I was one of five women chosen to serve our country, fighting side by side with the men, and only some of us had come home. Being surrounded by friends and enemies, having to choose who you can save, who you can love, and how to survive is something...
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Back in Carentan, the men were greeted by the locals, who opened their stores and barbershops as a token of appreciation for what the men did - and the men excitedly accepted these gifts without hesitation. While the men of Easy Company grabbed a shave and a haircut, I found a nice spot alone in the courtyard against the remains of a circular fountain that had seen better days. I pulled my notebook out from my pack to write to Darla, pausing as Fox and Dog Companies quietly entered the town, trudging further in to settle for the night.
I watched them for a moment, taking in their dejected postures. Whatever lecture they endured from Battalion showed on their person. Opening my notebook, I turned my gaze back to the blank papers and started writing about the night I had. I mentioned Speirs and his behavior, especially the odd way he seemed to react toward the sheer mention of Webster's name. When I finished my lengthy letter to Darla, I left it in the notebook, tossing it back inside my pack.
"How are you holding up, Emmeline?" a voice spoke to me.
Glancing over to my left, I saw Harry Welsh leaning against the crumbling fountain, smiling down at me. I returned the gesture as I replied, "I'm fine, thank you for asking."
His smile never faltered as he motioned to my pack where the book disappeared to. "Writing another letter to Darla?"
I nodded, placing my hand on the pack where I knew the book to be. "Yeah but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it to her."
"How have you been getting them to her in the past?"
"I've sent them back with our wounded," I confessed, shrugging, "but I sort of missed that chance a while ago." The Jeeps had already come and gone with our wounded by the time we arrived back to Carentan.
"You miss her, don't you?" he asked, voice gentle and understanding.
I nodded, lifting my gaze to meet him, feeling the sting of tears welling behind my eyes as I thought about her. "More than you know."
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea," he stated, scratching the back of his neck, "I feel the same way when I think about Kitty." He chuckled slightly, taking a couple of steps away from me before he stopped to glance down at me once more. He asked, "Hey, do me a favor... get some rest, okay?"
With a nod and a smile, I watched him walk away to check on the rest of the men. I readjusted the pack around my shoulder when another voice spoke beside me. "Nurse Banks."
My breath hitched at the sound of the voice. Slowly, I turned my gaze over my shoulder to see Speirs standing where Welsh was a moment ago. My heart raced as I studied him. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" I asked, praying he wasn't about to lecture me about the dangers of sitting next to a broken fountain.
Speirs stepped closer as I stood up from the ground. His eyes held me, watching my movements carefully as he claimed, "I'm checking up on the men."
