Last Time: Easy Company arrives in the town of Haguenau and a patrol is planned.

"It's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're hurt." - Tom Gates

Now: Rebecca and Dick come to a crossroads.


Chapter 30 - Hurt

The inside of the old post office now posing as battalion CP was bustling as usual with intelligence officers, mapmakers, translators, and other rear-echelon folks going about their day-to-day tasks. Dick looked among them, so thankful not to have their jobs. He couldn't even bare the minor pencil-pushing that went along with battalion XO, so imagining himself in a job where that was all he did, made his mind numb. Of course, he meant no disrespect to the fellows who did those sort of things, he just preferred himself out with his men, heading an attack and leading them into battle. A good leader never leads from the back.

As executive officer of 2d Battalion, it meant Easy wasn't his responsibility anymore, but he still cared deeply for them. That's why he was personally telling Col. Sink who was leading and going on the patrol tonight. Dick wouldn't admit it, but he was also going to ask what Rebecca was going to be doing while 2d Platoon was on the patrol. 2d was her platoon, in a way. While her job was to tend to all the men's needs during a battle, she trained with 2d. Even when she began inching back more towards battalion with Nix and himself, she was still greatly attached to them. Once she found out it was 2d Platoon who would be going on the prisoner snatch, she insisted on being positioned on the other side of the embankment where the MG's were going to be placed. Dick finally conceded told Rebecca he would Sink himself.

"If anything happens, I want to be right there to deal with it!"

Dick could still hear her resolute words in his head. He told her he would ask Col. Sink about it when he went to tell him who was chosen.

Upstairs which must have been where a family used to live now served as offices for battalion officers, including Dick's. Next to his was Col. Sink's, the largest of course.

Dick approached the door, knocked, and entered when he heard Sink's "enter".

"Captain Winters, I wasn't expecting you, was I?" Asked Sink, looking up from a map that was on his table.

"No, sir, I just wanted to inform you Captain Speirs and I chose Webster, Grant, Heffron, Jackson, McClung, Ramirez, Vest, Powers, Wynn, Cobb, Sisk, Alley, and Garcia for the patrol. Sgt. Martin will be leading and Lt. Jones, observing."

"Is that all, Dick?"

"No, sir. I came to ask where you would like Captain Clark during the patrol tonight. She feels it would be best if she were posted on the other side of the embankment where the machine guns will be providing covering fire."

Dick felt that was the safest place for her too. There was no way she was going to be on the boats with the other guys, so if Dick was going to appease the woman, behind the protection of covering fire was the best place.

"I want Rebecca the hell away from that patrol tonight. She isn't to be involved in the slightest. I still have Col. Gold back at the 326th Medical breathing down my neck about the position they offered her. The last thing I want is for her to get knocked out of this thing before she's had to time to really consider his offer."

Dick suddenly became confused. "Sir?"

XXX

Rebecca had just returned from the battalion hospital where she was able to scrounge up some penicillin for First Sergeant Lipton. Just as she predicted when she returned back to Easy's CP, he wasn't resting at all but was doing his own version which consisted of sitting on the small dingy couch in the middle of the room, sitting up, and completing his tasks as usual. After giving Lipton the medicine, she promptly sicced Captain Speirs on the man who yelled at him to go lie down.

In her room, with her thoughts, Rebecca waited for Dick to come back from battalion CP who was going to inform her where she would be when the patrol took place. Rebecca knew she had grown more distant from her platoon since they left for Bastogne and thought she owed it to them to step up and help. She felt as if she was more a part of Battalion than the actual company, which she hated. After all, Easy had been through, Rebecca's urge to stay close to her company grew. As each day passed, fatigue and exhaustion made it through the ranks, especially 2d Platoon who suffered the heaviest losses in Bastogne. Malarkey, who was in no condition to be leading the platoon was replaced by Lt. Jones and Martin, thankfully. After losing five of his best friends in Bastogne, it was clear he was falling victim to battlefield fatigue. Rebecca checked in on him every once in a while to make sure he was doing alright, but even his most adamant protests indeed showed he was not.

Finally, Dick knocked on her door.

"Hey." She greeted, sitting up in bed, "What's the word."

Dick had grown more tired as the war progressed, Rebecca could tell. His young and handsome face was accompanied by new worry lines and dark circles. Those, however, were attributed to stress, today, he seemed off, somehow. Perhaps it was the patrol on his mind.

"Col. Sink has instructed you are to stay behind tonight only to come if a medic is called," Dick informed flatly.

Rebecca was instantly ticked off. She felt her place was to be with the men. After all, she'd been through with Easy Company, she couldn't understand why Col. Sink was airing on the side of caution now.

"Are you serious? That's just so typical of him! Most of 2d Platoon was chosen for this, why not me too?" She fumed.

Not even bothering to address her complaints, Dick looked at Rebecca with an expression she had never seen him wear on his face before. Dick looked disappointed, angry, and sad all at the time. "Sink mentioned an offer from the 326th Medical. He wants to know if you've changed his mind."

Rebecca was stunned by Dick's dismissal and lack of understanding. Usually, he was always someone Rebecca could trust to get a level-headed outlook on things. Now, she got the impression Dick agreed with Sink.

"No, no. I'm not changing my mind." She retaliated, "Is that why he doesn't want me to go?" She petulantly asked.

No answer.

"Dick?"

"That's right." He curtly responded.

Hearing Dick's tone made Rebecca grow more indignant. "I'm sorry, do you have a problem with my choice?"

Suddenly, something inside Dick's mind snapped. His reason and composure standard to him throughout the war was traded for aggravation. Dick was furious and wasn't going to hold it back, even for Rebecca.

"What I have a problem with is your recent impulsivity," Dick retorted, "After Sink offered you a once in a lifetime opportunity, you not only turned it down, but you thought it was appropriate to run after Easy, through machine-gun fire."

Rebecca was quickly rendered speechless by Dick's outburst. Her slightly gaped as he continued his ranting.

"Now, you're giving another opportunity to accept an offer that will guarantee your safety for the rest of the war and you have the gall to ask me where you'll be during the patrol!"

Speechlessness pushed aside, Rebecca fought back. "You're pissed I didn't take a job where I would've been a desk jockey playing fetch for some Colonel for the rest of the war?

Rebecca felt her face heating up as anger bubbled inside of her.

"Twice, you shot down a chance to fast-track your career in the Airborne!" Chastised Dick, throwing his hands around.

"I didn't join the Airborne for a career!" Rebecca yelled, "I joined to send money home to my dying father. Well, guess what? He's dead now, and if you don't mind, I would like to spend the remainder of the war with the only family I have left!"

Sadness and anger ran through Rebecca as she dug at old scars. She never wanted to think about any of those things and couldn't understand why Dick was admonishing her.

"I thought you of all people would understand," Rebecca shot back, angry tears pricking at her eyes.

"I'm the last person you should've thought would understand."

Dick's remark tore through Rebecca like a hot knife. "So, all that crap you said about being proud of me and how you were glad I was by your side was all bullshit?"

She briefly remembered their night together in Paris. A lot of things were discussed before they both fell asleep. Among those things were how the felt towards one another and both admitted they had strong feelings towards one another. Now, it was like Dick was taking back what he said.

"I meant every word, but you don't understand that every waking minute of the day, I'm terrified you'll end up being Easy's next causality. Ever since the incident in Holland, I knew I couldn't live without you." He admitted, the fervor to argue leaving him.

Rebecca knew Dick was hurting but she was too. But they made promises to each other. Rebecca was not Dick's to take care of.

"Dick, we are not together." She mumbled, her voice breaking.

His pleading eyes met Rebecca's anguished ones. Her tears were now running down her face. "I think you should go."

Dick looked down towards the floor. "Yeah, I should."

Just as he turned around, he looked at Rebecca one more time. Dick realized he had sincerely hurt the woman he loved.


A/N: I know this was a short chapter but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless! Please, let me know how you guys are liking the story thus far. We're beginning to wind down Rebecca's story and your feedback means everything! More is to come, I promise!