Updating early! I hope you all enjoy the changes I'm making to the story. Thank you to everyone who reads, follows, and favorites! Feedback is much appreciated!
TW: derogatory slurs
Chapter 1: Welcome to Camp Toccoa
Camp Toccoa, Georgia
August 1942
Marie Docherty examined her uniform with an overzealous critical eye, smoothing out the creases of her fatigues. She'd only just arrived at Toccoa yesterday, and there were rumors of her CO being one of the toughest company commanders in all of Camp Toccoa. The rumors did cause her anxiety, especially at the known fact that many of the soldiers weren't too thrilled that women had been accepted to serve alongside them. The very idea was "unnatural" to some, but as Emilia Valdez had told her the night before, they would have to "suck it up." That bold way of thinking almost inspired her. Almost…
"I think that's about as good as you're gonna look." The thick, and somewhat abrasive Jersey drawl of Florence cut into Marie's concentration. Florence tossed back her poufy, brown hair, which had already started to frizz in the Georgia humidity. "Sobel will barely have the balls to even look at you. Did you see how that putz acted when he first saw us? I guarantee he ain't ever gonna check our barracks for contraband at the risk of having to sort through brassieres and panties. I bet he couldn't even look his wife in the eye when he fucked her."
"Goodness, Flo!" Diana exclaimed, shooting Florence a disapproving look. "We've been here less than twenty-four hours, and you're already talking like a foul-mouthed con!" Marie watched the two women bicker back and forth. Barbara laughed at their antics, pulling her long, platinum blonde hair back in a secure bun. Emilia did the same, casting Marie a humored glance from across the women's barracks. Jane did the same, shaking her head as the two women argued on vulgarity and how it should be limited (or unlimited).
"Are you two finished? We're in the Army now, so we actually have a curfew to make," Emilia interjected, sighing in impatience. She mumbled something in Spanish to herself. She looked at Marie over her shoulder as she strode toward the barracks door, jutting out her hips in that familiar feisty gait of hers. "Are you ready to meet Sobel and the rest of Easy Company?"
Marie muttered an unenthusiastic reply, following Emilia at a much slower and less confident pace. Everything was moving way too fast for her. She felt as if they'd just got settled in, and now they had to go meet the men they'd be heading to Europe with. The unfortunate fact was that most of these men arrived the month before and had already become acquaintances and friends; the women were the new kiddos joining the crew, which was always a disadvantage.
Florence flashed Marie an unpleasant, toothy smile. "I hope you're ready for the hard-ass."
"Don't get Marie all worried about someone she hasn't even met yet," Emilia said to Florence.
"Hey Barb, I bet you a pack of Lucky Strikes that the little blonde mouse will drop out before the end of the day." Florence chuckled, poking fun at Marie.
Emilia placed her hand on Marie's back and led her out the door. Florence's cackles could be heard even when the shut they barrack's door. Marie felt as if all her insides had descended to her lower abdomen, sitting like an immovable brick in her stomach. The two women marched without speaking for a while; their anxiety mounting with every broad step they took toward where Easy Company was gathered out on the fields. Marie glanced over at Emilia, who towered over her by a few inches, only to see her staring straight ahead, her dark eyes fixed in intense concentration. Marie wanted to say something to break the silence, but her throat had gone bone dry since setting foot outside. It was odd that Sobel had the two of them meet out in such an obscure location, but maybe that was part of the test.
After a few moments Marie heard Emilia clear her throat. A wry smile spread on her lips as her eyes caught on something interesting in the distance.
"That must be Easy Company there."
Marie followed Emilia's gaze to what appeared to be a sea of men in olive drab. A tall man with broad shoulders was already screaming at them and sizing them up. Every man stood perfectly still and erect like a statue. The screaming man was inches from their faces, patrolling the area like a hawk on the hunt for a weak rodent. Marie gulped thickly, already feeling like she was a target.
"Well, that must be Herbert Sobel." Emilia whispered. "Jane told me he was a tall drink of water with a prominent Jewish nose." Emilia slowed her pace as she noticed some of the men in line spotted them approaching, but none of them spoke up. Marie felt as if her paratrooper boots were dragging in the dirt like anchors the closer she came to Sobel, whom hadn't let up with his scolding, which seemed more and more incoherent. The two women stopped when Sobel was fully in earshot. Up close Sobel's skin looked sallow, clashing vividly with his jet-black hair.
Sobel stood with his back to the women, who were waiting for his attention but weren't sure how to speak up while he was in the middle of his tirade. Sobel stood in front of a soldier who had the facial features of a mouse: pointed noise, and small beady black eyes that were close together. He reached over to the soldier and pulled out his bayonet in a swift and aggressive motion. Sobel examined the weapon briefly, before fixing the soldier with a determined glare.
"Rusty bayonet, Liebgott. You want to kill Germans?" Sobel asked, his voice low.
"Yes, sir."
Sobel instantly smacked Liebgott on his helmet with the tip of the bayonet with his reply. Marie could see the soldier named Liebgott close his eyes with a hint of irritation, but it quickly faded before Sobel could catch on.
"Not with this." Sobel turned on his boot heel, taking the "rusty" bayonet with him. Sobel's dark, scowling eyes met Marie's and Emilia's, but he averted his stare to further preach whatever point he was getting at. "I wouldn't take this rusty piece of shit to war, and I will not take you to war in your condition." He marched in front of the line, and threw the bayonet into the dirt. "Now thanks to these men and their infractions, every man who has had a weekend pass has lost it."
Sobel finally turned his attention to the two women, who had both grown stiff from listening to their CO. He held out his hand and sighed in agitation. A short blonde-haired soldier broke from the line and ran up to Sobel like an eager puppy, handing him a clipboard.
"You two must be the women who have been newly appointed to my company." Sobel stated with little enthusiasm.
The Lieutenant Colonel must've had to really twist Sobel's arm to get him to comply with Emilia and me joining the ranks, Marie thought.
"Yes, sir!" Marie and Emilia shouted together. Marie could feel her heart hammering unpleasantly in her chest, wondering what Sobel was going to find wrong with them in their appearance.
"Incredible, I spend a month trying to shape these men into the best fit company in the United States Army, and now they send me two women to unravel all my hard work." Sobel clipped, shaking his head as if it was the most damned thing he'd ever heard of.
Anger boiled in the pit of Marie's stomach. She had been warned about this type of mindset before she'd enlisted, but nothing could prepare her for having first-hand experience. Marie could feel Emilia seething beside her as well, but the two women stared straight ahead, like the obedient soldiers that they were to become.
"Uncle Sam just loves to screw me over, I tell ya. Oh well, I'll accept the challenge and shape the two of you up, or break you until you're crawling on your hands and knees, begging to go back to the beauty parlor. We'll see if the two of you are cut out to be paratroopers." Sobel's dark eyes glared back and forth between the two of them, as if expecting one of them to flinch.
"Sir!" Marie and Emilia responded in unison again.
Well, I enjoy a challenge, too, jerk. I'll enjoy proving you wrong, Marie thought, furiously. She cursed him over and over again in her head as he went on.
"Valdez, Emilia - Technician Fifth Grade?" Sobel barked, reading off the clipboard.
"Sir!" Emilia shouted again.
"Not just a woman, but a spic too." Sobel mumbled, but not quiet enough to where Emilia couldn't hear. Marie dared a glance at Emilia, only to see her grit her teeth from behind her closed mouth. Some of the men's eyes widened from shock as well; apparently this was a new low for Sobel.
"Docherty, Marie - Technician Third Grade?" Sobel barked again.
"Sir!" Marie piped up. He sneered at Marie in disbelief for a moment, reading over the clipboard again.
"How can a woman already have a rank as high as yours when she's just started?" Sobel looked like he was about to laugh as if it was all some kind of joke. Her rank wasn't impressively high, she thought, it was only the equivalent to a sergeant. He was making it out to be as if she were a Captain.
"I have this rank because of my experiences and from my education, sir." Marie forced her voice to remain level and not say anything through gritted teeth. She didn't feel as weak and defenseless as she had a moment before, now she felt as if she had already reached her limit with this man.
"Oh?" Sobel questioned. He looked playfully amused by her response.
"I graduated Cum Laude from high school, and I graduated from college with high honors. I got my degree in Nursing, and worked as an RN before enlisting." Marie continued. She was chosen because of her skills and decided to become a combat medic to assist directly in the war efforts. It offended her the way Sobel spoke to her, and she was not a braggart by any means.
Emilia shot her a warning glance through her peripherals. She was afraid Marie would get in trouble because of her tone. The men from Easy looked at Marie, worrying that Sobel would punish her, too. Sobel instead folded up his paper and turned away from them to shout an order.
"We're running, Currahee! Get in your PT gear!" Sobel yelled and marched off.
Emilia grinned at Marie, despite being called such a horrible derogatory term moments before. She seemed impressed with Marie's sudden gall, and Marie couldn't help but smile back.
A redheaded man with light cyan eyes approached. Marie studied his oddly arched brows, and freckles that littered his face. His eyes were kind with a soft disposition that made Marie instantly feel at ease. He smiled at the two women, as Emilia snapped a salute. Marie noticed the silver bar pinned to his uniform lapel and did the same.
"Ladies." The lieutenant greeted. "I am 2nd Lieutenant Richard Winters. Welcome to Easy Company. 1st Lieutenant Sobel was supposed to give you a briefing on today's activities, but as you can see he's busy at the moment." Winters smiled thinly, telling the two women: Sobel's in a bad mood, so he doesn't want to talk.
"What's Currahee?" Marie asked, cocking her head.
Winter's laughed bitterly, not at them, but at the anticipation of running whatever Currahee was. "You'll find out soon enough, ma'am." Winter's gave them a weary smile. "Return to your barracks and dress out into your PT gear, and meet us over there." Winters pointed behind him, past the last row of barracks. All Marie could see was a forest. "I suggest you move quickly." He nodded to them and ran off to join the other men.
None of the other men wasted any time after the order was given, except for one who had his eyes pinned on Emilia. His tanned skin and baby blue eyes made Marie think "jock". It didn't surprise Marie in the slightest; Emilia was a woman who could easily give Rita Hayworth a run for her money. The soldier was called to get moving, and he complied with some hesitance. Emilia was too busy slinging an arm around Marie and leading Marie back to their barracks to notice.
"That was the boldest thing I've ever seen you do! Granted I've only known you for a day, but I did not expect that out of you!" Emilia smiled at her like a doting sister. Thinking about Sobel and what he had called her made her become cross. "Estúpido."
"Couldn't you court martial him for slander?"
Emilia scoffed. "If I go complaining to Sink now, I'm sure he'll kick me out before I stir up a ruckus."
The two women entered their barracks again. Marie was thankful to see that the other women had left. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Florence's prying. The two women quickly removed the plastic covering from their freshly pressed uniforms. The white shirt and black shorts felt uncomfortably starchy as she slipped them on, but that wasn't the worst of it. The shorts were extremely short, riding high up her thighs, and the white shirt visibly revealed her bra. Marie felt her face grow hot at the thought of running whatever "Currahee" was, surrounded by hundreds of men in this skimpy excuse for PT clothing. Florence had told her that some of these men haven't seen women in months, and would be like ravenous dogs in heat for "pussy" whenever they got the chance. The statement made her feel like her stomach was tying itself into a pretzel knot.
"Come on, Marie. We don't have time to dilly dally." Emilia barked, already standing at the door.
Marie hesitantly followed, knowing it was better to be on time so Sobel wouldn't chew her up on day one.
0000
Three miles up, three miles down.
Marie now understood Winter's reaction to her question. Turns out Currahee was a mountain lying just on the outskirts of Camp Toccoa. Thick forestation covered the beginning of the incline, but a manmade path had been cleared, leaving trees and dirt ahead of them. Currahee was Cherokee for "stand alone", a motto that the 506th eagerly adopted. But Marie didn't care about any of that; the heat was getting to her, and so was her lack of cardio conditioning.
Running Currahee so far was one of the most physically challenging things Marie had ever done in her short life. She rasped for breath as she tried to keep her pace steady along with the rest of the men, who were also jogging and looking worn. Sobel ran beside them, his feet sticking out on the sides like a waddling duck as he shouted out taunts to everyone (he looked more like The Mallard Duck than The Black Swan). He would scream "HI-HO SILVER!" at the top of his lungs as he charged toward his next victim for verbal assault. It was driving Marie insane; she wished that he'd stop shouting that stupid saying altogether and just be silent for the rest of the run. Emilia on the other hand was pumping her legs with ease, taking in controlled breaths, her running form matching an Olympic medalist. By comparison to Marie's sloppy form, reddened face, and ragged breathing, made her look like a complete mess. She started to doubt whether she should even be here at all.
A man with a long face and nose and medium brown hair was running next to Marie had twisted his ankle badly, letting out a sharp grunt in pain as he started to stumble forward. By instinct she caught him under his arm and hoisted him back up, with the help of another man whom had vibrant red hair and faint freckles covering his face. The injured man smiled up to her in thanks, his slanted eyes appeared kind but stressed as he limped to keep up.
"Do not help that man!" Sobel snapped at her and the red-haired man. He jabbed a threatening finger at her as if it were a knife; turning briskly on his boot-heel so he could continue his ridiculous, flailing duck run.
Marie's growing agitation from her fatigue, the sun bearing down on her, and Sobel's stupid pestering finally bubbled up to her limit. As his back was turned, she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Watch it! What if he saw you?" The man that she helped up warned.
"Yeah, Sobel's a man that you don't want to really piss off," the redhead added, the two of them looking as serious as the summer day was long.
"He's so mean, though." Marie mumbled. She knew they were right, but it felt good to outwardly express her distaste for Sobel. Some of the stress from this horrid day started to lift from her weighed down shoulders.
"That he is." The limping man agreed, straining to keep up. He fell down this time, the pain in his ankle too intense to keep going. Marie and the redhead both stopped to help him, as did a few other stragglers from Easy Company. "Dammit! Now I have to go to the damned infirmary!"
"Hey, I'm practicing for one of my classroom lectures there later today. Maybe it would be okay if I took you?" Marie offered.
Anything to get off this terrible mountain.
"If that'll fly with Sobel. Who knows, the man has no empathy." The man replied, grasping his leg gingerly. "By the way, my name is Warren Muck. Call me Skip." He introduced himself through gritted teeth.
"Marie Docherty." She extended her hand. He shook it earnestly but tiredly.
"Donald Malarkey." The redhead greeted, doing the same. "Looks like Luz ran over and told Sobel about Skip's injury. Aw man, he looks like he's about to go batshit."
Marie followed Malarkey's gaze to Sobel, who was standing some meters ahead. The group had stopped running, and now was looking back curiously at them. Sobel stormed over, his sallow face now being replaced with an unpleasant shade of bright red. Marie felt herself tense, readying herself for the lecture of a lifetime.
"I told you not to help that man!" Sobel erupted, towering before Marie's squatted figure as she knelt next to Muck. "All of you disobeyed direct orders!" Sobel eyed each one of them, his glare piercing like steel. "All of you will head back down the mountain and repeat all six miles of the run, do you understand?"
"Sir, if I may-" Malarkey began.
Sobel snapped his heated gaze in his direction, just daring him to speak.
"He's really hurt his ankle, sir, it doesn't look like he'll be able to run. Ms. Docherty here has medical experience and was going to lead him back to the infirmary with my help." Malarkey explained, his large, dark eyes unwavering from Sobel's relentless leer. Marie was impressed by Malarkey's boldness, and his loyalty to his injured friend.
Sobel glanced at each one of them, as if testing if they'd give away what he believed was Malarkey's lie. Marie stole a glance at Emilia, whom stood with the rest of the company, panting with her hands on her hips casually, looking concerned.
"Very well, he better be as injured as you say he is, or all of you will be kicked out of the Airborne before your feet touch the ground. I do NOT tolerate dishonesty in my company." Sobel replied sharply. He sensed the three soldiers' relief, and grinned darkly. "Don't think that this will get you out of PT. You are all expected to finish this run on Currahee."
"Yes, sir." They responded in unison.
Sobel turned back to the rest of the company. They all stared wide-eyed as Malarkey and Marie hoisted Muck up. Sobel's aggression appeared back on his face as his thick brows drew inward, and that bright red shade filled his face once again.
"What are all of you staring at? Keep going, move it!" Sobel bellowed.
The company scurried around in an unorthodox fashion, nearly tripped over each other to avoid the wrath of Sobel as he started to run at them. Emilia flashed Marie one last uncertain look before turning and continuing her ascent up the mountain.
Sorry, Em. We'll catch up later.
"Damn, Malark, that was gutsy of you." Muck piped up.
"Hey, no friend of mine gets punished for something he can't help."
Muck gave a skeptical laugh. "This is the Army. No one gives a shit what state the soldier is in, as long as he's still breathing."
Marie remained silent, listening to their conversation as they helped Muck down Currahee. Now she was dreading repeating the run; she wasn't sure if her aching feet could stand any more running.
"Oh, and thank you, Docherty." Muck added.
"It's okay, and you can call me Marie."
"So, where are you from, Marie?" Marie felt puzzled by Muck's question. She looked quizzically at him, wondering what he was getting at. Malarkey watched her reaction, saying nothing as Muck continued to ramble on, clearly frazzled from the run and the injury.
"I'm from Tonawanda. That's a place in New York in case you don't know." Muck paused a moment, noticing Marie staring straight ahead as if she was concentrating on something. "You know, you don't talk much, Marie."
"Huh? Oh sorry." She replied, meekly, feeling foolish for being so aloof. Bonds were important, especially when it comes time for battle, but Sink's warning about fraternizing repeated in her mind as clear as a bell.
"Sorry if you thought I was prying, it's just not every day that a woman gets accepted to the front. We're just curious about you is all." Muck continued.
Malarkey rolled his eyes. "Don't creep her out, Skip."
"I'm not!"
"Anyway, since we're introducing ourselves a little more, I'm from Astoria, Oregon."
Marie smiled, feeling her barrier drop a little bit. She figured opening up to these men couldn't be too bad.
"I'm from Georgia, only an hour's drive from here." Marie said. "Not far away, so this opportunity seemed like a given."
All three of them talked all the way to the infirmary. For the first time since arriving, and after meeting Emilia, she felt as if she met some people she could actually be friends with. They weren't exactly going to be brothers in arms, but having friends in her company seemed like something that would be a positive experience for her down the line. After Muck was taken care of, Malarkey and she returned to Currahee with heavy reluctance to rerun the entire trail. This time it seemed easier, she wasn't sure if it was because the sun wasn't as high, or if was the company she was with.
Either way, she decided not to question it too much.
0000
Marie entered the barracks, sweaty and already on the verge of sleep, to find the other women settled in their beds, only Barb and Emilia were asleep. She gingerly pulled off her boot from her swollen, aching feet. Her laces had been tied too tight and had constricted her foot for the entire run. She massaged her feet, grimacing at the tenderness of her overworked muscles. Her whole body was so fatigued that she could feel it start to practically droop with lethargy. She was sure she'd collapse into sleep soon, as Emilia had already done.
She was eager to tuck herself under her covers, not caring if the material was a little scratchy and the mattress thin. She took down her ponytail, letting her sweaty hair fall down to her shoulders. She scratched her scalp, feeling the sweat stick to her head and make it itch. Her hair was stringy and greasy, but it was past curfew for her to go take a shower, and the women had strict guidelines as to when they were allowed to clean up.
Florence flipped through a magazine, looking surprisingly blasé despite being one of a few selected women on a military base.
"What took ya so long, Docherty?" Florence asked. Her tone sounded just as bored as she looked.
"I ran Currahee, twice." Marie replied tiredly.
Florence made a sound of disinterest, shrugging her shoulders slightly. Marie wondered why she even asked her questions if she didn't care about the answers. The only thing Florence seemed eager to converse about was gossip. The woman practically fed off of it. Marie had an inkling that Florence was trying to spark up a topic that would eventually lead to what she really wanted to know.
"That's funny, Emilia got back from PT training an hour before you did." Florence added.
Marie took off her other boot, gritting her teeth as the deep pain spread throughout the bottom of her foot. "I had to run it again because I got in trouble with Sobel for helping an injured man out."
Florence shifted on her bed, placing the magazine down in her lap. The mention of a "man" had piqued her interest.
That's what she wanted to hear.
"So, you met a guy, hm?" Florence's boredom disappeared; she'd perked up and now was into talking about whatever Marie had to say.
Marie fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I just talked to two of the men from my company. He hurt his ankle, I'm a nurse so I helped him. Nothing special."
Florence was clearly disappointed. She leaned back into her bed. "Well, I think Jane may have met somebody. She came waltzing in, grinning ear to ear as if she'd won the sweepstakes or something."
Jane turned over in her bed, eyeing Florence with playful contempt. "And you'll never know what's making me so happy. Quit being so nosy, Flo."
Florence clucked her tongue in reply, making Marie inwardly cringe at the snootiness of the whole situation. Florence looked back at Marie, giving her poufy hair an elegant toss over her shoulder. How this woman was selected to be war material, Marie had no idea.
"I'm sure she met a guy in her company. Why else would she be so happy to be living in this hell hole?" Florence whispered.
"Well, all of us did volunteer to be here, Florence." Marie responded flatly. She'd heard enough. Marie nestled herself comfortably in her bed and turned her back to Florence.
"I'm just saying we're young and we should have as much fun as we can. But we also need to be careful. Sink isn't playin' around when it comes to the fraternization," Florence concluded with a dramatic sigh.
Marie wasn't paying attention to Florence's rambling, she was already drifting off to sleep before the Jersey girl could get another word in.
0000
In the weeks following Marie's introduction to running Currahee, the physical training was scheduled each day, mainly in the morning, or by Sobel's good grace. The CO had a habit of swooping in and calling for an unscheduled PT when the company wasn't expecting it. The physical training had strengthened Marie down to her bones, and part of her was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle much more of it.
Push-ups were a struggle, she could feel her biceps and wrists start to rattle as she did her best to push herself upward, fighting off the gravity of her own weight bearing down on her. Keeping her head and pelvis even without dipping too far down was a real struggle for her - one Sobel was all too keen to point out whenever he could. Marie would have her fingernails digging in the dirt in exasperation when Sobel would stalk by, standing over her, casting a brooding shadow as she tried her best to breathe.
"Just ten more push-ups, Docherty. Is that too much for a woman to handle? If I had my way, you'd have been sent packing after you failed to run Currahee." Sobel mocked, his voice filled with delight at seeing her reach her limit of exertion.
"Sir." Marie managed to choke out, lowering herself back toward the dirt of Toccoa; her arms shaking violently to keep her stomach from touching the ground. Her muscles screamed for relief, but she didn't let up. If she gave up now, she would be proving Sobel right, and as much as she hated the PT, she wanted to be here.
The running, obstacle courses, crawling through barbed wire (nicely decorated with pig intestines and other guts), were just as difficult as the push-ups, all leading up to the inevitable which was running Currahee. Currahee was like the cherry on top, the peak with the stone monument on top looming in the distance as a reminder that there was no rest for a paratrooper.
With the taste of dry dirt in her mouth, Marie kept up the best she could. She'd stumbled plenty of times, giving herself a nice amount of scrapes and bruises, but skinned knees and palms were easy to manage. Jumping jacks made her breasts sore, and the running was taking a toll on her feet, but she still pushed herself with what little perseverance she had left to make it to all her classroom lectures.
The classroom lectures were informative, but boring. Marie had graduated college and was already a nurse, so everything that was being taught she already knew. The classrooms at Toccoa were lined up like regular grade school classes: rows of desks, pencils, and a large set of three chalkboards at the front. Local doctors would come in with their long white coats and babble on about anatomy, vitals, and how to control bleeding. Despite the redundancy, Marie took notes and paid attention like an apt student.
Treating a soldier out in the field, in the middle of enemy fire, would be very different than doing so within the walls of a hospital, with all the right tools.
Marie only recognized one person from her company while attending the lectures. A man, also training to be a medic, always sat more toward the front of the class. His black, spikey hair protruding in different directions. His soft grey eyes were attentive to the doctor giving the lectures, though he barely spoke when the doctor asked for class participation. She'd only heard him speak once, noting his thick Cajun accent, but other than that she didn't know the guy from Adam.
She wanted desperately to make more friends with the men in the company, but most kept their distance from her or Emilia. They received the same warning from Sink about fraternizing, so most were afraid to even mumble a word to the women that had joined their company. Others were still having trouble warming up to the idea of women being welcomed to the front, they thought it "unnatural" as Sobel had repeated to them several times.
The only male friends she had made were Malarkey and Muck. At the cafeteria, Emilia and she would sit with them, and chat freely. It was nice to have something else to talk about other than the regulations of the Army. The four of them sat together at the set of long cafeteria tables, having to lean in and talk loud in order to be heard in the busy mess hall. Today was mystery meat with a side of paled mashed potatoes. Marie picked at her food, trying her best to get some of the food in her stomach to avoid hunger pains, though the quality of food was what prisoners were fed. She'd expected to find a maggot wriggling around in her food as she poked at it with her fork.
Muck was going on and on about his girlfriend back home, Faye. Whenever he spoke about the woman, his eyes lit up and practically glowed with admiration. Malarkey had mentioned his girlfriend, Bernice, from time to time, but had trouble getting a word in when Muck got his gums flapping. Emilia had laughed at something witty Muck had said, pulling Marie back into the present. She had lost herself, staring into her mashed potatoes.
"Do you have a boyfriend, or someone special back home, if you don't mind my asking?" Muck asked, his slanted, amber eyes peeled on her.
"No, not right now," Marie answered as she shook her head. Being in a relationship really didn't interest Marie at this point in her life. She had just turned twenty-one and she knew she had plenty of time to deal with those kinds of things later in life. Right now she had to focus on becoming a paratrooper, and she was hanging on a thread as it was.
Malarkey gave her a small grin, his dimples plainly showing on his face. Muck nodded his head in understanding. Marie hoped they wouldn't think her strange for not pursuing a man. She was already perceived as odd by the other girls in the barracks, especially Florence, but Emilia and she seemed to get along.
"Marie's really good at scaring off guys rather than attracting them," Emilia informed the boys, giving Marie a playful nudge with her shoulder. Marie shot her an annoyed look but couldn't help smiling herself. Their conversation was cut short when Sobel suddenly burst into the mess hall, causing everyone to stop eating and stand up at attention. The clatter of boots and clanging silverware echoed across the room, soon replaced by absolute silence.
"At ease." Sobel ordered, and the room relaxed, the whole company looking their CO in the eye. "I'm only here for the women." Sobel peered over at Marie and Emilia's direction with an irritated scowl and motioned them over. The girls exchanged glances with each other and with Malarkey and Muck before heading over to Sobel.
Marie felt her stomach drop, fearing this would be the moment she was kicked out of the Airborne. It puzzled her because Emilia was excelling in the training.
"Sir." Both women said as the stood in front of Sobel waiting for more orders.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sink needs to speak with the both of you. Get going." He motioned them out impatiently, with a flick of his hand. Both girls said yes sir, and then rushed out to go talk to Sink.
The two women trudged across Camp Toccoa in nervous silence as they headed toward Sink's office. It felt like it took an hour to make it to Sink's office, even as Emilia twisted the doorknob to enter time seemed to slow down.
Sink was sitting in his office, reading over reports and sipping coffee out of a white mug, stained at the rim. He saw them enter and stand at attention and stood up to greet them. Marie readied herself for bad news, knowing Sobel hadn't stopped his puling about women being a part of his company since they first arrived. Perhaps Sink had finally listened to his whining and just wanted him to shut up.
"At ease, ladies. It's very nice to see both of you." Sink extended his hand with a smile. Marie and Emilia hesitated before they shook his hand, confused by his sudden drop in formalities. They shook his hand quickly, and then waited for him to continue. "I presume your training is going well?"
"Yes, sir," they both replied automatically.
"Sergeant Docherty, your combat medic classes seem to be going well, all good marks so far." Sink pulled up some papers and quickly glanced through them without paying much attention to the details in the print. "Same for you, Private Valdez, your training as an interpreter seems exceptional." Sink beamed again, and Marie waited for him to add: 'but Sobel mentioned that your physical training hasn't been up to par, so I'm afraid you'll have to be discharged from the Airborne, Sergeant Docherty.'
"You two are great additions to the Army and will prove to be great role models for young girls who wish to serve in America's great and powerful military." Sink praised with a smile. Marie wasn't sure why Sink was saying all this to them, but she felt very flattered. This was not what the two concerned women were expecting at all.
"Thank you, sir," they said in unison again.
"All right, I just wanted to check up on you ladies. Now get back out there and get to work." Sink dismissed them.
They saluted uncertainly and left the office, feeling just as confused as ever.
"What on Earth was that about?" Marie asked Emilia, confused why the man in command of their regiment would call them all the way to his office just to praise them. "
Well you know Lieutenant Colonel Sink was all for letting qualified women serve in the frontlines and be part of the 101st." Emilia reminded her puzzled friend. "He did help pick out us and the other girls from a pack of hopefuls."
Marie pondered this for a moment and knew she was right. They were handpicked from the litter, which was a great honor, but also meant that they would have to work extra hard not to disappoint Sink.
"That explains why Sobel must have been unhappy to see us. Sobel must have complained about having women on his company and Sink shot him down." Marie suggested. Emilia nodded in agreement.
"Whatever happened, it's nice to know that Sink has our back at least," Emilia concluded. They returned to the mess hall to finish what was left of their meal.
0000
Every Friday night, Easy Company dressed up in their Class B uniforms and marched twelve miles in formation, under the moonlight. Sweat stuck to their uniforms as the dense Georgia air clung to their bodies. It was tedious work, and seemed useless to accomplishing anything other than making the company despise Sobel more. Easy Company was the only company ordered to march, and one of the only companies pushed to do PT most would deem insane, and even downright cruel. But Marie didn't complain, she kept her mouth shut and took her licks like an acquiescent solider should. Knowing that the march was the last thing to do before lights out gave her something to look forward to. The march would often put her mind at ease, and it gave her time to process her own evaluation of her progress. It also gave Marie time to familiarize herself with the men better and start to memorize their names, even if they still kept their distance. Some started to slowly begin to speak to her, but kept a safe distance like someone saying hello to a passerby in the street.
After one Friday march, Marie and Emilia trekked back to their barracks. They had long since memorized how to find their way to their barracks in the dark, a skill Marie was thankful to possess. The two women were drunk on endorphins from a day's worth of exercise, giggling as if everything on the planet could be formed into something amusing. They entered the barracks, still cheery until they saw Jane.
Jane was crying, packing her belongings in a disoriented state as Diana tried to console her. Jane shook her head, causing her honey-brown hair to become tousled. Marie and Emilia stood in the entrance, mute from shock.
"What's going on?" Emilia asked, alarmed.
"They're kicking Jane out." Barbara told Emilia, her tone sad but stony.
"What? Why?" Marie gasped.
"They… caught me… but…" Jane tried to tell Marie, but she was weeping too heavily for her words to be fully audible. Diana pulled her into a hug, and the crying woman collapsed in her friend's embrace.
"They found out she was fraternizing with one of the men in her company." Diana informed them.
Diana articulated everything she knew and could understand from what Jane told her in rampant exhaustion and tear-filled misery. When the distressed women realized there was nothing they could do to change Jane's outcome, they all went to bed with heavy hearts, unsatisfied and restless.
Marie laid in her bed that night unable to sleep no matter what position she shifted to. She listened to Jane cry softly into her pillow. Her heart went out to the poor girl, although she knew fraternizing was a serious offense, as Sink had warned all of them individually. They were all warned against starting romantic relationships with any of the soldiers and officers in the Army, they stressed that above everything else. But love would always find a way, and this time it had spoiled any chances of Jane becoming a paratrooper. She was going to be discharged from the military for this. Finally Marie fell asleep, but even when she awoke, she felt empty and unwell for the rest of the day. Of course Sobel surprised Easy Company with a run on Currahee after they ate a hefty amount of pasta.
Marie's mind buzzed from fatigue, dizziness, and Jane's premature departure. Jane had hugged her goodbye in the morning, and through her cries she promised she would write Marie. The whole situation seemed like one big foul up, especially since the man who was also involved with Jane didn't receive any sort of punishment. The more Marie pondered the bitter subject, the sicker she felt.
Marie started to slow down her pace from the rest of the company, breaking out of the group of soldiers-in-training. She bent over, grasping her knees with her sweaty palms. She panted, feeling her stomach churn wildly. She closed her eyes and started to retch, knowing with mounting dread what was going to come next. She started to vomit, tasting the unpleasant sourness of spaghetti noodles and stomach acid. The nausea didn't cease, she still felt as if she was floating in a state of sickness as she emptied her stomach once again on the dirt path of Currahee.
"You're a wash-out, Docherty! Go back to the beauty parlor!" Sobel barked in a venomous tone.
Marie still had her eyes squeezed shut, so she was unable to see the thunderous look on his face. She wiped her mouth, feeling dirty and out of breath. She was upset with herself, after a few weeks of the most intense physical conditioning she'd ever experienced, she hoped she'd start to see results, but even a full stomach couldn't stand the dreaded run up the godforsaken mountain.
"You better come back over here and join the rest of the company, or I'll just have to send the Lieutenant Colonel a report about your failure to complete this task." Sobel added, rubbing salt into Marie's already burning wound.
Marie stumbled forward, muttering a 'yes, sir', her stomach and head feeling as empty as ever. Sobel's insults had started to get to her. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. She had set a goal for herself, but the longer the summer days dragged on, the more she felt like turning in her uniform and heading home.
But there was one thing that always kept Marie from quitting, and that was the fear of failure. This was a fear that haunted her more than any other, and motivated her more than hope or faith.