THE PRINCE
Mellish was indeed one of the chosen people. He had been chosen by his mother, selected on the basis of gender, even prior to his birth, to be her self-esteem, her social status, her purpose. Mellish rewarded her sacrifices by assuming the role of prince without question or compromise. The two girls that followed in his wake were secondary but rather than fight their inherited position they joined with their mother to idolise him. Mellish carried the self esteem they had created for him into his life. He joked with ease and spoke with few hesitations as he was raised with almost no corrections to his character. His father, who paraded through his business life as an aggressive and shrewd player, retired at home and allowed his wife her domain. His male cousins and friends, born into the same environment, all played a similar game. They jostled and competed, falling short of actual conflict and then returned home to the comfort of their kingdoms.
The army and it's levelling ways raised in Mellish some traits that he had bypassed in childhood. While he was still able to elevate himself on the social ladder, relying on his quick humour and acid observation, he began to doubt himself. He saw better soldiers, others more equipped to deal with the battle ahead and his sense of immortality wavered. His need for real friends grew and some of the selfishness that had characterised his early life diminished and was replaced with a loyalty to those who had aligned themselves with him. He chose the strongest characters around him, a match for his retorts and bravado, but also protection for himself. A barrier of company against the growing fear.
THE WARRIOR
Reiben was born to dominate. He did so with his strength, his personality and his intelligence. His environment was one of many words; debate and antagonism his specialties and when words failed, fists would follow. He had the roughish good looks of his father but the inner fire was his mother's. While publicly she admonished his more outlandish behaviour, privately she encouraged his combative attitude. She was aware of the impression he made on women, taking a personal pleasure in a charm she felt she had helped to cultivate. She eyed the local girls who clamoured around her son like a jealous lover. She took comfort in the fact that none held his interest for very long and she remained the female influence in his life.
The army failed to make a disciplinary impression upon Reiben. He still believed the louder you yelled, the faster you spoke, the more you achieved. He was never found on his own but always in a noisy group that invariably contained Mellish and Capparzo. The three had teamed up early on, the differences in their religions and ethnic roots lessened greatly by their New York brand of confidence and bravado. They dominated the company with their attitudes and fast fire comebacks. Their competence as soldiers sealed their importance. Reiben felt his entrance into the army was a potential career rather than a duty to country. In his own way he had welcomed the war as a way to escape an otherwise predictable life in Brooklyn. He romantacised the life of a soldier, seeing in his mind only the glory of victory. His concept of war saw only the death of the enemy and not his own men for which he had not prepared.
THE CARETAKER
Wade was a child of one parent; a mother whose hard fought achievements had taken her away for long hours and left him with too much time on his own. In his early life he had been her sole consideration and she indulged him with her full attention, revelling in her role as his educator and finding her fulfilment in his frequent smiles His father was a distant and quiet memory. A man who had turned inwards, removing himself so completely from his wife and child, that his early death had only the minimum impact on them. Eventually his mother began to search further afield for something to give meaning to her life. She studied to become a doctor, attracted by the challenge of learning rather than the devotion to service. She juggled schedules as she studied, in order to maintain the close and companionable relationship she shared with Wade, but by the time she began as an intern her work stole hours from her home life and Wade suffered her loss.
Joining the army had opened doors for Wade to a world he never knew. It was one of constant noise and people. By comparison to his home life, Wade was never on his own in the army. The Rangers drew together many different personalities and their interaction and conflict provided him ongoing entertainment. As medic, other company members sought him out when they felt it necessary to share something more profound or personal. He knew more about the individual than most and his knowledge of the vulnerability beneath the surface made him feel secure in his position with them. As the men gravitated towards others and cliques were formed, Wade was welcomed into most groups. He divided his time amongst them but more often he stayed close to the New York boys. He seemed an unlikely consort for them but his quiet demeanour belied his strength of character. He was not intimidated by them. Their incessant verbal competition was his amusement. They found themselves watching him, judging their performance against each other by the ever changing expression on Wade's face.