" Sometimes we fall down because there is something down there we're supposed to find."

- Unknown

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Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont was taken by nightfall, and they were given an hour to scrounge for food, for medical to get what wounded men they could ready to evacuate and for maybe 30 minutes of sleep.

Hazel took the offer of sleep in stride, finding a nice little curbside step to nestle down on and rest herself. There was a cool breeze that blew gently as she lied there, and the quiet chatter was peaceful. Looking back on D-Day, she was proud of her motives she had taken. The whole walk to Sainte-Maire-Du-Mont put things in perspective. She had to kill that German or else the Germans would have more intel than they'd want and on a female sniper. He had seen her gun, looked right up the barrel of it into her face.

The death was necessary.

Sure, when it had happened, when it all went down, her emotions had gotten the better of her. But sitting here now, death was something inevitable in war. Talking with Joe Liebgott had helped her feel infinitely better; he just seemed to understand her and work out the little bits of fear of war that she had.

Once she was brought into the Battle of Brecourt Manor though, she was zeroed in and focused and tuned into everything. Hazel accepted the fact that people would die, there would be pain and fears and failures, but it was war, a vast difference from a world without war.

But they had to learn to accept that.

She stared up at the looming stars, as her rifle laid beside her, propped up on the building she was next to. It was peaceful, for the moment and Hazel relished it. Catherine and Lizzie were still no-shows, but Hazel trusted both of those strong women. They'd find their way, if they were alone or with someone else. They always found a way through anything. She thought of the Edelweiss on the German's jacket.

The mark of a true soldier.

She knew she'd remember that moment for the rest of her life, but she knew now, not to dwell.

Suddenly, there were loud calls for a medic. the voice was calling it out frantically, and there was evident whimpers that followed. Hazel shot up from her spot, head flipping to look over her shoulder, as she pushed hair from her face.

" What's going on?" she muttered to herself, pushing up from the ground to hurry towards the center of the town where the commotion was. Her heart plummeted at the sight.

" Catherine!" Hazel called, rushing forward, to push towards her through the crowd. She was wrapped around Gene, her face pale and in pain, with dried blood on both their hands. What had happened? Hazel raced up to the two, as Gene secured his arm over her and looked to Hazel who stopped in front of them.

" What happened?" Hazel asked as Catherine let out a painful sob at the way her arm moved. There was a bloody wrap trying to hold it in place, but it did nothing to ward off the pain. Gene couldn't respond, his fear for Catherine growing with sickening worry.

" We need to move her to the aid station." Gene said, looping his hold tighter on Catherine.

" Let's go." Hazel said as she attempted to push through the group of people watching to get forward.

" Medic!" Gene called when they entered the aid station and a few medical personnel came running from different directions to meet them.

" She landed wrong, her whole arms messed up, and she's had no food or a good amount of water in a while." Gene explained as he looped Catherine's good arm off him and into the arms of the two, fully awake and alert medics.

" We'll take it from here." the first one said, as Catherine winced at the twitching pain again. Hazel watched the woman, the strong and powerful force that had inflicted a maternal instinct upon the group, being walked back into the aid station and most likely evacuated to England again, never to return for the Normandy Campaign at least. Hazel stood in shock and utter silence next to Gene, as they watched her disappear with the medics around the corner.

" You should eat something, Gene, or even just sit down." Hazel told him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked into her defeated eyes and sighed glancing back in the direction where Catherine had gone, and then nodded in grief. Hazel watched as Gene turned and left in defeat and exhaustion. Hazel glanced back to where Catherine had gone. She took a seat on the stool nearby and sat there for, how long, she didn't know. Hazel looked up again when she saw the two medics that had taken the woman back, appear from a curtain.

" Will she be ok?" Hazel asked quietly, standing up quickly and approaching the two. They looked at her.

" Shoulder blade is completely broken and shattered, she needs to be sent back to England, and have actual surgery to heal it up. Not sure how long that will take. Her external wound is also infected. " the first one told her. Hazel felt her shoulder's drop in utter defeat at that and glanced towards the curtain they'd come out of.

" Can I go in?" Hazel asked. The first looked at the second and they nodded.

" She's very emotional right now, just so you know." the second one said with a kind, yet sad smile. Hazel nodded back and forced a tiny smile to her face. Hazel turned and slowly walked over to the curtain. Hazel had never once seen Catherine cry or become upset over something. She was always either confident, her number one emotion, or defensive or brave and courageous, like a warrior.

She never cried.

Hazel thought now that sometimes you did have to break.

Hazel peeled back the curtain and saw the woman, curled up in the bed, crying softly to herself, concealing the cries that escaped her lips. Catherine looked up when noticed Hazel appear at the curtain.

" Hey," Hazel said quietly, stepping inside and letting the curtain fall behind her. Catherine automatically glanced towards her arm, defeated and sighed, reaching up to wipe the tear that trailed down her face.

" Hey," Catherine said quietly. Hazel slowly walked over to the woman and sat down on the edge of the bed looking towards the rifleman.

" I'm sorry I'm so emotional." Catherine said, " I didn't think I'd get injured my first minute of being here and then having to leave the next. It's upsetting. I came to fight and now I have to leave again." Hazel looked at Catherine.

" It's ok to be upset, Mack." Hazel said with a nod to the woman and Catherine nodded, brushing away another stray tear. Hazel had never seen Catherine cry, and now seeing her here so broken made Hazel feel terrible for her.

" You promise to make sure you keep everyone safe, right?" Catherine asked Hazel. Hazel nodded.

" And make sure Lizzie makes it back to us safely." Catherine said and then shut her eyes and let a few more tears streak down her face. Hazel sat next to Catherine comfortably, and let the girl cry into her hug. Hazel held Catherine as she cried, because she knew she wouldn't want to cry in front of anyone else. The girls were always there for each other whether it was war or peace.

It was their sisterhood in the brotherhood.

Hazel sat with Catherine for a while, before Catherine eventually had fallen asleep to Hazel's gentle comfort she provided.

Slowly the curtain moved away, and Hazel looked up to see it was Gene, with his helmet removed, eyes sullen with worry. Hazel offered a small smile to the medic.

" She doing ok?" Gene asked as he slowly took a seat in the chair beside the bed, looking towards the woman, who was fast asleep. Hazel looked at Catherine and nodded.

" She'll be ok." Hazel whispered. Gene had never looked more stressed out or exhausted as he had been there in that moment.

" You ok?" Hazel asked him.

" I will be." Gene said with a small smile and a nod. Hazel watched Gene look at Catherine, and tried to understand the feelings they both must've felt. It had happened right after Catherine had landed, more like crash-landed, going straight into the ground, and they had been dealing with the injury for over 24 hours together. What type of scarring would that provide?

" I just, to deal with an injury that long, before getting some sort of treatment. She was in a lot of pain." Gene confirmed with a nod as he scratched his neck, " It was scary. She got sick a few times or was close to passing out."

" Hey, Gene," Hazel said, " you did the best you could and the best was all you could do, especially in a war zone, remember that." Gene looked at her and nodded.

" Thanks, Hazel." Gene said and Hazel nodded. Gene gently stood to his feet and then looked down at Catherine again. Then Gene met Hazel's eyes.

" I'm gonna try and get some rest." Gene said, and Hazel could see that he was having trouble just keeping his eyes open.

" You do that, Gene." Hazel said and Gene nodded with a smile, before heading out again, yawning. He looked exhausted, completely and utterly exhausted in too many ways. Eventually two medics came in and Hazel looked up.

" I'm sorry but we have to move her, to get evacuated." one medic said. Hazel nodded and looked back at Catherine. She gently rubbed her shoulder. Catherine gently shifted and then let out a cry at her shoulder.

" I have to go." Hazel said as Catherine looked at her. Hazel didn't want Catherine to leave, Catherine had always been there. Hazel was scared. Especially since Lizzie was missing as well. She was scared. But she couldn't be scared in war. Hazel sucked up any emotion she withheld inside her body and looked down at Catherine.

" You'll heal quickly, Catherine, I know you will." Hazel said, trying her best to provide any comfort she could.

" Promise me you'll stay safe for me?" Catherine asked quietly and Hazel nodded. Hazel hugged the girl close, with tears in her eyes, before having to pull back. Hazel slowly stood and retreated towards the door with tears in her eyes.

" See you soon, Hazel." Catherine called as Hazel smiled and waved. When Hazel got outside of the aid station, it hit her that Catherine was being evacuated and Hazel might never see her again. But Hazel told herself she would, whenever they returned to England, to Aldbourne.

They'd see each other again.

Hazel walked through the streets, brushing her hands off against each other, her footsteps light against the ground. So Hazel retreated to the tiny slab of stone again and laid down on it, and stared up at the sky again, the dark night sky, that was filled with stars and constellations and the ever-present glowing moon overhead.

The stars, she felt, always seemed so bright and free, and seemingly happy, but now they were clouded with the haze of sadness and war.

Like Hazel.

Hazel reached for the little journal and pen that sat in her pocket, and slowly pulled it out. The notebook was safe from harm, nothing had seemingly happened to it, even through the jump. She opened up to another page and began writing to her mother. She didn't know when her mother would receive it or when she'd even be able to send it out to her mother, but she hoped that when the campaign initially finished, she'd be able to send it out.

Dear Mom,

The stars don't shine as bright as they do without you. It seems cloudy almost, even hazy, and their glimmer has lessened since the last time I saw you. The invasion has happened, and I'm currently sitting and listening to the chatter from the men as they remain relieved they survived. It is the harsh reality though, the ones who've made it this far are glad to be alive. 24 hours ago, I sat boarding a plane to the invasion and now I'm here, and I've lived it already. It's already over, and in the past as we step forward. Lip was the first person I met up with and two other 82nd boys, and then I met up with Winters, Popeye Wynn, Bill, Joe Toye and Malarkey. I was glad I could see them. Another man was with this, John Hall of Able Company. He didn't survive like the rest of us, but he was there with Winters, seemingly, in the early hours of the morning, and for that I'm grateful that he did what he could for Winters.

Catherine was injured and she's been evacuated. Gene found her and drug her the entirety of D-Day to get her to base. He was exhausted and she was emotional. I had never seen someone as emotionally distraught, in the way Catherine was. We've had our moments, but I had never seen someone as emotionally distraught as Catherine had been because she's never like that. But war has changed people, a lot. We're still waiting on Lizzie. She has yet to show, but I talked to Liebgott, we know she has to show. It's been quiet without one of our favorite medics. Lizzie's always smiling, always giving me warm hugs and gentle words, kind of like you mom. She'll make a great mom. Many people haven't shown up, like Chuck, Luz, Martin or Bull. The list could go on, Mom. It's now a waiting and guessing game to see who's going to show up next, simply because we're still missing over half the Company. We keep smiling though, and laughing and making each other happy with the company we have with each other. I hope they show soon. I hope you enjoy your summer, try and get out and see the friends, go drink coffee with them at a cute shop or hike a mountain. Watch the birds, or smell the grass, relish the silence of the breeze and the whisper of the trees. Take it all in. I'd wish I'd done that more often.

Wishing you all my love,

Hazel

PS. I'm not in Paris :)

Hazel slept in Coup De Ville that night, after the company moved there after their hour break and the chaos in general. Hazel remained in a tiny cot in the aid station. Gene had gotten some coffee in him after the Catherine chaos, and had quickly began helping the other medics. He had immediately told the girl she needed rest, just from her general exhaustion and set her to sleep in the back of the aid station. She had happily obliged to Gene saying that and curled up right under the blankets and fallen asleep glad for the peaceful night of rest she'd get after over 24 hours of being nervous, consistently scared and basically wide-awake.

She gently hummed a gentle tune her mother always sang as she fell asleep that night, that reminded her of the mountains back home in Tennessee, and the birds that chirped as she would hike up mountain trails. All the memories flooded back; each and every one from the 20 years of her life.

She was thankful for them all, the good and the bad.

For destroying the German guns at Brecourt Manor, the following medals were awarded. Bronze Stars: Walter Hendrix, Donald Malarkey, John Plesha, Joe Toye, Carwood Lipton, Cleveland Petty, Myron Ranney, Popeye Wynn, and Hazel Parker. Silver Stars: Buck Compton, Bill Guanere, Gerald Lorraine. The Distinguished Service Cross was awarded to Lieutenant Richard Winters.

Easy Company's capture of the German Battery became a textbook case of an assault on a fixed position, and is still demonstrated at the United States Military Academy at West Point, today.

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hey! last chapter updated today, but episode 3 starts tomorrow!! this definitely was the 'episode' or part of the story where hazel comes to terms with everything for herself. and i like that :)

thank you for all the support and love!! :)