The War Down Stricken Lane

Chapter 18: As Night Falls

His eyes propped open... the sounds of distant battles now filled the air. Will took a look around trying to recall what had happened, and where he was... he wanted to stand, but his leg was wrapped in a cast. He broke his leg? That's when it came back to him. He was within a German field hospital... he looked to his side where there was now an empty bed. Sometime earlier he eerily remembered a boy there side eying him with hate, that boy was now gone replaced with an empty bed. He looked the other way seeing a man in a grey uniform replacing what he remembered to be a sick woman... he was approached by a man he had a medic's armband sprawled with the Red Cross. He tried to speak up but he was answered with a raised finger before he could. "You are a pilot?" The German spoke with a strong accent, however in English. He stayed silent taken aback from the sudden question. The German spoke again "Are you?" He seemed quite serious about it. He finally answered "Y-yes? I am." He moved to a much more serious topic, "How many have you bombed?" Was he serious about this? "What?" He tried his best to dodge the question trying to seem clueless, "In those trenches, when you got here. How many?" It was clear he couldn't dodge the question, "Ten?? Maybe fifteen? I have no idea!" The medic looked behind him pausing for a bit, he looked back. His expression changed as to be a little angrier. "You don't realize it do you?" Will looked within his own confusion and ignorance "Realize what??" The medic looked downward eyes like daggers into his soul, "Those men had families, they had lives! It wasn't their choice to be here." Will understood... however he knew one thing... "They've killed people! Other men! They are evil!" The medic did not like that, "Every soldier kills! They're all human! You included... how many have your men killed?" Will scoffed... he refused to see it any other way. "That is a flaw. Something that you Americans don't find." The medic walked away to a group of men, leaving Will there alone...

It was dark... night had finally fallen, and as it did the rumbles of aircrafts began overhead. Tandy saw a chance to reach the other side of the building, but only him and three others could make it around the defenses safely. A spotlight continued to move around the courtyard. Tandy, Gerald, and another soldier hugged the side of the building trying to make it across to the side near the creek. "Almost there..." Tandy whispered. The darkness and the bombings were unnerving at most as they turned the corner. "Right we should be clear. let's speed this up!" The small slot between the creek and the building allowed them to move freely... that side was dark except for the ambient orange glow from the now distant fires sparking up. They walked quietly guns now drawn. They began walking by windows, they each had bars on them, and were embedded in the lower part of the building. Gerald spoke, "What about this one." Tandy looked back, "No." "That one?" It was only the next one over, "Probably not." "What about that one?" Tandy in his valor of stress began to snap a little "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Suddenly a voice spoke from one of the windows behind, "Pssst over here!!" Tandy looked behind him... seeing someone peeking through the bars. He rushed over and tried to see their face. "Tandy! It's me!" Tandy could tell by the voice, "Sir? It's you! We've gotta get you outta there!" Theodore shushed him, "You won't be able to get me out from out there without any tools." A yelling from the distance, "Jemand ist hier drüben!" The other soldier speaks "Uhh... sir, someone is coming." Tandy was still talking to Theodore, "Not now  Jim!" "Sir!!" He was around his snapping point, "Not now!" Suddenly then "SIR!!" Tandy snapped, he was this close to getting Theodore out. "Goddammit Jimmy!!" Suddenly another yell rung out... it wasn't from them. "Wir haben hier Feinde!" It didn't sound friendly "Shit... come on we need to fall back!" Suddenly a rumble appeared from where they came like an engine that just started. "Other way! Other way!" The three men point their weapons as they run for it. Five grey uniforms suddenly punch against them. "Shit!" Gerald aimed and fired... he was now a target. Fire was exchanged back as a firefight began, "Dammit we are outnumbered!! We need to fall back!" The rumbling behind began to drown out the gunfire. The metallic body of a tank begins to roll through threatening to flatten all in their way. "Goddammit!! Into the creek! Go go!!" Tandy yelled, Gerald and Jim went knee deep into the creek with Tandy following, several yells from the Germans were heard as the tank continued to roll. "HALT HALT!  STOPPEN SIE DEN PANZER!!" A subtle sound of screams continued before the engine finally quieted. Now deep within a small wooded part of the creek the three men looked around checking their surroundings, "Is everyone ok?" Gerald answered, "Yes sir!" Tandy in the chaos lost track of their position. Ahead was a few buildings it wasn't the capital building yet it was the buildings that was across the creek from it. "We should head there to lay low. Germans will be looking for us around the capital building." Gerald exclaimed, "But what about our boys?" Tandy looked back, "They'll be fine. They can hold their own." He sure did hope his words were true.