The smell of smoke. The sound of a fire cracking and leaves rustling. The feel of the ice cold ground under my body.
I opened my eyes. I was alone in the woods, a fire burning beside me. The man's coat was over me, keeping me from freezing. He was nowhere to be seen.
I tried to sit up, but I fell back down. I pulled the coat tighter; it was so warm.
"Hello?" I called.
To my right, leaves rustled; he was standing in between two trees, a pile of logs were in his arms. He walked to my side, dropping the wood a few feet away from me and the fire. He was still wearing the scarf and the cap; his clothing was still that of a Nazi.
He pulled the coat away, rolling my shirt up. I felt the gauze lift up as he checked the bleeding, and he redressed the wound and put his coat back on me.
"Can you help me sit up?" I asked softly.
He responded by helping me sit up. He reached for a log and threw it on the fire.
"Are you cold?" I asked.
His eyes met mine, and he shook his head. He stared into the fire. I noticed him shiver.
I scooted closer to him, throwing the coat around his shoulders. He pushed it away, moving away so I could not offer him warmth.
"Please," I asked.
His head turned from side to side, answering me. His hands folded and he leaned over the fire.
"Can you talk?"
He nodded.
Since he didn't speak, I followed up with another question. "Will you talk?"
He shook his head.
I pouted. He refused to tell me anything. He's keeping a secret, I thought. How do I get him to talk?
A burst of pain exploded where I had been stabbed, and I grimaced. He was by my side instantly.
He moved the coat, placing it beside me. He lifted my shirt up, checking the gauze. After a moment of examination, the gauze lifted up. I looked down at what he was doing, and I saw how bad it was. I almost got sick.
"How can you deal with seeing it?" I asked, squeezing my eyes shut.
He dabbed at the blood gently, then restored everything to its correct place. He had me lay on my back.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he was gone before I could. He was on the other side of the fire, watching over me. A gun was in his hand.
He's keeping me safe, I thought. He wants me alive. I swallowed. I must be going to a higher rank. He's not allowed to kill me, or he would've done it by now.