Band of Brothers - Sunshine Solider

chapter 35: eindhoven

" Que diable fait-il ici?" she sneered incessantly.

" Je ne veux même pas savoir." Gene answered with a sigh. All the Toccoa men were looking deadly at Sobel. The truck stopped where Hoobler, Bull, and Webster stood. Charlotte sniffed, and waved Gene off before hightailing it toward the group. She looked at them and then to Sobel. He jumped out, and disappeared behind the truck probably expecting none of them to have lived.

" Anyone know why the hell that shithead's here now?" she asked the group of soldiers.

" Beat's me." Hoobler said, trying to spot the man again. Charlotte grumbled to herself angrily, but then turned and saw Lipton walked over toward's Popeye. The anger faded and she smiled. 

"They let you out of the hospital like that, boy?" Lipton asked jokingly coming around and helping Popeye down.

" They didn't let me out, I busted out. I didn't wanna get re-assigned to some other unit." Popeye said.

" Yeah?" Lip said, with a small smile and nod." Can you make the jump?"

" Oh sure I can, Lip, I just can't sit." Popeye said with a smile as the two approached Bull, Webster, Hoobler and Bull.

" Welcome back, Popeye." Bull said shaking Popeye's hand.

" Thanks Bull." Popeye said with a smile.

" Popeye went AWOL just in time to jump." Lip said, as Charlotte stepped forward pulling Popeye into a warm hug which he accepted.

" Hi, Sunshine." he said, and she smiled a small grin. " I can't thank you enough for what you did in Normandy for me."

" I was only doing my job, Pop." she answered with another one of her smiles.

" What's he doing here?" Bull asked the two.

" Who, Sobel?" asked Lip. " Well, he's the newly appointed Regimental S-4."

" Supply officer?" Charlotte muttered, eyes burning with anger.

" Yeah, you got it." Lip said, nodding.

" He picked me up in Aldbourne. Trying to find you guys." Popeye explained.

" He know you went AWOL?" Bull asked.

" He knows." Popeye said with a smirk, and Charlotte giggled.

" He just said I was lucky. I could sit out this jump if I wanted. I said I didn't want to. So he says, 'Hop in.'" Popeye stated.

" 'Hop' in?" Bull questioned with a smirk.

" Yeah, I know, I couldn't believe it either." Popeye said." Hey, maybe he's gonna court-martial me later, huh?" Charlotte laughed.

" Let's get you some gear." Lip said as the two walked away smiling. Charlotte turned giving a small smile to Bull as she walked over to Webster, making eye contact with Sobel again.

" If that asshole comes up to me, I will not be scared to salute him, with my middle finger." she spit out, adjusting her front straps. Webster had to chuckle.

It was so peaceful jumping that day, with bright blue cloud filled skies, the ability the see clearly, and everyone together. No planes shot down, and certainly no Germans shooting at them. Charlotte landed gently in the grass, and managed to control her parachute quickly, undoing her straps, and belts, and the extra parachute reserve. She let it on the ground, others coming down around her, doing the same. She threw her helmet back on her head, and grabbed her medic satchel. She moved through the field crouched and looked back at some of the replacements struggling. She huffed up and hurried over, hitting the large button in the front of their uniforms, then letting it slid off.