The Soldier of Stars [1] - Band of Brothers

65 | on the line

" To be alive is the strange and wondrous miracle we forget."

- Atticus

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The next morning brought a 0600 shelling, that forced Lizzie and Gene up from their finally peaceful sleep and running, giving aid to a replacement who's hand was majorly hit. That's when the medical supplies ran out. They had been holding out as long as they could but they knew within days of arriving here they'd be out in a matter of days. 

And Gene's scissors had yet to make any appearance. 

So, after the shelling, Gene went out to try and look for 3rd Battalion to see if he could scrounge up some medical supplies, while Lizzie went from foxhole to foxhole, as the men moved around, checking to make sure they were awoke and eating and moving around and were feeling okay, especially after the shelling which had surprised the majority of them. 

She stopped by Malarkey and Skip's foxhole and they managed to put a smile on her face after telling a few jokes to make her feel better, after they discovered she woke up not feeling 100%. She'd woken up a bit woozy with those shellings, but she ignored it and got to work as usual, but Malarkey and Skip had picked it out of her within seconds. 

Word spread that they were trying to airdrop supplies to the Airborne troops, and that any moment or any day it would be delivered to them. It brightened people's spirits, but everyone still felt the cold that found its way into their bones. 

Lizzie hurried over to Penkala and Bull's foxhole and the trio chatted for a few moments before she moved on again. Bill came up to her, doing his check's on the foxholes, and made her smile, giving her a tight side hug, before she moved onto Babe and Julian. She did this throughout the early hours of morning, and she was happy when she noticed Hazel and Shifty out and about, standing near their foxhole with Lipton, who was checking on them. 

Every NCO, medic and officer did checks on the men and women and it made everyone more comfortable with their current situation. It kept up confidence, morale and spirit. 

Catherine was milling about near Winters, sitting cross legged across from him at his foxhole, as Nixon slept nearby in his own. She was looking at her maps, eyes strained in the early morning. She'd done her report yesterday and Winters had accepted it without even looking it over once, he trusted her instincts. She had done a check along the line at 0700 after the barrage, and it was thinly spread, but Nixon had warned her when he returned from his own look at the line. She let out a sigh as Winters speared his ice, brush hanging out of his mouth. He had preached to Nixon recently about keeping up on hygiene and cleanliness. So he was shaving.

" What did the ice do to you?" Catherine muttered, as Winters glanced at her with his rest nose and let out a shiver as he took the brush from his mouth. He only shook his head, as he began applying the shaving cream he had to his face.