Chapter Six: Question of Time:

-Michael-

This angel that’s been taking care of me is way too young. I can’t pronounce her name and she acts just as nice. She comes in every day around three and checks in on me. I didn’t know a volunteer so young could treat injuries with such skill. I lift my head as she comes by my bed again today.

“Hey,” I speak up. She doesn’t look up at me as she checks my injuries.

“Yes?” she asks.

“Are you studying to be a doctor or something?” I ask. This girl opens up her kit and runs her hands through the contents.

“My grandmother runs a clinic on this island,” she answers me.

“A clinic?”

“That’s right.” She feels along my arms. “Can feel that?”

I wince as I keep my smile. “Yes!”

“Good, you still have feeling in your body,” she says. I feel so bad looking at her. She’s so young and it doesn’t help that she looks so cute too.

“Shouldn’t you be out with your little friends or something?” I ask. She picks up a form and starts filling out the report.

“I am here to help because my grandma has her own patients to deal with,” she answers. I nod at her.

“Right…” I mutter under my breath. She reads over my chart before she looks up at me.

“You are in good health,” she tells me. “If you keep on those herbs we gave you, you should be about to leave soon.” I tilt my head at her.

“So when can I leave?” I ask. She gives me a little pout.

“Why are you in such a hurry to run away from me?” she asks as a joke. I only manage to laugh it off.

“Now why would I want to do that?” I ask. It would probably be the right thing to do, however. This girl looks cute in a strange way. I bet that she was younger than what her height presented itself to me. Her deep red hair was chopped up in a messy boy cut. The sun’s glow looks great on her deep tan skin. From a distance, I thought she was a boy. I didn’t think Europeans had such white teeth. She shrugs her shoulders at me.

“You tell me,” she says. She turns and walks away. I hold up my hand to stop her.

“Wait!” I shout. This girl pauses and turns around.

“Yes?” she asks. I push myself to sit up in bed. My smile hides the pain of sudden moment.

“Uh… thank you,” I say. She tilts her head at me with an eyebrow raised.

“What are you thanking me for?” she asks.

“For taking care of me,” I say. “I can’t always remember your name, but thanks.” Her smile makes my heart race in my chest.

“You’re welcome,” she replies.

“What is your name again?”

“Cephalla.”

I twist my face up in an attempt to try and say her name. “Ce-phill-a… Ce… Ce… huh?”

Her laughter makes me feel embarrassed. “It’s okay. You’ll learn it over time.” Before I could say another word, she turns and walks away. I look to my left when I hear snickering. Amon shakes his head at me.

“What?” I ask.

“You’ll want to stay away from that one,” he says. I tilt my head at him.

“And why is that?” I ask. He lies back in his bed.

“That one’s just asking for trouble,” Amon says. “I can tell just by looking at her.”

“Is that right?”

“The girls on my island falls into two categories, kittens and thunderbolts. Kittens are angelic girls. They stay home, do as they are told, and play the housewife.”

“And Cepha or whatever her name is?”

Amon smirks as he looks up at the ceiling. “That one’s definitely a thunderbolt. Man, if she was older..." I frown at him before he could finish that sentence. Amon clears his throat.

“Anyway,” he says. “You would be best to stay away from that girl.”

“And what’s wrong with a thunderbolt?” I ask. Amon narrows his at me as he looks me up and down.

“You are look like that type that would be settled with a kitten,” he says. “A thunderbolt would only drive you mad. Yep! You would be more suited for a nice girl.” I give him a funny look.

“And you?” I ask. Amon stretches his arms up to the ceiling.

“I am happy to have either one,” he admits. I should’ve expected that him. I’ve known him since we were in college. Amon is a womanizer. He may be a perv, but we are good friends. In fact, we were roommates in college. We’ve been close for years. In fact, we joined the military. However, those came with different reasons. He joined the military just to pick up girls. I just this war for the pictures.

I am photo journalist. I take pictures of real life around me. My photos revolve around war and peace. I got roped into this war to take more for my portfolio. However, my jeep got bombed and I ended up in the hospital. I smile to myself. If that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have met that volunteer.

I frown to myself as I lie back. I should not be thinking like that. She’s probably still in high school. Her appearance screams jail bait to everyone in this room. I am not the only one who notices her. I am a man and I know how they are. One thing that they think about is sex.  That volunteer girl looks really good and that worries me. What makes it worse is that I find myself attractive as well. You can’t imagine all of the things that I want to do to her.

I try and shake my head of this. I try to break myself, but she ends up being my obsession as the war goes on.