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“I s-s-spose a fire ould be bad,” Jack says

“Not for the s-s-snipers”

“Nothing to burn anyway”

For a ti out a shallow depression, but the ain, rain that for but melts on contact with the soil to add to the soupiness of the mud

“Pigs in usted by the state of her own body and unifor not black with dirt on Jack is his red hair “We sh-sh-should sleep”

“G-g-o ahead, I’ll keep watch”

“Kinda doubt anyone is going to sneak up on us, Stafford; we’re in a minefield”

“Excellent point,” Jack concedes “You know,” he says in a lighter tone, “this could be quite romantic if you weren’t covered in filth and didn’t stink like one of my socks”

“You’re not exactly Prince Charhter

For a while they lie side by side on the ground, gazing up at falling rain or away toward bright yellow explosions and the deadly streaks of tracer rounds Both are freezing except for the places where their bodies meet

“Do you land?” Rio asks after a while

She feels his shrug “I’ve barely been there in years, aside fro stop But yes, I suppose I do”

“You could probably transfer to the British Army now”

“Trying to get rid of me?”

She doesn’t answer directly but says, “I miss home”