The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

62: Stuff Like That

The secret party-not-a-party in the NCOs' barracks was apparently a D-Day-veterans-only event. Aside from Babe, of course, who was an honorary Toccoa man according to Bill (Toccoa being the company's first boot camp destination). By the time Charlie arrived with Mabs, Autumn, and Boo, most everyone else who was invited was already in there, sitting on beds or in rogue chairs or else leaning against walls while they drank whatever contraband alcohol they'd managed to get hold of.

The room looked like it hadn't had a single thing done to it in preparation for the party. All of the beds were still lined up exactly as Charlie imagined they were during the day and all manner of personal belongings - socks, letters, lighters, dog tags, even underwear, which Charlie prayed weren't dirty - were strewn about the floor.

"So sweet of them to tidy up for us," Autumn said with a short laugh as she, too, took in the mess.

Already Charlie was exhausted.

She could have been tucked up in bed sleeping right now but she knew she had to be here instead, if not because it would have been rude to turn down the invitation then to assure everyone that she was okay. It was only a matter of time before Mabs started to worry about all the sleeping, she knew, but she would hold off the inevitable for as long as she could.

George put down his bottle of whatever when he saw Boo and smiled wide as he came over to greet her, leaving Frank, Alley, and Skinny behind in his wake without so much as a glance behind him.

Autumn was soon to join Lieb, Chuck, Shifty, Hoobler, and Popeye in one corner while Mabs made a beeline for Bill, Duckie, Joe Toye, Johnny, and Bull in another, not before pointing Charlie's friends out to her.

Not that she'd needed to, of course, for Alton came to get her as soon as he saw her.

"Ay, Charlie!" Skip greeted her with a cheer as she came over, at the same time as Alex called, "Lancaster!" while Malarkey settled on a simple, "Hey!"

"Freckles," Floyd greeted after the others as Charlie sat down on the bed opposite his, beside Skip.

"Not your usual crowd, Floyd," Charlie said, declining the bottle Alton offered to her.

Floyd shrugged. "We thought we'd make life easy for you and gather all in one place."

Charlie rolled her eyes, knowing this wasn't true. "How very thoughtful."

"So, you met any of the new replacements yet, Charlie?" Alton asked as he came to sit on her other side.

"Not yet," answered Charlie with a shrug. "I haven't really been very sociable recently."

"Oh, right. 'Cause goin' to Paris don't count as socialising," Alton retorted with a snort.

From over beside Floyd, Malark laughed. "Ignore him, Lanc, he's just mad he wasn't invited."

Charlie turned to him with her face entirely blank. "Do not ever call me 'Lanc' again."

Alex barked a laugh from Malarkey's left while from his right Floyd dropped his chin to laugh silently into his chest.

"What, you can call me 'Mal' but I can't call you 'Lanc'?" Malarkey asked, feigning offence.

"I don't call you 'Mal'," Charlie pointed out. "But even if I did, you still wouldn't be allowed to call me that."

"Why?"

"Why don't you just call me Charlie?" Charlie asked, heaving an exasperated laugh. "It is my name, after all."

"Why don't I just call you Charlotte?" he fired back.

"Why don't I just call you Donald?"

Malark stared back at her for a beat before a grin spread across his features. "Touché."