Aldbourne

They were screwed.

That's all Flo could think when Sobel was leading one of their training exercises.

Sobel was leading half and Winters the other. Usually, Flo was with Winters but today she was with Sobel who as usual had gotten lost.

"Why is there a fence here?" Sobel demanded of Tipper who quickly handed him the map.

"Damn it" Sobel muttered, "Take cover behind those trees"

They all ran over and crouched behind a small plot of trees.

"We're going to die if he's leading us in war" Tab muttered

Floss looked over and looked him in the eye, she knew he was right.

Skinny then started whisper shouting "Perconte?"

"Yeah"

"Sobel's lost again, right?" Skinny smiled and she saw a glint in both of their eyes

"Yeah, he's lost. Hey, Luz! Luz!" Perco shouted to George

"Can you do Major Horton?" Perco asked

Luz then started imitating Horton with wicked grin on his face "Does a wild bear crap in the woods, son?"

"Maybe the good major can goose this schmuck. Get us moving?" Perco smiled

"No way-" Luz said backing away

Everyone started saying  "C'mon Luz, you've gotta!"

Flo then piped up "Please, Georgie" and she gave him the puppy dog eyes. He looked at her and then said "alright, just this once"

Flo settled herself on her stomach watching from just in front of Luz next to Skinny.

Luz started "Is there a problem Captain Sobel?!"

They heard Sobel shout "Who said that? Who broke silence?"

Everyone was laughing. It was hurting Flo, she was laughing that much.

"What is the goddamn hold up, Mr. Sobel?"

They heard Sobel shout back "A fence, sir, um, God, a barbed wire fence."

"Oh, that dog ain't just gonna hunt." With that, Flo giggled loudly  "Shut up, shh, shh!" Luz whispered while Skinny gently putting his hand over her mouth, they were all smiling "Now you cut that fence and get this goddamn platoon on the move!"

"Yes sir! Where are my goddamn wire cutters?" They heard him shout back.

About 30 minutes later, Flo and the rest of easy were running along the lanes laughing as Sobel was shouting out his signature "Hi Ho Silver".

As they neared the rest of Easy, Flo noticed a man on his bike,

"Hiya mate, sorry we disrupted your exercise" she smiled

He looked at her and asked "What's a nice young girl like you doing with a bunch of soldiers"

She was about to answer when she heard a call come from Web "Fizz, we're moving out"

"Coming" she shouted back then turned to the man, shrugged and said, "I have absolutely no idea, but they needed help". With that, she smiled and walked towards  Web to whom she gave a push as they both laughed and he put an arm around her.

***

Sobel was just as harsh as ever during PT and rumor had it he knew that they were behind his cocking up in the field. They'd heard he'd got a right gobful from Sink about the cows that had ended up at HQ.

And because he hated Flo already, he just decided to be plain spiteful.

"Hilton, who are you running from? Your mummy chasing you for not doing the dishes?" he said, then tripped her as she ran past with all the others. She got up quickly and ran to the finish line. When she was there he pushed her up onto a upturned wheelbarrow. He then started shouting,

"Let's test your enndurance, you slut", when he said that Bull, Lip and Winters had to physically put their arms out and prevent most of the men from charging Sobel. Flo just looked him in the eye.

"I don't know what you're doing here, your a disgrace to the army and your country. You should be sewing and washing dishes, that's what women were made to do. You'll fail. Men are going to die because of you, that's if you survive the jump. Which I very much doubt you will" he said scathingly. The whole time she just looked him straight in the eye and at the end of his speech she smiled.

He went red and shouted "Stay here until I say otherwise"

She saluted "Sir"

He dismissed the men, but the men stayed with her. Well most of them except Cobb and a few others went away.

"Lads I'm fine you should go rest" she smiled, but it looked weary, she finally looked fed up of all Sobel's bs.

"Fizzy, you're not fine, we can't leave you standing up here all day" Bill called

She rolled her eyes but knew there was no point arguing.

The men all sat at the base of the wheelbarrow and told her amusing stories, she was doubling over when George was doing his impressions.

2 hours later Sobel had still not returned and the men were taking it in turns to shower. The unusally hot weather was made Flo feel like she was about to faint.

"Here Floss, have a drink" Muck came up handing here his canteen

"Thanks Skippy" she smiled

After 4 hours of standing there, Sobel finally released her.

Flo dragged Chuck, Skip and Skinny to stand guard for her at the showers, which they gladly did.

Her exhausted legs collapsed on her and she fell on her bed, she slept through dinner, her boys watched her rest. They didn't forget Sobel was the cause of it.

A few weeks later flo heard that Sobel had made winters have to have a trial by court-martial.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen in my life, and I've seen Perco snog someone" flo said seriously

"Hey, I heard that Fizz" Perco shouted from the opposite side of the mess Hall

"I wanted you too" she shouted back making the men laugh

"Don't take her on perc" Bull laughed

"Seriously though, if we don't have Winters at least half of us are going to die, Heck, we would have died 10 times over by now if we were actually being led by that prat," Flo said and put her head in her hands.

With that, all the NCO's looked at each other, they knew flo was right. The next day when they all heard that Winters had been moved to Battalion mess they made their decision.

The next day flo, spotted Winters doing inventory. She walked over,

"Hi, Sir, how are you?" she asked

"Hi Fizz, could be better I miss all of easy"

"We miss you too sir, I will not follow that man into battle, I would follow you into hell sir and still expect to come back" Flo smiled.

Winters smiled "If it makes you feel any better Floss, all the men would say the same of you. Including me"

"Thank you sir" she whispered, "Did you see the news paper article about me?" she laughed.

Flashback

"Fizz you're in the paper" Malark shouted from his bunk

"What" Floss replied sharply

"Ermm Fizz don't read this" Chuck said calmy but his face looked hurt

"I need to know what thier saying Chucky" she said and walked over but Joe held the paper out of reach.

This lead to chase around the barracks with the boys passing the paper between them and ended up with Bill in a headlock and Floss reading the paper which read

Will Hitler be taken down by a woman?

19 year old Florence Hilton is not only English but the first female combat medic in history. She has been through her training at Camp Toccoa Georgia and has recieved her jump wings. But can we really trust this young girl with our boys' lives?

Surely we cannot. War is not a game, yet by putting this girl in battle they are treating it as one. How many of  you would send your daughters into a war, where she will surely die?.

Another issue with women in war is I wonder what arrangement the army has in place for young Florence, known around the camp as 'Fizz'. The army doesn't expect me to believe that none of the men have touched her? Is she there purely for entertainment and will stay far behind the enemy line?

With these thoughts in mind, i firmly believe the US 101st Airbourne should take my advice and I'm sure the feelings of people back home and leave the fighting to the men.

After reading the article Jackie shrugged her shoulders, smiled and said to the boys "Well, let's see what they're saying at the end of the war"

Flashback over

"Yes Fizz i did" Winters took a small pause, "I was disgusted"

Flo smiled "Sir, you have no reason to be. I understand their thoughts, and although sometimes they hurt. I try and not let them get to me because they don't know the truth"

"Floss sometimes it's okay to be vulnerable" Winters said softly

"I know, but now's not the moment" she said

"Everyone who knows you wants the best for you Fizz, you have to believe that" Winters said sincerely.

Just then Bull, Bill, Lip, Johnny and Tab appeared, marched past and saluted. Flo and Winters looked at each other confused, then flo smiled. "Looks like I'm gonna see you back in the company sooner than expected sir".

The next day they found out Sobel had been reassigned to a Jump training school for non-combats, the NCO's plan couldn't have gone better.