Their Fizz- Band of brothers

Paralyzed

About a week later they were still in the same position, still under artillery fire and still wrecks. All Flo and the men wanted was a hot shower and food with beds, and as Malark kept saying to Flo in the 20th century that wasn't too much to ask for. Winters was still showing his loyalty to Easy by coming and checking on them most days and sitting by the fire with them, he asked Flo one day how she was coping and with a wet chest-rattling cough Flo answered "Never better sir", he knew better than to press her on that point.  Foxhole Norman wasn't being much help in that he had told Flo to cough quieter so she didn't give away their position and also to not cough near him in case she gave him her 'small cold', Flo had to restrain Chuck from jumping on him. 

They had heard the Germans were planning a counter-attack, where Nix got his intelligence from Flo would never know but she could tell her boys were nervous, especially with a terrible CO, so Flo ensured she gave everyone a kiss on the head and made them as comfortable as possible every night since they had been told the news. 

One morning the day dawned bright and crispy cold as Flo opened her eyes from her 2 hour sleep on Genes shoulder, "Morning Gene" she whispered.

"Morning étoile" Gene whispered back, he had taken to calling her étoile which means star in french and which made Flo blush slightly every time he said it. Flo just rolled her eyes and looked out onto the Ardennes forest, which was noisy but not from shells, Flos eyes widened as she noticed Tiger tanks coming out of the trees and Buck come running around whisper shouting "Docs its gonna get busy" and then "Hold your fire boys, don't let them draw you out", she saw Smokey prepare his machine gun and Flo gulped and prayed they would come through this alive. What made Flo nervous was that Gene wasn't really moving, he wasn't responding to anything but Flo didn't have time to say anything before the shelling started and she covered her head with her hands. 

Barely a minute in and she heard the dreaded "MEDIC" being called out, Flo launched herself up and over the top of the foxhole toward the call she was sure came from Mo, she thought she heard Gene behind her but when she met Penk and Mo dragging Smokey back Gene was nowhere in sight. 

"Smokey it's okay look at me, where are you hit?" Flo asked calmly scanning him and noticing a shoulder injury to which she immediately began putting bandages over. 

"Fizz i can't feel my legs" Smokey was moaning and Flo felt fear in the pit of her stomach but carried on staunching the bleeding while shouting "Gene where are you, come and help!". Thank goodness Gene arrived and started administering morphine and helping keep Smokey calm while she patched up the wound. The artillery was still coming at them and Flo knew they needed to get Smokey out of here soon "Smokey can you feel anything waist down for me?" Flo asked as she continued treating him, Smokey shook his head and Gene made eye contact with Flo and shook his head while Flo tried not to burst into tears. 

Suddenly Lip came running up saying "We need to get him out of here, Smokey stay with us!", Lip then nodded to Flo and Gene and they started dragging/carrying him out of the hit zone. They dragged him far enough back that they were relatively safe and Flo then said "Sir i should get back to the line, they might need a medic yet, Gene you good here?" and with Gene's nod, Flo flew back to the front and skidded into Perco and Johnny's foxhole, "Fizz get your head down!" Johnny called and Flo did as she was told, luckily by the end of the barrage there had been no other calls for a medic. 

As Flo was walking to where the food was being served Luz caught up to her and asked "What happened with Smokey?" at this question most of the men stopped and turned to Flo. She took a breath and said "He was paralyzed, the bullet went straight through his shoulder to his spinal cord", most of the men shook their heads while Luz put an arm around, Flo. "Its okay Fizz, at least he's still got his life, not many in this war can say that" and Flo had to agree with him.