DISCLAIMER: No disrespect is meant to the real Band of Brothers and what they accomplished. I own nothing except Alana and Sara.
Big thanks to those of you who have continued to review. To all those reading and not reviewing, I really hope you are enjoying the story as well. I know many people have been on vacation, but I hope to hear from all my regular reviewers soon. I have to feed the muse somehow.
Chapter 7
The Captain stopped for a moment staring at her. Then she saw him shrug. "That's unfortunate, as I believe we could have gotten along well, but have it your way."
She saw him raise the Luger, felt the burning pain in the side of her head and the room went dark.
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Why couldn't she open her eyes? Her head hurt so badly but she had to get up, she had to make sure Jimmy was okay. Her mind was screaming but her body simply refused, finally her mind shut down.
"Get Lip in here, someone get Doc Roe."
"Oh boy, someone go get Captain Nixon, like now, where's Doc?"
"Oh Jesus, Lana, come on sweetheart open your eyes, Doc is she going to be okay?"
The voices entered her dream, mixing with all the noise. She had to open her eyes, why couldn't she wake up. That one voice, she knew that voice, that was Lew telling her to open her eyes, why was he yelling at someone, was he yelling at her. She was too tired to care and then she lost her battle with consciousness again.
Nixon lifted her into his arms once Roe had attached the bandage to her head. She was light; he could almost feel her bones through her clothing. Casting a quick glance at the injured medic, he was relieved to see him sitting up helping Roe attach his bandage. Maybe this would have a happy ending after all.
Starting out the door he met Ron, the look on his face ran between shock, then hopelessness and desperation to the look Nix hated, cold-hearted bastard.
"Give her to me."
Those few words spoke volumes, if Lana was ever going to get to the aid station it would be in Ron Speirs arms and no one else's. Slowly transferring her to Ron's arms, Lew watched the shock register on his face.
"My God, how much weight has she lost? She was never heavy, but now she's just skin and bones."
As the two men stood staring at one another, the woman in question began to move.
Lana's brain had started screaming again for her body to react. Nixon was near she could hear his voice, but she wasn't in his arms. She knew who held her, the smell of sandalwood confirming her thoughts, and she couldn't let that happen, she was unclean and she couldn't be this close to him while the smell of the Captain was still on her body.
The low moan brought both men's attention back to Lana. She moaned again but this time louder.
Ron lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "its okay baby, I've got you I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Both men were shocked when Ron's voice seemed to increase her struggles rather than calm them. Ron almost dropped her when she finally spoke one hoarse word, "Lew."
Ron's eyes grew cold and distant above Lana's head but he slowly let her go back to Lew. He dropped his eyes when her struggles stopped the instant Lew held her. Turning back toward the door, he cast one last look over his shoulder, "take good care of her." Then he was gone.
Lew looked down at the woman in his arms, "sweetheart, you got some serious explaining to do when you wake up."
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Behind her eyelids, she could sense it was light and her brain was screaming not to open her eyes. She'd lost all sense of time, but she knew that days had to have passed. In her daze, she could remember Roe talking to someone about her wound. Others times there was someone holding her hand, the smell of sandalwood almost forcing her to the surface, but the closer she got to consciousness, the smell would fade almost as quickly as it had come.
She also remembered travelling by truck. She knew that Sara sat with her, talking non-stop about Lewis and all the plans they made and how happy she was. Yet something wouldn't let her wake up, even though everyone seemed to be begging her to open her eyes and talk to them.
Slowly she cracked her eyes open, it was bright but she slowly adjusted making out a shadowy figure sitting in the chair next to the bed.
"Well welcome back to the living sleepy head, we thought you would sleep away the rest of the war."
Nixon, leave it to him to make a bad situation better. Reaching for his hand, he grabbed hers and held onto her. "Lana, you had us all scared to death, especially Doc Roe, he thought he might have missed something. Would you like a drink of water?"
Nodding her head, Lew put his hand behind her back helping to hold her up as she drank. When she was done, he eased her back on the bed.
"Feel like talking? I would really like to hear about what happened. Jimmy O'Neal gave us some details, but he said you spent a lot of time with the Captain, maybe you go give us a little more."
Lana reached up to touch the bandage on the left side of her head. "Not sure what you want to know Lew. He shot me and luckily for Jimmy and me he was a bad shot, other than that, we were guest of the SS for two months."
Nixon's eyes narrowed and Lana saw that he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Enough with the games, let's start with the Captain. I want his name and what you two talked about every night."
"Don't ask me about that Lewis, I did what I had to do so that Jimmy and I survived, that's all period."
Reaching out he brushed her check and gently touched the area below her right eye. "Really, you did what you had to do, then why do you look like you just went three rounds with Joe Lewis. Please Lana talk to me?"
Closing her eyes, she felt the tears begin she couldn't stop them. "Please Lew, what I tell you, you can never tell anyone else and I do mean anyone. That includes Sara."
"Okay, you tell me and it will go no further and we'll never speak of it again, you have my word."
Nodding Lana began her tale and talked for the next hour, telling him everything she could remember about troop movements and then telling him what she did to keep Jimmy and her alive.
Swallowing hard she turned her head away from him for the next part, "I know that Sink told you something about me, but he didn't tell you I was German and that I was sent to America by my Grandparents to keep me safe. Funny, they wanted me safe and I end up a whore to a German officer. The same thing would have happened had I stayed in German except there I'd have been seen as patriotic."
Turning back to face him, "I'll understand if you can no longer be my friend. I don't deserve your friendship. I'm tainted, but if you have anything left in you for me…please I'm begging you, never, and Lew I'll kill you if you do, never tell Ron."
Sitting next to her on the bed, Nixon pulled her into his arms and held her close. He felt the sobs wrack her whole body. He simply held her and let her cry. No words were needed, she was safe and her secrets would be safe with him as well.
As the sobs eased, Lew eased her back so he could look her in the eyes. "Lana, honey I want you to think about something for me. Ron has been here every day to see you. He's held your hand and talked to you ever since we found you, he loves you, I know he does, give him a chance. I know he's the most pigheaded stubborn man ever, but it nearly killed him when you went missing."
Lana shook her head, "no, I can't, I don't deserve him and there is no way I could ever let him touch me after that animal. I love him too much to see him throw his life away on something as worthless as me. You know, through it all the thought of him got me through the nights with the Captain, that's the only reason I'm still sane. I know you mean well, but let this go Lew, please. Go home to Sara."
Getting up from the bed, he could only shake his head in frustration. "Fine have it your way, but you really don't know Ron Speirs if you think he's going to just walk away without a fight."
Giving him a sad smile, "you don't know me very well, if you think I can't make him. If he hates me in the end, so be it, some day he'll thank me for it."
Turning to leave Nixon paused, "that may be the case Lana, but what about you? You deserve happiness too. Just think about it is all I'm asking."
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Nixon walked around the compound trying to collect his thoughts. They would be moving out in the next couple of days and Doc had said that Lana would well enough to ride with them. Nothing good was going to come from this, when Ron found out she was awake he would confront her, without a doubt.
Rubbing his hand across his face, he was for once at a total loss as to what to do. She wasn't going to bend and neither was Ron and now he was caught in the middle. Oh hell, he needed to sleep. He couldn't think when he was this tired, for the last few days, he'd either been at work or the aid station and now he knew he needed to go and see Sara.
Sara, now there was the one bright spot in this entire mess. He smiled, yeah he would go see her, she would be happy to know Lana was finally awake and talking, and maybe they could celebrate. Whistling he headed off to Sara's small room, yeah a celebration was definitely in order.
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Two days later
Lana was back at work and the normal routine was comforting even though she felt as if someone was constantly watching her. In actuality it probably had more to do with everyone being worried, she'd trip and fall other than her suddenly being a German spy.
Sighing she picked up the last box and headed out to put it on the truck. They were leaving for Haganau and she wanted to take as many supplies as she possibly could. Colonel Sink had reassigned her to Dick's battalion, which was more than okay with her; it gave her a chance to be around someone who made her comfortable.
Lifting to the box to set it on the truck she was shocked to feel someone behind her and the hands moving over hers on the box.
"Here let me help you with that."
Her mind told her it was only Dick trying to help, but she felt trapped between him and the truck and it was too much, she dropped the box and jumped from between him and the truck so fast she actually fell.
Quickly putting the box on the truck Dick kneeled next to Lana making sure he didn't touch her. Her face was pale and her eyes were huge in her face. He'd clearly scared her half to death.
"Lana, I'm so sorry, you're not hurt are you. I can get Doc…"
Laying her hand on his arm, she tried to calm her breathing. Closing her eyes for a moment, she finally got a grip on her emotions. "It's okay Dick, I should apologize to you it just startled me that's all. If you could give me a hand up so I'm not sitting here like a klutz."
Dick gave her his hand and pulled her to her feet, bending he picked up her helmet and handed it to her. "Lana, you sure you're okay? You still look a little shook up."
Laughing to cover her nervousness, "I promise I'm fine Dick, I was just lost in thought and you coming up behind me startled me. I'll be okay just I just need a couple more days to readjust."
"Okay, when you finish here come on up to the jeep and ride with me and Lew."
Nodding Lana turned to face the truck so no one could see her face. She had to get control of herself; she couldn't be jumping every time someone touched her. Taking a deep breath, she turned to head back into the building. The feeling that someone was watching her returned and she raised her head to search the compound.
There he was, standing across the compound watching her. She couldn't read his eyes, but she knew even without seeing them they would be intense. His hands clenched at his sides and his whole body radiated tension.
Licking her lips, she knew what she had to do and she had to start now. Standing up straight, she met his stare with a look of boredom and turned to walk back inside the building. She didn't have to peek to see what he reaction was, she heard him yelling at the soldiers to get moving in a voice that clearly said 'get out of my way.'
Lew had been right, he wasn't going to be easy to avoid, especially when he now commanded Easy, it might have been nice had Lew or Sink mentioned that. Oh well, she would get through this too.
Peeking around the corner to make sure he was gone, Lana moved quickly to find the jeep Dick had been talking about, climbing into the back she was almost desperate for them to get moving. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up, he was watching her again, but this time she wouldn't give in to look back.
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"Lana I need you to run this down to Easy, give it to Lipton if he's around and if not just leave it with Luz." Dick passed her the paper without stopping slowing only long enough to pick up his helmet on the way out the door.
Lana glared at the paper she'd been handed. She done very well to avoid him for the last few days, but now she was going into the lion's den. Sighing she got up and grabbed her helmet. There was no use sitting here feeling sorry for herself, who knows maybe he wouldn't even be there.
Quickly crossing the compound in-between mortar rounds, she squeezed in the door behind some officer she'd never seen before. Looking around the room she found Lipton sitting on the couch looking like death warmed over.
"Gees Lip, you look terrible, has Doc been by to see you yet."
Lipton gave her a smile, "yeah, I've got pneumonia like everyone else. How you are doing."
"Great, just great, Winters wanted me to bring this down, so if you'll take it off my hands I'll be…"
"Lip, there are beds in the back why don't you go sack out instead of trying to infect the rest of us."
Lana couldn't move, he'd not noticed her yet as he was looking down reading a report. Maybe if she sat very still he would ignore her completely.
"What are you doing here?"
Then again, maybe not, standing she gave him a pleasant smile. "Well, I was sent by Winters to drop off something and I was just asking Lipton how he was. Now that's done I'll be going."
Starting around the couch to leave he stepped into her path. "Not so fast. I want to talk to you and you can just wait one damn minute."
Before Lana could say, anything else Winters entered talking a mile a minute about some patrol Sink wanted. Seeing her chance to escape she slid against the wall and paused at the door. Ron was watching her with that same intense look and before she could look away, he silently mouthed that he'd be seeing her later.
Slipping out the door and running for Dick's headquarters, there was no way he was seeing her later if she could help me. Maybe she could just stay locked in her room for the rest of the war.
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I know, I know, bad author for leaving you hanging once again, but look at the bright side we are headed for the show down, or at least I think we are.