bob

"Nelly – where in the hell...Nelly?!"

"What!"

Speirs's eyebrow raised at the sharp response. "Jesus...". He mumbled under his breath before he responded, "So, I'm eating all this by myself?!"

Soon, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen. The very steamy kitchen. Bobbing in a boiling pot, Speirs was poking at the potatoes inside, making sure they were soft and ready for eating. And in the oven, sausages were cooking. The man wasn't a fantastic cook, but the Lieutenant knew how to work an oven and stove. Eyes leaving the potatoes, Speirs looked over his shoulder.

"Set the table, would you?"

"Fine". She said through a small sigh.

"What were you doing up there?" Speirs asked. "I heard all sorts of noises".

Nelly jumped onto the counter and opened the top cabinet. "I was – "

"Nelly, come on...". Speirs sighed. "On the damn counter, really?"

Frowning softly, Nelly continued to grab two plates. "I can't reach".

"Well, use a chair next time". Speirs said, "It's...cleaner".

Tucking the plates under her arm, Nelly closed the cabinet and jumped off the counter – all the while Speirs watched, appearing displeased. Nelly sent him a sheepish smile as she walked behind him and then set the plates on the table. "Are we drinking beer?"

"No, we're drinking water". Speirs looked into the boiling pot again. "You're too young for beer".

"Not in Britain".

"I don't care".

Pulling open a drawer, Nelly took out two knives and two forks. "I drank beer in Brighton".

"And looked what happened, huh? You puked in a bag on a bus".

Once the table was set, Nelly pulled out a chair and sat down. She watched, as her cousin carried the hot pot toward the sink to drain the water out. A lot of steam bellowed out and steamed up the kitchen window. "Is your friend coming over tonight?"

"He is". Speirs confirmed while setting the pot on the table. "Lieutenant Shames".

"Your man friend". Nelly said lightly.

Speirs cleared his throat. "Right". Using a fork, he began picking potatoes out of the pot and setting them on their plates. "I've put the hot water on".

Nelly frowned. "Why?"

Speirs casually shrugged. "I thought you'd like a bath after our walk today".

"Wrong". Nelly said, "You thought wrong".

"You're too hyper". Speirs pointed out, "The water will calm you down".

"Why am I hyper?"

"What mess did you leave upstairs?" Speirs dumped the pot into the sink and then opened the oven door. Using a dishtowel, he grabbed the tray and pulled the sausages out. It was his second time making them dinner. Speirs realised his cousin was constantly on the move and doing something. They took a walk on their first day and went for another long walk on their second. When they got back, Nelly was in the shed, grabbing planks of wood, nails, and a hammer and she disappeared up to her room for the rest of the afternoon.

"I'm building...a birdhouse". Nelly told him.

Speirs was mildly surprised. "You are?"

"For the garden". Nelly said, "I thought...it would be nice".

"Well, from the noise you were making, I thought you were digging a portal into hell". Speirs joked.

Nelly huffed out a tiny laugh. "It's not...hard to find".

"Hell?" Speirs raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah".

After placing the sausages onto their plates, Speirs sat at the table. "I would ask where hell is, but I think I know the answer".

"I think the birdhouse is too big...".

"You don't have a saw to shorten the wood". Speirs said, "That's why".

Nelly hummed in thought and then nodded. "Yeah...you're right".

With a hint of dread, he asked, "What will I find up there?"

"Something that...looks like a birdhouse...for big birds".

"Big birds? Such as?"

"Like...like a dog or something".

Bobbing his head, Speirs looked down at his plate. "Yeah...that's not even remotely close to a bird, Nelly".

"Maybe...". Nelly said softly, "Maybe...we should get a dog?"

Setting his fork down, Speirs looked at Nelly. "No pets in the Airborne?"

"After?"

"We'll see...".

With a tiny frown, Nelly used her fork to cut up a bit of sausage. "That means no".

Lips twitching, Speirs looked back at his meal. And he said, "Replacements are coming in soon".

"When we get back?"

"Yeah, probably". He said, "I got a set of names, ages and locations. Most of them are twenty, twenty-one or nineteen. Older than you". Speirs snorted softly. "But at least you'll be nineteen next year...I'll bet by then the war will have ended".

Nelly's gut tightened. And she swallowed with great difficulty. "Maybe". She whispered. Nelly didn't like talks of the war ending. However, she knew that when it did end, those people in the Nazi camps would finally be free. Nelly wondered how they would cope after liberation. Because she still found it difficult at times.

After dinner, Nelly had a bath and Speirs walked into her room to find the "birdhouse". It was three long planks of wood nailed together, creating a triangle. Speirs could see where she was coming from, but it looked more like a tent than a birdhouse. With a tiny chuckle, he walked out of her room and closed the door. Speirs stopped by the bathroom door.

"You got everything you need?"

"Yeah". Nelly called back.

"Alright – I'll be downstairs".

"Okay".

And as Speirs walked down the stairs, he checked his watch. It was 1900 hours; Ed Shames was not due to arrive for another two hours. Speirs figured Ed would stick around for two hours and leave after he bitched about Battalion. Inside the living room, Speirs picked a few cups and whatnot that were lying around. And as he put the cups into the sink, he soon heard a loud thump.

Speirs's head looked up toward the ceiling. The bathroom was directly above him. A tiny frown settled on his face as he quickly rushed out of the kitchen, basically jogged through the sitting room and then sprinted up the stairs. Outside the bathroom, he gave the door a knock.

"Nelly? You alright in there?"

Speirs didn't get a response.

"Nelly?" He called again.

No response.

"Ne – "

"sorry...".

Speirs sighed, relieved. "Are you okay?"

"I broke the...soap thingy...". Nelly admitted.

Speirs pulled a face. "Soap thingy?"

"Yeah...the thing you put the soap in".

"Oh, that?" He said, "It's fine. Don't worry about it". Speirs added, "Watch where you put your feet, alright? I'll get a brush".

"Okay".

And as Speirs began walking away, he stopped upon hearing Nelly's voice.

"Ronnie?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry...".

"It's just a stupid soap dish, huh? No biggie". Speirs assured her. "Get yourself dressed and we'll listen to the radio and have some supper".

And that's precisely what happened. Dressed for bed, Nelly sat inside the sitting room and ate a slice of bread and jam. The radio played current hits in Britain. And a man talked a lot about the war. Though they pretended not to notice, the two Paratroopers listened carefully to the words coming out of the broadcaster's mouth. There was a lot about loss and damage to property. She swallowed the broadcaster's words and the bread down with a glass of milk.

At 2050 hours, Nelly went to bed.

And at 2100 hours, Ed Shames arrived.

...

"You got a cab?"

"It ain't much". Shames grinned. "Not for an Officer".

Speirs snorted softly. "Yeah, I guess". He asked, "Coffee?"

"Got anything stronger?"

"Uh...we've got brandy?"

"That'll do".

Speirs opened the drinks cabinet and took out a bottle of brandy and two glasses. He poured them each a drink and handed a glass to his friend. "So, how're things at Battalion?"

"Jesus, where do I start...". And with that, Shames almost downed the entire drink.

Speirs's eyebrows twitched as he took a small sip.

"I can't work with him anymore, Ron". Shames complained. "He drives me fucking nuts".

"Nixon?"

Shames sent Speirs a firm nod. "The one and only".

"What's he done now?"

"That bastard expects me to clean up his fucking mess...". Shames grumbled. "Empty bottles of Vat everywhere, man. That man does nothing but drink".

Nodding, Speirs leaned back against his armchair. "What are you 'gonna do about it?"

"I'm 'gonna talk to Colonel Sink".

Speirs appeared amused. "Seriously?"

"Yup". Shames sounded confident. "I'm 'gonna talk to him and get the hell away from Nixon".

"What makes you so sure that'll work?"

"Sink needs a guy like me".

Speirs hummed. He decided not to comment on his thoughts on that statement.

"I'm getting no support from Strayer". Shames went on, "I've got no other choice than to see Sink".

Speirs shrugged casually. "Man's busy".

"Strayer?"

"No...Sink". Speirs said quietly. "You'll have to go through his adjutant, Salve Matheson. He's a former Easy guy".

Shames snorted. "Fucking everyone in Battalion was a former Easy guy...".

"Not us".

Shames smirked. "Not yet". He said, "Ten bucks says we'll be in that Company one day".

"Not with Winters around". Speirs said, "They've got a strong set of Platoon Officers and more coming in".

"Anyway...how's Edwyna?"

"Good". Speirs replied. "She's with her sister for a few days...her sister's not feeling so great".

Shames's eyes looked around the sitting room. "Where's the kid?"

"She's sleeping". Speirs said.

"How's she doing?"

"Yeah, great uh...". A tiny smile met his lips. "She – uh – she tried to make a birdhouse, but it looks more like a tent".

Shames chuckled. "Ah...she's a sweet kid". He added, "And a tough sonofabitch, I hear".

"Yeah". Speirs said through a sigh. Speirs shot Shames a smirk. "How'd the night go with those nurses?"

Shames whistled. "Don't mean to brag...".

"But you're 'gonna". Speirs snorted.

"Ah – come on, man...". Shames chuckled. And said, "I hardly ever get out".

"You've had five days to sort something out". Speirs reminded him.

"Well, I've been trying to settle with Nixon". Shames grumbled. "But that shit ain't happening. And you know, everyone thinks he's this swell guy...and I heard Easy's CO is pals with him".

"Winters? Yeah...". Speirs confirmed. "They're buddies".

"Jesus...".

"Ed? There's no point in complaining about this". Speirs told him directly.

"But – "

"ah, come on...". Speirs said smoothly. "You can't change Nixon. But you can change where you are. Talk to the Colonel, take it from there".

"Are you buddies with Nixon?"

Speirs shook his head. "But I don't have a problem with him".

Sighing, Shames finished off his brandy. "You're a damn straight-shooter, Ron".

Huffing out a tiny laugh, Speirs then nodded to Shames's empty glass. "You want another one?"

"Yeah...I'll get a cab at eleven".

"Sure".

And as Speirs topped up Shames's glass, he heard him say, "I thought the kid was in bed".

Frowning, Speirs looked at his friend. "What? She is".

The sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs soon reached their ears. With a sigh, Speirs finished pouring Shames a drink. And after handing him the glass, Speirs left the living room and walked up the stairs. Entering Nelly's room, Speirs saw her under the covers. Clearing his throat, Speirs leaned against the doorframe.

"I know you're awake, Nelly".

Pulling the covers off her body, she sat up and looked at Speirs. "Sorry...".

"You alright?"

"I'm thirsty". She whispered.

"You want some water?"

Nelly nodded faintly.

"Sit tight, I'll get you a glass".

A few moments later and Speirs was back with a cold glass of water. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he handed the glass to Nelly, who sat up to take a drink. And while she took a few gulps of water, Speirs's hand went to her forehead. She was so warm.

"Are you feeling okay, kid?" He frowned.

"Yeah". Nelly replied, "I'm just...really warm".

"I know". Speirs mumbled.

Setting the glass down on her bedside table, Nelly scratched an itch on the back of her neck before lying back down. "My legs won't...stop moving".

"Restless tonight, huh?" Speirs guessed.

"Yeah".

Hand moving past the glass of water, he turned on the oil lamp. "How about a book?"

Nelly shook her head. "I'm shit at reading".

"Who said you'll be reading?"

A tiny smile met the corners of her mouth. "What about...your man friend?"

Speirs snorted out a tiny laugh. And assured her, "He won't mind".

"Okay".