A new medic

Chapter 5

"Rise and shine J." Jess opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the sunlight. Then she suddenly shot upright and almost headbutted Bill Guarnere. "Hey, watch it doll!" he scolded. Jess looked at him and placed a hand over her racing heart. "Yeah, why don't you think of a different way to wake a woman if you want to keep your head in one piece," she replied sarcastically. Bill grinned and offered her a hand in peace. She took it and hauled herself out of bed, stretched her arms and looked around to realise that most of Easy had already left for breakfast. "I'll wait for you outside J," spoke Guarnere as he headed towards the door. Jess smiled in thanks and quickly pulled on her uniform.

"So, what'd you do?" asked Nix after the cook slopped what was being called porridge onto Dick's plate.

"Picked six men and gave 'em latrine duty," he responded as he followed his friend to a nearby table.

"The lucky six?" asked Lew.

"McDonald, Toye, Perconte.... Lipton, Muck, and Guarnere." Dick rattled the names off whilst sitting down.

"Why them?"

"It was their turn," he told Lew in complete seriousness. Nix laughed at that and then started going on about how Sobel could be considered a genius. Dick half listened and gave responses when necessary but his attention had been stolen by the two people who had just appeared in the doorway. Jess seemed relaxed and intrigued by the loud, joyful men around her as she followed Guarnere towards the table where Easy Company was mostly gathered. Dick heard his men hail Guarnere and Jess with loud cheers and greetings of good morning. Yet again Dick was comforted with the fact that his wife had slotted into Easy Company perfectly.

"J, pass the salt will ya?" asked Guarnere. Jess obligingly slid the salt across to him and watched with revoltion as he poured it onto his porridge. "So, J, why did you volunteer to join us sorry lot in the airborne," probed Luz. Jess giggled slightly and considered her answer. "Well, you lot simply wouldn't make it out of war alive without at least one sensible person on your side." This caused a laugh from Guarnere and Luz as the rest of the boys grinned in amusement. "You 'ain't bad after all J," stated Liebgott. Jess tipped her head towards him in thanks and then gazed around at the other men eating their breakfast.

"I'll meet up with you boys later right," Jess said as she caught sight of the two men she wanted to see most right then.

"Sure J. Hey, wonder what treat Sobel's got for us today?" remarked Malarkey in a tone that dripped with sarcasm. Jess laughed and left the boys to their food. "Well look who's decided to join us," smirked Nixon as Jess walked over to their table.

"You doofus," she smiled. "May I?" Both Nixon and Dick slid over to make room for Jess on the benches. Smirking at Nixon, she sat down next to Dick and pecked him on the cheek. "Don't I get a good morning kiss?" grumbled Lew but with a twinkle in his chocolate eyes. Jess merely grinned, her grey eyes stormy with amusement, and placed her hands in her lap. "What are Easy up to today then all mighty Lieutenant?" she teased Nix.

"Sink has devised an obstacle course and out of the goodness of our dear CO's heart, Sobel volunteered Easy as the first Company to use it." Nix's smile faded and a frown appeared on his face as he spoke. Jess sighed with annoyance. "I thought I knew what he'd be like from the letters you both sent but clearly I was wrong. He is so much worse," she complained. Dick smiled at that and took her hand in his own causing Jess to feel slightly jittery and turn towards him. "You'll enjoy the course, Aut. It looks just like the one that Nix took us to for 'fun'," Dick remembered. Jess smiled fondly at the memory, one of the first things the three did together after Jess and Dick had begun dating. Nix had thought it was a good idea to complete a weird obstacle course and assumed that he would beat the other two by miles only to be embarrassingly overtaken by Jess. She had finished the course before Dick and Lew were over two thirds of the way through. "Well, as long as I can go against Lew, I'll be happy." Nix scoffed at that remark and pushed his food away from him.