Norsemen!

"He's coming around......get me that syringe!" Doctor Roberts said loudly as he bent over the Gunny to give him a shot.

Gunny could smell alcohol but not the kind you drink, like that in a hospital along with antiseptic. He felt dizzy as if his head were caught in a dryer but that soon dissipated when he opened his eyes.

"Doc!" Gunny said softly as he tried to move but was pushed down by unseen hands.

"Relax Gunny," he said. "You're OK, just a nasty bump on your head and we took out a splinter in your side."

"Where's the skipper?" Gunny asked.

"I'm right here, Gunny." Came a male voice.

"No! I mean the captain of the ship!" he said angrily.

"She's in another ward. She'll be OK but she'll never use her left arm again."

"Where the hell did that dreadnought come from, Skipper?" Gunny tried to set up again and pushed away the nurses hands.

"She has been harassing our coast off and on since you left. We've sent out our planes and a few destroyers to chase her off but, we did not see her this time."

"How's the ship? Bad?"

"Well...yes!" the Skipper said as he went to the Gunny's side and took a seat. "The bow was nearly blown completely off. The only thing that kept her afloat was that young officer and his quick thinking. He sealed off the entire front part of the ship. Unfortunately, several of the crew got caught forward and were lost. BUT!" He paused. "If he hadn't done that in time she would have sunk."

"A decision like that from such a young man!" Gunny was surprised. "I told that young man to take charge, I guess he did. See if you can give him his own ship, Skipper."

"Will do," he said as he wrote in his note book.

"Diver bombers?" Gunny asked as he shifted then tried to sit on the edge of the bed, holding his head.

"Yes. They were working on them months ago and finally got six in the air. All were untested so this was their test run," Skipper chuckled.

"Six!" He said reaching for a cup of coffee on the table next to him. "That's how many I counted when they returned. So we didn't loose any?"

"We lost one fighter from AA. But the pilot was rescued."

"OH!" Gunny remembered the downed Greek pilot.

"Did we get that enemy pilot out of the water?" The coffee tasted so good he hummed with a smile.

"No. When the dreadnought retreated and that Lieutenant Vox sealed the bow, he sent out a whale boat to recover him but could not find him. Must of drown."

"WOW!" Gunny looked at the Skipper and he looked a lot thinner than before. "That young man has fortitude. Promote him too Skipper, THEN give him a ship."

Skipper wrote in his note book again.

Doc Roberts came back in the room with a frown.

"Do you ALWAYS frown, Doc?" Gunny asked with a smile.

"Around you jokers...YES!" He wrote something on Gunny's clipboard then stood at the end of his bed.

"Like I always say...it's like baby sitting you Marines and now you have and ENTIRE country that acts just like you!" He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at Gunny and the Skipper with a frown.

"Well doc," Skipper said. "We're lucky to have you with us."

"Yes...I KNOW!" He said and started to turn.

"Still that same arrogant asshole I always knew." Gunny said sipping coffee, looking at doc through his eyebrows.

Doc turned around at the door and paused.

"Welcome home, Gunny," he said with a broad smile. "Glad to have you back." Then he left hurriedly.

"Here," Skipper handed him a few sheets of paper.

"Reports from this morning. The Greeks have a few more ships in the area, smaller ones but fast like a destroyer. And, we think those Greek planes were launched from that Dreadnought too."

"I see, like our sea planes." Gunny said as he stood up slowly.

"Seems they are starting to move north again. Are we ready?"

"As ready as we will ever be, Gunny. We have more planes now, more dive bombers are on the assembly line and we also have fifteen twin engine bombers on line."

"FIFTEEN?" The Gunny was surprised.

"We also have larger tanks, heavy tanks with , I think, around eighty to ninety milometer guns."

"WOW! But what do the Greeks have? Any word from our guys sitting with them?"

"Yes. They reported a few days ago the Greeks are working on a larger tank, more planes AND they 'think' they have seen a four engine bomber at some point in time but not sure."

"Well...." Gunny reached for his uniform. "You can count on them having that thing soon. You know that."

Skipper shook his head in agreement.

He slowly began to put his uniform back on.

"We need to hit them, Skipper. Hit them NOW! Hit them HARD! Like Patton said...grab them by their ass and don't let go."

"I agree. They will not stop until they conquer the entire known world."

Jackson, a black Marine that was now in charge of the entire Army, stepped into the room.

"General Jackson!!!" Gunny turned to shake his hand. "DAMN! It's good to see you."

"You too, Gunny. I heard you got hit again. A sucker for those Purple Hearts, are you?" Gunny chuckled.

"I would much rather be in the air than the ground these days."

"I hear ya, Gunny."

"What brings you by, General? Just visiting or something to report?" Skipper asked.

"A little of both." He pulled up a chair and sat near the door of the private room.

"We have problems on the frontier." He handed both the Skipper and Gunny some papers.

"Here is a few stats I brought with me form across the entire region, counting what French we have, Saxons, Germans and anyone else."

"What's in it, General," Gunny asked still putting on his uniform slowly.

"Greeks have been probing our frontier every day, but the last few times they were in force. I thought it was a full blown attack last time but they pulled out and I had to recall my reserves." He paused taking a breath with a serious look on his face.

"Now we have this dreadnought coming in close to shore and several smaller fast movers were seen with them after we ran them off the other day...when you got hit."

"So what is your thoughts?" Gunny asked.

"I think they are planning on a landing somewhere south of us and use their naval and air as support."

"I know you have all ready started movement, I don't have to ask. But where have you deployed?" Skipper asked.

"I have beefed up all positions including Germany, parts of France and Saxony down about a hundred miles north of Paris, across central Germany into Poland."

He ruffled through some papers until he found what he was looking for then handed it to Gunny.

"Here is the reports from last night. It says the Greeks made contact with the Germans on the border with Poland. Heavy fighting with minor casualties before the Greeks pulled back. But it looked like they were trying the defenses...a major probe."

"At the bottom you can read the report from our air.....they were able to fly about fifty miles behind the enemy lines and saw a large buildup of men a material. INCLUDING tanks!"

"Did they say how many tanks?" Skipper asked.

"No but they said the convoy was about five miles long. That includes re-fullers and infantry, supply vehicles, etc."

"OH GEEEESH!" The Gunny shook his head. "They are getting ready for a big push against us and I am thinking sooner than later."

"Yes Gunny," the General said as he got up to leave. "There are still a few things I have to get ready before I leave for the frontier, Gunny so I need to get going."

"OK, General." Gunny stood at full attention once his uniform was on, then saluted the General. Jackson hesitated because he was indoors and Marines and Sailors do not salute in doors unless under arms.

"Sorry Jackson. I had to. You look great in that Generals uniform," Gunny said with a grim.

Jackson smiled broadly, saluted then left.

"Well, Skipper. Here we go again!" Gunny said as he limped to the door. "But THIS time....I want it to be the LAST time!"

"Roger that. I'll recall all militia units and draw up orders for their departure."

"OH! Skipper!" Gunny asked as he was leaving. "Where's Yngvildr?"

"She is sill at the airfield. She was driving one of those new dive bombers and seems she had a ball at it too!"

"Oh no!" Gunny smiled. "I'll never get her out of that thing now."

"And I fear I will not get YOU out of one of those little fighters either." Skipper chuckled as he left the room.

"NO! YOU WON'T!" Gunny yelled at the empty door.

As the Gunny limped through the street he had to be careful because of the activity of mobilization, hundreds of troops and vehicles were trying to get through the street in both directions. He stepped back onto a cobbled sidewalk, stopped and just watched as he leaned against a street light. People were in such a hurry that only on occasion would a soldier see his uniform, stop and salute. Others would press by, head down, concentrating on their destination and getting there as soon as possible. Vehicles blew their horns constantly as they got stuck in stop and go traffic. Then he saw something he had never seen before here, a motorcycle that resembled an old Indian style from the nineteen forties. It was very loud and the driver was dressed as if he were a pilot.

Gunny just stood there watching, amazed at the progress they had made, wondering what it would be like if there was no war and they could go even further. Paved roads all across Europe? Commercial air travel? Advances in medicine? Or even television! If they were at peace the possibilities were endless.