Kandahar, Afghanistan - Present Day

She took a deep breath, readying herself for the heat wave that pummeled her out the door of the plane. Turning to the woman at her side, while putting on her sunglasses, she spoke, "Don't tell me it's like this everyday Gwen."

"No ma'am." The redhead stared straight ahead, trying to keep her face straight. "Some days it's hotter."

"Wonderful."

"Major Smith." She turned toward the gray haired man coming toward her. They saluted one another before embracing. "It's good to see you Anna."

"And you General Crawley." Anna stepped back, "Though your wife asks that you kindly remember that video-chat works both ways."

"I'm sure she does." He opened his hand toward the building, "This way."

They weaved between the makeshift cubicles and tables of cables and computers toward a courtyard formed by the placement of the metal buildings. General Crawley ducked them into another building and opened his arms to it. "Welcome to your base of operations."

"What kind of surgeries is this prepped to handle?" Anna removed her sunglasses and squinted at the hospital beds and equipment operated under the careful attention of uniformed nurses. "And who's working under me."

"We've got Doctor Clarkson, from the Red Cross, operating with us here on behalf of a few agencies worried over the refugees. He spends most of his time out in the camps so you'll only be together for surgeries and staff meetings. Sybil's handling the nurses under the direction of Head Nurse Crawley." General Crawley pointed them out at the far end of the ward. "But you're in charge of surgeries and rotations."

"And I thought my days of handling whiny complaints was over." Anna sighed, "But I'm guessing they're all business here?"

"We've only ever had problems with our staff when it's their off hours." General Crawley pointed to the beds. "A few cases of dehydration, one stomach bug, two with food poisoning, and one woman we think might be pregnant."

"Oh?"

General Crawley waved it away, "She and her husband serve together and I think they weren't as careful as they thought they were."

Anna turned to Gwen, "Would you meet with both Nurses Crawley and find a time they can meet with me to go over patient charts and the rundown. I want to get started as soon as I can."

"Yes ma'am." Gwen saluted and Anna turned to General Crawley, "I'll get this place in order sir."

"I hope so." He shook his head, "Our outfit's been under scrutiny since that article ran and it's got me up to here with all these reporters and government types trying to nose in and insist we're doing it all wrong."

"Strap them in a vest once and they think they know what they're doing." Anna agreed, following General Crawley back out into the sweltering heat. "But it's just an article. I'm sure it'll all blow over in time."

"It's why I need to introduce you to someone else." General Crawley cringed, "He's being assigned to you since it keeps him out of trouble, satisfies my superiors, and keeps his editor happy."

"Are you giving me a tail, sir?"

"Yes."

"With all due respect sir, I think that's a horrible idea."

"He's seen his share of battlefields so you won't have to worry about a weak stomach."

"The state of his stomach isn't my concern." Anna took a breath, "I'm more worried over the potential he has to distract and disclose, sir."

"That's why I insisted on the reporter you've got." General Crawley motioned for her to follow him and they went toward a small set of tents. Ducking inside General Crawley pointed to one of the men. "That's him."

Anna's breath caught and she coughed. It was enough to bring the man's head up. He squinted and then his jaw dropped.

Pushing back from his computer in a hurry, wiping his hands on his trousers, he stuck a hand out to General Crawley. "Sir, sorry for the mess."

"It's your jurisdiction and you can do what you like here." General Crawley raised an eyebrow, "Though I would've thought someone with your training would be a bit more spic-and-span about it all."

"It's the newbies they've rolled in." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "They're like children waiting for their mother to clean up after them."

"Then you'll appreciate the ward Major Smith runs." General Crawley stepped back, bridging the gap between them. "John Bates, this is Major Smith. She'll be taking over from Colonel Call and get our field hospital ship-shape and Bristol fashion in no time."

"Pleasure to meet you Major." He extended his hand and Anna shook it.

"Likewise, Mr. Bates." She pulled back, "I'm familiar with your work and, to be honest, I don't really see how you'll write about Kandahar since I can't see it as the next vacation destination for millennials."

"Not unless they donned a military uniform, no." Mr. Bates ran a hand through his hair, "But it's what I did before they let me off easy with travel and food pieces."

"Bit of a traveler before then?"

"It's the nicest way to refer to enlisted service in the army." Mr. Bates turned back to General Crawley. "Unlike this man."

"John and I served together when I was a young lieutenant." General Crawley clapped a hand on Mr. Bates's shoulder. "Saved my life once."

"Came in handy to get me this post." Mr. Bates nodded at Anna. "I'm sure you're not much more excited about my being here than he is."

"I'll admit, I find reporters distracting and frustrating in the course of my work but I'll manage. It's what we do in the military."

"That it is." General Crawley clapped his hands together. "I'll leave you two to get a bit more acquainted and see you at dinner."

General Crawley left and Anna crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at Mr. Bates. "Pleasure to meet you Major? What kind of greeting is that?"

He mimicked her voice back, "Familiar with your work? What was that?"

"I wasn't going to tell him which work." Anna grinned, "It'd paint him redder than the Red Cross flag."

"Yeah, best not inform him how we met."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

John grinned to match his shrug, "He didn't ask."

"He didn't know to ask." Anna looked over her shoulder to ensure they were alone before taking a step forward to throw her arms around John's neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." John held her tightly before releasing. "We'll have to be as professional as possible though."

"Since I don't really want to explain what happened in Bangkok last year I think that's wise." Anna drew in a breath, "How's everything?"

"I'm back on the war desk so there's that."

"I didn't think they called it that anymore."

"Normally no but I like it. Sounds a bit more noble."

Anna snapped her fingers, "That's right, you were working on that story from Paris weren't you."

"You read my emails?"

"With fervor." Anna urged him on, "Go on, your last email didn't mention anything about it."

"That's because it's stalled."

"Why?"

John threw his hands in the air. "My editor thinks there's no story there, my leads are all being blocked by interns making pittance at government record offices or old women who can't use computers, and records buried in back cabinets I can't get to without a lot more time off than I can afford to take."

Anna cringed, "Sounds awful. I thought there was potential to that one."

"There still is." John leaned toward her, "I had a lead on something and I'm still waiting to get word back but I don't want anyone scooping the story."

"Not sure there's a chance that someone scoops a story that's almost eighty years old."

"You never know." John tapped the side of his nose, "Between us, I think there's more to it."

"I think there is too. It's romantic."

"It certainly is."

They stood in comfortable silence a moment before Anna jerked a thumb toward the outside of the tent. "I've got to get back to the ward and meet with my aide before I try and rein in that dumpster fire."

"It's not so bad." John waved a hand. "It got bad when Doctor Fellowes took ill but Doctor Clarkson's stepped in enough to keep it all running."

"But I'm not running a Doctors Without Borders hospital. That thing needs to run like the military."

"Underfunded, overly bureaucratic, and inefficient?"

She pursed her lips, "Keep talking like that and I'll tell everyone about that man in Bangkok. The one you thought was a woman."

"It was impeccable drag."

"And if not for you being a little over-enthusiastic the story would've had a better ending." Anna taunted, wagging her finger at him, "Don't disrespect."

"You?" John lowered his voice, bending close to her ear, "Never."

"Good." She took a deep breath, "Does the shadowing start now?"

"It'll get the press off Robert's back and that's what I'm here to do."

Anna snorted, "Loyal to the last?"

"Of course." Joh puffed out his chest, "Once a soldier, always a soldier."

"I'm sure that's exactly what people say." Anna turned over her shoulder, "But since I'm the only one who's still a soldier according to the British government, why don't we start with that inevitable list of questions you've got to rattle off to me about how we're going to correct everything so what happened won't happen again."

John sobered, "It's a cheap shot, what they did."

Anna shrugged, "The media's never been the biggest fan of the military so it's only a matter of time before their incessant chipping at our armor revealed a weakness." She paused, "Present company excluded I hope."

"Of course. I'm ever a patriot."

"Better than Mr. Barrow I'm sure." Anna ducked out of the tent and they walked toward the field hospital. "What prat goes to the trouble of hounding a poor corporal until he snaps and then writes about disorganization on base?"

John shook his head, "Thomas set our whole relationship back to the stone age with that stunt."

"Why'd he do it?"

"Other than because he's a huge dick?" John blustered a moment, "He was on a deadline to get something of worth to his editor before they pulled him to the Russian desk or something and so he dug for it. They say even a blind squirrel finds a nut but he just took dynamite to the forest to get his."

"Stupid blighter." Anna opened the door, "He'll have every ex-serviceman across the face of the nation spilling drinks over his head for the rest of his life."

"I doubt it." Anna frowned and John hurried to explain, "He's not exactly visiting those sorts of bars, if you know what I mean."

"Then was it a lover's thing?"

John laughed, "Who's the reporter here? I'm supposed to be asking you questions."

"You can once I get the lay of the land." Anna went over to a desk, removing her jacket and pulling on a set of gloves. "They pulled me out of the base hospital so fast it made my head spin and sent me here on the first flight they could find. I'm flying blind."

"How ironic given you've the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

Anna gave him a smile, "Flattery'll get you everywhere."

"I only need it to get me one place."

"It'll certainly get you there." She spread her arm toward the rest of the room, "Full access to our ward."

"That's not what I meant."

"Oh I know." Anna jerked her head, "But you have to remember, I wasn't that easy in Bangkok either."

"We were married in Bangkok."

"Too bad it was all for show then." As Anna walked toward where Gwen and the nurses gathered she thought she heard John mumble.

"Too bad."

Berlin, Germany - 1937

He exited the cab, placing his hat on his head. The man barked at him in German and he ducked down to hand over the appropriate change before the taxi drove off. Waving the car away he bent to grab his case and walked toward the building before him.

His knuckles rapped the door but no one answered. He tested it and pushed forward when it gave way. With a deep breath he entered the building.

Desks filled the room and the general shuffle contributed to the din as voices shouted into phones, yelled across the room, and hurried to and fro with stacks of paper in their hands. Dodging two of them, he worked toward a set of offices in the back of the room. As he moved around a staircase two women descended. He tried to step out of their way but only succeeded in bumping into another woman.

She dropped the contents of her arms, spilling the papers all over the floor, and the little group paused. Bending to help her, he dropped his bag and set his cane next to it. "I do apologize."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm John Bates," He offered his hand but the woman shuffled her papers together and refused his hand. "I'm the new correspondent for the Berlin desk. I'm from the Manchester Guardian."

"And you just decided that you could walk right in?"

Before he could respond, one of the women from the stairs turned to him and extended her hand to him. "Well I'm Anna Schmidt. I work the translation desk for your newspaper."

"It'll be a pleasure working with you." John lifted his bag and grabbed his cane. "My conversational German is alright but not quite equal to the task of publishing here in Germany."

"Then it is a good thing I'm here." She smiled, "I happen to like your paper and your articles."

"You've read them then?"

"A few." Anna stepped back a moment, "This is Gwen Dawson, one of the junior editors and you've already met Ms. O'Brien."

"What's her specialty?"

"Secretary to the fashion columnist, Mrs. Cora Crawley." Anna pointed over the room toward an office where O'Brien hurried to hand over the papers in her arm. The woman inside, with glasses perched on her nose, flipped through them quickly before shaking her head and gesticulating for O'Brien to take a note. "It's quite the ordeal for her."

"Looks exhausting." John took a breath, "I'm supposed to report to Mr. Carson."

"Yes, our chief editor." Anna waved him forward, smiling as Gwen peeled off. "This way."

They took the stairs up to an office where a gray-haired man with a significant nose and bushy eyebrows conversed quickly with a shorter woman. Stopping outside the glass, Anna pointed to the man and then the woman. "That's Mr. Carson and the woman is his secretary Mrs. Hughes. If you need anything, you ask her first. Mr. Carson is only to be bothered with the important things."

John nodded, "What's he's he consider important?"

"Your story, when it's due." Anna turned the corner and opened the door after knocking her knuckles on it. "Sorry to interrupt Mr. Carson but a Mr. Bates is here."

"Ah yes," Mr. Carson came around the desk, gave a quick look at the cane, and then sniffed a bit before meeting John's eyes. "I'm Mr. Carson and I'll be your editor while you're under our jurisdiction."

"So Ms. Schmidt told me." John cocked his head toward Anna, "She helped me find your office so I'm rather indebted to her."

"And you'll be more indebted when she gets your stories published for the German-speakers reading our paper." Mr. Carson raised an eyebrow, nodding toward John's cane. "Will that be a problem for you?"

"I'll manage."

"Of course he can." Anna opened her hand toward John, "He's John Bates. He's reported from many battlefields and he'll report just fine from here."

"Hero worship is not completely unappreciated, Ms. Schmidt, but not entirely appropriate in the measure of our new writers." Mr. Carson cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. "If you get a chance to meet our owner, Mr. Crawley, I'd suggest you act with as much dignity as you can muster. He's a gracious man so if you find yourself muddled or tongue-tied in his presence he'll forgive it."

"I'm sure I'll be alright." John jumped slightly when the door behind him opened again and someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Bates you made it!" His hand wrenched from his cane in a solid grip as a gray-haired man about John's hand shook it with vigor. "I thought you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."

"I caught an earlier train since the boat made good time sir."

"It's a pleasure to see you again." The man turned to Mr. Carson, who did his best to contain the wide-eyed shock on his face. "He saved my life in the Somme. Without this man I wouldn't be here today."

"I wasn't aware of that sir."

"That's why I wanted him here." He turned back to John, clapping down on both shoulders, "We'll stand on your excellence and reach greater heights with you here. You've no idea how I've looked forward to you being here. Like old times yes? You and me, slogging it out together."

"I was hoping it'd be a bit less dangerous than our previous engagements, sir." John smiled back as Mr. Crawley nodded and left the room in the same rush of steam he used to enter. Turning back to the faces in the room John noted Anna's grin hidden behind her hand. "You didn't ask."

"I guess I didn't." Mr. Carson collected himself before opening his hand to Anna. "Ms. Schmidt, would you show Mr. Bates to his desk?"

"Yes Mr. Carson." She nodded to John and he followed her lead back down to the floor.

Instead of a desk in the midst of the clamor, Anna guided John to a tiny, windowless office and smiled at it. "All yours Mr. Bates."

"It's so cozy I think I might just die of shock." He set his bag on the desk and stepped back as it wobbled. "Not sure about that though."

"Good luck on fixing it. They're very tight with their money around here." Anna looked over her shoulder toward Mrs. Crawley's office. "Something to do with a heavy investment from her Jewish relatives."

"I don't doubt it." John risked the chair and then nodded. "It's better than a trench or a boat, sweating my way up the Nile or any of those rivers in the Belgian Congo."

"We only have the Rhine here but I do like the Danube." Anna smiled, "We're glad to have you here, Mr. Bates. It'll be a pleasure working with you."

"And you Ms. Schmidt." John stood, shaking her hand again. "A sincere pleasure."