His brown eyes fluttered open, and were met by the harsh light of the sun. Blinking several times, he let his eyes focus, and he slowly sat up. At first he was startled by his surroundings, but quickly, his memory set in, and he recalled the events that had brought him back. Back to Pearl Harbor. He stood up, his bare feet resting on the cool, tile floor, and stretched his aching body. He groaned, and rubbed the back of his head gingerly, trying to ease the pain brought on by the blow to the head he had suffered just days before. He looked around the room, and spotted his clothes draped over the end of a nearby chair. After slowly easing his way into his worn uniform, Rafe disappeared out the door.

The streets were surprisingly deserted for a Sunday morning. The March wind that whistled through the empty streets seemed unusually cool, as Rafe rounded the corner. At first glance, there was hardly a trace of the devastation that had occurred only a few months before, yet as Rafe walked, the ground beneath his feet still held traces of incoming explosives and untimely death.

As he approached the hospital, his heart began to beat rapidly inside his chest. While his fingers grasped the cool metal of the door-handle, Rafe took a deep breath and collected himself. Once inside, a young nurse he did not recognize led him inside the ward. He walked ever so slowly behind her, hoping to avoid what inevitably lay ahead. Finally stopping, she pointed to a small section closed off by a curtain. With a deep breath, he drew back the white vinyl cloth. His shoulders slumped and he breathed a heavy sigh. He was still there, in an almost permanent sleep, and she had not left his side. Clad in civilian clothing, Evelyn's head rested on the bed at his feet, her hair encircling her face like a lovely brown frame.

Rafe slumped into a near by chair and rested his forehead in his right hand. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander to a time and place all its own choosing.