Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ７ － Ｈｅｄｇｅ】

Chapter 7 - Hedge

It had started to rain.

Genesis thought she'd left the rain behind in England.

She didn't like how the rain dripped off her helmet and into her eyes.

Ugh and it was fine rain too! They were soaked and cold.

"Hey Luz, how far're we goin'?"

Christ, the yanks couldn't go five minutes without complaining could they? It was like they'd never lived in a house that leaked in the winter to the point that you had to scrub the house constantly or it would actually go mouldy and pneumonia was a constant threat.

Actually,

they probably hadn't.

"Oh Jesus Christ, I don't know, Frank. Until they tell us to stop?"

"High ground. There's high ground up ahead."

"Ok genius," Frank's tone made Florence have to hide a smile. She bit her lip so hard she could add it to the list of things that hurt. "Why is Easy company the only company who's either at the front of an advance or, like now, exposed at the edge of the line?"

"To keep you on your toes."

Florence was damp, and frustrated, and the current conversation was fast growing wearing.

"No. That's not what I'm saying," did he ever shut up? "I'm saying we're never in the middle and we're the fifth of nine companies, Able through Item. Think about it."

"You see there, you see-"

Shots. Fuck. Everyone dropped.

The hedgerow, they needed to get to th-

Someone in front of her fell. He would not be making it to tomorrow. But there was not the time to stop, for she herself was not yet at the hedge. She risked standing and making a break for it.

She could see across the field, another hedgerow, dotted with flashes. The enemy.

The shooting held up for a little while, but once the Americans were in the hedge, they were relatively safe and they lost few.

That night, they sat in wet muddy holes in the ground that were in danger of becoming ponds. Apparently they were called "foxholes", which Genesis thought was stupid.

The Germans were sitting across the field, probably also in wet muddy holes in the ground, but they were singing. Had she really cared enough she could've tried to listen to what they were singing about. But alas, she had no fucks to give. The only reason she could come up with for the singing was that they were singing rain rain go away. That made her smile a little as she remembered chanting it herself age 5 or 6 in her early years of primary school. That was a long time ago.

Honestly? Florence had no idea who was in the muddy hole with her. She didn't want to move to see or to ask, instead focussing on how AWFUL WET PANTS ARE! The last time she had utterly soaked underwear was...when her dad pushed her in the river. She had definitely deserved it, but it saddened her when she realised she couldn't remember why she'd deserved to be pushed in her river. Florence had returned home freezing and her dad laughing at her until faced with his wife, where he looked quite sheepish.

However, she was glad for the boots. They were the most waterproof shoes she'd worn in so long. There was no way her old wellies would fit now, and even if they did, they were by the door, at home, in Gloucestershire – England, not in Normandy.

At least her feet weren't wet too.

It could be worse.

More sound joined the German singing. Cries. American ones. Someone was hurt and calling for a medic. It made Florence jump, and splash just a little. The man beside her looked at her for a minute, before murmuring about going to check out the noise. Florence could only nod.

Someone came round, from foxhole to foxhole, letting people know they'd assault at 0530 if the Germans didn't first.

Her neighbour came back. Christenson, she thought.

"Everything ok?"

"Smith stuck Tab with a bayonet."

The noise made sense, and she swallowed nervously.

"He...Is he going to be alright?"

Christenson nodded.

"Doc said he just needs time t' recover. He'll be back on the line in no time."

Florence didn't even know the man. And yet, here she was, in a hole in a hedge in Normandy, caring about his wellbeing. She'd never met him for Christ's sake. Genesis was practically screaming in the back of her head, and she allowed her head to loll back and hit the mud with a muted splat.

Ow.

Oh. Yes. Nasty concussion.

_

Got any guesses for her real name? Please no spoilers if you already know. But I'd love to hear what you think she's called xx