Keep it positive

Shifty never did get home before them....his truck crashed on the way and he ended up being in hospital for months.

This news coincided with the news the 101st Airborne were being sent to the Pacific war. This came with many different thoughts and emotions for Flo - on one hand she felt like it wasn't her war, but she also knew she had a responsibility to the world, to her boys and to herself to do as much good as she can.

Her boys she knew were struggling with the news the war was not over for them - they all pushed themselves into exercises like they hadn't done them a thousand times and although she with all her heart felt like joining in, she just couldn't seem to get through the first star jump without feeling her chest would explode.

Fiddling her necklace that had lasted the whole war she though deeply about her brother, her family at home and her friends.....had she been away too long to fit back in?

"Floss get in the van" Lieb snapped at her as he, Webs and Sisk made their way past. Webs was looking at her with a sigh that made her feel like this wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

"What are we doing?" She asked as Sisk helped her up into the car, "Getting vengeance" Lieb replied as he started the drive a random farmhouse.

"Lieb, I f*cking hate this" Webster started off but was quickly interrupted, "Oh, Jesus Christ, they fingered him. He was in the f*cking room, Web. A Polack who was at the sl*ve camps said this is where he lives, here" Lieb replied fiercely.

"Which camp?"

"Whatever camp, I'm under direct orders and I'm happy to follow it" Lieb replied when Flo jumped in "Hang on, you don't have any idea if this guy is guilty or not?"

However she was ignored

"Is this a personal thing, Joe?"

"What?"

"Is this personal to you?"

"No, it's a g*dd*mn order."

"Does Major Winters know about this?"

"Doesn't matter here."

"Oh, the f*ck it doesn't."

"What if this guy's just a soldier? What if he's an officer with no ties to the SS? If he's innocent? You know..."

"...what if he's a fucking nazi commandant of a slave camp?"

"Which one, which camp? You don't have any proof."

"Were you at Landsberg?"

"You know I was."

"You think he's a soldier like you and me? A f*cking innocent German officer? Where the hell have you been for the past three years?"

"Alright boys, enough!" Flo cut in harshly, "Lieb we can question him and arrest him, but until we're sure he is guilty, we'll bring him in to be properly questioned"

Webster and Skisk nodded with this plan "At least this way we're humane" Sisk agreed but Lieb shook his head and was already half way across the field before the others caught up.

Flo had her gun ready as Liebgott kicked the door and started speaking to the man in German - the man whom appeared very confused and obviously panicked. She went into a bedroom, saw it was clear then moved out only to see Liebgott getting angrier and angrier - not having the mental capacity or energy to deal with Lieb and his demons she walked out the cottage and stared at the sheep.

Webster joined her soon after and she accepted a rare smoke from him, hands shaking as he lighted it for her, Sisk came out soon "He's guilty, Liebgott says so"

"He probably is" Webster agreed hesitantly

Flo took a drag of her smoke "I don't want to know" she said looking down and silently began crying, even more so when the man started to run and Sisk shot him.

***

Driving back to the base the mood and conversation was low, all of them thinking deeply.

"Officers don't run" Joe's voice was gloomy and now he had calmed down.

"The war's over, anybody would run." Webster replied equally as gloomy, he had always been a thoughtful one.

***

"Fizz! Fizz!" Flo leapt out of bed and leaned over the bannister in her billet as she saw Gene come halfway up the stairs, "It's Janovec, he's dead"

Her face went white as she sat on the top stair in a daze "How?" was all she asked.

"Car crash, he was 10 points short...." Gene said sadly as he walked up and put an arm round her.

"Étoile you're not coming to the Pacific with us" he whispered as Flo started to shake her head and protest he took her shoulder "You're not coming to the Pacific with us" and she finally understood his meaning....they were taking her out the army.

"What?" She whispered as he continued comforting her, "As ranking medic, they've told me to expect a replacement before deployment....when I asked Winters what he meant, he said just said 'Get ready' and I have to assume it meant you were leaving us"

She stood up and started pacing "Why haven't they told me? Janovec is dead and I'm leaving!? My boys are killing themselves out there still and they want me to leave them!?"

Starting to ugly cry, Gene knew he needed to get her to sleep before the exhaustion took over her and she started having a panic attack "Fizz, nothing is decided yet...I'm sure you can reason with him"

But Gene couldn't reason with her, he let her cry it out until eventually she settled to sleep.

***

Janovec dying had really given some perspective to Flo, especially as the rumour was floating round she was to be replaced....the men refused to believe it.

In the end, she knew that the army would have it their way. So there was no point in moping or continuing to lay in bed, be lazy and cry...no be positive.

Florence ended up going fishing with the boys, swimming and learning how to play baseball, the men couldn't believe she had never learned it, but as she explained it's called cricket at home.

She looked happier than she had been in days - everyone could tell the stress relief was working and by using her brain again she wasn't over thoughtful of things.

Chuck was driving along telling stories of Bill and Joe to two of the replacements while Flo sat in the front laughing along with them, they had just been delivering more medical supplied to the lorrys, Flo waved happily as she passed Winters in his jeep.

When all of a sudden, from out of nowhere...

a guy jumps out of the hedgerow...onto this guy's chest. Shoves a trench knife up against his throat and screams, "Whose side are you on?"

"I don't get it." One of the recruits said as he looked a tad confused.

"It's D-day. It's 2nd platoon's own Bill Guarnere. Old' Gonorrhea himself.

Just landed in Normandy and wound up like I don't know what. "Whose side are you on?" What a f*cking character!" Chuck laughed at the memory, Flo shook her head smiling, even if she hadn't been there on D-Day with them she could imagine Bill clear as day.

"What happened to him?"

"Got his leg blown off in Bastogne." Flo replied as Chuck slowed the jeep down, she turned and saw a soldier standing over 2 dead bodies with a gun in his hand.

"Wait here." Chuck said as he got out the car, Flo grabbed him and shook her head but he gently lifted her hands off his and gave her a reassuring smile...somehow Florence felt this was a bad idea.

"Are you okay, Mac, do you need some help?" Chuck approached tentatively.

"They wouldn't give me any gas.

Krauts.

I tried to explain.

This f*cking limey wouldn't listen.

I think he was a Major."

This Mac said all this obviously drunk, Flo breathed heavily as her hand made its way to her satchel, holding on to the small knife she had to cut things. She watched Mac like a hawk waiting for him to pounce as Chuck insisted on walking closer.

"Look, Private, we've got a problem here." Chuck said as gently as he could while he tried not to think of the 2 dead men on the floor.

"Do you have any gas?" Mac asked again, unable to focus on anything but his task - Flo prayed hard that Chuck would realise this and move back.

"Why don't you give me your weapon?" Chuck replied still advancing, Flo's breathing got harder, her adrenaline sensing this is a dangerous situation..

"Well, I guess I'll just use his Jeep. I don't think he's gonna be needing it." Mac muttered to himself as he made his way to the jeep.

"Hold on a second there, all right?" Chuck suddenly moved forward, making Flo react and move quickly out of the jeep.

"Chuck wait" Flo shouted and ran towards him but she was too late, as Mac shot Chuck in the head and pointed his gun at her.