An Expensive Solitude: A Band of Brothers Fanfiction

The Unexpected Offensive

The whole rest of the day and the next morning, Samantha tip toed around Edith like she was dancing on egg shells. As she gave brief, compliant answers and silently refilled her superior officer's coffee mug, Edith tried to suppress the guilt for dumping her emotional baggage on the girl.

Around 11:00, Edith had Samantha fetch the supply lists from Captain Winters to avoid seeing him personally. She cringed and bit her lip as she surveyed an inventory from Dog Company, her grip on her lukewarm mug tightening as she remembered her outburst. He must think she was a silly, temperamental girl. Thankfully she had held it together in her father's office. The thought of Colonel Sink's censure was unbearable.

The edge of her mug was halfway to her lips when Samantha burst into the office. Her face was flushed and jaw tight with barely contained frustration. She unbuttoned her coat and threw it on the rack. Edith set down her coffee and studied Samantha with interest. She had never seen her in such a state.

"Have you read these yet?" Samantha marched up to her desk, her eyes widening in the weak winter light. She slapped the paper on Edith's desk. "They are being kept like paupers."

Edith's brow furrowed as she lifted the paper. Samantha let her breath out slowly, brushing back a few rich brunette strands of hair from her face. Edith sighed.

"I fear this is the way the paratrooper companies will be kept for the time being." She shrugged and glanced up. "There really isn't anything we can do."

"Barely any winter clothes, very little K-rations... what are they expected to do if anything was to happen, God forbid? Eat their boots?" Samantha crossed her arms over her ample chest and arched her dark eyebrows.

Edith shook her head. "We have to hope nothing will happen. But if it does, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. They aren't expected to see action until spring anyway."

"Expected." Samantha snorted. "Iresponsible is what it is. Those boys put their lives on the line and the brass merely assumes they'll make due if anything happens. We are in the middle of an invasion! Anything could happen!"

Edith bit her tongue from telling her to calm down. After her display the day before, she didn't feel she had the right.

"This outburst wouldn't have anything to do with the wellbeing of a certain young paratrooper, would it?" Edith ventured carefully as Samantha grunted and slumped down in the chair across from her desk.

Samantha paused, her breathing evening out. "Maybe a little."

"I understand your feelings for the young man, but you said it yourself. We are in the middle of an invasion. Personal feelings combined with your work is a recipe for disaster, believe me. I'm not saying you shouldn't be allowed your flirtations, but you cannot let it interfere with your job."

Nodding silently, Samantha drew herself to her feet. "Of course. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have flown off the handle like that."

"Please don't apologize." Edith smirked. "I think you know I am as guilty of doing the same exact thing."

Samantha attempted a grin before returning to her desk. Subtly, Edith reached over to the sheet of paper and surveyed the list. It was meager, almost pathetic. She knew it was nothing that Dick could help. He deeply cared for the men in his battalion. Her father couldn't be held responsible either, he was a practical man who knew the sacrifices that the boys made couldn't be done without the proper support. But as far as General Taylor was concerned... Edith had her opinions on the man and they were not very positive.

Tapping the eraser of her pencil on the typed sheet, she shook her head. They could only hope events wouldn't travel down unforeseen paths. However, they were at war. The unexpected was the only thing they could expect.

It was late, but Edith was driven to finish the reports for the next morning. By 18:00 hours, Edith insisted that Samantha head home and get some rest.

"I will do my best." Samantha nodded with a subtle grin.

Edith lifted a brow as she handed her a folder. "Tell the young man hello for me. What was his name again?"

A pretty shade of rose fanned across Samantha's fair cheeks. "Walter. But his friends call him Smokey."

"Smokey huh?" Edith's eyebrow quirked. "You should probably find out the reason for that nickname before you get too emotionally involved."

Samantha laughed as she walked over to her coat. "Please just give me a ring if you need anything. But try not to make too late a night of it."

Edith's attention was focused on her typewriter. "Goodnight, Sergeant Quincey."

"Goodnight, ma'am."

Once alone, she leaned back in her chair and chewed on the end of her pencil as she reviewed what she had written. Kicking off her shoes underneath the desk, she loosened the tie on her uniform and unbuttoned the collar of her shirt. Edith stood stiffly. She stretched out her back and meandered over to Samantha's desk.

Casually, she picked up Captain Winters' carefully detailed inventory. The more she had thought about it, the more concerned she had grown. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring. She made the decision to speak directly to her father about it the next morning and see if there was anything that could be done.

Letting the paper drift from her fingers to Samantha's desk, the clock by the window chimed. The door flung open without a knock. Edith looked up in surprise to see Dick stride over the threshold with a fierce determination that she had never seen written on his long face.

"Have you heard?"

Edith's heart leaped to her throat. "Heard what?"

"The German attack on the Ardennes forest?"

The unexpected event that she and Samantha had dreaded had come to pass. Her eyes instinctively returned to the supply list.

"What can I do?"

"Is there anything that can be done?" He smoothed his fingers over his neatly combed, dark red waves. "Lieutenant, some of the men don't even have weapons for heaven's sake."

Edith set her jaw and met his glass green eyes evenly. "Give me an hour."

"Good because that's all we've got until they send us out."

"I'm surprised it's you coming to see me and not one of your captains," she admitted, rushing over to her desk and stepping into her shoes.

Dick scoffed as Edith came out from behind her desk. "Some of them are seriously found wanting."

"Like Easy Company's new CO?"

"You know him?"

"Norman Dike?" Edith paused in front of him. "Yes. Nice enough, but one of those born desk jockeys. I would be able to lead your old company better than that man and I've never seen the front."

"Honestly, I would have preferred it to be you if it had been possible."

He met her eyes. His tone so sincere that she almost believed him. It made her take a step back. The man truly did think her capable of anything handed to her. She had never met someone with so much faith in her abilities.

She managed a nod, pursing her lips as she turned to leave. "I will do my best, Captain Winters."

"Edith."

Dick reached out, his worn fingertips grazing the underside of her wrist. Impulsively, Edith grasped the space with her other hand and retreated a step. She met his eyes as he studied her countenance.

"Thank you," he said softly with a hint of a smile.

"One hour," she breathed before marching out into the night, the sensitive skin at her wrist burning with his touch.