Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ９１ － Ｔｒａｇｅｄｙ】

Chapter 91 - Tragedy

Sturzelburg was nice. The weather was the best Peggy had ever seen for early March. It meant the weather would probably be awful at the end of the month.

When March comes in like a lamb it will go out like a lion.

She hoped that that saying only really applied to England. Quite frankly, she'd had enough of shit weather.

Frank Perconte and George Luz had disappeared earlier that morning, and when they reappeared, Luz was rubbing at his jaw and Perco had a helmet full of straw...and eggs.

"Perc, have you been stealin'? You have! C'mon, we-"

"Do you want an omelette or not, Peg?" She thought about it, and then nodded shyly. They were making her a hypocrite. "Good 'cause I've got eggs to spare, an' I'm not sharin' with this idiot. Can you believe he started tryna woo a local and got smacked for it?"

Peggy stared at Luz, completely unable to fathom him doing that because he'd never...actually she could believe it. And it annoyed her that she could. That wasn't like the George she knew.

"Why, George, why? C'mon, the war's as good as over, can't you wait until you get home?"

He just shook his head and chuckled as he put his arm around her shoulder. In truth, George was happy to sacrifice his breakfast for her. Peggy had improved greatly since that weekend in Mourmelon-le-Grande. And everyone wanted her to continue improving. She was relaxed enough, and calm and comfortable enough that she was eating small meals, and regularly too. The whole company could see that she was still deeply hurt by everything, but so were they and they supported her and each other as best they could.

"You'll never guess who we saw!"

"No, I'm sure I won't, so why not enlighten me, George Luz."

Frank found a frying pan and started cooking as the other two sat down.

"Captain Nixon in-"

"In his harness? Yeah I saw him too, was wonderin' where he'd vanished to. Bastard Private nearly ran me over earlier. Lewis had a storm about his face, I don't think anything good happened wherever he went."

Luz started fussing when she mentioned nearly being hit by the jeep. But Peggy swatted him off, and then graciously accepted an omelette from Frank.

After eating, she figured she'd better go find Lewis Nixon and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. That was what she told herself anyway. Not that she was all that worried, but she was. Dick would be better at keeping him out of trouble than she would.

Thanking Perco and ruffling Luz's no longer floppy hair, she left.

It was so busy, men everywhere.

She ducked into where she knew Lewis Nixon was billeted and stopped when she heard music. Someone was playing a record. Now which room was Nix's? Her boots were heavy and loud on the smooth – and probably polished – wooden floor.

It was nice in there, though a little dark.

Then there was talking over the music so Peggy drifted over, and leant on the door frame. Lewis was sat on his bed, back to the door. Dick was leaning against a dresser.

"Well, congratulations. You're probably the only man in 101st with three combat stars over his jump wings."

Her eyes widened, he'd done a third jump? When?