Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ７９ － Ｄｒａｍａｔｉｃ】

Chapter 79 - Dramatic

The Bois Jaques had been okay so far. Everyone was up and moving, and therefore somewhat warmer than they had been in the Ardennes. Easy Company had been sent there to clear the woods around the town of Foy – Peggy got laughed at for pronouncing it correctly. The advance itself was met with little resistance, only a few casualties.

The event of the day had been Hoob's run-in with the German on horseback.

And though it was interesting, hearing him tell the tale over and over was not. That reminded her, she had something for Doc.

So when Gene came by, she called to him.

"Hey, Gene! I got something for you!" He came over, and she fished around in her pockets. "Take my aid kit. I know we aren't exactly short on stuff now, but what if you run out before-"

"No no, y'keep that."

"Gene, I already have a first aid kit. I don't need the army issue one, you do," she replied, exasperated.

Gingerly, he took it from her outstretched hands and opened it.

It was full, complete, maybe even with a few extra syrettes jammed in there.

"Dieu! Tu es incroyable!" He gripped her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Mon hèros!" And then he scampered off.

Right before they'd moved into Bastogne, she'd given the medics the kit she'd picked up at the ammo dump, and her own and they'd given similar responses. It was nice. Made her feel a bit fuzzy inside. When General Patton had "rescued" them, supplies were much easier to come by and she'd got her hands on another aid kit.

"Hey doll, what's got you smilin' like that?"

A little dazed, she wandered over to Bill and a few of the other guys with a stupid grin on her face.

"I'm Gene's hero."

"Anyone ever tell ya how adorable ya are?"

He kept doing that, making her all shy so she looked at her boots as she scuffed the toe of one on the ground.

"Leave the poor girl alone!"

No one except Bill could remember seeing her so shy. She was always confident, usually over confident.

Luz put an arm around her shoulder and asked if she was alright. Peggy looked up from the ground to his face, and smiled a shy little beam of a smile. Nodding, she let him guide her into the little circle. He'd been doing Dike impressions apparently.

Bill put his arm around her waist and grinned when she shuffled a little closer.

Things were pretty good, all things considere-

Bang!

Everyone dropped to the ground, waiting to see, to hear.

Cries for a medic echoed through the trees.

There was no more gun fire.

Peggy felt sick, something was wrong. It was stupid, she shouldn't have.

But she shot up and was sprinting towards where the cries for a medic had come from. She ignored the calls for her to come back.

A body was being loaded onto a jeep.

A body.

Oh god.

"What happened?!"

Too many solemn faces.

Lip stood and took her aside, saying he needed to go to CP.