Her CO held a meeting that morning to tell everyone what had happened to Eberhardt – or, at least, their version of what had happened. Emilie didn't attend. She was tired of all the lies, of keeping secrets from the men that she felt closer to than anyone. They had become almost an entity over the years, able to do almost anything in unison, willing to give their lives to save their new brothers and best friends without a second thought. She had once, though she had refused to admit it as she had hated the army and everything it stood for, felt like she had found her true home. At least, that was how things used to be. Now she felt distant, disconnected, like she was barracking for the wrong side: the Yanks.
And it was all because of that stupid, gorgeous medic from Louisiana.
She had seen Ehrlichmann follow the crowd into the meeting hall, and their eyes had locked for a split second, causing other men to crash into his back and yelp at him when he stopped.
Even from this distance now, she could hear the shocked murmurings from inside and knew they had just heard the news about the corporal. Her grip on the twig she was fiddling with tightened, and she unintentionally snapped it in half. The sound reminded her of when Eberhardt had snuck up on Eugene and her and she sucked in a deep breath, pushing the thought out of her mind.
All of a sudden, the door to the meeting hall swung open and soldiers streamed out of it; some looked dazed and confused, their steps heavy, while others practically skipped around each other. Emilie frowned. They couldn't be celebrating over Eberhardt's death. If they were, she would quickly knock some sense and manners into them.
But, before she even had a chance to ask, Kuhn raced over to her, his eyes looking brighter than she had ever seen them; even in training, he had been drafted, and he had always looked a little sad, his eyes a bit too heavy. "Hitler's dead!" he blurted out, skidding to a halt in front of where she was sitting, "He and his wife killed themselves when the Russians were about to storm their bunker. They even killed their dog, Blondie! Shame, I saw pictures of him walking the German Shepherd outside the bunker. Beautiful dog. And he and Eva Braun just got married, too. Or should I call her Eva Hitler? I don't even care. This means the war could very well be over, Emilie! We'll have to surrender, but still, World War Two is finally over! After six years, I'll be able to see my family again." He was well and truly rambling.
Emilie's frown deepened for a second but disappeared as her eyes widened in realisation. Hitler was dead. Adolf fucking Hitler was dead, and without their Führer, the Nazis wouldn't be able to stand on their own. "That's great news!" she exclaimed, grinning. She never would have thought she would see the day when so many people rejoiced at someone's death.
"Isn't it?" He shook his head, still smiling. "I can't believe it." Only when his smile eventually faded did he look up, more serious now. "Did you hear about Eberhardt? I can't say I'm surprised. He died as he lived: fighting."
"Yeah," she averted her eyes, guilt tugging at her heart, "Yeah, it's a shame." Desperate to change the subject, she smiled once more, "But, hey, Hitler's dead!"
Kuhn nodded enthusiastically. She had never seen him like this. It was a nice change. "I could dance right now."
Emilie smirked. "So do it."
He blushed, raising his eyebrows. "I think your eyes would probably explode. My dancing is not a pleasant sight."
Though she laughed on the outside, and she was truly rejoicing that Hitler was dead, that part was true, she couldn't help feeling a nagging… Something on the inside. When she realised it was because she didn't want to leave the army, she could have punched herself. Of course she wanted to leave! She hated it here, hated this goddamn war with the fiery passion of a thousand white-hot suns. And yet, she couldn't quite convince herself. No one back in the civilian world could possibly understand what they had gone through. Endured in order to lose. She knew they were fighting for their motherland, not in favour of oppression. But other people couldn't understand that.
She was a soldier now.
