LuckyChip

All Combat! Names and indicia are licensed to: ABC entertainment company, and Selmur Productions… I think.
Copyright, August 4, 2004, Jessica A. Worley

Lucky Chip, Unlucky Chip

It had been a long mission, and Saunders was ready for a shower and a long nap. They’d been sent to escort a two star general and his aid to a command post up at the front, and had gotten ambushed by krauts twice on the way there, and once on the way back. He’d been surprised they hadn’t lost anybody in the last firefight, because it was a terrible one.

He had just gotten done giving his report to the Lt, and a Captain, and was now heading across the compound for a shower. He was sure that four days of dodging bullets and crawling around in the dirt hadn’t made him smell too fragrant.

The Sergeant dodged a flying soccer ball that came his way, followed by a young private who took chase after it.

“Sorry sir!” he called as he ran past.

Saunders laughed. It was good to see some of the men having fun, even if they weren’t from his squad. Finally he made it to the showers, and was all too happy to wash all the grime of the war away.

“Hey! Hey Sarge! Is it true?”

He’d only just come out of the shower building when Kirby and Billy, two from his squad had come jogging up to him.

“Is what true?” he asked, throwing his coat over his shoulder as he walked.

Kirby and Billy let their strides fall in line with the Sergeants to keep up with him.
“Well we heard they were gonna send us a couple of replacements,” Kirby told him.

“Yeah, we were just wondering if you knew if it was true, and if it was, then where we were gettin ‘em from,” Billy informed him.
Saunders chuckled. Rumors flew around a small command post like that like wild fire in a dry forest. “I don’t know, the Lt. didn’t mention anything about it to me.”

“Oh,” Kirby said. “Well, if you hear anything will you let us know?”

“That money’s just burning a hole in your pocket isn’t it Kirby?” Saunders asked him, chuckling. Just before the mission, he’d watched Kirby clean out two Lt’s, a Corporal, and two privates fresh from training in a poker game. He was probably anxious to do it to the two replacements if there were two of them really coming.

“Ah come on Sarge,” Kirby said with a big smile, “I was just gonna get a welcoming committee together, that’s all.”

“You know, if you don’t watch it Kirby, you’re gonna come across somebody just pretending they don’t know how to play, and they’re going to clean you out.”

Kirby and Billy stopped walking as the Sarge was just about to their tent where he was about to take a long deserved rest. “Not a chance Sarge, not a chance!” Kirby called after him. Saunders smiled, not turning around, and ducked under the tent flap.

It was considerably darker inside the tent, and there were actually eight cots there just waiting to be slept on. For the past two weeks they hadn’t had cots, only the hard ground. He sank down onto one of them, not bothering to get under a blanket, and instead just pulling his worn coat over him. A cot wasn’t always the most comfortable thing, but compared to the ground, it was heaven.

* * *

Their jeep jolted violently with every small bump or pothole in the road. It was obvious that the shocks were worn and ready to be replaced. Silently the driver promised he’d tell one of the mechanics about it straight away when they turned it into the motor pool at the new CP when they got there.

He swerved slightly to try and avoid most of the bumps because he knew the man beside him got carsick easily. He’d already pulled over twice to let him lose his last meal beside the road in a ditch, or behind the bushes.

“Alright there Dale?” he asked his friend. They’d been in basic together, as well as their last two squads.

Dale nodded, although Evan thought he was looking a little green. Evan slowed down a little just in case, hoping it would help and mean he wouldn’t have to stop later. They were already going to be late, and he hoped their new CO would be a kind one.

“What do you think they’ll be like?” Evan asked, voicing his thoughts.

Dale didn’t answer, and Evan looked over at him, chuckling. “Ok friend, ok, we can talk after we get there and come to a full stop in the motor pool.”

“Let me off just as soon as we hit the CP. I’m not waiting for the motor pool,” Dale told him, shutting his mouth and closing his eyes tightly again. Evan nodded, and not for the first time, wondered if something had happened to Dale involving a car wreck when he was younger to make him get so sick when he rode in motor vehicles now.

Dale opened his eyes again just in time to see Evan’s hand slide off the wheel and down into his right coat pocket. He knew he was reaching for his good luck charm, and hoped they wouldn’t need it once they reached their new, and hopefully, permanent squad, but knew Evan would never give it up anyway. In his mind, it had gotten him through too many rough spots.

* * *

“Aww come on Caje, just one little game.”

“Forget it Kirby, I’m not giving you any of my money.”

“Give me? Who said anything about giving me your money, huh? I just want to play one harmless little card game. Hey, I’ll even play ya for nothing. How ‘bout that?”

Caje looked doubtful that Kirby really wanted to play for no money, but nodded anyhow.

“Hey, I’ll play for nothin,” Billy said, having overheard his friend’s conversations.

“Yeah, me too,” said Little John.

“All right, now we’re talking,” Kirby told them, pulling a deck of cards out of his coat pocket, which he had also won. They had been one of the Lt’s deck of cards, and having run out of money, Kirby let him throw in the deck of cards for a dollar.

The four of them walked past their tent towards the bar, Kirby telling them all how he’d still beat them, and the rest of them reminding him of the Sergeants words, when Saunders himself stuck his head out from under the tent flap.

“Did I hear talk of Kirby playing poker for nothing?” he asked.

They stopped walking, and Caje said, “That’s right Sarge. He’s finally decided his own buddies are worth playing poker with.”

Saunders laughed, and Little John said, “Hey Sarge, wanna join?”

“Oh, I dunno, I’m not very good.”

“Oh that’s ok,” Kirby said in a falsely modest tone.

“Alright,” Saunders said, and he followed them the rest of the way across the compound and into the bar.

When they got inside they headed for the biggest table, right in the center of the dingy place. This close to the front they didn’t have the luxury of the officers clubs and other bars that more permanent bases held.

“Alright,” Kirby said, taking the cards out and starting to shuffle, “what do ya feel like? Huh? Five-card stud? Texas hold‘em?”

“Hold’em,” Caje said. Kirby’s smile grew wider. He’d grown up playing that game. He remembered winning George and Benny Johnson’s allowance a few times playing that when he was twelve or thirteen.

Kirby won the first two hands, and Billy won the third, which Kirby said was just plain beginners luck.

“Hey, I’m no beginner,” Billy said, “I’ve been playin this for years.”

“Then how come you didn’t want to play for money?” Kirby taunted him.

“Because I thought I’d give ya a break, ok?” Billy said, folding the cards Kirby’d just dealt him.

The rest of them laughed. Trash talk was part of the game. Just then the door opened behind them and filled the bar with fresh light. A tall man Saunders had never seen before stood there for a moment, before he walked over to the bar and sat down. Saunders threw his hand down too. The only thing he’d been dealt was a Jack, and an eight, and the flop had only turned up a five, an Ace and a King… not much to make a hand with.

Saunders sat back to watch the rest of them play out the hand, and noticed the man that had just come in, watching them with some interest.

Finally Kirby laid down a full house and, Caje and Little John threw down their hands, which turned out to be nothing more then a pair of Jacks and a pair of twos. Kirby laughed, and Caje said, “You’re just lucky, that’s all.” Kirby laughed harder.

“No, I think he’s cheating,” Little John said.

“No m’boys, that was neither luck nor cheating. That was skill, pure and sure, and that’s, why nobody will play me for money.”
There was a small outburst of muttering and laughter at Kirby’s comments, and then somebody from across the bar said, “I’ll play you for money.”

They looked over at the man who’d come in a minute earlier. He was still wearing his helmet.

“Alright,” Kirby said, “come on over!”

“I’m out,” Caje said.

“Me too,” said Billy.

“Ah come on!” Kirby said as the new player came and sat in Caje’s
now vacated seat, “Chickens!”

Neither Saunders nor Little John could resist a taunt like that.

The Sergeant pulled out his wallet, and Little John said, “Deal me in.”

“Ah hell, me too,” said Billy, not wanting to look cowardly. Caje knew perfectly well that Kirby would probably take all his money, and stayed where he was behind Sarge and the new guy.

“All right,” Kirby said, “now we’re talking. You got a name?” he asked the new player.

“Toby, Evan Toby, Private first class,” he said.

“What outfit you from Toby?” Saunders asked, laying a couple of dollars down on the table.

“I just came over from 382nd Love company, third platoon. My buddy and I are supposed to be transferring into King Company. We just checked in with the CO.”

“Oh yeah? What platoon?” Billy asked, looking up from the cards Kirby dealt him.

“Second Platoon, first squad,” he said, looking at his two cards and throwing a dollar into the pot.

“Oh, welcome aboard,” Saunders said, extending his right hand to the newcomer on his right.

Toby looked over at him and shook his hand. “This is second platoon first squad K Company?” he asked.

“Well, most of it,” Saunders said. “We’re missing Doc and Peters, and Miller and Walker are in the med tent recovering from a mission a couple of weeks ago, but…”

Saunders put another dollar in, and so did Little John. Kirby got a big grin on his face, and said, “And now you’re going to know who your main BAR man and the best poker player in K Company is Toby,” as he laid down another straight, ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. “That’d be me, ‘ol Kirby.” He jabbed his thumb into his chest.

“Damn!” Billy shouted, “All I had was a baby straight.”

“Me too,” said Little John.

Saunders opted not to show his cards, as Kirby’d already beaten him.

Kirby’s grin was broad, but Saunders noticed that Caje’s was wider. He was looking over Toby’s shoulder, and he did the same. Saunders smiled too, and Toby laid down his hand.

“I think we just found our new best poker player,” Caje said.

Kirby looked up, and then back down at Toby’s hand. His face fell slightly at the money he’d just lost, and the rest of the table erupted into laughs and whoops. He’d just laid down a Straight Flush, Ace high.

Toby smiled too, and stood up, one hand remaining in his right coat pocket. Saunders wondered why he’d kept his hand there through the whole game, but didn’t ask, because it didn’t seem to matter.

* * *

Saunders thought Kirby might have remained somber after the game, but he seemed to be taking the loss in good stride. He’d just told the guys that everybody could win at least once, but it took a player to win twice. He even challenged Toby to another game, but he just said he’d been lucky, and left the table to go find his buddy.

An hour after the game, Hanley found Saunders getting some lunch in the mess tent. “Sergeant.”

Saunders looked up from his tray. “Hey Lt. hear about the game?”

Hanley smiled and nodded. “Caje and Little John were hassling him about it across the compound.”

The Sergeant nodded. “I had a feeling that new kid, Toby, could have beat him again, but he just accounted the hand to luck and left.”

Hanley sat down opposite Saunders and looked behind him and to his right, to a table across the tent. “That’s the other replacement sitting on the end over there,” he said, “Dale Long.”

Saunders followed the Lt’s gaze to where Dale sat, eating and chatting with Doc. “Looks like he’s already met Doc.”

“Yeah. Anyway,” Hanley said, clearing his throat as if he was just about to get down to business, and looking back over at his Sergeant, “we’ve got another mission from General Grey. He’s concluded his business at Keller’s CP and he and his aid are going to come back this way.”

“Let me guess,” said Saunders, “he liked our escort so much that we get to do it again?”

“O four hundred tomorrow, Sergeant, and I’m coming too. There have been reports that there’s a leak in the lines that the krauts are using to sneak through. The General said he wouldn’t have any other squad for the job but yours, but with that extra chance of an ambush…”

“I got it Lt,” Saunders told him. He knew his CO hadn’t lost confidence in him to complete the job, only that every extra man that could go would help.

Hanley nodded and stood. “See you in the morning.”

* * *

By O three hundred the next morning, both replacements had been introduced to the rest of the squad, and for the most part seemed to be fitting in. They got their gear in order, and headed off at four as planned. Saunders ended up taking up the rear, just behind Long. The Lt. was halfway down the line just in front of Toby, who they’d decided to call Evan for the simple fact that it could be too easily confused with Kirby. Caje had the point.

It got light around O six hundred, and they still hadn’t seen any sign of German soldiers. One thing Saunders noticed though, was something that struck him odd about Evan. He could see him halfway down the line, gun in his left hand, right hand in his coat pocket. What was in there?

“Hey Dale,” Saunders said.

Dale Long slowed down a bit so he could walk next to the Sergeant. “Sir?”

“You been friends with Evan very long?”

Dale nodded, “Yes sir. We met in basic, and we were in the same squad the last two times… well, three now. Why?”

“Why does he always walk around with his hand in his right pocket?” Saunders asked. He wondered if he’d perhaps gotten an injury he didn’t like to show the scar from.

“Oh, that’s because his lucky chip’s in there,” Dale told him.

“His lucky chip?” That had been the last answer he’d expected to hear.

“Yeah, he won it in a poker game. It was the last chip he threw in before he won, and he kept it for luck. Later that night his house caught fire… faulty wiring or something, but he got out without any bad burns. He found the chip in his pocket later, and I guess he thought that’s what saved him. Now he carries it around everywhere with him. Says he wants to get home alive, and the chip would make it happen,” Dale finished.

Saunders didn’t like the sound of that. It was ok to believe in luck, but to value something like a chip so much? How far would Evan go to keep his luck charm if something happened to it? Suddenly Saunders wondered just why they’d both been transferred to three separate platoons. What had happened to the others?

“Thanks,” the Sarge told him.

Dale nodded, and took up his position a few feet in front of the Sarge again. “No problem.”

They had to take a break by eleven, because the sun was already beating down on their faces. They’d run out of tree cover for a short stretch, but found a tall clump of bushes to sit under and use for shade.

Saunders walked over to where the Lt. was standing, looking at a map. They already knew the way, having walked it just a day before, twice, but he suspected Hanley was looking for an alternate route because of the ambushes they’d walked through last time.

“Lt?”

Hanley looked up. “We should get off the road in a mile or so… you said the first ambush happened here, right?” he pointed to a spot on the map about two miles up the road.

“Yeah, and the other two were here, and here,” he showed Hanley where the other two had happened, one of them on the road closer to Captain Keller’s CP, and the other in the forest South of the road. They’d thought it a good idea to take a separate route back after the first two attacks.
“Alright,” Hanley said, “then this looks like the best way to go, if we just cut around the bottom of that hill to the North. It’s not as direct, but it’ll still get us there tomorrow to retrieve Grey.”

Saunders nodded, “Looks good to me Lt,” he told him.

Saunders looked back over his shoulder to where the rest of the squad was sitting. Caje, Billy, Little John and Dale were talking, Kirby was laying back with his eyes closed, as was Peters. Doc was rifling through his medic’s pack, and Evan was sitting off to the side, alone.

“Doesn’t seem the social type does he?” Hanley asked.

The Sergeant shook his head. “I don’t know.” He was still thinking about Evan’s good luck charm.

“Hey Lt. Do you know what happened to their last two squads? I mean, why they got transferred.”

Hanley looked at his Sergeant for a moment. Saunders usually had a good sense of personality, and if he was asking about their last two squads, he knew he must have a feeling about the two newcomers.

“I don’t know about the first squad they were in, but the Lt. from the last squad, from Love Company, sent a letter over with Long. Said to watch out for Evan’s luck, because it’d do us in if we didn’t.”

“What about Dale?”

“Nothing in there about him… maybe Green just did him a favor and let him go with Toby.”

“Yeah, yeah maybe.” Saunders looked back over at Evan. How many men had gotten killed because of that poker chip?

“Sergeant, do you know something about this?” Hanley asked him.

Saunders looked back over at his friend. “Long told me about Evan’s lucky poker chip. Said he accounted all the times he’d got out of tight spots to it. I don’t know Lt. I get the feeling he’d care more about that chip then any of the men here.”

Hanley nodded. “Alright Sergeant, we’ll keep an eye on him then.”

Saunders nodded too, and walked off to take a seat in the shade.

They made it to the base of the hill they were to go around without incident.
“Alright, take five,” Hanley told them now that they were under the cover of trees again. “We’ll push on for another hour or so after that and then we’ll dig in for the night.”

Saunders looked down at his watch as he sank down at the base of a large tree. Five o’clock. Not for the first time, he wondered why they couldn’t have requisitioned a couple of jeeps to save them from the day and a half walk there. He knew the general and his aid would take a jeep back if they traveled on the roads.

“Oh Sarge, do you think there’s any chance we can get a couple jeeps for the way back?” It was Kirby, he and Caje had just come to sit next to him.

Saunders laughed. It was good to know he thought the same way as everybody else. “I don’t know Kirby, maybe.”

“Yeah, he must like us to request us again though,” Caje said.

“He just likes that we won’t get him killed,” the Sergeant told him.

“Probably right,” Hanley said, coming to stand next to them. They had to leave in a couple of minutes, even though he knew his men were tired. They’d only had five breaks in the last 19 hours, even though the third one was an hour.

A sudden static sound brought back Hanley’s attention. He’d been looking back out over the field as he smoked. He looked down at the radio Caje was taking off his back.

“…King Three to White Rook, come in…”

Hanley kneeled down and took the radio Caje handed to him. “This is White Rook, King Three, go ahead, over.”

More static, “…Report on position White Rook…” there was a pause for a second before the half bemused half annoyed voice of Lt. Keller continued, “The three star wants to know what’s holding you up. Over.”

Hanley looked over at Saunders. He’d only met General Grey once, and felt sorry for Saunders, having had to deal with him for two days. Even he could tell from one meeting that Grey was a very impatient man.

“We had to take a little detour,” Hanley told Keller, “we’ll be there as scheduled in the morning. Over.”

“…Well hurry up…before he decides to march off and meet you by himself. There’s a damn hole in my office floor from his pacing!”

Hanley and some of the others laughed. “Alright. White Rook out.” He gave the radio back to Caje, and stood again.

“You heard him, we’ve got an impatient general to pick up. Let’s go.”

Saunders got to his feet slowly, as did the others who’d sat down.
“Lt?” the Sergeant asked.

Hanley turned to face him.

“They’re tired, are we really going to push on all night?”

“No,” Hanley told him. From behind him they heard a few sighs of relief, and the two CO’s smiled.

“We’ll push on until we get to the other side of the hill, and then we’ll dig in for a few hours. Get some rest, and take off again.” He paused, and then continued, “Maybe if we get there a little ahead of schedule I can convince the General of how tired you all are, and he might just let us have a tent and some cots for a few hours.”

The Lt’s statement brought a few smiles to the squad, and a few doubtful looks along with them. None the less, they set off around the hill with a little quicker pace, hoping that the faster they got to the other side of the hill, the more time they’d have to catch a nap.

“Hey, pretty quiet mission huh?”

“Yeah,” Evan told his friend.

Dale was looking around to the left, and Evan was keeping an eye on the forest and hill to the right as they walked.

Quietly Dale thanked the canopy above them and the dirt below their feet, that they hadn’t met any krauts. He didn’t want another incident like the last one to send them off to yet another squad. Evan was a bit reckless sometimes, and he knew it. It was only for the safety of the next squads that the two previous CO’s had let him go with Evan, in the hopes that he’d be able to knock some sense into him, and if nothing else, protect the next bunch of unlucky guys to inherit the ‘self made Jonah’ as their first Lt. had put it.

Finally they rounded the last bend at the base of the hill, and a smile spread over Dale’s face. Now they could take a break.

Hanley looked around, wondering if this was a good spot to dig in, and took note of the proximity to a small stream.

“Alright, I want a perimeter set up. Saunders, Caje, Billy, Evan, you’re with me. Kirby, Little John, go up to the top of the hill and make sure we’re alone. Doc, Dale, go around the base of the hill a little further and make sure we’re all clear.”

Kirby and Little John set off up the hill, and Saunders, Billy, Evan and Caje followed the Lt. out away from the hill to set up a perimeter, and make sure there weren’t any Krauts in that direction.

Hanley gave Evan the point, and once they got out from the hill a little ways, they split up into two more groups. Caje and Billy went to the left, and Saunders, Evan and Hanley to the right. With all the krauts they’d run into the day before, they weren’t going to take any chances now.

Saunders looked to the trees above them as they walked. Nothing, which he was thankful for. He looked back down, and noticed Evan, now with the blue poker chip out of his pocket, and in his hand. He was twirling it between his fingers as if a small baton. The Sergeant shook his head, but didn’t say anything. Evan could do whatever he wanted with the chip so long as he pay attention to what he was doing.

They’d only been out for five minutes, and were almost back to were they’d started, when a single shot rang out, followed by a dozen others in quick succession. Hanley and Evan hit the deck, but Saunders hadn’t made it to the ground in time. Blackness surrounded him, and he knew no more.

Hanley saw his Sergeant go down, but knew it was useless to crawl over to him if he didn’t take out the krauts in the bushes around them first. He pulled the trigger, and made a wide sweep of the bushes, since he couldn’t see the enemy. Evan did the same, and a kraut stood, and then keeled over to the front of the bush. They heard a small shout, and knew they’d got another one. Hanley held his fire after a second more, and gave the replacement an order to hold his as well. There were no more bullets flying. Had they gotten them all?

Hanley gave Evan a look that told him he was in trouble, before he stood, and cautiously approached the clump of bushes one of the dead men lay over. On the other side were two more of the men, dead, and the German version of the BAR to go with the other two rifles. He used his foot to push one of them over, and, satisfied that there wasn’t a possibility that he was going to jump back up and shoot him, he hurried back over to where Saunders lay.

He kneeled next to the lifeless body of the man, and was extremely relieved to see his chest rise and fall. He was still alive, still breathing, but one of the krauts had got him right in the gut.

“Saunders,” he prompted his Sergeant, trying to get him to wake, “Saunders… wake up Sergeant.”

He held his breath for a second, but let it out slowly when his friend’s eyes opened a slit and looked up at him. “Is it bad Lt?” he asked him.

Hanley looked back down at the wound. He’d seen Saunders with worse, and knew he’d probably survive. “You’ll be ok Sergeant,” he told him.

Saunders closed his eyes again as he trusted his friend’s words.

Hanley looked back up, and then over at Evan, who was standing a few feet away, looking down at the Sergeant, something clutched in his right hand.

“Well Private? Did you get it?”

Evan looked away.

“Look at me when I talk Toby!” Hanley spat at him, standing up. Evan looked back over at him.

“Now you listen to me. I don’t care how many scrapes you think that thing’s gotten you through, you do not let it interfere with your duties to this squad! Understand me!?”

“Yes sir,” Evan said quietly. He’d only stooped down for a second to pick up the chip he’d accidentally dropped. He didn’t think he’d miss seeing three Germans because of it.

There was a sound of running feet from their right, and both he and the Lt. spun around, ready to shoot the next person through the bushes. Hanley lowered his gun however, when Doc and the other replacement appeared.

Doc looked down at Saunders, and was there at his side in a flash, pulling his shirt up and sulfa out of his pack to treat the Sergeant’s wound.

Dale was looking down at the Sergeant as well, but stayed at the edge of the small clearing they’d run to.

“It doesn’t look too bad,” Doc said as Saunders opened his eyes again, “Lt, help me will ya?”

Hanley helped Doc pull Saunders to a sitting position and hold him there while Doc rapped a bandage around his mid section.

“Looks like it went right on through Sarge,” the medic told him.

“Hear that?” Hanley asked him, “You’re lucky Chip.”

Saunders smiled weakly. It wasn’t the first time he’d been called lucky. Usually he came out of scrapes and ended up in the hospital tent with every medic there calling him a lucky SOB at one point or another.

Dale noticed Evan look up at the mention of a, “Lucky Chip,” but he looked back down again when he realized they hadn’t been talking about the poker chip.

Kirby, and Little John came running into the small clearing a second later, having run all the way down from the top of the hill. They saw the Sarge, and Dale’s worried look at Evan, and knew what had happened.

“I don’t think that’s a lucky chip Toby,” Kirby said as he walked past on his way to see if he could do anything for the Sarge.

“Unluckiest chip I’ve ever seen,” Little John said quietly as he passed too.

And now they knew where they stood. It was the same case in their last two squads in Love Company. Something happened because of the poker chip, and they were pushed into another platoon or squad. Dale knew there was probably only one lucky Chip there, and he was sitting on the ground with a bullet hole in his stomach.

Saunders had been able to walk back to the spot they’d picked to dig in, with the help of Hanley and Doc. They sat him down so he could lean against a tree, and a few minutes later, the rest of the squad had returned from securing the perimeter.

“Jeese, what happened?” Billy asked.

“Yeah, we heard the fire Lt, but we were held up tryin to get rid of a couple of other krauts.”

Hanley didn’t answer them, instead he walked over to Caje and said, “I need to radio in.”

Caje nodded and knelt down to take the radio off his back for the Lt. to use.

“King Three, this is White Rook, come in King three.”

There was only static, “King three, this is White Rook, come in King three,” Hanley said again. He waited to see if there’d be a reply, but only static came over again.

Hanley wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, “Maybe the hill’s blocking it.” He looked back over at Saunders, who was accepting a drink of water from Doc’s canteen. His own had been hit earlier and all the water had leaked out.

“Alright Caje, let’s take it to the top of the hill.” Caje nodded and grabbed up the radio at the Lt’s orders.

“The rest of you stand guard,” Hanley told them, and then he and Caje took off to climb the hill and see if they couldn’t get some better reception.

Kirby, Little John, and Billy spread out to the edges of the clearing to keep a look out, and Dale dragged Evan off to the other side. He could tell by the looks Evan had gotten from the other guys that he wasn’t welcome to stand guard next to them.

Evan stood there silently with his gun ready to shoot the next Kraut that came into view. Dale had his back to him to look in the other direction, but knew he would hear him if he spoke, so he did. He had to say something to his friend, because he didn’t want anyone killed, and he didn’t want to be transferred again.

“Evan,” he said quietly.

Evan grunted his acknowledgement.

“Evan, do you really think that chip is so lucky?”

There was silence for a moment, and then, “You know I do Dale.”

Dale wasn’t sure of what to say.

“Then, if it’s so lucky, why do the people around it always end up getting hurt?”

Dale waited for the blast of his friend’s anger to hit him, but it never came.

Instead, Evan quietly said, “I dropped the chip, and I bent over to pick it up. If I hadn’t done that, they probably would have shot me.”

Dale closed his eyes and shook his head. What could he do to make Evan understand that the chip was nothing? What could anyone do?

The Lt. and Caje were gone for twenty minutes, before they finally appeared back in the clearing.

“What’s the word Lt?” Kirby asked.

Hanley shook his head with slight disgust. “We’ve got, express permission, from General Grey to be late tomorrow since we’ve got wounded.”

“Oh gee, how nice,” Billy said under his breath. Hanley heard him though, and nodded his agreement.

“It gets dark in a couple of hours. We’ll stay for a few hours after dark, and then leave. I know you’re all tired, but the sooner we can get to the Command Post, the sooner we can get the Sergeant to the Medic’s tent.”

The rest of the squad fell into line, including Dale and Evan, as if they were ready to leave right away. If no rest meant quicker medical attention for Saunders, then they wouldn’t rest.

Hanley nodded. “Alright, I hear you loud and clear,” he told the squad.

Saunders looked up. He knew his injury would come up in it sooner or later. “I’m fine Lt,” he told him, “I can walk, don’t rush things on my account.”

“That’s exactly why we’re staying to rest Saunders,” he told him, “Then you might be able to walk the rest of the way there.”

The Sergeant nodded. He wasn’t going to let himself be carried if he had a choice.

Kirby and Billy were sent to keep an eye out on the top of the hill, with orders to stay low, and the rest of them took turns standing guard around the clearing.

Even though Hanley found himself wide awake until the moment it was time to leave, Saunders struggled to stay awake, and finally gave in, letting himself drift off to sleep, which Doc was thankful for. He was tired of fighting with the squad trying to get them to sleep all the time. Especially the two CO’s.

Finally Hanley looked down at his watch and saw that it was ten o’clock. If they left now they’d have the cover of darkness, and would probably make it to Keller’s Command Post by five in the morning.

He sent Little John to retrieve Billy and Kirby, and crept over to where Doc sat and Saunders slept.

“Time to go?” Doc asked.

Hanley nodded, and then looked down to Saunders.

“Do you think we could get him onto a litter while he’s still asleep?” Hanley asked the medic quietly. He knew his Sergeant would put up a fight otherwise.

Doc was just about to tell him it was worth a try, when Saunders opened his mouth and said, “Not a chance.” His eyes were still closed, and it caught Hanley and Doc off guard, making them both jump slightly.

Recovering from the slight start, Hanley asked, “Are you sure you can make it Sergeant?”

Saunders opened his eyes. “I don’t know, but I’m sure going to try.”

Hanley nodded again. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t carry him if he collapsed a little ways down the road.

When Kirby, Little John, and Billy came back from the top of the hill, Doc and Dale helped Saunders to his feet, and they set off again, Doc helping the Sergeant along. Caje took the point, since Hanley didn’t trust Evan to anymore, and they made their way through the dark.

Hanley turned around about a mile down the road, and walked back to where Doc and Saunders were in line, to see how he was doing.

“Alright there?” he asked.

“Still hanging on,” he told him.

The next two hours found Saunders collapsing with exhaustion, and being put on the liter without a fight, to be carried by Caje and Kirby. Doc needed a break from supporting the Sarge that far. Hanley saw no other reason to mistrust Dale, and let him take the point, followed by Evan, while Hanley took up the rear, and made sure they weren’t being followed.

He looked at his watch and saw that it was three o’clock. He seriously hoped that the General would realize how tired they all were and would let them escort him back via jeep.

Kirby’s arms ached from carrying the liter, but he didn’t complain, because he knew Caje’s arms were probably sore too. Besides that, he was happy to carry their friend, who’d saved his neck more times than he could count.

Caje tripped once over a tree root, and almost dropped the Sarge. Kirby looked over his shoulder and asked, “What’s going on back there?”

“Tree root,” Caje told him.

“What, did it jump out and attack you or something?”

“Oh shut up Kirby,” Caje told him, smiling nonetheless.

They walked on, and Dale and Evan found themselves getting a little ahead of the rest of the squad.

“Slow down,” Evan told him, noticing how far ahead they were.

“Why?” Dale asked him.

“What? What do you mean why? We’re getting too far ahead of the others. Slow down.”

“You don’t need their protection Evan,” Dale told him, “you’ve got your lucky chip. It’ll save you.”

Evan looked down again. Was his best friend turning against him now? Evan had thought that at the very least Dale had understood how much the chip meant to him. It had saved him countless times.

Dale didn’t slow though, and soon they found themselves so far ahead of the others, that they couldn’t see them in the darkness.

Not for the first time Evan tripped over a protruding tree root, and fell face forward. Only this time he failed to catch himself, and landed hard on the dirt.

“Dale! Wait!” Evan called as quietly to his friend as he could.

Dale turned around, and saw Evan laying there on his stomach, feeling around on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Dale asked him.

Evan didn’t answer. He’d dropped it again. His hands wandered blindly over the dirt, and finally they found the rough edges and smooth top of the luck charm, and just as before, a shot rang out.

This time it was the man in front of him, his best friend that keeled over. Evan looked up and saw a single German soldier, standing there and pointing his gun at him. But with his friend lying there on the ground bleeding in front of him, he didn’t care about the gun aimed at his chest. He seized up his Thompson and fired without taking aim. One of the bullets caught the kraut in the leg, and another in the stomach. He went down and managed to pull the trigger once more, before he hit the ground, and moved not.

Evan felt the sharp pain in his own gut, and stayed where he was for a second as he took in deep, piercing breaths. He reached forward for his friend, and felt his chest slowly rising and falling. He wasn’t dead.
He heard fast footfalls coming behind him, and knew the rest of the squad was coming. He closed his eyes, and passed out.

When Evan awoke, a small beam of light lit up the area, and he was on his back, the Doc tending the wound he’d received.

“Dale,” he said dryly.

“He’ll be fine, he’s not hurt as bad as you are. Hold still,” the medic told him.

Evan closed his eyes, his hand still clutching his lucky chip, but then he opened them again, and raised his arm above his head. He brought his arm forward quickly, and let go.

It wasn’t worth it. Too many people got hurt because of it, and his friend was the last straw. It didn’t matter how many times the chip had saved his life. If so many others were going to get hurt because of it, then let him die if it was his fate.

“Toby.”

Evan looked up into the eyes of the Lt.

“It was never the chip that saved you Toby. It was your friend.”

Evan swallowed painfully, and nodded. Now that he thought about it, it had been Dale who had been with him since the beginning. Dale had been there every time he’d gotten through firefights uninjured. And the fire… that was just a coincidence.

“And from what Dale told me… now you know what it’s like to save a friend.”
Evan closed his eyes, and fell into blissful sleep.

Saunders gave up his ride on the first liter to Dale, and Doc and Hanley helped to make a second one for Evan. Together, Caje, Little John, Doc, and Billy carried the two liters the rest of the way to the CP, Hanley helped Saunders along, and Kirby kept point.

The sun was just coming up as Keller’s Command Post came into view, and when they reached the first guard post, the first young guard asked, “Password?”

Hanley looked at Saunders, and realized for the first time that he had absolutely no idea what the password was. Fortunately at that moment, a tall man with the General’s stature marched out and shouted to the guards, “Those men don’t need a password! Don’t you recognize them as the ones from the other day!? Numskulls!”

Saunders smiled, and General Grey noticed the extra wounded they’d achieved since the last radio check in.

“What in the blazes happened?” He asked Saunders.

Saunders looked down quietly and then over at Evan. “Uh, one of our men got lost… but I think they found their way back,” he told him, a smile coming over his face.

The general looked confused, but simply said to the two guards, “Alright, come on you lug nuts. What are you waiting for!? Help these men out here!”

The two young men rushed forward, relieving Little John and Billy of their burdens, and they all walked through the gates into Keller’s CP.

END