The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

42: Such A Darling

Aldbourne in August was hot. Charlie had no idea how the men were faring with having to train in this heat, but even walking around the hospital had her dripping in sweat. Windows were flung open in every room, doors open wide to let some cool air in, but there was none. Whatever heat wave had hit England was hitting it hard.

Henry dismissed them early that day on account of the torrid heat, and the bus was even worse than the ward had been; every window was open but sitting inside still felt like being baked in an oven - or what Charlie imagined that would feel like, at least. When the bus pulled up at their stop, all of the nurses hurried off quicker than they ever had, desperate to feel any sort of relief from the humidity inside.

But the village square was just as hot as the bus. Less humid, certainly, but with the sun beating down on them with nothing to hide them from it the heat was drier, somehow even more oppressive.

"Can we go get some ice cream?" Charlie asked, shielding her eyes as she looked to the others. "I've had the biggest craving for it for days."

"Ice cream sounds like a dream right now," Boo said with a relieved sort of laugh. "I'm coming."

Mabs and Autumn quickly agreed and, instead of heading home, they each adjusted their holds on their uniform jackets, long since taken off and slung over forearms, and began traipsing their way through the heat toward the local ice cream parlour.

It wasn't very crowded when they got there - probably most people had already used up their one ice cream ration a week when it had started to get hotter than usual at the beginning of the week - and the cold of the room made Charlie sigh in relief. The cold emanating off of the fridges at the back of the shop put a chill in the air which had the hairs on Charlie's arms standing on end and goose bumps rising up on her skin, but it couldn't have been more of a welcome reprieve from the heat. She simply stood in the doorway for a moment, letting the chilly air wash over her, before moving to stand with the other nurses in line.

The walls of the parlour were a pale sky blue, though the paint was chipping in places, and the fridges at the back of the room were topped with glass so that the flavours could be observed by waiting customers. There weren't very many flavour options on account of the rationing, but they had chocolate, which was what Charlie was going to choose anyway.

"The troops must've been given the rest of the day off, too," Mabs was saying as Charlie joined the others in waiting for the worker to serve an elderly man at the counter. "Look." She gestured to a table in the corner by the door where four replacement soldiers were sitting together, laughing as they spoke.

Charlie recognised them as Babe Heffron, Les Hashey, Tony Garcia, and, if she remembered correctly, James Miller, who was the only one among them she hadn't yet actually met, though Mabs had pointed him out to her in the pub a few nights before.

Autumn tutted as she watched them before turning back to the other nurses. "Looks like the vets missed a trick. Shameful that the replacements beat them to this little hotspot."

"Cold spot," Boo mumbled, smiling amusedly at her own joke even when no one else laughed.

The elderly man who'd been in front of them in line was finished being served, then, and they all turned away from the replacements to place their orders. Charlie was last, as she'd been last in line, and when she had her cup of ice cream (only after having to fight Mabs on not getting a cone - "I know you get more in a cone, but I prefer it in a cup! Leave me alone!") she followed mindlessly after Mabs with Autumn and Boo.

She realised too late where Mabs was leading them and kicked herself for not having guessed what she was up to sooner.

"Well, fancy seein' you boys here!" Mabs drawled as she came to a stop in front of the replacements' table. "Tryin' to escape the heat too?"