The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

34: The Right to the Title

On the bus back to Aldbourne, all conversation turned to the topic of the replacements. Mabs, mainly, wondered how old they'd be and whether they'd be good looking and whether or not they'd be as game for nights in the pub as the current men in the company were. But, after a while, the conversation turned to how strange Lieutenant Maddox - Henry - had been today.

"I mean, a first name basis? Really? Who is this woman and what the hell has she done with our CO?" Mabs was saying.

Boo shrugged. "Maybe she just trusts us more now that we've been overseas."

"Maybe she feels guilty about what she did to Charlie," suggested Autumn.

Charlie dropped her eyes. Why did everyone seem to want to talk about that today?

They went back and forth between them, theorising about why Maddox had now decided to let them know her as Henry, at least in private, and why she was actually smiling now, and why she didn't seem to hate their guts anymore.

Finally, a thought occurred to Charlie. "Maybe she's just happier because of Don?"

"Malarkey?" asked Boo.

"No. Hoobler," deadpanned Autumn.

Boo held her hands up palms forward in mock surrender as she accepted Autumn's sarcasm.

Mabs shook her head. "As nice as that would be, I don't think a woman like Maddox would let a man sweeten her up so much as to change her entire personality. My money's on she didn't actually believe we were good enough to do the job until she saw it with her own eyes."

Truthfully, Charlie didn't know what the answer was. All she could say was that she was glad Henry had finally started to ease up on them a little, and she was relieved they'd come to some sort of silent understanding to move past the triage incident. Charlie wouldn't necessarily be able to forgive and forget anytime soon, but she could move past it. That seemed to be good enough for Henry.

When they made it back to Aldbourne it was earlier than it usually would have been. Henry had decided to go easy on them for their first day back in the ward after being overseas and, besides, there wasn't that much for them to do right now anyway. All of them presumed their training would pick back up again when the replacement soldiers arrived, which was the same for the paratrooper veterans themselves.

The sun was still out and hot as they made their way slowly back to the house, talking amongst themselves about this and that. When they went inside, they congregated in the living room instead of the kitchen, where they usually gathered, and continued chatting until dinnertime.

As Autumn and Mabs started to prepare it, and Charlie and Boo started to lay the table, a knock came at the door.

Charlie and Boo looked between each other, knowing the job of answering it would fall to them as they were the least busy of the four, before Charlie grinned. "You know, it's probably George."

"Why would it be George?" Boo asked, trying to hide her hopeful smile behind an expression of feigned irritation.

Charlie didn't dignify the stupid question with a response and simply went on grinning until Boo put down the knife and fork she'd been holding and huffed. "Fine!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up petulantly. "I'll go."

"Of course you will," Charlie teased, and continued to lay the table as Boo made her way towards the door.

A minute later, however, Boo returned alone. "Actually," she said, leaning in the doorway with a smirk and crossing her arms over her chest, "Charlie, it's for you."

Charlie frowned, confused. "For me?"

"Uh huh," Boo agreed.

"Who could be knocking for me?" Charlie wondered under her breath. Nonetheless, she made her way past Boo, who continued to make the table in her stead, and towards the front door.

As soon as she opened it, Don Malarkey and Alton More cheered.

"Charlie!"

"Oh my goodness," she said around a big smile. "What are you two doing here?"

"You'll never guess," said Alton with a smirk.

Malarkey was grinning. "We have found the finest mode of military transportation you have ever, or will ever, see, I promise you that."

"Is that right?" Charlie asked, laughing as she looked between the two men on her doorstep.

Malarkey only smiled wider, if it was possible. "Have you eaten?"

"No," she answered warily.

"Well, go do that," Alton insisted. "Then come back out. And be quick about it, 'cause we're waiting on ya."

"Waiting on me for what?" she asked, suddenly wary, but they both ushered her back inside before she could get a proper answer out of either of them.

When the nurses asked her questions as she returned to the kitchen, Charlie had no answers for them. It was all she could do to eat her dinner as fast as possible and put her shoes back on before heading outside to Alton and Malarkey again.

"Ready?" Malarkey asked.

Both him and Alton were grinning.

Charlie sighed, but she couldn't help but laugh. "Yes," she said on a loud exhale. "Now will you tell me what for?"

The pair of them stepped aside, revealing a military motorcycle and sidecar parked on the side of the street outside the house.

When Charlie looked back at them, her expression was uncertain.

Taking matters into their own hands, Malarkey shut the front door behind her and Alton slung an arm around her shoulders.

"So," said Malarkey as he led them towards the motorcycle, "feel like going for a ride?"