Into The Unknown

"Come on Floss, try it" Malarky laughed shoving his forkful of escargot at Flo.

Flo shook her head smiling but leaning back from the fork. She leaned so far back in her chair it fell, she gave a small yelp and then lay on the ground laughing with happy tears rolling down her cheeks. Hoobler laughing along helped her up, while Joe pushed Malarky over in his chair for payback. "When we get home, I'm gonna bring my future wife to Paris and propose in front of the Eiffel tower" Penkala said happily as the sauce from his fish rolled down his chin, which lieb slapped his napkin at to wipe it. "Floss, do you think she would like that, or is it too obvious?" Penk asked while wiping his chin. All the boys looked at her as thought about it, she then replied "Well it would be very nice and very romantic, but for me I would like something more personal. But once you get to know your girl Penk, you'll know what she likes" Flo smiled as he nodded and went back to eating.

Babe looked up from his paper and said "The battle of the bulge isn't going well apparently, reckon that will be where we get moved to when we go back?", Flo thought he looked rather terrified. She looked at the other men and stared at them to say 'Don't make him more scared than he is already, let him enjoy his time here'. They all gave a look of recognition and Lip replied to him" We have no idea where we'll be sent, no point speculating at the moment Babe".

"Yeah now shut up and eat your frogs legs" Luz says and with that the tension was diffused and for a second it felt like they were back in Toccoa.

***

Flo walked around Paris with Chuck looking for presents for her sister and parents. They walked into a cute little shop and started trying to find the perfect gifts. Chuck held up a little China hot air balloon and asked whether Libby would like it.

Flo smiled at him and nodded "I think anything you got her she would love Chucky". He rolled his eyes but smiled and took it to the counter. She looked round but nothing tempted her, in the end she just brought a postcard for her family.

On their way back to the hotel, Chuck insisted on buying Flo some macaroons. "But Chucky I don't want you to waste any money on me" she sighed as he kept walking to the patisserie. "No Floss, on our way you were talking about them, so I am making sure you have them" he said with determination. Flo rolled her eyes but stood against the wall outside the bakery and watched a little boy sat on the street waiting for his mum to come out of the grocers. He looked thin and pale, 'the war really hasn't left anybody untouched' she was thinking, so many children had been robbed of their childhoods, and for what? One man's greed. With these thoughts her blood began to boil, she tried to stay calm but gazing at the little boy playing with his toy train she found it hard not to burst into tears.

When Chuck came out he could see she was distracted, but he knew she would tell him what was wrong in her own time. He handed her a box that held 3 macaroons and took a chocolate one out and made her eat it. She smiled as she chewed and said "Thank you, I haven't had chocolate for a while". Chuck nodded and smiled as well and went on eating his macaroons, as they began to walk again Flo walked over to the little boy and gave him the rest of her treat. He looked up at her surprised and simply asked "Pourquoi?" (why). To which she smiled softly and replied "Parce que tu le mérites" (because you deserve it).

Then she walked away.

***

Luz was really starting to grate on her nerves. They were back in Holland and  she was sat with her head resting on Joe's shoulder and her feet on Lips lap watching a film in a makeshift cinema and all she could hear was Luz going "Have you seen this before, this is my favourite part". Then just as the man was going to say the line she could hear Luz doing a funny voice going "Gotta penny? Gotta Penny?", she turned in her seat saying "Georgie I love you but shut up!".

Just as she was starting to drop off on Joe's shoulder, Vest came running in shouting "The 1st and 6th SS Panzer Divisions broke through in the Ardennes. They overran the 28th Infantry and the 4th, Officers report to respective HQ's l. All passes are cancelled. Enlisted men" he took and quick look at Flo and smiled "And Fizz report to barracks and your platoon leaders.". With that bombshell he walked out and Flo shrugged, sat up and stretched, she grabbed her helmet and hooked arms with Lip and Joe.

When she made it to barracks she brushed her teeth and packed her stuff ready to move, then Flo made her way to the aid station and sat on top of the table swinging her legs back and forth as Gene checked over medical supplies. "Hey Floz, you heard we're moving?", she bit her bottom lip and nodded still swinging her legs. She had noticed a nip in the air since they got back to Ardennes and she said thoughtfully to Gene "I think we're going to need all the extra coats, socks, gloves and hats we can find. As well with the roadblocks we need to take as many medical supplies as possible cause I think they will struggle getting the supplies through to us" she said still staring out the door. Gene nodded agreeing "Floz do you want to scrounge around for clothing while I finish up this, then once I've met with Dike or hopefully Winters I can properly assess what we'll need". She nodded smiled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek then ran off with her braids bouncing as she walked up to Col Sink and boldly asked for his spares, but to Gene's surprise and hers he gave them over with no hesitation saying "Believe me, those boys are gonna need em". Flo looked fearfully back at Gene and knew wherever they were going, it would be their worst experience yet.

***

That night Flo tossed and turned in her bed, until Lieb sat up in bed saying "Floss either tell me what's wrong or go to sleep" he said in a whisper.

She looked at him with her big emerald eyes and she quietly crept out of her bed and moved into Liebs. As soon as she was comfy in his hug she whispered "I'm scared about this next battle. It doesn't seem like we're winning and with winter on the way things are only going to get worse. And we have that asshole as Co who doesn't know his arse from his elbow and I just...... I worry for all of you. Your my family. ". Lieb worried at the fear in the young girls voice, he had never heard her sound like that." Listen to me Fizz, we all know what we're doing, we have Lip, Luz, Bull, Bill, Joe, Buck and Winters still looks out for us remember. You and Gene are the best medics I know, you have no reason to fear for us cause we have the best caring for us. We all love you too Floss but remember we're here to do a job, and once we complete that job we can go home. I don't know what this battle is going to be like but I can promise you. You'll always have us to lean on" he then kissed the top of her head and settled down to sleep with his arms wrapped around her. Slowly Flo forgot her troubles and fell into a deep delicious sleep.

When she woke up, she was back in her own bunk and the men were starting to prepare their things. Flo simply grabbed her pack, med satchel and helmet and walked out into the chilly air. She shivered and pulled her coat that was too big around her and continued to the aid station. "Morning Floss" Gene called from the back to which she replied and then started helping with the stocks they had to move onto the van.

As she passed her boys, she could hear Bill, Joe, Malark and Perco trying to scrounge of a replacement called Suerth. She shook her head and went back to her task in hand, that's when Winters called her over to where he was standing with Gene. "Hey Fizz, I just wanted to let you two know that this isn't going to be pretty. You two have to keep morale high and ensure that your on the top of your game, otherwise it will make things harder" he said shooting concerned glances towards the young girl who stood there in her too big clothes and helmet. Gene replied, but she was too dazed thinking about what was to come to hear what he said. The next thing she knew, she was on the back of a truck, sat with Tab and Shifty trying to play snap but the cards kept falling over due to the bumpy road.

The truck stopped and Buck called everyone to gather round, which they did. He then started his little speech "Welcome to Belgium. This area is Bastogne, strategic crossroads in town. Seven roads leading in, seven roads leading out. Ideal for kraut armour. Ike wants to make sure they can't use those roads. We'll put a perimeter around Bastogne, dig in tight. 2nd battalion will be placed here. 1st battalions to the north. 3rds in reserve.", and with that Buck walked off and Bill shouted" What we waiting for let's roll". They all hopped back on the truck with Bull pulling Flo up so effortlessly it always made her chuckle.

As they were going past the soldiers they were relieving, Flo felt even more terrified watching the faces of the trudging soldiers. They looked dead inside and she feared for her boys. She suddenly heard Skip shout "Bill. Don come here. Look at this", they started to make their way over while Flo stood on her seat to look over the side to where they all stood. Whatever it was it wasn't good, but some of the walking dead soldiers started calling to them telling them to leave, Johnny shouted over the truck railings "What happened? Where are you going?". To which one replied " They slaughtered us. You gotta get out of here". They all looked at each other with concerned glances, more than one being directed at Flo, but she kept her eyes down and ayed with her fingers to avoid eye contact. She could hear them all jumping down from the truck saying "Give me your ammo", "You got any grenades? Hand them over", it was a mad scramble. Everyone trying to prepare for what was to come. Flo jumped down and walked towards where Winters was talking to a fellow called George Rice, he was saying to Winters "A panzer division's about to cut the road south, looks like you'll be surrounded".

Winters replied, glancing at Flo "We're paratroopers, we're supposed to be surrounded"

Flo and Winters started to walk off, then they heard Rice shout "Good luck".

Flo knew they needed it.