Women of War - A Band of Brothers Story

"Rescued"

A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I was too busy enjoying the peace and quiet at home - and the lovely weather.

I have some bad news, unfortunately: In the foreseeable future, I won't be able to post new chapters with any sort of regularity. My weekends are already chock-full until mid-April and with my new work hours, I can't get that much writing done during the week either.

So, until May at least, updates will be irregular and, sadly, infrequent. I am really sorry and I hope you're not too disappointed. I want the chapters I upload to be good, not some hastily written jumble of words. Please understand that I will still try my hardest to write and edit as much as time allows. Again, I'm really sorry, I know how frustrating it is to wait for a writer to update a story you're hooked on...

As an apology, this chapter is slightly bigger than the others.

The days in the Bois Jacques continued in a blur of snow and mortars. Illness persisted and only a handful of people had yet to develop a cough, sore throat or blocked nose. Frances' improvised heaters helped prevent some of the more serious cases from turning any worse, but the medics still worked non-stop.

Treating the wounded after barrages and the occasional firefight, handling ailments such as trench foot and UTIs that were running rampant, trying to fill the hole resulting from Catherine being out of commission. They were burning the candle at both ends, running on two hours of sleep or less. Their faces held a constant grey tinge of sheer exhaustion.

Which was why Spina nearly cried when word reached them that General Patton and his Third Army had broken through the German lines on 26 December.

"Did you hear that?", he asked, giving Mia's arm a shake in his excitement. "We're not surrounded anymore!"

Mia nodded, a small smile that didn't reach her eyes gracing her features. "I heard." She shuffled from one foot to the other and scrubbed a sleeve-covered hand down her face. "They came to rescue us", she quoted.

Spina snorted. The surrounded troopers vehemently resented the notion that they needed rescuing. In their eyes, they didn't need rescuing, they just needed more personnel and supplies.

"All I care about", he said, "is that they broke through, the supply lines are gonna get restored and the wounded evacuated to the rear. I don't care about the whole heroics shit."

That proclamation coaxed another, slightly brighter smile from the young woman. "I don't either", she agreed. "I'll go and see if they have supplies for us."

She turned to leave, but found her path blocked by a certain blonde sniper. "You are not going anywhere before you've had some food", Louise decided.

"Louise-", Mia began, but her aborted protest was summarily ignored as a hand landed on her shoulder while a bowl of something was shoved into her hands.

"Eat", the Brit ordered.

Blue eyes searched her face for a brief moment before they dropped to the warm contents of the bowl. "I'll eat on the way." She scooped a spoonful into her mouth. "I must find the Third Army's supply officer."

Louise shook her head. "They won't disappear into thin air within the next ten minutes", she said, her words interspersed with coughs. "So you might as well eat now and find them later." She released her friend's shoulder now that she was satisfied that the other woman wasn't going to slip away without eating.

Recognising that there was no deterring Louise when she'd put her mind to something, Mia let herself be led over to the improvised mess tent.