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It was a completely different flight compared to their flight to Normandy. Malarkey was nose deep in a book, for starters. And the men talked, voices trying to be heard over the loud engines. Nelly wasn't really in the mood for talking. Her body was slightly twisted, so she could stare out of the tiny plane window behind her. She wanted to see Holland before it saw her. Nelly's last mission in Holland was very unsuccessful; she hoped this mission would go better. But there was a seed of doubt planted in her mind, because of her history with the country. Her body got sore and tired with its current position, Nelly untwisted herself and faced the front.
Her eyes shifted toward Babe and Ed Joint, their two replacements in the squad. As she looked at them, Nelly wondered if they felt scared, nervous or just plain excited. Nelly's mind was torn on how to feel. Seeing Holland was going to bring back a lot of feelings and memories, but Nelly had to remind herself it was different now – it wouldn't be the same as last time. Though not completely impossible, it wasn't likely she'd be captured by the Nazis again.
"You guys should be proud of yourselves!" Said the plane's crew chief, "I wish I could do what you do". He praised while walking up the strip. "I'll mail your letters, hand 'em over to me".
"By the way, who's Doris?" Babe asked – the name of the plane they were on was called Doris.
"The pilot's wife". The crews' man said.
"My girl back home's called Doris". Babe said, "She dumped me".
"Aw, I'm sorry kid". He frowned. "Her loss, huh?"
Babe smiled, "Thanks, chief".
"Hey, chief!" Buck called, "What're we dropping at?"
"Twelve hundred feet, Lieutenant". He reported back with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be dropping you right where you belong".
Nelly looked up at the plane's crew chief. "Are we almost there?"
He smiled down at her and nodded. "Yup – not long now, kid".
"Have you ever...been to Holland?"
"I haven't". He asked, "Have you?"
Nelly nodded and told him, "The Germans use the windmills as outposts".
When she said that, the whole plane went quiet.
"What?" Buck's eyes sharply looked over at Nelly.
"Yeah". She confirmed her statement. "Good cover. High ground. Good field of fire. Good idea".
The plane's crew chief let out a nervous sort of laugh before assuring them, "We'll avoid those windmills".
Nelly shook her head. "No, that's...not possible. Holland is filled with windmills".
Toye sighed and remarked sarcastically, "Thanks for that, kid. You've put us all at ease".
"You're welcome, Joe". Nelly missed the sarcasm in his voice.
Ed Joint paled at the thought. He looked ready to cry or puke.
Nelly frowned at Toye. "What's the matter with Ed?"
"Oh, gee, I 'dunno...". Toye mumbled, "Maybe because we'll likely get hit by a bunch of fucking, clog-wearing Krauts hiding in those damn windmills".
"Oh, they...". Nelly's frown deepened. "They don't wear clogs, Joe".
Toye looked down at her. "You're missing my point, kid".
She pointed to her chest. "Bad?"
Toye's head cocked to the side, and he shrugged. "Heh, we could've gone without knowing".
"Oh...I should keep that secret". Nelly said, in a serious voice. And she looked over at Ed with a small smile. "I lied".
"You didn't". Ed said with wide eyes.
"It was...a joke".
"It wasn't". He uttered quietly.
Babe pursed his lips together to stop himself from smiling. He said, "Hey – it's fine. You guys got through Normandy, right?"
"Fucking barely...". Guarnere remarked.
Nelly gave Ed a nod, "I'll tell you a joke".
For those who knew Nelly, they looked at her with confused and almost dreaded expressions. However, Ed seemed to like that idea. "Okay...that'll help".
"Okay". Nelly said, "It's Christmas...I don't really celebrate Christmas. It's very...expensive and I don't understand the whole Santa thing – he might be...a fascist or classist, I don't know...".
Babe frowned. "Is that the joke?"
"No". Nelly said, "I explain but here it is...it's Christmas – again, I...I don't really celebrate the holiday...never have, really".
"Oh my God...". Toye whispered to himself with a shake of his head.
Nelly made a firm gesture with her hand. "Here's the joke, it's Christmas...I don't know if it was snowing but...maybe it was...we didn't really get snow on Christmas – "
"just tell the fucking joke, Nelly". Guarnere muttered.
"Right". Nelly said, "So, it's – "
"Christmas, we got it". Hughes cut her off.
Buck snorted out a laugh. "Hey...if this is the actual joke, it's pretty damn funny".
"Anyway...". Nelly told Ed, "It's Christmas – "
"yeah, in case I didn't know". Came Ed's sarcastic remark.
She nodded. "Yeah, so, it's Christmas...".
Throwing his head back with a laugh, Jackson shook his head. "What the fuck is this...".
Liebgott chuckled next to him. "Hell, I don't know...all I know for sure, is that it's Christmas".
"Hell, it's September".
"Anyway". Nelly said to Ed, "It's – "
"Jesus Christ!" Guarnere half groaned; half laughed.
"Christmas...". She continued, "And there's a rich man and a poor man...okay?"
"Right". Ed said blankly.
"And the rich man tells the poor man he bought his wife a car and diamond earrings. And the poor guy asked why two presents? And the rich man says...oh, well, if she doesn't like the earrings she can drive to the store and return them...". Nelly said, "And then the poor man says...". Her head tilted to the side in thought. "What did he say?"
The men inside the plane groaned and sighed.
"All that for nothing?" Malarkey grinned. "Nelly, do you want me to finish the joke?"
"Oh, you know it?" Toye looked at him. "And you didn't think to fucking jump in and stop her?"
Nelly's eyes lit up. "Oh! I remember...". She sent Ed a tiny smile. "I'll start over...so, it's Christmas...".
"Aw, for the love of God!"
...
Landing in the plush field outside the village of St. Oadenrode, Nelly rolled onto the soft grass and quickly sat herself up to smack open the snap release. Grey-green chutes gently fell from the sky like feathers – some men, some heavy equipment that could potentially kill a man if it landed on top of them. Shrugging off her harness, she dumped her life jacket and put on her helmet. On her feet, Nelly began leaving the field. But then she heard a yelp for help. Turning around, Nelly spotted one of the old Easy Company cooks, Meth. Meth had requested a transfer into a combat role – it was granted. Meth was placed into Hoobler's squad in 1st Platoon. And currently, Meth was sitting up in the field, struggling with his snap release button. Nelly thought about leaving him and having someone else deal with the struggling trooper. But then she frowned at her own thoughts and rushed over to help.
On her knees, she balled her hand up into a fist and punched the snap release. Meth let out a shaky sigh of relief when the harness was free from his chest. "Jesus...thanks, Murray".
Still sitting on her knees, Nelly's eyes looked around the field. She had lost all sense of direction. She knew the assembly point was somewhere near the forest, southwest of the forest. But Nelly didn't know where that was. Mind-boggled, Nelly closed her eyes and tried to remember.
Meth was setting his helmet back on when he asked, "Do you know the way?"
"No". Nelly mumbled.
"Horse shit...". Meth sighed. "Where the hell do we – "
"Easy Company!" Winters yelled, "On me!"
Thank God for Captain Winters. On their feet, the two Privates raced across the field and made their way over to Winters, who was standing by the tree line. Leaving Meth and reaching Toye and the squad, Nelly unscrewed her canteen and took a drink. Babe was next to join them.
"Had to help some fella from Dog Company". He told Nelly, "Guy broke his leg".
Swallowing her water first, Nelly cringed. "Ouch".
"Poor guy, he's missing all the fun".
Nelly wouldn't exactly call combat "fun", but it certainly wasn't boring.
Assembly took longer than it should have – despite the easy jump, there were a lot of delays. But once 2nd Battalion was formed, Dog took the lead and Easy was just behind. Emerging out of the trees, they soon found themselves on a long and dusty road. Around them were colourful fields, windmills and fat black and white cows. It was very peaceful, and it reminded a lot of the troops of a field exercise in England.
"How far, Joe?" For once, it wasn't Nelly complaining.
"Aw, Jesus, Hughes...I don't fucking know". Toye said through a sigh. "Why?"
Hughes shrugged. "We skipped lunch".
Nelly's nose twitched when a large bee buzzed right in front of her face. It was a honeybee. She hadn't seen one of those for a while. Luckily, the bee moved away from Nelly and flew into the field close by. Following the road for a few miles, they soon entered the small village of Son, and to greet the American Paratroopers, were the friendly Dutch. They didn't have time to stop and chat, they had to reach the Wilhelmina Canal bridge, as well as the two modest sister bridges on either side of Son. Six hundred men of 2nd Battalion linked up with the 506th at Son at 1700 hours. Staying in formation, Dog continued to lead with Easy next, then Battalion HQ with Fox at the rear.
A bunch of flowers were thrust into Nelly's arms – it made her blush. "Oh...thanks".
The Dutchwoman leaned down and kissed Nelly's cheek.
In front of Nelly, Toye chuckled and grabbed her shoulder. "Stick with me, kid. You're alright".
"Thanks". Nelly whispered to her Sergeant.
Pushing through the small gathering of the happy Dutch, they made it to the outskirts of the village and were yet to encounter the enemy. But they did make one stop when a few troopers from Dog Company halted a German riding a bicycle. Still, no shots were fired. They could take all the prisoners they wanted in Holland. And the German happily complied with the Americans.
"Maybe they are getting tired, you know". Ed mentioned. "I mean...where's the fight?"
Babe huffed. "That would be just it, huh? We drop into combat and don't do any combat".
"All that training for nothing...". Ed said through a sigh.
Rolling his eyes, Toye faced the pair of them. "God...would you just both shut the fuck – "
"incoming!" Someone yelled, "Take cover!"
Scrabbling for cover behind nearby buildings, German artillery soon bellowed forth. Nelly didn't miss the sound of German artillery. Ducking for cover behind a shop, she peered around the corner and spotted an unprotected flank – it was around, sixty yards ahead of them. Looking over her shoulder, Nelly spotted Speirs with Battalion HQ. She hopped out of cover and ran over to her cousin.
"Nelly!" Toye yelled after, "Get back here, you shithead!"
The artillery continued to scream, and shells crashed nearby – searching for targets and missing men but hitting the two sister bridges around Son. Coming to a sudden stop next to her cousin, Nelly crouched down beside him. Speirs gave her an odd look.
"What's wrong?"
"Unprotected flank... sixty yards to the right". Nelly informed him. "By the roadside".
Following her quick-talking instructions, Speirs soon spotted six Germans manning the roadside gun. "Lindsey!" He called.
Nelly pulled a confused face. "Lindsey...". She said to herself, "I thought I was the only girl...".
A young Private soon reached Speirs's side. "Sir".
"You 'wanna get that gun? Sixty yards from here – fire up your bazooka, son".
"Yes, sir".
When Private Lindsey ran off to fetch his assistant, Speirs faced his cousin's confused expression. "What?"
"Nothing". Nelly said, "I have to go".
"Be careful, kid".
"Yeah – you too".
Still mildly confused, Nelly raced back to her squad and Easy Company. Lindsey managed to kill one of the gun operators, while the six others attempted to flee. However, they were soon shot down by John Rice's Tommy gun. Inching forward, the men were soon approaching the only bridge still standing – the Wilhelmina Canal bridge. When Sink found out the other two bridges had been destroyed, he pushed his Regiment forward. Passing by the destroyed German roadside gun, Nelly spotted the dead soldiers sprawled out on the grass. And alive Germans made surprise appearances from houses outside the village. They'd pop out of windows and fire shots at the passing Americans.
Unclipping her grenade, Nelly tossed it into a window. And as it exploded, the glass shattered and the Germans inside screamed. She looked up at Babe. "Lindsey...it's a girl's name!"
"What?!" Babe exclaimed. "What the fuck are you – shit, out the way!"
Taking hold of Nelly's arm, Babe pulled her to the side, and they ducked behind a wall. Close to where they were sitting, a German stick grenade went off. But Nelly wasn't concerned about the stick grenade or her brush with death. "I know...girls called Lindsey! In Crossgates! Why is there a man called Lindsey?!"
"Who gives a shit?!" Babe yelled, "Let's fucking go!"
"Okay!"
But Nelly was still in deep thought about that name. She aimlessly followed Babe across a street and in front of an empty department store. It was huge. Nelly turned to face the store, taking in its massive glass windows and haunting naked mannequins inside. It looked like a horror movie in there, Nelly thought with a small shudder. Babe sighed and faced Nelly.
"We've lost Easy".
"Well...they're going to the bridge". Nelly said, "And we are...by this shop".
"Ah, don't worry 'bout it". Babe joked, "We're only window shopping". And he started laughing at his own joke. Nelly stared up at him blankly, watching as he wiped a tear from under his eye. When he stopped laughing, Babe sighed. Clearing his throat and shrugged. "I thought it was funny".
"I know". Nelly's voice was stoic. "You made yourself...cry, Babe".
There was a short and awkward pause.
"Anyway...". Babe said, "Let's go".
And as they began walking away from the store, an 88 whistled overhead and crashed into one of the store's windows. The glass blew out and the pressure blew Nelly and Babe away from the department store and onto the centre of the street – where they both slumped onto the ground.
Unconscious.