Chapter 21 They All Are Eavesdroppers
Easy had the long awaited break and Livia was in high spirits because of it, but when Nixon told her that he would be loaned to the 17th Airborne, which would make a jump to Germany, she got very sad. Nixon was one of her best friends, and she knew that it would be strange when the captain wouldn't be around, although he ensured the nurse that he would be soon with the unit he belonged to, and it was the Easy Company. Before Nixon left, Livia tried to spend time with him as soon as possible. She knew that she would miss Nixon, but she had to settle with the fact that the captain would be gone for some weeks, when he took part to Operation Varsity.
When Nixon was away, Livia was grumpy and snappish; she wasn't most pleasant person to come along on that moment. Even the fact that she and Speirs actually spoke every now and then didn't help; she was just too worried about Nixon. Guys let her be, because they knew how close Livia and Nixon were, and the fact was that they also wanted the captain to be back as soon as possible.
When they got the word that the operation, which Nixon had taken part of had been close to disastrous, Livia couldn't sleep for couple of nights, but when she got the word that her good friend was fine and coming back to his unit, she felt better.
The relationship between Livia and Speirs had changed a little, they talked to each other now and didn't avoid each other, but especially the captain hadn't admitted that he had feelings for the blonde nurse. Livia had admitted her feelings long ago, but she believed that Speirs felt nothing for her, no matter how hard Luz tried to convince her that Speirs had always amazingly tender look on his eyes when he looked to Livia. For Livia it felt like the captain was giving her mixed signals. Sometimes he was nice and kind to her, when some times he acted like everyone had used to see him acting; he was distant and all business like.
The whole battalion had been moved to Germany, to town called Struzelberg. The spring had almost surprised Livia, it came quite warm fast, but she was happy that she didn't have to freeze in some foxhole anymore. They got the chance to sleep in houses and the long, cold winter was finally over.
Livia was just getting back to CP, when she saw Speirs crossing the street and the captain got candlesticks and a silver platter on his hands.
"Ron! Wait up!" She yelled and ran to the captain.
"Gee, again new things to send home?" She grinned a little when she reached Speirs.
"Have to have some kind of memory from Germany too." Speirs replied smiling slightly.
"Your sisters and mom don't have soon anything else than memories from Germany which you have sent to them." Livia stated.
" I guess you have the point there...Oh, by the way, because you are so close with the guys, you could tell Janovec to have sex some other time than on the middle of the day." Speirs changed the subject so fast and to so surprising issue, that Livia blushed slightly.
"Ehhh… What?"
"I caught him just a moment ago having sex with some German girl. You should tell guys that it is disturbing."
"Why don't you tell yourself? You are the CO they listen to you. I doubt they want me to tell them that they can't have sex." Livia had got herself somehow together again and managed to give Speirs the answer.
"I just thought that if they hear it from you, they won't do it anymore. If I tell them, they do it just more, just out of spite." Speirs explained.
"I doubt they want me to intervene their sex life." Then without thinking about it, Livia added. "Would you?"
Speirs watched the nurse, who had blushed fiercely when she realized what she said.
"Maybe I do." He finally answered smirking.
"All right then… Ummm… I think I have to go and help Doc in something…." Livia stammered. Now the subject was definitely unpleasant for her point of view and she wanted to leave the captain and fast.
"Oh, before you go to help Doc…" Speirs smiled knowing that Livia actually just wanted out of the conversation. He had learned to know the nurse quite well, though there were guys in Easy who knew her much better, after all they had known her for over a year.
"Captain Nixon is back."
"Are you sure?" Livia asked gaily.
"Yeah, I'm sure. His jeep almost ran over me a moment ago."
"I have to go and see him then." Livia almost ran away from Speirs, but she heard him yelling after her with amused tone of voice.
"Didn't you have to go help Doc?"
Livia just waved her hand to the captain and ran towards CP. On her way she stopped to talk to Babe Heffron and Bull Randleman for a moment, but soon she continued her way to CP.
Livia found Nixon one of the rooms of the big house. Thought he seemed to be engaged in rather important discussion with major Winters on that moment, Livia barged on the room not thinking about it, all she could think was that his good friend was back.
"Nix! I missed you!" Livia yelled when she ran to the captain and put her arms around him.
"I missed you too, kid." The captain muffled to her hair.
When Livia let Nixon go, both of them watched each other for a moment.
"It's good to see you, Nix." Livia said finally.
"You too. You look amazing as usually."
Livia squinted a little for his comment; Nixon didn't usually say something like that out loud. It had happened only once or twice before and they had been in Aldbourne then.
"Thanks. But how was the jump?" When Livia asked it, she happened to glance to Winters, who shook his head.
"All didn't make it." Nixon replied avoiding.
"I'm sorry, Nix." Livia said quietly and then she saw the half empty glass on table.
"Are you drinking Vat 69 again?" She sighed. "How can you drink that shit?"
"They don't have any decent drinks here."
"Nix." Livia squinted and for Nixon she sounded just like Winters.
"Talk to him, Livia. You and I aren't the only ones who are worried about his drinking." Winters intervened to the conversation.
"What do you mean?" Livia looked to the major.
"Sink has mentioned about it too and Nix knows it." The major replied before he left the two alone in the room.
"You should really watch your drinking, Nix." Livia commented when Winters had gone.
"Livia, don't you start. It's enough that Dick keeps nagging to me about it. I don't need my other good friend to nag about too." Nixon said with hint of annoyance in his voice.
"We are just concerned about you."
"I know you are, but you should let this thing go, Livia."
"I just can't let it go, Nix. Not if you continue like this. And like Dick said, we two aren't only ones who are worried about your drinking."
"When you see things I've seen, there is nothing much a man can do."
"You sound so skeptical, Nix." Livia watched his good friend closely before she sat on his lap. "What happened during the operation?"
"It was just doomed to fail from the very beginning." Nixon sighed. "And the guys lost their CO too. Now I have to write to these kids parents that they lost their sons."
"I'm sorry, Nix. But you know they died serving their country."
"Yes, but what for? It's not like we Americans have nothing to do with Germans."
Either of them had no idea that Speirs was standing behind the door. He had decided to talk things through with Livia, and Winters to who he had seen when he entered the CP, told him that Livia and Nixon were on that room. Speirs knew that they had to solve the things between them, and he thought that now was the right moment. Nixon was back and he thought that Livia would be again the happy nurse who they all knew. He was just going to enter the room, when he heard Nixon's words about Americans and Germans, and pulled back so that the captain and nurse didn't see him.
"You came to help the nations, which were threatened by Germans. Like Britain. And we Brits are grateful for that." Livia looked straight to Nixon's eyes.
"You have all done great job here." She continued. "Nothing is going to take it away."
"This is just one fucked up war." Nixon sighed.
"I know it is, believe me. But you are soldiers; you do what you have to do. And you should be proud of yourself and of everyone, Nix."
"I am proud of every and each man I've met here. And I'm proud of you, Livia. But I'm not sure if I have the reason of being proud of myself. I haven't even fired my weapon yet."
"You haven't?" Livia raised her eyebrows for his last remark.
"No. I guess I haven't been in right places."
"Then it makes two of us." Livia smiled slightly, but then she got serious again. "But that isn't a reason to drink, Nix. You should be happy that you haven't killed anyone."
"I don't know if I'm happy about it…"
"Nix, listen to me." Livia took his face between her hands. "We all respect you, you are a great officer, and you know what to do in every situation. You are a dear, dear friend. But drinking isn't the solution for your problems. It brings just more problems."
"Maybe you are right." Nixon sighed.
"I am right, Nix. I love you a lot and I'm worried about you."
Both of them knew that Livia meant that she loved Nixon like sister does, and the truth was that he loved Livia like a brother does; there was nothing romantic between them.
Speirs, who was still standing behind the door listening the two, was going to reveal his presence, but when he heard Livia's words, he turned around and marched out of the building. He didn't hear how the conversation continued, but he didn't even want to hear. He thought that he had heard enough.
"I know you do, like a sister does love a brother and I feel the same for you. But I don't want hear about my drinking habit from you."
"I just hope that you would drink less." The nurse sighed.
"If I promise to drink less, will you let this subject to go?" Nixon sighed.
"I do. I promise." Livia said.
Nixon just nodded and they moved to more pleasant subject for their both point of view. Livia and Nixon talked for a while before he had to go look for Welsh.
She didn't have too much to do, all guys were in rather good health and she just tried to make herself useful helping them in other ways. She liked talking with all of the guys and the spirits were quite high, because it seemed that the war was coming to end and guys looked forward getting back home already. Although Livia had her room in same building with the officers, she spent the evening with other guys, she enjoyed to listen them talking and that night wasn't an exception. It was already late night when Livia ran back to CP. It was pouring rain, and she had to run so that she wouldn't get soaked. On her way she thought that she saw someone coming out of one of the houses along the street, but she wasn't if it was one of their guys or someone else, so she just carried her way to CP and to her room.
A day after Nixon had come back, Livia was on the post office checking if she or guys had gotten any mail. She talked for a moment with private Vest, who was in charge for the post, and suddenly the private looked Livia a little worried.
"I guess I shouldn't tell you this, but you and captain Nixon are so good friends, that you should probably know…"
"What is it, Allen?" Livia looked to the private little concerned.
"Captain asked me to get him some whiskey."
"Let me guess, Vat 69?" Livia sighed; she didn't like what she heard.
"Yeah. I just thought that you should know… But don't tell him that you heard it from me, Livia. Please."
"I won't. Don't worry, Allen." Livia promised the private.
Private Vest gave Livia couple of the letters which had come to couple of guys, and when Livia had delivered those, she headed to the CP. She thought that she should talk with Nixon again, but she knew that the captain wouldn't appreciate it too much, if she would nag him about his drinking again.
On her way to CP, Livia saw Luz and Janovec on the street and she joined the two for a moment. Luz told her that they were moving out of the town in an hour, but before Livia continued her way to get her stuff, she smiled to the sergeant.
"Oh, George. I heard that you tried to make a pass on some German girl. Is that true?"
"Who told you?" Luz squinted. "No, let me guess. It was Perco."
"Yeah. Should I be worried for Matty in case you want to get on some German girl's pants, George?" The truth was that Livia wasn't worried about Luz's loyalty to Matilda, actually she had been very amused when Perconte told her about the little incident on the one of the farm houses. Luz had tried to talk with a German girl to who they had bumped into there, and she had slapped him on the cheek.
"Why he always has to gossip about everything?" Luz sighed. "But don't worry, kid. I wanted just talk with her."
"I believe you. In case you wanted to get laid like John here, Matty would show you her fury when we get back to England." Livia grinned glancing to Janovec, who seemed to be feeling a little uncomfortable.
"And you are the one who always gossips about things, especially ones which concern me." She continued.
"John got laid?" Luz hadn't paid attention to what else Livia said.
"Yup. I don't know what he told to the German girl, who was in bed with him... But, yeah, he got." Livia grinned.
"Who told you?" Janovec grunted.
"You should have sex in the middle of the day, John. Especially not if there is a chance that your CO catches you." Livia giggled.
"Captain Speirs told you?"
"Yup."
"Speirs caught you in the middle of it?" Luz looked amused to Janovec.
"He did." The private grunted.
"You're screwed, John." Luz grinned.
"Actually Ron wasn't so angry at him." Livia smiled. "He was just a little disturbed by it. He told me to tell you that you should have sex in the middle of the day."
"So, are you?" Janovec asked.
"No, you wouldn't listen to me anyway." Livia grinned.
"You should get laid too, Livia." Janovec said suddenly.
"Christ, John!" The nurse gasped blushing fiercely.
"Honestly, Livia. I know you want it." The private stated. "When have you got any?"
"That is not your business, private. And do you have someone in mind who might make that happen?" Livia asked dryly, and when the private just grinned, she added. "I'm not gonna sleep with you, John. So just let that thought out of your mind."
Then Livia noticed how Janovec's eyes wandered to Speirs, who was just passing them with Lipton. She noticed the hard look, which the captain gave her and got a little confused again. It seemed like Speirs was taking a distance to her again. She had thought that they were getting closer, but apparently she was wrong. Speirs hadn't even greeted her on that day, and she had noticed that the captain had been avoiding her after their conversation that concerned private Janovec and having sex in the middle of the day. It made her confused, because she had no idea why Speirs was acting like that again.
"Let that thought to go too, John. I'm not gonna sleep with him either." She stated.
"Why not? I know you want him. Gee, the whole world knows you want him." Janovec commented.
"He has a point." Luz commented in between.
"I hate you." The nurse grunted.
"No you don't, Livia. You love us both." Luz grinned.
"You are so annoyingly sure of yourself." Livia grunted. "Both of you."
"Yeah, but you love us still." Janovec smiled.
"Believe what you want." Livia gave Luz and Janovec a sweet smile. "But now I really have to go to get my stuff."
With that the nurse left leaving amused Janovec and Luz looking after her.
"Should we do something concerning our lovely nurse and our CO?" Janovec asked.
"I don't know, maybe not. One thing I know about her is that she would get very mad, if we meddle with this. We should let things happen with the time, John." Luz replied.
"Well, you know her better than I do." Janovec stated.
Livia ran to her room and packed her stuff fast. She hadn't much to pack though, because she kept her stuff always on her bag in case they would move out suddenly, like they did this time. When Livia got outside, most of the guys were in trucks already, but then she heard Nixon yelling on the yard.
"Got damnit, she is taking everything. The house, the kid, the dog. And it's my dog!"
"What's happened?" Livia stood by Winters and Welsh, who were both watching at the raving captain.
"Cathy wrote him that she leaves him." Winters replied.
"Oh God, is he all right?" Livia gasped knowing that Cathy was Nixon's wife.
"No, he isn't." Winters sighed when he headed to his jeep followed by Welsh.
Livia approached Nixon carefully and when she reached him, she took him gently by his arm.
"Dick told me about Cathy, Nix. I'm sorry."
"I should have seen this coming. But she takes the dog too. She doesn't even like the dog." The captain said.
"You will get your dog back, Nix." Livia smiled gently. "But I think that we have to get going."
"Will you come to the jeep too?" Nixon asked quietly.
"Sure."
Livia followed the captain to the jeep, and when she saw the hard look that Speirs gave her again, she was happy that he wasn't coming to same jeep with them. She was sure that the atmosphere on that jeep would have been very uncomfortable, especially when Nixon was quiet too.
When they pulled out of the town, Winters told Livia that they were going to Alps, not to Berlin despite everyone had wished to get there. Livia actually wanted rather to Bavaria than to Berlin. She knew that scenery there was beautiful especially when it was spring and the snow had melt.
During the days the battalion moved towards the Alps Livia wasn't the only one who noticed that Speirs was avoiding her again. Nixon tried to talk about it with the CO, but Speirs made clear that he didn't want to talk about it with him. Livia had tried to talk with Speirs, but he managed always to get out of the situation, if the hard looks which he gave to the nurse didn't help, he barked to her. Even Winters got a little worried about it, but it was because he was afraid that it would have affect on Speirs' and Livia's work.
After couple of days Livia started to avoid Speirs too, because she got always a bit afraid when the captain gave her hard looks or barked to her. She still didn't know the reason for his behavior and it seemed that no one knew it.
When the whole battalion drove across one small town, Livia watched her eyes wide of the amount of the men, which was there. There was a lot of German POWs also and Livia got a little starlet when she heard how Webster started to yell to the POWs. Livia was travelling on the truck behind the truck that Webster was, and she gave a little concerned look to Bull Randleman, who sat next to her. The sergeant just shook his head letting Livia understand that she should let it go. Livia actually understood Webster, she knew that all of the guys were tired of this war, like was she.
They spent the night in a small town not too far from Alps, and Livia was happy that she didn't have to see the Germans driven out of their houses, so that the officers could spend their night there. It had happened on the last place where they had spent the night, and Livia had hated to see people driven out of their home. They were Germans yes, but mainly old men, women and little children, who had nothing to do with Hitler and his followers.
It wasn't dark yet when they arrived to the town of Landsberg, and Winters sent some patrols to the woods and told Speirs that there should be some road blocks put on, just in case.
The whole battalion was on the area, and also Dog and Able companies spent the night near by. Later on the evening Livia saw the D Company medic, sergeant McLean, and because she hadn't talked with him for a while, she wandered towards him, and they changed the latest news. When Livia got back to the CP, she passed the room, which door was slightly open. Livia heard voices from the room, and he was going to carry on her way, but then she heard her name mentioned.
"Talking about Livia, Ron... I told you not to play games with her." Nixon said a hint of annoyance on his voice.
"I'm not playing games with her." The captain replied.
"What are you doing exactly then? I thought that there was something between you two. And I know she likes you a lot." Livia recognized that it was Welsh who said that.
"We just work in same unit." Speirs commented.
" Come on, Ron. Everyone knows that you are attracted to each other, so what's the problem here?" Livia heard Nixon saying. She sucked air quietly, she had the feeling that she shouldn't eavesdrop the officers, but their conversation was too interesting, and she couldn't leave, so she leaned on wall behind the door making sure that there was no one on aisle who had seen her, and more importantly – that the guys in room didn't see her.
"What do you mean?" Speirs asked after a moment of silence. Livia was sure that the three other guys had been all watching him with interest.
"Everyone has seen the connection between you two. She tries to hide it, but I think he has fallen for you Ron." For Livia's surprise it was Winters who said that. She suspected that the other officers had decided to confront Speirs now, and she was just too interested about their talk, so she got closer to the door, but made sure that no one saw her. She thought that she might hear why Speirs was avoiding her again.
"Connection, sir?"
"Cut out the sir crap, Ron." Winters snorted. "But Nix is right, it seems like you are avoiding her again. And I heard that you've been very harsh towards her. I think I don't have to tell you again how important she is to us."
"You don't." Speirs said quietly.
"What's the problem here then?" Nixon asked and Livia could hear a slight threat in his voice. Livia thought that she could always trust on Lewis Nixon, no matter what would happen. She couldn't help smiling a little despite the subject was a little awkward for her point of view, but after all it hadn't meant for her ears.
"I don't think she has feelings for me." Speirs said and Livia squinted a little, she thought that it was obvious she had feelings for him. Actually Winters was right, she had already fallen for him despite his recent act.
"Christ, even I know she has." Welsh snorted.
"She loves you, Nix." When Livia heard Speirs saying that, she gasped, but put her hand on her mouth then when she realized that it wasn't a right time to be caught of eavesdropping.
"What?" Nixon asked and Livia heard a hint of amazement in his voice.
"I heard you two talking when you came back after Operation Varsity. She said that she loves you." When Livia heard it, she understood why Speirs had been so rude to her. But he had got it all wrong.
"Were you eavesdropping us, Ron?" Nixon asked.
"Not intentionally, I just happened to hear you talking."
"You got it all wrong, Ron." Nixon sighed and the eavesdropping nurse agreed totally with him.
"I heard loud and clear when she said that she loves you." Speirs stated.
"I take this so that after you heard it, you left." Nixon said.
"I did."
"When in that case you don't know what I said after it. I am like a brother to her and she is like a sister to me. And that is the truth. There is nothing romantic between us two."
"Nix is right, Ron. I know the both of them and that is the case here. They are like a brother and a sister. Nothing else." Winters intervened.
"Are you sure?" Livia heard Speirs asking.
"Yes!" All three officers said in unison, and Livia couldn't help smiling in her hiding place, she knew that no woman could have better friends, than she had.
"I know I have to talk to her..." Speirs said then and Livia had to use all her will power that she wouldn't have yelled out loud, finally they might get solution for all this.
"That is not enough, Ron." Winters stated.
"What are you saying?" Speirs sounded confused.
"I'm saying that you have to grovel, Ron. You have to grovel."
When Livia heard Winters' answer, she smiled again, Speirs groveling? It would be a very interesting to witness Speirs' groveling.
"That isn't a pleasant thought?" Livia heard Welsh asking.
"Well, she's just a nurse…" Speirs said thoughtfully.
"Livia isn't just a nurse, Ron. She's one of us and don't ever forget that." Winters said rather abruptly.
"I meant that she's not a soldier." Speirs explained.
"Ah." Winters was calm again. "I think you go and grovel as soon as possible."
When Winters had said that, Livia was going to leave her eavesdropping, but when she was just turning around, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"What are you doing, miss McMillan?"
Hah, kinda cliffhanger again... And no, it isn't colonel Sink who catches her... Lol.