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A few events took place whilst they were stationed in the field camp – a ceremony was held, and rewards were handed out to troopers who showed excellent bravery in combat. All men who were involved at the Brecourt Manor assault were handed a bronze or silver star. Winters received the Distinguished Service Cross for leading the Brecourt Manor attack. He was also promoted to Captain and now officially took command of Easy Company. It was also where they learned how little they had in Easy left. Out of the 139 men who left England on the night of June 5-6th, Winters's roster showed just five Lieutenants and sixty-nine men.
On July 12th, the men were getting prepared to board the ship which would take them across the English Channel and to Southampton. The men turned in their weapons and equipment which would be reissued to replacements coming ashore. For the men going out, they just took their personal belongings and souvenirs. And while Nelly sat on the sand, waiting until they got to board the ship, Private Alton More approached Winters, who was next to the ammo and weapons dump. Nelly was sitting a few feet away.
"Captain". He said to Winters.
"Hey, More". Winters greeted.
"I, ahh, found this bike. If I can get it on board the boat, is it okay if I take it back to England with us?"
Winters nodded. "It's up to you". He said, "I didn't see anything".
A wide grin spread across More's face. "Thank you, sir".
"I'll speak with the Navy guys". Winters told him. "We'll sort something out".
To keep herself entertained, Nelly's hands were digging holes in the sand. And she soon saw something shiny staring back at her – it was a gold ring. Curiously, she picked it up and held it toward the sun. To Nelly, it looked like a wedding band. And it had writing engraved around the side; "from Clara xx". A sad frown reached her face – it was someone's wedding ring. However, Nelly soon saw something else poking up from the hole she had dug. Nelly scooped more sand away and then gasped and shifted back.
It was a hand.
A few curious eyes wandered over to the girl upon hearing her gasp.
"You okay, Nelly?" Winters asked, who was closest.
Nodding quickly, Nelly shifted toward the hand. Setting the ring close by, she covered the hand and the ring – assuming they belonged together. "Fine, sir". Rising to her feet, Nelly dusted the sand off her uniform. The uneasy knot was still twisting inside her gut. She couldn't seem to get rid of the strange feeling. To a degree, the feeling was nauseating. And it only got worse.
After a few hours on the beach, men were soon boarding onto the LST – along with the German motorbike More was asking after. The motorbike even had a sidecar for passengers. And though they wouldn't be on the boat for long, the Navy treated the Paratroopers like kings. In the belly of the boat, plenty of hot food was served – chicken, steak, soup, eggs and for dessert they had ice cream. Nelly followed the men down metal stairs and caught a whiff of cooking food. The colour drained from her face, as her tightening gut soon turned south. Nelly was standing in line, stuck behind and in front of hungry Paratroopers – all the while her stomach continued to churn and twist with nausea. She wasn't feeling well at all. Her body felt shaky, and her head spun with dizziness. Nelly could feel the onset of panic settling in because she was trapped in a line and felt sick. The stairs were heaving with men and the door at the top was blocked now. She couldn't get out – and she wanted out.
Turning around, Nelly soon found Skip's eyes looking down at her. "Buddy, are you okay?"
Jaw wired shut, she nodded, and she pushed herself right against the railings and began walking up the stairs toward the top. The men did their best to clear a space for Nelly to get through – it was clear to them something was up with the girl. When Nelly reached the top, she soon found herself standing before Winters and Welsh – Officers were always the last to eat.
"You alright, trooper?" Winters asked, sounding mildly concerned.
Nelly gave him a sharp nod. She was afraid to open her mouth. Nelly had a good grip on herself at the moment. Her breath was held, her jaw was wired shut, and all the while her stomach churned and twisted.
"You should eat while it's still there". Welsh said, "Cause it's 'gonna be gone soon".
At the mention of food, her shaking intensified as the sickening feeling soon came to a head. Nelly needed to get up to the dock or somewhere without people. Because the line reached outside the door – men were lined up everywhere on the boat. Nelly's throat closed up and there came this choking sensation.
It was almost like one of the episodes she had at the train station, in Edinburgh and in front of Roe. But Nelly's breathing wasn't as quick, and she didn't have the same impending doom feeling she would usually get with an episode. It was different. The nausea was strange, but it still made her feel like she could be sick. And Nelly's throat was tight, and the choking sensation was a lot more intense than those previous times. When her stomach lurched, Nelly's shoulders sharply jerked up to her ears with a gag.
"Oh, okay". Winters stepped toward Nelly and took her arm. "Let's get you out of here".
A few men's faces were pinched with a grimace when they noticed Nelly gagging. And she slapped a hand across her mouth, hoping to hold it together until they reached somewhere away from everyone else. Nally was led along a corridor and into the latrines. Winters pushed open a stall door and she stumbled inside. Sitting on her knees, with her head inside the toilet, Nelly began to retch. Assuming the girl wanted privacy, Winters closed the door and waited outside. And while she was getting sick, Nixon walked into the latrines.
On his way to the urinal, he cast the stall door a grimace. "Who's that?"
"Nelly". Winters said through a sigh.
"Yeesh, she's having a rough go at it, huh?" Nixon said, "Seas not even that bad".
Winters wasn't sure it was the sea that caused Nelly to get sick. And he winced with sympathy at the sound of her coughing and choking. "Nelly? You alright in there?"
Nelly could feel her eyes flutter – like weak butterfly wings. Nothing came up because there was nothing inside her stomach. She felt as though she was dropping. Her pulse dropped, her heart rate slowed, and Nelly felt incredibly dizzy. Worried something was seriously wrong with her, Nelly made to stand up. But as she attempted to stand, she came crashing onto the ground when a sea of warmth spread around her body, and she lost consciousness. Upon hearing that thud, Winters immediately opened the door and saw the girl lying on the ground. On his knees, Winters's fingers first checked her neck for a pulse – he discovered her pulse was slow. Hands going under her arms, Winters pulled the upper half of Nelly's body onto his lap and then gave her clammy cheek a gentle slap.
"Nelly?" He called out softly but firmly. "Nelly? Wake up, come on...wake up".
Nixon barely had time to dry his hands before he headed for the door. "I'll get a medic".
And the man was gone before Winters could respond. All the men knew basic first aid. So, the Captain quickly got into action. He had already made sure Nelly was breathing. He then checked to see if her airways were clear by opening her mouth. Reaching toward her legs, Winters raised them and set her boots against the toilet seat.
For all of forty seconds, Nelly was out.
Her eyebrows twitched and then her eyes opened. Nelly could see Winters's face staring down at her. She couldn't remember what happened or how she ended up on the floor. She appeared confused. Winters sent her a calm smile. "It's alright, you took a tumble".
That didn't clear anything up. "Tumble?" Nelly whispered.
"Yeah". Winters confirmed gently. "You had a little fall, you're okay".
It explained why her body felt sore. "Oh". She mumbled. Nelly began the process of trying to sit herself up. But Winters placed his hand by her chest and pulled her back down.
"Hold on a minute". He said softly. "Let's just take it easy".
"I'm okay, sir". Nelly said quietly.
"We'll wait and see, alright?" Winters kept his voice calm and assuring. "We're 'gonna get a medic to check you out".
"But I need – "
"in there, doc". The latrine door opened. Nixon and Roe stepped inside.
Stepping into the stall, Roe sat by Nelly's side and smiled. "How're we feeling?" He murmured warmly and deeply. "Lieutenant Nixon said you fell".
"I'm fine". Nelly said, "But I – "
"you were sick, huh?" Roe said while taking a hold of her wrist to check Nelly's pulse. "Did you get a little seasick or something?"
"I – I don't know I...". Nelly said faintly. "I can't remember".
"That's alright". Roe assured her, "That happens after a fall".
Nelly let out a tiny sigh. "I'm fine".
"Let doc do his job, trooper". Winters told her, "Then we'll get you up".
Legs shifting, she soon discovered her legs were raised and her boots were against the toilet. With a tiny frown, Nelly tried to bring them down, but Roe told her, "Just keep 'um raised, for now, Murray".
"Need anything, doc?" Nixon asked, who was standing by the stall.
"Glass of cold water, sir". Roe responded. "Thanks".
Over the course of a minute, Nelly started to remember. She didn't fall or take a tumble, she fainted. Nelly's mother used to faint a lot due to her blood problems. Although that wasn't the root of Mary's condition – anaemia grew into another long list of symptoms. Nelly could see the word of her mother's illness inside her head, but she couldn't say it – she didn't know how. Her father simply told Nelly as a young girl, that her mother had bad blood. But as Nelly got older, she soon discovered her mother had a lot more than low iron.
"Did you eat today?" Roe asked.
Nelly shook her head faintly.
"Well, your blood sugar probably dropped". Roe explained. "And it caused you to fall – "
"faint". Nelly quietly corrected him. "You can say it...I'm not scared".
Winters's hand smoothed back the sticky curls on her forehead.
Roe sent her a kind smile. "Alright, it caused you to faint".
"Okay". Nelly whispered. Without Roe's hand to stop her, Nelly moved her boots off the toilet seat and bent her knees.
Winters looked over at the medic. "It's okay if she sits up now?"
"She'll be fine, sir". Roe confirmed.
Winters's hands went under her arms, and he helped sit Nelly up. She was fine, apart from feeling a little drained. Her head no longer spun with dizziness and the nausea had settled. Nelly's jacket sleeve mopped the cool sweat off her forehead. Nixon came back with a glass of water and Nelly took a few tiny sips. And she was fine. She got up and told them to leave the stall, "I need the toilet".
Taking the glass from her hand, Winters nodded. "Alright, trooper".
Nelly was convinced her bladder roused her from unconsciousness and thank God it did.
"She'll be okay?" Nixon asked the medic while Nelly used the stall.
"She'll be fine, sir". Roe said, "She just needs something to eat".
Winters looked toward the closed stall door. "You're having soup once you're done, Murray".
It was an order. "Right, sir". Nelly replied.
...
"You won't be fighting forever, kid".
Speirs's words should have brought any sane person comfort but all it did for Nelly, was haunt her. Being back in Aldbourne, felt like coming home after the war. The villagers greeted their American friends by waving flags and throwing confetti at them. For most of the men, it was a joyous occasion – where Americans saw their English sweethearts again or friends they had made. Nelly brushed the confetti off her shoulders as her deadeyes stared straight ahead. They were marching toward their new billets, which were stable blocks now. Each block had three bunkbeds; they could hold six men. It gave the enlisted some privacy.
Nelly stuck her bag on a bottom bunk. Lesniewski took the top and Liebgott laid out across from her on the bottom bunk. The rest of the squad took the blocks close by – the rest didn't want to share with Nelly. It didn't really bother her. The NCOs got an upgrade, they were sharing a big house on London Road. Malarkey and Skip got promoted straight to Sergeant, whereas Alex was made Corporal. So, Nelly was separated from her friends. But it didn't bother her.
Not a lot seemed to bother Nelly.
Unpacking her things, she hung up her uniforms and stored away socks and underwear into tiny shelves built on the wall inside their stable block. Liebgott and Lesniewski started doing the same. And to really make this block a home, Liebgott hung a few Pin-up girl posters on the walls. He appeared proud of his work. And he nodded to himself with approval.
"I'll have good dreams now".
"Sonny...". Lesniewski chuckled quietly. "Not in front of the kid, huh?"
Liebgott waved the concern off. "She's seen a lot worse than pretty girls, Papa".
Well, he wasn't lying there.
"You could get a girl like that, Papa". Liebgott grinned.
"Oh, you think?" Lesniewski asked.
"Pap, if you weren't in the Airborne...you'd be in the movies".
Lesniewski chuckled. And as he turned to ask for Nelly's opinion, he found she was no longer inside the block. He frowned. "Where in the hell did she get to so fast?"
Nelly was outside. She was hungry but didn't want to eat. Tired but couldn't sleep. Sad but couldn't cry. Lips rubbing together, Nelly leaned against the wall. The Easy Officers were staying inside a farmhouse this time. Speirs had been promoted to 2nd Battalion Staff, he was staying in the manor with Strayer and his men. Nelly scratched an itch on her hand and soon noticed how red her palm looked. She stopped scratching. Her eyes soon caught the attention of Punchy, who was walking out of the farmhouse and straight toward her.
"Hey, bub". He greeted.
"Hi". Nelly greeted back quietly.
And with a sigh, he told her, "I'm being promoted. I've been recommended for a Battlefield Commission by Winters to Colonel Sink – looks like I'm leaving Easy now".
"Oh". Nelly frowned softly.
"Yeah". Punchy mumbled. And he said, "I should be happy but...I 'dunno, I don't 'wanna leave at the same time". He added, "Lipton will take my place as 1st Sergeant". Before the news of losing such a good Sergeant sunk in for Nelly, Punchy brought a letter out from his jacket pocket. "It's for you – from Tommy. Want me to read it?"
She shook her head.
With a small nod, Punchy tucked it into her jacket pocket. "He's – uh – he's going home, bub. The wars over for him".
Setting her jaw, Nelly gave Punchy a nod – showing that she was listening. Burges was going home. His wounds were severe enough that he couldn't make another jump or join another unit. And she thought it was all her fault. The news only added to this growing darkness inside of her – Nelly didn't care.
"Winters is announcing a seven-day furlough tomorrow". Punchy told her, "We're all hitting London. Malarkey made a friend who owns this club. We're all going there".
Nelly didn't get invited.
But she didn't care.
With an apologetic smile, Punchy added, "A guy's night...you know?"
Humming, Nelly nodded and said, "Yeah".
His smile softened. "I'll see you soon, bub. Stay out of trouble".
"Goodbye".
She didn't care.
Not yet, anyway.