The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

21: At the Elbow and the Hip

"Now that inductions into life in a hospital have been completed, we're moving back to military training."

Lieutenant Maddox had the four nurses lined up down the centre of the ward, backs straight as they'd been taught during the military aspect of their training. She was walking up and down the line in front of them, her voice loud and authoritative, and Charlie had a sinking feeling that she knew something they didn't.

"You will train with me in map reading, the use of gas masks, and camouflage," Maddox went on. "You will train with the paratroopers of Easy Company in stamina and physical fitness, which includes hand to hand combat. If you take issue with any of this, now's the time to let me know - but be warned, you will be removed from the Cadet Nurse Corps if you do."

No one dared move a muscle or even utter a breath lest it be mistaken for dissent.

Lieutenant Maddox continued her pacing before them, her hands behind her back and her voice louder than it needed to be when only the five of them were present.

"You will no longer be operating on a cyclical four days on, three days off schedule. From now on all four of you will be working six days on, one day off, and all of you simultaneously. You will have Sundays as a rest day, and that is exactly what they are: rest days. It is in your best interests to stay home and rest as we prepare to go overseas."

As we prepare to go overseas.

Maddox didn't elaborate but those six words echoed in Charlie's head over and over again as Maddox continued speaking. She outlined the schedule for which days they'd work with her and which days with the paratroopers - it was due to change every week, apparently - but those words stuck in Charlie's head. She just knew it was coming. The invasion of occupied Europe everyone had been whispering about was coming, and they would be going with it.

They worked with Lieutenant Maddox on the use of gas masks that first day, going over everything they'd been taught in training to ensure they knew their way around the masks in the fastest and most efficient ways. The next day they worked with her on camouflage and received their very own sets of fatigues for the first time.

"Your combat uniforms," Maddox announced as she placed a cardboard box down on one of the beds in front of them. "From now on, when you come to work you will wear these, to get you used to them before we're deployed. You'll be spending twenty-four hours a day in these as soon as we leave England so it's in your best interests to get used to them fast."

The fatigues were khaki boiler suits covered in various different sized pockets, and each of them came with a tag inscribed with their last name on the left breast pocket. When Charlie was handed hers she smiled down at the embroidered letters of her surname, hardly able to believe that she was here, doing this.

Next, Maddox handed them each their canteens, boots, and helmets, and Charlie's smile quickly faded.

"When in a combat zone you'll be wearing your helmets at all times, even when you sleep, so get used to those too. The field hospitals we set up will be flimsy tents a couple miles back from the front line at best, bombed out buildings right alongside the boys at worst." Lieutenant Maddox took her time looking from face to face, staring them all down steadily. "If you want to keep from getting shot in the head," she said, her voice low and sober, "keep your helmet on."

The following day, when they all showed up to work wearing their boots, fatigues, and helmets for the first time, they were a spectrum of different reactions. Violet said she felt stupid with all of the gear on - and, indeed, she did kind of look like she was drowning in all of that fabric, and the helmet did hang low over her eyes - whereas Autumn had never looked more like herself. Mabs wore her new uniform with pride and was peacocking to every military nurse who hadn't yet received her own fatigues. Charlie just felt uneasy.