting anywhere fast by myself...". Quietly, she added, "Over and out".
Radio back inside the bag, Nelly sat on the muddy ground and brought out her map. From her current position, Utah Beach was fourteen miles away. That was roughly a four-hour walk but because Nelly was sick, it would take her longer to reach the beach. Once again, if she was right, Nelly would continue north. The distance gave her some stress. She would be passing Le Grand Chemin on her way anyway, so, it wasn't a completely wasted trip. Standing up once more, Nelly shouldered her stolen German rifle and started walking. Rain tapped on top of her helmet, she almost thought about bringing out her poncho, but she couldn't be bothered. Her fatigues were wet already, rain wasn't going to change anything except wash the mud off her uniform and face and fill her canteen.
With a smile, Nelly unscrewed her canteen and held it above her head to catch raindrops. She walked and kept it held up there, smiling upon hearing rain hit the bottom of her canteen. The rain was the best thing to happen to her since she discovered the road. Hope was restored. But her stomach ached, and it slowed her walking down a lot. Nelly was practically dragging her feet across the thick mud. And then to her right, she heard something.
It was a snort.
Frowning, Nelly looked to her right. And through a small crack between trees, she saw a horse's nose. Another idea popped into her head – a crazy idea. But Nelly was no stranger to horses, and she wasn't a beginner when it came to riding them. Screwing the cap back onto her canteen, she brought out the rope from her musette bag and her knife. Climbing up the grass verge, she then moved between the trees and saw the bay horse standing by itself in a field. First, Nelly cut the barbed wired fence and created a large opening – wide enough for the horse to get through. And then, Nelly created a sort of halter with reins with the rope. She gave a tiny nod to the horse.
"I'm just...going to put this on you...". She told the mare softly.
As Nelly approached the horse, the mare gave Nelly's face a sniff. Cautiously, Nelly gave the horse's neck a rub. And then she placed her hand-made halter over the mare's head. Now, she had to mount the horse. Leading the mare toward a rock, Nelly stood upon the rock and swung her legs over the horse's back. The mare snorted and raised her head – she was startled by the strange human on her back – as was Nelly. Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Nelly gave the mare's sides a gentle kick and pushed the horse forward. In a walk, they moved through the opening Nelly created and carefully moved down the grass verge. The hard part was over – now, Nelly had the task of encouraging the mare forward along the road. Ears pricked forward; the mare's hooves splashed into the mud as she walked on.
Nelly huffed softly. "Okay...this is...happening".
And a tiny smile met Nelly's lips.
She shook her head. "I can't believe this...".
The mare sneezed and bowed her neck. She was beginning to warm up to the strange human on her back. Nelly gave the horse's side a rub. It felt like she was riding her old farm horse again – only, this mare was a lot taller than Punch. Nelly's tense shoulders soon relaxed. She almost felt safe on the back of the mare. And with this mare, she'd reach Utah Beach in no time. Rain hitting her face and soaking her fatigues and the mare's bay coat, Nelly felt things were starting to look up. And that she'd reach her friends, and everything would be okay from then on.
But then she heard the sound of boots behind her.
Looking over her shoulder, Nelly could see a figure rounding the corner. No – not just one figure, a group of them. Upon catching the colour of the jacket, Nelly discovered they weren't allies. It was the enemy. Nelly let out a groan and faced the front. Tongue clicking on the roof of her tongue, she gave the mare's sides a kick.
"Go – go, come on...". She urged.
Picking up at a trot first, Nelly kicked the mare again and she brought them into a canter. Her hooves thundered along the road. The Germans heard the thundering sound of a horse, and they opened fire. One of the bullets hit a tree directly behind Nelly and it spooked the mare into a fast and frightening gallop – which sat well with Nelly, the faster the better. Leaning forward, Nelly took hold of the reins and some of the mare's mane, as the horse's neck stretched out in front of her to gain speed. Bullets continued to fire at them but not for long. Rounding a sharp corner, Nelly braced herself for the forked turn.
However, the road was thick with slippery mud and wet puddles. The mare lost her balance during the sharp corner and her back legs slid out from under her body. Nelly let go of the reins and held onto the mare's neck for dear life as they slid off the road and down a slope. The mare ended up falling onto her side during the fall down the slope – which meant Nelly had to let go and jump off the horse before the animal crushed her bones. Nelly rolled down the slope with the horse a few seconds behind. And before the mare could slam Nelly into a tree, she quickly rolled to the side. The poor animal's back legs and side collided with that tree. But the mare had already broken its back leg during the fall and she neighed out in the utmost pain.
Crawling to the wounded animal, Nelly set a hand on the mare's neck. "You have to...be quiet or the Germans will hear us...". She whispered.
And from the top of the slope, Nelly heard the sound of boots running and Germans yelling. She cast a frown at the horse. It was pure survival and mercy. The horse wouldn't survive with two broken legs and crushed bones. And Nelly wouldn't survive if the Germans found her. She had no other choice. Eyes closing, Nelly pressed a kiss onto the mare's neck before rising to her feet. Taking her rifle with tears in her eyes, she stood before the horse and pressed the barrel of the rifle on the horse's head.
"I'm so...so sorry". Nelly said through tears.
Pulling the trigger, she shot the animal.
And it all fell quiet.
That was until Nelly heard the enemy open fire. Taking the rope from the horse's head, Nelly headed back into the trees to find cover and safety. Luckily, it wasn't the same forest as before. She hoped it would lead her to a friendly face. Nelly was only on that horse for one hour. She might have covered at least four miles with the mare. Tears were rolling down Nelly's cheeks while she ran. She felt awful – it was her fault, she blamed herself for putting that animal in danger and killing her.
Nelly's run slowed to a walk after twenty minutes. Looking over her shoulder, she couldn't spot any sign that the enemy was following her or had been following her. Rolling up her wet sleeve, she looked at her wristwatch – it was 1700 hours. She was getting nowhere slowly. Nelly ran a hand down her face and scrubbed the tears away. Now, it was starting to get stressful for Nelly. But not enough for her to give up. She continued north and stuck to her plan. Putting time to the side – it didn't matter when she reached Easy Company, it only mattered that she did reach them.
It got dark. And Nelly was exhausted. She was still inside the woods, but the road was just up the slope. Moving deeper into the forest, Nelly set up the same trap she did last night. Once the trap was secured, she snuggled up under a tree and pulled on her blanket with her poncho on top to grab some much-needed warmth. Pulling out the radio, Nelly hovered it by her mouth.
"Gandalf...it's late...and I'm going to sleep now...maybe tomorrow I'll be at the beach...maybe tomorrow, I'll see you all...". Nelly smiled small at the thought of seeing her friends again. She wanted so badly to hear their voices. "I miss you...and...I've not given up yet...but it's stopped raining and...my canteen is empty now...I'm nervous that I'll die...because...I don't want to die alone...what if it hurts?" Nelly's voice cracked. "Will it hurt?" Clearing her throat, Nelly had to swallow a lump in her throat before she continued. "I think...I'll just sleep now...goodnight...to everyone...over and out".
...
Just nine miles away from Nelly, Easy Company were bunked down in the small hamlet of Angoville-au-Plain after a rather fierce fight in Vierville. Skip, Alex and a bunch of other men from Easy had turned up. Most of them had been fighting with the 82nd before reaching their Company. Malarkey had the grim task of telling his friends that Nelly wasn't with them.
"But she's alive, right?" Alex urgently asked.
"Of course, she is, bud". Skip clapped Alex's shoulder. "It's our Nelly, she's alive".
Malarkey remained quiet.
"She's probably fighting with some other unit". Skip continued to assure Alex. "She'll be back with a story or two I'll bet".
"Yeah". Alex croaked tearfully.
Skip squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, man...she's 'gonna be fine. I know it – she's Bilbo".
With a sniff, Alex rubbed at his eyes. "I never told her...".
"Well, whatever it is...you can tell her when you see her". Skip said to him softly.
Nelly wasn't the only trooper who hadn't shown up. Lieutenant Meehan, Evans and all the men from their plane were not accounted for. Which put Winters in command of Easy and Punchy as 1st Sergeant – a lot of promotions were made. Guarnere was now 2nd Platoon Sergeant, leaving Malarkey in charge of the mortar squad. But none of that mattered to Malarkey. He was trying his hardest to remain hopeful that Nelly was alive somewhere in Normandy. But hope was starting to dwindle for Malarkey.
"Go on, bud. Get some sleep". Skip encouraged Alex gently. "Tomorrow, I'll bet we'll have our Nelly back".
With Alex trying to sleep inside a foxhole, Skip sat next to Malarkey. The hamlet was probably once beautiful but now it was littered with the dead and the corpses brought a horrible stench. There were only seven houses in the hamlet and one church, now used as an aid station. Some men had been pulled off the line due to their wounds. And some had died – Bloser and Everett were two who had lost their lives in Easy Company. A couple were wounded – Toye had a pretty nasty wound on his hand but refused to leave his men. Toye wasn't going anywhere until Nelly returned.
"God, Skipper...". Malarkey said through a sigh, "What if we lose her?"
Skip was silent for a moment. And then said, "Her loss would...break our hearts, Don".
Malarkey looked at him and frowned.
"It wouldn't be the same, ever". Skip said quietly. "Same goes for you and Alex".
"Nothing on that radio?"
"Nothing". Skip mumbled. "I'll keep trying, Donnie".
"I know". Malarkey whispered. "Maybe she's been trying to reach you".
Skip nodded. "She probably has". He said, "But the range only goes to three miles".
"So, she's somewhere over three miles away?"
"Potentially, yeah". Skip confirmed.
And that gave Malarkey comfort. "We can't hear her because she's out of range". A smile even met his lips. "That's why".
Humming, Skip nodded and said, "I wonder how she'll take the news about her cousin".
Malarkey huffed. "Shit".
"So, Speirs and two other fellas from his Platoon shot a bunch of prisoners. Justified, right?"
"God, I'm not sure". Malarkey mumbled.
"Me neither". Skip said, "Does the good outweigh the bad?"
Malarkey looked at his friend again. "He takes care of Nelly. He's a good officer – fucking crazy – but good".
"His men are calling him, Killer". Skip snorted. "Just Killer – nothing nice".
"Jesus". Malarkey said through a sigh. "I don't know if Nelly's 'gonna like that".
"She's heart but logic". Skip shrugged. "She'll see his point – take no prisoners, right?"
"But Nelly's a teenager, Skip". Malarkey reminded him. "I don't know how she'll take it".
"As long as he's alive, I don't think she'll care".
Raising their heads, they spotted Winters walking by their foxhole. And the Lieutenant stopped to ask them, "Any word?"
"No, sir". Malarkey replied quietly.
With a small frown, Winters knelt before his soldiers. "Hang tough, alright? Nelly's a smart kid".
"We're trying, sir". Skip said, "We – uh – we think she'll be fine".
"She did well on the plane". Winters said to them – almost fondly. "Not a trace of fear on that kid's face. Cool as a cucumber".
That brought a smile to Malarkey's face. And he nodded, agreeing with him. "She did good, sir".
"Wherever she is now, I expect she'll be just as calm". Winters assured them both. "Okay?"
"Yes, sir". They both responded.
"You boys get some sleep, alright?" Winters said while rising to his feet. "I'll see you both in the morning".
"Night, sir".
And when he walked off, Skip gushed to Malarkey. "God, what a guy".
"Since day one, huh?" Malarkey smiled. "He's always had our backs".
Staring up at the sky, Skip said softly, "Do you think she's sleeping?"
"Probably". Malarkey said quietly. "I hope she's warm".
"Yeah...". Skip whispered, "Me too".