Molly was sat in the afternoon sun, writing a letter back home. She knew her mother wouldn't be able to read it as she had never learnt as a child, but all of her sibling could so they would help her. It was the first letter she had been able to write since arriving in France 12 weeks ago and she wasn't allowed much paper or to tell much of what she was doing or where she was in case the letters were intercepted by the enemy.
Some of the men had been allowed out side in the sun as they were on the road to recovery and the doctor thought the sun and fresh air would help with their recovery. The sun was bright and she could make out a tall figure walking towards her. To her dismay it was Dylan Smith the Private who was fascinated by her but he was all in his uniform.
"Nursey Dawsey" he smiled
"private Smith can I help you" she smiled politely
"you coming to say good bye as were all off to the front back to join the fight. And I wanted to know if I could write to you and that and when this is all over be your sweetheart"
"that's very sweet but don't you have a sweetheart back at home to write to and be with"
"no you are the one for me"
"well save your letter for your mother then. Besides I don't think it is allowed" molly smiled politely
She tried to be polite but wished he would stop trying to make her his sweetheart, she didn't like him in that way. She walked up the pathway to where the cart was to take the men back to the front there were a fair few men being discharged and sent back to the front and their beds would more than likely be occupied again by the end of the week. They all knew their fate, not all of them were fully fit for service but had to follow orders and go.
Several of the other nurses ran after the cart, holding hands of the young men they had become attached to, handing them tokens for luck praying that they would meet again at the end of the war, falling over their skirts which became caked with the thick mud. Molly stood and watched as much as she disliked Private Smith she didn't want to see him killed. She held her small silver cross from her grandmother and prayed.
"not chasing after your sweetheart?" a voice came from behind her. She turned to see captain James
"oh hello, what do you mean" she looked at him quizzically
"Private Smith, I have seen the way he looks at you."
"oh he is not my sweetheart. I don't have one anyway definitely not him."
"that's Good then" he smiled and limped off towards some of the other officers who were smoking by the tents.
Molly was puzzled by what he had meant by that he was glad that she hadn't got a sweetheart. She liked him more than anything but knew that he would more than likely never look at her in that way as she was from the wrong class . It wasn't until the following week when molly was on night duty and sat talking to him well in to the night. Charles had been declared fit to fight so was being deployed back to the front the following morning.
"stay safe please " she whispered in to the darkness her face being lit by only one candle.
"I will" he said taking her hand and brushing his thumb across it. "may I write to you nurse Dawes?"
"don't you have some one back at home to write to"
"there is no one so may I"
Molly nodded, tears rolling down her cheek, she didn't want him to go, he wasn't ready, he still had a bad limp and the wound on his abdomen hadn't healed properly.
"why are you crying nurse Dawes" he said brushing his had over her cheek wiping away her tears
"I... I... I don't..." she began
They heard footsteps from behind them and Sister Peters stern voice from behind
" Nurse Dawes! What are you doing and why is this patient out of bed "
Molly stood up and pulled away from Charles
"we were just talking ... nothing happened. Cha...Captain James was just talking through tomorrow"
"Captain James you should be in bed then and Nurse Dawes get on with your Duties and I will talk to you in the morning"
"yes Sister sorry sister" molly said hanging her head and walking around the tent checking on the other officers in there.
"Good Night molly Dawes" Charles said.
Sister peters looked from one to the other and back again.
" nurse dawes my office straight after breakfast"
"yes sister" molly bobbed a curtsy

molly stood at sister Peters after the mood that sister had been in last night molly was fearful that she would be sent back home.
"Nurse Dawes I am disappointed in you ,your behaviour last night was unacceptable and with a officer as well. It is forbidden as well you know! "
"nothing happened sister, we were just talking I promise"
"then why when I walked in were you crying and the captain had his hands on your face"
"something blew in to my eye, " molly lied
"you are a bright girl and have the makings of a excellent nurse, don't ruin it consider this a warning"
Molly walked out of the tent breathing a sigh of relief and walked over to were the discharged solders were getting ready to leave. Charles walked over and hugged molly.
"sorry if I got you in to trouble"
"you didn't I told her I had something in my eye"
Charles leaned in and kissed molly. He didn't care who saw he wanted to the world to know. He didn't want to be sent to the front and possibly not be returning with out letting molly know how he felt about her. Molly pulled away. She wanted him to kiss her more than anything but was aware that sister peters was watching her closely.
Charles was the last man to climb in to the wagon. He held on to molly's hand as it slowly began to pull away.
"stay safe please " molly whispered up to him, handing him her bible for luck she had scribed a not inside for him. She held on for as long as he could the wagon heading out of the gate which was as far as molly could go.
Molly walked back In to the main field of the hospital camp, sister peters was stood in the middle of the path
"NURSE DAWES what was that just then. After I warned you only this morning. It is unacceptable to kiss the men in your care but a captain, is well on a whole new level."
"I don't care" molly said through gritted teeth
"what was that"
"I said I don't care. We all know that those men are not fit enough to fight they should have been sent back to London or Birmingham or where ever they need to recuperate" molly was shouting at this point her cheeks were flaming.
"you will hold your tongue nurse Dawes and remember who you are talking to"
"why most of the men I have seen discharged from hear that you watched get sent back to fight weren't fit to fight. All of that lot were certainly not. Most of them had limps how are they suppose to out run the enemy when they can barely walk. And if they die it will be your fault " molly could hardly contain her anger she hated sister peters as she was suppose to be a nurse and yet she allowed these men to got back and fight, she may as well have shot them her self
"You rude insolent girl, who do you think you are talking to. Do you think you know better than the doctor he has declared them fit so they must be. I should be sending you home but I will give you one last chance if you put another toe out of line you will be on the first boat back to England. As punishment you can wrap up the clean bandages"
Molly stormed off towards the nurses tent it was the worst job to be given especially as sister would want them really neat which took a lot of time. Jacqueline ram after her and caught her
"molly what happened" Jacqueline asked hugging molly.
"I don't know, I love him and I don't want him to die, they have sent him off to fight when he isn't ready. She has good as killed him" molly's anger turned to tears and she broke down.
Jacqueline handed her a hankie "I am sure he will be alright they all will we have to have hope that this god damn war will be over soon"
Molly smiled weakly and just held her cross and prayed