'I would like to make a toast!'

Luz's voice was unmistakable, even through Bull's lautgher and the habitual chatter around the table. The forks and knives were happily clacking together as the boat for home sailed through the night.

Tomorrow at noon they would arrive at port, in New York. It was their last supper all of them together in the little cafeteria aboard. The men didn't talk about this, but sometimes, looks were exchanged, and then there was nothing left to do then to wait for the uneasy moment to pass.

'A toast to what, George?' asked Lipton, passing the salad to Babe.

Luz got up, a bit tipsy already. All the bottles of wine they sneak up with them wasn't helping the men's balances, but they were reasonable, remembering the accidents in Austria. Nobody drank more than Nixon, that was the unspoken rule, and nobody broke it yet. Winters, Harry and Nixon were at another table, discussing with Speirs, not listening, quietly talking about tomorrow.

'To you guys, I wanna make a toast to you' said Luz, as the attention drew on him more, the other conversations fading.

'To Easy! To Winters-Sir and to Lipton who consoled our sorry asses all the time!' continued George as the men laughed.

'I wanna make a toast too' suddenly said Malarkey. 'I want to make a toast to Shifty, who never missed a shot-where is he, dammit?'

'He's already home, dumbass.'

'Oh, right.'

George pointed at Randman : 'Got anyone you want to salute, big guy?'

'You, Georgie, for making us laugh because you're good at nothing else anyway' said Bull, smiling.

There was some applause. Luz bowed, playing the game.

'I'd like to raise my glass to Nixon for being able to work with a hangover all the time' said Babe, nudging Lipton beside him.

'Speirs', simply said Lipton, and nobody needed more explanations, and they all happily drank.

'Harry Weilsh for not being an incompetent!'

'Guarnere and his fucking leg!'

'Joe Toye and his fucking leg!'

'Sobel- no you guys I'm just kidding! Ouch, stop!'

The glasses were drank and refiled fast, as the men brought back memories.

'Perconte and his stupid toothbrushes.'

'Johnny and that face you're making, oh god, I'm gonna miss it.'

'Shut it! Webster and his literature, how about that?'

'Liebgott and his stubborn ass!'

'Let's not forget Buck's bullet into his ass!'

'Hey, let's not forget about my ass!'

The conversation was becoming loud, but someone had stay awfully quiet through the jokes. Eugene would smile when it was time too, but he was only half listening, deep in thoughts as the years he served flashed before his eyes.

Roe was put back roughly into reality when Babe turned over to him, smiling : 'what 'bout you, Gene?'

Eugene thought about it. He could have make an easy joke on Talbert, and get away with it, but he didn't want that. He wanted to answer very honestly, and to hell with the lautgher. His hand clenched around his third glass of alcohol, and he swallowed hard.

Who he really wanted to salute one last time? To whom he wanted his last regards to go? The answer was plain and simple.

'To all the men that I couldn't save.'

He was the only one to drink. Everybody stared at him, serious like they were on their first jump. Babe looked at him, shocked, and, maybe it was because of his fourth beer, or maybe because he was expecting Gene to say something like that, he knew what to answer right away :

'No, Eugene,' he said, not missing a beat. 'To all the people you saved.'

Every single men nodded vigorously, all glad that someone had find the right words they weren't able to put into a clear sentence.

'To me, then,' continued Babe, and he drank, his eyes still on Roe.

Lipton quickly followed him, along with the rest of the table. Eugene was totally startled. When the last man had finish his glass, Eugene looked at all of them, and they all looked at him. A silence fell, everybody felt their heart clench before the look of surprise still on their medic's face. Babe then put a hand on Eugene's shoulder, and smiled, his eyes a bit wet for no reason :

'Sometimes, I think that you forget that part on purpose.'

Eugene looked at him. 'I guess I do,' he answered softly.

'It's why we're here with you, idiot, so you don't.'

'I appreciate it, Ed.'

'We know.'

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you'll leave a review, that would be very sweet of you.

Audrey :)