Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ８０ － Ｅｎｄ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ Ｗｏｒｌｄ】

Chapter 80 - End of the World

That afternoon, most of the Company trudged back to their old position, though some stayed in the Bois Jacques. They were attached to D, holding the line.

Even Peggy had heard the rumours about Captain Ronald Speirs. She'd just never met him. Therefore she could not form an opinion on him. The stories were bad though, and she wasn't sure she wanted to meet him. Genesis might. Peggy didn't.

But they'd returned to their old positions by late afternoon, and she forgot what she had been thinking about on the way over.

It was very different to how they'd left it.

Bleaker.

The Germans had shelled that position whilst Easy was in the Bois Jacques, there were exploded trees everywhere.

"You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me! Someone's gonna die, someone's gonna fuckin' die!" Toye's outburst made her jump, and whirl round to see what had caused it. "Guarno look at this shit! Those 1st Battalion fuckers took a dump in my foxhole!"

Peggy wrinkled her nose, that was not fun.

"Think they shit in everyone's foxhole Joe. I don't think they wanted to spend much time above ground."

She felt physically sick, not only would she find human faeces in the hole she shared with Bill, but it looked like they were in for a rough time. The peace she'd found in the Bois Jacques was not going to stay with her in the Ardennes. She could see Foy, see enemy troops running around. They could probably see her if she stayed long enough. It made sense for Light and Noise Discipline to be called.

Lip was helping gather branches to reinforce the covers of foxholes, and had actually been with Peggy, Bill and Malark when the most awful barrage began. She'd never been so scared, and as they cowered, she shrank into Bill but also squeezed Malarkey's hand tight. His grip on her hand was almost crushing. The explosions were the loudest sounds she'd ever heard and as the ground shook continuously, Peggy feared she might be shaken out of the foxhole. Though this was not physically possible, she was still terrified she'd be caught out in the open. She couldn't hear anything, anyone.

With her eyes screwed shut, she'd hoped that maybe she could just wake up. That this was all a terrible dream. But the hot tears sliding down her face and how tightly Bill held her to him showed her that this was their reality. This was real.

Maybe she was shaking in fear.

No one would notice with how the very earth quaked. Not even her.

Her ears hurt, and as she cried, she felt her eardrums might burst if a blast came any closer to their foxhole.

This fear was all consuming, and she was sure that the others could feel her fear rolling off of her, but she couldn't do anything to manage it – not even for their sake.

When the quiet came, Peggy didn't hear it at first, still shaking, still crying, still squeezing as she heard the blasts continue in her head.

"Maybe we should see if anyone's hit?"

With a final squeeze, Malarkey released her hand, and Bill began to shift so that she and him were upright again.

"Nah, Malark, that's what they want, to draw us out."

Peggy didn't want to move. Couldn't move. She didn't want to go out there. Didn't want to be caught out in the open. No.

Somewhere in the silence there was a voice. Not Lipton telling them to stay. Someone else.