"Dick…Dick…Hey wait…DICK" Katie called after the captain, but he didn't turn around or even acknowledge her.
The reason Winters was walking away from regimental HQ in a hurry. Well he wanted to get out of there before he said or did something he would later regret.
Captain Winters was pissed off. After thirty-six days in the cold, snow covered Belgian forest, with constant contact with the enemy, the 101st were told they were going into reserve and that they would get a much-needed break. However, orders changed and now Winters had to send his battalion to Alsace to what if Lane and Nixon was right, would be another German attack.
Katie caught up with Winters, Speirs, Amy, McMillan, Nixon and Lane. She could tell Amy was pissed and Speirs just looked distant. McMillan listened to what Winters had to say, but was distant as well.
Lane mumbled under her breath "Doesn't the Army have someone else to plug the gaps?"
Amy looked at Lane and smiled "I don't know, you are the S3, you tell me"
Lane smiled; it was nice to have the old cheeky Amy back. Lane had worried about her since the trip to Aldbourne and at one point she was afraid they would have to send Amy of the lines while in Bastogne. Amy pushed through and came out stronger in the end.
The men lugged their belongings on to the deuce and half's that would take them 160 Miles to Drulingen. Heavy layers of snow covered the ground, the roads were slippery and the convoy crawled its way. The trip took thirty-six butt-numbing hours in truck build for functionality, not comfort.
As soon as they arrived in Drulingen, Sink send the division to Hochenfeld and onwards to a small town called Wilkensheim, the consolation was that it was supposed to be quiet sector.
The Moder River, normally thirty to forty feet wide was now swollen with snowmelt and in many places, it was as wide as football field in width and swiftly flowing with brown muddy water.
The men had roofs over their heads and the foxhole hell in Bastogne was now just an unpleasant memory. Showers were set up and Red Cross clubs set up. The men enjoyed the relative peace. Contact patrols were still send out and the air rippled with incoming and outgoing artillery shells.
A week later Mia and Katie were sitting in Katie's office at the aid station, they were talking about the war and what all they had been through.
Katie sighed "Well we so far we have jumped into Holland with the British 2nd army and stayed there for 73 Days, then been surrounded in Bastogne for 30 days, and now we are in Alsace to stop the Germans, this old war was mighty rough at times"
Mia sipped the last of her glass with her drink in it "I think we are getting there, I think we might make it through and I can't wait to go back home, I miss my brothers"
Katie smiled "I…" Before she could continue Winters and a platoon from Fox Company barged thru the door.
"Captain Hendrick" Winters shouted
Katie got on her feet "Yeah what we got, what happened?"
The lieutenant who had led the patrol answered, "We ran into a German strongpoint, machine guns and mortars…one killed six wounded"
Mia and Katie got to work, it took most of the night and by the time they were done they were both exhausted. Katie walked towards second battalion HQ, she was tired and she needed to see and feel Winters. If she had her way, she would never leave his side again. Katie knew she had to talk about what had happened to her in Bastogne and Amy had tried to get her to open up, but she wasn't ready to talk yet.
Katie found Amy, Speirs, Lane, Nixon and the man she was dying to see at the HQ. She could hear someone talking and then someone laughing. Katie opened the door and walked in; she discovered why her friends were laughing. The army had finally send them winter shoe packs, arctic socks, felt insoles and six thousand yards of white cloth, enough to make two thousand snow suits.
"We could have used them six weeks ago in Bastogne," Winters mumbled
Amy who had been feeling up Speirs "Just be glad we got them at all, they could have shipped it to the pacific" Amy got on her feet and Speirs followed. She walked over and hugged Katie "We are still going to talk"
Katie nodded "Yeah, I know"
Lane looked at Winters and Katie, they both looked tired and Lane knew they needed some peace and quiet "Nix Babe let's go"
Nixon started to protest, but then he realized what Lane was doing "Yeah let's go"
Winters looked up from the pile of paper on his desk "Nix are we heading out tomorrow?"
Nixon confirmed and Winters sighed, he was in dire need of some competent officers His S1 was ok, But his S2 who was Welsh was not yet back, he had no S3 because sink had snatched Nixon up to regiment after Hester had been promoted and appointed division G2. His S4 had wondered of the line at Noville and been AWOL since.
Winters put in a battlefield commission for Lipton and Sink approved.
Katie leaned against Winters desk and watched him work for a while, Winters finally looked up "Why don't you go to bed, sweetheart you look like you could need a goodnights sleep"
Katie hugged Winters "You know what? You look like you need some sleep to" Katie took the papers Winters held in his right hand and put them on the desk, she turned down the lights and dragged Winters back to his bedroom. Katie closed the door and locked it.
"I need you to make love to me" Katie walked over and started to unbutton Winters shirt.
Winters were happy to oblige and he undressed Katie slowly and laid her down on the bed "Are you absolutely sure" He asked her.
Katie nodded she wanted him and she needed the intimacy.
A little while later after Katie had her head on Winters chest, winters was gently stroking Katie's upper arm. Katie scooted closer to him and sighed, "I love you, you do know that right?" Katie looked up at Winters
Winters kissed the top of Katie's head "I know, I love you too Honey, but Katie you have to talk about Bastogne and if you won't talk to me, then talk to Amy or Lane or whoever, just don't keep it in, I can tell it's eating at you"
Katie gently kissed Winters hand "I will, I promise"
…..
The next day 506th moved to Haguenau. Sink deployed the regiment forward with first battalion on the left and second on the right.
Emma's third battalion went into reserve and they got some much-needed rest.
Rolling into Haguenau, Easy were greeted by a familiar face. Webster returned from the hospital, he was walking from truck to truck asking about men who had been killed or wounded, he stopped by first platoon's truck and attempted to climb on board.
Amy looked at him "Where the fuck have you been?"
"The hospital" Webster replied
Amy shook her head and refused to look at Webster, Liebgott noticed Amy had tears in her eyes, he knew the rough and tough lieutenant never cried she had to be thinking about Buck and how she lost a good friend.
"You must have liked that hospital, we left Holland four months ago," Liebgott told Webster.
"I wasn't there the whole time, there was rehabilitation and the replacement depot" Webster started
Amy coughed, turned and looked at Webster with red eyes "I am sure you tried to bust out and help us in Bastogne"
"I don't know, how I would have done that, Ma'am," Webster said
"Funny, because a lot of other men found a way" Amy looked at Webster with murder in her eyes.
Amy turned and shuddered; she had pneumonia and was freezing and shaking. Amy looked over at Foley "Foley…"
The young lieutenant knew Amy wanted to get rid of Webster "Second platoon Webster"
The truck stopped and the platoon and Webster jumped of "Spread out until I know where we are going" Amy ordered.
A shell went flying over the platoon. Amy just stopped and looked at it. Webster threw himself to the ground, Amy turned and looked at him "what's wrong Webster, nervous in the service"
Amy smirked and turned around; Webster got on his feet, "no sorry ma'am" Amy just rolled her eyes.
"Come on Webster let's go talk to captain Speirs" Amy walked towards the CP and Webster followed her.
"Captain Speirs, what happened to Captain Winters?" Webster asked her
"He is running the whole Battalion now" Amy shrugged and opened the door to the CP
The CP. was bustling; Luz was fussing over Lipton. Luz looked Amy and motioned for her to sit down on the couch Lipton was sitting on. Amy sat down and sighed.
Speirs came walking in to the room "Will the two of you go and sack out there are some beds with fresh sheets in the back"
Lipton coughed and started to get up from the couch "Just trying to make myself useful"
Amy got on her feet she was a little unsteady and when she tried to take a step her legs gave away under her, she let out a small shriek, Speirs turned around and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder he carried her into a bedroom and gently laid her down on a bed
"Stay here…I am going to find Mia or Katie" Speirs gave her a stern look and Amy just nodded.
Speirs walked back down stairs and found Winters and Nixon bend over a table with maps over the area on it. Lane walked into the CP followed by two replacement lieutenants "Dick, Nix…lieutenant Fitzpatrick, Lieutenant Jones"
Winters usually took time to meet and asses the new officers, but he didn't even look up from the map when the two men walked into the room "Fitzpatrick Fox Company, jones you are with Easy dismissed"
The two young men just looked at each other and looked at Lane for directions, Lane shrugged and called for Luz "George show these two rookies to Fox and Easy"
The three men disappeared and Lane walked over to Nixon and Winters "What got the two of you so worked up?"
"Sink wants a patrol I am going to give this one to Fox Company…Ron mind relaying the order?" Winters asked Speirs
Speirs nodded and walked out of the CP. He headed towards Fox HQ. Speirs found the lieutenant "Cox" he greeted the man
"Speirs…What can I do for you? Where is that pretty gal of yours?" Cox asked
"Sick, she down with a nasty case of pneumonia" Speirs sat down on a chair; Cox handed him a glass of whiskey and sat down on the opposite side of the large desk.
"Pity, I like Lieutenant Hunt…you lucked out, she is something else" Cox raised his glass.
Ron raised his glass as well "She is something alright"
The two men drank in silence and Ron put down his empty glass on the desk in front of him "Sink wants a patrol and Winters want Fox to handle it"
Cox swore under his breath "Why?"
Speirs shrugged he didn't know what good the patrol would do. He walked towards the aid station; before he got there, a shelling started a shell hit and killed Bill Kiehn. Speirs followed Roe to the hospital and found Mia. She was busy treating chest colds and trench foot, side effects from the month in the cold forest.
"Mia…I need you or Katie to come to battalion HQ and check out Amy and Lip, they both got pneumonia"
Mia stopped and turned around "What…Why wasn't I told"
"We been a little busy, but now you know half an hour McKall" Speirs told Mia and hurried out of the aid station.
Mia found Katie and told her about Speirs visit. Katie handed Roe the case of plasma she was holding and packed a bag and followed Mia to HQ. When they arrived Speirs looked up from the maps, he and a handful of officers were studying and pointed towards the back.
Walking up the stairs Katie thought about the last few months, they sure been thru a lot Toccoa and dry Georgia heat seemed like another life. Katie felt like war was all she knew. Dick wouldn't stay in the army or at least she didn't think he would. Katie had nagging feeling that Amy would stay in, she had a whole new spring in her step and Amy looked like the Amy she knew from basic training.
When she opened the door to the room Amy and Lipton was in, she almost fainted, the smell of fever, dirt and sweat met her. Katie stepped in and closed the door; she looked at the two sleeping soldiers, and knew this was going to take a while.
Speirs searched the HQ, he had seen Katie and Mia walk in, but he hadn't seen either of them since. He walked upstairs and almost bumped into Mia who came walking out of a bedroom with her arms full of dirty sheets and clothes.
"How are they doing?" He asked her
Mia stopped and looked at Speirs, He looked like he aged five years in the last two months "They are ok, they are clean and Katie just poured them both a big snaps and they just need to sleep"
Speirs shook his head "Snaps is that the best you can do, they need penicillin and real medicine, not alcohol…I can't even…"
Mia dropped the dirty clothes on the floor and pointed at Speirs "Hey that is the love of my life in there and I trust Katie, so get your shit together Speirs and go scare some replacements" Mia picked up the laundry and stomped of mumbling something about how Speirs was a son of a bitch.
Well that went well Speirs thought and knocked on the door; he pushed the door open and looked at Amy and Lip. They were sleeping and Amy did look a lot better so maybe Mia was right.
….
The next morning news of what had happened with the replacement officer from Fox Company spread thru the CP. Cox had let Fitzpatrick go on the patrol and he had stepped on a schu mine and died from shock and blood loos.
Winters ripped Cox a new one, but he was also upset with himself, he shouldn't have let Fitzpatrick join Fox without speaking to him first.
Katie found Winters at the battalion HQ. winters was frustrated on a number of levels, He had been acting battalion commander for a while, but he was still only a Captain which placed him at a disadvantage when decisions needed to be made involving other battalions in the division. He was pissed at Cox and at himself.
"Dick…you can't blame yourself, it will eat at you" Katie put her arms around Winters and hugged him
Winters hugged her back "I know…"
Winters didn't get to say anymore, outside they heard the tell-tale sounds of someone fighting and then Amy's voice "You are a sorry excuse for a company commander you son of a bitch, that boy's death is on you"
Someone responded and then they heard Amy yelling" Let go of me, sergeant Talbert, let me go"
Katie and Winters ran outside, they noticed Speirs coming running as well and Talbert holding Amy back.
Speirs took Amy from Talbert and dismissed Cox. Katie just looked at Amy with a look on her face that said what the hell.
Amy pulled away from Speirs. Winters Looked at Amy "Care to explain?"
"Son of bitch…Cox…Cox was there on , He could have saved me from the Germans" Amy turned and walked away