Chapter Ten

George stood leaning against the tree, trying to eat god only knew what. He wasn't sure what disgusted him most, the idea of what he was eating could possibly be or the fact that he was so hungry he didn't care what it was. Who was he kidding he was to tired to be disgusted with anything.

Freezing, he looked up to see none other than Bill Guarnere coming over followed by Joe Toye. George swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. He hadn't spoken to Joe about Isabelle at all, since the night they shipped out. Other than to tell him that she was fine and said hi. The only person who knew about what had happened were Skip Muck, Frank Perconte and Alex Penkala, and that was only because the first two were there and Skip told Penkala everything.

Joe made a beeline for George after he got his chow. George felt his heart skip a beat, he glanced at Skip Muck, who made a face at George that seemed to scream you could be dead in a few minutes.

"Luz," Joe said nodding at him.

George nodded back, "Toye! Your back looking well rested and refreshed if I do say so."

Joe rolled his eyes at George's antics. Luz just prayed he could keep it up. Seem normal. It wasn't that he was specifically afraid of Joe…. well maybe a bit. But he didn't want to make it seem like he betrayed Joe or something. He thought about Isabelle often, dreamt about her, wished for her. When mortars reigned down and he was huddled in a fox hole, he tried to remember how her laugh sounded or her hair smelt. He meant what he said, he would try his damnedest to find her again. He definitely didn't want Joe to think it was anything else, Something cheap. Luz just had no idea how Joe could do anything but, when in real life George would have asked Joe's permission to even ask Isabelle to go out with him. "How's your arm?" George added more seriously.

"Ah, it's fine, hey you'll never guess." Joe said leaning against the tree beside George. "My sister's been posted to our aid station."

George's head snapped up to look at Joe, "Isabelle?"

Joe looked up at George brow furrowed at the use of Isabelle's given name, "Yeah."

George closed his mouth, "No kidding," He swallowed, "This close to the line? Nurses?" He felt his stomach constrict.

"Yeah, don't get me started though, she's the oldest of my four sisters. They are always on the case of being the same, treated the same, equal rights and such." Joe rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I didn't even want her to join the nurses, but what ya gonna do."

"Yeah right," George said nodding. He felt his heart thud as he thought of Isabelle being this close to the front. Joe had totally misunderstood. George couldn't have cared less of whether nurses were allowed near the front or not because they were women, he was more concerned about one in particular. One with big dark eyes that never strayed far from his mind.