Courage Under Fire| Band of Brothers

Pre War-9

April 1st, 1942

Charleston, South Carolina

Olivia smoothed her hands over the crisp white skirt of her uniform, she was standing in front of the floor-length mirror in her bedroom, studying her reflection, she had been sworn into the Army Nursing Corp late in March by Elizabeth Forbes using the war-torn bible that her great-great-grandfather had carried with him into several battles of the Civil War including Gettysburg made it seem real.

Putting the dog tags around her neck didn't seem real, neither did putting on the uniform but doing that made it seem real.

She and Alice had gotten orders to go report to Fort Benning for OCS on the 2nd of April and it started feeling more real.

And for the first time, she was flattering in her decision to join.

"You good Bean?" Her Uncle Michael's voice came from the doorway, he had been busy in DC, so he hadn't been able to come down for her swearing-in like Helen had been able to come.

"Uncle Michael! What are you doing here?" She spun around to look at him, her green eyes dancing in excitement. "Helen called and told me you were going to Benning."

Olivia nodded her head, "No idea why y'all putting this much confidence in me. I could fail out. Like that." She snapped her fingers causing him to laugh.

"You will do good, Liv, this is what you are meant to do. Does this sudden change of heart have anything to do with you seeing Katherine?"

"Aunt Helen told you about that?"

"Mhm, how did she react to you enlisting?"

"Said she hoped I died." She shrugged her shoulders, "After she got mad at Daddy for signing the papers. They want me to testify for the State against her. Same with my brothers."

"But they are all shipping out or at boot camp, right?"

"Except for Bobby." She motioned to the letter that was lying open on the desk, "He and Bill are going to enlist together as soon as they get out of school. I guess they both were going to have an exemption because of the factory they were working at, but they tore it up and threw it away."

Michael laughed again. That sounded about right for both Bobby and Bill.

"Have you heard from Lewis?" She pointed to the letter underneath the one from her twin, "He is in California. Says I would like it, always warm. Not cold like Philly and here."

"Where are you going with that?"

"I told him after the war if either one of us weren't with someone else I would marry him. I do love him."

"But you aren't in love with him?" Michael asked, unable to help himself.

"I am 18 years old, what do I know about love?" She returned.

"More than what you think. You are a smart girl, Bean; you will figure it out. Finish getting ready, I am going with you and Alice to the train station. And someone from Benning is going to meet you there."

Olivia nodded, "And two other girls are coming, right?"

"From what Elizabeth said, yes, one is from New York and the other is from California."

"Oh great, another damned Yankee." She complained with a small laugh, Fredrick had not been shy about his hatred of the Yankees and called Andrea that to her face and to her kids' faces. Same with Helen but they all took it in stride because of the love and respect they had for him.

Her uncle smirked before leaving the room to let her finish getting ready. He had tried to get out of Elizabeth information about the other two girls that were joining Olivia and Alice, but Forbes said that it wasn't fair for Olivia to have the advantage. It was already bad enough that she was handpicked for this, because of her family and her skills.