All Things Nice » Band of Brothers

76: Winter

Posey nodded, looking between him and Winters with a shrug. "Doing okay, sir. Yourselves?"

They both mumbled their affirmatives, a little bit less than enthusiastic and even less convincing but she understood the sentiment.

"How's Lieutenant Welsh, if you don't mind my asking, sirs?" she asked, looking between them both. Welsh had been taken off the line a few days previously after being hit in one of the shellings. Posey hadn't been there at the time but news spread fast out here whenever anyone was taken off the line, especially an officer. They were short of more than a few good officers out here and Welsh was one they really hadn't been able to afford losing.

"He's doing okay. Recovering well," Winters said, nodding pensively. "He's gonna be fine."

"I'm glad to hear it, sir," Posey replied, and meant it. She'd always liked Welsh, for all that she didn't know him too intimately. Compton had been her own platoon leader since D-Day so she'd not ever fought under Welsh much. Still, he'd always been very kind to her and she knew him to be competent, both as a leader and as a soldier, so she respected him for that.

"Wells, while we've got you here, is there anything you need up on the line? Anything we might be able to get you?" Nixon asked.

Posey smiled slightly. He was a good ally to have. "A warm bed and some decent food would go down a treat, sir."

The both of them laughed before Nixon replied, "That might be just beyond what I can get you. Is there anything else?"

Posey hummed, thinking it over. Eventually, she confessed, "A blanket would be nice. Or a scarf, maybe."

"We should be getting some coats down in a day or two," Winters said.

Posey beamed. "Really? Coats?" The idea was heaven. The year was off to a flying start.

"We're surrounded, so don't get your hopes up," Nixon subdued her but the damage was already done. Posey nodded, grinning.

Winters gave a shake of his head. "For now, we can spare a blanket. Right, Nix?"

"Sure," Nixon agreed. He rummaged around behind him before letting out a small 'aha' and producing a blanket. "Here ya go."

He handed it over and Posey laughed, somewhat deliriously, at having the material in her hands. It was a little bit scratchy, as military issued blankets were wont to be, but it was also a little bit soft. Hopefully, it would serve to make her more than a little bit warm. "Thank you, sirs. Really." She hoped that they could hear the genuine gratitude in her voice, that they could read the sincerity on her face. "This - well, this is the best present I've received in a long time."

Nixon laughed whilst Winters smiled softly. "Don't worry about it, Joe."

Posey was sent on her way shortly after and all but skipped back to her foxhole. When she hopped back in her movement woke Bill but she continued to drape the blanket over him anyway.

"Posey?" he asked, groggy and bleary after just having woken up.

"Look!" she said, and tugged at the blanket she was currently attempting to get under. "A blanket!"

"Where'd you get it from?" Bill wondered, lifting a hand to help her get underneath it with him.

"Winters and Nixon at the CP. They said we might be getting coats in a few days, too."

"Yeah? Don't tell Liebgott," he grumbled, smiling just slightly when she laughed. All Lieb had gone on about on the journey over to the Ardennes had been a coat, and if they didn't end up getting any the both of them knew they'd never hear the end of it.