Hello everybody!
First I need to say that I'm really, really sorry for the delay! I was totally shocked when I saw that my last update was in march. But working in a law firm really doesn't leave me much spare time… I hope you'll forgive me and won't give up on this story. I'm really determined to finish the story – thanks to all your wonderful support! So please keep reading and reviewing.
On D-Day plus six they finally arrived outside of Carentan. After Dick had instructed the platoon leaders, they started the attack. Suddenly the Krauts opened fire and most of the men jumped into the ditches next to the road so that suddenly Luz, Harry and Maggie found themselves alone at the entrance of the town – but on opposite sides of the street, which left Maggie all by herself. When Dick saw this, he nearly got a heart-attack and literally kicked some asses after his shouting had got him nowhere. Finally the men started to move into the town. Just then Dick noticed that he was very lucky that he hadn't gotten hit.
Maggie stood behind a wall and waited for her heart to slow down. She was so full of adrenaline that she was afraid she might get a coronary. After what felt like hours, Lip, Bill and some of the other men joined her. Maggie grew calmer and started to shoot into the general directions of the Krauts. Apparently they weren't close enough yet – or Maggie wasn't a decent enough shoot – because it seemed that no Kraut got hit. So Maggie started to sprint to a house closer to the German position, took cover and started to shoot. She had to be careful with her timing, but after a few minutes she was able to time her shots with the pause of the German machine-gun and actually hit the shooter. After that guy was taken care of, it was much easier for them to begin clearing the houses.
After Lip had gone to a house with a fire ladder, so that he could get an overview of the situation, Maggie was left alone with two other guys to clear the houses on the left side of the street. She wondered what Lip might see from up there, but she was afraid it wasn't anything good. After the disaster at the road into town, she was convinced that lot of men were hit or dead. And just a few people would be in the place were they should be according to Nix' plan…
The first houses were cleared without any real problems; they threw a hand grenade through a window, waited for the detonation and stormed in. After making sure the house was empty, they left and went for the next. But their fortune left when they came to the fifth and last house in the row, because the grenade didn't detonate. Maggie motioned to one of her fellow soldiers to throw another grenade. In the same moment the front door opened and Maggie found herself face to face with a german officer. Time seemed to stop, neither did she, the Hauptmann or one of their comrades move. Maggie assumed her men didn't shoot because they were afraid to hit her. After a few seconds she saw the Hauptmann grabbing for the pistol attached to his hip out of the corner of her eyes. She realised she wouldn't be able to use her M1 because the Kraut stood to close and grabbed for her own side arm. Apparently luck was on her side because she was a little faster than the German and due to that able to shoot him into the chest. But suddenly her waist hurt like hell and she realised that the Kraut must have been able to shoot her during his fall. Nonetheless she went into the house and searched for more Krauts, but there were none. By now the canvas on her left side was soaked with blood and her comrades rushed to help her. They provisionally dressed her wound and helped her out of the house.
Just when they stood in the door they heard a screeching noise and shortly after that a shell came down. Maggie saw Lip on the other side of the street, flying like a doll. Ignoring her pain and the danger of her action, she ran for her best friend. When she approached him she was shocked by the amount of blood on his right thigh respective his hip. Maggie hoped he wasn't severely wounded and kneeled down next to Lip, who watched his wound like a rabbit would look at the snake.
"Lip, it's me, Maggie. Lip!"
When he still didn't look at her, Maggie realised his fear and ripped his pants open. She was relieved to see, that "just" his leg was hit and not his groin.
"Lip, listen to me. You're fine. Everything's where it should be. Lip, do you hear me?!"
"Mhm?"
"You'll be able to produce lots of cute little Lips once were back home."
"Oh." And despite the nasty wound on his cheek, he grinned like the Cheshire Cat.
Maggie saw Talbert approaching and asked him for help.
"Sure. Is he okay?"
"He'll be okay, rather soon. I've dressed the wound on his leg as well as I could and the bleeding seems to decrease."
"Fine. C'mon then sergeant, let's get you to the aid station and see Doc Roe."