Humanity of the Broken [ Band of Brothers ] 2

TWENTY-ONE

February 9th, 1945

Haguenau, France

Alice sat on the edge of a bed in the CP. Setting her mud-caked boots to the side up against the wall, she sighed. Alice rolled her shoulders back in an effort to release some tension. All she really wanted was a nap. Just as she took off her coat and tossed it to the floor, a knock sounded outside.

"Go away!" she muttered back, loud enough to be heard. "I'm asleep!"

"Jesus Christ, Alice," Ron said through the door. "Would you listen to me."

She groaned, glaring up at the ceiling. But she moved over to the door and opened it. "What?"

He looked down at her with half a smirk. "I outrank you now, you know."

"So do Dick and Nixon, doesn't mean I listen to them," she pointed out.

"Fine, if you don't want a shower, I'll just tell the men to use all the hot water."

Alice straightened up immediately. Her eyes lit up. "If you're lying-"

"Just get your damn boots on."

She nodded and flashed him a smile. As Ron moved back into the main area of the CP, she sat back on her bed with her boots and laced them up. Her movements were sluggish. After a harsh cough, Alice stood from the bed and closed the door. 

Ron fell into step with her as they moved out of the CP. He lit a cigarette. With a long exhale of the smoke, he turned to her. "Sergeant Kiehn's dead. Shot by a sniper a few minutes ago."

"Mon Dieu," she muttered. Alice rubbed her forehead. "It never ends."

"No," he agreed. 

They walked in silence for a while longer. Alice folded her arms over her chest for self protection and for warmth. Haguenau felt warmer than Bastogne, but the snow that had been falling that morning spoke to how cold it still was. She sighed. 

"Lipton is letting Malarkey know about the patrol picks," he said. Ron looked at her. "Cigarette?"

Alice shook her head. "You know Gene would kill me if he saw me have one," she muttered. Then she sighed again with a shake of her head. "I feel bad for Malarkey."

"We all do," Ron agreed. "But we also all agreed he's the best choice."

She frowned. "I know. That's the worst part of this. If Don gets hurt, or loses someone else..."

"That's not on you," Ron argued. "I'm their Commanding Officer."

"Do you have any reservations?" She turned and looked at him. They stepped around a corner through the cold. In front of them, men had begun gathering around the showers. She stopped Ron. "About sending him, I mean."

Ron took a deep breath through his nose. He blew the smoke and glanced around. Eventually looked back at her and gestured over to the showers. "Come on. Before they take all the hot water."

She watched him walk a few feet forward before following. With her clean underclothes in hand, Alice hurried to catch him. A few of the men exited the showers pulling on pants over their boxers. She saw Malarkey and a few of the men from Second looking downright depressed. She supposed they'd gotten the news.

"Luz." 

Alice turned as Ron called over to him. She saw George walking over, pulling on his undershirt over his head. It stuck to his body from the shower water. With a nod, he walked up.

"Sir?"

Ron gestured to Alice. "Watch the area while she showers." Once George had nodded, he turned back to her. "They set up a screen for you inside the far one. Best we could do."