Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １２ － Ａｂｌｉｎｇｔｏｎ】

Chapter 12 - Ablington

She didn't know how long it took. But Genesis opened the floodgates and let every event spill forth, keeping personal feelings out of it of course. Feelings were unprofessional. She answered every question as she had been trained to do, to the point. Every single question. And there were many.

By the end of it, her body was failing her, feeling like she hadn't slept for 2 days, or eaten for three.

But she could let go of Flo. Florence. Genesis held on for a bit longer, holding on with both hands as she was taken to her flat and told to eat, only letting go when consciousness slipped away.

In the morning – the evening of the next day – she proceeded to eat everything that had been left in her flat during the day in which she'd slept. It was given to her by the service for as long as she was with them. Someone had let themselves in whilst she was sleeping to put food in her cupboards and leave a manila envelope and some money on the table.

The suitcases she'd given to André were in her room. After a bath and yet more food – there wasn't a lot to begin with and she really shouldn't have eaten so much but she was just so hungry and stressed – she decided to dress in a grey swing skirt that came to 2 inches below the knee and a white blouse. And she revelled in being able to wear her clothes again. In fact she spent a good minute twirling, and watching her skirt spin. After applying what little makeup she had, she looked healthier, human, feminine. Brushing her hair was a chore, but one she was happy to finally be able to do.

Then she was packing her ODs into her case, collecting her personal items that she couldn't take with her to France – a few photos and her father's watch – and putting on black pumps. With her pack and two suitcases, she struggled to lock her door. She then struggled to unlock her door once she'd realised that the manila envelope and money were still on the table. Once on her way again, she made for the train station, and was glad to be seated. After the train arrived in Cirencester, there was a bit of a wait for the right bus. That bus would take her to Bibury, and then she'd have to walk a mile and a half to get home.

The funny looks began to linger longer as she was taken further and further into the country.

It was a mile to Ablington, then half a mile again to home.

A mile and a half walk she could do.

Though she did think as she began that her choice of footwear was suboptimal. Yeah, maybe heeled pumps were not the way forward. It had been a long time since she'd walked this way, so when she was picking shoes that morning she hadn't really thought practically. The US Army issue jump boots would've been so much better suited, but she did not want to wear them again, they made her feet hurt.

Ablington was quiet, which she was thankful for and so she passed through quickly. Then up the road, turning left after a few hundred yards to walk up the gravel track to home.

It felt good to walk on the gravel again.

Well, actually it was very uncomfortable in her short heels and their thin soles. But it was the knowledge that she literally was on the road to home that felt so good.

Over 7 years had passed. It had been a long long time since she last saw home.

And now, after all that time, there it was. Just as grey as she remembered, with a dark roof covered in moss, dirty old windows, and peeling paint on every window frame. Quite frankly it looked a right state. But only marginally worse than when she'd left. She hoped, no she prayed that the interior hadn't gone mouldy and that she wouldn't find dead chickens in the coop. She dropped her bags by the front door, taking the envelope with her.

Well she could hear her girls as she came to stand in front of the door, so no dead poultry. Instead of going in, she went round the back and a lump formed in her throat at the sight of the chickens. It looked as though they'd been fed that morning. Oh good, Noah and Jacob from down the lane were still popping over.

The barn sounded eerily empty, and she shuddered. Hopefully the cows had joined Noah's herd.

The garden was overgrown and her prized veg patch overrun with weeds. It didn't look too bad for 7 years of unkemptness.

Standing by the back door, she contemplated going in, hand hovering over the dull handle.

Instead, she sighed, and her hand fell to her side. She wasn't ready to go in yet. Unwinding the string, and opening the envelope, she pulled out the paper inside.

Her orders.

Well shit.
_

What do you think her orders are? Good ones, bad ones, illegal ones? Comment your suggestions if you have any x