I was one of five women chosen to serve our country, fighting side by side with the men, and only some of us had come home. Being surrounded by friends and enemies, having to choose who you can save, who you can love, and how to survive is something...
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I woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly well-rested for the first time in quite a while. I wondered if it was because I shared so much with Bull the night before. I got up and left the building I slept in. Stepping outside into the chilly morning air, one of the residents handed me a small hot breakfast. I thanked them before sitting on the steps of the house. As I began to eat, I scanned the courtyard and my eyes caught Bull's gaze across the way. He smiled, nodding at me. I returned the gesture, feeling a closer bond with him - much like one would with a sibling. I hadn't felt that way in a long while - not since the girls.
"Where've you been, Emmeline?" Webster's voice, laced with worry, cut through the silent morning as he stood beside me.
Startled, I jumped slightly from his sudden appearance. "Oh! Web..." I glanced up at him, wide-eyed, "you scared me."
He sat next to me on the stone steps, looking me over. "Where've you been all night?" he asked again. His eyes studied me, perhaps looking for any obvious wounds that would have caused me to disappear for a while.
"I checked on Randleman at the aid station," I admitted. "Then I guess I fell asleep." I glanced over to him, shrugging innocently. He eyed me, expecting me elaborate but sighed, letting it go when it was obvious I wouldn't.
It wasn't long before word reached us regarding our new orders. The Dutch Resistance warned Battalion earlier in the evening about a planned Panzer attack set for Uden. Battalion decided to split our Company - sending a smaller group to Uden to defend the town, while the rest of us would hunker down in Veghel. Winters split the groups and ordered everyone to move out but didn't tell us yet which town we would be heading toward.
As we headed towards our destination, Webster muttered, "I wonder if D and F Companies will help or just sit behind us while we do all the work."
I lifted my head at the mention of Dog and Fox Companies joining us behind the lines at Veghel. "They're coming?"
Webster nodded. "Yeah, they're going to be showing up after us, most likely. The Dutch Resistance said the attack is supposed to happen in Uden, so be thankful, if we aren't sent there."
I didn't know what to think about our situation or which city I preferred to be in - Veghel or Uden. I wondered if the reason I struggled to pick where I hoped to be sent had anything to do with Dog Company being in one of those locations.
When we neared the highway that stretched between the two towns, the two predetermined groups separated - one heading onward toward Uden and the other, to Veghel. Winters and Nixon took a small group of men forward toward Uden, while the rest of us headed to Veghel. Webster was happy to hear he was going to be out of the fight this time around.
Walking into Veghel, we were greeted by Dog and Fox Companies. A couple of Dog Company men saw me. They smiled and briefly waved at me. Feeling slightly awkward, I hesitated to return the gesture but eventually, I gave them a polite nod in their direction as I passed by.
