Band of Brothers - Sunshine Solider

chapter 13: the battle buddy

" I-I..I-I'm sorry. I-I d..don't know w-w-why he di-id that." she stuttered out, her voice wavering and cracking as she attempted to speak normally. What surprised Liebgott is, she wasn't crying. He had never seen her cry before, and yet as he stood here, he watched as she kept her firm stance up in front of him, swallowing the tears in her eyes as she watched the sea with crossed arms. Joe stood there not really sure how to approach the situation. She was shaking still though, her breathing uneven and labored. 

So he hugged her. 

And she immediately hugged him back, shoving her head into his shoulder, hiding from the world for a bit. Her breathing slowed gradually, but she didn't shed a tear.

" What's going on here?" a voice asked, making Joe look up from Charlotte seeing Winters and Nixon standing there, looking at the two. Joe looked the two in the eye not speaking. They knew.

" What's going on, Liebgott?" Winters asked dropping the formalities and getting to the point concern growing in his voice.

" Something happened between her and the men from Dog Company. I don't know if you want the details now, because it might upset her, sir." He explained, looking down at the poor girl who was now peaking up from Joe's chest with big tear-filled eyes.

" Hey, Nix, take Charlotte somewhere to calm down. Joe we can talk now." said Winters looking towards Joe. He nodded. Charlotte came back from Joe and she only looked right into his eyes.

" I'll come back ok? We can talk when I come back. Go with Lieutenant Nixon? Ok?" Joe cooed gently towards Charlotte. She nodded before turning to Nixon, who wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and led her away. Winters turned to Liebgott.

" What happened?" He asked leaning against the railing.

" She went off to get supplies from the medical desk, sir, a bit angrily, but she wasn't feeling that good either. I went to call after her and when I found her, a man from Dog Company was verbally abusing her and then forced her to kiss him. I pulled him off and took her away from the situation, sir." explained Liebgott. Winters studied Joe. He looked shaken up a bit.

" She's like a little sister, sir. Seeing her like that, I've never felt like that in my life." Joe said quietly.

" Head back down to Easy, Liebgott. I'll take care of this. Thank you for telling me." Winters said nodding to Joe.

" Sir." Joe answered with a nod before turning and going back downstairs. Nixon had an arm around Charlotte who was sipping hot chocolate as he sipped coffee. He was gently rubbing her shoulder as she sat curled against him. Winters came up next to them, startling Nixon, but Charlotte looked frozen sipping her hot drink. She was quiet.

" Charlotte?" Winters asked the young girl, who was dazed staring forward.

" Sunshine?" he started again. The young girl turned her head to look up at him, the sadness seeping into him. Winters sighed and went over sitting next to Charlotte's opposite side.

" Joe told me what happened, and if you want to bunk with Nix and I, we are completely fine with that." Winters stated, the young girl looking up at him with glazed eyes.

" I'm ok, sir. I promise. Easy's got my back." she answered, her lip trembling. Winters didn't want to push the girl, but the thought of her going back down there with all the men, rattled him to the core.

" Are you sure?" Winters asked. Charlotte nodded.

" I'm ok." she said softly again, a small sunshine smile on her lips. She was smiling through her pain and tears and that's what made her beautiful. As Charlotte made her way down to the bunks alone with her cup of hot chocolate, she was quiet and solemn. Many of the men were asleep in their bunks or chatting with the person next to them. She enjoyed that it was quiet for once, and as she reached Easy's section, some people sat up noticing her arrival. But she walked past to her bunk. She placed her hot chocolate on a flat area before climbing up to her bunk and settling in.