Why He Runs Alone
Title: Why He Runs Alone
Summary: A little one-shot about something I noticed when it comes to Ronald Speirs, there really isn't a lot written about him so I decided to explore this thought that came to mind after watching him run through Foy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except the idea.
Winter-Rae: My first one-shot written in Speirs' point of view in the taking of the Germany guns and in the take over of Foy, hope you all enjoy.
Speirs' POV
I run with my company; Dog Company to be exact we were sent in to help Easy with disarming the German guns. No problem, I led the men running ahead of the pack. Once there I asked Winters if we could take the next one.
"It's all yours," he yelled over the gunfire that sounded from all around us. Great, I thought at first, another opportunity to run with my pack.
"Let's go Dog Company!" I yelled and we ran to the next gun. We would be victorious, why because we were fast. There were five including myself, all great men who I had trained with and regarded as my family away from home.
As we ran I leapt out of the trench to get a better view of where the Germans might be near the gun. I was putting myself in harms way, I could tell by the bullets that landed around my feet, whizzed past my head, nearly missing it. But it was okay I'm sure because the others were okay, they were in the trench.
As I ran I started to notice something, the pack, my company, my men were no longer with me. I was running alone. Once I, that's right, once I had taken the gun I waved to Winters a thumb up, returned, I had done a good job. What's with this 'I' stuff? Why my men had been killed of course, killed because of me.
I didn't turn back to help, I just kept on running, running alone. I look at them now, looking at me with unseeing eyes. Eyes that will never see home again, their families again, all because I had to run. I hesitated in leaving when Winters called out to us to fall back. I couldn't leave them, my pack, my men, and my family. Yet I did, it was after all an order.
It's my fault; I have been the cause of many deaths. That group of Germans didn't mean anything to me, but my own men? Now that is another story. Others tell how I killed Germans but they never speak of how I killed my company. No one looks or speaks to me much after that, they all have a new perception of me now. I let them keep it, who knows it might work out to my advantage one day.
Foy, a hellish frozen place, and place that I have come to hate. I'm sitting on the edge of the woods with the rest of Dog Company awaiting our orders from Captain Winters. Easy has been sent out into the open with Dike, a man who I wouldn't trust with a rock.
"Speirs!" the Captain yells suddenly after Dike has ordered a fall back, "Get yourself over here!"
I hurry over to the Captain who tells me to relieve Dike and get the attack on in, to which I respond to quickly and gladly. Dike is a fool who will only get more men killed, men who are now under my command, my men.
I run out onto the field, dodging this way and that. A shell lands no more then a few feet in front of me as it goes off I leap over it and continue my run. It feels good to run again, even if I am running alone. I throw myself in front of Dike and grab him by the shirt collar; he's literally shaking with fear, which disgusts me.
"I'm taking over!"
I move over to Lipton who quickly fills me in on what's happening to the men out there. He says that most are spread out and that first platoon is pinned down by the enemy's sniper. I tell him to put mortars and grenades on the building the sniper is in until it's gone and after it's gone I want first to go straight in and forget about the stupid order about going around. Damn was Dike trying to kill these men?
I clap Lipton on the shoulder and tell him and everyone else to follow me. Then I am on my feet yelling orders, while Lipton does the same and starts to run with me. I'm running with a pack again. Only it's not Dog but Easy. A man falls to my right and others to my left, my men. Not again.
Taking cover with some of the men I call out to Lipton who has just been clipped in the side of the neck by pieces of a chipped building that have been shot at. He yells in pain, but is okay, and continues to observe the town.
"What do you see Lipton?" I ask him.
"Armoured infantry, a lot of infantry."
I ask if he can see any sign of 'I' company, he shakes his head and says that if we don't move it 'I' Company will leave or be cut off from us completely. I know that if that happens we will all be dead. Not again, not while these men are under my command.
"I know," I tell him, "Wait here."
I run out from the cover, telling them all to stay put. I could have told Lipton, or Shifty or Malarkey to run but no it's my turn. No one will ever be put in danger because of me again. This is why I run alone.
At first no one, the Germans or their snipers, shot at me. So amazed I kept moving. I leapt over a wall to where 'I' company was waiting. They looked at me with shock, no doubt wondering where everyone else was.
"Stay here!" I yell, "We're coming."
Then over the wall I went again to return to my pack, my men. Sure now the Germans decide to start shooting at me. My men provide covering fire for me and it was shortly after that we took the town. I am amazed with these men, I'm one of them now and as one of them I will not risk their lives I will continue to run alone.
Winter-Rae: Not very long I know and it was a little scattered, I was going for how he might have been thinking while all of this was happening. I doubt people could have calm quiet thoughts in situations like this. What I noticed is that after his company was killed after trying to take the guns Speirs seemed to change and do all the dangerous things on his own, did anyone else notice that? But this was just my own opinion and I hope you all enjoyed it. Cheers!