Driving is a spectacular form of amnesia. Everything is to be discovered, everything to be obliterated. - Jean Baudrillard


After Christmas the days passed slowly for Adele.

She continued to bandage wounds, and treat sick and injured soldiers.

She continued to smoke and drink- which she had decided that for the New Year she would resolve to stop.

She continued to avoid Eugene's doleful stares, and keep her head down around the Matron- who still believed her to be the evil of the hospital.

And it was true.

She was.

No one else had ever made a mistake like that before.

But Adele could feel that the guilt was losing it's grip on her.

Maybe she was realizing it wasn't totally her fault.

Or maybe it was just because she couldn't have the emotions at work, and so guilt become more and more ignored.

On New Years eve Adele was walking out to the clothes line in the back of the hospital to hang some uniforms out to dry.

They were soldiers uniforms, and she read the names carefully, tasting each one.

Suddenly, gravel came flying and she turned to see a jeep parked on the back drive.

"Can I help you?" She asked the driver.

As the driver approached, she instantly recoginized him, and wished she hadn't asked.

It was Bill Gaurnere.

He wore a fancy dress uniform, and his cap was tipped cockily to the side, as most paratroopers chose to wear them.

His pants were bloused confidently into his boots, as if he would be ready to jump out of the airplane at any second.

A stylish pair of aviators blocked her eyes from seeing straight into his, and they looked good against the masculine outline of his face.

He swaggered confidently up to her, and she couldn't help but gape at him, her icy eyes surprised.

"Bill?" She breathed, dropping the wet uniform to the ground.

He looked himself boldly up and down, and winked at her. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you'll get used to it."

She scoffed, ignoring the fact that what he said was truth.

She couldn't deny that he looked incredibly sexy.

He came towards her, and she felt one of hands fly to her hair in nervousness. She felt the need to look busy and occupied.

Bill took her hand from her hair, "Quit messing with it." He ordered, "It's gorgeous."

She didn't smile, but backed away from him, her hand back in her hair again. "Can I help you Bill?" She asked, as she returned to hanging clothes. "Do you need something?"

He shrugged, "Not really."

She bit her lip.

She would outlast him at this game of casualness.

"Ok."

He didn't go anywhere as she continued to hang clothes and finally exasperated she turned to him. "Where are you going?" She asked, "You're obviously going somewhere!"

From underneath his dark sunglasses, Bill's eyes flickered to hers. "Yeah I am." He murmured, as he forecefully took her hand.

"And you're coming with me!" He commanded, pulling her towards the jeep.

She writhed and freed her hand from his grasp and stared at him, her eyebrows pinched together.

"We're not going anywhere!" She spewed. "I've got soldiers to attend to, and you should be sitting in your foxhole like the rest of your friends."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "You could make this easy on me Eddie!"

She whirled away from him, "I'm going back inside, you go on to wherever the hell you're going."

She heard him sigh again, "I thought it might be like this!" He muttered.

Then she felt strong arms around her waist, and before she knew it she was being carried briskly to the jeep.

"No!" She screamed at Bill, as she kicked and hit him. "Put me down!" She demanded.

He looked up at her, and she smacked him on the forehead. "Down!" She ordered.

He shook his head, "Nope."

He set her down in the jeep, and she smacked at his chest as he tried to buckle her in. "NO!" She yelled, protesting. "No! Let me go!"

He slammed the jeep door shut with authority, and smirked at her from the driver's seat his dark eyes twinkling mischeviously. "What were you saying?"

She glared at him, "You let me out of this car right now." She demanded. "This second."

Grinning, he started the ignition, and the jeep roared to life, as Adele's eyes widened with horror.

"I can't go!" She protested, her voice high with distress. "I've got to get back to the station! Now!"

His lips parted, unsheathing a cocky smile that he aimed at her. "Well, you're not going back. Dick's orders."

She turned to him in angry confusion. "Dick ordered you to kidnap me?"

Bill leaned across her and reached in the dashboard, pulling out a paper. He tossed it to her, and flung off his sunglasses and fixed her with a confident stare. "It's called leave. Vacation if you will?"

Adele stared, horrified at the slip of paper. "48 hours in Reims?" She mused, exhausted. "What the hell am I going to do with 48 hours in Reims?"

Bill winked, "Whatever you want! Captain thought you needed a break- so after George and Malark offered you their passes, he just said he'd
give you your own."

Adele buried her head in her hands, which were cold from the damp clothes. "I don't want to go."

Leaving one hand on the wheel, Bill reached out and rubbed Adele's back comfortingly, only to have her flinch away.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, recoiling deeper into her seat.

"Why?"

She glared at him, and shook her head, "Beacause you hate me Bill! Don't touch me because you hate me!"

He sighed, clenched down on his teeth. "I don't hate you Eddie."

Her eyes widened, as she threw her hands sarcastically in the air.

"Yeah? Well, you left the hospital because you didn't want to be around me anymore, even when you had a bullet wound in your shoulder. You gave up hot food and sleep you hate me so much."

Her blue eyes were ablaze, and she bit her lip to stop the tears she felt were coming. "And you have every right to hate me! Just don't touch me when you hate me."

Bill's expression was stoic as placed a relentless hand back on her shoulder. "I don't hate you Eddie." He promised his voice husky.

"Then why'd you go?"

He swallowed, and his eyes left the road momentarily. "Because I couldn't just sit." He cast her a small, almost shy smile. "Like you, I couldn't sit.
And yes, I was angry, but Eddie, I don't hate you. I hate what happened, but I don't hate you."

She ran her fingers through her hair, and dared to stare up at him. "You should."

He shook his head, "You didn't mean to." Again, a hand left the wheel, and he pried Adele's hand from the safety of her hair. "And how could I hate someone so beautiful?"

Adele could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, and Bill looked at her intently. "I have something for you though."

She eyed him cautiously. "What?"

"Reach in the dashboard." He ordered.

She did, and pulled out a small white letter.

He swung his head in the direction of the letter, "It's yours. It was with you the day I found you."

Her eyes went wide.

It was the letter that Corporal Jackson had given her, and she couldn't bear to open.

She took it anxiously, and looked up at him again.

"Have you read it?"

He nodded silently. "I'm sorry."

She nodded, "I haven't. I haven't read it."

"Maybe you should."

Adele nodded, and unsealed the envelope.

Dear Adelheida,

I regret to inform you that your Aunt Lena has died.

In her will she specifically stated that she wanted her estate in Bertchesgarten left to you. It is now yours.

She left you much of her remaining finances, with one final request.

She wants you to come home.

So serious is this an issue to her, that she stated it in her will, that you, Adelheida Konstanze Holtzmann return home to Bertchesgarten immediately.

This were your aunt's final wishes, and I suggest that they be honored.

Sincerely,

Karl H Seiber-attorney at law.

Adele glanced up from the letter, and breathed a sigh, and threw her head back against the seat of the jeep.

"So?" She asked, her voice breaking. "Don't you want to ask me?" She cried.

Bill's eyes flashed towards her, dark and intense yet somehow comforting. "I do." He whispered.

Her eyes shot to his, and they locked together. "Then just do it." She hissed.

"Who are you Adele? Who's Adelheida?"

Adele felt the tears come to her eyes, and she tossed the letter to the floor.