An Expensive Solitude: A Band of Brothers Fanfiction

The Breaking Point

A soft knock rapped at the office door.

"Come in." Edith glanced up from the desk.

What intrigued Edith the most about Lewis Nixon was how he walked. He was an average sized man, not tall like Dick. However, he moved as though a few extra inches were added to his height. He marched in long strides with arms swinging in determination, as if perpetually driven towards a destination.

From her few brief encounters with the man, Edith wondered if she had ever met anyone more lost. For the first time in her life, she found that she could relate to the sentiment.

She set down her pencil as Captain Nixon shut the door behind him. Resting her hands in her lap, Edith managed a smile. Running into him downstairs had been an accident. Alone with him in the empty supply officer's work space was on purpose. The way he studied her with rapt fascination, she'd be lying if she didn't know what was on his mind. Edith still wasn't sure how she felt about it. One thing was certain, Lewis Nixon was much easier to read than his best friend.

"Burning the midnight oil, huh?" He gestured with his flask towards her work.

Edith automatically glanced down at her wrist watch. "It's only 21:00 hours."

"God, you are so much like Dick sometimes." He snorted.

Edith flinched, but he didn't notice. He was too busy tipping his head back as he took a drink. Straight faced, she watched him approach the desk.

"So the combat jump."

"The combat jump?" She leaned back in her chair.

"With the 17th into Germany. I'm going with them." He drank again.

"You know you really shouldn't talk with me about that-"

"Yeah I know, loose lips-" Nixon's gaze drifted over her mouth. "But I don't really give a shit about discretion right now. I just need to talk to someone."

"I suppose that makes me the victim." Edith crossed her arms over her white blouse.

He held out the flask across the desk and lifted a heavy eyebrow. Edith sighed, her eyes darting from the offering to his dark eyes. She took it from him and sniffed it experimentally.

"Gracious-" She recoiled with a wince. "What do you have in this thing? Lighter fluid?"

Before he could answer, she threw back a shot. Coughing lightly, her eyes watered as the liquid burned her senses. It was a comfort to feel something so sharply again. Edith had felt frozen since the winter in the Bois Jacque. She drank once again before handing it to Nixon, who chuckled on the edge of her desk. Their fingers brushed and Edith pretended not to notice.

"I thought you didn't drink."

"I don't." Edith shrugged. "Usually."

Nixon glanced up from his hands and held her gaze. "Do you know this will be my third combat jump?"

"You'll have three combat stars then."

"If I make it to receive that last one." He broke eye contact. "I've never fired a weapon once during the entire war."

"Me neither."

Lewis gave a short genuine laugh. "You have a healthy sense of humor hidden under that tough exterior don't you, Sink?"

Gathering up the papers, Edith stood from her chair. "I have my moments. Though I have heard the names they call me."

"What names?"

"Don't feign ignorance with me, Captain Nixon." She tucked the papers into a folder. "Ice Queen of the 101st, the Cold Fish-"

"Wait a minute- that's unfair," he barked. "You might be a bit intimidating but any man can tell, you are far from a cold fish. A woman with legs to rival Betty Grable is far from a cold fish."