The Christmas Exchange
By:AliasCWN
Chapter 2
"You weren't hoping to reach the base before dark were you?"
Troy smiled as he shook his head at Moffitt's question. "I just wanted to get as close to home as possible before we stopped for the night."
"You were thinking of crossing the desert at night, with no lights. Really Troy?"
Troy smiled again as Moffitt teased him by repeating a comment that he had made on their first mission together. Moffitt had suggested driving through the night and Troy had finally agreed, much to his regret. They had been forced to stop while the privates worked on a wheel that had started to grind after driving on the rough terrain. If they hadn't been spotted by a German plane and spied on by a group of Arabs it may never have happened but those events had forced Troy to make a decision that had gone against his better judgement. Moffitt mentioned some version of it whenever he wanted to tease Troy. "Yeah, I know. It's still a bad idea, and I still know better, but sometimes I just get reckless." Troy grinned to show that he was kidding.
"Christmas is almost here."
"The day after tomorrow, I know that too."
"Do you believe that the Germans will agree to a twenty-four hour truce?"
Troy shrugged. "Who knows? Stranger things have happened."
Moffitt smiled a bit sadly. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a full twenty-four hours with none of us trying to kill the other one?"
"Yeah." Troy agreed soberly. "I can't imagine having to write a letter to tell a family that their soldier died on Christmas day. It's hard enough writing the letters on a normal day, that would be the worst."
"It would ruin Christmas for the rest of their lives I imagine. I know it would for me."
"It would for me too." Troy agreed. "It seems appropriate to make the day sacred and not mar it with guns and bombs."
"Not everyone celebrates Christmas you know."
"Maybe not, but I'd like to think that they would all appreciate one day free of killing just the same." He looked over to where Tully was heating their meals and sighed. "I like the idea of peace on earth, even if it only lasts twenty-four hours. I'll take what I can get."
"Peace on Earth to men of good will."
"You mean peace on Earth, good will to men?"
"I believe the original saying specified to men of good will." Moffitt explained. "In all honesty I believe there are some men who will never be happy with peace unless it is a type of their choosing. There are some tortured souls who seem to relish the chaos of war."
"Then let's pray that none of them are involved in the talks to try to get the truce."
"Amen to that." Moffitt agreed. "Twenty-four hours isn't a lot of time but many lives could be lost in that time without a truce. I, for one, shall pray that a truce is reached."
"I'll go along with that."
"What's that Sarge?" Tully asked as he returned to the jeeps for the mess kits.
"There's a rumor going around that there might be a truce for Christmas." Troy explained. "Moffitt and I were just saying that we hope it is approved."
"I heard that." Tully nodded. "Do you think there is really a chance?"
"Maybe." Troy shrugged. "But we'll probably be the last to know, especially if we don't get back to the base."
Tully grinned. "We'll make it Sarge. We should be there late tomorrow morning. That is if the Captain doesn't send us out again. I just hope they don't forget to tell us, sometimes I think we're gone so much that they forget about us altogether."
"The news will be all over the base if it happens." Troy grinned.
"Okay Sarge. Supper's almost ready; just give me time to dish it out."
"Thanks Tully that was fast."
"All I did was open a few cans and heat it up. You said you wanted fast." He jerked his head toward the small fire. "It took longer to get the fire started than it did to heat the meals. I'll put the fire out as soon as I'm done dishing out the food."
Troy looked over to see Moffitt smiling at the exchange. "I suppose we should eat before it gets cold. After all, Tully went to a lot of trouble to heat it for us. Besides, I want to turn in early. I have a feeling that you are going to want to leave at first light to return to the base."
"That's right." Troy responded easily. "If they do arrange a truce I'd like to be on the base to enjoy it."
"I agree." The Brit replied. "I heard several groups of men practicing their Christmas carols. I'd like to be there to hear them perform. I always enjoy the carolers, it adds a bit of home to the holidays."
"Why don't you join them?"
"No thanks, I have a singing voice like a rusty hinge. For everyone's sake I shall continue to enjoy them from the perspective of the audience."
"Sarge, Doc, supper's ready." Tully called from near their small fire.
"I think we should go eat before Tully throws it out." Moffitt laughed.
Troy sighed. "I'm really looking forward to Christmas dinner. Before we left I saw the cooks unloading a lot of frozen turkeys." He eyed their heated rations distastefully. "When was the last time we had turkey?"
"I honestly can't say." The Brit smiled mischievously. "We may have had it without knowing it; the origin of some of those meats is still a mystery."
"I know what you mean. I hope they don't ruin the turkeys. The turkey is my favorite part of the meal."
"I like plum pudding but I doubt that there will be any of that this Christmas." Moffitt sighed in disappointment.
"They don't make canned plum pudding?"
"Bite your tongue!" Moffitt gasped. "Canning it would ruin it!"
"Just asking." Troy chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Tully asked as the sergeants approached the fire to get their meals.
"Moffitt thinks that having canned plum pudding for Christmas would be a disaster." Troy explained.
"I didn't know it came in cans." Tully drawled as Troy burst out laughing. Tully looked from one sergeant to the other in confusion.
"It doesn't." Moffitt answered gruffly.
"Oh." Tully said.
"It's quite all right Tully." The British sergeant soothed. "Troy is just a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas."
"Hey! I like Christmas!"
"But not plum pudding?"
Troy grinned. "Actually, I don't even know what plum pudding is for sure." He admitted. "I don't think I've ever had it."
"Perhaps someday we can remedy that." The Brit suggested. "You don't know what you are missing."
"Any time you get your hands on some I would be more than willing to give it a try." Troy agreed.
"Your supper is getting cold." Tully interrupted in a scolding tone. Both sergeants turned to look at him in surprise. Tully grinned at both of them.
"Yes Mother." Troy replied with a straight face as Moffitt ducked his head to hide his smile.
"I'm going to take Hitch his supper." Tully announced. "You two behave until I get back." Their soft chuckles followed him as he carried a plate up to where Hitch stood guard.
"Everything okay?" Hitch asked after Tully had announced his presence.
"Everything's fine. Sarge and Doc are just getting into the Christmas spirit."
"They're drinking?" Hitch asked in surprise.
"Not that kind of spirit." Tully laughed. "Sarge is teasing Doc; something about canned plum pudding."
"I didn't know plum pudding came in cans."
Tully laughed as Hitch repeated the same thing that he had said earlier. "I guess it doesn't." Tully smiled. "And Doc was quick to set me straight when I said the same thing."
"Oh." Hitch smiled.
"I told them to behave until I get back. I think they need someone to watch over them tonight."
Hitch started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"I had my folks send me some coal candy from the coal region of Pennsylvania. It comes in little bags and looks like pieces of coal. They even give you a little hammer to break it up into smaller pieces. I was planning on giving it to Sarge and Doc for Christmas. We can tell them they got it for misbehaving while on patrol."
Tully laughed. "That should get them. I've heard of it but I've never seen any of it."
"It looks like real coal." Hitch insisted.
"Make sure I'm around when they find it."
"I got them some other stuff but I planned on giving them the coal first. I was hoping you'd help me sneak it in and put it on their pillows."
Tully grinned. "Sure, I can do that."
Hitch finished his supper and Tully took the plate back to their camp and cleaned it. He packed up the cleaning supplies and policed the camp. Troy and Moffitt were getting ready to turn in until their turn to stand watch.
"Sarge!" Hitch's urgent whisper drew all of their attention.
Troy looked up to see Hitch starring out into the darkness. Rather than call to him and ask what was wrong, Troy decided to climb the hill and see for himself. He stood next to Hitch and looked but he didn't see anything. "What is it?"
"I don't know Sarge." Hitch whispered back. "I heard something but I didn't see anything."
"What did it sound like?"
Hitch turned to look at Troy and bit his lip. "It sounded like someone tripped over something. You know, like their foot came down heavy when they tried to catch their balance."
"Where?"
"Over there. I only heard it once and I haven't heard anything else." Hitch pointed out into the desert with his free hand. He gripped his rifle tightly with the other hand.
Troy noticed the tight grip and reached out to touch his arm gently. "You go down to the camp. I want you and Tully to stay with the jeeps. Moffitt and I will check it out. If we run into more than we can handle I'll yell and you and Tully are to get out of here. Take the jeeps and run. No hesitation, just go."
"But Sarge."
"No buts Hitch, you can't help us if you get caught too."
Hitch nodded reluctantly and led the way to the jeeps. Troy explained the situation to Moffitt and the two sergeants prepared to go to investigate. Before he left Troy turned to the privates and repeated his orders.
"Where do you want us to wait for you Sarge?"
"If I have to yell we probably won't be coming back." Troy warned. "You'll be on your own. You can do this Hitch, we trust you to know what to do."
Hitch nodded but he didn't look convinced.
"You two be careful." Tully called as the sergeants left.
Hitch stood beside his jeep and looked over at Tully next to his vehicle. He tried to give him a confident smile but his unease came through. He moved closer to his jeep and chewed on his lip as he waited.
Tully shifted his position to watch the dunes behind them. They were both tense but ready to act if Troy yelled. The minutes passed and they were beginning to think that it had been a false alarm. Tully looked toward Hitch and opened his mouth to tell him that it would be all right.
"Hitch, go!"