The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

87: The Pain of Longing

All things considered, Stürzelberg wasn't such a bad place to be posted out on the line. It was in Germany, which meant the men were getting excited about the prospect of jumping into Berlin, and although it was strange to be occupying a town still filled with German civilians, at least the buildings weren't bombed out.

The men secured lodgings for everyone upon arrival. Charlie didn't like the idea of them clearing a family out of their home but there was little she could do about it; they had been ordered to stay in Stürzelberg, and they couldn't very well set up a tent outside with how vulnerable that would make the nurses to potential attacks from men, German and American alike.

So, when Floyd showed Charlie and the others to their lodgings, she tried not to let her reluctance show on her face and, instead, tried to pretend gratitude. When she walked in, however, and saw a doll on the living room couch where the little girl who owned her had left her behind, she couldn't help her frown.

"What's the matter?" Floyd asked, catching the expression immediately. Charlie didn't know it, but his eyes had been glued to her from the moment he'd shown her the house, seeking her approval, and if he didn't get it he was more than ready to find somewhere else for her.

"Did you clear this one?" she asked, walking toward the couch and picking up the doll carefully.

"I helped," Floyd admitted.

Mabs, Autumn, and Boo exchanged glances before promptly heading upstairs to pick out bedrooms, leaving Charlie and Floyd alone.

"Do you know who this belongs to?" She showed the doll to him. 

He relaxed as he realised her issue wasn't with the house but with its owners. "I'm sure she won't mind letting you look after it for a couple days," Floyd reasoned with a small smile.

This didn't make Charlie feel better. "I would mind," she told him. "If a bunch of soldiers broke into my house and forced me to leave, and I left my stuff behind because I was in such a hurry to get out, I would mind. Especially if I was little."

Floyd sighed and ran a hand down his face. "What do you want me to say, Charlie, huh? We had orders. I couldn't just say I didn't wanna do it, or say, 'Actually, I don't think we should do that because Charlie might not approve.'"

In silence, Charlie placed the doll back down on the couch and turned to head up the stairs.

Floyd sighed again. "Charlie," he called after her.

She didn't respond, or make any indication she'd even heard him. There was no point continuing the conversation if he wanted to be like that, and he clearly had other things he needed to deal with since he was being so snippy.

Charlie made it to the second step before Floyd placed a hand on her arm to halt her.

"Don't you have things to do?" she asked, turning back to him but remaining on the stairs. "You're first sergeant now, surely you have duties to attend to."

"I don't," Floyd said with a single shake of his head. "Will you come back down?"

"Why? You don't like it when I'm the same height as you?" Charlie quirked a brow and stepped up one stair higher. "Now I'm taller than you. I bet you like that a whole lot."

Floyd stifled a laugh. "You're being so childish right now, you know that?"

Charlie narrowed her eyes. "You're on thin ice, Floyd Talbert."

This time he let his laugh emerge freely. "You're particularly cranky this evening. Do you need me to tuck you into bed?"

"I need you to get off my back," she retorted.