TDTLBU Chapter Sixty-Three

Ronnie was standing with his back to Josh. And even better, he didn't know Josh was there. The perfect target. Josh grinned.

"The boots haven't arrived yet," Ronnie was saying. He was discussing the winter supply situation with Ken, who had just officially been promoted to squad leader. He now oversaw the unit he had originally started out with. 

"I was afraid of that," Ken groaned. "At least we have coats. But there is no way I wanna spend another winter in these flimsy shoes and gaiters. Haven't had a new pair since we landed in France!"

"They don't last all that great either," Ronnie sighed, completely unaware that Josh was about to pounce. Ken noticed and grinned. He knew that look and guessed what Josh was up to.

"Hey Chief, you'd better watch your back," But his warning came too late. Ronnie turned at the exact moment that Josh took a flying leap and tackled him to the ground with a wild howl of "Timber!!!"

"What the…!" Ronnie yelled, struggling wildly as Josh tried to pin him to the ground.

"Gonna… need… help…" Josh shouted to the others. "Can't… keep him down…"

"Why?" Ralph shouted back.

"Just… help… no time to… explain…" Josh grunted as Ronnie managed to gain the advantage. But Sam and Sandy answered Josh's nonsensical request immediately and dragged Ronnie off of him. 

"Cut it out!" Ronnie demanded as they got him in a headlock. "You're gonna break my glasses and I'll kill every single one of you with my bare hands. These'r my ninth pair…"

"Hang on, I gotcha," Ken laughed, retrieving the glasses as the others rushed to join the pile on top of Ronnie. "Tackle away, boys." That being said, nearly the entire squad had to be involved before they actually managed to overpower their lieutenant.

"I'm gonna have you all court martialed," Ronnie groaned, his voice muffled as they held him face-down. Someone had their knee between his shoulder-blades and it was making him mad, but try as he might, he couldn't move an inch. "What'd I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Josh grinned as he produced a roll of tape. "We just got bored of sitting around camp, that's all. And you were the easiest target at the moment."

"No way are you doing this…" Ronnie muttered as Josh taped his hands behind his back. 

"Hold it, what's the captain gonna say?" Ken frowned. "This ain't no private, this is the lieutenant we've got here. We're all in trouble."

"Nah," Josh shrugged, unconcerned. "You are. You're the sarge and you let us do it. What's more, you're in on it."

"It's a conspiracy," Ronnie panted as they finally got off of him and rolled him over. "You're all in on it." He had given up trying to struggle as Sandy wound yards of tape around his ankles. "You don't care much about justice after all, do ya, Sandy?" He laughed. "Long as you're attacking somebody… I gotta get you guys back into battle if you're gonna start pulling this kinda stuff the minute we get a break."

"Josh started it," Sandy shrugged innocently.

"Aw, get offa me," Ronnie kicked him away. "Lemme out of this, or you'll all be sorry. I got stuff to do."

"Nothing that can't keep," Josh retorted. "This is for your own good. Multiple sources say you were up all night and now we're gonna force you to get some rest." He grinned at this seemingly brilliant idea. "Shoulda thought of this before. I'll write to your mom and tell her I got it all figured out. She won't have to worry 'bout you killing yourself from lack of sleep anymore." 

"I think that's the least of her worries," Ronnie rolled his eyes. "It's the least of yours too, you idiot, you've got it coming. Consider yourself warned."

✯✯✯

Josh often complained that it wasn’t fair, everyone battling their way across France without him. And now that he had returned, now was the time they chose to rest. Of course, there had been the siege of Aachen, but that was long over and he was still raring to go.

“You’ve no idea how much energy I managed to build up during all that time in the hospital,” he groaned. “I need to do something!” 

He really had no grounds for his complaint. After taking Aachen, the First Division had blazed their way through the Hurtgen Forest and only for the past week had been camped far behind front lines for rest and supplies. But with the end so close in sight, Josh couldn’t bear to stop. He was much better off than most of his comrades too, having been off duty for so long. His continual badgering finally wore on the nerves of his squad leader and he was sent off packing to help assemble a field hospital that had arrived in the area only the day before. When Josh heard that, he went into a series of war whoops and cartwheels and narrowly escaped being attacked by his unit en masse. It was Emma’s hospital unit that he was being sent to and just then, he felt as if he could leap over the moon like the proverbial cow. 

He found her within the first few minutes of arriving at the scene of the field hospital. She was standing across the clearing with several of her fellow nurses, dressed in full battle uniform. Her back was to him and at that angle, she looked identical to every other person in immediate view, but he knew her instantly. As if sensing his presence, she turned, meeting his eyes, and he called out to her.

“Emma!”

At his cry, she broke into a run. He opened his arms and she flew straight into them, laughing and crying all at once. He lifted her off her feet, holding her closer than he ever had before.

“Look what you’ve done to me, Scout,” she sobbed, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his shoulder. “I’m not supposed to cry in front of the soldiers.” He grinned, gathering her up in his arms so he could hold her better. For all her spunk and bravado, he was always surprised at how small she was.

“Don’t worry. I won’t report you.”

“Missed you even more than I thought I would,” she sniffed, tightening her hold around his shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Eh, it would take more than a couple of bullets to get rid of me.”

“Sure it would.” She lifted her face to grin up at him. “Are you going to put me down?”

“Nope.”

“Oh well. I guess I don’t even care.” She nestled her head against his chest. “Just as long as my superiors don’t see me. I’d get in trouble something awful.”

"Well, if they see us, just play dead. I'll pretend you're a wounded soldier."

"Do I look that much like a man?" She raised her head, her cheeks smeared with dirt, her long hair tucked up beneath the steel helmet. She reached to pull the helmet from her head and shook her hair down around her shoulders.

"Yup. Like the roughest, toughest vet among us." He laughed as she glared at him, then his eyes softened. "I'm kidding. You're beautiful." He bent his head to press a kiss on her lips. “Wish we were back home. I’d treat you to the finest restaurant in Jefferson.”

“Which is what? Pop’s?” Emma giggled. "You'd better put me down or we will be in the awfulest kind of trouble."

“Best cheeseburger and fries in town." Josh answered as he complied, setting her on her feet again. "And cherry colas…”

“Oh, stop it, Scout. Just think of those delicious K-rations we get tonight. That delectable spam and all that gooey cheese to smear on those lovely stale crackers… Mmm…”

“I love you,” Josh laughed, shaking his head.

“Hmm… not as much as I love you, you weirdo."

"I have an idea," Josh grinned and his eyes were sparkling. "Let's get married."

"What?" Emma raised an eyebrow. "Did you forget that we're already engaged?"

"I mean let's get married now."

Emma barely managed to stifle a shriek of surprise.

"On the battlefield? Scout… have you lost your mind?"

"Yes," he laughed, but then his face grew serious. "I could die out there, Em. And I..."

"Shut up," she clapped her hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say another word, you idiot. If you even think about dying, after you promised you'd marry me and all, and me working so hard to bring you back to life too... if you die on me, I... I'll kill you."

"Wouldn't do any good if I was already dead," Josh mumbled through her fingers, laughing again. He pulled her hand away. "I mean it Em, please. They could send us back into combat any day, y'know, and I..."

"Yes," Emma grinned. "Yes, I'll marry you right now, Joshua Caleb Campbell-Hayes, but only if you promise not to die and also we've gotta do it in secret somehow or I'll be fired."

"I'll do my best," Josh shrugged. "On both counts. I don't 'zackly wanna die either. Especially when I'm about to marry the prettiest girl in all the world."