Paralyzed

About a week later they were still in the same position, still under artillery fire and still wrecks. All Flo and the men wanted was a hot shower and food with beds, and as Malark kept saying to Flo in the 20th century that wasn't too much to ask for. Winters was still showing his loyalty to Easy by coming and checking on them most days and sitting by the fire with them, he asked Flo one day how she was coping and with a wet chest-rattling cough Flo answered "Never better sir", he knew better than to press her on that point.  Foxhole Norman wasn't being much help in that he had told Flo to cough quieter so she didn't give away their position and also to not cough near him in case she gave him her 'small cold', Flo had to restrain Chuck from jumping on him.

They had heard the Germans were planning a counter-attack, where Nix got his intelligence from Flo would never know but she could tell her boys were nervous, especially with a terrible CO, so Flo ensured she gave everyone a kiss on the head and made them as comfortable as possible every night since they had been told the news.

One morning the day dawned bright and crispy cold as Flo opened her eyes from her 2 hour sleep on Genes shoulder, "Morning Gene" she whispered.

"Morning étoile" Gene whispered back, he had taken to calling her étoile which means star in french and which made Flo blush slightly every time he said it. Flo just rolled her eyes and looked out onto the Ardennes forest, which was noisy but not from shells, Flos eyes widened as she noticed Tiger tanks coming out of the trees and Buck come running around whisper shouting "Docs its gonna get busy" and then "Hold your fire boys, don't let them draw you out", she saw Smokey prepare his machine gun and Flo gulped and prayed they would come through this alive. What made Flo nervous was that Gene wasn't really moving, he wasn't responding to anything but Flo didn't have time to say anything before the shelling started and she covered her head with her hands.

Barely a minute in and she heard the dreaded "MEDIC" being called out, Flo launched herself up and over the top of the foxhole toward the call she was sure came from Mo, she thought she heard Gene behind her but when she met Penk and Mo dragging Smokey back Gene was nowhere in sight.

"Smokey it's okay look at me, where are you hit?" Flo asked calmly scanning him and noticing a shoulder injury to which she immediately began putting bandages over.

"Fizz i can't feel my legs" Smokey was moaning and Flo felt fear in the pit of her stomach but carried on staunching the bleeding while shouting "Gene where are you, come and help!". Thank goodness Gene arrived and started administering morphine and helping keep Smokey calm while she patched up the wound. The artillery was still coming at them and Flo knew they needed to get Smokey out of here soon "Smokey can you feel anything waist down for me?" Flo asked as she continued treating him, Smokey shook his head and Gene made eye contact with Flo and shook his head while Flo tried not to burst into tears.

Suddenly Lip came running up saying "We need to get him out of here, Smokey stay with us!", Lip then nodded to Flo and Gene and they started dragging/carrying him out of the hit zone. They dragged him far enough back that they were relatively safe and Flo then said "Sir i should get back to the line, they might need a medic yet, Gene you good here?" and with Gene's nod, Flo flew back to the front and skidded into Perco and Johnny's foxhole, "Fizz get your head down!" Johnny called and Flo did as she was told, luckily by the end of the barrage there had been no other calls for a medic.

As Flo was walking to where the food was being served Luz caught up to her and asked "What happened with Smokey?" at this question most of the men stopped and turned to Flo. She took a breath and said "He was paralyzed, the bullet went straight through his shoulder to his spinal cord", most of the men shook their heads while Luz put an arm around, Flo. "Its okay Fizz, at least he's still got his life, not many in this war can say that" and Flo had to agree with him.

***

"Its Christmas today Flo" Gene whispered as Flo woke up to the eery silence she had become accustomed to.

"So it is, shall we have a Turkey and play pass the parcel?" Flo said with a small smile on her face as Gene smirked and replied "I prefer charades myself étoile", Flo gave a giggle and nestled back against Gene "Merry Christmas" she whispered.

As Flo made her morning rounds that day she said "Merry Christmas" to all of them and ensured they each had a kiss on the cheek, not just on the head. This cheered all the lads up which lead to the atmosphere in the forest being more hopeful than it had been since they arrived. When Flo went to HQ to report on medical supplies she repeated the message but not the action to Winters and Nix who accepted a hug instead.

"Thanks, Fizz, are the men ready to hear what Sink has to say?"

Flo rolled her eyes "Im sure their buzzed for it Sir", and with small smiles from Winters and Nix they walked outside to hear what Col Sink had to say.

"Gentleman and lady, General Mcauliffe wishes us all a merry Christmas, whats merry about all this you ask? Just this, we've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west. Now 2 days ago the German commander, demanded our honourable surrender, save the USA encircled troups from total annihilation. The German commander received the following reply 'To the German Commander, Nuts!'" At this several of the boys started giggling while Flo looked over to Gene who was huddled against a tree hadn't moved a muscle, she frowned and went back to the speech "We've given our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privalidged to take part in this gallent feat of arms we're truly making for ourselves a merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all and God Bless you".

Col Sink then moved away, no doubt to go relay the same message to the other companies. The boys did seem a bit cheered up after that except from Gene. Flo frowned and moved over and knelt in front of him, "Gene, I know you need rest and warmth and a break, but I need you to keep going!"

He just stared blankly at Flo as she gave him a helpless look and then whispered "Please" before he got up and left her kneeling in the snow. Her bottom lip started to tremble but before the tears started falling Lip put an arm around her and pulled her to her feet. "He just needs a bit of time to process Floss, why don't you go and have a nap while the Germans are having their Christmas dinner" Lip said with a half smile as Flo nodded.

***

By nightfall Gene still hadn't spoken to Flo, she was sat in a foxhole by herself when she heard the Germans singing Silent night. It was beautiful. In her head Flo sang along until she felt a presence behind her, it was Gene.

"Hey Flo am I alright to sit here?" he asked a tad nervously.

Flo smiled gently at him "Of course Gene, you never have to ask", he sat next to her and put an arm around her as Flo cuddled into his side.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to process and remind myself why were here" he said softly as Flo didn't say anything just patted his arm.

That's all the comfort he needed.

***

About an hour later the Christmas present from the germans started and soon enough the call for a medic came flying out of Winters mouth.

Flo once again hurled herself out of the fox hole and weaved her way through the fire.

She arrived at Harry's side and immediately noticed it was his leg where the shrapnel had hit him. She ripped open a sulphur packet with her mouth and poured it over the wound.

"Harry, it's okay it doesn't look too bad but I need you to calm down" she said as she started bandaging up his wound while Gene arrived and gave him morphine in his opposite thigh.

"Okay Harry, your okay" Flo spoke softly to him as Gene painted an M on his forehead.

They lifted him to the truck, Flo and Gene beside him and raced into Bastogne.

As they were speeding through the forest they saw the Jerry planes headed towards the city. Flo and Gene shared a glance as they saw the bombs falling.

As they were half way into the city the two medics watched the little hospital that they had grown so accustomed to blow up in front of them. Gene leaped off the jeep and raced towards the rubble, Flos breath hitched in her throat as the tears bubbles in her eyes and she followed after Gene, the bombs still raining down around them.

Gene had picked something up and was rubbing it with his hands, once Flo was close enough she saw it was a nurses headband.

Flo took a deep breath and put a hand on genes shoulder, he looked back with empty eyes. Until a soldier came running around the corner "Medic! Get your ass round here" and Flo slowly moved away until Gene came running with her, he had the most amount of time he could to grieve.

***

When they arrived back to Bastogne Flo let Gene go and have a moment by himself while she went and sat with Joe and Bill.

"Hey Fizzy, how you doing?" Bill asked as she sandwiched between to two.

"Hi, I'm okay, wish the jerry's would give us a break mind" she said and gave a small laugh until a cough rattled through her.

"Did we get any penicillin in the supply drop?" Joe asked tentatively as Flo sighed "No, it's a wonder drug, they will want to save it for the hospitals I think, maybe when we get off the line they'll have some".

Bill and Joe both cuddled her then until Flo decided she really did have to get back to the medic foxhole, as she passed by Babe's foxhole she noticed Gene using Renee's headband as a bandage.

'It was what she would have wanted' Flo thought as she settled down and shed a few tears at the thought of her dead friend.