I sat in a semi-conscious state in the back of the transport truck with the rest of Second Platoon. My days spent in the company of Lipton in an attempt to allow my shoulder time to heal had resulted in the good First Sergeant passing on his illness to me.
Malarkey had forced me to sit in the corner of the truck with my legs propped up so I would be more comfortable and could get some rest. It was a nice gesture but the bumping and jarring mixed with the bone-rattling coughs ensured that I would get no rest. I sighed and lent deeper against a thin blanket that Gene has given me to pad my back so the bouncing against the metal frame of the truck wouldn't irritate my wound as much. Malarkey kept checking on me, asking if I needed anything. Not that he would really be able to get me anything but it was something to occupy his time as we traveled to the town of Haguenau.
My attention snapped to the back of the truck as a new soldier struggled to climbed up into the truck bed. He looked familiar, but my fever addled mind refused to bring up a name. Malarkey turned to face me and I raised an eyebrow in question and gestured to the new soldier.
'Webster.' He mouthed. My eyebrows shot up into my hairline.
"Jesus Christ. Where the hell has he been?" Malarkey just shrugged.
Private Webster was a 1st platoon man who had been wounded way back in Holland. He must have stayed in the hospital after he was healed for rehabilitation because he had completely missed Bastogne, while others like Toye and Guarnere, had found their way back to the company.
The doctor in me couldn't fault him for staying and obeying the orders of his physician. The soldier in me, however, was angry that he didn't even try to find a way back to us when we had so desperately needed all the men we could get.
The truck pulled to a halt, jarring everyone in it. Malarkey helped me up from the bench and made sure I didn't hurt myself as I hopped off of the back of the truck. I smiled my thanks to the Sergeant and trudged my way over to the Company CP to check in with Speirs, as per his orders, ignoring the whistling and subsequent explosion as a mortar round landed somewhere off in the distance. I forced myself to walk up the stairs and into the building, reveling in the warmth of being indoors for a moment. I glanced quickly around the room and made a beeline for the couch that housed First Sergeant Lipton. I sat down opposite him, near his booted feet.
"I blame you for this, First Sergeant." I glared at him, though I doubted my menacing capabilities at that time as I let out a deep cough.
"Sorry, Benny." Lipton looked like I felt, completely sick and utterly exhausted.
"S'okay, Lip." I mumbled and tried to bury my cold nose in my shirt.
"Hey! Look who it is! Nice digs, huh Lip." Luz called out.
"Yeah." Lipton answered absentmindedly as George handed him an inventory list.
"Sergeant Lipton, Sergeant Benally?" Webster asked as he looked at us.
"Hey! Look what I found!" Luz said around the cigarette in his mouth and covered Lipton and I up with a blanket.
"Feeling alright?" Webster asked.
"There you go." George tucked it around us and I contemplated stealing his cigarette. "They've got pneumonia." Almost as if he could read my mind, he snatched the cigarette from his mouth and held it just out of my reach. I glared at him and he grinned.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Webster said.
"What are you sorry about, they're alive, they've got as couch, a God Damn blanket, snug as a bug." George grinned as he walked off.
"Yup." Lipton leant back against the edge of the couch.
"Sergeant Malarkey said to check with the CO if I should be in 2nd platoon." Webster explained his presence.
"Have a seat, Webster. We'll get you situated." Lip motioned for him to take a seat.
"How long, uh, have you been sick?" Webster asked from behind me.
"Long enough." Lipton answered and I nodded my head in agreeance. I watched Lipton go over the inventory list intently, mostly because I was too tired to move my head. Lip raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged, wincing as my stitches pulled.
"Is this the Company CP for easy?" I turned my head to the voice and saw a 2nd lieutenant standing in the doorway. Lip made an attempt to straighten himself up, but I really wasn't in the mood to care about playing the good soldier.
"Yes, sir." Lipton answered sending me a glare as I opened my mouth. He had known me long enough to know when I was about to say something I shouldn't and was there, ready to stop me before it happened. I shrugged and settled back down into the couch.
"As you were." The Lieutenant motioned. Lip nudged me with his boot and I closed my mouth again. "Lieutenant Jones looking for Captain Speirs."
"Join the crowd." I mumbled into the blanket and Lip nudged me again.
"He's on his way, sir." Lip answered. "Why don't you sit down." Lipton motioned for the Lieutenant to take a seat. "Can you get me a coffee?" He asked one of the men. "Would you like a coffee, sir?"
"No, thank you." Jones said. Just the way he seemed to dismiss Lipton really put me on edge and I had to clamp my teeth to keep a smart remark from coming out of my mouth.
"Alright. You, Benny?" Lip asked.
"Yeah." I mumbled.
"What platoon are you in?" Jones asked Webster.
"Oh, we're about to find that out." The private answered. I noticed Jones pop up from his seat and stand arrow straight at attention as Speirs stomped his way into the room.
"Cap'n Speirs, sir," Lipton greeted. "This is, uh, Lieutenant Jones."
"Listen, for Chrissake, will the two of you go back in the back and sack out?" He grumbled around the cigarette in his mouth. "There's some beds back there with fresh sheets."
"I will, sir." Lipton answered. "Just trying to make myself useful, sir."
"I go where he goes per orders, sir." I wheezed and Speirs just stared at me as if he wasn't sure what to do with me.
"Listen up." Winters called as he walked through the doors. I caught Lipton's gaze and rolled my eyes as Jones popped up to attention once more. Easy no longer stood on ceremony after all we had been through so it was amusing to see a fresh new 2nd Lieutenant do so while the rest of us just remained 'at ease.' "Regiment wants a patrol for prisoners. "
"This one comes straight from Colonel Sink," Nixon added. "So, it's not my idea."
"Since the river is the main line of resistance, we're gonna have to cross it to get to them." Winters said.
"Whadda we need to do?" Speirs asked.
"There's a three story building on the enemy's side." Winters explained. "Up the embankment. We know it's occupied. You can have 15 men. Think very hard about who you wanna lead this patrol." Speirs shot a glance and Lipton and I before returning it back to Winters. "You'll need a lead scout, a translator. I've got the entire battalion on covering fire."
"When?" Speirs asked.
"Tonight, 0100."
"Yes, sir."
"Speirs, I want this one to be as foolproof and as safe as possible."
"Yeah, don't take any chances on this one." Nixon added. "We're too far along for that."
"Speirs, I want to discuss who might go along." Winters said as Nixon walked over to Jones.
"Who're you?" He asked.
"Lieutenant Jones, sir."
"Right, our West Pointer." Nixon stressed the last two words and turned his grinning gaze towards me a moment before looking back to Jones.
"Yes, sir." Jones answered.
"When'd you graduate?" Nixon asked.
"June 6th, sir."
"June sixth," Nixon's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Of last year?"
"D-Day, yes sir." Jones answered. Nixon let out a spastic chuckle.
"Alright, don't get hurt." He walked over to me. "You hear that Benny, fresh out of The Point." He smirked.
"Yes sir, I heard." I mumbled.
"Let's hope he's better then out last Pointer." His smirk turned to an all out grin.
"Let's hope, sir." I gritted my teeth and glared at the Captain, only succeeding in making his grin grow larger. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Speirs eyeballing our exchange with a lethal curiosity before returning to his planning. Winters walked over and tapped Nixon on the shoulder to let him know that he was leaving.
"Get to feeling better Lip, Benny." The red-haired Captain said before he made for the door.
"Sir, I'd like to volunteer for the patrol." Jones said as Winters passed him. Winters sized Jones up, then turned to the Company CO.
"Speirs, talk to you in an hour."
"Yeah," Speirs answered.
"Lieutenant Jones." Winters acknowledged as he continued on his way out of the door.
"We're short on officers, you think an non-com could lead this?" Speirs asked Lipton.
"I could think of a few." Both of their gazes turned towards me were I laid staring off into space. I felt their eyes on me and refocused my gaze on them.
"I'm sorry?" I muttered. "Did I miss something?" Speirs raised an eyebrow but turned back to his planning session with Lipton.
I drifted off from the conversation as Malarkey's name was thrown out as a potential leader. I felt a pang of self-loathing shoot through me. I knew Malarkey had lost more than I had in Bastogne. He lost all of his best friends. He needed the rest more than anyone else and if I weren't sick he would have be the one resting and I would have gladly volunteered to lead the patrol so that the other NCOs could have the rest they so desperately deserved.
"I'll do it sir, I volunteer as tribute." I muttered as I tried to push myself into a standing position and ended up out of breath.I let out a frustrated wheeze that turned into another cough. Speirs sighed deep and rolled his eyes to the ceiling, looking for all the world like he was trying squash down the urge to put me out of my misery.
"Absolutely not, Benally." He turned his attention back to Lipton.
I grumbled and buried my cold nose into the blanket as I listened to Jones, once again, ask to be on the patrol. He was flat out denied by Speirs and sent to 2nd platoon along with Webster and the names of the men that were to go on the patrol.
I stared up at the ceiling, cracked and discolored by the war that raged on around it. My head suddenly felt as if it weighed a ton and I was unable to stop it from dropping back and landing on the hard arm of the couch. I sighed deep, a loud, wheezy sound that was caustic to my own eardrums. My eyelids fluttered and I fought to keep them open.
But like so many of the battles I had waged against my own body in the past, it was fruitless. My eyelids flutter closed for the last time and I found myself in a deep, dreamless sleep.
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The strange feeling of being stared at very intently woke me from my sound slumber. I slowly cracked my eyes open and found myself staring directly into the chocolate brown eyes of one Captain Speirs.
"Sir?" I rasped out. He continued to stare at me, studying me as he had done so many times before. I swallowed back a cough and repressed the urge to wipe at the crusts that had formed in my eyes, hoping I hadn't been snoring. I slowly pulled my head up and glanced around at my surrounding. The room had cleared out, even Lipton had retreated to the far corners of the house probably passed out in some warm bed somewhere leaving me alone with the Easy Company CO.
"Benally." Never had I heard my name spoken in such a way that both amused and terrified me. I swallowed hard and eased my head around to look at the Captain, weary of my neck now stiff from resting on wooden arm of the couch.
"Go in the back and sack out?" I ventured a guess as to what he wanted from me.
"Bingo." The corners of his lips twitched upward.
I nodded and struggled as I tried to sit up. I was at the peak of the illness, if I could just tough it out for a few more hours I knew it would be a downhill slope to recovery but for that moment my body was weak from fighting off the illness with little sleep and little food. I was finally able to maneuver myself into a seated position and had to stop a moment to catch my breath which came out in a squeaky wheeze.
Before I could react to what was happening, I felt two strong hands grasp my upper arms and lift me up from the couch. The hands remained there, steadying me as I fought to regain my balance.
"Thank you, sir." I mumbled, once again caught in the chocolate brown eyes of the Captain.
He nodded curtly before turning me and guiding me down a small hall that sat off from the main room, his right hand never leaving my bicep. We passed by a small bathroom and a smaller room with it's door partially opened to reveal a sleeping Lipton. He continued to urge me forward, guiding me into another of the small rooms that was barely big enough to house the twin-sized bed and small night table that someone had managed to squeeze into it. He steadied me against the wall before pulling the covers down the bed and guiding me onto the worn-out mattress. It creaked under my weight as I folded myself in half and lent over to remove my boots.
Unfortunately, gravity decided to take that moment to be a dick.
"Oh, sonuva-" I mumbled as felt myself fall forward.
I closed my eyes and braced myself for the inevitable meeting with the hardwood floor. My nose was inches from contact with the oak when Speirs grabbed my arms and hauled me back up to a seated position. He then lifted one of my legs and rested it against his thigh as he untied and removed my boot before gently setting it down and performing the same task on the other one. That done, he turned my body so that I could lie on my back before he pulled the covers over my shivering form and up to my chin.
"Thank you, Cap'n Speirs." I mumbled as my eyes closed.
I vaguely remember the feel of a calloused hand brush briefly across my fevered brow checking the temperature of my skin, before I heard the creak of the door as it was pulled too and I drifted off into dreamless slumber.
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My small bed shook and creaked as firm kick was placed against the temporary frame, waking me with a start.
"Wha- What I miss?" I whispered in a sleep filled haze.
"Hersey's bar." Luz said as he tossed the candy at me. I mumbled some sort of unintelligible thanks and turned over to go back to sleep.
KICK
"Wha?" I winced at the sound of my own voice as it came out high pitched and squeaky.
"I'm blowing up a building." He said.
"Good for you." I mumbled and buried myself deep into the bed.
KICK
"Christ on pole! Stop! You're gonna break my bed." I hissed.
"Get up. I know how you like a good explosion." He grinned. "You are an engineer after all."
"Mechanical Engineer," I glared at him.
"Same thing." He rolled his eyes and my glare deepened.
"I do like a good explosion." I relented.
"Good, now get your ass up, let's go." He commanded as he noticed my struggle to sit up and walked over to assist me.
George helped me put my boots on then hauled me up off of the bed. I wobbled a moment as my equilibrium tried to catch up with the rest of my body. When I had finally steadied myself I nodded to him and we made our way out into the street, stopping to pick up the RPG gun, ammo and Web, Jones and Vest who were all waiting out in living room.
"Your harem, I presume." I mutter to Luz.
"Ugly sons of bitches, ain't they." He grinned and slung the launcher over his shoulder.
"Sir." I mumbled to Jones and he nodded.
"Are you alright, soldier?" He looked me over.
"Right as rain, sir." I nodded and had to fight off a wave of dizziness, "never been better."
"Should you be in bed?" Jones questioned again.
"He's fine sir. Takes more than a little pneumoniae to knock out Jo Benally, ain't that right?" George punched me in the armand I had to take a step to keep my balance.
I glared at him and he just shrugged before ushering us out. we made our way over to the river and I pulled my jacket tighter around my body fingering the new stripe on my sleeve signifying my promotion to Tech. Sergeant and wishing that my jacket was heavier as chills racked my body. We reached the edge of town where Luz set up his gear and the other three men went off to talk to the officers that stood nearby. I found an upturned crate and dropped heavily onto is as I watched Luz load the ammo.
"Where should I aim?" He asked, pointing at the intended target.
"There." I pointed at the position where the main support was likely to be. He nodded and moved off to get into position as I let out a bone-rattling string of coughs.
"I thought I put you to bed, Sergeant Benally." I turned my head and watched as the three officers walked over.
"Yes sir." I answered.
"Then what are you doing up?" Speirs asked.
"Can't resist a good explosion, sir." I pointed across the river just as Luz fired on the building, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Nice call, JoJo." Luz said as he handed the gun off to Vest.
"Alright Benny, you've seen your explosion," Winters grinned. "Now get back to bed."
"Yes, sir." I nodded and stood up.
The combination of motions sent a wave of dizziness through me that was so strong I stumbled backwards and bumped my legs against the crate. I would have met the mud, ass first, if not for the pair of hand that caught me first.
"Whoa there," George said as he steadied me. I looked up to see Winter, Nixon, Speirs and Vest poised and ready to spring into action in case I needed their assistance.
"Sergeant Luz, take Benally back to CP and make sure he gets to bed." Speirs ordered through tight lips.
"Yes, sir." George answered and dragged me back to the building that housed Easy Company's CP and into my small room. I glared at him as he took my boots off.
"You got me in trouble." I muttered darkly.
"You didn't have to come," He grinned. "I didn't force you."
"Yes you did, asshole." I glared.
"I think that's just your fever talking." He chuckled.
"If I had da energy, I'd flip you off." I snarked. He just smirked and helped me into bed.
"Sorry for getting you into trouble, maybe next time stay where the Captain put you, yeah.'" He mocked as he pulled my covers up.
"Asshole." I mumbled. His laughter filled the room and bounced down the hall as he left me to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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I awoke to a hand brushing softly against my forehead. I moaned as I opened my eyes and tried to focus them to the dim light.
"Hey, Jo." Gene smiled down at me. "How ya feelin'?"
"I'm okay." I mumbled in a harsh whisper.
"Yeah, you sound okay." He raised an eyebrow. "I need ya ta sit up a moment."
I groaned but pulled myself to a seated position with his help. He maneuvered me so I could lean against the headboard then placed a thermometer into my mouth. I held it under my tongue and watched as he poured a glass of water from a pitcher that someone had brought in and set it on my bedside table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pill jar, carefully sprinkling the small white pills into his hand and plucked out one before placing the rest back into the jar and stowing it in his pocket. He pulled out another pill jar and shook out two pills, both white but a different shape than the others before corking the bottle and placing it back into his pocket. He set the pills on the table and glanced at his watch. He sighed as he sat down on the edge of my bed and looked at me. Unable to speak, I motioned to the other room that held Lipton.
"He's alright." Gene answered. "He's resting." I nodded my head and he looked at his watch again before plucking the thermometer from my mouth. "103." He shook it and placed it back into its holder. "You're sick, Jo."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "I couldn't tell." He chuckled and grabbed the three white pills.
"Penicillin and aspirin." He said as he handed them to me. I nodded and popped them into my mouth. He helped me hold the glass as I drank every drop of water in it, letting it cool and calm my burning throat.
"More?" He asked. I nodded and he poured another glass and helped me hold it as I drank every drop again. He filled the glass a third time and set it on my nightstand as I slid back down into the bed. "If you're feeling up to it later, Speirs told me to let you know that you could use the bathroom down the hall to shower in."
"Well, that solves one problem." I mumbled. Gene chuckled softly.
"S'pose it does." He grinned. "Though it woulda been interesting ta hear you try ta explain dat one."
I chuckled, which turned into a cough. He rubbed my shoulder until the fit subsided. He brushed a hand across my forehead.
"Dere's a set of clothes at da foot of your bed and I brought you a new bandage. I'll check on your wound later when you've had time ta rest and shower." I nodded.
"Thanks for checking up on me, and bringing me the water and clean clothes. You didn't have to do that." I mumbled.
"Don't thank me." He said. "I didn't do it."
"Who did?" I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion.
"Dunno." He shrugged. "You should ask Sergeant Luz, he's in charge of da supplies."
"Alright," I nodded and burrowed deeper in the covers.
"I'll come check on ya later." He said as he stood up and made for the door. "Feel betta, Jo." He smiled and pulled the door too. I sighed and rolled over onto my side. It wasn't long before I felt my eyelids grow heavy and my mind was thrust into sleep once more.
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Okay, so there is the beginning of The Last Patrol. I debated a lot on how I was going to fit Jo into this story, and this is the best outcome I could think of. I hope you all like it!
So, Harlequin Sequins has out an amazing new story I've been lucky enough to help her with. It's called The Colour of December, and it is a wonderful read, so go check it out!
As always, those of you who review this story are the ones that keep me writing! You guys are the best! A huge thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Eliaw, cHoCoLaTe-RuM, loveonspeedial, EmmyMK, CP2girls, britt, Lift the Wings, Azrael's Darkest Secrets, Ashlynn, Harlequin Sequins, Jaina87, and ally leigh, you guys are the greatest!
britt- I'm sorry you had such a bad day, but I'm glad I could brighten it a little! Yes, Roe knows she's a she now, it was a lot of fun to write that scene. It's fun writing Speirs and his ability to just make people feel on edge. I'm glad you took the time to review, even if you had a trying day. And yes, I have heard that expression, I think I might have even used it in a later chapter! My grandpa is from Oklahoma, so I have all of those sayings, y'all, trying day, young'uns, all those good sorts of things. Thanks again for the review!
Ashlynn- I'm glad you liked Luz's reaction. It is sort of based on something that happened to me in real life, except it was a dislocated toe. I thought Roe's reaction was true to what we saw of him in Bastogne, and I loved writing his caring side. I always love writing Speirs, I'm not sure why other than it's fun to torture Jo through him. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, thank you so much for leaving a review!
As for everyone else who has read the story and not reviewed, please let me know what you think of this story, good, bad, not so bad, just let me know what you like or don't and any suggestions for improvement you may have!
Please take the time to leave me a review, it is always greatly appreciated!
Amanda
P.S. – I still have several non-descript female parts free in that later chapter. So if you want your likeness in this story, let me know. If you do, I'll contact you in the review replies I send out as to what info I need. There are a limited number of spots available and it's only fair that those of you who have reviewed the most get first dibs. If you're interested, let me know!
Edited 7/22/17