The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

108: When You'll Know

Charlie spent the rest of her birthday surrounded by the people she loved most. The other nurses insisted on having dinner sent up to Boo and Autumn's room for them all to share together, and after that they joined the men for an evening swim in the lake - or, in Mabs' case, sitting on the dock and grinning as she kicked her legs in the water and heckled the others.

Charlie had her arms wrapped tightly around Floyd's neck, her eyes squeezed shut and her breaths wheezing between squeals and shouts for him to put her down. He'd made it his personal mission to get her to go underwater with him in spite of her insistence that she didn't want to get her hair wet. Though he'd splashed her a great many times, her hair had somehow remained largely intact and, from where Floyd was standing, this just wouldn't do.

It was when Charlie had been in the midst of a conversation with Babe that Floyd had swept her up into his arms and started carrying her deeper into the water.

"Traitor!" Charlie had shouted back at Babe, who hadn't said anything as he'd watched Floyd come up behind her.

Babe stood there laughing as he watched them go.

"Floyd, put me down!" Charlie insisted now, tightening her grip on him. "Floyd!"

"Birthday girl's gotta get dunked, Freckles," Floyd said with the comical air of someone repeating a rule they'd already had to say a million times, even though he hadn't. "I don't make the rules."

"Yes you do!" Charlie exclaimed. She leaned closer to him and buried her face into his neck, hoping she'd be able to hold on even when he tossed her into the water, or at least drag him down with her.

Finally satisfied with the depth of the water, Floyd cackled as he started to swing her from side to side. He counted aloud, "One! Two! Three!" before diving beneath the water with her still firmly in his arms.

He stood back up a second later, laughing as he flicked his hair out of his eyes. Charlie beat the sides of her fists lightly against his chest. "Floyd!" she exclaimed, her hair sticking to her face in long, dark streaks.

"Aw, Freckles, you look so cute!" he cooed, and pressed a loud, smacking kiss to her cheek.

"Put me down!" Charlie demanded.

"You have to give me a kiss first."

"I don't have to do anything," she retorted. Nevertheless, she reached up for the back of his neck and tugged him down until he was close enough to kiss, and smiled in spite of herself when she pulled back.

True to his end of the bargain, Floyd put Charlie down in the water and she pushed her hair back from her face with little patience. She pointed a finger at him. "You're on thin ice," she said. She tried to scowl but it was impossible to be mad at him; he looked so pleased with himself.

Floyd shrugged, grinning. "Whatever you say, darling."

"Hey, Charlie!" Don shouted from behind her, drawing her attention away.

Charlie turned at the sound of her name and gasped when a wave of water enveloped her.

"Don!" she shrieked once she'd coughed up the water which had gone in her mouth. She wiped at her eyes hastily and stared at him with her mouth agape.

He stood about a foot away from her, grinning and preparing to splash her again.

Before he got the chance, Charlie thrust both of her arms into the lake water in front of her and wrenched them forwards until she splashed him with a wave of her own, as big and vicious as she could manage. He sputtered, surprised, and then laughed as he wiped at his eyes.