charlotte tarvers is only 14 when the war breaks out, but 17 when she signs up. she's heard the stories from her parents, lovers who found each other by chance on the front lines in world war one in the country of france, now passing down the storie...
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" In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."
- Francis Bacon
***
They'd been on the trucks for quite some time and there was no doubt both Lipton and Charlotte were full on sick. They're cheeks were aflame, temperatures on the rise, and they were either freezing or sweating. Charlotte even tried to stand one day to get out of the truck and was so dizzy she almost fell down. They both had pneumonia. It was a clear case in severity, but it was evident, with the fever, dizziness, cough, crackling lungs, and the headache and sniffles. The soldiers couldn't do much but attempt to keep two of the most beloved Easy Company members warm, and coddled into their sides in the cold as much as they could. Charlotte stayed nudged in Liebgott's side mostly. For a skinny guy, he created a lot of warmth, and opted always to stay cuddled up into his side, for sleep and body heat. The fever would haunt her as she tried to sleep at night, and with barely enough penicillin around, she refused it all for Lipton and didn't take any for herself, only taking it when Gene forced her to take some. She slept most of the ride to Haguenau, and was mightily prepared for when they finally got there to stop and actually lie down for a moment or two. Easy continued through the coldness of France and it's chilly weather for multiple days. At night, Charlotte was always placed with the officers in the warmest place, with Lipton to keep them warm. Chuck, of course, would opt to keep a watch on her for the stressed officers, but they would tell him to go and rest. One night, in early February, Charlotte was curled against a wall, with 2 blankets covering her body inside a small building for the officers, a tiny fire going, when Nixon and Speirs walked into the room. Speirs, now officially their CO, had made his best effort to check in with the girl multiple times a day.
" Hey, kid, how're you feeling?" Nixon asked as the two entered the room, and saw the girl curled up. She was staring off in front of her, her eyes watery and dazed, arms curled around her small frame. When she looked up at the officers, they saw the months of exhaustion without a break finally weighing down on the young medic now that they were out of Bastogne. They saw the pain of loosing her friends, and people who'd been her brothers.
" Fine, sir." she said quietly. A gust of wind blew threw the bombed out window and she shivered and leaned closer to the fire.
" You wanna come and eat something with us? It might make you feel better." Nixon asked her, as she looked up and met both their eyes.
" But what about the men? Do they have things to eat?" she asked, thinking about the boys, outside, in colder places than where she was now.
" Yes. And they'd probably feel better if they knew you had eaten something." Nixon said.
" I'm not really hungry, it's ok." she said.
" Charlotte, I want you to eat, ok? You'll feel better." Nixon said to her. Charlotte looked over at Speirs.
