A Soldier of No Importance [ Band of Brothers ] 1

THIRTY EIGHT

Her entire body ached as Alice clawed her way back to consciousness. It took a moment for her to understand why. Shifting in her bunk away from the side of the ship to face the rows of paratroopers, she hissed when moving her wrist.

Alice stopped breathing. Memories crashed back in, confusing amalgamations of her last day in Paris and her first day on the Samaria. She remembered blood, she remembered cold hands on her skin, and she remembered her terror. Her head spun. Releasing the tension in her chest, she forced a breath.

To her surprise, Gene didn't occupy the bunk to her right. It had taken longer than it should've to recognize Talbert sitting with his back against a pole, just to the right of her head. He was working on a crossword puzzle in a newspaper he must've picked up in New York City. Various soldiers of Easy occupied nearly all the other bunks. George's voice floated from the one beneath her, along with Skip, Alex, and Don's laughter.

"What are you doing here, Tab?" Alice asked. Her voice sounded rough, and slightly painful, as she spoke. Her hand flew to her neck as she sat up. Instantly, Alice regretted it. The sudden pressure to her windpipe area caused pain to shoot through her skin.

Floyd Talbert looked over. "Alice! You're up." He put down the crossword.

She eyed him carefully. His frown, and the way his gaze flickered over her made her uneasy. Rumors spread like wildfire in the 506th. The last thing she needed was for the entire battalion to know she'd stood by and let men grope her.

"What, not calling me Lieutenant, anymore? It's Alice now?" At his visible flinch, she regretted her harsh tone. But an apology stuck in her throat. "It's clear you know something. Who told you, Guarnere? George?"

Talbert shook his head. "Lieutenant Winters. He told some of the NCOs what happened and ordered us to stop the rumors and uh, keep you company."

"Nice way of saying you're my bodyguard." Alice shook her head and looked around. No one else had realized she'd woken up, or else they'd all decided to act like nothing happened. She had a feeling that would be too good to be true, though. "How bad is the bruise on my throat?"

He hadn't meant to hesitate. But as he looked at the deep red splotches on and to the left of her windpipe, he didn't know what exactly to say. Alice's sigh told him she guessed his thoughts.

"Who knows?"

Shifting in his cot, Talbert shrugged. "Besides the guys who found you? Me, Lip, Martin, and Randleman."

"No one else?"

He shook his head. "Winters said that anyone who wouldn't accept the explanation of them not needing to know should be sent his way. So far that's kept everyone quiet."

Alice fumbled around her pocket. The jackasses from H company must've stolen her cigarettes, because where the pack had been, now she found only her picture of herself and her brothers. She cursed under her breath in German. "You got any cigarettes?"

"Not on me." Talbert leaned over the other side of the bunk. "George, gimme a smoke."

She heard the man scoff, but soon Talbert straightened back up and handed over a white cigarette. Not a moment later, George himself scrambled up into Talbert's cot, much to the man's annoyance. It barely had enough room for both of them sitting cross legged.

"Figured it'd be for you." George flashed her a smile. It dropped ever so slightly as he looked her over. "Shit, you've looked better."

"Subtle."

He smirked, popping a cigarette into his own mouth. After passing her a light, he lit his own. "Tab drew the short straw and had to sit here while you were asleep."