The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

10: Good Looks and Easy Confidence

When Shifty finally got to her station, Charlie had to act like she hadn't been anticipating his arrival ever since she'd seen him come through the door. She'd been desperate to interact with a familiar face and had, in fact, been watching him inch closer through the queue. But when he got to the front she busied herself with preparing the needle for him, her hands clumsy as she wondered whether he was watching her, and felt herself beginning to blush already. He hadn't even said a single word to her and she was blushing! She was more of a lost cause than she'd originally thought, and, somehow, asking Sergeant Talbert for help didn't seem like it had been such a terrible idea anymore.

"Hi, Charlie," he greeted cheerily when she eventually looked up. He'd already rolled his sleeve up, bless him, and was sitting on the bed, as he must have seen the men before him do. She hadn't even had to ask him. She knew there was a good reason she'd been inclined to like him.

"Shifty," she said, feigning surprise, letting her smile stretch wide. "Is this your non-dominant arm?" she asked, gesturing to the arm with the sleeve rolled up.

"Yes, ma'am," he confirmed, smiling in that soft way of his.

Charlie nodded, beginning to wipe his bicep clean. "How have you been?" she asked.

"Been good, thank you," he answered promptly and politely. "Ain't seen ya since the other night. They been keepin' ya busy down here?"

Charlie smiled to herself to think he'd noticed her absence. "Yes," she confirmed. She nodded, keeping her eyes on his arm and purposely taking a little bit more time than was strictly necessary to wipe his arm down so they'd have more time to converse. His presence was certainly a welcome reprieve from the mindless conversations she'd been having with the others. "I've been in everyday, but today's my last day on shift for a while."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Shifty replied as she finally stopped wiping at his bicep and prepared to inject him.

"Have you been busy?" she asked next. Charlie wished she had more interesting things to say, to ask, but all that came to her head was boring small talk. She'd have to ask Sergeant Talbert for conversation starters when she saw him next - hopefully soon, so that she could up her game before she next ran into Shifty. Or Gene, the medic, for that matter; the memory of her first meeting with him haunted her and she was desperate to change his first impression of her.

"Well, I guess so," he answered, then held his breath as she pressed the needle into his skin.

"Sorry," Charlie breathed, injecting the liquid as fast as she could before removing the needle. She quickly applied pressure to the site and offered him a smile she hoped was reassuring when he looked up at her.

"Now, it's alright, Charlie," he assured her.

She smiled in return. Couldn't help it.

"Our officers have been keepin' us busy with field exercises and weapons trainin'," he continued his earlier answer, oblivious to her thoughts. "They're long days but at least we get to rest at night now."

"You didn't before?" she wondered, wrapping up the injection site.

"Not most nights back at boot camp." He shook his head and smiled at her again. "But, well, I'm sure I'm boring you."

"Not at all," Charlie raced to reassure him, but he was already on his feet and pulling his sleeve back down.

"It was nice seein' you again, Charlie. I hope I'll see you again soon."

Charlie smiled, powerless to stop the blush racing through her cheeks. "I hope I'll see you again soon, too."

And with that, he was gone, and Charlie was onto the next.