When she is granted leave to return to England for the Christmas holidays she welcomes the break from the war zone and looks forward to visiting her family. Bess shares an apartment with some other nurses and it is not uncommon for her to have the place to herself since her roommates all have assignments. Upon arriving at her apartment building, Bess finds a young woman huddled in the doorway. The woman is well dressed and appears to be bruised as well as suffering from the cold. Her clothing is not designed to keep her warm. Bess convinces the woman to take refuge in her apartment.