Disclaimer: I do not own the TV miniseries Band Of Brothers, of which this story is based on. I base this story purely on the HBO miniseries, with a few facts that I have looked up in books and online that have to due with dates and time lines. Other than that, this is purely a fanfiction based on only the miniseries and the actors that portrayed them. No disrespect is intended to the real E Company men. This is purely fictional.
Summary: Sometimes in life we are presented with choices that can not only change our lives, but alter the course of history. We can make things better or stop the earth from revolving. The butterfly in Asia causes a tornado America. But when she was thrust into such a decision against her will and without guidance, would she be able to change her world for the better, or make the events that were set into motion 100 years ago even worse?
"Captain! Captain!" A young medic yelled at the young woman with bloodstained ACUs.
"Bit busy here, private... can it wait?" Her hands were covered in the prone man's blood as she spoke without really seeing the corporal's face.
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but the CO needs you to hurry it up, the line is falling back and the enemy is pushing up further and further. They'll be here soon." The young man, boy really as he couldn't be far past 18, said as he nervously twisted his UCP cap. "The rest of the wounded have already been loaded and transferred to the e-vac hospital. Your and the Sarge are the only ones not on their way to the back."
"Soon to be our new front." She said sarcastically as she used a hemostat to pull out a piece of metal shrapnel from the mess of intestines.
"Yes ma'am." the corpsman said, not noticing the sarcasm in the statement. " The Major said, 'You and the patient need to be loaded up in the trucks and out of here ten minutes ago!', ma'am."
"Therein lies the problem, private. You see the man here with my hands sticking inside his abdominal cavity?" She asked as she clamped off a piece of intestine.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Well, I happen to be digging around in his intestines at the moment. Not for fun, mind you, I much prefer a friendly game of soccer... but apparently someone thought his guts would better suit him outside of his body. Now you and I both know that's not quite true. So I need to to fix it so that those intestines stay right where they are supposed to be until someone else can rummage around in there And put everything back where it belongs. And to do that I need at least ten more minutes."
"But Ma'am-"
"My unit is still at the front trying to buy us more time, right?" She asked. The private glanced at the Airborne Ranger insignia on the woman's sleeve.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, then radio them, tell them when they pull back to do a tailgate drop and pick us up before they head off. I should be done and he should be ready for transport by then, understood?"
"Yes ma'am." He saluted and scurried off the do as he was told. The woman listened as the sound of trucks roared off and dissipated like smoke into the background as the sounds as mortar rounds got closer and closer. Finishing with her task of stabilizing the man a few minutes later, the young Captain sighed and stuck her head out of the dingy tent that had be used as a temporary e-vac hospital. She was instantly hit with the feel of the scorching desert heat and the acrid smell of sulfur.
"Well Sarge, here's hoping we see each other again in the states." She said as the roar of a truck came up and stopped in front of the tent.
"Hell Captain, fancy seeing y'all here!" A man with a strong southern accent said as he and another ran to the table and pick up the gurney that served as an improvised operating table. "Always took you as more of a four star kinda person."
"You know me, Sergeant, always been a four goat girl myself, it's the Navajo blood." She joked as she grabbed her kit and her rifle. She gave instruction as to the care of the patient to those lucky enough to get a spot in the truck, then slammed the gate and waved them off.
"Well ma'am, looks like that desert training might actually pay off!" her non-com joked as they started their long run to the new HQ.
"Outstanding." She mumbled, sarcasm coloring her voice.
The Captain and the Sergeant had been lifelong friends, both growing up as army brats and traveling around the world with their families, somehow able to keep in touch after many years and thousands of miles. While the Sergeant had gone into service right out of high school, the Captain chose an alternative rout, going to West Point and becoming an officer. She was one of the first groups of women to be allowed the privilege to train as an Army Ranger and had been one of the 20 of who had what it took to make it through. Now, at nearly twenty-two years of age, they had been reunited under the same Ranger unit, which had been deployed nearly 8 months ago. They were at the end of their deployment, his fifth, her third.
Just the other night, though it now seemed like weeks ago, they were talking about what they were going to do when they get home. He had a wife and a son he had never met waiting at home for him. She envied him for that, all she had was the Single Officers quarters and the return to her residency to look forward to, having been called up to the front before she could finish due to troop shortages.
"So, they actually let you carve into somebody huh?" He panted, reaching into one of his many pockets to find his canteen. She gave a grunt that was somewhere between a laugh and a sound of pain.
"They didn't have a choice. Some head-up-his-ass Colonel ordered all the docs be evacuated at the first whiff of trouble and that left only me and a few medics to stabilize the wounded enough to get them the fuck outta here."
"I love the army, hooah!" He grinned as they finally caught up with the rest of their unit.
"Captain Benally." the Major greeted her as she came up. "Good to have you back."
"Sir." she nodded. "Good to be back." He smiled at her then pointed out their location on the map.
"We are to hold our position here until instructed otherwise. We are ordered to impede the enemy advancement as best we can until the trucks and the rest of the troops are safely inside the green zone, here." He pointed to another part on the map.
"That's thirty miles from here, sir."
"It is, Captain. Once across, they are going to send armor back to get us."
"Won't be holding my breath for that one, sir."He grinned.
"Me either, kid."
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Night came and brought the title wave of insurgents with it. The Ranger unit fought with all its might, the only thing keeping it going was the thought that this was their last mission, after this it was a blissful 4 months of peace before they had to came back to this hell. Now, with the morning sun coming up over the sandy dunes, the promise of an armor escort was looking less and less likely.
Just when all hope seemed lost, the unmistakable roar of engines could be heard. The unit quickly and efficiently started their evacuation of the small town like the well oiled machine they were.
"After you, Captain." the Sergeant said to her. She grinned, slapped his back, and ran to the building down the road as he supplied covering fire. Once there, she poked her head around the corner and signaled for the Sergeant to follow as she supplied the covering fire.
POP!
"Sniper!" yelled someone as the sergeant fell face into the ground mere feet from the shelter of the building.
"Will!" The Captain cried as the blood started to form a crimson bloom on his ACU. Her eyes frantically searched for the sniper seeing a slight glint off the scope. "There!" she pointed. "Second building on the left, third floor fourth window over." She turned to the specialist. "Don't miss," and bolted from the safety of the build towards her downed friend.
POP. POP.
BANG!
The sniper fell from the window as she assessed the wounds of her friend.
"You're going to be okay! Just hold on!" She told him as she motioned for a stretcher. Turning, she provided covering fire and waited until it was safely loaded in the truck with the Sergeant on it.
"Lets go, Captain!" Someone yelled. She turned to run, but only got a few steps before an explosion hit behind her and she was propelled the remaining five feet to the truck. She opened her eyes, dizzy from the loud roaring in her ears that was not coming from the truck. Her men were above her, screaming out something to her, trying to keep her still as she fought to sit up. She couldn't hear what they were saying... they seemed frantic. She wanted to tell them it wasn't that bad, it didn't even hurt much... just a slight pinch in her back, but her mouth was unwilling to cooperate with her brain. The Major came into view and firmly pushed her back down, saying something softly to her as a stretcher was placed down next to her and she was gently lifted onto it. She looked down at where she had just been laying and only vaguely realizing that there seemed to be way too much blood for just a small pinch before the roaring went silent and the world went black.
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Well, you've met my OC... well, you've kind of met her. Hope you like it! Review!
Benally is a common Diné, or Navajo, name. And yes, I am Navajo.
I know she's young, but the reason behind that is explained in later chapters, so keep that in mind before you start flaming me for it.
Amanda
Edited 08/11/17