...
When Nora met Sobel, it was before the training day started. He was a tall and an awkward-looking man, with small dark eyes and a mouth that rarely smiled. A small exchange happened between them, where Sobel addressed Nora as 'Clopper' and stared her up and down in silence for a few moments. After huffing quietly out of his nose, Sobel walked away from Nora. Maybe she looked tired or unprepared, either way, Nora didn't give Sobel a good first impression. Smoothing back her hair, Nora walked toward the double doors and exited the schoolhouse. Outside, Lieutenant Winters was waiting for her. It was raining. Nora already missed the sun. The clouds were thick and grey, with no hope of shifting or clearing up. Dressed in her PT gear, Nora prepared herself for a cold and wet nine-mile run.
"Don't worry, we'll warm up soon enough". Winters told the girl with a smile. "You'll forget all about the rain shortly".
Nora asked him, "Captain Sobel won't be coming, sir?"
"No". Winters almost let his agitation for their Captain show. "Not today, Nora". Winters never mentioned Nora wearing the same clothes she slept in. He was aware the girl had woken up wearing her PT uniform again. Winters also noticed Nora's eyes looked heavy and tired. She hadn't slept well again, it seemed.
The door behind them opened and Welsh stepped outside. Upon seeing the heavy rainfall, he sighed. "Christ…rain again, huh? This place sure likes to mess with us".
"Harry, get 1st ready". Winters told him. "Get Moose to round up 2nd". He said, "Nora and I will gather 3rd".
"You got it, Dick". Welsh complied. He cast Nora a tiny smirk. "Ready for your first run with Easy, Clopper?"
"Yes, sir". Nora replied. However, she wasn't sure if she felt ready. Her lack of sleep was bound to slow her down.
Welsh joked, "Given the way you usually dress…I expected to see you in your pyjamas, Nora".
"Harry…". Winters quietly said, in a warning tone. No matter what it was, Winters assumed it must have been a sensitive topic for Nora and judging by the way she lowered her head, Winters guessed he was right. He cleared his throat before saying, "Come on, let's get to work".
The one upside to PT was seeing Joe Lesniewski again. When all the Platoons were gathered for the run, Nora made her way toward 1st Platoon and stood next to Joe. He was at the back, alone. No one had spoken to him, and it seemed no one wanted to be near Joe. With her arms crossed over her chest, Nora stared up at Joe and sent him a tiny smile. He smiled back at her and gave Nora's side a gentle nudge with his elbow. At the sound of Winters blowing the whistle, the men took off into a light jog. Winters was in the front, leading Easy on its nine-mile run. Having not ran with Joe before, Nora wasn't surprised that the man was fast and almost impossible to keep up with. Her legs worked overtime to stay at his pace. But Joe couldn't slow down for Nora's sake because he had to prove himself and earn the men's respect.
"Good luck, Joe". Nora said before slowing down to a more comfortable pace.
Joe looked over his shoulder and smiled at Nora. "See you at the finish line, Nora".
Nora's boots stomped into muddy puddles once they reached the country roads. She could feel her legs grow muddy and wet. And though the rain had previously annoyed her, she was glad for the downpour now, as the cold rain cooled Nora down. The view was pleasant as well, they ran by a lot of fields with herds of cows and grazing horses. Though the smell wasn't desirable, it reeked of manure. Still, even the smell brought back nostalgic feelings of small holidays outside the city…
"Hey, Nora". George Luz was soon jogging next to her. "Nice weather we're having, huh?"
Nora gave a faint shrug. "I don't mind the rain".
Luz said, "It always rains in England, don't it? I wonder why that is…".
"It's an Island surrounded by sea". Nora pointed out. "Maybe that's why".
"Well, whatever the reason…it's fucking annoying". Luz cast her a smirk. "I sure do miss the fall season back home. It never rains this much".
Nora was aware Luz was trying to break away from 'small talk' and move on to something more immersive. He wanted her to talk about home. Or maybe Luz just wanted to talk about his country because he was homesick. Homesickness was a horrible feeling. Nora felt it when she was forced to leave Amsterdam. "The Lieutenant's say American food is the best". She began to tell Luz. "What's your favourite food back in your country?"
"Good question". Luz smiled. "And I've 'gotta say hotdogs…but don't tell Skip, alright? That fella used to work a hotdog stand and he loves to brag about his dogs".
Nora's eyebrows twitched. "Hotdogs?" She questioned. "You eat dogs in America?" She thought they were monsters in that moment…
Luz chuckled and shook his head. "God, no!" He said, "Hotdogs is this…boiled, steamed or grilled sausage served in a bun. And you can put condiments on it and toppings".
"Oh…". Nora's shoulders dropped in relief. "And it's tasty?"
"Extremely". Luz confidently confirmed. He said, "I take it you've never been to America".
"No".
"It's the greatest country in the world". Luz gushed.
Nora didn't want to get into a debate about whether America was the greatest country in the world. She didn't think it was the greatest country in the world. But Luz didn't need to know that…
"Do you drink?" Luz asked. "Only, us fellas like to get a drink at the weekend. You could join us this Saturday…if you wanted". He added, "No's an acceptable answer, by the way. I ain't one for pushing a girl into doing something she don't 'wanna be doing".
Nora said, "I'll have to ask Lieutenant Winters…he takes care of me now".
"Fair enough, yeah". Luz smiled. "He's a good guy, by the way. Us fellas have a lot of respect for dad".
"Dad?" Nora questioned quietly. "You call him dad?"
Luz chuckled and said, "Only when he can't hear us".
Nora's lips faintly twitched with amusement. She then said, "He seems like a good person".
"He's the best". Luz said, "He takes care of us, 'ya know? Some Officers don't give a shit about their men, but Lieutenant Winters does".
Nora asked, "What about Captain Sobel?"
Luz let out a long sigh and confessed, "I don't think this run's long enough for me to break Sobel down for 'ya, Nora".
"He's bad?"
Luz sighed again. "Well…he's not exactly great". He said, "The fellas nervous in the field. And he gets us lost a lot during manoeuvres. He's also a mean sonofabitch. I think Sobel gets off on making us miserable".
Nora concluded, "Lieutenant Winters is a better person than Captain Sobel".
"Correct". Luz said, "If you've ever got a problem, go to Winters…or Sergeant Lipton. Hell, we've got some great NCO's".
Nora asked, "What about you?"
"Me?" Luz smirked. "I wouldn't count on me to solve your problems, chick…it'd just make some stupid joke to get you laughing again".
Nora said, "Sometimes…laughing can cure most troubles, George".
"I'll bet Hitler has a shit sense of humour, huh?"
Nora smiled small, amused at Luz's comment. However, thoughts soon turned back to Joe, who probably hadn't even spoken to George Luz yet. "Can you be friends with Joe Lesniewski? He's in your Platoon".
Luz's smile softened at the question. It was naïve but sweet. "If only life were that simple, huh? Listen, I'll hear the guy out…but it's awkward, 'ya know? He missed training with us back home".
Nora said, "He's a semi-professional boxer".
Luz's tune changed upon hearing that. "Hell, I'll buy the fella a drink and we'll be best buds!"
Nora snorted out a tiny laugh and said, "You do make good jokes".
By the end of their nine-mile run, Easy Company were soaked and covered in mud. Entering a vacant field, they did callisthenics for the next hour before heading back into the village for their first meal of the day – breakfast. Nora didn't feel overly hungry, she felt anxious about sleeping. Her PT gear was wet and muddy, it would need to be washed overnight. Meaning, she didn't have any spare clothes if she needed them during the night. After changing into her coveralls, Nora went down the stairs and joined the Officers for breakfast. Grabbing a plate of hot food, she made her way toward the table where Nixon, Winters, and Welsh sat.
"Hey, kid". Nixon greeted. "How was PT?"
"Fine, sir. Thank you". Nora replied politely.
Winters told the table, "Nora did extremely well. I'm very impressed". He smiled. Winters certainly looked impressed. He turned to face the girl. "Well done, Nora".
A tiny blush met Nora's cheeks at Winters's praise. She wasn't used to getting praised. A warm feeling settled in her stomach, Nora wasn't sure if it was nausea or something else. But it couldn't have been nausea because the feeling was pleasant. "Thank you, sir". She mumbled, almost bashfully.
Welsh cast Winters a tiny grin. "Are you 'gonna go easy on the homework for the kid now?"
"I'm afraid not…". Winters said, "Nora still has a lot to learn". He told Nora, "We'll look over another field manual during free time".
"Yes, sir". Nora easily complied. Using her fork and knife, she cut up a strip of bacon and plopped a tiny piece into her mouth. Thinking back to Luz, Nora decided he was an alright guy. He liked to joke around, and he was funny, Nora liked people who made others laugh. Nora set her cutlery down once she had swallowed that tiny piece of bacon. Hands going onto her lap, she rubbed them together and could feel all the rough patches of skin, old burn marks, and blisters. Nora's hands used to be smooth but working in a factory wreaked havoc on a pair of hands. She tried her hardest to forget about her time in the factory, but Nora was reminded through her dreams and her hands…
"You'll need to eat more, Nora". Winters told the girl. "We've got lectures after this, and you won't get anything else to eat until lunch".
Nixon teased his friend, "No wonder the men call you dad".
Winters frowned and looked at Nixon. "They don't call me that".
"They do". Nixon smirked. "Just not to your face, Dick".
Winters faced Welsh. "Have you heard this nonsense?"
"No". Welsh chuckled and then said, "But I believe it".
…
It was twenty or so minutes after supper when Nora heard that Joe had been in a fight with one of the men from Easy. Nora didn't say anything to Winters, before rushing out of the schoolhouse and racing toward the Nissan Huts. Hopping over the fence, Nora landed in the muddy field and spotted Joe heading into the large barn. Nora ran after him and entered the barn. Joe was sat at one of the benches, and a cook appeared with a chunk of raw steak. The cook handed the meat to Joe, and Joe placed it against his right eye…
"Joe?" Nora sat down next to Joe and frowned up at him. "Are you okay?"
Joe assured her, "I'm fine. You should see the other guy…".
"What happened?"
Joe shrugged. "I was an idiot". He admitted. "I got all defensive about a stupid slur folk use to upset us Poles".
Nora drew out a quiet sigh. Arms crossing over her chest, she leaned back against the table and said, "They think they're so funny".
"Who?"
"Americans". Nora mumbled.
Joe cracked a tiny grin, "I'm half American, dziecko".
Nora asked, "Who was the man who tried to fight you, Joe?"
"Some dope from my Platoon". Joe muttered. He said, "It doesn't matter, alright? I'm pretty sure I broke the idiot's nose".
"But why did he call you a bad name, Joe?" Nora questioned.
Joe answered with a shrug. "Some people just get a kick out of insulting others, Nora".
Nora frowned again. "The Nazis say a lot of bad names to the Polish people".
"I know". Joe pulled the meat away from his eye to get a better look at Nora. He sent her a kind smile and assured the girl, "Look, it's fine, okay? The worst these fellas can do, is start a fight".
"You need to make friends". Nora pointed out.
Joe pretended to be offended. "I thought we were friends".
"We didn't exactly have a profound talk on the bus, Joe". But there was some humour to Nora's voice. Smiling small, she stared up at Joe again. "You need to make friends in your Platoon, Joe".
"I get it, I know…". Joe sighed and pressed the meat up to his eye. "He's lucky I didn't knock him out".
Nora agreed. "Yes, he is".
Joe decided to ask how Nora was doing again, just to make sure. "And you're doing swell with the Officers, right? They're taking care of you?"
"Yeah, fine". Nora replied. And while she thought back to the Officers and the schoolhouse, Nora soon remembered her nighttime problem. Anxiety rolled in the pit of her stomach. She felt a bit sick at the thought of someone finding out. Nora's fingers began picking away at the rough and dry skin at her knuckles, while her mind played out every worst-case scenario before her eyes.
Joe removed the steak from his eye and said, "You'd best head back, Nora. It's getting late".
"Yeah, alright". Nora rose to her feet. Turning around, she faced Joe. "Will I tell Lieutenant Welsh or Lieutenant Winters about this?"
"No, Nora". Joe cast her a reassuring smile. "Thanks, but I'll be alright". He asked, "How did you find out anyway?"
"I heard a couple of enlisted from Fox talking about a big man from Easy getting punched". Nora said to him, "I figured it was you".
That comment made Joe chuckle. He smiled. "Go on, Nora. I'll see you around".
"So long, Joe".
Leaving the barn, Nora crossed the muddy field and hopped back over the fence. Turning onto the gravelled path, she followed it until reaching the schoolhouse. Joe was going to be okay, and that's all that mattered to Nora. Initially, she had been worried. But Joe was a semi-professional boxer, Nora didn't have a reason to be worried over a fistfight. Entering the schoolhouse, Nora headed up the stairs and entered the bedroom…
"Where were you?" Winters didn't sound angry, just curious.
"I was visiting Joe, sir".
"Tell someone next time, alright?" He cast her a tiny smile. "I wondered where you were".
"Sorry, sir". Nora rushed out an apology before walking toward her bed. Winters was sat by the desk, writing out a letter to his favourite pen-pal. Nora grabbed her nightclothes from under her pillow. She frowned down at them, hoping they'd stay dry through the night.
"It's alright, Nora". Winters assured her while getting back to his letter writing. He asked, "And how is Joe? Is he settling in?"
Nora didn't outright lie to Winters. "It might take him time to find his feet, sir".
Winters gave a faint nod. "I'm sure he'll make some buddies soon".
A tiny smile appeared on Nora's face. "He already has one…". She said softly, "He has me, sir".
A smile met Winters's lips at Nora's comment. He turned to face Nora. Sometimes, Winters forgot that she was still very young compared to the men. He liked the girl. Winters thought Nora was sharp and followed orders well. She was bright and very willing to learn. She never complained or made a fuss. Nora was stoic and seemed resilient. But she had much to learn still. Winters said, "Get ready for bed, Nora. We've got another busy day ahead of us tomorrow".
"Yes, Lieutenant Winters – sir".