The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

90: Infinite and Stifling

She emerged from the bathroom smelling fresh as a daisy, though she didn't feel it, and dressed in her fresh pair of fatigues because her others smelled of the camp. Her hair was still wet when she got on the truck but at least it smelled of flowers instead of death. For now, at least.

The drive to Thalham only took about an hour. There was no singing this time. Most everyone seemed to sit in silence. Everyone was glad to leave Landsberg behind but who knew what Thalham would hold? Another camp, ten times worse, like the one the Russians had found?

Charlie squeezed her eyes tight shut, willing away the ghosts, trying to make phosphenes dance in front of her eyes instead.

Thalham, she found upon arrival, was a bombed out town closer to the likes of Foy than it was to Landsberg or Stürzelberg. There would be no showers or clean beds here. When Charlie disembarked the truck she took a look around at the German civilians trying to rescue their belongings from the rubble and wasn't sure whether she felt any sympathy for them or not. Really, she just felt numb.

She followed Henry in silence to what had once been the living room of a grand house, and she sat between Mabs and Boo as they watched the civilians go by.

"We're staying the night," Floyd informed them a little while later. He picked his way over to them across the rubble and came to stand just outside the line where a wall would once have been. "You should find somewhere to sleep with a little more cover than this."

"Thanks for the tip, Talbert," Henry said blankly.

Floyd didn't react to the slight. Instead, his eyes sought Charlie's and found hers waiting for him.

She wasn't sure how she looked but whatever it was didn't please Floyd. He frowned, concerned, and opened his mouth to say something before Mabs pushed herself to her feet.

"We'd better get to findin' us a house, huh?" she said, trying for jolly and falling completely flat. "Quick, or the boys'll take all the good ones."

As Charlie passed Floyd on her way out of the house, Floyd caught her sleeve. "Need to talk to you," he murmured.

"I'll find you," she whispered back.

"No," he said. "You stay where you are. I'll find you."

She nodded, too tired to argue, and continued on her way, at the back of the group now.

The house the nurses found had its bottom floor still intact, but its top had been blown to pieces. Walls separating rooms speared up into the sky, jagged, and tapered off before they ever reached halfway. Bricks which had once composed the outermost walls of the upstairs and tiles which had once composed the roof lay scattered in the street.

"Let's just all stay in the livin' room," Mabs said, taking a seat on the couch.

"It's only one night," Boo agreed, and sat on the floor by the fireplace.

Charlie sat next to Mabs, who wrapped an arm around her, and yawned. Autumn and Henry lay down on the floor at their feet.

It was dark out by the time Floyd finally found them. Charlie didn't know how he had, maybe someone had seen them go in, but either way he knocked on the door and stood waiting on the doorstep for her at around 2200.

"Had to get all the men settled," he told her by way of explanation, his voice a whisper, when she pulled open the door.

Charlie nodded and followed him out into the street, easing the door closed behind her quietly so as not to disturb the others sleeping in the living room.

Floyd led her along the street a ways and then around a corner until they were somewhere quiet. The little alleyway was sandwiched between two buildings which had been hit worse than most, so it wasn't as dark as it should have been. The moonlight made it look like a dream.