An Expensive Solitude: A Band of Brothers Fanfiction

The Unnecessary Risk

"Of course, sir. Everything is under control."

"Lieutenant." Her father swiveled away, his boots clicking against the badly scuffed floor.

Edith's face warmed. She hated that Private Grable had seen her scolded by her father. Edith swallowed down the guilt for being deceitful not only Dick, but now the colonel.

The two camera men were waiting by the jeep as she emerged onto the street. Tugging her helmet over her knitted cap, she approached them. "You men the ones headed for the line?"

One of them glanced up from fiddling with the lens on his equipment. "Sure thing, Miss-"

"Lieutenant Sink. I will be the one accompanying you."

"Aw, say it ain't so," the other one crowed, pushing back the lip of his helmet as he studied her, chewing on the end of a toothpick.

Edith ignored him, putting on her gloves as she strode to the other side of the jeep. Private Grable met her there with another paratrooper who had his arm in a sling.

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes?" Edith got into the jeep as the cameramen loaded their belongings into the back hatch.

"This is Sergeant Toye, he's with Easy Company," Grable explained. "We knew each other back in the States. I was wondering if it would be possible for him to catch a ride with you back to the line?"

Edith narrowed her gaze, honing in on the young man's bandaged arm. "Sergeant Toye, you've been injured. Have your doctors given you leave?"

He shifted uncomfortably, his dark eyes skittering to the frozen ground. "Well, you see-"

"You are going AWOL? In an environment like this after all you have endured and you want to go back even with a perfectly legitimate excuse to stay away?"

Toye shrugged. "I want to be back with my company."

The simplicity of the statement left her winded. She felt more in awe of these men every day, especially those of Easy Company. Her thoughts drifted unbidden towards Captain Winters; his gaze trained on her like a target and he was the gun. The memory left her gutted. She glanced over her shoulder as one of the cameraman made a move to take the passenger side.

"You two in the back." She hooked a thumb to the jump seat in the rear. "We are making a detour to Easy's position. Toye?"

Looking back at the wounded soldier, she nodded her head to the seat beside her.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Sink," Toye replied with a grateful smile.

Grable clapped him on his good shoulder.

"See? I told you she was a good egg." She overheard Private Grable mutter as they walked in front of the jeep.

After Grable returned the supply truck in front and her passengers were ready, Edith took up the rear of their little convoy as they drove through the bombed out city. One of the cameramen hung his arm over the back of her seat, his face uncomfortably close to her ear.

"Tell me, Gorgeous. Were you here when all this-"

"I suggest you sit back on your rear, sir. These frost heaves will send you right through the windshield and that would be a shame now, wouldn't it?" Edith snapped without looking at him.

Toye chuckled quietly. The man let out a low whistle and sat back.

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered.

"They tricked us. That dame's not human, she's a cold fish," the other man murmured under his breath to his buddy.