bob
Outside was a frightening spectacle. Shells pounded on the ground, bullets flew overhead, and men began the race to the boats. Covering fire couldn't be called until they were close enough to the boats. If the whistles sounded now, their own friends would hit them. Once they were out of the house, Martin ordered them to go to the boats while he pulled their security team back. It was like running through dark clouds and hail. Earth, smoke and shrapnel spewed up from the thawed fields. The smoke was misleading.
Security was quickly pulled back and they soon joined the race toward the boats. Men who were a lot faster and taller than Nelly raced by. She was having a hard time staying up because the slippery ground kept on threatening to pull her down. It didn't help that the ground was also shaking because of the incoming shells. It was only a matter of time before she fell and when she did, Nelly hit the ground hard.
But Nelly wasn't down for long.
Someone grabbed her by the webbings and pulled her up. "I've got you, Bricks!" It was Babe. And once Nelly was on her feet, he took her hand and pulled Nelly along with him.
"Jackson's hurt!" Nelly yelled at him. "He's hurt…Babe!"
"He'll be fine, Bricks!"
With a sharp nod, Nelly pulled all her energy into running and keeping up with Babe. She didn't know what was going on behind her. And when she did look over her shoulder, Nelly saw Jones at the rear – he was going to blow the whistle and be the last man on the boat. For a brand-new replacement, that was brave of him. Lieutenant Jones hardly knew the men but he wanted to see them all safely on the boat before he got on.
Nelly decided, "He's okay!"
"Who?!" Babe yelled back.
"Jones!" Nelly said, "He's okay!"
"Did 'ya hit your head?!" Babe questioned. "You hate that guy!"
Reaching the boats, the whistle blew and covering fire opened up. It was a mad dash onto the boats, mostly because they had a wounded man. Hastily, they pulled themselves across the river with two German prisoners. Bullets pelted into the water, but none reached them. Touching the shore, men scrambled off the boats and hurried inside the Dog Company's CP basement.
Cobb, Garcia, Sisk and Alley all rose to their feet when the door swung open. They cleared the table for Jackson and Ramirez carefully set the wounded man down. Jackson was awake and he was in a serious amount of pain and shock. The young man squirmed on the table and his legs were jerking around. A few of the men held Jackson down to keep him steady.
"Shh…be still, buddy. Be still". Webster soothed.
It soon grew to be noisy. And most of the noise came from the firefight outside and Vest – Vest was screaming and sobbing at the German prisoners, and he was announcing that Jackson was going to die. Nelly could appreciate that Vest was frightened and angry, but Jackson could still hear, so Vest needed to shut up. The prisoners were held through an archway and inside a room in the back of the cellar. Babe held them both at gunpoint and he began yelling at them too, just not as loudly as Vest. But it added to their already chaotic surroundings.
"I need to get a medic". Martin was telling Jones. "Can you handle this?"
"Yeah". Jones replied.
Nelly was by the archway, trying to pull Vest's arm down while he threatened to shoot their prisoners. If Vest shot them, they'd have to go back across the river for more. "Vest – come on – stop it!"
Blinded by fear, tears and rage, Vest pushed Nelly out of the way.
She was forced back and fell to the ground. Landing on her back, her head hit the concrete. Seeing stars for a moment, Nelly sat herself up a little and felt a hand on her shoulder. Nelly looked up and saw Jones crouched beside her. Nelly said, "Can…can you…stop him, sir?"
With a nod, the Lieutenant rose to his feet and roughly grabbed Vest. "If you kill a prisoner, we'll have to go back!" Jones barked. "Sit down!"
"He's 'gonna fucking die!" Vest cried, "He's 'gonna die!"
"Enough!" Jones snapped, "Sit down, Private!"
A hand reached toward Nelly – it was Cobb. She took it and was pulled onto her feet. Once on her feet, Nelly gave the back of her head a rub – she didn't feel any blood, but she did feel a bit woozy. Stumbling toward the table, Nelly was soon at Jackson's side. He had done a great job at keeping it all bottled up inside, but Jackson was in excruciating pain, and he was terrified.
"I don't 'wanna die!" Jackson sobbed, "I don't 'wanna die!"
At the same time, Vest was crying, "He's 'gonna fucking die!"
Nelly had to check herself before opening her mouth – she was one step away from losing her cool again. Taking a hold of Jackson's hand, Nelly gave it a squeeze.
Jackson's terrified and tearful face stared at her. "Nelly…". He cried, "Help me…Nelly…".
Help. How? There was a piece of shrapnel inside Jackson's brain and the side of his face had been melted by the grenade. No one had any morphine, and the medics hadn't arrived. How was she going to help him?
After a moment of silence, Nelly said, "There was a man…".
A dazed look reached Jackson's eyes.
"And he was on holiday in Spain, and he was in a restaurant with his friends and he…went to the toilet". Nelly continued to say, "To shit".
Some men slowly looked at Nelly.
Nelly continued, "After he took a shit…he tried flushing the toilet, but it wouldn't flush…so, he's really mad and stuff and…and he grabs a waiter and he tries to talk to him but the waiter can't speak English and the man can't speak Spanish…so, the man leads the waiter into the toilet and over to the stall he used…he points to the shit and reaches for the flusher…he wants to show the waiter that…that the flusher isn't working…only, when the man pulls the flusher down...it does flush".
A few small smiles lifted the men's faces.
Jackson didn't smile but he did stop screaming and crying during the joke.
"You actually finished a joke". Babe said, who was now standing behind her.
Nelly said to Jackson, "Do you…get it?"
Tears continued to roll down Jackson's face. "I…do". He croaked. The pain Jackson felt reached the surface again and he began to sob, "Nelly!"
"I know". Nelly tried her best to remain calm. "I know…it hurts".
He was gasping and choking – Nelly couldn't see what he was choking on.
Webster faced the door and in a moment of frustration yelled, "Where's the fucking medic?!"
The doors suddenly swung open – Roe and a few other medics rushed inside with a stretcher and Martin wasn't far behind them. Clearing some room for Roe, the medic checked the deep gashes and wounds on Jackson's head and face before announcing he'd need to be moved to the aid station right away. So, they got Jackson onto a stretcher.
But Jackson began screaming and squirming again, Roe and the medics had to lower the stretcher in order to calm their patient down. Nelly stood by the table and watched; Babe was next to her. That was their friend – Jackson was in her squad and had been since she first joined Easy Company in America. No amount of soothing or firm words would calm Jackson down. And he soon began choking and gasping again. His sobs grew weaker and weaker.
His body stilled.
And he died.
The cellar was left in stunned silence. A few men had tears in their eyes.
Martin carefully draped a blanket over Jackson's body.
Vest's loud sobs broke the silence. And Cobb gently clapped Nelly and Babe's shoulders when he stood behind them. Nelly stared down at the blanket covering Jackson and she chewed on her bottom lip to stop the tears from reaching her eyes.
...
The firefight stopped in the early hours of the morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise. Martin, Jones and Webster escorted the prisoners around the back of Battalion HQ and the rest of the men headed back to their billets to grab a bit of sleep before Martin's debrief in Battalion HQ's cellar. Nelly didn't go to 2nd Platoon's house, but she did ensure Babe went back. Nelly went around Battalion's other side, at the sandbags. Her eyes stared across the river, where she saw a German lying near the shore, whimpering in pain. It seemed they had left the wounded prisoner behind, and his German friends didn't bother to help him.
Someone from an OP fired a couple of shots and silenced the wounded German.
There went their third prisoner.
It was quiet now. Nelly stood alone in silence.
She needed to be alone after what happened with Jackson and the chaotic patrol. Nelly's mind needed quiet to process his death. Another death. Another death to add to the growing tally of friends they were losing. Nelly's boot lightly kicked one of the sandbags. No – she couldn't stand and think of everyone they had lost; she'd lose her mind. They had lost so much. And it was mad how they all somehow managed to get on with things and fight another day without them. It must have weighed on Malarkey's mind sometimes because it threatened to crack Nelly's head in half almost every day.
Turning around after a while, Nelly left the area and headed into Battalion HQ.
No longer lying down, Lipton sat up on the couch and read over recent documents containing information about his Company's end-of-month payments. According to Speirs, that was to be someone else's job soon – for Lipton was put in for a Battlefield Commission. But Nelly didn't know that at the time. Checking the clock hanging above the bar, she saw only two hours were left until Martin's scheduled debrief in the cellar.
Nelly realised she must have been standing by those sandbags for hours.
"Hey, buddy". Lipton greeted kindly – as always.
Unfastening the strap under her chin, Nelly took off her helmet. "Hello, Lipton".
"Hey, Nelly". Luz sent her a grin, "Don't go near that piano, huh?"
With a hint of curiosity, Nelly approached the bar and eyed the boxes. "What's in there?"
"Aw, not you too". Luz's voice verged on dread. "Listen – I ain't giving out this shit for free".
"What…shit?" She asked him.
"Have you been living under a rock?" Luz joked. "Nelly, inside these boxes…are prized jewels".
"Like…". Nelly looked at him, "Diamonds?"
Luz's smile softened. He shook his head. "Better". Pulling the lid open on a box, he brought out a Hershey's bar. "Candy". Luz's lips pursed together, he eyed Nelly up and down. "'Ya know, I've got a soft spot for 'ya". He said, "And I'm 'gonna give 'ya this Hershey's bar here".
"Oh". Nelly's eyebrows pulled together. She shook his head. "No…it's okay, George". Her voice was ever so soft. "You can have it".
"Me?" Luz huffed out a laugh. "Nah – don't need it, Nelly. Besides, if I want one, I'm 'gonna have one. Cause this is my area, 'ya know? I'm the boss here". His voice was light with humour. "What I say, goes…'ya know? I turn all sorts of people down…Officers included – "
"hey, Luz". Nixon called when he entered the entrance hall. "You've saved something for me, right?"
Grinning over at the Captain, Luz nodded. "You'd bet, sir".
Nixon gave him a friendly wink and walked outside.
Luz faced Nelly and told her, "He don't count".
Nelly's eyes softened slightly. And her lips faintly twitched. "George?"
"Yeah?" Luz leaned against the bar.
"You remember…Swindon? At the dance?"
Luz let out a tiny sigh. "Sorta". He said, "I got pretty drunk near the end".
"Well…you said that…the girls didn't talk to you…and you thought it was because you weren't good-looking enough". Nelly said to him quietly. "I just…I thought you should know…that it's not true".
A thankful smile lifted the corners of Luz's lips. "That's sweet, Nelly. Thanks".
"You're…very pretty, George". Nelly said to him with a nod.
Over on the couch, Lipton huffed out a laugh.
Rubbing his chin, Luz sighed and pushed the chocolate bar toward Nelly. "Take the bar, Nelly". It wasn't a very masculine compliment, but Luz knew Nelly meant well.
Picking up the bar with a faint nod, Nelly placed it inside her pocket. "I'll…save it for – "
"a rainy day?" Luz guessed softly.
"Yeah". Nelly confirmed.
"Good idea".
Nelly hoped their days could only get better now. Spring was only around the corner, and the last of winter was beginning to melt away. The war was beginning to dwindle now – Nelly wasn't sure how she felt about that. She couldn't picture herself living a normal life without Alex. Nelly could hardly see herself happy. Her future looked bleak. No amount of chocolate would help.
"Hey…". Reaching over the counter, Luz took a hold of Nelly's arm. "Hey – what's this, huh?"
Something wet rolled down Nelly's cheek – she was dazed again, caught in her own dooming thoughts. Eyes lowering to the ground, Nelly's head bowed. She breathed out an exhausted sort of sound – something caught between a sigh and a faint moan. Once again, the tides of grief were threatening to pull her under. With another small moan, Nelly sunk to the ground. Drawing her legs up to her chest, Nelly's arms went around them, and her helmet dropped to the floor.
"Nelly!" With a short exclaim, Lipton got up and rushed toward her.
When Lipton crouched in front of her, Nelly stared at him – eyes heavy and sorrowful. She gave her head a shake and whispered to him, "I can't do it".
"What? What can't you do, Nelly?" The frown on Lipton's face deepened.
"I just…can't". Nelly said, with a faint wobble to her voice. "I can't…do it…anymore".
Nodding, Lipton's hand went on her back. "What do you need me to do, buddy?"
"You can't…". Tears blurred her vision. "Do…anything…I'm really sorry".
He gave her back a rub. "Don't be sorry, buddy". Lipton said to her gently.
Luz walked around the corner and crouched at Nelly's side. "You 'wanna eat the candy now?"
Lipton almost rolled his eyes at the question.
Luz pulled an innocent face and shrugged. "What? Candy solves all problems, Lip".
Looking back at the girl, Lipton told her gently, "You need to sleep, Nelly".
She sadly pouted at her knees. "That won't…help".
"Sure, it will". Lipton coaxed, "How about a couple of hours, huh? I'll wake you for the debrief".
"You can shut your eyes right on that couch". Luz said to her lightly. "Pretty quiet around here".
"Luz will even get you a blanket". Lipton added.
And Luz rose to his feet, "I will". He said, "I'll get 'ya one right now, Nelly".
Taking a hold of her arms, Lipton pulled Nelly onto her feet. "Come on, Nelly". He said while his arm went over her shoulders. "You'll feel better after some sleep".
Getting on the couch, Nelly lay down. She didn't have to curl her legs up – she fit the couch perfectly. Rolling onto her side, Nelly placed her arms under her head as a pillow. And Luz draped a blanket over her body.
"You look as snug as a bug". Luz said.
It was comfortable. And Nelly's eyes were extremely heavy.
Letting out a small yawn, Nelly blinked a few times.
And she closed her eyes and fell asleep after only five minutes of trying.