Love Like Ghosts - Band of Brothers

Chapter 4

UPOTTERY, ENGLAND
June, 1944

"Why the hell are you bleeding?" Jo exclaimed as Luz sheepishly walked into the aid station. A stream of blood was dripping from a cut above his eyebrow.

"It was a dare. Toye made me-" He began.

"Y'know what, I don't wanna know anymore." She shook her head exasperatedly. "Just sit here."

"Yes ma'am." Luz smirked as he sat in front of the girl.

"You don't have to say ma'am if I'm younger than you." She teased.

Jo took off his cap and examined the cut. Luckily, it was far enough from his eye to need stitches.

"You're lucky I don't have to do sutures, Luz." She sighed cleaning his cut.

"No, I'm lucky 'cause I get to see you, Lambert." Luz grinned.

Jo smiled back and finished placing the steri-strips on his wound. Her face grew solemn as she leaned back, taking in the trooper before her.

"What?" Luz asked. His tone grew somber as he noticed her demeanor.

"I'll miss you." She mumbled after she turned to put back the other medical supplies in the container.

Luz's grin dropped when he watched Jo. That night, the men would drop into Normandy. Sure, she had been prepared for that day, but when it came, Jo couldn't wrap her brain around it. George Luz had become her brother-away-from-home. He was always checking in on her and joking around, never failing to put a smile on Jo's face.

"It'll be okay, doll." Luz stood up. He placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.

Jo gave a watery smile before he pulled back.

"I'm not that good with goodbyes." Luz admitted.

"This isn't goodbye." Jo mustered, looking at her friend.

-

Josephine Lambert watched the last plane fly up into the sky. Her hope overflowed and her mind went rampant when she thought about the troopers leaving. She had felt a part of East Company grow in her heart within the past year. Jo's memories were warm; Liebgott taking walks with her, Luz and her dancing, Nixon giving Jo her first drink, and so many more.

The next morning, Jo and Birdie got into a truck with some of the other medics. Their new uniforms were more like the military's uniforms. No more skirts - Jo was glad.

The scenery distracted her from the impending storm she and Birdie were headed to. Once they made it to the coast of England, just before the English channel, they boarded a civilian boat. Apparently, it was safe to cross in a non-military-issued boat. Jo had her doubts as she read the news clippings regarding submarine missilery and death upon the seas.

"It'll be alright, Jo." Birdie calmed her nerves as they reached further and further out into the water. The shoreline wasn't visible anymore.

Now, she was heading to enemy territory.

-

NORMANDY, FRANCE
June, 1944

The medic station buzzed with medics and wounded troopers. Jo and Birdie had just arrived, but they were already rolling up their sleeves to assist the staff with aiding the men.

"Help me set him over here." Jo ordered another medic to help her move the injured trooper onto a bed. "Get gauze, I'll get the bullet."

Jo took tweezers in her right hand and held the trooper down with her left arm. She began to pull out the bullet from his thigh, careful to avoid any major arteries. The trooper wailed in pain.