All Alice did when the shelling started was sit by the radio op with Nixon and Dick. It sounded like 88s. A lot of 88s. They weren't shelling the Battalion CP, though, so that meant they were shelling someplace else. And given Easy's proximity to Foy, they were the most likely target.

With every explosion, they flinched. It sounded like firecrackers but a hundred times louder. Two contradictory thoughts filled her mind. On the one hand, she thanked God that she'd come back to the CP an hour ago. On the other, she wished she could've brought the others back as well and felt guilty leaving them.

The shelling stopped after about eight minutes. At first she welcomed the silence. She thanked the Lord for it. But then she realized that meant they'd either hit their target, or decided to let the men settle back down. Both thoughts made her sick.

It didn't take long for the reports to come in. Dick took the phone from the sergeant operating the radio. Alice thought she could make out Perconte on the other end. But she couldn't catch what was said. When Dick hung up the phone, he had them follow.

"Easy was hit head on, and some of Dog as well. Don't know how many casualties." He turned to Alice. "Go help Battalion Aid. I want them ready for anything."

She didn't wait to hear his instructions for Nixon or the others at the CP. Dashing off through the CP, she dodged several enlisted men on her way down the road. The new Battalion Aid, set up after the roads reopened and the siege broke, lay not far beyond the command post.

Her thoughts immediately went to Gene and Spina. Both of them were far too self sacrificing for their own good. She just knew they'd have been running around out of holes as soon as they could. Maybe too soon.

"Lieutenant," Alice started. She skidded to a halt at the Battalion Aid station. They had a couple of tents, two doctors, and a handful of medics. The main doctor, Lieutenant Salvatore, looked up at her. "What can I help with? Captain Winters sent me."

"We've got two coming in right now. Serious injuries," he told her. "We'll need to stabilize them. They're from Easy," he added. "You worked with Easy, right?"

Her heart stopped. "Yes."

"Talk to them, then. Keep them calm. We've got enough medics here for now," he told her. Salvatore looked at her carefully. He frowned. Turning away, he hurried to get gloves on.

Alice went into the closest tent. She needed to keep busy. No point in getting terrified over speculation. For all she knew, it was just a couple of the replacements.

Suddenly she felt sick again. How the hell she could've had such a thought disturbed her. No. Regardless of who'd been hit, they had as much right to her comfort and hope as the men she was closest with. She sat down on a wooden bench. Head in her hands, hunched over her knees, Alice tried to breathe. Just breathe, and not think.

A few minutes later, her heart sank even further. The flap of the tent opened. She shot up. Gene stood, helmet at his side. On the one hand, the sight of the medic had her ecstatic. On the other, she knew him well enough to know that his drawn expression meant trouble.

"Cherie-" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Toye and Guarnere got hit bad. The Doc's stabilizing them. Nothin' much they can do here. They need the field hospital." He frowned again. "As soon as Bill is stable, I talked to Lieutenant Salvatore. You can have a few minutes with him. Then with Joe. I'll be in here though."

In the span of about five seconds, the time it took for Gene to say their names, Alice felt her entire world flip. Her stomach turned over. All the wind got knocked out of her chest. She felt heat radiating through her, an odd sensation, and her head began to hurt a little.

"Alice, breathe." Gene moved to her immediately.

She felt his hands on either side of her body, gripping her arms tight. He told her to breathe again, and she realized she hadn't in quite a while. With a shaky breath, she got her oxygen going. So many thoughts raced through her mind. She couldn't think, couldn't talk. She understood his words, but she couldn't comprehend them.

"Gene. Survivront-ils?" she finally asked. Her tears hadn't started yet, but she shook like a leaf. She could feel it. "Or-"

"Je sais pas, cherie. Je sais pas." He shook his head. Slowly he took his hands away from her arms. "I hope though. They should, if they get stabilized here and moved down the line. Heyliger got hit pretty bad, an' he's doin' ok."

The flap opened again. Stepping to the side, Gene turned to look the same as she did. Two medics carried a litter in. For a horrible moment, Alice nearly turned away. But she couldn't. Not for the two men who had become brothers. She'd watched while Marc had been shot in the head. She could, she would, stay with Joe and Bill for what little time she had.

Alice could see the struggle on Bill's face as he tried not to show any pain. Gene moved over to him, talking quietly, reassuringly. Alice loved when he dropped the formalities with the men. Seeing him call his friend Bill instead of Sergeant Guarnere reminded her just how much Gene really did care, but worried about showing. Somehow, in that moment, for the briefest second, her despair subsided.

"Hey sweetheart."

At his words, it came right back. Another wave of shock and horror and panic hit her like a physical force. And that's when the tears started. Even all her practice, all her self control that she'd developed over the past four years of being surrounded by men who expected it of her, Alice could not contain them then.

"I told Joe he ain't gonna beat me home," he started joking, "naturally I had to go and get hit with 'im."

"So damn competitive," Alice said, choking on her tears briefly. She wiped them away as best she could. But the tears wouldn't stop. "Goddamn it. Fuck."

Bill actually managed to laugh. That made her open her eyes again. She took in everything. He looked paler than normal, making his hair stand out even more. The right pant leg had been cut at the thigh and white bandages applied to what was left. They were stained pink in several areas. His ODs, covered in blood and dirt, looked a mess. But he still flashed her a smile when she looked at him.

"You better fucking write me," she sputtered out, crouching next to the litter. It bugged her a bit, more than it should've maybe, that she couldn't stop her tears. They'd never seen her really cry. She'd made sure of that, even after all their time in combat. But this, this she couldn't control. "Damn it, you better."

"Yeah well you better win this fuckin' war. Go back to Germany or somethin'." He shivered on the litter. Blinking a few times, he sighed. "Think the goddamn morphine's finally kicking in. Better come visit Philly when all this is over, yeah?"

Alice laughed a little through her tears. "Yeah. Yeah definitely."

"Babe'll bring yah." He nodded, though his head stayed on the stretcher. "Hey, sweetheart?"

"Yeah?"

"Since nobody's here but Doc, could I get a kiss?"

Alice and Gene both started laughing. Before she could respond, Gene walked to the other side and picked up his hand to check his pulse. "Might get a little too excited with that one, Guarnere."

"If I'm gonna die, I wan' a kiss."

"You ain't gonna die, Sergeant," Gene told him firmly. He laid his arm back on the litter. "Not unless someone murders you for gettin' a kiss from her."

Alice just laughed again, shaking her head. While Gene ducked out of the tent for a moment, she turned back "How about this." She stood up and planted one on his forehead. "A kiss for good luck. That's the best you're getting."

"Fine."

When Gene came back in, he frowned. "Sorry to break this up, but Bill we've gotta move you to the field hospital. First stop is Bastogne and then from there, we'll get you to England."

He nodded. "Joe?"

"He's ok. But the drugs already knocked him out." He looked at Alice. "I'm sorry."

She felt her throat constrict but nodded. "Fine. Bill, you tell him the same thing I told you. Better write me." She closed her eyes again and shook her head, trying to stop her tears. Her breathing came in heaves as she knelt beside him and grabbed his hand. "Scheisse. I love you so much. You have to write me. And you have to tell Joe that too, and yell at him for getting hit because I fucking told him to be careful."

He didn't say anything back, but he gripped her hand tighter. After a few moments, she pulled her other hand away from her face. She looked at him. Nothing needed to be said. She knew the feeling was mutual, even if he couldn't articulate it.

"We need to move him," Gene said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, cherie."

But she knew he was right. For Bill's sake, and for Joe's. It took another moment before she was able to release his hand. But when she did, he nodded at her.

"Go win this fuckin' war, sweetheart."

Gene leaned out of the tent and moments later, two corporals came in and grabbed the litter. She watched him go. As soon as he'd turned away, she saw his whole body seem to deflate. Her emotions did the same. Left in the tent, silent, with just Gene at her side, she felt completely and totally exhausted. Gene must've noticed because he turned to her immediately.

"Woah, ok. Let's get you back to Battalion."

She just nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. The terror had turned to numbness. Instead of shock, she felt empty. Alice's felt her brain just stop. With Gene at her side, guiding her down the road, Alice stayed silent. When she told her to go lay down, she didn't protest. The foxhole became her safe house.

Author's Note:

Well.

I cried at three separate instances writing these not-quite-1800 words. I am beyond sad to not be able to write Joe and Bill anymore, at least in person. We'll probably see them pop up in a few letters way down the line.

So. Yeah now I'm sad.

Thanks for reading, guys. Love you to bits.