hey guys! sorry its been so long! i have had lots of things going on, but im back now!
again really sorry!
The squad smiled around at each other. All but Upham, who tried too hard to look happy and just looked sick. They were suddenly brought back to reality by a shell that rocked the ground.
"That was to close!" shouted Miller. "Move out!"
Wade rushed in and helped Harper stand. Jackson looked like he never wanted to let her go, but Wade said, "You have to be able to fight, Jackson. I'll take care of her."
Jackson nodded, kissed her on the forehead and scooped up his sniper.
"Jackson, run ahead and climb a tree. See if you can't pick any of them off," said Miller. "And Wade, get her up. We have to move!"
Jackson glanced back at Harper, knowing she would love to go with him, then turned and darted through the trees.
"Be careful," she whispered after him.
Wade snaked his arm around her back and hoister her up.
"He'll be alright," he said close to Harper's ear.
She nodded as she painfully realized something was wrong with her right foot.
"What's hurt?" Wade asked.
Harper barked a laugh that turned into a violent fit of coughing. She spit out blood and turned to the young medic.
"Better question is what isn't hurt," she said weakly.
Before Wade could answer her Weston shouted behind them, "Move it!"
Wade moved hurriedly through the trees, supporting most of Harper's weight. Upham appeared on Harper's left and pulled her arm over his shoulder. Her stitches pulled painfully, but Harper was glad of the help. They suddenly heard a crack echo through the forest and across the field. It came a dozen more times before shells started falling away from the squad and toward their left. Harper's eyes were wide as the same thought entered all their minds. Jackson was drawing fire away from them.
"Move faster!" Miller yelled back to his team
Harper gulped as they continued moving. The bombing kept up, but that wasn't the disheartening part for Harper. She had been in the war long enough not to really care about bombs, but she could no longer hear Jackson's sniper. Even with her sensitively trained ears, all she could hear were crashes of trees and the scream of shells.
"He will be alright," Weston said to her.
She looked at him afraid, but said nothing.
All of a sudden a shot rang out around the immediate area. Miller's hand shot up causing everyone to drop to the ground. There was only one shot then a complete silence. There were no shells screaming and no gunshots for a full 4 seconds before an explosion rocked the ground shaking birds from the tops of trees. Wade threw his arm over Harper's head as was expected when there was a huge explosion, but Harper doubted there would be any debris this far away, but she had been wrong before.
Fire erupted from the valley below, sending embers and small shards of tank metal all the way up to the squad's position. The cloud of black smoke was brought by the wind over them and began raining ash down on them, just as Jackson dropped out of the tree above them. Reiben clapped Jackson hard on the shoulder.
"You took out that tank with one shot!" he yelled happily.
"I hit a grenade one of the Krauts were throwing. It wasn't hard," Jackson said dismissively.
"You hit a grenade?!" Reiben shouted clapping his hand to his head. "I didn't even think you could see a grenade from this far away."
"Are you kidding?" asked Mellish. "This is the best sniper this side of the Mississippi!"
He punched Jackson's shoulder happily.
"Um guys."
It was Weston. He was holding an unconscious Harper. Wade spun around wondering how she had gotten out of his hold on her.
"Set her down. Gently," he added the last part as an after thought.
Weston did and Miller started giving out orders. He didn't even bother giving Jackson any orders because he wasn't going to follow them unless they were 'stay by Harper's side forever and ever and ever and ever.'
"Mellish, Reiben make a perimeter. Just because there was an explosion doesn't mean some of those Krauts aren't alive. Mike go with them."
With one more look at Harper; Reiben, Mellish and Horvath trotted off through the trees.
"Someone start a fire," Wade said as snow began to fall.
Weston and Miller disappeared into the trees which left Upham to stand around stupidly.
"Help me Upham," Wade said glaring at him.
Upham dropped to his knees by her side opposite Wade.
"What do I do?" he asked.
Wade ignored him for the time being. He pulled Harper's field jacket off then her shirt. Upham turned a bright shade of red that didn't go unnoticed by Wade or Jackson.
"Come on Upham. She is going to die if you cant pull yourself together," Wade said, noticing Jackson wincing at the word 'die.'
Upham gulped, but his face only turned redder. Wade rolled his eyes and said, "If your that embarrassed go take Reiben's place."
Upham looked uncertain if he was being serious.
"Go on Upham!" Jackson yelled.
Upham jumped up and ran to find Reiben.
"I think you made him pee his pants," Wade said to Jackson.
Jackson was quiet as Wade unwrapped the wound on her shoulder.
"This one is healing better than I ever could have hoped," Wade commented. "The stitches should come out soon."
Jackson said nothing as Wade moved down to the next one.
"This one looks good too," Wade said confused.
"Why did she pass out?" Jackson asked stroking her forehead.
"It could just be because she hasn't been resting enough. She did loose a lot of blood."
He pulled the corner of her pants off of the bandage and gently took the bandage off.
"This one is getting infected," he said shaking his head. "Damn it. I knew this was going to happen. I should have just put stitches in."
"But is that the reason she is unconscious?" Jackson asked.
"I don't think so," Wade said. "I think she just needs to rest. A lot."
At that moment Weston and Miller came back with fire wood and Wade filled them in.
"Sir, she needs rest more than anything. We cant move for at least two days."
Miller looked annoyed but called for Reiben, Mellish and Horvath to come back. Once they were there Miller explained that barring anything unforeseen they were going to be spending a few days right were they were. This information made the squad happy, but Miller still looked annoyed.
"How is she doc?" asked Reiben helping Weston start the fire.
"This wound is infected," Wade said washing the wound out with water. "But she needs rest is all. She should be fine if I can keep this infection under control."
The squad settled down for a long night as the snow began to fall harder. They made a circle around the fire and pushed themselves close together. They pulled their heavy army blankets out and pulled them tight around their shoulders. All but Jackson however. He took his and laid it over Harper, who already had her own over her.
"You are going to need that Jackson," Miller commented from across the fire.
"No sir," was all Jackson said, and it was decided.
Miller didn't push it any more because it wouldn't have done any good. Instead he was quiet until Mellish turned his attention to Weston.
"So why were you running from the Germans? And why were you dressed as a German?"
"I was undercover. Trying to find out about American POWs. The German's figured me out and threw me in jail. I managed to get out four nights ago. They found me and would have caught me again and probably killed me had it not been for you all. So thanks."
"It was all Jackson," Reiben said.
Weston turned to the sniper who was sitting cross legged with Harper's head on his lap.
"Thank you," he said to the southerner.
Jackson nodded.
"Was nothin' you wouldn't have done for me," he said then looked back at Harper.
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