" Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others."

- Suzy Kassem

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They drove back to the line with their boxes and supplies and Gene took to administering supplies to all the medics with Spina, but telling Lizzie to get some rest.

" I'm fine, Gene, it's not a true fever." Lizzie said, and Gene glanced at the men before stepping toward her.

" If you don't rest, it'll become one," he said and then smiled at her. She sighed with a smile and nodded.

" I'll stock you up in a bit," Gene told her and she nodded. Lizzie wadded through the foxholes when Catherine came up to her. She looked exhausted, but she had been wide awake with Hazel's solo patrol.

" Lizzie!" Catherine called as she approached.

" Hey, Mack," Lizzie said as Catherine stopped in front of her.

" Did you head into town? Everyone said the medics went into Bastogne for supplies." Catherine said. Lizzie nodded.

" Yeah, Gene and Spina are handing out supplies now to the other medics." Lizzie said.

" Hey, you ok?" Catherine asked her.

" It's just a slight fever," Lizzie said with an honest nod. And Catherine's eyes widened.

" Lizzie you didn't say you had a fever," Catherine said as Lizzie looked down sadly.

" It's a slight fever and slight cold, Gene just wants me resting right now." Lizzie said, " I'll be fine."

" Well you rest then, you got a foxhole?" Catherine asked her.

" Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine." Lizzie said and offered a small smile. Catherine watched her worriedly.

" Alright, you go rest now okay, think about yourself here and just rest, please." Catherine said rubbing her shoulder and Lizzie nodded as Catherine squeezed her shoulder.

" Thanks, Mack," Lizzie said softly and Catherine smiled with a nod.

" Now, go, rest." Catherine said sending her off with a smile. She deserved it.

Hazel was wadding her way towards the breakfast line, arms crossed over her chest. That morning, she'd woken up to the sound of planes overhead, blue skies, sunshine and Liebgott next to her. To say the least, she was still exhausted, but happy she had done her duty.

Now, she was heading towards the breakfast line, which was close to turning to lunch by now. Hazel walked up and gratefully took the bowl of cold oatmeal, and went and sat down on a nearby log that was covered in snow. She sat down and feebly at the cold oatmeal, but she was hungry, she didn't care.

Hazel glanced back towards the line and saw a familiar face; one she felt she hadn't seen in a while.

It was Christopher Jenkins. He was talking to a bunch of his douche bag friends. But she knew 2nd Battalion shared a food line. Hazel just turned a side eye and focused on her food. She could hear them talking though, but she ignored it.

" Hey, you," she heard a voice say and she looked up to see Christopher coming towards her. His nose was bright red, but mostly everyone's nose was that color, but he looked more awake than ever. She raised a brow as he approached her. Then his eyes seemed to register that it was Hazel in front of him.

" Hazel Parker," he said, and she didn't change her unwavering stare. She wasn't that quiet girl back at Aldbourne.

" Where's those 2 other goons you run around with?" he asked with a smirk. Hazel didn't even flinch.

" Well," she started, " Lieutenant McCown is up at Battalion HQ, working with Winters and Nixon on different geographic layouts and maps of the entire area. Doc Elliot, is risking her health and life everyday to make sure the men and women of the company get their much needed supplies if they get hit and making runs to Bastogne and back, as well as running through open fire with no weapon. And I work to ensure that if anything happens to anyone, I will go and retrieve their body, to make sure their family gets their gear back, so their family has something to remember them." Hazel stared at Christopher, who was staring back at her with wide, changed eyes it seemed.

" And you?" Hazel asked, nonchalantly. Christopher didn't have a response as he crouched in front of her, his friends watching from behind, curiously. They weren't those men from back at Aldbourne; they were different ones. They probably didn't make it.

" Well, that sure is fascinating," Hazel said, as she stood and Christopher scrambled to his feet in front of her.

" I didn't say anything," Christopher said stopping her as she looked at him with a smirk.

" I know." she said. The two stared at each other, and at that moment Christopher seemed frozen in time. He wasn't saying a thing.

And with that, Hazel turned away, with her tiny tin of oatmeal, leaving Christopher with a gapping mouth watching her go, and even more confusion from his friends. Hazel left with a smirk.

She enjoyed the cold oatmeal a bit more that late morning, even though she wasn't planning on waking up late again.

She didn't have the mental capacity to deal with him.

Throughout the day, the company managed to avoid any major damage from the shellings, it seemed Fox Company got more damage just from the impact that came from Easy's one side.

Hazel took to sitting on the edge of her foxhole, cleaning her weapon the best she could. Hazel was worried for Lizzie, who looked sick as sick could be, but she knew she had the company worried for her health, so she knew she was in a foxhole somewhere with someone. Hazel worried too much though now.

But she knew if she didn't, she couldn't live with herself.

These people were friends and family, they deserved to be worried over for everything. Hazel was worried for Lizzie's health; she hid it easily. And Catherine, Catherine had been through a lot, her emotions everywhere, but at least, hopefully the stress wasn't getting to her.

Catherine's stress was through the roof.

After Hazel had brought back Julian's body, Winters told her to get some rest and they'd take care of the body. So she did, but when she came back to CP the next morning, after a meal of cold oatmeal, she was stressed beyond stress.

" You ok, Catherine?" Nixon had asked her as the two sat side by side doing map maneuvers. Catherine was almost asleep by his side. She glanced over at him, with half open eyes.

" Just stressed, nothing new," she said and let out a dry sigh, shaking her head to focus herself on the map again.

" Right, what's really going on?" Nixon asked her. She looked to him, confused with a brow raised.

" Since when were you so concerned?" she asked.

" I may be sarcastic, Catherine, but I'm not an asshole." he said, and she smirked at his comment as he chuckled to himself.

" Come on, what's really bothering you?" he asked her, as he folded the map away.

" I'm just worried for everyone, I mean we already saw Skinny go, that was nerve-wracking enough when Lizzie told me that. I can't help but be worried for the men and women, especially since I can't be with them every second of ever day." Catherine said, " You know, I used to be one of them, intertwined within the enlisted before moving up here."

" Oh, I know." Nixon said, then looked at her, noticing the stress lines on her face and dark rings under her eyes.

" Gods just got a way of making decisions," Nixon said, " whether they die, get injured, or don't get hurt at all."

" You still believe that?" she asked him, " You sound like Hazel."

" Yeah, you don't?" Nixon asked her with a smirk and she chuckled and rolled her eyes.

" You worried for Hazel?" Nixon asked her. Catherine nodded.

" She's one of the youngest members here, and she's just so, I don't know, innocent." Catherine said.

" She's tough, even if she doesn't show it, Catherine, you know that." Nixon told her. Catherine sighed and let her shoulders drop.

" And Lizzie, she just she's sick and she's not taking care of the sickness as she should, I don't know, those girls are like family to me, I can't help but worry for their safety." Catherine said sighing.

" Wow, I feel important," Nixon said as he sat back and looked at her. Catherine raised a brow.

" What?" she asked.

" I feel like Dick, you know listening to everyone's worries." Nixon said with a proud smirk.

" You what?" a voice asked and the two looked up to see Winters walk in at that very moment.

" I said I feel like you, you know Catherine telling me all her worries," Nixon said proudly. Winters looked at him, and then just shook his head and Catherine smirked at Nixon, who rolled his eyes at her.

" Well, Regiment wants you, Sink said something about needing to see you," Winters said as he passed him a map. Nixon took it and looked through it.

" Ah, I figured, the man always needs me for something." Nixon said as he stood.

" Have fun," Catherine called to him with a smile, and he rolled his eyes at her. Winters sat down on his stool and ruffled through the papers and maps he had, before looking up at Catherine who sat, with a small, concentrated expression upon her face, biting her lip, as she stared off into the snow.

" Catherine," Winters said and she turned her head to look at him.

" Hm?" she asked.

" Are you ok?" he asked her, as she looked down away from his eyes to the ground.

" Just stressed and worried," Catherine said.

" Anything you need to get off your chest?" Winters asked her. Catherine sighed, again, she'd done that a lot, and let out a shuttering breath.

" I'm just worried for everyone. I was one of the enlisted once, and I still hang around and talk with them, but I'm always worried now because I'm not with them consistently like I was when I was Staff-Sergeant." she explained, " I just, I'm dreading the day that someone comes to us, and I hear one of the girls' names or someone like Lip, or the NCOs. I don't know what I'll do."

" If anything does happen, you know you will always be their friend, and their sister, Catherine. And if something does happen, the medics will be there, Roe and Elliot, and Spina, and Oates, and Mamphre. All of them. They'll all be there for them if something does happen." Winters told her. Catherine was a strong leader and a powerhouse in the face of Easy Company. In Winters' as well. She was extraordinarily level headed, and she was highly intelligent. She knew what she was doing, but sometimes you need a break.

" How about, you go and you visit them all, you take some time to yourself," Winters told her. Everyone needed a break sometimes, and at that moment Winters was worried for Catherine and just wanted her to have some time to calm down. Because in her current state, Winters didn't want her to start doing something and mess things up because she wasn't ok mentally.

" Really?" she asked him. Winters nodded, looking at her.

" What time do you want me back?" she asked him. She was excited to just go and see her friends and be with them. She stood up and grabbed her helmet setting it on her head, before grabbing her weapon. She then turned to Winters who had stood up as well.

" Just go and see your friends, alright? Just be here by tomorrow morning." Winters told her. She stared at him with wide eyes.

" Thank you, Dick." she said with a smile up at him. He nodded to her. She couldn't resist herself as she walked forward and wrapped him in a tight hug. Winters seemed surprised at first, before wrapping his arms around her small frame. She was grateful for the hug, even from Winters. She then pulled back.

" I'll see you tomorrow." she said, and then she dashed out. Winters smiled. Catherine hurried towards the groups of foxholes and smiled when she saw Joe Liebgott wandering about.

" Joe!" she called out to him. He turned at the sound of his name and a smirk crossed his face.

" Hey, Mack, finally down from Battalion?" he asked her as she arrived at his side.

" Yeah, Winters let me have some time to just see you all, you know after being with Nixon all the time," she said and Joe laughed.

" Where is everyone?" she asked.

" Probably at the dinner line, there's always a crowd of Easy people there, if you want to see them all." Joe said. The two headed towards the dinner line. Skip was the first to spot Catherine and Joe coming towards the group as he stood in line beside Malarkey.

" Mack?" Skip called a smile on his face as Malarkey looked towards where the girl was coming with Joe.

" Miss me?" she said as she approached and Skip smirked at her.

" Haven't see you in days. Nixon have you packed in with maps or something?" Malarkey asked her, smirking.

" Must be fun." Skip said and Catherine laughed.

" Winters thought I needed some time with you all. I miss being amongst you all." she said and Skip smiled.

" Well, we sure miss you, have to deal with him all the time," Malarkey said pointing to Skip who slapped his side.

" Don, I swear to god." Skip warned as he laughed.

" What have you all been up to?" she asked.

" Oh you know, getting shelled every hour," Joe said by her side and she rolled her eyes.

" I know that, asshole." she muttered.

" Lizzie's sick as hell," Skip said.

" She was with Chuck and Tab all day today and she barely moved to get food. She's not doing well." Malarkey chimed in. Catherine sighed.

" Someone bring her food?" Catherine asked.

" Doc did, supposedly spoon fed it to her. Condition turned worse in just a few hours," Joe said shaking his head. Catherine sighed.

" Shit, she gonna be ok?" she asked.

" Doc's trying to get penicillin in, but there hasn't been any yet." Malarkey said.

" How's Hazel?" Catherine asked.

" You haven't heard?" Malarkey said.

" Heard what?" Catherine asked, as her heart began racing.

" Told off that Christopher Jenkins, asshole, made him speechless." Joe said with a laugh.

" You scared me, Don," Catherine said and Malarkey laughed shaking her head.

" What'd she say?" she said looking at Joe.

" Well, I pried it outta her. Some Dog guys were talking about it, and I asked her about it. Supposedly, Chris asked about all you ladies, and she went off. Fucking priceless. Knew she'd snap at some point." Joe said with a smirk.

" You know what she say?" Skip asked him.

" Yeah, stuff about you ladies and all you've been doing to help out with the war. And she told the solid truth, scared him shitless I think. It was badass." Joe said, and Skip smirked proudly as Catherine smiled.

" Who would've thought it would be Hazel to tell him off?" Malarkey said with a smile, " She's great."

" You wanna know what she said at the end?" Joe said. The trio looked to him.

" Supposedly, after all that, he didn't say one word. Just stared at her. Fucking creep. Then she went something like, well, that sure is fascinating, and stands up to leave. Chris stops her and says he didn't say anything and she goes, I know. Brilliant." Joe said cracking himself up with a smile.

" Damn," Skip said with wide eyes. They would've never guessed Hazel could be like that towards someone with how innocent and quiet she always seemed to remain.

" That's great," Catherine said smiling, " perfect response."

" Think she could go tell that to Dike?" Malarkey said and the group laughed.

" I would love to see that," Skip said," you know she'd destroy him."

" She may be quiet, but she's got one hell of a mind up there." Catherine said smiling. That's when Hazel walked up to them, in her white helmet, and bright red nose.

" Hazel!" Catherine said as Hazel looked up and realized who was in front of her.

" Catherine! Hey, you're down from Battalion?" Hazel asked softly, with a smile. Catherine nodded.

" Winters...he gave me some time to be here with you all." Catherine explained and Hazel smiled.

" Hey, there she is," another voice called joining the conversation and the group turned to see it was Joe Toye.

" Hi," Hazel said as she smiled at him.

" Heard you took a shot at the Chris shit head today," Joe said as he came up next to her in the group. She shrugged with a smile.

" I was just trying to defend everyone," she said with a smile as her cheeks warmed up.

" Nah, you scared the fuck out of him, Tiny, wish I was there." Liebgott said from her other side and Hazel looked at him with a smile, a slight giggle leaving her lips.

" I saw that guy as I came back from OP, going off to his friends about his dumb response to a tiny girl, that he had stumbled across back at Aldbourne. Figured it was you." Toye told her and Hazel smiled.

" Has it spread around?" she asked.

" Oh yeah," Skip said with a smirk and a nod. The group laughed.

" What did you tell him again?" Toye asked her. Hazel giggled to herself.

" After I finished, he didn't say anything, so I went, well that sure is fascinating and went to leave. He stopped me and said, I didn't say anything. And I went, I know." Hazel said and the group burst into laughs.

" Man, I wish I could've seen his face." Malarkey said.

" The one time I go to breakfast early," Skip said to himself as Hazel laughed. She enjoyed the group, just laughing together, enjoying each other and not thinking about the war.

That night, Hazel went to check on Lizzie, her worry spiking completely. She slowly headed towards the medic's foxhole, which had a tarp overtop. She slowly crouched by the side and slowly peaked through the top, opening it up. Inside she saw Lizzie curled into Gene's side, fast asleep and shivering under the blankets, Gene sitting beside her, his arms holding her close. He looked up when he noticed Hazel there. Hazel's heart dropped. Hazel looked to Lizzie again. She seemed so ungodly sick.

" Gene, is she ok?" Hazel whispered. Gene sighed looking down at her.

" She says she's fine, but I know she's not. Her fever's slight, but I know it's going to grow." Gene told her. Hazel nodded.

" Ok, good night, Gene." she said with a small smile. Gene smiled.

" Stay warm," he said and she nodded before sliding back. Hazel then turned and headed back to her foxhole. It was late already, the group had spent the rest of their time hanging out, before they all decided to head back to their foxholes.

Catherine told them she had to head back to Peacock, but she'd see them in the morning. Hazel found herself stumbling through the dark when she passed through a little open area that looked towards the German lines. She stopped, with her arms crossed over her chest, looking out towards the Germans.

It was lightly snowing, and the sky was dark with a few visible stars, and she could see, the littlest bits of light as cigarettes were lit up or a tiny fire was set ablaze. Hazel continued moving. Hazel climbed into the foxhole that night to find Shifty already asleep, cuddled up on his side, the blankets just barely covering him.

Hazel dropped into the foxhole and gently pulled the blankets over Shifty, before setting down her sniper and then crawling in next to him, immediately feeling a bit warmer under the blanket and with Shifty's body heat. She fell asleep, grateful that she would be getting, hopefully, a full night's sleep that night.

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hello! another chapter for you lovely people! i never realized how long some of these portions i had written were, so that's why i'm updating in such big chunks :D <3 thank you so much for reading and enjoying and leaving wonderful comments and votes that make my day!