Pitschen ma en gamba - Small, but powerful [A Band of Brothers Story]

Bastogne

They were under mortar fire once again. Ella was barrelling through the snow, following Skinny's screams for a medic. She reared back as the treetops above her were hit. The branches shattered with a loud crack, splinters of bark and wood raining down on her. Thankfully, her helmet and jacket deflected what shrapnel flew her way.

Luckily, the medic had good aim as she jumped into the foxhole with Skinny and Perconte, otherwise she might have hit the wounded man, possibly aggravating the grisly injury even more.

Sharp splinters had embedded themselves in his lower leg, sticking out like spear heads. Skinny's hands were shaking and it was all he could do to keep them away from his bleeding shin.

"It's okay, Skinny, you're doing great", the girl assured him, grabbing her satchel. He replied something that was drowned out by the shelling.

Glancing at Perconte, she asked: "Frank, you getting a jeep?"

He nodded, fiddling with the radio controls. "I'm on it."

Gene came to a sliding stop next to them. Neither medic hesitated for even a second, they immediately jumped into action. Gene cut away the fabric of Skinny's trouser leg while Ella got sulfa and a bandage ready.

"Look at my leg", Skinny moaned.

"Bear with me", Gene spoke softly, "bear with me."

He held the leg, immobilising it so his friend could treat the wounds. Next to them, Perconte yelled into his radio. "Get it moving god damnit, we need it now!", he snapped at whatever HQ radio operator he had on the line.

Ella was sprinkling sulfa onto the countless bleeding wounds, not even noticing the blood flowing over her fingers anymore. After all these months in the field, it was actually something of a rarity to see Easy's medics without red-tinged hands. Skinny hissed and gasped in pain. "It's okay, Sisk", Gene soothed, "ain't that bad."

"Ain't that bad?", the wounded man repeated breathlessly, staring at his mangled leg.

***

Another shell zoomed overhead as the girl prepared to apply the bandage. Gene raised his head to look if somebody got hit. When no cries for a medic rang out, he returned his focus to the patient in front of him.

Skinny let out a guttural sound as Ella pulled the straps of the bandage tight. "I know I know", she said, a small apology in her voice. Gene fumbled a syrette from his pocket.

"No, Doc, save the morphine! I can make it", Skinny interrupted. "I can make it, save it."

Gene nodded and put it away again. "Alright, let's get him outta here", he said.

The two medics both clutched a fistful of his webbing and hauled him out of the foxhole. Perco scrambled after them to help. He and Gene lifted Skinny in a more or less upright position, Ella close behind them. "Gene, we gotta get supplies!", she called as they ran towards the rear, hopefully towards the jeep.

"Yeah", he grunted before cursing: "Where's the goddamn jeep?!"

"I don't know, but I hear it", Frank panted.

The ground bucked and Perconte slipped. The sudden weight change made Gene lose his balance and they went down, Skinny falling on top of them. He threw his head back, an agonised scream tearing from his throat. Ella had jumped aside to avoid getting knocked over as well and was already by his side.

"Argh! Jesus Christ!", Skinny ground out through clenched teeth. The brunette crouched behind him and helped him into a sitting position, Gene and Frank wiggling free. Perconte looked down himself and complained: "Ah, Skinny, you got blood all over my trousers."