Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 10

The months following Christmas were filled with large scale manoeuvres and practice jumps, and by the time April came around, they were all more than eager to "get the goddamn thing over with!" As Guarnere had so eloquently put it one night on a training exercise.

"How many damn rehearsals do you think we'll have before we actually get to jump, eh?" Talbert asked as they drove in the trucks towards Torquay, a seaside town where they were spending the night before heading to the beach for Exercise Tiger.

"S'pose as many as it takes to make sure we're ready," Valerie replied, waving to a little boy who was standing at the roadside and watching the convoy drive by.

"Well, I don't know about you, lieutenant," laughed Gordon from her left side, "but after all the training we've done, I'm pretty sure we're ready to give those Krauts the what for."

Valerie grinned and clapped her hand on his shoulder. "If it were up to me, Smokey, I'd drop you and your MG into Berlin tomorrow and finish the whole sorry thing." Everyone on the truck chuckled and teased Gordon, creating wild scenarios for him to drop in and save the day for the AEF.

"Drop him right onto Hitler's doorstep," proclaimed Alley, "knock on his door, hit him with a round and we're home for Thanksgiving turkey."

"Imagine that," sighed Lipton wistfully, looking up at the cloudy sky. "Wouldn't that be a treat?"

"Damn right, it would," agreed Valerie, stretching out her leg and bumping her boot against Lipton's, smiling across at him when he bumped her back. Aside from the anxiety to get into combat, the mood on the trucks that day was a relaxed one, everyone content to laugh and joke and enjoy the countryside as they whizzed past it.

"No way we're staying there!" Talbert exclaimed as they drove up to a fancy looking resort. Every head in the convoy turned towards the resort, and there was a buzz of excited chatter amongst the men as they pulled up and walked up to the hotel. It was a really nice place, certainly the nicest Valerie had ever been to, and she was glad that they'd all get a night of relative luxury before the dirty work began.

"Hey, Val," shouted Welsh, jogging over to her, "wanna bunk with me?"

"Only if you promise not to snore so goddamn much this time," she teased, laughing in delight when he socked her on the arm. Valerie made sure her platoon were all situated before finding Welsh again and climbing up the stairs to the higher floors, where the officers were being put up.

"Wow," exhaled Welsh, walking to the window and putting his hands on his hips, "check out that ocean view. Kitty would love this place."

"Should bring her back here for your honeymoon," she advised, dropping her stuff and falling onto the bed with a bounce. It was quite possibly the most comfortable bed she'd had since home, and she knew it'd be the most comfortable she'd have for a long time.

"Y'know what, Val,'" he grinned, "that's not a half bad idea."

There was a knock on the door then before Nixon and Dick let themselves in. "We've got the whole day to ourselves," Nixon explained, pulling out a pack of cards and shuffling them, "who wants a game?"

"I'm not very good at poker," sighed Dick, leaning against the wall beside the window and looking out. Valerie, who was on the bed by the window, reached out with her foot and tapped him on the leg, grinning mischievously at him.

"Aw c'mon, Dick," she pleaded. "I'll teach you the basics, and I promise I'll try not to completely wipe the floor with you."

The corner of his lips tilted up slightly, and she rubbed her hands together in delight at convincing him to join in on the fun.