Thank you for the kind reviews and continued support! I am so happy that you love Evelyn and her story so far. As with any of my tales, I was not so sure about her until she began to shape, and she is becoming someone that I look up to. Please R&R if you can!

November 1943

Aldbourne, England

It quickly became evident that a change in scenery did nothing to help Sobel with his sense of direction. In North Carolina, their leader got them lost several times. If they were participating in real battles, every one of them would be dead many times over. Hoping against hope, Easy wished that he got better, but he only seemed to get worse.

In a foreign country, not only did he get turned around, but his panic at doing so vibrated through the company. The morale of everyone plummeted.

Evelyn dropped her rifle outside the door of the aid station before walking in. Roe was inside, treating the bruised knee of Martin. The men looked up when she entered.

"How did the rest of the exercise go, Evie?" asked Martin.

Evelyn grimaced before attempting to smile. "Just fine, Johnny."

He snorted and cursed under his breath. "Liar."

She ruffled his hair as she passed to assist Roe. "Didn't your mama ever tell you to never doubt the word of a woman? If she didn't, I bet your wife sure has."

The men chuckled as Roe finished up, thanking Evelyn for the ice bag she just handed him. "I would never doubt you, that's for sure," he murmured.

She laughed and settled in before Roe opened his mouth again. "Sergeant Martin and I were just toying with an idea."

She gaped dramatically. "An idea? Christ, that sounds terrifying."

Martin nudged her to shut her up and he grinned. "No shit, but this is a good one." She behaved herself and waited. "Doc and Spina are preparing to educate the men in some medical tricks of the trade. Simple stuff, you know, but anything that might help in battle."

Evelyn nodded. She already knew this and thought it was a wonderful idea. Martin continued. "I spoke with Welsh already, and he agrees. You need to be up there too."

She stared at them in silence, but they didn't say anything more. She had to state the obvious. "Johnny, I'm not a medic."

Roe rolled his eyes. "You're better than a combat medic, Evie." She opened her mouth to argue but he gave her a look. "You've completed the same training as me, but you also have almost two years of an RN's education."

Martin nodded. "You can't argue with that."

Evelyn continued to gape. "But Sobel…"

"Leave Sobel to me and Welsh," added Martin. "This is too important, Ev. Your knowledge could save lives."

She stared at them wide-eyed for awhile before she finally nodded. "If you're sure…"

"We're sure," the men said together.

She rolled her eyes. "How long did you guys practice that?"

Roe and Martin grinned with their victory. Before she could pinch their sides to wipe them away, the door opened and the quiet soldier from Able company that she saw on the ship peeked in. What now?

He cleared his throat nervously. "They told me I could find you here, ma'am."

Evelyn waited, but he didn't continue. "We're the same rank…?"

"Hall, ma'am."

"Hall, we're the same rank."

Encouraged, he stepped inside and closed the door. With a shy smile, he said, "My mom always told me to speak to a woman with respect." He paused and his face flushed. "That's why I'm here."

Noticing Roe and Martin eavesdropping, although they tried to pretend otherwise, Evelyn walked to Hall and motioned for him to follow her outside. When they were, she turned to him and waited. He shuffled his feet nervously, and she took pity on him. "What's your first name?"

"John, ma'am."

"Please call me Evelyn."

He gave her a small smile but continued to fidget. She stopped it with a hand. "John, I know you weren't like the others in that group. I noticed, so please don't feel bad about what happened." She squeezed his fingers reassuringly before removing her hand.

Hall frowned. "I should have stopped it."

Evelyn smiled. "I can handle myself, but thank you all the same."

He smiled back. "I can see that, ma'am. I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am. Please don't think the rest of Able are like those boneheads."

"So noted. Take care, John."

"You too, Evelyn."

She watched him walk away and back towards his company before heading back into the aid station. She shook her head in wonder at the surprises men could come up with when given the opportunity.

"Hey guys," Evelyn said, her voice loud and clear. Today was her first training session. It took her a few weeks to prepare, and she was nervous, but the excitement burned all that away.

The majority of them replied in hello. Luz winked at her from the front. She grinned and continued. "Docs Roe and Spina have so far gone over on helping out your fellow soldier with a shrapnel wound as you wait for a medic. Today, I'm going to go over a few things that will help you on and off the field. These tricks can help you in the long and short term, as well as helping a friend in need."

She picked up her rifle from the table. "As we all know, sometimes guns jam and they are a goddamn son of a bitch when they jam into your fingers."

The men laughed and nodded, a few chatted among themselves about when that had happened to them. She smiled. "Hurts like hell too, especially if you dislocate a finger, one of the most common injuries an infantryman can get."

"And woman!"

They all laughed and Evelyn beamed, her cheeks flushing. "Yes, and an infantrywoman. Thank you, Perconte." She placed her fingers in position, resting against the trigger. "Point is, when the gun bucks back and jams, your trigger finger can be popped out of place, leaving you with a sore digit and no ability to keep fighting."

Evelyn waved for Toye to stand up and come to the front. "Lucky for us - and unlucky for Joe, sorry Joe - Toye did just that right before class."

Toye grimaced, holding the ice bag against his chest, his swollen finger laying on top. "Didn't know my volunteerin' to help meant this, Evie," he muttered, causing those nearby to cackle.

She grinned and had him sit in a chair, his side with his injured hand facing the men. "It's important to set it back immediately to make sure it heals properly. So if Roe or Spina aren't nearby, and if you need to keep firing your weapon, you can do it yourself fairly easily." She stood in front of Toye and took his hand gently. "Now Toye is going to set his finger."

Toye's eyes widened. "What the fuck? I can't do that, Evie!"

Evelyn smiled. "Yes, you can. Don't worry, I'll help you. Guys, you might want to gather closer to see." Obediently, their chairs squeaked against the wooden floor as they crowded closer.

"Damn, it's his right hand too. Tough luck, Joe."

Toye snarled. "Fuck off, Gonorrhea."

Evelyn gave him a smile and murmured so only he could hear. "Don't worry. Bill is my next victim." She held up his hand for everyone to see. "See how the middle knuckle seems to be stuck above where it should be? This is a classic dislocation. If you see your or another's finger that looks differently, such as strange discoloration, red streaks, or twisted, don't attempt to set it. Find a medic instead."

Toye winced as she took his left hand and gingerly had his fingers grasp his injured right forefinger, placing his thumb on top of the knuckle. She mirrored his movement and placed her hand on top of his. "Nice and easy, Joe, we're going to pull on the finger and then push down until it pops back into place. You'll know when it's done."

"Yeah, when my damn finger falls off."

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "You're a goddamn paratrooper, Toye. Quit the bitching." That earned some more chuckles. She gave his shoulder a squeeze with her free hand. "Ready? Together on three. One, two, three."

And together, they easily slid his finger back into place. He winced in anticipation as they did it, but stopped when he didn't feel any pain. In fact, the throbbing had stopped and he laughed. Evelyn grinned when he did. "Ideally, you'd then ice the finger and wrap it for a few days, but if you need to continue to fight, you'll be able to shoot your gun with minimal pain." She looked at Toye. "Thanks, corporal, that will be all."

The men hooted and clapped, slapping Toye on the back as he sat back down into the crowd. They all moved back to their seats and she began her next topic. "As promised to Toye, I'll be picking on Guarnere next."

Guarnere cackled and wiggled his fingers in a come hither motion. "Come at me, doll. I can take it."

Evelyn's eyes twinkled. "You might be able to take me on, sergeant, but I promise you, your nickname is going to come up and bite you in the ass - literally."

The men began hooting again, wrangling Guarnere's head around Randleman's arm. He laughed with him and held up his hands innocently. "Nothin' wrong with a nice nip on the ass, sweetheart."

She grinned mischievously. "Maybe not..." The men hooted again. "...until it takes you off the line." They quieted quickly. "How would that bite in the ass feel, Bill, when you're taken away from us and sitting in a hellhole of a hospital? When you had to explain to the doctor that you're there because you're worried your dick might fall off because of all the English broads you managed to sleep with?"

Guarnere scowled and her grin broadened when she saw it. The men began muttering to themselves. "The Army is actively trying to make sure that's what exactly does not happen."

She reached behind her and pulled forward a stack of posters. She held them up. "I'm sure you've seen these peppered around town." Evelyn looked at the first one of a voluptuous woman bending her cleavage towards two soldiers. "Booby Trap: Syphilis and Gonorrhea." To another one, a miserable, crying man was featured. "VD: A Sad Ending to a Furlough." Most of the men began laughing again and she joined them.

Evelyn held up one last poster and sighed. "Aw, this one has a poem." There was a caricature of Hitler, the Japanese emperor, and a pretty woman. "She is our sunshine, our only sunshine. She makes us happy, through bombings blue. Though Russians rush us, and Yankees crush us..." Someone whooped in the back. "...She'll give the VD to you and you and you." The laughter echoed around the room once more.

She waited a bit for the men to settle down enough for her to speak again. "Point is, if you're going to have some fun - and don't get me wrong, you all deserve it for all your hard work - bag it, gentlemen. And you won't have an excuse not to. There's a bowl near the door filled with condoms and they will be available at the aid station at all times. Or if you're brave enough, ask me, but I can't promise you I won't give you a hard time."

She looked over their faces and she was pleased to see she kept their attention. "OK, now we'll go over the signs of dehydration, its causes, and how to prevent it. It's more than just drinking water. Christenson, pay attention, OK? You're like a goddamn camel."

December 1943

Aldbourne, England

The weeks passed and the training continued. Thanksgiving came and went and before the soldiers knew it, Christmas was right around the corner.

Terry and Lena promised the girls that the warm and dry weather was very unusual for this time of year, but none of Easy was about to complain. They enjoyed every moment of it, especially after the tumultuous extremes of Georgia's scorching summers and soaking winters. It was strange celebrating the holidays in another country, especially one that didn't celebrate Thanksgiving, but the soldiers made it the best as they could, together.

Evelyn was watching a basketball game among a few of her friends when Winters and Nixon walked up to her. She snapped up and saluted them, and they returned it with a smile. Nixon motioned to the men before lighting up a cigarette. "Not up for a game, Evie?"

She grinned. "I didn't want to make them look bad, sir." They laughed as all three of them leaned against the stone wall and faced the men playing.

Winters cleared his throat. "Evelyn, Harry brought me up to speed on your lessons."

Evelyn bit her lip, unsure where this was going. Winters was a strict man of the military, but she also knew he had a kind heart, and he wanted all his soldiers to do well. "Sir?"

He grinned. "And I heard they've been going well." He turned to look at her. "Thanks for agreeing to do them."

She blinked a few times before grinning back. "Of course, sir. It's my pleasure."

Nixon took a drag. "Sobel has no idea either." Winters gave him a look and he shrugged innocently. "What? He doesn't. At least I think he doesn't."

Speaking of the devil seemed to make him reincarnate then and there. A jeep sped up to them and Sobel's steward jumped out. Ignoring Evelyn entirely, he saluted Winters and Nixon, who saluted back. "With Captain Sobel's compliments, sir," he said with a smirk, handing Winters a note. With another salute, he sped away.

Evelyn tried to make herself invisible as Winters opened it. She wanted to give him privacy, but she was too curious; besides, he didn't ask her to leave or make a move himself. Instead, he sighed loudly as he read it. Nixon glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Misspelled 'court martial.'"

Evelyn was pacing the square long after the basketball game was over. Word had spread fast that Winters was being court martialed, and within a few hours, the new rumor was that he accepted it instead of giving up his weekend passes - Easy was now at risk of going to war without him.

The thought of going to war with Sobel and no Winters was outrageous. Without Winters, they were screwed. The situation felt surreal.

Everything she had accomplished over the last eighteen months, everything the company had done together and conquered felt for naught. She felt sure if they were to leave today, they would be dead tomorrow.

Evelyn took a breath to calm her nerves before heading back towards the Davies' house. She couldn't be near the men right now; she refused to listen to the constant conversations about the Winters predicament.

The sun had long since set as she made her way across the town. The home was in a far corner, behind several other tall buildings and shops. She usually enjoyed being nearby the hustle and bustle of the town, but tonight she only wanted to be left alone. Thankfully, the alleys were quiet and still; it seemed the majority of soldiers either retired for the night or made their way to the only bar within five kilometers.

Suddenly, she heard the smack of boots on the ground. She looked up and saw Talbert running towards her and grinning. "Evie! Do you got one?"

She grinned back automatically at his blatant joy. "One what, Tab?"

He leaned in and hissed, "A condom! Come on, tell me you got one!"

Evelyn reared back her head and laughed loudly. It felt so good to do that after all the worry and stress from the afternoon. She reached into her pocket and retrieved it and handed it over. "Thanks for being safe, now go have fun."

With a wink, he ran back to where he came from. She watched, shaking her head and laughing to herself. She walked into the final alleyway towards the Davies. It was dark and long and empty.

She was just about halfway when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to look, but the shadows hid the face of the soldier. "Tab?" she called. "Did you need another one?"

He stepped forward and she felt her stomach drop when the light hit his face. The Able company private from the ship sneered and licked his lips. "Hope you have one more for me. Who knows what a whore like you could spread."