Margaret sat in a chair next to his bed and crossed her long elegant legs. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "To see you, of course."

"How did you know  I'd been injured?"

"Mother writes me once a week. She told me. Oh Nathan, there's so many of our friends we'll never see again."

"Like who?"  Nathan grew sad as Margaret sounded off  the names of twelve young men killed in action.  "No!  Not Mitchell and his cousin," Nathan said solemnly.

"Yes. This war can't end too soon for me," she said. They talked on for nearly an hour about the war and how it affected them personally. His eyes couldn't get enough of her. She was just as beautiful as when he'd first met her all those years ago. His face shone brightly with affection. Then he blurted something that even surprised him.

"Are you happy, Margaret?"

"Why, yes. I am." He lowered his eyes, looked up and faintly smiled.

"Tell me you're glad," she said. "It would mean so much to me."

"It would clear your conscience, you mean," he asserted. She leaned forward.

"I know I hurt you. I'm so sorry. Maybe it was to please my family at first, but I've grown to love my husband, and he's a good man and a good father." Nathan squirmed a little and tried not to show his true emotion.

"You have children?"

"Yes, three. Two boys and a girl." She took out photos of her children and handed them to him. She flashed a big smile as he looked at each one; she explained what they were doing in each picture, and who was on the other side of the camera. "Very nice. The girl is beautiful...like her mother."

"Thank you," she said. He handed her the photos. She placed them back in her purse and slowly looked up at him.

"Are you happy, Nathan?" He thought a few seconds. "Yes. Finally."

"I'm glad. I'm really glad." She stood. "Well, I have a long ride to the train station. I'll write your mother and the Korens if you'd like and tell them I saw you, and you looked fine."

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"Goodbye, Nathan." She bent and pressed her silky cheek against his bristle shadow. "Good bye," he said. As she walked away, he could swear her hips moved to the rhythm of his heart.

"Margaret!" She whirled around. "Yes."

I love you. I'll never stop loving you, he thought to say, but forced,
"Take care of yourself."

"I will." She turned and walked out of his life... again.

**************

Under the blanket of night, Nathan, in a daze, wandered off from the hospital and got lost in a fog. He had gotten only a few yards, when a blast knocked him to the ground. A stampede of horses with riders appeared out of the fog and trampled him under-foot, leaving him face-down, bleeding in the mud. He tried to move, but soon realized he was paralyzed from the waist down. He yelled as another group thundered by him.

"Stop! Stop! But the roar of the hooves muffled his cries. "Come back! Please!" The men and the horses disappeared into the thick black as quickly as they came. He lay struggling and dying in that horrid place. "Come back!"

"Nathan! Nathan!" He opened his eyes. Water, like beads, rolled down his face and his heart thumped rapidly. "I didn't mean to call you Nathan, Lieutenant, but you weren't answering and you were yelling and flailing your arms about. I couldn't get you to wake up."

She was one of the new nurses and she was beautiful. She had a tender gleam in her hazel eyes. She tucked a light brown lock of hair back under her tied nurses' cap. She bore a look that could calm any man in distress.

"It's okay; you can call me Nate," he said, shaking the nightmare out of his head.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. We're instructed to refer to officers by their title," she said through her small, pink lips.

"I won't tell if you don't," he said, smiling.

"Lieutenant I...I'm really not supposed to..."

"It'll be our little secret," he whispered. His sparkling blue eyes and dashing white grin sent a tingle through her. She shot up from the side of his bed.

"I...I have other duties and..."

"What's your name?"

"Grace."

"Don't go, Grace," he said grabbing and softly squeezing her hand.

"I have to leave, Lieutenant."

"Nate," he insisted.

"Lieutenant," she repeated sternly.

"Promise you'll come back?"

"There are other nurses, Sir."

"I'm not letting go until you promise," he teased.

"Really, Lieutenant." Seeing that he wouldn't let go. "Alright, I'll come back and see if you need anything; but only for a minute."

"Oh, I'll be needing something, honey; you can bet on that. But it's going to take a whole lot longer than a minute."

"What! OHH!" She pulled away letting his hand flop on the bed. He chuckled as she stormed away. He had sent a spark into untapped territory. Territory he intended to explore.

**************

Later that night, an hour before shift-change, Grace went into a back room to check on supplies, unaware that Nathan had slipped in behind her. His eyes swallowed up her five foot six frame, her hour-glass figure, and buttocks like melons. He eased the door shut and the click startled her.

"Oh! What are you doing here? You shouldn't be up. Only nurses are allowed back here."

"You lied," Nathan responded, his eyes taking in her round breasts as well.

"I'm sorry, but nurses are not here for your personal pleasure. There are soldiers here a lot sicker than you. And they need my attention," she said pressing the supply list to her chest.

"You're right. I apologize. But I don't see any sick soldiers back here," he said pretending to look around...his eyes darting back and forth.  Suddenly he stepped towards her.

"What are you doing? Let me by, Lieutenant!" The papers spilled to the floor. "Now you stop this. I mean it. I'll scream. Don't!"

Nathan's pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.  She pushed, but couldn't free herself from his strong embrace. He smothered her lips with his mouth. This was not the school-boy kisses she was used to.  He kissed her neck and throat as she squirmed to break free. He backed her against the wall and held her tightly against his erection - her heart pounded against his chest. He mashed her against the wall; his penis throbbed at the thought of having her virginity.

The smacking sound of his lips against hers filled the room. Their bodies became as  one shadow on the wall. Squeezing her buttocks, he inched her uniform up and slipped his hand into her panties. His fingers touching the soft feathery hairs seem  to trigger a reserved strength one usually can conjure up when in a life or death situation. 

Freeing herself from his grip, she stepped back - swung,  and left her entired hand print on the side of his face.  She panted heavily, her face, the color of a rose petal;  her hazel eyes appeared to have changed colors. Neither said a word as Grace caught her breath; she pulled her uniform down and straightened her cap. She picked up the papers and brushed by Nathan, leaving him standing in the room, alone.