Disclaimer: The Rat Patrol is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.

Author's note: This is tullyfan's fault!

Fond Regrets

By Suzie2b

It had been a bad day all around. First they were discovered in a wadi by a German patrol before breakfast and Moffitt's 50 jammed as they escaped. Then, as Tully was trying to fix the 50, a bunch of riled up Arabs attacked and they were chased off again – still down one weapon.

The whole day was pretty much that way. The Germans would be after them, then another bunch of Arabs would try to corner them. In the cover of another waterhole Tully finally did get the 50 unjammed, but they never did get a chance to refuel the jeeps until they actually ran out of gas. Hitch and Tully quickly filled Bertha and Olive's gas tanks, but not before another German patrol appeared. There was barely time to get the caps tightened on the jerry cans, never mind getting them lashed down. They were put into the backs of the jeeps and the Rat Patrol was off once more.

And all they were trying to do was get back to base after a recon mission.

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By the time they had a chance to stop for the night they were exhausted and hungry. Just as the sun went down, they came across a bombed out village to take shelter in. That was the only good point to their day, as midafternoon saw dark clouds move in. They managed to get their supplies inside and the jeeps covered before the heavens opened up.

Now the Rat Patrol was sitting in front of a fire, listening to the rain on the roof as Tully put together a hot meal. He stirred the stew that was heating in a pot over the fire and smiled to himself.

Moffitt asked, "What are you so happy about, Tully?"

"Oh, I was just thinking about the time my dad and me were out huntin' and got caught in a big rainstorm. We came across an abandoned cabin and ended up spending the night. I remember dad cookin' dinner on the fire and hearing the rain beat down on the roof. We actually had a good time. I was maybe thirteen then. Dad told me stories about when he was a kid and about me and my sisters when we were little."

"Fond memories. I remember – before the war – taking my young brother to the playground. He loved the swings and would have me push him for hours." Moffitt smiled as he said, "I did have an ulterior motive though."

Troy smiled and asked, "Oh, and what was that?"

Moffitt replied, "Being attentive to my little brother was a magnet for girls."

The four allies laughed and Tully served up dinner.

They ate in companionable silence as the rain continued to come down in sheets and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.

Then Hitch broke the quiet as he said, "When I was a kid, I was scared of thunderstorms. The lightning and crashing of the thunder always had me hiding under my bed with my hands over my ears. I was sure the lightning would come through a window and get me."

Troy said, "I always liked thunder and lightning. When a storm rolled in I would stand at the big window in our living room to watch it. My parents were constantly telling me to get away or I'd get struck by lightning." He hesitated, then smiled. "At one point I wanted to be a weather forecaster."

Tully chuckled. "How'd that work for ya?"

"It worked all the way through the eighth grade. Then one day during summer break I heard my dad cursing out the weatherman. Apparently, he'd forecasted for a clear sunny day…"

Hitch grinned. "And it was raining wasn't it?"

Troy nodded with a smile. "I was enjoying it, but dad stood in front of that window in the living room and swore at that weatherman for ruining his planned golf game. After that I decided I'd rather not be cursed at and disliked, so I decided to think of something … less offensive to the general public."

Tully asked Moffitt, "What did you want to be while you were growing up?"

The sergeant smiled. "I don't remember wanting to do anything other than being an archeologist. I was always fascinated with the things my father found and how he would explain all about them. How about you?"

"First I was gonna be a police officer, but when I started runnin' shine I decided that probably wasn't a good idea. Then I was thinkin' about being a fireman, but changed my mind."

Moffitt asked, "Why did you change your mind?"

Tully became serious as he said, "I had a friend whose father was a fireman. Tom wasn't in school one day and the teacher told us that his father had died. When he came back to school, he told me that his dad had responded to a fire with his crew. He was on the roof with several other guys and they fell through into the fire. Tom's father died and the others were badly burned. After that I lost interest in being a fireman."

"What did you decide after that?"

Tully smiled. "Nothing really. I worked part-time at the local grocery as a bagger for a while. Then I was sweepin' up at the garage in town when I overheard a guy say to the mechanic that he was looking for someone to run his moonshine. Once I proved I could drive he hired me. I did that until I joined the army." He looked at Hitch and asked, "What about you?"

Hitch replied, "I wanted to be a bus driver."

"A bus driver?"

"Yeah, my dad always had the car to go to work, so when my mom and I had to go somewhere we had to take the bus. I loved watching the driver steer and shift gears. I thought that would be the best job in the world. But my folks had other plans for me and after I graduated from high school I was sent to college to be a mechanical engineer. But then the war started and I joined the army."

Moffitt said, "I suppose your parents weren't too keen on you leaving school."

Hitch shook his head. "Not even a little. I think that was first time I ever purposely went against them."

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Later that night, while Troy and Moffitt slept, Hitch crept quietly over to the door where Tully was on watch. He whispered, "Not much to see out there except the rain."

Tully nodded. "Smart people stay inside on a night like this. What are you up for?"

"Can't seem to turn my mind off long enough to fall asleep." They sat silently for a time, then Hitch asked, "Do you regret joining the army?"

Tully thought for a moment, then replied softly, "Regret? No, I don't regret it. Do I wish I were somewhere else? Yes."

"That's pretty much the way I feel. But then … I never would've met you, Troy, and Moffitt. I would have finished school and became a mechanical engineer never realizing what the rest of the world is like."

"Yeah, I don't know how long I could've run shine. The revenuers might've caught me at some point and put me in jail. I never would've met Charley and you wouldn't have met Daisy."

Hitch said, "Regret is kind of a powerful word. Is there anything up to now that you regret?"

Tully stared out at the slackening rain. "I regret being forced to kill."

"I regret not having a brother or sister. Sure, I've got cousins, but I don't think that's the same thing."

"There were times growin' up that I wished I were an only child." Tully smiled fondly and said, "Little sisters can be a pain at times."

They were silent again for a time, then Hitch said, "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll take over watch."

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By the time the sun came up, it was hard to tell it had rained half the night. Aside from a few puddles things were pretty dry.

As Hitch and Tully packed the jeeps and got ready to go, Troy and Moffitt checked the 50s.

Troy asked, "Is the 50 going to make it to base?"

Moffitt replied, "It should. Tully did a good job correcting the problem once he was able to work on it. Hopefully, we won't need them today."

"Yeah. After yesterday, a quiet ride home would be nice."

Moffitt stopped working and looked at his fellow sergeant. "What do you miss about home?"

Troy thought about it, then said, "Everything … and nothing. It's been a long time since I was there. I haven't seen my folks since I joined the army. I've only seen my brother once."

"But they write and send pictures."

"Yeah, but that's different then actually seeing them in the flesh and hearing their voices."

Moffitt nodded. "Yes, you're right of course. I wish I could've seen my brother once more before he died. Luckily I get to see my father occasionally, thanks to the British army using his talents as an archeologist. However, I haven't seen my mother outside of pictures since I left England."

Troy smiled a bit. "I miss my mother's cooking. She makes the best ham and lima beans."

Moffitt grinned. "I'm sure it's better than the canned version we get out here. What do you want to do when you do get home?"

"I'll go home to visit, but I think I'll stay in the army after the war. Provided I get out of here in one piece. I don't think there's going to be much for me back home the way things tend to change. What about you?"

"I don't want to stay in the army. I'm planning a career in academics."

Troy said, "No doubt teaching archeology."

Moffitt chuckled. "You know me too well."

Hitch and Tully had finished their chores and Hitch said, "We're all set, sarge."

Tully asked, "Think we'll get home today?"

Troy said, "Probably not, but as long as we don't run into any problems we should get there tomorrow around midmorning."

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They'd stopped off at a waterhole to take a break and Troy had Hitch and Tully top off their water supply.

The privates took the empty canteens and water can to the well. As Tully cranked the full bucket up, Hitch asked, "When did you know you were in love with Charley?"

Tully thought for a time. "I'm not sure. I really liked her from the time we met. Her attitude. Her enthusiasm and spunk." He thought again as he set the bucket on the edge of the well, then said, "I tried not to, but I guess I finally admitted to myself that I loved her when she went missing that first time. What about you and Daisy?"

Hitch smiled as he began to fill a canteen. "I don't know if we're on the same page where love in concerned, but I do know I miss her when I can't be with her. I think about her all the time. I like the way her smile lights up her face. Her laughter – she always laughs at my jokes." He capped the canteen as Tully started the next one and said, "Of all the women I've been with, all the women I 'thought' I was in love with, Daisy's the only one I 'want' to love."

Tully grinned at his friend as he screwed the cap onto the canteen and asked, "Have you talked to her about it?"

Hitch pushed the last canteen into the water and shook his head. "I guess I'm just afraid she'll say no. I don't know what I'd do if I found out she doesn't feel the same way I do."

Tully lowered the bucket for more water. "I know that feeling. I was scared to say anything to Charley at first."

The privates heard Troy holler, "You two finished yet? We have to get going!"

Hitch shouted back, "We'll be set when the can is full, sarge!"

Tully cranked the bucket up again as Hitch got the lid off the water can.

Troy looked at Moffitt, then back at his men and said, "They seem a little distracted. It's taking a long time to fill a few canteens and one can."

Moffitt smiled. "Well, we've been out here for a week now. I know I'm missing Linda. Aren't you missing Diane?"

"Yeah, I miss her, but I can't afford to be distracted by her."

"Admit it, Troy. You think about Diane quite a bit."

The sergeant sighed and looked at his boots before he smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'll admit it … to you. But don't you dare say anything to Hitch and Tully. I have a reputation to uphold."

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There was only one run-in with a German patrol the whole day. Troy had them stop early for the day. It had been only one patrol, but they'd been hard to shake. Troy knew his men were tired because he was tired. He decided an extra half day's rest would do them some good.

When they were well hidden in a wadi, they all got out of the jeeps and stretched wearily. Troy looked at his men and knew he'd made the right decision.

They were gathered around the jeeps eating a K-ration lunch when Moffitt notice Tully appeared deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts, Tully?"

The private took a deep breath as his mind returned to the present. "Do you remember that big ole dust devil we saw the other day?"

Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch nodded and Hitch said, "It was the biggest one I've seen."

"It got me thinkin' about the time a tornado tore through hitting several farms … including ours. It was the middle of the night when mom and dad grabbed me and my sisters and took us into the basement. We could hear the warning sirens in the distance."

Moffitt said, "That must've been terrifying."

Tully nodded. "It was loud and sounded like a locomotive. The house shook so hard things fell off shelves and such. The power went out and I remember sitting there in the dark wonderin' if we were gonna die." Then he smiled a little and said, "But we survived. The house had minimal damage, but the barn took a direct hit. I asked my folks if we could move somewhere where there wasn't tornados."

Troy said, "I remember going through an earthquake when I was twelve or thirteen. I was in school when it hit. Everything shook and the floor was undulating. The girls were screaming and the teacher yelled for us to get under our desks. Some of the overhead lights came crashing down. Books fell off shelfs. I remember seeing big cracks in the roads as I road my bike home. It was pretty scary."

Hitch remembered, "My parents and I were at the beach one day in the summer. I was playing in the water while mom and dad sat on towels reading or something. All of a sudden the life guards were running up and down the beach yelling for everyone to get off the beach because of a possible tidal wave. Dad grabbed me while mom gathered our things and we ran to the car. That evening we heard on the radio that there had been a big earthquake somewhere out in the ocean and there were tidal wave warnings all along the east coast."

Tully asked, "Did it hit?"

"No thankfully … but it was a long time before I'd go to the beach again."

Troy smiled at Moffitt. "What about you? Any stories concerning weather or earthquakes?"

Moffitt said, "I do remember a flood when I was a boy – before my brother had come into the world. It rained nonstop for a full week. Creeks became rivers, rivers became torrents that overflowed their banks. I remember looking out the window and watching the street flood. All sorts of things floating along. Luckily my father was home at the time and we filled sandbags to put at our door. The water did eventually make it that high, but the sandbags kept the majority of it out. My mother wouldn't let me go downstairs just in case something were to happen to the door and the flood waters rushed in." Then he smiled. "It was days before the water receded enough to open that door. When it was all over she was pretty unhappy at the state of the wood floor and rug in our foyer."

Troy sighed. "Okay, enough stories for now. I want us to get some rest. Tully's got first watch. Wake me up in three hours and take a canteen up with you."

Tully gave a nod. "Right, sarge."

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Throughout the rest of the day and into the night the four allies took turns either sleeping or on watch.

Just after the sun went down, Moffitt went up to take over watch. He found Hitch staring up at the moon and said quietly, "Why don't you go down and eat something before getting some more sleep."

Hitch sighed. "I don't think I can sleep anymore."

"Then just rest. If sleep comes, it comes."

"Sarge, can I ask you something?"

Moffitt replied, "Of course. What is it?"

Hitch hesitated, then asked, "When you were a kid, did your parents ever fight?"

"Well, I remember a few arguments, but nothing serious. Why do you ask?"

"I got a couple of letters from my folks before this mission – they write separate letters and mail them in one envelope. I started thinking about the fights my mom and dad had when I was a kid. They never came to blows, but they were loud … and they were fighting because of me."

Moffitt said, "Because of you?"

Hitch nodded. "Yeah, sometimes it was about my grades in school. Sometimes it was about my friends being a bad influence. It was always something and it always made me sad. I felt like I wasn't being good enough to be their son."

"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you think you remember. Parents argue about their children because they love them and want the best for them."

"They did it even after I left for collage. Dad complained that I needed to get my grades up and mom saying that I was doing 'just fine.' I never told them about friends or girlfriends because they'd say the people I chose weren't good enough. Even when I joined the army without their permission they argued about it."

Moffitt asked, "May I ask what the letters said?"

Hitch sighed. "The usual. Mom complaining how dad is still coming to terms with my disrespect of him. Dad saying that mom cries a lot because I might be killed. Even when they write separate letters they argue."

"Have you ever told them how you feel?"

"I wouldn't dare…"

Moffitt put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Personally, I think you should, Hitch. Think about it. Perhaps the next letter you write you could bring it up. Clear the air a bit."

Hitch asked, "Do you really think so?"

"I do. They may not like it at first, but they'll get over it. Just be honest and not harsh."

"Okay, sarge, I will think about it. Thanks."

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When Hitch went back to camp, Troy and Tully were having a casual conversation. He got some food out of the pot and ate as he listened to them. It took a minute, but Hitch finally figured out they were talking about city life versus country life.

Troy said, "I couldn't live on a farm. Working the land and all that."

Tully chuckled. "Afraid of a little hard work, sarge?"

Troy smiled good-naturedly. "Country people aren't the only ones that work hard you know. It's just that I grew up in the suburbs. The closest thing to working the land was helping my mom in her flower garden … and I was never too fond of it."

"I couldn't live in the city or the suburbs. Tiny apartments, houses close together with small yards. I'd go stir-crazy. I like the land and being able to move around. Sure, farmin' is hard work, and I always liked helping my dad in the fields when I wasn't runnin' shine. But it's the smell of the earth after it's been tilled. The satisfaction of what was grown. That's how I grew up. Some of my best memories are from being on the farm."

"The closest to nature I ever got was the summer I went to camp. Never really understood why my parents did that to me. I just wanted to ride my bike with my friends and throw around a football or play baseball." Troy looked at Hitch and asked, "What about you? City kid or country boy?"

Hitch replied, "I prefer the city. I like the sounds and smells. The country's nice, but I like to hear the world around me."

Tully grinned. "That's no surprise."

Troy asked, "Oh? Why?"

"He wanted to be a bus driver when he was a kid, remember?"

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The Rat Patrol rolled in Ras Tanura midafternoon the next day. Their mission had been a success and there were no injuries, despite the run-ins with the Germans, Arabs, and rain. Plus they learned some things about each other.

Regrets? A few. However, the memories couldn't be better.