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"We have enough food for everyone, just calm down," Riley screamed over the packed crowd, reaching with their boney hands for a piece of bread that the soldiers were dividing. The young girl jumped off the car when she saw Winters calling for her, but stopped shortly when she noticed Malarkey who was breaking the pieces of food from the large packages.
"Hey Malarkey, don't give them too much food at once. Their stomachs aren't used to it anymore, so you need to build it up. Give them small pieces now, just so that they're not starving and give them more tonight." The soldier nodded at her advice and gave the message to everyone around him, making sure that they knew what Riley had told him.
"Major Winters, Wilson, this is doctor Kent. Doc, tell them what you just told me," Sink said, introducing the person.
"We need to stop giving these men food. They're starving –"
"Which is exactly why we are giving them food. Do you want them to die?" Riley slightly turned her head to the side and started at person who was giving them impossible orders.
"They'll eat themselves to death," the doctor tried, but he couldn't convince the young girl.
"Not if we don't give them too much. I've explained it to Malarkey and I trust him."
"We might be able to control that now, but we can't keep check on them when they're in town," he kept on trying.
"So, what are you proposing?" Winters asked, interfering with the conversation.
"Keep them in the camp until we find a place in town."
"You want us to lock these people back up?" Nixon's face fell in question as he looked at the doctor with wide eyes.
"No, we're not doing that."
"We got no choice," Sink explained.
"Or else they might scatter."
"You really believe that keeping these people in this environment is a solution?"
"Riley."
"You really don't understand what is going on here or do you? They trust us, they see us as their liberation of these horrifying times. Making us lock them back up destroys that trust and they'll believe that now even we aren't willing to help them. This is not the solution."
"Then what do you propose?" Sink wanted to know her plan, he had always trusted what Riley said and believed that she'd have a good idea.
"Bring these men to the church in town. If there's not enough room for them there, then take some houses from the locals. There we can examine them and keep their food intake under control. They're also away from these fences and the horrible smell. The church holds no memories like the camps, so less problems with trauma." Nixon strongly agreed with what she was saying, but the doctor kept on shaking with his head and explaining why it was a bad idea.
"We can do that, yes, but we have to prepare the church and town first. We'll have to lock them back in the camp, just not for long. Look, Wilson, we don't like it any more than you but we have no choice."
"Winters?"
"I'm sorry, Riley, but he's right. We can't give away someone's home without telling them why."
"They know damn well why! Those people didn't say anything about this to us, they kept it all silent and helped the Nazi's with escaping. I don't know what you think or why you think like it, but these people don't even deserve an explanation."
Riley was furious at them, mad that they even though about keeping these prisoners there, mad that they didn't listen to what she was saying. She turned herself away from the officers and walked towards the crowd again, where Joseph was leaning against the side of the car she was known for driving.
"What did they say?," he asked when the young girl passed him.
"I think that they're going to explain everything to you in a minute." Riley nodded at the approaching men. Joseph followed her movements and faced them with a worried expression. All of them appeared unsure of what they were doing, all not ready to make him translate whatever they needed to. The plan that they had to for fill wasn't great, it was far from good but there was no other option.
"I can't tell them that, sir," Joseph protested.
"You've got to, Joe." Winters' voice was stern, revealing that even though he didn't like the idea, he had to give out orders.
"Yes, sir."
"Luz said he wanted to switch places. Did you scare him off?" Riley faced the person who was talking and saw Joseph by the other window of the car. Tears laid on his cheeks and his eyes were red and puffy. The words he spoke, the joke he made to hide his pain, were shaking badly and didn't come off as strong as usual.
Her heart stopped for a beat as she saw him like that, so broken but hiding it behind a faked smile on his lips. She stepped out of her vehicle and closed the door behind her. Perconte started protesting that they had to move, but Luz gave the small man a tick against his helmet and pushed him back down, telling him to shut his mouth. Riley thanked her friend in her mind, but didn't say a word as approached Joseph. He fell in her opened arms and laid his head on her shoulders, the sobs he kept in his throat now shocking through his body. Riley combed his short hairs with her soft fingers and placed sweet kisses on his ears. She didn't say a word, she knew he didn't have the need for a conversation. Just her warm arms around neck and her soft shushing was enough for him.
