Eloise awoke to the sound of loud motors roaring overhead. She quickly shook herself upright and began to inspect her surroundings. It took her several seconds to realize where she was at—at the airfield. Her eyes roamed over to the nearby cot where Albert lay perfectly still. He held a blank stare upward, fixated on the white drapery above. She stood from the chair where she had been asleep; for how long, she did not know. The hours and the days as a nurse ran together, making it extremely difficult for her to keep up with.

She stretched her arms over her head while blood began to circulate back through her stiffened legs. Her hands smoothed out the wrinkles that were present from being seated. She soon neared Albert's bedside.

"I wondered when you were going to wake, Eloise." Albert spoke softly. "That chair must have been dreadfully uncomfortable to sleep on. I know I can hardly stand to sit in it to fill out my papers."

She felt a rush going to her cheeks. "I suppose when one is tired they can sleep anywhere."

He looked up at her with bright eyes. The color had returned to his face, which made her feel at ease. With a steady hand she helped him to sit up. She rested her hand onto his wrapped shoulder and began to examine the faint visual of blood staining the white fabric. Her fingers began to work diligently at un-bandaging and inspecting the wounds. His exposed chest left her feeling a slight bit of discomfort as she moved her arms around his back. Her fingers brushed along his bare skin as she began untying the white bandages, exposing a large bullet hole in his shoulder.

"How are you not dead?" She shockingly remarked, staring at the bloody exit wound vibrantly exposed on his pale skin. She touched the remaining scar on the back of his neck that she had healed months prior.

He shrugged, "Perhaps it is because of the wonderful nurse that brings life back into my body."

She shook her head, ignoring the comment. Beside the bed was a table of supplies. Steadily she found her roll of bandages and ointment before turning back to Albert.

"I wouldn't say that, Captain." She retorted, patting the injured area clean. "I would say that you have luck on your side."

"You've saved my life again, Eloise." Albert remarked, resting his hand atop of hers. "I can never repay you for what you have done."

"I didn't save you captain." She replied bluntly, slipping her hand away from his. "Your comrades saved you. General Beck saved you. I did nothing. You should not worry yourself about repayment. The only request I ask for you is to work toward keeping your well-being. Try not to get injured so often."

"One cannot help what happens to them," he paused with a shrug. "It isn't so bad when I get to have such a lovely nurse to help me onto my feet."

She gathered her water pail from nearby and retrieved the linen cloth from its rim. With the moistened rag she pressed it against his injuries and began to clean around them. They were cool to the touch, which calmed Eloise's fears of his previous fever. She took the paste made from yarrow and began to dob it onto the healing crevices. He winced as she placed the stinging cream against his wounds. Her eyes looked down upon him and gently smiled. She finished bandaging the wound as quickly as she could. Albert stared at her longingly, examining the awkward expression that was scattered along her face. She locked her eyes into the pools of blue that studied her every move carefully. Nervously, she brushed away the brown strand of hair that fell from the wrap around her head.

"What are you afraid of, Eloise?" Albert softly whispered to her, offering her a cunning smile.

Eloise felt her cheeks growing warm as she averted her eyes away from him, fixating her gaze onto the opposite wall. She placed the dirtied bandages into the large bowl and turned away from him. Ignoring his further advances, she returned the supplies to the table. She stood perfectly still beside the table with her back turned, acting as if she was busy with the few objects she had.

"Are you afraid of me?" He questioned calmly, leaning against the head of the bed.

Eloise reluctantly turned her gaze back onto Albert. His eyes remained locked on her. Her heart began to pound violently in her chest with every passing second that his stare lingered.

"No," she spoke quietly, glancing down at the ground. "I am not afraid of you. You have not given me any reason to fear you."

A smile crept onto his face, "I'm glad to know that. There is something I want to ask you?"

Eloise nodded in response, waiting patiently for him to speak again.

"May I kiss you?"

A blank stare came across her face, looking into the smiling eyes of Albert. "Sir?" the question slipped from her lips in confusion. "I think that your injuries are speaking for you."

Albert shook his head, "No, they aren't, Eloise." He softly whispered, reaching out for her hand. "I truly desire to kiss you."

Eloise dropped her head, hiding her blushing expression. She wiped her sweaty palms down the front of her white apron before looking back up at Albert.

"It wouldn't be professional of me, Captain." She remarked respectfully, returning to her chair. "You are my patient, not my lover."

Albert immediately became silent and looked back at the white roof above him. Eloise could see the embarrassment she had caused upon him as nestled himself back into the sheets of the bed. The silence befell within the tent. She gently closed her eyes and hoped she could drift back into sleep.

The quietness was soon cut short when the deep grumble of a man's voice sounded from the entrance. Eloise sharply turned around only to catch a glimpse of a sharp dressed gentleman in the shadows. Albert stared coldly at the stranger. He slowly entered and bowed respectfully to both Eloise and Albert before addressing them.

"I am General Otto Brunswick. I am here to carry important to Captain Albert von Brandt." He announced clearly, approaching the bedside of Albert. Eloise nodded and silently moved to the corner of the room debating on if she should stay or go. Before she could make her decision, Otto began speaking. "You have earned yourself a fine name, Captain." The general remarked. "That is why members of high command is offering you a position that will allow you to stay upon the ground."

"No." Albert replied shortly. The General's eyes grew wide at the quick response. "Forgive me sir, I did not mean to be short with you, but I simply cannot quit flying."

He raised his brow in confusion. "Did you hear me correctly, Captain? You can stay on the ground. Your life will not be at risk in the sky." He paused. "The position is for a man of your magnitude. All you have to do is go around Germany getting men to join in the fight for their Fatherland. There are young boys who read of your name in the papers and want to be like you. The commanders and I believe that with your name, we can receive many willing soldiers."

"My duty is in the air, General. I have a squadron of men who answer to me with great honor. It would break their hearts if I were to leave them. It would also be unfair on them as they continue to fight this war." He shook his head. "There is a great honor that comes with being a knight of the sky. Men are looking at me from the trenches and finding their courage through me. I cannot let them down. Being a pilot is my duty and I will not shirk from it."

"You're going to die with a mindset like that, Captain."

Albert shrugged. "We are all going to die someday, our day is already set. If death so chooses to find me in my aircraft, then so be it." He nodded proudly. "at least I will have died with honor. Luring young men into fighting a war is not what I call dignified. I will gladly take my chances on air combat."

The talk of death left her feeling uncomfortable. She tried to ignore their words but they echoed too loudly. In a matter of minutes, she quietly slipped out of the tent, leaving them within. The sunlight kissed her skin, making her feel again. She looked around the airfield hoping to find a location she could escape to. Her desires of disappearing were cut short as a group of young men leisurely strolled beside her and gawked childishly. She quickly wrapped her arms over her chest and began walking down the dirt path, hoping they would not follow.

Eloise leisurely strolled beside the open tents of the air field. Men gathered around planes laughing and conversing chipperly. Abruptly, she stopped beside a large tent. Her eyes couldn't help but to peer inside at the incredible plane that remained inside. A single man sat at the entrance with a motor hung upon a triangular shaped mechanism. Eloise watched him as he intently studied each part. Before she could glance away he looked up at her. Quickly, she locked her eyes back onto the ground and continued walking.

"Miss!" the man called out gracefully.

Eloise halted immediately in fear of what he could say. Clasping the book tightly in her hand, she reluctantly turned around to face the gentleman. He leaned against the door of the barn, resting his hands gently in the pockets of his dirtied pants.

"Yes, sir?" she replied meekly, swallowing the nervous lump that formed in the back of her throat.

He waved for her to approach him. The expression on his face didn't remind her of anger rather a man looking for a friend. Hesitantly she began to stroll to his location. An awkward silence fell between them as they stood beside the large plane engine. The great size and detail impressed Eloise, who began studying it carefully.

"Do you like planes?" He asked conversationally, returning to the stool where he once sat. He lightly patted the heavy metal object, causing it to slightly swing on the large rope.

Eloise lightly shrugged. "I suppose, sir."

She looked up at the man. He was unfamiliar to her. She had only saw him twice, once in passing and the other in the present. His brown hair was cut closely against his head. Blue eyes fixated on the engine while his grease covered hands worked diligently against the parts. Smears of black was along his tanned, square face.

"Moritz." He remarked informatively. "Moritz Zimmermann is my name." He glanced up at her with a half-grin. "So, you are the Eloise that we hear so much about?" he inspected her stature carefully. "When Albert returned you were all he talked about. He truly admires your work," he cocked his head to the side and smiled, flashing a set of perfect teeth. "and if you know him well-enough as I do, he probably admires you as a woman as well. I am not the one to judge on that, though."

She hugged her arms around her chest, longing for a sense of security. Her face felt as if it was burning off. "Thank you, sir." She kept her answer simple, unsure of how to respond to his remark.

He let out a light-hearted laugh before rising to meet her. "I believe that I have overstepped my boundary and made you feel a little bit nervous. My fiancé tells me that my mouth will get me will get in trouble one day. I never know when to stop talking."

Eloise remained silent as Moritz continued talking. Suddenly his face lit up with a smile, leaving her to guess what was going through his eccentric mind. He waved Eloise to near him. Reluctantly, she stepped closer to him. Without notice, he entwined his arm with hers and began to walk toward the tent.

"Albert mentioned how you liked to read," spoke Moritz with a wide grin. "I figured that you might want to look at my collection of books. The rest of the men call me the travelling library." He cheerfully said, leading Eloise inside his tent. "My mother knows how much I appreciate reading so she sends me a book whenever she can. I like to let the other men borrow my books and read. I feel that there is no greater escape from reality than when one can read a book."

Off to the side and out of the way was a dark wooden box. The outside was heavily worn from travelling under rough conditions. Moritz carefully lifted it from the ground and removed the lid. A beautiful row of colorful ends was now exposed. Eloise trailed her fingers lightly over the spines, remembering the library her mother once had when she was a child. If she closed her eyes she was no longer in a tent at an airfield, she was in the warm room surrounded by the smell of cinnamon and books. The sound of her mother's reading voice echoed in her mind. She wished more than anything to hear it again.

"Take your pick at what you would like to read." His voice brought her back to the reality. She looked over at him as he motioned proudly at his selection of reading material. "I know that you must be lonely here, especially since Albert is your only company. He can be quite the bore on occasion."

She laughed at his comment. "He is not that bad, I suppose. He has interesting stories to tell when he does feel like talking."

Her eyes scanned over the golden titles showing on the sides. The names of Defoe, Dickens and Shakespeare stood out against the array of colors. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine a man like Moritz to show up with the thing she needed the most—an escape. Books were her only form of escape, just as he had mentioned to her. In some world he was just as she was, trying to find an answer in the war. He was the encouragement she needed to carry through with her nursing duties, and he was unaware of it.

Eloise pulled up a black book from the selection and held it gently in her hands. Her gazed fixated on the battered cover—Romeo and Juliet. She recollected her mother's favorite piece and she now held it before her. Thoughts from years ago was resurfaced. Wounds of the past had reopened and she ached inside. She felt feelings she thought she could never experience again.

"I would like to read this one, if that is alright with you?" She asked shyly.

"Absolutely. That is a good selection." He answered kindly. "It is one of my mother's favorites."

She took a deep breath and smiled. It was nice to see the love of a mother for their child. "It was my mother's favorite as well. She would read scenes from it to me when I was a child. After she died, I never picked it up again. I didn't think that I could bear to read the words again, but something is beckoning me to do so. I feel peace for the first time in years."

A pleased expression came onto his face. "I think that it is a miracle that we crossed paths." He responded, looking down at her trembling hands. "I am no a person to be afraid of; I am a person you can call a friend. If you need of anything during your stay here, I will be glad to assist you, miss."

Eloise could not help but to smile at her new comrade. "Thank you, Moritz." She glanced down at the book in her hand. "I also want to thank you for this. I really needed it. I will return it to you as soon as I am finished."

He waved his hand at her and sighed. "Never mind that. Take your time and enjoy it." He smiled at her once again with a wide grin. "I really should return to my engine. It isn't going to fix itself." As Eloise turned to leave she was caught by Moritz's voice again. "Do come back and see me. I think we could become nice friends."

She offered him a smile and left the tent, feeling better than when she had gone in. A friend, she thought, was something that she had longed for months and she was finally finding one...