We Happy Few | Band of Brothers

Chapter 47: Wind Behind the Rain

Annie hummed to herself softly as she walked up the winding dirt road toward the farmhouse in the distance. Speirs had asked the medic to retrieve Luz and Perconte, who had set out an hour or so ago to collect—or more correctly, steal—some eggs. Annie had gone with the two men before, so she knew exactly where to look for them.

Sturzelberg, Germany—where the company was currently located—was a rather beautiful location; and the fact that the men and women had beds, warm food, and showers didn't hurt either. It was a quaint little place to spend some time off the front line.

Spotting the door to the coop open, Annie poked her head inside and located Perconte standing on a crate with a chicken in his hands. "Hello, Frank," Annie greeted as she looked around for the second man. "Where's George? I'm supposed to tell you guys to get your asses back to camp. Speirs' words, not mine." 

Frank struggled with the squirming, angry chicken in his hands. "He, ugh ... he went after a girl." He held the bird at an arm's length away from himself. "Could you help me here?"

Annie snorted to herself at the sight of the small Italian man trying to keep the fussy animal from slipping from his hands. "Sure," she agreed as she climbed up onto the crate with him and snatched the eggs from inside the straw nest. As soon as Annie had collected the white, oval objects, Frank practically tossed the chicken back into its little cubby-hole. 

Holding out his helmet, Frank gestured for Annie to put the eggs inside. "You better give one of those to me when you cook them up." She chuckled as she stepped back down from the crate. 

"At this rate, you can have all the ones George was gonna eat," Frank grumbled as he began to count his loot. "Leaving me alone with a pissed-off chicken ... who does that to a friend?"

"George Luz does, apparently." Annie patted Frank on the back. "Now, come on. We gotta find that radioman and get back before Speirs decides he wants a side of medic with his eggs."

As soon as the two exited the chicken coop, they could hear George's voice from the next building over, the main barn. Rolling her eyes, Annie could only imagine what kind of nonsense he was getting into with whatever woman he had stumbled across. 

With a faint moo, the cows alerted the German woman and George to the presence of the two new bodies in the barn. "George, we gotta-" Annie started, but paused when she saw the look on the poor woman's face. Every signal the beautiful, blond farm girl was giving off screamed that she was uncomfortable with how hard George was pushing for her to talk to him. 

George held an outstretched hand with a pack of cigarettes toward her, but every time he stepped forward, she stepped back. Her eyes were wide, her arms were tucked close to her body, and her lips were pressed together tight. 

As soon as the woman spotted Annie, she seemed to relax a little. "George!" Annie walked over, stood between George and the woman, and slapped the smokes of out his hand. "Can't you see you're upsetting her?"

George stood there stunned. Not only had he been caught red-handed trying to woo another woman by the very woman he wanted more than anything, but he was also being reprimanded for it. "I-I ..." he stuttered. "I was just trying to-"

"We all know what you were 'just trying to do'." Annie sighed as she turned to the German farm girl. "I'm sorry," she apologized, her voice soothing in an attempt to calm her down. She was almost positive the woman had no idea what she was saying, but she hoped her gentle gestures would relay the message. "We're gonna go. Have a nice day."

The woman smiled slightly and nodded. "Danke." Her tense body seemed to relax a little.

Turning back to George, Annie planted her hands on his shoulders, spun him around, and pushed him out of the barn. "Come on you two." She waved for Frank to follow. "I swear, I feel like a goddamn shepherd with you men. Always having to round you up."