Pitschen ma en gamba - Small, but powerful [A Band of Brothers Story]

Encountering Lieutenant Speirs

Ella was lying on the landing, sun shining warmly on her face. More, Malarkey, Skip and Penkala were sitting on the steps, debating about something or other. She didn't really listen, content to let the familiar rhythm of their voices carry her to a state of calm weightlessness.

"Ma'am?"

She opened her eyes.

Blithe stood before her, a shy smile on his face. "Thank you."

For a moment, she didn't understand what he was talking about. Then, it clicked. "You can see again?", she asked. Of course he can, otherwise he wouldn't be here.

"I don't know why... Lieutenant Winters talked to me and... it just came back."

Ella smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Is it... is it alright if I sit down here, Ma'am?"

She nodded. "Only if you drop the Ma'am and call me Ella, Blithe. I'm not that old."

He blushed. "Yes, M- Ella. Thank you."

The boys laughed, but gregariously made way for him.

Ella was dozing, just on the verge of sleep, when Skip's shout startled her awake again.

"Oh God! This Kraut cheese tastes like... It stinks!"

"Bread's stale, too", Penkala commented, sounding disappointed.

Chortling, Ella sat up and brushed a tousled mop of hair out of her eyes. Tying her locks up into a ponytail, she listened to More insisting: "You mark my words, Mal: Berlin by Christmas."

***

"Enjoy while it lasts."

They looked up to see Lieutenant Speirs standing behind them. "We'll be moving out soon."

"Out of town, Lieutenant?", More asked, "Already?"

Speirs' eyes bored into them. "That's right." He walked down the steps, Penkala getting up to make room for him.

"Don't they know we're just getting settled here?" More's grumbling made Speirs stop in his tracks. He turned around and fixed him with his intense stare. Then his gaze shifted to Ella, who had just rolled her eyes at More. His eyes flickered to the fading bruises around her throat.

"Sergeant Sawyer?"

Her spine straightened in an automatic response to being addressed by rank and last name. "Yes sir?"

"A word?" It wasn't exactly a request and she knew it.

Slightly bewildered, the girl got up. "Yes sir."

She didn't miss the worried and confused looks her friends were trading and frowned. Was hän si de? She hadn't heard the rumours yet, and even if she'd had, she wouldn't have believed half of them.

She followed the Lieutenant until they were out of earshot but still in plain sight of the stairs.

"What's that about?", Skip wondered.

They watched how Speirs studied the girl intently, then said something. Her expression went from puzzled but curious to apprehensive, then to distraught as he kept talking.

"What the-?", Malarkey muttered.

Ella hung her head and seemed to compose herself before looking back at Speirs and answering. She was shifting uncomfortably, fiddling with the chain of her dog tags. Then she dropped her gaze again.