Stuck in a ditch

When they were all safely in the hedge grow, perco started again saying to Luz "See what I mean", to that luz just rolled his eyes as he was being called to go to Winters side with the radio.

They all go into foxholes, while the Flo and Gene walk up and down the line checking on the men to make sure they're fine.

She's just about to start finding a foxhole of her own when the hears "MEDIC" being shouted, it sounds like Smith. Flo sprinted towards the foxhole and found Gene working on Tab who had been stabbed with a bayonet.

"What the fuck happened?" Flo asked as she helped Gene stifle the blood.

"Tab woke Smith up dressed in a german poncho, Smith thought it was a kraut and stabbed him"

"Damn it" Flo replied

"Floss, go get some rest, the injury isn't deep and Tab will be fine in the morning, go rest" Gene firmly told her

"I'll give you a hand Gene it's fin" but he cut her off

"Florence, go find a foxhole and sleep, you haven't slept for more than 4 hours for 3 weeks"

"Okay," she whispered,

Suddenly Speirs appeared beside her, "Everything alright? Is he gonna live doc?"

"Yeah sir, he's gonna be fine. Should just have a scratch to impress the chicks back home"

This made Flo roll her eyes and stand up. "You sure you're good Gene"

"Yes Flossy will you please go get some rest"

"Come on Hilton, I'll walk you to a foxhole," Speirs said

The 2 then walked away.

"Can't I share your foxhole sir?" she asked smiling slightly

He gave her a coy smile back "If only Florrie, how are you?"

"Fed up of death and exhausted, yourself?" she asked smiling

"Ahh much the same, but it's par for the course in our line of work, did you hear one private was so scared of me after hearing the stories he wet himself when I walked over to talk to them" he started silent laughing

She joined him and whispered, "Aww bless him, if only he knew the real you was such a sweetheart" she nudged him.

"That sides for your eyes only Florrie, I've got my reputation to uphold" he smiled and looked around and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now let's find you somewhere to sleep".

Just then they heard rustling from next to them, Speirs quickly pulled Flo behind him and pointed his gun and whispered "Flash"

"Thunder, thunder" came the response, it was Blithe.

"Lieutenant Speirs, sir."

"Where are you going, Private?"

"Check out the noise, sir."

"I just came from there. Everything's under control."

"Yes, sir."

"Got some nervous privates in your company," Speirs said as he then walked up to Joe and Bill's foxhole.

"Fizz alright to come into your foxhole she doesn't have one"

"Course sir, come on Fizz" Joe whispered

"Thanks, sir, for getting me back safely" she smiled and saluted

He saluted back and then walked to the next foxhole while talking to Blithe, the boys put their arms around Flo to make sure she was warm enough. While they listened to Speirs and Blithe's conversation.

"They just don't see how simple it is." Speirs was saying

"How simple what is, sir?"

"Just do what you have to do."

"Like you did on D-day, sir? Lieutenant. Sir, when I landed on D-day...I found myself in a ditch all by myself. I fell asleep. I think it was those air-sickness pills they gave us. When I woke up, I didn't really try to find my unit...to fight. I just...I just kind of stayed put."

"What's your name, trooper?"

"Blithe, sir. Albert Blithe."

"You know why you hid in that ditch, Blithe?"

"I was scared."

"We're all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. But, Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. And the sooner you accept that the sooner you'll function as a soldier's supposed to function. Without mercy, without compassion... ...without remorse. All war depends upon it."

And with that he walked away while the 3 exchanged glances. Eventually the 2 boys fell asleep, but Flo was thinking about what Speirs had said. She felt that he was wrong about believing that you're already dead. You needed to fight for your life, didn't you?

Flo managed to get some sleep, but then the Germans decided to intervene after she had finally switched her active brain off, she had slept for about 40 minutes when she heard the first shell. She quickly jumped up and kept her ears open for the MEDIC call. She could hear Winters shouting orders to stay in their trenches and fire, they need to hold their positions to protect Carentan.

The left flank suddenly got blown to bits, Flo noticed a couple of men who had been flung into the 'no man's land', she could see the Germans slowly approaching. She couldn't leave them to die, they were still moving, it could have been her brother.

"Damn it" she said to herself

She launched herself over the trench and army crawled towards the men, a shell landed near and she was flung to the side. But she pressed on.

"Fizz! Fizz! Get back here now, that is an order!" Winters was shouting, but she couldn't hear him.

He looked desperately for a minute before shouting "Provide covering fire for Fizz"

The men immediately obeyed.

Meanwhile, Fizz had reached the men, She realized one of them was Christenson

"Hey, Chris, look at me, your legs hit, but its not the artery, you can make it back okay" she said as she poured sulpha on the wound and bandaged it tightly while looking at More and seeing his stomach was hit.

"Chris, move, move, move" as she bandaged More's stomach and then started shuffling back holding More's webbing and heaving him back with her.

"For goodness sake will someone help Fizz, she's not that bloody strong" shouted Nix from his watching position.

With that order, Bill and Penk crawled towards her and keeping low and they helped drag More back. When they reached the trench Gene was there and took over for her. While she ran off when the "MEDIC" call sounded.

She ran over to where the call had sounded and found it was Gordon at the machine gun. While she was taking the shrapnel out of his shoulder and calf and treating them, she heard Nix say to Col Strayer,

"Sir, Dog and Fox company are falling back sir"

"Who gave that order damn it"

"MEDIC, MEDIC"

"Nix, I need you to finish wrapping that bandage for me"

She didn't even give him time to answer before she ran to the other end of the line and saw PFC Klinken wounded in the shoulder while trying to fire a grenade launcher.

"Hey Klink, hold pressure to that for me" she said as she dug around in her satchel for morphine. She opened a packet of sulpha with her teeth, poured it on the wound, bandaged, and gave morphine. It was like she had been doing it all her life.

As she looked up she saw Harry take Mcgrath to try and take out a tank, which they eventually did get, she smiled

"MEDIC, MEDIC, MEDIC"

"Damn it" She whispered as she ran to the next man, as she was running, she felt a pain go through her foot and she fell in a somersault onto the ground. She looked down at her ankle and saw blood pouring out, she wrapped a quick bandage around it and limped to where the shouts were.

Gene was there "Floss I've got this one" he shouted, she fell into a foxhole with Bull and Webster and watched as the Shermans finally came and destroyed the enemy tanks. They all cheered and she took a proper look at her ankle, Webster noticed all the blood and shouted "Medic! Fizz is injured" at that half the men in Easy came running, including Winters, Gene came flying in, scanning her then he noticed her ankle.

"Floss, take your hands off and let me see". After examining it he said to everyone "The bullets not come out, ive got to find it Floss" and without warning he started digging round the wound.

Well. She screamed. And since Dog and Fox company had come back, they all came to see what was happening to the young medic.

Speirs barged through, took one look, then turned round and started to talk to Winters.

"Got it" and all the men breathed a sigh of relief.

"Put sulpha on it for me Webster, while I get the bandage"

Soon enough she was standing, holding onto Ranney and McClung, trying to walk.

"See guys I'm fine" she said smiling. Although she grimaced every time she took a step, it was good enough assurance for the boys.

"Fizzy, come over here a second" Nix shouted

She obeyed and stood in front of Winters and Nix, Winters started by saying,

"Fizz, although I admire you very highly and trust you with my life. I need you to obey orders and not go hurling in to enemy fire, which we have seen you do quite a lot since we arrived 3 weeks ago". She put her head down as Nix continued,

"We all need you alive Fizzy, the boys and we couldn't handle it if you died or had to be sent away. So please, you may find it hard but don't put yourself in positions where your life is so easily endangered". With that Nix gave her a hug and Winters a pat and squeeze on the shoulder and they left her.

She walked back over to her boys and sat next to Muck,

"How you doing Skippy?"

"Holding up alright Floss, thanks for asking" he said smiling and put an arm round her shoulder.

Now that it was peaceful, Flo could feel the exhaustion creeping up on her, she closed her eyes and rested on Skips shoulder. All the men looked at their girl and felt proud. She was doing them proud.