**ROSE POV**
"Sir, we are sitting ducks here! We've got to keep moving!" Lipton was screaming in Dike's ear as the man sat frozen against a haystack with more than half of our men out in the open.
Dike's tactical misstep had left us all pinned down by gunfire and he couldn't seem to make a decision as to what we needed to do next. Granted, he'd been wounded on our approach to Foy, but his complete failure in combat leadership was inexcusable. I could hear Winters from the back of the line, telling us to go forward as the Germans rained artillery on us. Then, finally, through the smoke came Lieutenant Ronald Spiers.
Within moments, we were moving forward again, and Spiers was sprinting through enemy fire to link up with another company so that they didn't pull back. Easy Company had a real leader again and, despite the firefight all around us, it was a welcome relief. The battle seemed to come easier after that and, under Spiers' capable leadership, we soon found ourselves marching prisoners out of buildings and singing songs to celebrate victory.
The pop of the sniper's first bullet was completely unexpected. At first, no one knew what had happened. Then the replacement slumped forward, fresh blood trickling from a wound at the side of his head. Another shot rang out and we began to scatter, searching for cover behind buildings, tanks… whatever we could find. I felt a sting under my ear, but before I could react I was unceremoniously thrown over someone's shoulder and carried to the corner of a building where a wounded Frank Perconte was also taking cover. All around us, I could hear the bullets hitting dirt, stone, and flesh. A body that could only have been Bull was wrapped around me, shielding me from the gunfire and the bloody scene unfolding in the streets. There was a final shot, and then a cheer and I knew that the soft-spoken Shifty Powers had saved more lives with his rifle. Bull finally loosened his hold on me.
"Damn, Frank! You decided to carry on the tradition by getting shot in the ass?" I teased.
"Well I…," he turned over to look at me and his eyes went wide. "Holy shit, Rose! Bull, look at her!"
Bull pulled me away from his body so that he could take a better look, and his eyes grew concerned.
"Doc!"
"Bull, what is wrong with you?"
"Just be still. Doc! Get over here! Rose is bleeding!"
It wasn't until that moment that I noticed a burning along my jawline under my left ear. I reached up to touch it, drawing back bloody fingers. That must have been what I felt before Bull picked me up, and considering how long it had been bleeding at that point, I'm sure it was a frightening sight. I could feel the warmth of the blood all the way down my neck and soaking into my uniform, and the cold seeping back into my bones. I began to feel a little lightheaded, and I wasn't sure whether I had really lost that much blood, or if it was just shock setting in. Doc Roe came running over and gave a quick assessment.
"Randleman, can you carry Perconte? I can manage Rose. We need to get them somewhere so that I can clean her up and figure out where all this blood is coming from. She may need plasma," he instructed, draping my arm over his shoulder as Bull lifted Frank onto his back and leading us slowly toward the aid station.
We passed Lipton along the way. He asked Frank about his wound, but when he saw me he told us to get moving and pointed in the direction of a building where the officers were setting up a temporary command post, indicating that Roe would find supplies inside. All I could think was that I must look worse than I thought. That was confirmed when we made our way into the command post and Doc put Frank and I on a table to examine us.
**NIXON POV**
I was standing at a table with Spiers and waiting for Dick and Colonel Sink to return from seeing that Dike was evacuated so that we could go over our plans for the next few days, when Bull came in carrying Frank Perconte.
"What happened, Perco?" I chuckled. "You have your ass up in the air or something?"
Neither he or Bull laughed at my joke as Bull lay him gingerly on a table. Instead, they were both fixated on the door. A moment later, I understood why. I turned my attention toward the door as well, just as Doc Roe came in, supporting a blood-soaked Rosalie James.
"Jesus Christ, what the hell happened to her?"
"I don't know yet, sir. I haven't been able to examine her to find out where the blood is coming from, but I need plasma."
I rushed forward to help him get her onto the table. Spiers yelled for Luz, who was in charge of the supply inventory, to bring the plasma on the double. Dick and Sink chose that moment to return to the command post, nearly getting bowled over by Luz as he rushed in with the bottle.
Startled, Sink demanded, "What the hell is going on in here?"
"Uncle Bob?" Rose was trying to see past Roe, who was getting frustrated at trying to keep her still so that he could insert the needle into her arm. "Will you tell them to stop fussing over me? It's not that… ouch! Gene!"
"Well, if you'd lay the hell down and be still! You've lost too much blood for me not to give you something! Sir, do you think you can help me here? She's been shot and bleeding for a while. I need to get this plasma going so that I can clean her up and see where the blood is coming from."
Colonel Sink moved beside his adopted niece, giving her a stern look and telling her to let the medic do his work. He fingered the collar of her uniform, drawing back blood-stained fingers, and I saw Dick start to move forward to see her. I tried to block his way.
"You don't need to see this, Dick. Roe has everything under control. She's fine."
**WINTERS POV**
I saw the blood on Sink's fingers and the concerned look in Eugene Roe's eyes as he tried to insert the needle for the plasma. Her face was hidden behind his body, and I couldn't see where the blood had come from, but there must have been a lot of it. Nix tried to reassure me, or maybe he was just trying to prevent me from seeing her, but I brushed past him and moved around to the other side of the crowded table.
I was not prepared to see her like that. She was obviously awake and talking, if somewhat weakly, but the left side of her, from just below her ear all the way down to her collar, was covered in blood. The brightness of it stood out against the sickly reddish-brown that had soaked into her uniform. Bull stood beside me, his face solemn.
"I was running for her and she took one from the sniper before I could get there. I'm sorry sir. I just wasn't fast enough to protect her."
I started to speak but she cut me off before I could, sitting up slightly on her elbows and holding a bandage to her jaw to staunch the bleeding. As I watched the exchange, it felt like someone had reached into my chest and was squeezing my heart. I could actually feel the jealousy in my throat.
"Bull Randleman! That is bullshit! It's not as bad as it looks, and once Doc gets this plasma into me and I wipe my face, I'll be as good as new. Don't you dare apologize for not protecting me. You've done plenty of that. You're my guardian angel! Got it?"
He finally allowed himself a grin and brushed a strand of hair back from her face before leaning in to kiss her forehead and whisper, "Maybe so, baby girl, but I will feel much better when you aren't leaving blood trails everywhere. If you're okay with it, I'm gonna go with Luz and see about getting a couple of blankets to make Perco more comfortable."
"Of course I'm okay, sweetheart. Come see me when you get back? And if there are any extra blankets…"
"I'll find one. Or give you mine if I have to. You're colder now than when we were in the damn foxhole," he chuckled as she hit him playfully on the arm.
"That's why I love you, Bull Randleman."
He glanced up at me for the briefest second, almost apologetic, before answering, "I love you too, Rosie baby. I'll be back soon."
"Captain Winters? Sir? Are you okay?"
Her voice startled me. I'd been staring after Randleman when she had apparently settled back onto the table to allow Roe to clean her wound, and now she was watching my face as I clenched my jaw and tried to pretend that the jealousy wasn't eating me alive.
"Yes, of course. I'm fine. Just checking on you and Perconte. Not hurting too bad, I hope?"
Good save, Dick. I'm sure she didn't notice the tension in your voice. I ventured a glance at Lew. He was watching me with crossed arms, raised eyebrows, and a smile at the corner of his lips. Beside him, Colonel Sink seemed to be appraising me curiously as well.
"No sir. I'm sure I'll be a little sore, but nothing too bad. Perco got it much worse than I did. I'm sure this won't amount to much more than a graze once it's all cleaned up."
"Good. Good. That's… good." I was stuttering under the watchful eyes of Nix and the Colonel. I tried to recover by reasserting the original purpose of our gathering in the CP. "Well, if you're okay here, we probably should get back to planning the next action. Colonel?"
He narrowed his eyes, studying my face for a moment, and finally nodded. He stroked Rose's hair and leaned down to kiss the top of her head.
"You're gonna be just fine, darlin'. Just listen to the Doc here." He glanced up at me pointedly before continuing, "And once he's done with you, you stay close to Sergeant Randleman, you hear? I want you as safe as possible, and he will take good care of you. Any more of this and Captain Winters here may order you under his personal supervision, not that I am altogether against that at this point."
"That won't be necessary, Uncle Bob," she laughed, squeezing his fingers. "Bull will probably be twice as protective of me now. He'll keep me close."
Yes, she was probably right… and that is what I was afraid of.