Dave awoke to the sound of distant thunder. However, as he strained his ears he could tell that it wasn't thunder, but the sound of distant engines. Many distant engines. He rose to his feet, as did the other prisoners who heard the sound and looked off into the distance. He could see the surrounding troops tense visibly, getting their weapons ready in case of an enemy attack.
He saw it. Rising over the horizon in the early morning light were the silhouettes of many an airplane. They flew closer, the rumble getting louder and louder until it was all that one could hear. Dave squinted at the planes, trying to se their markings. As the first approached he was able to discern a white star painted on the side. American. His heart jumped momentarily in fear until he remembered that he was in an Allied camp. They would not attack.
To his surprise the plane flew in formation above them, then tipped their wings at the soldiers, the pilots waving frantically. The rest of the Allied troops waved back, grinning. When the noise of the engines had died down the telegraph boy came running out of the General's tent, yelling hysterically. "It's over! The war in Europe is over! Hitler's dead, Germany's surrendered!"
Wild cheers erupted from all corners of the camp. While the shouts of joy were in English, the foreign prisoners also spoke that universal language of human emotion. They understood and now jumped in pure happiness, hugging one another. Luka grabbed Dave and squeezed the life out of him, the young Italian laughing the whole time.
Jing-Mei and the other nurses ran out of the medical tent where they'd been hiding after hearing approaching bombers, and now hugged random soldiers, not caring at all. Her heat raced with joy. It was over… the nightmare here was over. She'd be going home soon… and David Malucci would no longer be a prisoner of war.
The prisoners ate well that night, as did the rest of the camp. There was no more need to hoard supplies for hard times. They ate and drank in each other's happiness, thankful to be alive, yet by now feeling remorse for those who didn't make it.
Dave approached Luka, still smiling with joy. "So where will you go now?"
Luka shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere."
"Then you come with me to see my country?"
"I don't know. I should go home… but Italy sounds lovely."
"We can eat tomatoes!" Dave joked.
Luka laughed. "I'd like that. But I think I've been away from home too long. I need to go back, if I have a home to go back to."
"What do you mean?"
"The war may be over," Doug spoke up. "But now we are lost. Germany suffered greatly. We've been bombed mercilessly. If my family is still alive, I will go to them. If not… I'm moving in with you, Luka!" The two men laughed, having to yell to hear each other in the noise of jubilation around them.
That night John and Benton listened to the radio, knowing that the speeches they heard that night marked a turning point in history. The two men wrote quickly on paper.
"What you tellin' Anna?"
"That I love her and will be home soon. What are you telling Cleo?"
Peter grinned. "Now that ain't none of your business, boy, is it?"
The both laughed, so happy to be alive, so happy to return to the ones they loved.
Jing-Mei entered the medical tent to get her sweater, only to find Elizabeth trying to hide her sobs. "Lizzie, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing…"
"Lizzie," her voice was kind as she sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "It's all right. I'm your friend, you can tell me anything. We've been through hell together."
"Oh, Jing-Mei!" Elizabeth sobbed as she cried onto Chen's shoulder. "I'm pregnant!"
Jing-Mei didn't know what to say. She struggled for words. "Um… Lizzie… that's a good thing. The war is over now, you and Mark can go home and get married properly."
"Yes, but my child will have a cripple for a father!"
"Now Elizabeth, you mustn't think like that! Mark is perfectly fine now. He's lucky to be alive… and he has you. Imagine if he didn't. He'd be lost."
Elizabeth puled away and looked at Jing-Mei. "But I don't want a crippled husband… everything was supposed to be perfect…what will my mother think?"
"When she sees the love between you two she'll know that you are meant for each other. Don't let it bother you so much." She tried to sound friendly even though the fact that Lizzie wouldn't let go of the whole "normal" husband deal was angering her. For God's sake, he was lucky to have survived that operation and she'd always thought Elizabeth to be a nonjudgmental person. Maybe it was her changing hormones now that she knew she was pregnant.
"Don't let it bother me?! Jing-Mei, he only has one leg!"
"For God's sake Elizabeth! Learn to count your blessings!"
"Count my blessings?! I'm pregnant and my fiancée only has one leg!"
"At least he's alive!"
Elizabeth's face was full of contempt and she looked away, her angry mind brewing. "So. Are you improving your Italian?"
Jing-Mei looked startled. "What do you mean?"
"There's rumors going around about you and one of the prisoners. The Italian one."
"What kind of rumors?"
"He was in your tent last night, wasn't he?"
"We met in the Medical tent because he's my patient!"
"Well, then. Whatever you want to think. But let's just say that I wouldn't go around bragging about it, if I were you."
"Elizabeth!"
"I always knew you were trouble! Now you're… you're in love with a fascist sympathizer! You can't possibly tell me that my longing for a two-legged husband is worse than that!"
"Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?!"
"How ridiculous I sound?! I'm not the one sleeping with Nazis!"
Jing-Mei snapped. "He's not a Nazi! None of them are! The German soldier Carol treated didn't even know about the concentration camps. David has never even heard Hitler speak!"
"So his name's David, is it?"
"You're missing the point! We weren't fighting a war against who we were told we were! All the boys in Italy are made to fight! Boys in Germany join up for food! Don't you understand? It's not about Hitler! It's not about the Nazis or Mussolini! It's about people being manipulated, taken advantage of!"
"Like that prisoner took advantage of you?"
"He didn't Lizzie! I love him!" as soon as it was out she regretted it. Lizzie's tear-stained face looked up at her in shocked silence.
Jing-Mei was crying now, too. However know that Lizzie knew the rumors were true, she felt her heart go out to the young Asian woman. "You know," she spoke quietly as Jing-Mei tried to quiet her sobs. "We aren't supposed to become involved without patients, much less an enemy prisoner."
"You think I don't know that?" her voice cracked in pain. "It just happened. I couldn't control it. But it doesn't matter now- the war is over."
"But they are still our prisoners."
"Won't we let them go?"
"Eventually, yes. We're going into Austria tomorrow, then down into Italy. We'll be picked up in Venice, then take a ship that will stop at Bari to stock up on supplies."
"Why Venice?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Army's orders. Don't ask me their logic, 'cause I'd say they didn't have any."
Jing-Mei wiped the tears from her face. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow afternoon." Elizabeth clutched Jing-Mei's hand. "I'm sorry… for what I said."
"It's all right… just don't tell, okay?"
Elizabeth made a cross across her chest. "Promise."
A/N: It's here guys! Band of Brothers is on tonight! Yippee! Well… please review, when you do it lets me know that people are still reading my story and gives me much inspiration to keep writing and post more often. I'm trying as hard as I can, guys! Love ya!
