(No need to record anything for The Scientist. Just pause where their lines would be.)

(The sound of cold wind and whack, whack, whack. We hear the Soldier humming to themself.)

SCIENTIST: Careful you don’t break any eggs.

(The Soldier whacks themself in the thumb.)

SOLDIER: OW! Jesus Christ, Doc, what have I told you about sneaking up on me?

SCIENTIST: Sorry. I’m just looking out for the safety of the eggs among us.

SOLDIER: Well, we’re gonna steal ‘em no matter what, so looks like you need to do a better job of that.
(They suck on their thumb for a second.)
God, my thumb. I swear you do this
on purpose.

SCIENTIST: (innocently) Me? Scare you on purpose? Would I ever?

SOLDIER: You and the Kid both. Have you seen them, by the way? I think they've been fooling around in the woods all day.

(Beat. Whack.)
I told them to coil up the fence wire for the season. Once it snows we’re going to have a real time of digging it out.
(Beat. Whack.)
I told the Archivist -- I can feel it, you know. Snow’s coming. Feel
it in my hands. Five inches, maybe more.
(Beat. Whack.)

SCIENTIST: Your hands must be freezing. Don’t you have gloves?

SOLDIER: Ah, I wore ‘em through last winter, remember? It’s fine, I’ll make do.

SCIENTIST: Or you could wear these.

(They toss the Soldier a pair of gloves.)

SOLDIER: Doc. Where’d you get -- did you make these?

SCIENTIST: You know that coat the Kid grew out of? Voila. (proudly) They have a layer of foil for insulation, too. Try them on!

SOLDIER: Oh, they’re warm. (Beat. Suspiciously:) This isn’t some sort of passive aggressive hint, is it?

SCIENTIST: What hint?

SOLDIER: That I should have made a scavenger trip to the city before it got properly cold?

SCIENTIST: (grinning) Sarge, I’m not that cryptic.

SOLDIER: Mm. Sure you’re not. (beat) Thanks for these. I owe you one.

(This is a story The Soldier tells The Archivist and Traveler partway through a difficult journey home. We pick up when The Traveler starts listening, but The Soldier has already told The Archivist part of the story. Again, just pause for other characters' lines)

SOLDIER: Don’t hold your breath. I told the Archivist and I’ll tell you – this isn’t a happy story. But it’s a true story. And you’re welcome to leave if you don’t want to hear it.

TRAVELER: I want to hear your story, Sarge. Even if it’s... I want to hear it.

SOLDIER: So. I’d left five of my fellow soldiers at an ambush in town and headed towards base camp for reinforcements.

TRAVELER: Wait, what?

ARCHIVIST: Shhh... I’ll play you the beginning later. Just listen.

SOLDIER: I almost yelled at my commanding officer to assemble a rescue mission and I was about to turn around and go straight back after them when I was shouted down. Told not even think about setting foot outside camp.

ARCHIVIST: What?

SOLDIER: Said it was too dangerous now that the sun went down. No visibility. And the temperature drops. Said we’d sent in a team as soon as the sun came up.

TRAVELER: With your friends in a... an ambush... situation?

SOLDIER: I didn’t understand, I didn’t care that it was dangerous for us. That seemed – we were soldiers! Our team was in danger. In real, immediate danger and it was nonsense to use “too dangerous” as an excuse. But it was an order. And I never... I never once thought of disobeying an order.

ARCHIVIST: So what did you do instead?

SOLDIER: We gathered a rescue team. And prepared to go out the next morning. But we knew…when the commander said to wait for sun up. Hell, I might have known the second I turned around to get help.

TRAVELER: Wait, but... so how did you save them?

(Pause.)

ARCHIVIST: Oh.

SOLDIER: We didn’t even get to town before we got word. The worst part was... they had us talk to the families. When we came back home. And this – this is what I wanted you to know. Not that people die. You know that. We all know that. Maybe you even know what it’s like to feel guilty about people dying. But talking to someone’s family? Someone who wants to know how it happened? How their loved ones died? “Did you do everything you could?” And you have to look them in the eye and think, “maybe if I did better they’d still be alive.”