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Riley and Nixon both made their way back to the waiting Winters, sitting in his tent, warming his hands around some freshly made warm food that the cooks just brought in from the field-kitchens. The soldiers could smell the steaming stew sizzling in the large pots and already took out their rusting mess kits. Their stomachs were rumbling from their desperate need of a great meal, so they stood in line and waited until the cooks would take of the lids and hand out their lunches.
DIke also strolled towards the long line, but didn't look at where he was heading to and walked in on Riley, who immediately started to apologize and helped him back on his feet. The officer knocked the snow of his uniform, his hands shivering when they touched the cold spots that set in the thick fabric. The belt tied around the army green pants, stuffed with supplies he had found, was replaced more to the side. Dike pulled it back in place, dusted off the silver buckle before he looked straight at the woman he hadn't met before.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Riley Wilson, sir." She stretched out her hand for the officer to shake, but he declined by raising his eyebrows when looking at her blue fingers.
"Have you never learned to salute your officers, Riley Wilson?" he asked in a mocking tone, glancing fastly at Nixon who really tried his best not to role his eyes. It was clearly visible that she wasn't the strongest person of Easy, especially when it came to mental health. And Dike wasn't so stupid not to notice that, the way her eyes didn't dare to look in his or how she was leaning from one side to another, constantly replacing her hands and the position of her feet. Nixon knew that the lieutenant was playing with the girl, just because she was so easy to be played with.
"Actually, Dike, you're supposed to salute her. But since Riley isn't a part of the army yet and probably doesn't want to be on that particular position, she doesn't expect you to," he stepped in, bringing the concentration away from the terrified person. Dike didn't know what to say, he only knew that he wanted to dig a hole and burry himself underneath a big pile of snow. He felt so ashamed, so humiliated by how Nixon just took the girl's hand in his and bump into the lieutenant's shoulder when they passed.
"It's not because you've never met a person, that it means that you're more than them. Those maps you always carry with you, every little clue and pin point is drawn on there by Wilson, so show some respect for her work and don't scare her like that again." Nixon was so close to Dike, he could the body heath radiating from his clothes. His voice was whispering so softly, only the lieutenant could hear what Nixon was saying. He didn't need Riley to listen, since she would deny everything once again and only dig herself in the hole that Dike had made for her.
"So, you've finally met Dike?"
Winters offered some of the warm lunch to Riley, but she was searching for her own plate and told him she would stand in line, just like every other soldier that were shivering in the cold, waiting for their stew. She didn't want to act different like everyone else, even if she's not a soldier or an officer. She's not even a part of the army yet, not until she has officially become a medic that could aid more than just shock and trauma.
Riley wanted to be like the others, no clear advantages for her. If they had to wait in the cold for their meals, than so would she. Riley opened up the piece of fabric used as a 'door' and shoved herself through the opening of the tent.
But before she would join Guarnere and welcome Toye back to the group, she had stopped Nixon from going further inside the tent and thanked him for the help he had brought. Her pills started to work in right before Dike had bumped in on her, so her mind was too fizzy to even know what the officer was telling her and reacting to it in a normal way would've been impossible. She knows that she should've protected herself, but her medicine wasn't allowing her mind to comprehend and that was her price to pay, the price to stay focused throughout the day and not hurt or get hurt by her own thoughts.
"It's more like Dike has met her," Nixon stated.
"What happened?"
"He made her feel bad for not saluting."
"She's not a soldier, Riley doesn't have to salute for anyone." Winters stuffed the last bits of his food inside his cheeks, enjoying the last bit of energy and warmth he got. Nixon sat himself next to his best friend, waiting until the line wasn't as long anymore and he also wanted to talk with him about Riley, just tell his concerns. She didn't need to be around to hear it, those concerns were things she didn't have a say in.
"I've told him that."
"You didn't go off on him, did you?" the ginger haired officer asked his friend.
"What else was I supposed to do? Riley wasn't going to protect herself, she might've believed that he was right. Ogh, I am just so done with the fact that people are taking advantage of her vulnerability. Take Bastogne for example, she was there with every man dying, because everyone else didn't want to do it, so they made her go through that traumatic thing over and over again. She can't fight for herself, only for others and that's going to end very badly if she doesn't watch out."
"She's not alone, Nix. I mean look at them, they're all around her and it looks like she is enjoying the company. We all know that Lieb will protect her with his life, but so will everyone else. Buck is sharing his food, Guarnere is telling some jokes, Lipton and Malarkey are both asking her some questions. See, even Luz is impersonating what he has heard you say to Dike. Even if Riley can't protect herself, so what, there are many others willing to do it for her." Nixon nodded softly while taking out a new flask from his jacket and putting the bottle against his lips, the whisky he loved so much burning in his throat.
"Hey, Nix?"
"Mhm"
"How do you know about what happened in Bastogne?"
"Irene, a friend I've met through my parents, was head-nurse there. I've gotten some letters from her recently where she told me all about it. She and Riley became great friends, so I was thinking about asking her to help with the medics in Easy," Nixon explained, pulling the pieces of paper out of his jacket and handing them to Winters.
