The rain streamed down the windows of my parent's silver car, as it sped down the highway. I was on my way to a hospital that housed wounded soldiers from World War II. The war still raging, they were in desperate need of nurses to care for these soldiers. If you showed any kind of promise or interest, you were accepted, that is just exactly how desperate they were. My father was a doctor and so I knew quite a bit about the medical field, he had been teaching me things since I was about ten. "Are you sure you want to do this darling? You don't have to," my mother said turning in her seat to face me.

I nodded, "Yes mama I'm sure. I want to do this. I can't just sit by and not help. I'll be fine I promise."

"We're almost there now, just around this corner is the turn-off to the driveway," my father's deep voice was full of emotion, of pride.

I touched my mother's arm for reassurance, " Everything is going to be fine mum. I promise. I will write as often as I can. There is no phone here, so writing will be our only communication. But I assure you, everything will be ok. This is something that I need to do."

My mother tensed when she heard that there was no phone, for means of communication. My father placed his arm around her for comfort. The car wound down the long enclosed driveway, trees and pathways and bushes and plants lined either side, it was already more beautiful than I expected. Finally there was a break in the trees, and a large stone building came into view. It was a amazingly immaculate building. I could see some of the men sitting by the windows just looking out into the courtyard, probably pray for the rain to stop, or maybe they were seeing beyond the walls and the trees to something far away. The car came to a slow stop just in front of the front stairs. A tall African American woman in a nurses uniform stood on the porch waiting, umbrella in hand she descended the stairs towards the car to greet us. She had a beautiful face, her skin was smooth and clear, she had deep chestnut eyes and she couldn't have been more than thirty years old. I stepped out of the car and ducked under the umbrella. "Hello. I'm Sister Grant. Welcome to ."

"Thank you. I'm Haylie Luciano. Glad to meet you," I said extending my hand and offering a smile.

Sister Grant shook my hand. I felt extremely small standing next to her, as compared to standing next to my mother. I was short standing only five foot and two inches. I was slim weighing in at around 100 pounds, my skin was pale, smooth, and flawless. I had small full lips and perfect teeth. My eyes a deep brown, my hair was straight, occasionally it had a slip wave and came just to my shoulder blades. I looked a great deal like my mother, but I had my fathers personality. I could have been my mothers twin had she not looked so much older than I. Sister Grant on the other hand had to be at least five foot eight inches. I wasn't used to women being this tall. All the women in my family were short like my mother and I. "Hello Sister Grant, I'm Haylie's father Paul Luciano and this is my wife Marie," My father extended his hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you Dr. and Mrs. Luciano."

My mother merely inclined her head towards Sister Grant in greeting, I could see the tears dwelling in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her small figure in a tight reassuring hug. "You can come visit on weekends during the day. Mum everything is going to be fine. I'm really not that far away. Just an hour or so. I'll write everyday if that will make you feel better."

She nodded and released me to steal away to the car in tears. I sighed and turned to my father, who was getting my bags out of the trunk of the car. He paused after placing my bags on the porch. "Good luck darling. I know you'll be fine. Don't worry about your mother, she will be fine too," he said pulling me into a hug.

"Bye daddy. Have a safe trip back, tell mum I love her."

I turned to watch my parents drive off, back up the winding driveway towards town. "Shall we?" Sister Grant said grabbing one of my bags and gesturing towards the front doors.

"Yes, let's go." I nodded and snatched up my other bag and followed Sister Grant into the front room.

"Now, since you're being assigned just one patient, you'll be staying on the same floor with him. He is on the third floor, the entire floor is his, and now yours as well. He needs more care than the others around here. He is in a wheelchair. He is quite delightful once you get to know him. Just twenty years old, very handsome he is. You couldn't ask for a better patient." She explained the situation as we walked up the massive staircase.

If he was so fantastic, why didn't she keep working with him? I wanted to ask, but I feared the answer. "Forgive me, Sister, but if you are so fond of him why don't you place me with someone else and you keep working with him?"

"Oh my dear I would never dream of placing you with any of the others around here. They are much more difficult than Toby. I would never want you to go through that darling."

I said nothing, I just nodded. All of our chatting had made the hike up the stairs seem insignificant, I'm sure it wouldn't be that way when I walked them tomorrow. She lead me down the dark paneled hallway of the third floor. We stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall on the right. The door creaked opened to reveal a small room with a single bed, the head board against the wall directly to the left of the opened door. On either side of the bed were bedside tables, against the right wall was a large oak armor and dresser. Against the wall opposite the armor and dresser was a small desk and chair, and against the back wall were three large windows and a large chair in the left corner by the window. "You can get settled in later. Let's go introduce you to Toby and things like that," Sister Grant said with a smile and placed my bag on the bed.

I placed my other bag on the bed and followed her out of the room. We walked two doors back up the hallway and faced the left wall. All the doors in this old house must creek because this one did too. I with held a gasp, but it was difficult. There he was at the far end of the room by the windows. Though he was sitting I could tell that he was tall and thin, yet muscular at the same time. His skin was pale, and flawless and he had very distinct bone structure. He had brownish blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was gorgeous, she wasn't lying about that. "Toby, I have someone I'd like you to meet," Sister Grant said shutting the door behind us. "This is Haylie. She will be your new aid. Anything you need, she can take care of for you."

He wheeled his way over to us, eying me the entire way. "Hello Haylie, it's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted me extending his hand.

I shook his hand and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Mr. Jugg."

He laughed. "Please call me, Toby. Mr. Jugg is my father."

I nodded. Sister Grant smiled. "I think you two will get along just fine. Now I must be going to attend to the kitchen duties and things like that. Why don't the two of you get to know each other. Toby could help you get settled in your room."

"Of course. I don't mind helping," he said with a smile as he wheeled his way to the door.

I followed out into the hall. Sister Grant left us there. "My room is just down here on the right." I said gesturing towards my door.

He reached it before me and held it open for me. I walked in and Toby followed closing the door behind us. I turned to my bags on the bed and sighed. "I hate un-packing," I complained.

He chuckled. "I'll help. It'll go quicker that way. So, tell me, how old are you?" He asked.

"Nineteen. You? Oh wait, Sister Grant told me you were twenty I believe."

"Yes I am. What made you decide to come here?"

"Well it's difficult. For one thing, I wanted to help, to make a difference, even if it was a minor one. But also I needed to get out of my house. My mother, she really isn't well, mentally… her and my father fight all the time. He has a bad temper, and she is always yelling at him for not being at home. He is a doctor, and on call almost all the time, especially with the war. I just….needed to get out." I explained briefly.

"I understand. You don't have to talk about that anymore. Just tell me about yourself." His voice was smooth and calming.

We talked for hours or rather I talked for hours, he listened, commented every now and again. Before we knew it all of my things were put away and we were sitting by the windows looking out at the rain pounding the windows. "So why don't you tell me about you," I said to him with a warm smile.

"What would you like to know?" He asked, his tone had changed, he seemed hesitant.

"Anything you are willing to tell me. We're going to be spending an enormous amount of time together," I winked and continued. "so we may as well know as much about each other as possible."

Hesitantly he told me his story, joining the force so early, the bombing, even of the terrible nightmares that plagued him in the middle of the night. Suddenly we were in the dark. "What happened?" I asked my voice breaking slightly.

"Blackout. It must be seven. The lights go off at seven every evening. They must've forgot to mention that to you. Hand me the candle beside you," he said holding his hand out.

I placed the white candle in his pale hand. He lit a match with his other and touched the burning tip to the wick. Light flickered across the room, I watched the match burning in his long, pale, thin fingers. He had beautiful hands. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. He let the match burn down and then placed it in the ash tray on his lap. "You have beautiful eyes," he said locking his eyes with mine.

The blood flowed to my cheeks, they turned hot and I could feel them grow redder by the second. "Thank you. You do as well," I admitted, holding his gaze.

"Thank you. Are you involved with anyone?"

"Um." I paused. Was this appropriate? Could I get in trouble? I was already in too deep just by the conversation alone. Should I continue? Of course I should. Why shouldn't I be happy?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…I didn't mean to pry," he apologized.

"No, no it's alright. No I am not involved with anyone. When and if I marry I want it to be for love, and nothing else."

"That's a fair demand." He agreed.

"Well I suppose we should get you back to your room and into bed. Yes?"

He sighed. "I suppose so. Would you mind staying until I fell asleep?"

"Not at all," I smiled and stood walking behind he chair to push him.

I helped him change, and go to the bathroom before I helped him into his bed. Then I tucked the sheet and covers in around him. I pulled the chair from the corner by the window to the side of his bed, blew out the candle and sat there until he fell asleep. When I was sure he was fast asleep, I stood and walked down the hall to my room. I was exhausted and a good nights sleep would do me some good. I haven't had a decent nights sleep in weeks and I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow. I changed into black silk night gown and crawled into bed. I was asleep in no time.

The next few weeks passed quickly as Sister Grant showed me the ropes around the rest of the house. I now knew everyone by name and Toby and I had become very close. We were seemingly inseparable and everyone seemed to notice. Toby didn't seem to mind. He often mentioned that he hasn't felt so comfortable and whole in quite sometime. I wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but I was pleased that I could help.