Luz had thought he was a goner. He had been stuck in the middle of the field, bullets flying wildly around him, all because Lieutenant Dike decided to lose his damn mind at that moment in the attack. And he wanted Luz's radio.
He practically dragged Dike to hide behind a hay stack. It provided some cover, but the krauts most certainly knew where they were. His radio blared again, Winters demanding to speak to Dike. The Lieutenant only looked back dully at hikm.
What the fuck.
Then, he saw an angel running towards them. Realizing he wasn't dead yet, Luz almost tackled Lieutenant Spiers when he showed up and took over. I think I'm in love.
Spiers immediately directed Easy on what needed to be done. Luz then followed him and Lipton up the middle and into town.
"We need to connect with I company, sir. Or else we may lose them!" yelled Lipton. Luz's heart stopped. I company was surrounded by German forces. If Easy didn't take out the enemy, they could be destroyed. Damn it, Mack. Great choice in transfer.
Spiers nodded. "You're right, Sergeant. Wait here." Then they watched him run straight into the enemy, somehow still going across the town unhurt. The krauts were too stunned to even shoot at him.
"What the fuck," said Luz, this time aloud. Lipton only grinned.
The craziest thing wasn't that Spiers ran across town to connect with I company. It wasn't even that he turned around to come back to Easy and do it again. The craziest part was when he was halfway across running back towards them, a small, dark figure leapt from a hay wagon and joined him, her blonde hair blowing behind her.
This time Lipton cursed. "What the fuck."
Spiers hardly even reacted when Jaclyn started running alongside him. If the Germans were confused before, they were stunned now. Half of them didn't even raise their guns. The other half missed.
They crashed around the corner and landed besides Luz and Lipton, who still stared at them, gaping. Jaclyn coughed deeply before looking up at them. Startled at seeing Luz again so soon, she tried to recover. "Hello boys. Fancy seeing you here."
Lipton smiled at her, but Luz still gaped, trying to comprehend their insane reunion. You can never just say hello or goodbye, can you?
Anxious, she turned to Spiers. "What now, sir?"
"Lipton and Luz will come with me up the middle of the town. I need you to connect with first platoon. Instruct them to meet us in the square so together we can drive the enemy out," said Spiers calmly.
Jaclyn nodded. She hesitated a moment, unsure if she should say anything to Luz. It had only been a little over a week before she left unceremoniously, but it felt like a lifetime. Guilt tickled her.
In the end, she turned and ran to the left toward first platoon without another word. Luz watched her go, a wave of what felt like regret overtaking him.
After Easy and I companies had reconnected, together they overtook the town of Foy. With over a hundred German prisoners, Jaclyn watched ruefully as they were wrangled into the barn. Nice, big surprise for you in there.
Spiers walked up next to her, watching the procession as well. "Good work today, Mackenzie."
She looked over at him. "You as well, sir." She coughed harshly into her elbow. She realized suddenly how cold she was.
He didn't say anything for awhile as they looked on. "I'm being transferred to Easy as their new CO." She didn't reply, but she was happy for it. Easy needed a strong leader after Dike.
Spiers turned to her. "I requested that you return to my company. Easy has led the most dangerous missions in the 506th. It's not going to stop now."
Jaclyn pursed her lips, thinking and then nodded. "Anything I can do to help, sir."
He smiled slightly. "Good. I'll tell Captain Winters that you've agreed. As my first order of business, you are to go get some ODs and a winter coat." His smile grew. "Can't have you dying of the cold, Mackenzie." He turned and walked towards the convent where Easy was staying the night.
Jaclyn watched him go and chuckled. Half the soldiers may be terrified of Spiers, but she understood him. Probably because those same soldiers are terrified of you too.
After changing into her ODs, Jaclyn walked towards the convent and the soft music being sung inside. Standing outside the front door, the beautiful voices didn't bring her peace as they did for everyone else. She shuddered, and turned away again, hugging her jacket around her.
Luz watched Jaclyn peer inside the church before she turned to go. Her face looked haunted and white. He looked down at her winter coat in his hands, struggling on what to do next.
He knew he could give it to Malarkey to pass it along. He wouldn't get a hard time from his friend. He would understand.
Grow a set, Georgie. He took a breath and stood, leaving the comforts of the convent.
He jogged up to her. She turned at the sound. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," she murmured, wringing her hands. Silently, he handed her the winter coat. She took it and looked down at the warm fabric. He noticed her fingertips were still bandaged. "Thanks."
Luz watched her, his heart panging but his pride winning out. Say something. With a sigh, he turned to go.
"George." She spoke barely above a whisper, but he heard her. He turned back.
Her hands clenched tightly into the coat. Tears burned her eyes, but she took a breath. "I'm…"
Nevermind. Don't say it. "Jackie, it's ok."
She stiffened at the use of her first name. "It's not."
Luz stepped forward, trying to soften his face from the pain he felt. "I get it. With everything going on, and everyone we've lost, everyone you've lost, you don't want to get close. I get it," he repeated. Liar.
Jaclyn swallowed hard. That's exactly what she was going to say, but hearing it from him, it felt all wrong. "I shouldn't have left the way I did."
He nodded, his face grim. "No, you shouldn't have."
Her voice was small. "Forgive me?"
Luz took a deep breath and tried to squeeze out the voice yelling in his head. "Of course I do."
No, you don't.
She watched him sigh again, rubbing a hand over his hair. He tried to give her a smile but bet it looked more like a grimace. "Better get that coat on." With that, he turned and walked back into the convent.
Easy stayed overnight in Foy. It was the first time they had slept indoors in over a month. The nuns insisted on Jaclyn staying in one of their beds, but she didn't sleep well. Her thoughts raced and her body fidgeted.
As sunlight filtered through the window of her room, she was determined to make things right with Luz. Even if I have to threaten him with my knife again.
She thought she was early leaving the convent. They were due to leave Foy at 0800. But when she made her way outside, she saw one truck was filled already. Luz was inside it.
With a sigh, she took Randleman's hand as he helped her into the second truck. "Thanks Bull," she said, sitting next to him. Her chest constricted, causing her to wheeze from the exercise. She contributed it to her frustration at the moment.
"Anything for you, darlin'. Glad to have you back."
She smiled weakly. "Glad to be back."
Randleman watched her close her eyes and try and nap on their way to the next destination. It didn't escape him that her second half wasn't with her. He didn't think it escaped anyone.
January 16, 1945
Haguenau, France
Easy had arrived to the Allied-secured town of Haguenau. Although the Germans had fled, they were only across the river. They sent a stray mortar every now and then as a reminder.
"Jesus, Malark," gasped Jaclyn. "You can get off me now." Malarkey stood up from covering her after shells hit a building nearby.
"Sorry, Jackie. Guess I'm still a little jumpy." He held out a hand to help her up.
She went to take it, but was overwhelmed with a coughing attack. She tried to catch her breath, but couldn't. "Doc!" called Malarkey.
"No, don't be silly," she muttered, but Roe was there in an instant.
"What's wrong, Jackie?" he asked. "Are you hit?"
She shook her head but she couldn't answer him. She could only cough.
Malarkey answered for her. "She's been coughing like that for days. This is the first time I've seen her wheeze like this though."
"She's done it before," called Randleman.
Jaclyn had enough energy to shoot them both death glares. Traitors. To their credit, they didn't cower. Instead they grinned, infuriating her more.
"Be a good girl now, and let the Doc do this work."
She snarled. Her sour mood had gotten worse over the last few days ever since the day Luz road in another truck than her. She had only glimpsed him since. Add in this cough she couldn't shake, she was downright unpleasant.
"I need to listen to your lungs," said Roe. "Might be pneumonia." He stood and motioned to Malarkey and Randleman. "Can you help me get her to the aid station?"
"No!" she was able to get out. Finally, she could take a breath. "No aid station. You can listen to my lungs anywhere, Eugene. But I'm not going to the hospital."
Roe pursed his lips, but nodded. He had seen for himself the gruesome scene of the hospital. No one needed to see it if they didn't have to. "Fine. But I'm bringing you to headquarters. Lipton is resting there now with his own bad cough. I can watch you both from there."
"Fine," she muttered.
Before she could stand up on her own, Randleman took her by the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. He started walking the short distance to the main building.
"You put me down this instant, Bull! I am a grown woman and I can walk on my own!" she yelled, pounding her fists on his wide back.
Randleman only grinned, chewing on a cigar. "Awful lot of whining for a grown woman."
He climbed the stairs, Malarkey and Roe following them. Both had to hide their smiles or else suffer her wrath.
"Bull Randleman," she yelled again as they entered the room. Her mess of hair prevented her from seeing anything besides his ass. "So help me God, I will find you and I will make sure that you never touch a woman again! You've seen what I can do with a knife. The first chance I get…" She dissolved into a coughing fit and couldn't continue.
Randleman grinned at the surprised faces of Luz and Lipton inside headquarters. "Don't mind her. We're just putting her down for her nap." He unceremoniously swung her from his shoulder and flopped her down onto the empty couch.
She immediately tried to stand, but wobbled, dizzy. He lazily pushed her back into the couch. Brushing her hair from her eyes, she started cursing him out in a mix of different languages. He only chuckled. "Now I know you mad."
Roe knelt down next to you. "You finished? I can't listen to your lungs if you keep threatening Bull." Jaclyn huffed, but obeyed. Randleman and Malarkey wished her farewell before leaving.
As Roe listened for fluid in her lungs, she scanned the building. She looked to her right into the next room and saw Luz standing there, a cigarette forgotten in his mouth. She met his eyes a moment before he turned away and finished whatever the hell he was doing.
She seethed, staring at his back. "Putain des hommes et de leurs putains d'égos et de leur putain de fierté," she growled in French.
Roe smirked. "Not all of us are that bad, as you so eloquently described, Jackie." His eyes followed her angry gaze. "That includes, Luz," he added quietly.
Her eyes snapped to his. "Fuck off, Eugene."
He sighed, aware like everyone else of the situation. "Give him time. He'll come around."
"I'll give him time. How's an eternity?" she replied, sounding childish. She tried to keep a pout from her face. She huffed again. "So do I have fucking pneumonia?"
Roe smiled. "Yes, you have fucking pneumonia. Congratulations. You and Lieutenant Lipton are now on ordered bed rest."
Fuck that.
"There are single rooms in the back. I'll make sure there's clean sheets for you."
Stay here? Her eyes traveled to Luz again, his back still to her as he looked over supplies. Fuck that twice.
Jaclyn tried to stand. "No way, Doc. I can stay in the bunks with the other guys." The blood seemed to leave her head all at once and she fell back onto the couch.
Roe smirked. "Stay put, cherie." He turned to Lipton, who was busy trying not to listen to the entire exchange on his couch across from her. "Sir, you have now gained a roommate. Both of you, try and behave. I will hear about it if you don't." He was speaking to both of them, but he only looked at Jaclyn. With a smirk, he left.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she pouted. "Hey Lip."
"Hey Jackie. Want a blanket?"
"I'm OK, thanks."
A moment later, a spare blanket was thrown over her. "Take the goddamn blanket," said Luz before he walked back into the other room.