Max drove her to her dormitory when they got to the base and promised to come and visit her soon.

“You won’t,” she said with a smile. “There’s never time, is there?” She knew he was busy too. “We should try and get up to see Mum and Dad, though, when we can. They’re brave, but they need us now.”

He was quiet for a moment. “We need each other too. You’re a good sister, you know, even if I don’t say it often. Take care of yourself, Pru. Don’t do anything too mad with your Flying Devils, or take too many walking tours behind enemy lines.” He hadn’t liked that story, although she made light of it so he wouldn’t worry, which was so much her style, and part of the bravery he had referred to and respected so much about her.

“You too,” she said quietly. “You don’t need to be a hero. Just get out of this alive. Our parents need us now, more than they did before.” There was a crack in their armor now, and time wasn’t on their side.

“You remember that too,” he said seriously. “Take care of yourself, Pru. I’ll be up to see you soon, to check on you. It’s what big brothers are supposed to do.” She hugged him and he kissed her cheek and drove away a few minutes later, thinking how lucky he was to have her as a sister. She was a noble girl with a heart of gold and more courage than anyone he’d ever known, man or woman. He wished he were more like her. She was an example to them all, and never made a fuss about anything. She just got on with it and did what she knew was right every time.

As the Allies approached Paris in late August, the Germans fought harder, and the Resistance fought back with everything they had. There were more Resistance fighters being killed by the Germans than there had been for a while, and more desperate acts committed by the freedom fighters, blowing up arms factories, munitions dumps, railways, and doing everything they could to hurt the Germans. The Allies were doing all they could to help the Resistance, and the British had sent forces in to rescue Resistance units when it was possible. The Germans wanted all the members of the Resistance dead if the Nazis had to leave France.

There was a midnight call in the nurses’ barracks for nurses needed for a delicate mission. And with the final push toward Paris, the air evac nurses were being pulled in all directions.