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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The two of us walked in silence - sans the sound of the snow crunching beneath our boots toward Easy Company's line. As we walked, the distant sounds of planes rumbling overhead could be heard. We stopped, glancing up into the misty tree canopy hoping to catch a glimpse of who was flying past us. Speirs spotted one and pointed. "Looks like it's our men."
"What are they doing out here?" I pondered aloud, staring at them as they disappeared into the heavy cloud cover.
Speirs turned his gaze back to me. "Dropping supplies at Bastogne, I'd wager," he told me. I glanced over my shoulder at him. He had been staring at me but the moment we locked eyes, he motioned with his head. "Let's go." He walked ahead of me and I followed close behind. Speirs cleared his throat, saying, "I want to thank you for taking care of my men."
"You're welcome," I whispered, not looking up at him as we walked, "I'm just doing my job."
He glanced over his shoulder at me, eyeing me with a knowing expression. "I saw what happened back there."
"When?"
"You stood your ground and confronted several men at once," he replied, a hint of amusement lingered on his tone, "quite angrily I might add."
I sighed, shrugging slightly. "They had it coming."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Did they now?" He stopped, turning to face me.
"Yes. They are all very stubborn and selfish," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest, trying to hold my ground against him, "Kind of like you."
The smile on his face grew at my choice of words and posture. "I'm stubborn and selfish?"
"Yes. You are."
As his smile reached his eyes, they twinkled with levity. He chuckled, "I didn't think you had it in you, Nurse Banks."
A small pang struck my heart hearing 'Nurse Banks' come from him again. He used my name once before but now, we were back to our old routine. I sighed, voice dropping from disappointment as my shoulders slumped forward. "Didn't think I had what?"
His brows twitched as he watched my posture shift. "A backbone," he stated, his intense stare boring into my soul. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when you would stand up for yourself. I'm impressed." He released another small chuckle, shaking his head slightly as he trudged through the snow again. I followed him silently, trying my best to ignore his comments about me, refusing to be goaded by him. Without looking at me, he questioned, "Do you think you'll still have that backbone and courage to stand up for yourself when you run into the Lerner boys?"
I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at him, my mouth agape in shock. "What?" my voice was barely a whisper. I wondered if maybe I didn't hear him right - he didn't blink when that spy pretended to be Lerner - he acted as if he forgot all about them. The realization struck me hard as cold shockwaves zipped through my core causing me to tremble slightly as the fear worked its way forward again.
