Women of War - A Band of Brothers Story

Care

A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back to another chapter of Women of War. I'm sorry this update is late again. I'm not doing so well currently for a number of reasons - one being that winter is coming and it's cold and dark when I leave the house in the morning and it's cold and dark when I come back in the evening... thank you SAD...

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Let me know if you have any ideas and as always, constructive criticism is welcome :)

The CP was filled with quiet but focused activity. Speirs and Lipton were discussing the patrol and who to send. Luz and Vest bustled back and forth, busy with the supplies and about a dozen other things that needed to be done.

As Mia went through her stack of paperwork, signing off on the shipment of medical supplies and checking the inventory sheets against the requisition forms and what they'd actually gotten, she let the murmur of background noise wash over her.

"Hey Mia?"

Humming a light "Hm?" to indicate that she was listening, she ticked off the items on the inventory sheet.

"What's with that package you got from C Company?", Luz wanted to know, rummaging through a box of ammunitions. "Why'd they owe you a favour?"

"Oh, that." She scribbled her signature onto yet another dotted line. "I found them some things in Holland."

She's been bounced around between the companies at that time, medics getting wounded or sick all across the regiment while they were slugging through the flooded fields and fighting against railguns.

During her stint with Charlie Company, they'd been caught in an air raid before taking the town. Flooded with casualties on those days, Mia had put her scrounging abilities to good use the day before she'd been relieved, gathering medical supplies, food and odds and ends like soap or sweets.

Luz made an understanding noise and asked: "So what did they get you?"

"Um..." She looked up then, making a vague gesture towards the package which still sat on the piano. Ingwer. Kamille. Salbei. Honig. She couldn't find the words in English, so she shrugged helplessly and said: "Stuff to make tea that helps against illness."

The way Luz' eyes lit with relief let a small smile blossom across her lips. Mia knew how much he worried, saw the grief and concern tucked under layers of humour, jokes and banter.

He smiled back and gave her a light nudge. "I'll find you some hot water then."

"Thanks, George."

Reality returned far too soon to dispel their moment of companionship when Alley entered the CP, a supporting arm slung around Ana María's back. The sound of mortar blasts followed them inside from the distance. Mia set down the clipboard after hastily signing the last sheet of her paperwork and went to meet them.

Ana María was chalky pale and her usually cheerful expression tight with discomfort. One hand fisted into Alley's jacket, she moved slowly and gingerly, a far cry from her vivacious and energetic personality.

"This is why I hate the cold", she grumbled through a few deliberate breaths. "Makes you sick in all the nastiest ways."

Mia chuckled. "Let's go upstairs. There is a bed for you there."

The Puerto Rican's brows rose before pulling into a doubtful frown. "Upstairs? I can hardly stand on my own and you want me to climb stairs?"

"Don't worry, we'll help you", Mia said with a reassuring smile.