Death and Happiness

Flo was brushing her teeth when she heard the shot and Hooblers whoops of joy.

He came tumbling towards her with Pat and Leo on his tail saying "Fizz I've finally got one, I've got a luger. I shot this Kraut on his horse from a distance, I'm as good a shot as Shifty"

Flo couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm "Well done Hoobs, I'm very proud of you" she said in a slightly teasing tone, but Hoobs smiled and ruffled her hair as he went past to tell Lip, Shifty and Bill of his great achievement. Flo chuckled to herself as she spat out her toothpaste and settled down in her foxhole to sort through her medic satchel. If there was one thing Sobel taught her, it was that a tidy medic satchel was key.

She pulled out bandages, morphine, sulpha, penicillin (that she still couldn't bring herself to take in case the men needed it), thermometer and her scissors and started to organise them in order of importance. Quite happy in her task Flo was only disturbed when a pop went off.

She immediately ducked down in her foxhole glancing out in the white stillness to see if she could spot any jerry's, being alone in her foxhole made her feel quite vulnerable.

Suddenly she heard "MEDIC!" being screamed from what she could identify as Bucks voice. Flo stood up and started running in the general direction of the voice, Gene suddenly appeared by her side and asked "Where is it coming from, they need to call again", Flo shrugged and looked around until she then heard Lip shout "Doc, Fizz!".

Flo and Gene suddenly came onto the scene in which Hoobler was lying on the snow with blood pouring out his leg.

The 2 medics immediately got to work with Lip quickly moving out the way, Flo started cutting his clothing while Gene gave him morphine and asked what had happened.

Buck replied "His luger was in his pocket, went off and hit his leg"

Flo shook her head, focused on what she was doing, he had so many clothes on and the commotion around her was making it difficult to concentrate.

Eventually, Flo made it through the clothes and started pouring sulpha on while Gene started trying to find the bullet.

"I can't see a thing, we need to get him to an aid station" Gene said quietly to her and Lip so as not to panic Hoobs.

As Flo was pressing a bandage to the wound, Buck said sharply "Florence, Doc. He's dead"

Flo felt his pulse and nodded. "Perco get a jeep" she ordered with her voice devoid of emotion. She then walked away from the bloody scene.

***

A little while later, Gene came and wrapped an arm around her small frame. He didn't try to talk as he knew Flo would say something when she was ready.

Which she did, "He shot himself in the leg?" Flo said in a disbelieving voice, she couldn't believe the human life was so fragile.

Gene nodded and hugged her closer, eventually allowing her to fall asleep.

***

Flo sat in a foxhe cuddled up to Luz as she was listening to Muck tell one of his stories, he started with "I swam across Niagra falls" to which Flo just rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"No I really did"

Luz then asked with a harsh tone "Then how come your alive? You couldn't survive that waterfall?"

Muck looked at him with a proud look "No I didn't swim over the edge you doofus, I Swan across the lake at the top"

Flo sliglty chuckled as she zoned out of their conversation, until Luz shook her awake to go wish Lt Peacock a good time in America.

Lieb laughed at her expression as all the lads were saying "No one deserves it more" or "I'm so pleased for you sir". He crept up next to her and linked his arm with hers "Wish I did f all then I could get furloughed back home", she gave him a cheeky smile before piping up to Lt Peacock "But sir, what are we going to do without you?" she said in a dramatic tone.

However, Peacock thought she was serious, so he put his hand on her shoulder and said "Don't you worry Hilton, you've got some other good leaders to keep you going".

With a straight face, Flo replied "Oh of course your right sir, it will just be so horrible with you gone" and with one last pat on her shoulder he walked off.

Flo stuck her tongue out in a funny expression and started giggling for the first time in what felt like years and this gave all her boys that extra bit of hope that their girl was getting back to normal.

***

Later that day, Flo noticed a familiar face talking to the cameras and it wasnt Winters.

"Joe!?" she exclaimed happily as he made his way smiling towards the girl.

"Hey Fizz, sorry I missed your birthday" he said as they gave each other a massive hug.

"Awk don't worry about that, you being back is the greatest gift you could give me, even though I want you to be safe" Flo said leading him over to the others where Bill greeted him with the most affection.

Flo then resumed eating her food next to Lieb and Popeye on the little benches made out of logs. She tuned back into the conversation when she heard Muck telling the new replacement Webb about all the wounds they had incurred.

"Alley landed on broken glass IN Normandy and got peppered by a potato masher in Holland, Bull here got a piece of exploding tank in Holland. Luz here has never been hit"

Luz replied with a cocky smirk "Takes one to know one Muck"

"Aren't we the lucky ones" he then continued "Liebgott here, nthis skinny guy got pinked in the neck in Holland, while Popeye got shot in his scrawny little butt in Normandy. Our little Fizz here, although she's Hilton to you got shot in the head in Holland and shot in the foot at Carentan"

Flo rolled her eyes and then said "You can call me Fizz or Florence if you want I don't care" with a smile towards the new replacement she let Kuck go one with his tales.

"Buck here got shot in his rather large butt in Holland. Its become quite the Easy company tradition. Even 1st Sergeant Lipton over there got a shall exploding in the face in Carentan, one chunk in the face and another chunk almost took out his nuts"

Flo smiled as Bill then asked "How are those nuts sarge?"

She smiled even wider at Lips reply "Doing fine Bill, nice of you to ask"

***

Flo sighed as she got told by Dike to remain here with Perco, Christenson and the new boy Webb.

They were watching the line as the rest of the boys returned to their old positions overlooking Foy, and Dike had insisted that a medic stay behind. And of course he had insisted it be Flo. She swore that man wanted her to die.

Gene and Spina had tried to argue but Dike had put his foot down, for once, and told her to stay. None of the boys were happy about this, but they couldn't do anything.

Foxhole Norman really was working on her last nerve, he was always on a walk or phone call and treated Easy as though they were a nusience to him. Well Flo couldn't cope much longer with him, she was nearly ready to swing for him if his bad leadership hurt her boys.

So Flo huffed and sat down heavily into the foxhole with Perco sat on the side brushing his teeth and Webb looking like a lost puppy with Chris loading the machine gun ready for an attack.

As the boys were leaving, they decided to wind up Webb by saying "Wouldn't drink too much if I were you"

Or "Be careful if he offers you a cigarette"

Flo simply shook her head and smiled at the thought she might see Speirs.

She had missed him, she wouldn't lie. She loved the man like crazy. She held onto her necklace and listened to Perco and Chris tell the story that Speris killed 30 POWs and he shot one of his men that was drunk.

As soon as they had sufficiently scared Webb, the man himself Lt Speirs came out of the fog.

Flo couldn't help the smile and giggle that came out of her mouth as she looked at Webbs expression.

Speirs' eyes twinkled and of course only Flo noticed the amusement in his face at the men's scared expressions.

He crouched down and said in a dead pan tone "Christenson, I got the name right didn't I? Christenson?"

Chris nodded and replied "Yes sir"

Speirs glanced at all of them before asking "What are you men and woman doing here?"

Chris replied in a nervous voice "Watching the line Sir?"

Speirs nodded before looking at Flo, he looked her over ensuring that she was okay before looking her in the eyes and asking "Pvt Hilton what are you doing here?"

Flo shrugged and replied "Lt Dike thought the experience would do me good Sir and he believed there should be a medic here"

Speirs' expression didn't change but Flo knew he was confused and angry that Flo had deliberately been put in harms way.

Eventually he said "Keep up the good work, while your at it you might want to reinforce your cover"

Perco then spoke up with his toothbrush still in his mouth "Actually Sir Lt Dike said not even to bother, since we're only gonna be here one day"

Speirs to Flo looked even more pissed off but he just said "Lt Dike said that huh? Then forget what I said, carry on"

He then started to walk away until he turned back round held out his cigarettes "Oh anyone care for a smoke?"

At this Flo started having to stifle her giggles with her hand which led to her having a coughing fit. Speirs raised his eyebrows but he couldn't say anything, Flo couldnt help it though, little Webbs expression and the way his little head shook cause he was scared was so funny when she knew Speirs was only being nice.

Flo was still angry at Dike and with herself for letting Hoobler die, but she had to admit Speirs always brought happiness into her life.