Dear Peter guest, Guest, Paul, Amanda, CanadianShadow, caught-offsides and Amanda... thank you so much for your reviews! You made my day :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Band of Brothers. This is purely of entertainment. It is based on the HBO miniseries and no disrespect is meant towards the real men of Easy Company.
Chapter Two: A Second Chance
The bus couldn't stop screeching and thrumming as it approached the village. Every time it came across a bump in the road, all the passengers would suddenly jump from their seats and fall back down – and that was more than often.
Holding on to my seat as hard as I could, I leaned my head against the window. The rain had stopped early in the morning and the sun was now shining in the cloudless sky. Its rays were warming up the glass, making it almost soothing on my cheek. I even managed to smile, in spite of the rumbling around me.
But, my smile disappeared when I remembered how I had got here.
After leaving Bill, Doc and their drunk friend in the street, I had gone home. There was nothing else I could do. However, when the next night came, I was on the move again. I slid into my boots, went back to the bus stop and managed to hop on a bus there. It took me an hour or so to reach the factory's yard, where the workers were slowly gathering.
Well, at least I'm not late this night, too, I muttered to myself. Picking up my pace, I joined the flow of people entering the factory. It didn't last long when I found myself inside the massive building.
The second I got there, I glanced on my left and right, searching for my boss, Mr Grey. And I also tried to come up with a good excuse this time. Don't get me wrong, I could tell him the whole lot about Bill and the truck. But, I had a feeling that Grey wouldn't believe a thing from me. I bit my lip, struggling to come up with something simpler, and hopefully, more convincing.
That was when he found me.
Believe me, I could still see his face when I closed my eyes. Watching the assembly line, I hadn't even noticed him sneaking behind me. My heart almost stopped when his bony hand snatched my wrist. His hoarse voice came soon after, just inches away from my ear:
"Late again, aren't we, Prichard?"
Oh, Christ. Sneaking up on people was his favourite hobby. He enjoyed lurking around the factory during all three shifts and scaring the hell out of the nearest worker. I guessed it was my turn now.
"What's your excuse now, hmmm?"
I opened my mouth, ready to explain everything, but all I could stammer was:
"Mr Grey, I… I have a perfectly good explanation for this. I… well…"
My voice swiftly faded away, leaving me alone with my towering boss. The only thing I could do now was to stand still, with my lips pressed and my arms wrapped around my rucksack. Meanwhile, he kept staring down at me, waiting for my answer. Holy smoke, he's not even blinking.
"I know" you're a smart girl, Prichard", he said in a low voice, releasing my wrist, "So, tell me this. What happens when my workers are late?"
Bloody hell, not that story again…
"They…", I began, but he cut me off.
"The production falters." His face approached uncomfortably close to mine. "That's what happens. And money is lost. In these troubling and uncertain times, that is something I simply cannot allow. Whoever arrives late or, all of a sudden, decides to take a night off to have fun instead of working…"
"Hey!"
"…he or she must pay the price. Like for everything else in life, yeah?" Grey sent me a long and dark look. From that moment, his voice became so quiet that I could barely hear it. "But, I could turn a blind eye on your absence last night. I could do that. Of course, I'll need you to help me with something in return."
One of my eyebrows slowly raised. He curved his lips before he said:
"That's seems nice, huh? A favour for a favour?"
"What do you want?"
Instead of an answer, I felt his hand sliding down my back. My eyes widened in shock when it stopped right on my backside.
"Since my wife isn't around, being in charge of this place can be very…" He moved his hand around, searching for the perfect words. "Lonely. That's it. There are days when there's nobody here except me. That loneliness is really starting to bother me, you know." The way he said those words made chills crawl up my spine. As I looked at him, I noticed a sly smile appearing on his lips. "I hope your pretty face will change that for the better."
"No", I replied, glaring daggers in his direction.
"Oh, love, don't say that…"
"Are you deaf? Get your hand off me, you prehistoric git!"
He suddenly jerked his hand, as if he had got burnt. His smirk vanished in an instant, leaving a look of utter surprise. But, that was soon replaced by something else, too close to rage.
"Get out", he hissed.
I blinked in disbelief. "What?"
"You heard me. You're fired. Now, get out!"
"Grey, you can't be serious!"
"Oh, I think I can. Unless you want to change your opinion."
One of my friends, who was working nearby, sent me a worried look. Holding my breath for a moment, I returned my gaze to my boss. Perhaps I should give him my answer slowly and carefully.
That was what I did.
"I'd rather burry myself outside."
Grey turned pale with fury. He reached out to my usual place at the assembly line and grabbed my shirt and scarf, which I had been keeping there. Dropping them both on the floor, he kicked them away with the tip of his shoe.
"I expected you, as a girl from the north, to be cold and difficult to charm", he spat, "But, I had no idea I would need a stick of dynamite to warm you up!"
Heat suddenly rose in my cheeks. "How dare you!"
"By the way, send my regards to your sister. While you're at it, you can also explain to her why you won't be having food on the table anymore."
"You piece of…!"
I was cut off as his hand smacked me in the head. I grunted and stumbled back, until I hit my shoulder against a wall.
That was enough. At that very second, I wished for the ground to open and swallow that man completely.
"You're gonna regret this!", I shouted, "I'll call the police!"
Grey sniggered. "And who will they believe, eh, Prichard? A man with a reputation like mine, or a feisty, troublemaking girl like you?"
Holding my hand over my burning cheek, I clenched my free fingers into a fist. A swift punch in the face was the least he deserved. But, before I could even reach him, somebody grabbed me from behind and pulled me back. It was one of Grey's orderlies, no doubt.
"This is not over yet!", I almost shrieked. The orderly started dragging me away, but I didn't stop struggling. I fought with all my strength to get out of his grasp, if only to give Grey a decent black eye. "You… both of you'll be hearing from my lawyer!"
Grey chuckled in response. "Layer, you say? How on earth will you afford him? With peanuts?"
I prepared to curse him when his orderly jerked me hard and dragged me through the factory door. That was when he grasped my dress, hoisted me up – and threw me outside.
He literally did that. The next thing I knew was that I was sprawled in the dust, with dull pain in my side. My belongings dropped beside me soon after. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself off the ground and turned to face Grey again. But, instead of him, I only saw the factory door, closed shut in front of me.
"GREY!"
Swearing out loud, I grasped a rock and threw it as hard as I could. Unfortunately, it just bounced against the door and fell down. Letting out a loud and angry groan, I stepped back and dropped to my knees.
By that time, I was already crying. I tried to stop the tears, to pick myself up and get out of this place, but I couldn't. I had no more strength for it. I just stayed where I was and sobbed out loud. As my shoulders started to shudder, I bent forward and dug my face in my dirty hands.
After some time, I heard someone approaching and stopping next to me. He or she rubbed circles on my back, trying to comfort me. However, I didn't look up and check who it was. I had more important things on my mind.
I had just lost my only source of income. Without it, there would be no money for food. There would be nothing to pay the rent with. Sooner or later, my sister and I would be kicked out on the street. It wouldn't be long before we starved, as well.
Holy shit. What have I done?
Biting my lip hard, I mentally cursed myself. I had made a promise that I would take care of Neve, no matter what. But, instead of fulfilling that, I was now kneeling in the dirt, having lost the only job I had been offered.
And, trust me, shame is a feeling worse than any pain.
XXX
My sister looked at me in concern.
"Jess, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, hinny", I replied.
"I think it is." She was quiet for a moment. "What happened?"
"I told you. It's nothing."
Avoiding het gaze, I took a sip of my tea. When I had come home last night, I decided to tell her nothing and pretend that everything was alright. But, my stomach refused to play along. It didn't stop twisting, tying itself in knots and reminding me that I was up to my neck in trouble.
Neve noticed that far too quickly.
"You're biting your lip."
"So?", I asked.
"You always bite your lip when you're nervous."
"I don't have to be nervous to bite my lip."
"In that case, you're angry."
I didn't answer. Instead, I focused on the colourful lines on my tea cup. However, she refused to give up. Grasping her chair, she dragged it closer until it was a step away from me. And then she sat down, giving me a long, almost solemn look.
"What did Grey do now?", she asked.
Damn it. I fought the urge to bite my lip again. In the meantime, she kept scrutinising me with her bright hazel eyes. She almost looked like a small hawk as she waited for my confession.
This obviously wasn't my day for making up good stories.
"Look, Jess, you can stay silent as much as you want. But, meanwhile, I'll go to the factory and ask what…"
"He hit me."
She gawped at me. "He… what?"
"Grey smacked me", I replied slowly. Turning my head and looking back at her, I felt that anger welling up in me again. "But, before that, he'd asked me to be with him. I said no, of course."
"And what did he say?"
"Just that I was fired. The smack came after."
As soon as I said that, her brow furrowed.
"That bastard…", she muttered under her breath.
"Hey, watch your language!"
"Sorry." She sent me an apologetic look. But, shortly after, she added: "But, let's be honest. He really is a bastard."
I quietly sighed. To tell you the truth… she was completely right. But, I couldn't admit a thing like that to a twelve-year old lass, could I?
"Well…"
"By the way, things aren't that bad."
"What do you mean?"
"Try thinking of this as a small blessing."
My eyebrow arched. "Since when is losing a job a blessing?"
"Because Grey finally got out of your life." Neve narrowed her eyes at me. "Don't give me that look, Jessica, just listen. You'll never see him again. And won't have to put up with him. If you ask me, things couldn't be better than this."
Giving me a pat on the knee, she got up and strolled to the cupboard. I watched her in silence, with bewilderment spreading all over my face. She was the little sister here. I was nineteen, for chrissake! I should be comforting and helping her, not the other way around!
"Neve, I don't know if you heard me… but, I've got the sack. Grey might have been a horrible boss, but at least he paid me in the end!"
"He also turned your working hours into hell!", she retorted.
"That's not the point!" With a long and tired sigh, I slumped back in my chair. "What will I do now? Where could I possibly find a job after this mess?"
"Something will surely spring up." Turning around, Neve frowned at me again. "For heaven's sake, Jess, don't make that face! You'll find another job here!"
"And what would that be, eh?"
Neve opened her mouth to say something. But, before she let out a word, she was cut off by a few knocks at the front door.
"Is that one of your friends?", I asked.
Neve shook her head. "I didn't invite anyone. Maybe it's just Mr Collins."
Biting my lip hard, I put my cup away and went to the source of the knocking. I grasped the door knob and pulled the door open, half-expecting to see my neighbour and his old, squeaky bicycle.
However, that wasn't him.
I blinked in surprise. "You again?"
The dark-haired bloke, who had almost run me over with his truck, smiled in return. He seemed a little better, now that he was sober. But, the reddish gash that he had on his chin looked quite nasty in the sunlight.
"'Morning, Miss", he said, this time with a more serious look, "I'm Lewis… Lieutenant Lewis Nixon, actually. And you're the young lady I saw last night."
So, you do remember something. Good for you. I really thought of telling him that. However, in the last second, another thing came to my mind.
"How do you know where I live?", I asked.
"Let's just say that I can be a good intelligence officer", he said.
He stood still on my doorstep, waiting for me to reply. But, frankly, there was nothing I wanted to say. I just pursed my lips instead. As silence started to linger on, he awkwardly cleared his throat and glanced somewhere behind me.
"Would you mind if I came in?", he asked.
Jesus Christ… I barely managed not to roll my eyes. All I wanted was to sit through the rest of the day and, hopefully, drown my anger in some hot tea. Having a booze loving Yank in my home wasn't something I had planned for today. I felt the urge to simply slam the door in front of him and walk away.
"I think I saw you in the village before", Neve said, suddenly appearing beside me, "You're billeted with the grocer's family, aren't you?"
"Yeah", he replied, "And I assume you're the sister of this lady."
She nodded. "Aye, I am."
Biting my lip for a moment, I glanced back at the man at my door. Well, the sooner I let him in, the sooner he'll leave, right?
"Come in."
I stepped aside, letting him enter. However, I struggled not to pout when he stepped further into the living room.
"Would you like some tea, sir?", I asked.
"No. No, thank you, Miss." Nixon sat on the chair that Neve had offered him. That was when then the remains of his smile faded away. He took his regiment cap off and placed it on the table, before he turned towards me. "I'm here because I want to apologise… for last night." He glanced at Neve and quickly moved his gaze back. "I wasn't quite myself then."
"You could bet on that."
"I hope that my… spree, so to speak, didn't cause you too much trouble."
Oh, no, it didn't. I just got fired, but that's not too bad… I didn't say anything as I tried to keep those words from flowing out.
"I looked for you at the factory, but…" His eyebrows slightly approached each other. "Your boss told me that he'd fired you last night."
"Aye."
"He also told me a really strange story."
I sat near him, frowning as well. "What story?"
Nixon leaned a bit closer, as if he was examining me with his gaze. And then, in a much lower voice, he said:
"Tell me something, Miss. Is it true that you tried to punch him?"
"Why, of course! He asked for it."
From the other side of the table, Neve sent ma disapproving look. In the meantime, Nixon's face had become a picture of bewilderment.
"You don't look like someone who's that feisty", he said.
"Perhaps I don't. But, appearances can deceive, can't they?"
To my surprise, he chuckled. "Maybe you're right." He leaned back slightly on his chair. "So, after almost giving your boss a right hook, what are your next plans?"
I shrugged. "I'll look for another job, I guess."
"Somewhere in the village?"
"I hope so."
He slowly and solemnly nodded, as if he was thinking about a difficult decision. I had no idea what was on his mind, but I didn't find that expression too reassuring.
"Do you have any medical experience, Miss?"
Where's he going with all this?
"No", I replied, "Why do you ask?"
"Because I think there is a job for you here."
That took me aback. "Sorry?"
"The aid station at our base needs an extra hand", he explained, "Doc Roe… he works over there as one of the medics. I believe you've already met him."
Doc? It took me a while to remember that man. He had been with Bill and me when Nixon crashed into that lamp post. Oh, right.
"He and Doc Spina could teach you some basics, before you officially begin working as a nurse. I think you three will get along quite nicely."
Although I didn't have a mirror nearby, I was sure that my eyes were wider than ever. In the same time, some sort of mad hope began flooding me from the inside. He's offering me a job? Is that even possible?
"You're giving her a chance?", Neve asked in confusion.
"From my experience, everyone deserves a second chance", Nixon said to her, "That includes your sister." A corner of his lips curved as he looked at me again. "By the way, Roe and Spina will need someone with your spunk. Being a nurse isn't so peaceful and easy as it looks, especially not in that division. And…" He trailed off, hesitating for a while. "And I think this would be a good reprimand for last night. Let's say this is my way of saying 'sorry'."
I gawped at him, trying to understand what had happened.
"Do you… do you think they'll mind?", I asked, "I mean, I'd never worked with those men. I don't even know them…"
"I'll have a word with both of them. Sooner or later, they'll need as much help as they can get. A nurse who lives near the base and knows the local people, like yourself, could be more than helpful. I hope you agree."
"Agree?" I wanted to grin from ear to ear, but I had to settle for a smile. "Sir, that's bloody amazing! I… oh, shit…"
I slapped my hand over my mouth when the embarrassment kicked in. Being a little unpleasant to someone wouldn't create problems. But, swearing certainly would – I had learnt that the hard way. However, instead of glaring at me, Nixon smiled, making me almost sigh in relief.
"And you said I had a problem with language", Neve muttered.
"As I said", Nixon added, "I think you'll do fine there."
"But… when could I begin?", I asked.
His answer came in an instant. "Noon would be a good time. I'll have finished my chat with Roe and Spina by then."
Noon? Twelve o' clock? I glanced at my watch. Both of my eyebrows went up when I realised something. "That's in less than an hour!"
Nixon nodded, as if that wasn't strange at all.
"Forty minutes, actually." A grin began emerging on his face as he said: "You'd better go and get ready."
XXX
"Hello?"
Pushing the door a bit further, I stepped inside the aid station. The first thing I saw were the beds, arranged on the left and right side of the vast room. They were all vacant, but that wasn't what surprised me the most. The entire place was empty. Without a living soul inside, the silence was so dense, that I thought I could just reach out and grasp it.
"Miss? It's alright, you can come in."
I whirled around and discovered that I wasn't alone. A familiar man was now treading in my direction. I didn't fail to notice the armband he wore. It was white, with a bright red cross sewn over it.
"Mr Roe?", I assumed.
"Yep. That's me."
As soon as he came closer, he reached out and shook my hand. Meanwhile, I blinked in surprise.
I hadn't known that he was this young. I hadn't noticed it last night, when he was standing in the street. He must have been only a few years older than me… or maybe even a couple. His short hair was so black that it reminded me of raven's feathers. His eyes were dark as well, making a strange contrast to his pale face.
"I'm Jessica Prichard", I introduced myself, "I…"
"I know. Da lieutenant told be 'bout you", he said in his peculiar accent. With a short and bashful smile, he nodded at the other side of the room. "Now, lemme show you where you'll be workin…"
For the next few minutes, he showed me every corner of the aid station, including the small back room used for keeping supplies. But, what really took me aback was that he hadn't frowned at me – not even once. If I had to show the ropes to an ex-factory worker and help her become a nurse, I would have been sulking all the time. However, that didn't apply on Roe. He was either glad to have met me, or his acting was spotless.
"It ain't a problem, in case you're wonderin'", he said suddenly.
"What?"
"I mean, I won't mind teachin' ya sum things. It's just…" He turned around, so that he could look at me. A faint reddish hue emerged on his cheeks. "Nobody asked me to teach a lady befo'."
"I guess this is a day of firsts for both of us."
Roe smiled for a second. "Yeah. You can say that."
That was when he turned to a nearby shelf. Taking a few old and tattered books from it, he placed them in my hands.
"These are fo' you", he explained, "You'll learn mostly by readin' these and watchin' Spina and me at work. Also…"
"Hey, Gene", a new voice said, "Nice morning, huh?"
Looking over my shoulder, I spotted another bloke coming this way. The armband on his sleeve told me that he was a medic, too. When he stopped in front of us, he quickly grinned and said:
"Well, whaddya know, if it ain't the nurse-to-be!"
"I guess you're Mr Spina", I said.
"Your guess is correct", he replied, taking my free hand. To my surprise, he placed a kiss on it, like one of the gentlemen I had seen in the films. "But, please, call me Ralph."
"I'm Jessica."
"Nice to meet ya." He let my hand go and straightened the cap on his head. "I'm sorry I can't hang around, I have new supplies waitin'. And they ain't gonna carry themselves here. I'll see you two in a minute, okay?"
I shortly nodded. "Sure."
Ralph winked at me before he jogged outside. The moment he disappeared behind the door, the entire aid station became so silent that it seemed eerie.
The only people inside were Roe and me. And, for a reason I didn't know, Roe wasn't making a sound. He was gazing at the floorboards in front of him, keeping his head low and his hands in his pockets. At first, I didn't mind that. But, after a few minutes, the lack of sounds really began to annoy me. I decided to say something, if only to break the silence around us.
"So…" I cringed when my own voice startled me. In this quiet room, it had come out as twice as loud than usual. Quickly clearing my throat, I continued: "Mr Roe, where are you from?"
"Louisiana." He moved his gaze to me. His features were gentle, almost boyish. "How 'bout you, Miss? I don't think you're from here, either."
"How did you guess?"
"It's da way you talk. I haven't heard someone talkin' like dat in Aldbourne."
A smile tug at the corner of my lips. "I'm from Newcastle." When I noticed the odd look on his face, I explained: "That's a city far on the north, on the River Tyne. My sister and I moved here when… well, when our parents passed away."
The medic frowned slightly. "I'm sorry ta hear that, Miss."
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. However, I didn't have time to say anything, because the door behind us suddenly swung open.
Another bloke in olive drab entered the aid station. Just like Roe, he had dark hair and he seemed really young. But, a second later, I noticed that something wasn't quite right about him. He was clutching his right arm, while his sleeve seemed strangely dark, as if it had been soaked.
Perhaps it was.
"Hey, Doc…" He tried to say something else, but he soon grimaced in pain.
Roe rushed to him. "Here, Powers, sit down."
He ushered him to the nearest bed. The lad named Powers sat down without a word. When I ran to their side, Roe had already torn the lad's sleeve open, shouting:
"Miss, I need yo help here!"
A gasp escaped my lips when I saw a cut on Powers's arm. It was deep and it looked horrible. The sight of blood oozing from it was enough to make my stomach turn. In the meantime, Roe snatched a towel from a table behind him.
"Jesus...", he muttered, "What happened?"
"Sorry, Doc." Powers let out a grunt as the medic applied pressure on his wound. "I had a bet with Perc and Gonorrhoea…"
A bet with what? I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. But, Roe did. He curtly nodded while he focused on his job. He remained completely calm, despite everything that was going on. Unfortunately, I couldn't do the same. My hands had started shaking and they refused to stop.
"Miss, I need a needle and sum thread", Roe instructed, "It's the top drawer next ta you."
I swallowed thickly. "Right."
However, I didn't move. I kept staring at Powers's wound, as a weird feeling grew inside me. In a few moments, everything around me seemed to have become darker. The beds, the walls, and even the lads' faces looked as if a shadow had fallen over them.
Oh, no. It started again.
"Uh… Roe?" This time, my voice sounded strangely distant. Taking a deep breath, I clutched the nearest chair. "I forgot to mention something…"
"What?" He glanced at me.
I blinked a few more times, but that didn't help much. The room began spinning in front of my eyes. I took another deep breath and tightened my grip. I should probably tell him the truth. And fast.
"You know… when I see blood, I sometimes get very dizzy…"
Roe's kind eyes widened in disbelief. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"
Staring at me, the lad called Powers frowned. "I don't think she's kiddin' Doc."
He barely finished his sentence when my knees suddenly buckled. The last thing I saw was Roe's shocked expression, before my face hit the floor with a loud thud.
What do you think about this?
Would you like to know what happens next? ;)