Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ５８ － Ｐｅｇａｓｕｓ】

Chapter 58 - Pegasus

Three trips.

Apparently it would only take three trips.

If there really were 140 soldiers from the British 1st Airborne Division, that would mean each trip would carry 46, 47 and 47 respectively. With 6 boats, that was about 8 Brits per boat per trip, a bit of a squeeze but doable as long as no one rocked the boats too much.

It could be done.

But they'd have to be quick and quiet and not mess this up or they'd all be dead or captured.

Easy Company, not including Buck Compton because he was in hospital after Market Garden, the Engineers and Colonel Dobie were on the south side of the Rhine just before 0100, 1am, on the 23rd of October.

Now they were waiting. Waiting for the signal – V for Victory in front of a red torch beam. But they didn't wait long. Because there it was, and so the boats were in the river and they were rowing across. Once on the other side, the boats were secured, and a perimeter set up whilst Dobie went off to find those that they were rescuing.

It was a tense 20, Margaret checked her watch for the fourth time, 20 minutes. But it seemed the Krauts didn't know where they were, as the sporadic machine gun fire and mortar rounds was nowhere near their position. As she waited, scanning the world around her and flinching at every loud noise, Margaret reminded herself over and over that this would go well. They were prepared.

The fifth time she checked her watch she remembered something.

It was the 23rd. Of October. 1944.

Margaret Eloise Watkins was 24 today, and no one knew. Just her. When this was over, Operation Pegasus that was, Margaret wondered whether or not she'd tell someone. Probably not, she didn't want to make herself the centre of attention. It was the way her training made her, stay as much in the background as you can, observe, step in when you need to. It was harder to stay in the background now that she had friends...a loud family that continuously brought her out of herself and out into the light.

Maybe she'd tell someone.

It would certainly be nice for someone to wish her a happy birthday. It had been...8, maybe even 9 years. Honestly, she'd stopped counting how many birthdays she'd spent alone.

But who would she tell?

Certainly not Luz. He'd start loudly singing Happy Birthday and if he thought he could, get the whole bloody regiment singing along.

Maybe Bull, maybe Martin. They'd be able to keep it quiet.

Doc Roe, Gene, would certainly smile his angel's smile at her.

Who knows what Muck and the rest of his trio would do. They still hadn't had an opportunity to celebrate her earning her wings. She hoped they'd get a chance to do that soon.

Bill Guarnere would start loudly congratulating her and then hurriedly apologise and go quiet, she was sure of it.

Toye would wish her happy birthday quietly, so would Grant, and Talbert - but he'd spin her round as he did.

Liebgott would say it just a bit too loud, on purpose.

Captain Nixon would offer her whiskey, and if he thought he could get away with it, try and get her drunk.

There were so many people. So many people she could tell, and every single one she was sure she knew how they'd react.

Colonel Dobie ran past. It was the little draught he left in his wake that pulled her from her head. It fluttered across her face and made her blink a few times.

The mortar rounds didn't make her jump anymore.

When she looked down the line in the direction Dobie had gone, she saw two others with him.

That couldn't be it, could it? Surely not. They were meant to be retrieving 140, not 2.

Others shared similar sentiments, were vocal about them. But not too loud. Just a dull murmur.

A rustle made her clutch her rifle all the more tightly. But it was ok. Out from the bushes in front of them came a line of red berets. They crouched in front of the American Paratroopers, mirroring their stance so as not to be seen by the enemy.

It was dark, so all the faces were in shadow.

But there was one.

One, just to the left of the man before her.

In fact, there was one person in between the guy in front of her and him.

No.

It couldn't be.

But she was sure of it.

"Ripley?!"

_

And this was why I was excited to share this lil arc with you xx