A Company of Heroes

Operation Market Garden Part 2

"Oh, and sir? Randleman and Murphy are missing."

They had to leave Randleman and Donnie behind. Nobody wanted to do it even Winters didn't want to do it, but they had no choice but to retreat.

The men had never retreated before. It was strange to them ever since the Allies started kicking the German Army out of North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Normandy landings they were filled with such morale and were ready to keep pushing the Germans back into the Rhine and directly to Berlin.

Their range of expressions showed their shock, their willingness to turn tail and haul ass out of Neunen; some of them looked back out to Neunen and only saw smoke rising in the air. For the first time, Easy Company had failed to protect people and it hurt them as the trucks drove them away.

For Easy Company what really had shaken them to the core was the realisation that Donnie and Randleman weren't on the trucks with them as they retreated. Lipton and Martin were taking it hard as they treated the two like they were brothers, Lipton didn't even know if Donnie was even alive and didn't want to tell Betty that he was missing in action doing what he did best. Going above and beyond for his friends' safety and for his country.

Earlier that day

Donnie was running.

He was dodging the Germans and tearing them a new asshole making sure they didn't overrun his friends.

He had just destroyed a tank that had outflanked his buddies and made sure no further damage was caused. Soon he heard out shouting from Martin as he jumped into the trench next to him, "MOVE IT!! COME ON! WE ARE LEAVING!" as Murphy reloaded and continued firing as Martin patted him on the shoulder saying, "Donnie, we gotta move" "You go I'll cover you" "The hell you're staying behind" a mortar shell hit a mile close to them as Donnie then said, "I'm not arguing, Johnny go now that's an order" Martin wasn't budging as he said, "What about Betty, Don, you gonna leave her behind. What about your family?" "I'll find my way back to you boys. Get them the hell outta here. GO!!" Martin reluctantly retreated as Donnie then muttered, "Come on you Kraut bastards let's do this" as he began firing on the Germans spraying his weapon knocking them down like bowling pins as he moved on his right flank seeing Roy Cobb crouched in a corner of a wall.

"Cobb get moving I'll cover you go" as he continued firing as he looked behind him seeing Cobb retreat. Suddenly a bullet then struck Donnie in his right shoulder as he cried out in pain as 3 German soldiers moved towards him as he killed one, kicked one into a tree and shot the last one with his sidearm (M1911) as he began retreating while shooting. Bull who was looking up from his hiding spot saw the bravery that Donnie displayed saw how much he was willing to go for his comrades...

But he was unable to finish his thought. As a sudden BOOM!! rang out and Donnie who was moving towards the destroyed Sherman tank soon got knocked out by explosion as shrapnel penetrated the young paratrooper in his left thigh, the shoulder and some burn wounds on his left arm as he was flung aside the road like a rag as his head collided with the road leaving Randleman in fear that his friend was badly hurt. He got out of his hiding spot checking his surroundings picking up Donnie's Thompson and sidearms (M1911 and '38 Fitz Special) as he dragged him towards his hiding place and checked for any pulses or a heartbeat he couldn't feel a heartbeat nor a pulse on his arm which had made him panic as he then checked his neck for a pulse finding a faint one which he found was a huge relief.

Knowing how lucky he was that Donnie was alive and kicking. He wasn't too sure how anybody or himself would feel if Donnie had died, hell he didn't want to be the one to break the news to Betty or his family that their family member was not coming home from the war alive.