[MillietheWarrior]

Sam gripped the back of his shirt for dear life. “So what now exactly?” she demanded, and she felt him pat her bottom as he started heading down the hall to her bedroom. When he didn’t reply, Sam propped her chin up on her arm, swinging against his back as he walked, and decided to try something. “I think you’ll be happy to know that I’m not wearing any underwear.”

Gene nearly tripped and stumbled into the wall, and Sam grabbed his shirt like a frightened cat, cackling loudly as he swore under his breath in French. “Don’ say things like that. Not unless you wanna reap what you sow, chére,” he growled, and Sam felt a shiver run up her spine as his grip tightened on her and he quickened his pace.

Huh. Maybe she should come home tired more often. This was the most fun she’d had all day.

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[MillietheWarrior]

Elizabeth Nixon was a well-meaning woman, but she could be a bit overwhelming after a while.

Sam sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day as Lizzie, as she preferred to be called, followed her on her rounds through the ER and prattled on about nonsense. Sam was only half listening as she carefully inspected a little boy who had been brought in with a twisted ankle.

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart,” she told him as he hiccupped into his mother’s shoulder. “We’re gonna put some ice on it and wrap it, and you’ll feel right as rain in a little while. Can you be a big boy for me and dry those tears?” The boy nodded hesitantly, and Sam smiled, reaching into one of her scrub pockets and pulling out a lollipop from the stash of candy she kept on her for just such occasions. She watched as his face lit up and he took it, before Sam looked to his mother. “I’ll send someone in to wrap that ankle right now. Until then…” She stepped over to the counter, reaching up and pulling out an Instant Cold ice pack.

[MillietheWarrior]

“Here, Lizzie. Press this to his ankle. I’ll be right back.”

The brunette nodded hesitantly, before doing as she was told, flinching a little when the boy hissed in pain. Sam looked them over once, before stepping quickly out of the bay and sighing. She caught the arm of one of the other nurses, nodding her head to the room behind her. “Can you do me a favor and relieve Lizzie of her burden in there? The kid just sprained his ankle; he needs a cold compress and a good wrap. Make sure you advise his mother on how to look after it.” The nurse nodded, and Sam made her way to the nurses’ station, dropping off the boy’s charts.

[MillietheWarrior]

He was her last patient for the day, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief.  Eugene had gone home an hour earlier, and she couldn’t wait to see him. They were supposed to go out for drinks with some of the guys and she planned to meet him at the bar. She’d grown fond of Eugene’s ‘military family,’ as he liked to call them, and had slowly been introduced to more and more of the men from his company until she knew who each one was by sight and name.

“Hey, Sam, um…thanks for entertaining me today.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Sam turned to see Lizzie edging in to stand next to her, for once looking subdued. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her; Sam just preferred silence when working, or at least, not so much prattle. Elizabeth Nixon was the sister of Lewis Nixon, one of Eugene’s captains. Lewis was also the best friend of the commanding officer of Easy, Dick Winters.

Sam had met both men, and she found Dick to be the more agreeable of the two; he was quiet, reserved, and very easy to get along with. And he secretly liked the cheesy romance movies she watched, so they had that in common. She’d even invited him over for a ‘shitty movie weekend’ with her, and he’d shown up with Lewis Nixon in tow. Lewis had eaten all her cheetohs, but besides that, she had a really nice time with the two and they’d become fairly good friends.

Shrugging, Sam flashed Lizzie a smile as she set the chart down. “No problem, Liz.” When the silence stretched on between them, Sam looked up from the last of her paperwork to see Lizzie staring at her with wide eyes, in a gaze that reminded her of lost puppies and her annoying ass brother, Lewis. Oh, God damn it, she wants something from me. “Uh…did you need something else?”

[MillietheWarrior]

“Well, I was just wondering if I could buy you dinner or something to show my appreciation.”

“Not to…sound rude…but I’m already in a committed relationship.”

Lizzie sputtered, and then burst into laughter as Sam grinned; she’d only been half serious. The last thing she needed was anyone harboring unnecessary crushes in the workplace. Well, besides Eugene of course.

“No, no. I mean, really. I want to say thank you. I know I can be a bit…much. Lewis tells me I talk too much, and I probably talked your damn ear off today. But I really appreciate you offering to mentor me as I work on my medical license and…Well, yeah. So if you weren’t busy, I’d totally love to buy you dinner.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Dinner sounded good. Food, actually, sounded good. But food always sounded good to Sam. She thought for a moment, and then decided that it couldn’t hurt to be friendly. “Well, I might take you up on that. I’m going out with my Soulmate and a bunch of men from his company. Your brother might even be there but I dunno; if you’d like to come, you could totally buy me dinner, but only if you let me buy you a drink.” Sam winked as Lizzie laughed. “Deal?”

“Sure, Sam! Sounds like a plan.”

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[MillietheWarrior]

The two women stepped into the Currahee Bar & Grill and were immediately assaulted by the smell of delicious food.

None of the men seemed to be here yet, or at least, none that Sam could see, and she’d texted Gene to let him know she was bringing a friend and would meet him at the bar. Neither nurse had changed out of their scrubs, not really worried about their appearance. They’d been in scrubs all day long, and had miraculously managed to keep them clean for once, so they figured they were as good as any other clothes.

“They aren’t here yet,” Sam informed Lizzie, glancing at the text on her phone that told her the guys were running a little late; she could practically feel Eugene’s exasperation in the words, and she smiled faintly, before sticking her phone back in her pocket. “So we might as well get a booth or somethin’. Come on.”

[MillietheWarrior]

She motioned for Lizzie to follow her, and the two women weaved their way through the already pretty sizeable crowd of servicemen and civilians alike. “Looks like the Marines have taken over the place,” Lizzie whispered in Sam’s ear with a giggle, dodging around a laughing soldier. “Is it always this crowded?”

“Not usually,” Sam admitted. They might have a hard time getting a booth, but she managed to spy one that hadn’t yet been taken over near the end of the bar. “Come on, hurry!”

[MillietheWarrior]

The two women quickly slid into the space, laughing as they plopped down on the smooth leather of the bench. “This was lucky,” Lizzie commented. “Any idea when the boys will be joining us?”

Sam was spared from answering as one of the regular waitresses, a nice young woman with dark hair who was often the one who took care of Easy company when they were customers, stepped towards their tables. “Hey Sam!” she greeted, and Sam nodded with a smile.

“Lena, how’s it goin’?”

[MillietheWarrior]

“It’s good,” Lena replied, flipping open her little notebook and cocking a hip. “So, you guys alone tonight? Or will the boys be joinin’ you? I take it you aren’t going to wait for them to get some food ordered; you look like you just got off a long shift.”

“It’s like you’re a psychic, Lena. I’m starving, and I know Lizzie is too. I’ll have a burger and fries, the usual. Coke, please.” She glanced at Lizzie as Lena wrote down the order quickly, and the woman nodded.

“I’ll take the same.”

[MillietheWarrior]

“Sounds good girls. Be back in a flash with your food. Cokes first?”

“Nah, just with the burgers. We can wait.”

“All right, be back soon.”

Sam and Lizzie watched her go, before Lizzie turned to Sam excitedly. “So, Lew tells me that this is where you and Eugene sorta had your first real date?”

“If you can call me running out on him after we danced a date, then yeah, sure.”

“You ran out on him?”

[MillietheWarrior]

“It’s a long story, Lizzie. But I-” Sam was spared from having to finish answering as their booth suddenly became a little more occupied than it had been before. Two men had slid in with them, one on each side, and effectively blocked them from escaping. Sam’s face instantly dropped into a scowl, and the man nearest to her cackled loudly.

“What’s with that face, darlin’? You’re gonna hurt ol’ Snafu’s feelin’s.”

“Oh, I didn’t know they let little girls into the Marines,” Sam replied, turning to face him and narrowing her eyes. “Why don’t the two of you beat it? We’re waiting for people to join us and you’re taking up their seats.”

[MillietheWarrior]

But the man, whose name was apparently Snafu—what the fuck kind of name was that? —just laughed and took a long drink from his half full cup of beer. “Nah, I think I like where we sittin’. What’s your name, darlin’?”

“None of your business.”

Lizzie was trying to hold in her giggles with her hand, but they were managing to escape, and the man next to her was grinning as well. He had bright red hair, and a boyish face that was spoiled by the intense look in his eyes.

[MillietheWarrior]

“Wow, ya’ll are mean,” the red-head commented. “But I guess it’s just ‘cuz we didn’t introduce ourselves.” He held out a hand for Lizzie to shake, and she took it with a tentative smile. “That idiot next to your friend there-” He pointed at a lazily grinning Snafu. “-is Merriell Shelton. Just call him Snafu. I’m Eugene Sledge. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Eugene,” Lizzie replied, looking smitten.