The Soldier of Stars [1] - Band of Brothers

68 | solo

" She was never quite ready. But she was brave. And the universe listens to brave."

- Rebecca Ray

✰✰✰

Hazel was sitting on the edge of her foxhole with Shifty, the two talking quietly when the crunching of footsteps coming towards them echoed. Hazel turned and saw Catherine coming towards her.

" Hazel," Catherine said, " Captain Winters wants you." Hazel glanced at Shifty before looking at Catherine.

" Do I need anything?" she asked.

" Bring your weapon and any protective gear you have." Catherine said. Hazel jumped into the foxhole and grabbed her weapon and some extra gear she would wear as a sniper before climbing out and saying good bye to Shifty. Hazel looked up at Catherine confused.

" What's going on?" Hazel asked Catherine, completely confused.

" They want to see if someway you can recover Julian's body," Catherine said softly as they walked through the snow, as night was slowly falling. Hazel's eyes widened. Catherine stepped inside the tiny CP hut and Catherine followed, removing her helmet as she noticed that besides Winters, was Nixon, Welsh, Lip, Peacock, Shames, and Buck.

" Hazel," Winters said as he came over to her.

" Hi, sir," she said and shook his hand.

" You're probably wondering what's going on, right?" Winters asked her and she nodded.

" I'm not sure if Catherine briefed this to you, but we would like to see if you could recover Private John Julian's body." Nixon told her. Hazel glanced at him and bit her lip.

" This would be one of the first time's we put your position to use out here, but your position will remain most important to us as long as we are out here." Welsh explained to her and she nodded biting her lip.

" If you can recover the body, you can bring it to cover and report back to us, where in the morning, we can bring the body back." Catherine told Hazel from next to her and Hazel nodded.

" I'll be doing this, alone, sir?" Hazel asked Winters and he nodded. Hazel nodded.

" I'll do whatever you need me to, sir." she said. 2 years ago, she would've probably still been scared out of her mind to do so, but she would do anything to help the company. She had seen the way Babe and Catherine looked and it had pained her to see them like that.

" Get some food, and then report back here at 2000 hours." Winters told her and she nodded.

" Yes, sir." she said.

" You're dismissed." Winters said and she nodded, saluting, before putting on her helmet and stepping back out into the snow with a weird feeling in her chest. A feeling of pride, which she hadn't felt in such a long time. Lizzie had heard about the patrol from Chuck, who had been called to HQ with some other NCOs, but not all. He came back and had given her a run down at dinner, and she had sighed to herself.