The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

47: As Soon As We Stop

Seeing the look on Henry's face when he shot a glance over, Loraine fell abruptly quiet.

Charlie was glad. She didn't want to hear anymore.

Undeterred by Henry's lack of amusement at his stories, PFC Loraine still regaled them with different things that had happened in the two days Easy had been in Holland. Charlie tuned him out. Instead, she set her mind to going over the blood buddies lists she'd committed to memory, ensuring she knew the blood type, blood donor, full name, platoon, and squad of every man in the company, officer and enlisted.

By the time she was done with that, they were very nearly there. At least, according to Loraine.

"I am so goddamn sick of travellin'," Mabs said when he told them so, leaning her head back against the side of the truck. It was smaller than the transports they'd gotten used to and could only fit the five of them in, but that made it a little more comfortable, at least. Still, Charlie also found herself sick to death of travelling. She was itching to set up the field hospital and get organised, ready to work.

"Think the boys had the right idea when they signed up for the paratroopers," Autumn said with a wry smile. "A couple of hours in a plane and they're there, none of this travelling for days on end nonsense."

"Hear, hear," Mabs agreed.

Charlie watched the Dutch countryside roll past the same as she'd watched the Belgian countryside in previous days, and the French one before that. When they finally got to Eindhoven, she thought, she'd be terribly relieved, if not for any other reason than a temporary end to the constant trucks.

The sun was just beginning to rise, not yet visible above the trees but letting its light spill over the lingering darkness of night, a splash of orange paint in the midst of a puddle of rich dark purple. The smell of rain was thick in the air, wet grass and mud and something uniquely European. In spite of the light rainfall of the previous night, Charlie could tell already that the day was going to be hot. They'd left summer behind but somehow the heat seemed to follow them everywhere.

As Loraine chattered on and on from the drivers' seat about this and that, Charlie leaned her head on Mabs' shoulder and shut her eyes, letting the low rumbling of the engine and the hush of quiet voices lull her to sleep.

When she next woke up it was to Mabs shaking her shoulder, telling her they'd arrived.

Henry spoke quickly with Captains Winters and Nixon as the other nurses stretched their legs, getting used to solid ground once more. As he passed, Charlie thanked Loraine for driving them, even though it was his job and he'd actually been rather annoying, and he blushed and nodded and gave her a shy wave as he left to do whatever it was he did when he wasn't driving.

Mabs laughed as she came up beside Charlie. "How do you always get 'em so sweet for ya?"

Turning to her, Charlie furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

By now, the sun had risen higher into the sky, still painting the world shades of orange but steadily veering towards a bright blue. The warm tones of the light painted Mabs' hair golden, and she looked positively angelic as she stood there smiling at Charlie.

"I mean, every time you speak to a boy, you manage to get 'em to be all sweet. Even Talbert's sweet with you, and he's never sweet with anyone 'less he wants somethin'."

"That's not true," Charlie argued. "He's very sweet with his friends, and I happen to be one of them. Plus," she added, pointing a finger at Mabs, "he was sweet with you before."

"Because he wanted somethin' from me." Mabs rolled her eyes with a smile. "Anyway, point is, I wanna know how you get men to behave like gentlemen for you. I need ya to teach me."