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Back inside 2nd Platoons house, Nelly found Malarkey upstairs inside their CP. He was fixing the wire into the telephone, which was placed by the window. Bain would feed the second wire in through the small gap at the window – once he was finished at HQ. Approaching the table with Malarkey, Nelly leaned against the wall and stared out of the window – the glass was stained with mud and frozen snow, but she could still see the river and the buildings on the other side of the seemingly calm water.
"So, is Webster with us?" Malarkey asked.
"Yeah".
"Great". He remarked.
Nelly missed Malarkey's sarcastic tone and replied, "Yeah…that's what I thought, Donnie".
Malarkey didn't make a comment. He said, "This should be ready soon".
"Bain's still at HQ". Nelly mentioned to him.
"I don't know how the 'fellas 'gonna reach this window".
"A ladder?" Nelly suggested.
"Oh, yeah – we've got one of those". Malarkey realised quietly.
And just as he said that they soon saw the top of a wooden ladder tap gently against the window. Malarkey opened the window up, so he and Nelly could poke their heads outside – standing at the bottom of the ladder was Babe.
With a grin, he called up to them, "This is my step ladder…it ain't my real ladder".
Nelly shot Malarkey a confused look. "What does that mean?"
And Malarkey sighed with a huff. "It's another joke".
Babe was still laughing at his joke. "Funny, right?"
Pulling their heads back inside, Malarkey closed the window but left a tiny gap open at the bottom for the wire to go through. And as Malarkey was about to explain the joke further to Nelly, they soon heard someone clear their throat behind them. Turning toward the sound, the two friends soon saw a replacement standing by the open doorway – a Lieutenant.
The Lieutenant stepped forward and looked at Malarkey, "Sir". He greeted.
Nelly frowned softly – sir? As far as she was aware, her friend wasn't an Officer.
"I'm Lieutenant Jones". He introduced himself. "I'm here to be your assistant and you will leave for a while and come back as my assistant".
A small and surprised noise tumbled out of Nelly's mouth.
Malarkey shot her a stare before looking back at the new Lieutenant. "Thanks, Jones". He said to him smoothly. "But I'm sticking right here with 2nd Platoon".
Jones cleared his throat. "Very well". He soon looked to Nelly. "And who might you be?"
"That's Sergeant Murray". Malarkey answered for her. "1st squad leader".
"That's a girl". Jones pointed out.
"It is, sir". Malarkey said, "Is that a problem?"
"It's different". Jones shot Nelly a quizzical frown.
"Well, she's been around since before Normandy, sir". Malarkey said – voice almost cold. "If you have a problem with Sergeant Murray, then you should speak with Colonel Sink, sir".
"I'll take my questions with Lieutenant Speirs". Jones decided.
Malarkey raised his eyebrow. "Good luck with that, sir". He asked, "Did you just arrive?"
"I did". Jones confirmed, "I graduated June 6th from West Point".
"Well, perhaps Sergeant Murray could tell you a thing or two about combat, Lieutenant". He said to him, "Since she's been in the war before America even joined".
"As what? A nurse?"
Huffing, Malarkey rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Nope". He wasn't overly keen on Jones. Not just because Jones wanted him gone but because of what Jones thought of Nelly.
Nelly cast Malarkey a tiny frown and then looked at Jones. "You can…talk to Speirs, sir…I don't mind".
"I will". Jones said – sounding firm.
A sparkle of amusement twinkled in Malarkey's eyes. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear what you have to say, sir – Lieutenant Speirs loves to hear opinions or complaints to do with his men".
Nelly nodded, "It's true…he loves it, sir".
"He seems like a fine Officer". Jones added.
"He is…sir". Nelly said to him quietly.
"You know, you should probably see him now". Malarkey said, "He'll likely listen if the worry or complaint is brought to his attention quickly, sir".
Nelly nodded, pretending to agree. "Yeah".
"Thank you". Jones said, "And thank you for understanding, Sergeant Murray".
"Oh, it's okay, sir". Nelly said, voice stoic. "I'm a very…understanding person".
Jones turned and left. Nelly and Malarkey stared at each other, their lips twitching.
"Speirs is 'gonna give him hell". Malarkey said, voice verging on amusement.
"Yeah". Nelly said, "Having a cousin as the CO…can be good".
"You'd bet". Malarkey gave her shoulder a tiny nudge.
Bain was soon at the window, and he tapped on the glass before feeding the wire through the tiny gap. "All ready, Malark!" Bain said to him.
"Thanks, Rod!".
Sending Malarkey, the thumbs-up first, Bain began descending down the ladders.
Placing the last piece of wire into the telephone, Malarkey could tick one task off his list. And just as he finished, the phone squeaked to life. Picking up the receiver he answered the call, "Yeah?"
Lips rubbing together, Nelly leaned back against the wall.
"Oh – great". Malarkey's voice lightened.
She turned her head and looked at him.
"Yeah – sure". He continued to tell whoever was on the phone. "Right. Thanks". Malarkey set the receiver down and shared the news with Nelly, "We have showers and new uniforms".
Nelly's eyes widened slightly. "We do?" She asked, almost hopefully.
"Yeah". Malarkey confirmed softly. "Do you 'wanna share the good news or should I?"
"You". Nelly said, "You do it, Donnie".
"Okay, pal". Malarkey squeezed her shoulder while he walked away and said, "Best grab your towel and soap, huh?"
"Finally".
...
The portable showers could hold around fifteen men. And when Nelly poked her head inside, she saw a lot of naked bodies. She was so desensitised to everything, it never bothered her, but it bothered them. Catching Nelly's eyes, Jackson squealed and tried to cover himself with soapy bubbles.
"Nelly!" He exclaimed, "Get lost!"
"Oh, I don't mind". Nelly assured him.
"We fucking do!" Someone yelled from the back, "Just wait until we're finished, alright?!"
"Fine!" Nelly called back to him, "I'll go!"
"Thank you!"
Turning around with a sigh, Nelly walked away from the showers. She cast a grimace at the thick dirt on her hands and uniform and then raised her eyes when spotting Winters rounding the back of his HQ – with nothing else to do, Nelly followed after him. She found the Captain by a railing, which stopped someone from falling into the water. Looming over a half-wall made out of sandbags, he looked through his binoculars and watched the buildings across the river. But he wasn't alone, Speirs was with him.
Nelly proceeded to greet them, "Hello, are we – "
"Jesus, Nelly!" Speirs was startled by her presence.
Lowering his binoculars with a tiny smirk, Winters turned around and faced Nelly. "Nice to see you, trooper – however frightening it be may". He joked lightly.
She nodded and gazed down at her uniform. "Yeah…I look like…shit, sir".
"No, not that". Winters cleared his throat to conceal a chuckle. "We didn't hear you coming, is all".
Speirs faced Nelly with a sigh and asked, "Anything the matter?"
"No". Nelly replied quietly. "Oh – did Lieutenant Jones speak with you, sir?"
"He did". Speirs didn't sound very happy. "He told me, I'd be happy to hear his complaints – because that's what you told him".
Facing the buildings again, Winters felt his lips form an amused smile.
Speirs continued, "He kept me for five minutes, Nelly". He stressed, "Five minutes".
"He must have…had a lot to say, sir". Nelly said to her cousin.
"Oh, he did". Speirs grumbled.
"Well…I'm glad he…got it all off his chest, sir".
Speirs was about to tell her off but then he saw something incredible – he saw Nelly's lips create the smallest of smiles. The first smile anyone had seen on the girl for over a month. Nelly's eyes even lightened up slightly. The joke was at Speirs's expense, but he didn't even mind – not anymore, anyway. But the tiny smile didn't linger for long, and the lightness left Nelly's eyes, leaving her with an almost vacant stare.
"Sorry, sir". Nelly apologised to her cousin quietly.
Speirs rolled his eyes and waved it off, "Ah – it's fine. I'm pretty sure Lieutenant Jones learned his lesson".
"What lesson?"
Speirs smiled. "To never doubt my cousin in front of me".
Lips forming a tight line, Nelly nodded. She then approached the sandbags and stood between the two Officers. The wall of sandbags reached Nelly's waist. It became apparent to her, that she was short like a Hobbit was described. But she could still see the buildings across the water.
"They're tucked away inside those houses". Winters mentioned. "I can't see them".
"A bit like us, sir". Speirs said, "They're doing their fighting inside".
Nelly asked the Officers, "Are we…going over there?"
"I've not had word yet". Winters said, "It's only a matter of time".
Nelly's eyes stared down at the water. She said, "It's like…when we…we rescued all those men over the Rhine, sir…with the water and stuff".
"Little bit, kiddo". Winters said softly. "But I think, if we were to go over, it'll be recon, combat patrol or a prisoner snatch".
"Captain Winters?" Nelly asked and looked up at him.
"Yeah?"
"Does Captain Nixon interrogate the prisoners?"
Winters nodded. "Yeah, with the help of a translator".
And very plainly, as if it was completely normal, Nelly asked, "What's his method of torture?"
The Officer's eyes widened slightly.
"What?" Speirs asked – voice flat.
Nelly appeared confused. "To…to get information". She explained. And then said, "Oh, it's secret, I won't ask…anymore".
Clearing his throat first, Winters said, "Nelly, Captain Nixon doesn't torture the prisoners".
"So…someone else does". She said – as if piecing it all together.
"No one does, trooper". Winters said kindly. "We don't torture our prisoners".
"Oh…". Nelly frowned and said, "Sorry".
"It's okay". Winters assured her – with a somewhat worried smile. "When you were captured by the Nazis, did they interrogate you?"
Nelly's eyes shifted toward the water, and she nodded. "Just…on my first day". Nelly said to him quietly.
"First day of where?" Speirs asked.
She gave her head a shake and whispered, "Nowhere".
Eyes briefly looking at Winters, Speirs then set his hand on Nelly's shoulder. "You 'wanna see if those showers are free, kid?"
"Okay". Her voice was stoic again. "The men…they didn't let me in".
"Yeah, for good reason". Speirs cracked a tiny smile.
"I don't understand". Nelly mumbled, "I've seen their – "
"okay – let's go". Speirs cut her off.
"Goodbye, sir". Nelly said to Winters.
"See you, kiddo".
The showers were still in use when they arrived, but Nelly only had to wait around for twenty minutes until the last clean man walked outside. Grabbing her towel, soap and new fatigues, she stepped inside the portable and empty shower block while Speirs kept guard outside. Nelly took the first showerhead she saw and turned on the taps. Giving the water a few moments to warm up, she took off her helmet, let her hair down and undressed.
Stepping under the warm-ish water, Nelly could already see the once clear water turn dark and dirty from all the grime coming off her skin. It was almost as bad as her first shower after their time in Holland. But nothing was quite as bad, as her first bath after Mauthausen. Three women from Portugal scrubbed Nelly raw in the bath. It was an uncomfortable and emotional time for Nelly. But the women were so kind and caring.
Alone, Nelly scrubbed Bastogne off her skin with hard soap. Her hair was so matted, it had grown since she last got it cut and Nelly struggled to untangle the knots. She gave up on her hair and focused on getting rid of all the mud, sweat and blood. After five or so minutes, Nelly turned off the water, dried herself and changed into new fatigues. Nelly stuck her matted her up into a lousy bun and then left the portable showers.
Speirs sent her a tiny smile. "You look more human now".
"My hair is…fucked". Nelly mumbled. "I'll get…Sonny to chop it off again".
After a short pause, Speirs suggested, "Maybe I could help?"
Nelly looked at him. "How?"
Speirs shrugged. "I'll comb it".
Nelly frowned at the idea. "You'll…hurt me".
Speirs almost rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll be gentle". He added, "Don't you 'wanna grow your hair back again?"
"I don't…mind". She said, "Well…I don't care, really".
"It won't get in the way". Speirs said, "You could just tie it up". He thought Nelly having long hair would make her feel better – give her some normality back. "I promise, it won't hurt".
"Okay". Nelly agreed quietly. "You can…fix it".
At least he could fix something. Or at least, try to.