A/N: Hey...hello! How's it going? It's been a while...

This story happened because of your demands for more...from Speirs' perspective. So...here it is. I hope you enjoy it. It's not as long as Emmeline's Story but hopefully just as good...maybe.

Also, please keep in mind that this is fiction. It's not meant to be an accurate telling of what really happened. This is strictly for fun. Please just enjoy the ride.

This story is dedicated to my friend, 263Adder (I hope I got your handle right). =) Here's looking at you, kid.

Cheers! ~Z

"Speirs!" a voice shouted behind me. I turned to see my commanding officer approaching me.

"Sir," I said promptly, saluting him in the process. I lowered my hand and waited for his orders.

My Commanding Officer, Captain Jerre Gross, stood before me. "Have you heard the news, Ron?"

I furrowed my brows at him. "What news, sir?"

Gross stated, "We've got some nurses coming to our base for training."

"Nurses?" I repeated, voice laced with annoyance. The last thing that I needed on the base was a bunch of attention-seeking women to distract the men. I sighed heavily knowing that my work would be cut out for me to maintain order within the ranks.

Gross laughed. "You don't seem thrilled, Ron."

I glared at my CO. "We're training for war, sir. This is the last thing I wanted to hear." I ran a hand through my dark hair before placing my hands on my hips.

"Don't worry," Gross assured me. "Not all of them are going to stay with us."

I tilted my head at him in confusion. "Meaning what, sir?"

"This is where they're going to start their training but only one of them has been ordered to stay with the Airborne," he explained. "The others are to be shipped out to the other branches when the time comes."

"Which Company is the nurse to be placed?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"Easy Company," he stated.

I nodded, slowly exhaling. That news was music to my ears. I didn't want to have to worry about a woman in our ranks as we jumped behind enemy lines. She would be their problem, not mine.

Captain Gross took a couple of steps away from me before stopping. He glanced over his shoulder and stated, "They should be arriving in a couple of days. I'd like you to address the men before they arrive."

I nodded curtly. "Yes, sir."

I watched as my CO walked away from me. I turned to head to the barracks to address the men. I was prepared to let them know that under no circumstances were they to be chasing skirts while they were to be training.

Entering the barracks, I shouted, "Attention!"

All the men in the barracks quickly lined the room, standing at attention. I started to walk down the path they had formed for me. I explained, "Listen up! I have news and I have orders." I turned to study the men's faces. "We have nurses arriving in a couple of days to train here. One of those nurses will be assigned to Easy Company."

"Lucky bastards," a man mumbled under his breath. The men in earshot had chuckled.

My eyes narrowed on the man who said it. I stood inches from his face. "Did you say something, soldier?" I asked quietly.

The man's face fell. "No, sir."
"Under no circumstances," I shouted, still standing before the man who spoke. "Will any of you slack off in your training to chase skirts. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" the men shouted in unison.

"Questions?" I asked as I stepped away from the man before me.

One man raised his hand before he asked, "What about on our free time, sir?"

I turned my heated gaze to the man. "What you do on your own time is up to you; frankly I don't give a shit but when you are on the field training, you better be completely focused on that or I will send you home." I turned to look at the men one last time. "Is that understood?"

They answered in unison again, "Yes, sir!"

"Good," I said briskly. "As you were." I took my leave of their room and headed outside.

A few days later, Colonel Sink approached me. I saluted him as he stopped before me. He returned the salute before saying, "Lieutenant Speirs."

"Sir," I replied, awaiting him to continue.

"I've asked all the officers to gather by the main gate," he explained. "I wanted to give the nurses a warm welcome on their arrival." I gritted my teeth. This was not what I wanted to deal with today. Sink must have seen the look on my face as he added, "I want them to know who the officers are so that they feel comfortable coming to any of you in case they need assistance during training."

I nodded quickly. I understood what he meant without him having to spell it out for me. He feared that the nurses might have a bit of a struggle the first few days while they adjusted to military life. I also knew that he meant the adjustment was also intended for the men. As officers, we had to set the expectation on what was appropriate behavior towards these women for the men to follow our example.

"What time are we to gather, sir?" I asked.

Sink checked his watch. "They should be arriving in the next ten minutes or so," he stated. "Better get to the gates now. I'm making my rounds to make sure that all officers are present."

"Yes sir," I replied, saluting once more before leaving to fulfill my orders.

As I meandered across the yard, I could spy several officers already waiting at the gates. Almost all of them seemed eager to meet the women who were to be training with us. I wanted to shake my head. These women would be a distraction - an unnecessary one at that.

I joined the group but leaned against the building near the back, arms crossed. I did not want to be here. I had other things to do. I turned my head to my left and spied Herbert Sobel, sporting his scowl of disapproval. At least he was right about something for once.

A voice spoke off to me right, "You might want to smile a little, Ron." I turned to see Lewis Nixon and Dick Winters approaching me. Nixon added, "You might scare them off before they step off the bus."

I didn't smile. "Maybe that's the point of this gathering."

"Oh, come on!" Nixon laughed. "You can't say that you're not even a little bit curious!"

I shook my head slightly. "Not in the slightest," I admitted. "They shouldn't even be here." Winters nodded slowly, clearly agreeing with me.

Winters added, "War is not a proper place for a woman."

Nixon chuckled. "Between the two of you," he began. "This moment of hospitality is going to leave a bad impression."

"Let's hope so," I mumbled as I turned to watch the bus drive down the long dirt road towards us, plumes of dust clouds trailing behind.

Sink had reappeared in the front of the group. Suddenly, all the officers were standing at attention. I remained where I was. The olive-colored bus slowed down and parked before the gates. The doors opened and the women on the inside began to make their exit.

With their duffels in their hands, they stepped off the steps one at a time into a cloud of dust kicked up by the bus. I observed each woman as she took a step off the bus and stopped in front of Colonel Sink.

The first woman to step off the bus carried herself with grace and wisdom beyond her years. Her dark brown hair was neatly bound in a bun behind her head. She seemed confident, which I wasn't expecting to see. She scanned the group of officers, seemingly meeting the gaze of each one. She didn't seem intimidated at all.

The next woman who stepped off behind the first seemed incredibly young. She looked like a child compared to the first. I realized simply by looking at her that she had lied about her age. I questioned why they allowed her to even participate in this when it was obvious that she didn't belong here. I could feel my frustrations rising that we were taking children - female children at that - and bringing them along to the war. It didn't seem right to me. She stood slightly behind the first woman, a bit intimidated by the men before her. The first woman had held her hand, whispering in her ear - most likely words of encouragement - as she brushed the young woman's braid over her shoulder.

Another woman stepped off the bus and there were a few catcalls from the ranks. I shook my head, glancing down the line to see which officers had the audacity to do such a thing - especially in the presence of Colonel Sink. There was no denying that this woman was beautiful. She had long elegant blonde hair, tied neatly into a ponytail. Much like the first, she exuded confidence and grace. I knew that she would be trouble within the ranks. The men would be all over her. That fact was made apparent by the officers' reaction. She stood next to the others, smiling at the men. She seemed like quite the flirt.

The next woman who stepped off the bus was another seemingly confident woman who carried herself well. She stood next to the group of women as she waited for the last to emerge. She didn't seem fazed by the mass of men before her. It became obvious to me that crowds didn't bother her. I wondered what she did before the war to be so comfortable in front of so many strangers.

The last woman to step off of the bus seemed stunned to see so many men standing at attention for their arrival. I could see her cheeks flushing red from embarrassment, even from my place in the back. I studied her; something was different about her. She didn't seem as confident as some of the others. Her light brown hair was bound into a ponytail but there were a few loose strands that seemed unwilling to stay bound.

I watched as she stood behind the other women in the group, shying away from attentive eyes. I could see her biting her lower lip as she seemed desperate to disappear from sight. She whispered something to the first woman who nodded, acknowledging her discomfort.

Colonel Sink stepped forward to address them. "Welcome nurses to Camp Toccoa!" He turned to motion to all of the officers. "We are here to help you at any time," he informed them. "Do not hesitate to approach any one of these officers should you have the need."

After his speech, Colonel Sink dismissed everyone. I remained in my place, watching the women as they were greeted by the officers. Sobel had stormed off to follow Sink, most likely to complain that these women were even on the base. I knew it was a futile attempt but I struggled to disagree with his opinions on the matter.

Most of the women seemed to be enjoying the niceties the officers were showing them; all but one. She began slinking away from the horde of officers. I found my eyes glued to her as she stepped away from the group. I studied her as she began to make her way into the base. She didn't behave like the others and that to me made her a complete mystery.

The first woman who stepped off the bus had excused herself and caught up to the fleeing woman. She stopped her and exchanged words before following her to their barracks.

My eyes glanced back to the group who remained with the officers. They seemed happy to socialize with them. I turned my attention back to the other two. I found myself intrigued by what had just taken place. Almost every woman that I had met seemed inclined to center themselves into the heart of attention - all but this one.

I pushed myself away from the building, uncrossing my arms in the process as I began to make my way back to my own room. I found that I couldn't stop thinking about the way the introductions had taken place with the nurses. I couldn't stop thinking about how she behaved.

The next morning was Sunday. Sundays were the men's day off to do what they pleased. I wasn't exactly looking forward to this day. The men on the base had learned that the nurses had arrived and I knew they'd most likely be trying to seek them out.

I certainly didn't care what they did on their day off but I also knew that most of these men wouldn't carry themselves with the proper decorum needed for a soldier. Despite having women on the base, they were expected to behave appropriately. Seeing how the officers behaved the day before, I had my doubts about the rest of the men.

Reluctantly, I gathered myself for the day and left my barracks. The bright sun shone in my face causing me to squint as I walked down the path. As I trudged down the walkway, I crossed paths with Colonel Sink and Captain Gross. I saluted both of them.

"Lieutenant," Sink said, saluting back. Before I could continue on my way, he stopped me. "Do you have a moment?"

I turned to face him. "Sir?"

"I hate to put you in this position," Sink started. "But it would appear that a lot of the men are in the infirmary trying to converse with the nurses." He took a drag from his cigar. "Would you go in there and remind them that the nurses also have a job to do?"

I gritted my teeth, slowly inhaling. "Of course."

"That'll be all, son," Sink replied, saluting briefly as he turned his back to me, walking away from me with my CO. I stood there watching them walk away.

Irritated that my fears on the men's interactions were proving to be accurate, I redirected my course towards the infirmary. I didn't volunteer to become a babysitter for these women - I volunteered to serve my country.

The closer that I got to the infirmary, the angrier I seemed to become. Today was not a good day for the men to test my patience. I rounded the corner to see some men leaving the infirmary. Their eyes met mine and they wisely fled the area.

I entered the infirmary and scanned the room. In the center of the room had been four of the five women surrounded by the men. I narrowed my eyes at the men as I noticed the majority of them were from Dog Company. I clenched my jaw as I marched towards them. I had just given them the lecture on this matter before the nurses arrived. I felt as though they were already disobeying my orders and I wasn't going to tolerate that.

As I neared them, the men's gazes lifted to see the stern look on my face. They quickly stood at attention without my prompting. I narrowed my eyes at them. I could tell that I made them nervous and played it up. "Is there a reason you are wasting the nurses' time?" I asked, anger lacing my words.

The men glanced at one another. One of them spoke up, "It's our day off, sir."

I turned my gaze onto him. I didn't blink at him. "Unless you have an appropriate need to be in the infirmary," I began. "I suggest you clear out and let them do their jobs."

"Or what?" the mouthy Sergeant pushed. "It's our day off. You said yourself that we were allowed to do what we wanted on our day off!"

I never took my eyes off the man. I could see out of my peripheral vision the nurses shifting uncomfortably in their places. "Unless you need to be in the infirmary, you have no reason to be here," I repeated myself sternly. "Now, remove yourself from the facility before I give you a just cause for being here."

The Sergeant glared at me, standing up to his full height. I knew he was challenging me but I refused to partake in his game. I stood my ground, holding my heated gaze with his. It didn't take him long before he backed down and left with the others. I watched over my left shoulder as I made sure they had left the infirmary.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," one of the nurses said, bringing my attention back around to her. I recognized her as the woman who first stepped off the bus. I nodded in response. She extended her hand. "I'm Darla. Darla Sanderson."

"Nurse Sanderson," I said plainly. I didn't bother to shake her hand.

Darla lowered her hand, clearly taking the hint and motioned to the others as she continued, "That's Charlotte, Sarah, Anne, and..." The women waved or nodded to me as Darla said their names. I nodded curtly again, not caring what their names were. I didn't want to become too familiar with them. I held firm in my belief that they shouldn't be on the base, to begin with. The less I knew about them the better.

Darla sighed heavily as she turned to the others. "Where'd Emmeline go?"

I glanced at the women in the infirmary. They shrugged at the question, turning to focus on their work and not on my presence, which became obvious that I made them nervous.

Darla cleared her throat, turning back to me. "I'm sorry," she said, offering a small smile. "Our friend, Emmeline must have snuck out when you came in to give the men what for. She's never been fond of confrontation."

I blinked at her. "Try to keep the men from loitering in your facility. If they do not need to be in here, kick them out." Darla nodded and I turned to head out.

Stepping outside the infirmary, I turned the corner to leave. Movement to my right caught my attention. I glanced over to see the nurse that seemed uncomfortable when she stepped off the bus. I stopped in my tracks as I spotted her.

Her dark eyes glanced up to meet mine. The moment our eyes locked, hers widened, clearly startled to see me standing there before her. She shifted in her spot, averting her gaze to her boots. I noticed her biting her lip briefly. "Sir," she said in barely a whisper.

I studied her for a moment longer. When I didn't answer, her eyes lifted to meet mine again. I held her gaze as I stated, "The men are gone. You're safe to return to work." Without waiting for her response, I nodded once and turned to walk away from her.

I mulled over her behaviors since she stepped off the bus. She truly was completely different from those inside the infirmary and other women I had met before. She seemed guarded and on edge. She was hiding something, that much was obvious.

I shook the thoughts that focused on her from my head. I didn't care about her past. I didn't want to know about her past. She wasn't my problem - she was Easy Company's problem.

As the months rolled by, the men had gotten into a normal routine of having the nurses on the base. Since the incident in the infirmary, the men in the Division had steered clear of them unless they had just cause for entering that building.

That didn't stop them from approaching the nurses when their duties for the day were finished. There had been little that I or any of the other officers could do to prevent that from happening.

The Division had been informed that Nurse Emmeline Banks would be assigned to Easy Company. Sobel had informed her that she would be expected to keep up with them throughout the training. She struggled to keep up in the beginning but she never gave up. I found myself intrigued by her persistence to continue being a part of this - almost as though her life depended on succeeding. I had figured that she would have quit and gone back home a long time ago but she had been proving me wrong.

The men of Easy Company had come to terms with having her amongst them. They seemed to treat her with the respect that I expected and they looked after her - and not just Miss Banks, but all of the nurses.

One of the men in particular to take a strong interest in Miss Banks had been Private Webster. He seemed to go out of his way to converse with her, make her feel comfortable, and get her involved in the goings-on within the ranks.

In the beginning, she didn't seem willing to speak with him and often times shied away from him. His persistence paid off as she eventually began speaking to him more and more as time went by. There was no mistaking the look behind his eyes however; he was smitten with her. I couldn't tell how she felt about him as she kept her feelings well hidden.