The motor car traveled down the bumpy road, scattered with holes made from heavy blasts. She looked out across the barren land that had seen drastic scenes of war. The desolate horizon offered no kindness only sadness and remorse. She could see the remnants of small cottages and farmhouses all along the distance. Where trees were once located was now an entangled sight of carnage. She assumed that the passing village was once a peaceful town, but it had been drastically wrung by the hands of war.

The light puttering of the car muffled the sound of Bartram who was sleeping beside her. Her eyes locked onto his resting form and began to study his poised appearance. She was tired as well, but she could not force herself to sleep. The nerves that coursed through her entire body made doing any task difficult. Her mind was not there with her, it was elsewhere with Albert.

The vehicle hit a large hole in the dirt road, jostling Bartram awake. "Beautiful land we're travelling, isn't it?" He remarked sarcastically, readjusting his seated position.

"I would say it was once beautiful but," Eloise paused and glanced back out of the window. "There is nothing left of it."

"The war swept through here several months ago, mangling up what used to be a lovely place." Bartram informed, pulling out his pocket watch. "As long as this war is going on, rebuilding the village would be in vain. I can't blame the remaining people for leaving." He clicked open the flap and observed the numbers. "We should be arriving at any minute now." He tucked it back into his pocket and stared out of the window.

The continued riding in silence. Neither had anything to say that the silence didn't speak for them. Eloise wondered what was going through his mind, just as she assumed he done the same. She placed her eyes back onto him, never fully noticing how poised he was. She had only saw him wearing white apron clothing, usually stained red with blood. He was decked in a sharp gray uniform tailored to his large frame. The hat that rested upon his head covered his graying hair. His bushy black mustache met peppery whiskers that poked from his face.

"Sir?" Eloise asked in the silence.

He looked over at her with concern. "What is it?"

"You and I have been working together for quite some time now." She spoke slowly, turning to face him better. "You have shown me everything you know and most graciously taught me your ways, but I know nothing about you."

His stare exited back to the window. "What is there to tell?"

"How old are you?" She forwardly questioned. "What about your family? How long have you been a medical general? There are so many things to tell."

"I am a forty-nine-year-old bachelor, with no family and no interests." He answered, locking eyes with her. "I married my military career at eighteen. I began my training as a doctor on my twenty-forth year and ever since then I have never known anything else." He shook his head sorrowfully. "There are times I wish I would have married and named children for me, but it wasn't meant for me."

"You still have time, sir." Eloise reassured him, patting him on the knee. "If you want that in your life, go and get it."

He forced a smile onto his thin lips. "Maybe I will, Eloise." He placed his glove-covered hand over hers securely. "What about you? I know you were the one who found the captain the first time. How did you manage to save him?"

"You will laugh at me when I tell you." She began humorously, biting her bottom lip.

"I won't laugh," He crossed his hand over his chest. "I promise."

"I lived with a witch-woman who taught me the ways of the woods." She answered honestly, wondering how she must sound to him. "I used what I knew about the herbs and tried them. I didn't know if they would work. I had never done anything like that before, only when Delphine wasn't well."

He shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you are only twenty-one. You know so much and have so much potential." He squeezed her hand in his. "I am glad you have come into my company."

Eloise quickly pulled her hand away from him, thinking their conversations had finally gone to far. She regretted bringing up the questions, fearing that she may have influenced him wrongly in a direction that she did not intend going.

Bartram straightened himself, maintain the classiness he had had once before. They both stared out of the window while the familiar silence silence fell between them once again. As the road began to incline, Eloise began to wander where they were actually going. Airfields on a hill was a strange concept she thought, but she ignored the idea and continued watching the green land pass beside her. It had been the only greenery she had seen for miles and it was calming to her. It reminded her of the home she had left behind. The clear blue sky hung peacefully over the hill, with the sunlight shining brightly into the cab. Its warmth kissed her flustered cheeks.

In the distance a grouping of white flowers caught her attention. It was a plant she was all too familiar with, knowing what it was capable of—healing. Her mind began racing with the memory of when she first found Albert, recalling the aid she had given him then. It was that flower in the distance that healed his wounds. It was the flower that saved his life.

"Sir," Eloise quickly said, patting the driver on the arm. He glanced back at her with concern, as did Bartram. "I need you to stop the motor car."

"Are you alright, Eloise?" Bartram asked with concern.

Eloise ignored the question as she leaned closer to the driver. "I need you to stop the motor car, sir."

As the vehicle came to a complete halt, Bartram slapped his hand against the door with a loud thud. "I demand to know what you are doing." His words were stern. "We have a situation to attend to and you are halting the journey. Tell me what is wrong."

She pointed from the window at the flowers in the field. "I need to harvest some of those flowers." She paused to reluctantly look back at Bartram. "I do believe that we can use them to help the captain."

"We haven't the time for this, Eloise. What in the heavens could a flower do?"

"It is known as katzenkrat (yarrow). It can be used to stop bleeding and to reduce fevers." She informed. "I have used it plenty before when I lived in the woods. It was what I used when I nursed the captain in the woods. I find it to work quite well on certain problems. I feel that it might be a good asset to have on hand."

Bartram let out a disgruntled sigh, thinking to himself. He carefully scanned the area outside before nodding. "Be quick. We mustn't waste any time. There could be enemies nearby so you must keep an eye out for them."

Eloise nodded and immediately opened the door. With careful steps she made her way to the field. She looked out along the greenery scattered with the white flowers. As a light breeze began to blow, the small daisy-like flower tops resembled clouds in the air, swaying softly sideways. It was the first place within miles that held a glimmer of life. She hurriedly stepped through the knee-high grasses until she neared the delicate flowers. With a gentle hand she began pulling the plants from the stem, taking with it the wiry roots and the fluffy leaves. Once she had gathered her apron full of the flower, she quickly erected herself. Upon the hillside she could overlook the barren lands in the distance. The rush of war had stripped the graceful land of its beauty, leaving it with nothing but desolation.

The horn from the motor car blared behind her, causing her to come back to reality. She glanced back one last time before sharply turning to leave. She returned to the vehicle in silence. She watched as the green field disappeared from view. A saddened feeling began to swamp her heart. She missed seeing the beauties that nature had to offer. She looked down at the flowers that she had within her possession. Her long fingers ran against the soft leaves. She closed her eyes and imagined she was back in her cottage without a war raging around her. She imagined the peace she once had in the woods. When she opened her eyes, she was not there in her long-forgotten home—instead she was with a cold military general and the world outside was completely broken.

The bumpy road began to become smoother with every passing minute. Before Eloise could think about nearing the airfield, large white tents immediately became visible. She knew then that they had almost arrived to their destination. She could see planes rolling along the open field. Men scattered the area, watching the motor car carefully as it came onto the field. Eloise could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest when the vehicle came to a complete stop.

Her eyes scanned the new area as she waited patiently. The large tents were wide, housing the precious aircrafts. Eloise overlooked the new sight in awe, never witnessing such scenes in her life. A man appeared at her right and opened her door. Another stranger performed the same action for General Beck. As Eloise gracefully stepped from the care, she offered the stranger a gracious nod before moving to Bartram's side.

"I am Lieutenant Gunter Fischer." The uniformed man informed. He waved them in a direction and they began walking. "I am pleased to see that you came. Our captain is not very well."

They hurriedly paced down the dirt path, trailing the lieutenant closely. Eloise scanned the tents that she passed, overlooking the new scenery she had never witnessed. The eyes of the men remained locked on her as she passed them. She refused to give them anymore attention than she had to, fearing that wrong impressions could easily be made.

They abruptly halted in front of the largest tent and waited for Gunter to open the flaps. He waved his hand inside, motioning for them to enter before him. The heat from the inside hit them as they enter into the area. Eloise scanned the dimly lit tent until she saw the shadow of Albert in the corner. They immediately neared him, prepping themselves on what they could possibly find on the bed.

Laying before her motionless in a rickety cot was Albert. She could see the sweat beading on his reddened forehead. He trembled beneath the brown woolen blanket that covered him. His hands grasped at its battered edge, clutching the cloth tightly in his fist until his knuckles turned white. He squinted open his eyes but quickly retreated back once the light pierced his dilatated eyes. Eloise could see the pain written along his face as he trembled below her

"How long has he been like this?" Bartram asked inquisitively, peering up at Gunter who approached them.

"For the entire evening and most of the morning." Gunter informed as he onlooked his commander and friend. The hurtful look in his green eyes broke Eloise's heart, knowing that he was truly broken about Albert's condition. "We have tried to keep the bleeding down and keep him warm. I do believe that we have got him in stable condition as of now."

She locked eyes with Bartram who stood at her right. He nodded to her before moving to the opposite side of the bed where he began to remove his supplies from his satchel. Instinctually, Eloise rested her hand gently against Albert's forehead, running her fingers against his freshly trimmed hair. He forced his eyes open to look up at her.

"You came." He hoarsely mumbled beneath his breath.

She offered him a reassuring smile as she stroked his head. "Of course, I came."

He instantly shut his eyes tightly, falling back into the position he was in before. Her eyes went back to Bartram who had begun inspecting Albert's body for injury. He stripped him of his blood-soaked shirt, exposing his chest covered with fresh wounds. Large pieces of wooden shrapnel lined his chest, while two fresh bullet holes adorned his milky white skin. Eloise's eyes grew wide at the sight of his bloody chest. She wondered how he had managed to survive with such injures. Bartram quickly glanced up at Eloise and shook his head. She felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach at that moment, fearing the worst was going to happen.

Bartram sat his bag onto a nearby table and began pulling out the instruments needed for his operation. With his utensils lined up, he pointed to Eloise and instructed, "I need you to fetch a pan of water along with some fresh linens." Eloise nodded and began to leave when he spoke again, "Also, bring a pan to place the shrapnel into. Do hurry, Eloise."

Without hesitation, Eloise went into action. Rushing through the tent in search of her things. She rummaged through stacks and boxes of objects until she found the requested items. Beside the tent flap was a bucket filled with water that she took back inside with her. When she returned he had already begun extracting the visible pieces of wood. She quickly rushed to his side and began assisting him.

She found a handkerchief lying nearby and doused it into the bucket of water. Without hesitation, she wrung out the excess and placed it against his perspiring forehead. He let out a steady breath at the cooling touch. She watched in fear as Bartram pulled out the remaining pieces, waiting in angst to see which one would do Albert in. She would hurriedly place cloths onto the bleeding wounds in hopes to cease the blood flow.

She looked over at the white porcelain bowl filled with sharp wooden pieces. It had become stained red with Albert's blood. They paused when it came to inspecting the bullet wounds. Eloise began to study the torn flesh fresh with blood. She dipped her cloth into the water and began to clean around it, wiping away the crimson liquid. He winced in pain as she pressed into his side. Once she had cleaned the wound thoroughly, Bartram disinfected it. He instantly began his work at digging the bullet out, paying close attention to what he done to Albert. Eloise took Albert by the hand. He squeezed it tightly as Bartram dug into his wound. In a matter of minutes, Bartram pulled a long shell from the hole.

"He is one lucky man." he dropped the metal shell into the bowl with a clank. "That would have killed a normal man. Luckily it missed his organs."

Eloise glanced down at him and stroked his cheek. He fluttered his eyes open to see her but he could not force them to stay open. His pain was too great. Eloise took the fresh roll of bandages from Bartram and they began to work together at wrapping it around his midsection, covering the open wounds.

"There is another wound on the back of his neck." Bartram informed and gently rolled him onto his side. He pointed to an injury made from a bullet grazing his skin. "This is close to his spine. If the bullet is still in there, I don't think we should take it out." He began to inspect it carefully before pulling away. "I believe that it is only a graze. We will clean it and then stitch it. Hopefully that will suffice."

Eloise nodded and began to do the same actions as she had done on the previous wound. With a soft, caring touch she washed the deep graze and disinfected it. Once she completed the process, Bartram began his stitching work. Eloise watched with empathy as he slid the long needle through his skin, tightening the large hole that lined his skin. She could see the furrow of pain along Albert's face, knowing that he was in great pain. She stroked his face reassuringly and began to hum a kind tune in his ear. For a moment the tensions were eased in the tent.

Within a matter of minutes, Bartram had successfully sealed the large wound and overlooked his work. His face was filled with satisfaction.

"We will wait now and see what shall come of the captain." Bartram spoke as he left the tent, leaving Eloise alone with Albert.

She looked down onto him with pity. The sadness she felt for him ached her from the inside. The thought of him dying in her presence broke her heart; it was a thought she could not ponder—she refused to think about it. She pulled a chair up to his side and sat down beside him, watching for his chest to rise and fall. There was nothing left she could do but wait and pray. With desperation she folded her hands and bowed over his still body.

"Dear Lord, if you can hear me," Eloise began, staring at his face. "I know that my communications with you are very rare, but I cannot heal this man alone. I have no powers left within me to restore his health. I need you to please heal the captain. Don't let him die here, not like this. He doesn't deserve this end, Lord. He is a good man. Only you can heal his wounds." She paused her pleading and took a deep breath. "I will not claim his death, I will only claim life. Amen."

Just as she finished her meek prayer, Bartram returned and began to inspect Albert once again. With the discouraged face Bartram held, Eloise knew that Albert's state was not well. The mixed emotions she felt made a sick feeling begin to spiral deep within in her stomach.

"His fever isn't breaking." Bartram remarked with concern, pressing his hand on Albert's forehead. "I fear that infection could be setting up in his body." Eloise watched him carefully as he dropped his head—the look that she always dreaded to see. He folded the quilts up around his body and replaced the cool rag against his forehead. "I believe that you should try your magic plants now." he paused glancing up momentarily. "Other than giving him up for dead, that is the only other option I have."

Eloise pressed her hand against his cheek, feeling the heat that radiated from his sweating body. She thought back to the previous time she had doctored Albert. Recalling the first nights she was with him, she remembered the yarrow tea she had brewed and how it made his fever subside; but she was no longer in her wooded domain...

"I can try, sir." She answered looking down at Albert. She glanced over at Gunter who remained nearby and instructed, "I would like for you to put a pot of water on to boil. I am going to make a tea for your captain."

He nodded and left momentarily. He soon returned with a tea kettle of water and placed it onto the wood stove nearby. Eloise offered him a kind smile as she approached the area. The two men left her alone as she started her old familiar remedy, hoping that it would help Albert. She watched with desperation as the water slowly began to reach a boil, bursting the bubbles within. She reached into her pockets and retrieved the herb, dropping the plant into the water. What was once a clear liquid soon turned into a honey-toned color, alerting her that the brew was complete. She scavenged around the room until she found a metal wire that she used as a strainer and strained the tea into a silver tin cup.

She approached Albert's bed and placed the cup onto the nearby table. She eased down onto the hard wicker chair, reminding her of the previous time she had spent with Albert. She lightly jolted him to make him wake. Once he looked up at her, she aided him with sitting upright and began to help him to sip the warm liquid. He scrunched his face up once it touched his dry lips.

"That is a taste I didn't miss." He hoarsely remarked, staring up at Eloise with red eyes.

She pressed the cup against his lips again. "But it will help you, Captain."