Thank you again to Higgles123 for continually reviewing and allowing me to shoot ideas past you!
The next morning, Evelyn woke up to the most terrifying sight she had ever seen. White-clad Germans and their tanks were closing in to their position.
"Go!" cried Luz, readying his gun. "Go, Ev!"
Evelyn looked at him, Liebgott and Guarnere one more time before crawling from the trench and to refuge in an empty foxhole. Once there, she could only sit back and wait. From across the field, somehow she found Roe. They stared at one another for a long moment before looking away again. She prayed that wasn't the last time she would see him.
Blasts had begun. Lipton ran from man to man, telling them to wait. Wait for the enemy. Wait for the battle. Wait. Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch any longer.
And then a call for a medic. She jumped to her feet and ran towards it. It was Hashey. Garcia was pinged in the shoulder. She got to work, but thankfully it wasn't serious.
Across the field, she heard another cry and Roe running towards it. Smokey was down, but Roe had Lipton for assistance. Evelyn tried to focus on Garcia. The bullet was somehow lodged just under the surface of his skin.
"It must be a ricochet, Tony!" she yelled in his ear. He didn't seem to hear her. He simply moved his rifle to his other side and continued to fire.
Evelyn's hands brushed the ground outside the foxhole until she found a sturdy stick. She shoved it towards his mouth. "Bite down on this!" He obeyed, a little alarmed, but didn't question her.
Pulling her pliers from her medical kit, Evelyn tried to pry the bullet from his skin as gently as possible. He grunted in pain, but he didn't fight her. With a cry of effort, she got it out. Garcia sighed in relief before spitting out the stick. "Christ, Evie. Now I got me a good story to go with my purple heart."
"Watch the line first, Tony! Make sure we're both still around to tell that story."
Sprinkling sulfa on the wound, she packed it tightly with a bandage. As soon as she was done, another cry for her. Sprinting towards it, she peeked at the enemy. Somehow, some way, they seemed to be falling back.
She slid in beside Hoobler and Perconte. "Who's hit?" she yelled.
Hoobler motioned to Perconte. "Frank got dinged in the helmet!"
Evelyn took both her hands and placed them on Perconte's head before looking him over. "There's no wound, Frank!" She took in the slightly dazed look in his eyes. "Did you hit your head?"
Perconte nodded. "On a rock when my helmet came off."
She dug into her pack and produced two aspirin. Before he could argue, she popped them in his mouth and forced her canteen into his hands. "You might have a slight concussion. I'll check on you later!" After he took a sip of water, she took the canteen back and went on her way.
When she wasn't being called for, she stayed on the move. She lost count the amount of grazes, nicks and shallow wounds she treated. Smokey seemed to be the worst casualty of the battle, and he was already back at the hospital. By the time Roe returned, the fighting had ended.
"Evie," he murmured, crawling on his belly towards her foxhole. "Are you alright, cherie?"
Evelyn opened her eyes and ignored the question. "How's Smokey?"
Roe pursed his lips. "Bullet went through one shoulder and out the other." He paused. "He's paralyzed."
She closed her eyes again, but this time in pain. It took a moment before she opened them again. "But he's alive. Good work."
He frowned. "Spina just came back from a break. Why don't you go now?"
She shook her head. "I'm not tired. You go. I'll go after you."
Roe studied her a moment before crawling a bit closer to brush his lips against her forehead. "I'll come back to check on ya soon." He left.
Evelyn squeezed her eyes shut hard, trying to focus on the sweet contact from Roe instead of the laughing face of Smokey, someone always up for a joke and good cheer. To picture him paralyzed, forever changed by this war, it was too much.
She must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes again, she was wrapped up in Luz's arms, and burrowed into his chest. It must be very early morning since the sun had yet to rise but it was lighter than nighttime. She counted back the days since they had arrived, but got confused. They all seemed to meld together.
Luz stirred against her and blearily opened his eyes. "Hey sweetheart."
Evelyn gave him a small smile. "Hi." She paused, trying not to sound stupid. "Is today Christmas Eve?"
He thought back before smiling. "I think so. Merry Christmas, Ev."
"Merry Christmas, George," she whispered.
His finger traced over the dark circles under her eyes and sighed. "Let's get back to sleep."
Evelyn tried to sit up, but he held on tight. "I'll just need to check on…"
He pulled on her jacket harder until she fell against him once more. "Just for a few minutes," he murmured.
She sighed, giving up, before lying her cheek back down against his heart. "Only a few minutes." Luz made sure not to wake her up a few hours later when the sun was bright and rising.
December 24, 1944
Although annoyed with Luz for letting her sleep so long, Evelyn felt more human than she had in days. Just in time too - when she saw Roe, her heart skipped a beat.
He looked like hell. She knew all too well the strain put upon them as medics during combat. Add to it the endless wounds, war casualties, and deaths, all under their hands, it could swallow a person whole.
While the the men lined up for breakfast, Evelyn walked over to him, praying Dike was on one of his long walks and nowhere nearby. He had no idea what he did to Easy's medics by insisting they stay apart. Only Roe and Spina understood what life was like for her, and vice versa.
"Hey Eugene," she called.
He was sitting in a foxhole by himself. He looked up. He tried to smile but failed. "Hey Evie."
She motioned with her hands for him to move over. She hopped down when he did and scooted in beside him. Evelyn took a moment to study his blanched face and chapped mouth. She took one of his hands in her. They looked so similar to her own in that moment - cracked, dirty and rough. The mark of a medic in Bastogne. "How are you doing?"
Like Roe, when someone else asked her this, she would lie. She would smile and say she was fine before steering the conversation away, usually back to them. With Roe it was different. He understood her, and she him.
He looked her in the eyes. "I couldn't do anything for Gordon. I followed all the steps. Sulfa, morphine, bandage, plasma. But I couldn't stop the bullet that paralyzed him."
Evelyn added a hand, clasping his in both of hers. "You did the best you could. That's all we can do. He's at the hospital now, in the best hands possible. You got him there, alive."
Roe nodded automatically, but she knew her words didn't mean much. Smokey would still plague him, like Julian would forever stay with her. Like so many others would stay with her.
"Did you get some breakfast?"
He attempted to smile. "Why? Are you lookin' for a second helping?"
Evelyn laughed, and it felt so good to do that. She stopped abruptly a moment, unused to the feeling. She leaned her head into the crook of his neck. "Would it shock you if I offered you my helping this time?"
She felt his body shake with laughter. She smiled at the feeling. "I don't believe it. Evelyn Cassidy doesn't give up food."
"George gave me half a Hershey bar just a few minutes ago. Go and enjoy…"
"First Sergeant Lipton!"
Roe and Evelyn both jumped and winced together. Christ. She looked up to see Dike staring at them both, pointing. Would it kill you to speak to an simple soldier yourself, you thin-skinned, weak, snivelling…
Her internal snarl was cut off by the arrival of Lipton. "Yes, sir?" He grimaced when he saw Roe and Evelyn, knowing where this was going.
Dike turned to him. "Why are there two…."
Evelyn jumped to her feet and out of the foxhole. "It's my fault, sir. I needed Roe's help with something. It was just a moment."
Dike turned to her, unimpressed. "Would you call that...embrace asking for advice, sergeant?"
She had to swallow her indignation and anger, but she did. It helped that the majority of the men had turned towards them, reminding her of what could be lost. It wouldn't help anyone if she was court martialed.
Flipping a switch, she blinked innocently. "You're right, sir. Yesterday was especially frightening for me. Roe was doing his best to console me."
She tried to ignore the snorts behind Dike. Guarnere was almost a little too loud in his mutter, "You find me somethin' that broad is afraid of and I'll give ya my right hand."
"You sure about your right hand, Bill?" replied Heffron.
Guarnere paused. "I'll give ya my left hand."
Evelyn tried not to smirk when she heard it, but thankfully Dike was oblivious. Lipton shifted when he tried to control his own reaction. "If the dangers of war are too much for you, Sergeant Cassidy, maybe you should spend some time off the line."
She froze. This isn't where she hoped this exchange would go. Usually when she played the stupid, innocent girl routine, he was satisfied and he left her alone for a few days. This is the last thing she wanted. "No, sir. I feel much better now."
Dike shook his head. "Go spend the day with the other women, sergeant. Maybe you'll decide to stay in the comfort of town once you do. If so, I will see what I can pull at battalion."
Evelyn was livid. Does he think this is a fucking Christmas gift? "Sir, I…"
"Go, sergeant."
She had no choice. She met Lipton's eyes and she could see the helplessness he also felt. She tried to blink away the angry tears as she picked up her medical pack and walked towards the jeep nearby, as if waiting for something like this to happen.
"Merry Christmas, guys," she murmured, weaving her way through them. She felt several hands pat her on the back and squeeze her shoulders as she passed by. Replies and words of encouragement were said back, but she hardly heard them. Inside the jeep, she didn't look back. If she did, she didn't think she would be able to go.
Evelyn numbly left the jeep when it pulled into town. She walked into the hospital to find it still filled to the brim, every bed taken, but the atmosphere felt different. She figured out what it was after a few moments. There was more confidence. The supply drops allowed the nurses and doctors to finally treat the wounded properly.
Evelyn found Renee without much trouble. The nurse was always on the move, treating everyone that walked in. She caught Evelyn's eye and smiled. "How long do we have you for this time, sergeant?"
Evelyn couldn't help but grin. At least someone wants me. "All day. Where should I start?"
The day went by quickly. The sun was already setting, but the work never stopped. Just when she thought they had caught up, more wounded would come in by the handful.
Evelyn was busy setting a broken arm of a soldier when they both heard the singing of Christmas carols. The man, Vinny, looked at her and grinned. "What will it take to get you to sing to me, sergeant?"
Evelyn rolled her eyes but smiled. "Lieutenant, believe me when I say you don't want to hear me sing."
"Might distract me while you set this bone. I don't want to cry out like a little girl."
She chuckled but nodded. He had a point. She began readying the sheet around his arm, preparing for the inevitable. "Remember, you asked for it."
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la!"
Vinny snorted. "Christ, you are terrible."
Evelyn grinned but continued, only getting louder. She straightened his arm the best she could.
"'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!
Don't we look nice in our apparel, Fa la la la la la la la!"
"Those aren't the words."
"You're the one who asked for a carol, Fa la la la la la la la!"
Vinny laughed loudly and it was the moment she was waiting for. With a yank, she twisted the bone back in place, causing him to cry out in pain, only somewhat resembling a little girl. She began to splint the arm and wrap a bandage around it.
"Fa la la la la, la la la la."
Evelyn gave him a wink. "Now will you accept the morphine, sir?"
Vinny winced but huffed out a deep whoosh of air from his lungs. "No, I'm fine," he panted.
She grinned wider. "It's just me, sir. You don't need to…" She stopped abruptly at a distant and all too familiar sound. Her eyes locked with his and she knew he heared it too - the whistle of an incoming mortar.
Together they jumped up and began to shout. "We need to evacuate! The Germans are bombing us! Anyone that can move, go!"
The whistling grew louder and then the inevitable happened - the shells began to hit the town.
With the ground shaking under her feet and dust from the risers above falling onto her head, Evelyn ran to find Renee. She was met halfway. "We need to get these men out of here!" she cried.
With her eyes wide, Renee silently nodded, thinking fast. "There's another hospital in Assenois, ten miles south from here. We'll have to go there."
Evelyn nodded back. "I'll round up jeeps and trucks - I'll be back! Start filing them out to the vehicles we have!"
And she ran. As fast as she could to battalion headquarters. Bumping into Colonel Sink almost immediately, she didn't think she had ever been so happy to see him in her life. "Sir!" she yelled.
Sink turned towards her. He didn't question why she was here and not on the line. "Sergeant, they've zeroed in on the town. Our intelligence tells us they seek to level it."
Evelyn felt her stomach drop. "Sir, we are evacuating the hospital now to another to the south." He nodded. "I need as many trucks and jeeps as you can spare!" She had to yell over the noise of the attack.
Sink immediately turned to yell to the men behind him, repeating word for word what she said. A sense of relief fell over her, knowing that he wouldn't fight her, that he would do anything to help. "Thank you, sir!" And before he could turn back, she ran back to the hospital.
Evelyn entered the church to find most of the patients still inside. Her eyes scoured the area - they needed more help. She pointed to a pair of soldiers, both with wounds to a leg each. "You both, lean on each other and move out!" To another three. "Carry the one in the middle. And you, come back again! Forget your boots!" She hurried to a man with a double leg amputation. She caught sight of a familiar figure. "Vinny! Help me with him!" The wounded soldier was twice her size.
Together, and between the three good arms they had to carry the man, they got him outside and into a truck. An assembly line had begun, and soldier after soldier was placed into safety until it was filled. Trucks began to drive away.
To her horror, one of them was hit directly, exploding the engine in a huge fire ball. The heat of the blast burned her face, but she couldn't look away. Not until she knew for certain there would be no survivors. She turned, focusing on what she could, back into the hospital.
Soon enough, only a few soldiers were left, including her and Vinny. Anna and Renee raced throughout the building, gathering men and supplies when they could. Evelyn caught sight of them, stopping at a man who was obviously in the midst of his last breaths. "Anna! Renee! We have to go!"
Evelyn became occupied with helping another man outside, who was bleeding freely. They were both covered. The next whistle was heard overhead, but close, too close. Pushing him into the truck as gently but as quickly as she could, Evelyn turned just in time to see the shell hit the hospital directly. She cried out, but the sound was lost in the blast.
"Evelyn!"
She ignored whomever yelled for her as she ran towards the crumbling building. Just before she entered, the entire steeple collapsed, stone and wooden beams everywhere. Evelyn covered her face from the cloud of dust, but her heart stopped. As soon as it was clear enough, she ran inside.
"Renee!" she called out, taking dust into her lungs. "Anna!" Coughing violently, she carefully moved through the building, trying to find them without touching anything in case another crash happened.
Finally, she caught sight of Anna's hand. She hurried towards her, but stopped short when she noticed the rest of her. A beam had pierced her chest, killing her instantly.
The air in Evelyn's lungs began to push out on its own, but none wanted to come back in again. Her heart returned, thudding in her ears. "Renee!" She had to look away, had to continue.
"Renee!"
"Evelyn."
The croak of her voice was barely audible over the extreme noise outside, but Evelyn heard only her. Everything else seemed to die away. She hurried towards it, and knelt beside her. Renee was pinned under a beam. She immediately tried to pull it off the nurse, but it wouldn't budge.
"Evelyn," Renee murmured, shaking her head. "It's too late." She motioned towards her legs. Evelyn's eyes followed. Stone, metal and wood had crushed them, almost ripping them from her body. She could see bone and tissue. Blood was pooling quickly below her.
Evelyn blinked, unsure how the nurse was still alive. She blinked again, the beam dropping from her hand before she turned towards her friend. She swallowed hard, knowing she had to stay strong for her in that moment, maybe her last.
She brushed her blonde hair back from her forehead, her nurse's cap long gone. "It's OK," she murmured through the tears in her throat, not sure if she was speaking to Renee or herself. "It's OK."
Renee nodded. "I know." Tears filled her eyes. "It's OK, Evelyn. I'm so happy that you found me. I didn't want to die alone."
Evelyn bit her lip, trying so hard to keep the tears at bay. "I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner."
Renee shook her head, giving her a sad smile. She coughed, and blood tinged the inside of her bottom lip. "It's not your fault. We tell each other that every time we lose a man, but I want you to believe me this time. I didn't leave when I should. It's not your fault."
Evelyn didn't answer, only brushed her lips over her forehead. Renee coughed again, staining her teeth. "Is Anna OK?"
Evelyn prayed she could manage the lie. "Yes, she's just fine."
Renee nodded again, appeased. Suddenly, she laughed. It wasn't a laugh of pain, there was no pain for her anymore. It was a laugh of longing, of sadness. "I should have kissed him."
Evelyn waited for her to continue. She did after a wavering sigh. "He was waiting for me to react. Eugene. You were right about those southern manners." She chuckled. "It was right after we lost a soldier. He tried to help me, but it was no use, he had died. After Anna left us, he stepped closer to me, and I could see it in his eyes. You know what I mean?"
Evelyn nodded, giving her a smile. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Men can be so easy to read, and Eugene always wears his heart on his sleeve."
A tear escaped Anna's eye. "He took my hand, and I knew he was asking permission to kiss me." She sighed. Neither heard the distant booms of the attack that continued. "But then another wounded man came in. I left to help, but when I turned back again, he was gone. It was the last time I saw him."
Evelyn brushed a hand across her forehead again. Her other hand held Renee's. "I've been meaning to tease him. It is obvious he cares for you."
More tears escaped Anna's eyes. "Really?" Evelyn nodded, smiling. Renee coughed again, deeper this time, her breath coming hard now. Evelyn winced but tried to hide it. Renee finally caught her breath, but it was shallow. "Don't tell him."
"Don't tell him what?" Evelyn asked, but she knew. Her voice cracked as the nurse slowly started to fade away.
"Don't tell him I wanted that kiss. He deserves to move on and find someone that makes him happy. If the situation was reversed, I would always wonder what life would be like if he wanted it too."
Evelyn cleared her throat, but she lost the battle. Tears began streaming down her face. "I promise. I won't tell him."
Renee squeezed her fingers. "Thank you." Her own tears leaked freely now. "It was wonderful knowing you, Evelyn."
Evelyn squeezed her fingers back. "And it was an honor knowing you."