Warriors (Band of Brothers - Joseph Liebgott)

Chapter 18: Sick Days

Market Garden did not go well. In fact, it was a disaster. So much carnage, so much loss. The company had to retreat the Germans just had too much power at their hands during that fight.

They were back in the trucks bloody and barely holding it together. Once on the road they were told that Bull was missing. Nobody could believe it, nobody wanted to believe it. At the news Mariah placed her head on the bar behind her head and closed her eyes; letting the truck take her to their next stop.

The truck halted to a stop; she opened her eyes to see they were beside a field. She guessed they would be sleeping there that night. She closed her eyes and put her head back in its previous position. She felt legs move past her and the truck dip and rise every time someone would jump off.

"Mariah, you coming?" Malarkey asked.

"You go ahead, I'll be out in a bit." But she didn't she stayed in the back of the truck for the whole afternoon and into the evening.

Joe was watching her from the top of the field, he was concerned she usually never isolated herself. He wanted to check on her but he knew she was asleep.

"You gonna go get her?" Malarkey asked coming up beside Joe.

Joe turned his head to face the man beside him. "Why would you assume I would?"

"Oh, come on Joe, we all know you two are together." Malarkey bumped his shoulder into Joe's.

"Fucking Luz." Joe whispered.

"Luz didn't say anything, he didn't have to; we see the way you look and act around each other. And don't worry, no one's gonna tell on you guys. Now, should we go get her out of the back of the truck?"

"Pick her up and give her to me." Joe told Malarkey.

"So demanding." Malarkey picked her up but noticed something a little odd. "Hm."

"What?"

"She feels warm." Malarkey said knitting his eyebrows together.

"Well, she has been laying in the back of a truck in the sun all afternoon." Joe reasoned.

"I guess that's true." He carefully passed Mariah down and into Joe's arms. As soon as she he had her Mariah snuggled herself closer into his chest.

"Thanks Malark."

"Not a problem." Malarkey jumped down from the truck. "But uh, keep an eye on her. I don't like how warm she is."

"Will do." Joe turned away and brought Mariah down the hill. "Is she okay?" Eugene asked as Joe walked past.

"She's alright just fell asleep in the back of the truck." He slowly and carefully climbed into the foxhole he had dug, as soon as he put the girl down her eyes opened.

"What's going on? Why am I in a foxhole?"

Joe couldn't help but laugh slightly. "You fell asleep in the back of the truck; it didn't look too comfortable to Malark and I helped you out."

"Remind me to thank him." Mariah yawned sitting up.

"Hey try and get some more sleep." He said lightly pushing her back into a laying position.

"I can't, you know how I am once I'm woken up." If Mariah woke up on her own, she would be able to get back to sleep, but if she was woken up? There was no way she was getting back to sleep. Joe knew of one way he could get her back to sleep but he couldn't do that now, not here.

"I hope Bull's okay." Mariah said rolling onto her back.

"You think he's still alive?"

"I do." She rolled over onto her side. "A man like that doesn't just die. It sounds stupid but I don't believe he's dead."