Humanity of the Broken [ Band of Brothers ] 2

FORTY

Alice woke up at the first light of the sun. She could hear someone down the hall running a shower. Closer to home, the ticking of a clock and the breathing of Nix to her right made the only noise in the otherwise dark and quiet room. Shifting her arm out from under the sheets, Alice pushed her hair out of her face. With a small yawn, Alice shifted in the bed to sit up.

The clock read 0620 hours. Through the window, she could see the beginning of dawn. With a last look at Nix's peaceful face, she slipped out of the bed. She knew he'd need to get up as soon as possible; they'd be leaving for Austria by 0800. As quiet as she could, Alice slipped into her clothes for the day. Soon she stood at the window, watching as enlisted men moved about on the road below. 

She regretted nothing about the night before. Alice had reached the point where she was done waiting. Every day that passed had led to death and turmoil. With the war in Europe over, she started to wonder how long with Easy Company she had left. Did she even have any days left to just celebrate with the survivors? 

Her usefulness had come to an end. If the Americans decided she'd finished her task, then she'd have to decide where to go. Nix had another half of the war to fight. She did not.

Paris would be the obvious choice. She knew that Jean-Luc and Marie would open their flat to her, or maybe she and Juliette could find their own. She could try to finish school. But every time she thought about Paris, a deep ache formed in her chest. Paris reminded her more and more of loss, between her family and Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle living in that city again.

Alice figured Millie would welcome her back in Aldbourne. That made the most sense. Alice supposed she could get a job at a bar or a shop in the town, help support the Bratts in exchange for lodging. But again, Aldbourne was full of ghosts now. All she wanted to do was go somewhere where she'd never really have to think of the war again. Unfortunately, nowhere like that remained.

With the war in Europe over, Alice wondered if maybe the Army would lax their insistence that her job be kept secret. If that were the case, maybe she could take her savings from the war and go live somewhere in America. But she couldn't go alone.

Alice sighed. Looking out over the street, she tried to let the sunlight sink into her skin, warm her. She closed her eyes. Her life had changed in many ways over the course of a single day. Maybe the sun would make her feel better.

"What time is it?"

At Nixon's half-coherent mumbling, she turned around. Alice smiled at him as his eyes scrunched against the sunlight that fell his way when she moved. His peaceful expression when he slept morphed into one of annoyance as he had to get up.

"0645," Alice told him. "Come on. I'd rather have you out of the room before Dick knocks on it or something."

"Don't want to be seen with me?" he joked.

Alice laughed under her breath. She moved from the window over to the bed and sat down. "No. But I don't want to be the one responsible for you getting a dishonorable discharge."

"Oh, right, that." He yawned again, sitting up in the bed but still under the sheets and blanket. "Dick wouldn't do that. Trust me."

She just hummed in agreement. But Alice wasted no time in opening the window curtains further and flooding the room with light. Nix gave an almost imperceptible groan, but he got the message. It didn't take him long to get ready once he'd rolled out of bed.

"Uh oh." Nixon looked at her, suppressing a small smile. As he tied up his jump boots, he nodded to her. "You're thinking about something."

Alice narrowed her eyes and turned back to him. Her arms were across her chest and she'd been staring out the window again. "What?"