A/N:
Thank you ImplosionofHeaven for another review! You never know, I might make it a few more than just three or four chapters, I'm just deciding the length of each one. Ahh, I didn't know they were dating in real life! That makes the relationship even sweeter! :D
Thank you Guest for the review!
Thank you swaggeringonthepriomiseoflife for the story follow and for adding me to your author alerts!
Thank you lovajsa for the story follow!
Thank you Marlow Tate for the story follow!
Sorry for not updating in awhile! I've been so busy and have been working on more than one fic at a time, not to mention motivation has been lacking. I hope all of you enjoy this chapter! :)
The corridors were dark, Charly was navigating blindly by memory as she weaved her way through the hospital. She attempted to be as quiet as she could, taking light steps as she made her way to Wilhelm. She lifted the skirt of her nightgown up as she walked, praying it wouldn't get snagged on anything. As she hastily made her way through, she stubbed her toe on the edge of a gurney. She kneeled down, silently cursing herself as she waited for the pain to cease. Charly clutched her throbbing toe nervously glancing behind her to make sure no one heard her. She held her breath as the seconds went by until she felt it was safe. There were a few nurses awake that would be wandering the halls, watching over the patients during the nighttime hours. Part of Charly wished she'd drawn the nightshift short-straw today, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep knowing Wilhelm was in the same vicinity as her. She finally willed herself to stand up as she continued through the corridors of the hospital. A few oil lamps were lit, but it wasn't enough to cast light on the large shadows that darkened the area of the hospital.
The scuffle of footsteps made Charly halt in place, holding her breath as she listened for whoever it was to come closer. She pressed her body up against one of the walls before rounding the corner, biting her lip as the pitter-patter continued down the floor. She couldn't see who it was, but she could tell by the lightness of the steps that it was one of the nurses. Charly listened intently, hearing the sound of a pencil tip scraping against paper and a clipboard. The nurse was taking notes as she checked on the patients Charly guessed. She glanced back down the way she came, squinting her eyes in a meek attempt to see through the darkness. She started to tiptoe her way back, hoping not to be caught by the nurse whom was right around the corner. As Charly made her way back, the nurse suddenly came quickly down the corridor, revealing herself around the corner. Charly couldn't move fast enough without being seen, she had no choice but to stand still and face the nurse.
The nurse noticed Charly, and gasped in fright, placing her hand over her chest. Charly then realized the nurse was Hildegard. Charly looked guiltily at her friend, her mind racing with legitimate excuses as to why she was wandering around the hospital when she was supposed to be asleep.
"Charlotte, you scared me!" Hildegard exhaled, still gripping her chest. Her eyes narrowed on Charly, making the woman feel only ten inches tall. "What are you doing?"
"I'm uh…" Charly stammered, still trying to find an excuse. "I'm on my way to the restroom." She finally concluded, forcing a chuckle to try to seem casual.
Hildegard raised an incredulous brow. "The restrooms are right next to the nurses quarters. You surely know that by now." Hildegard studied Charly as she shifted in place, averting her eyes down to her bare feet. Hildegard suddenly broke out into a grin, one that made Charly's stomach churn.
"Right! I just got lost in the dark. I'm very tired." Charly lamely added.
"You're going to see him aren't you?"
Charly felt her cheeks burn, but only shook her head, furrowing her brow as if Hildegard was crazy. "What? Who are you talking about?"
Hildegard rolled her eyes. "Well I'm afraid you're going to miss him." Hildegard commented, glancing casually back down at her clipboard.
"What do you-" Charly started, not understanding what she meant.
"Some Feldgendarmerie soldiers showed up about fifteen minutes ago. Apparently that friend of yours is wanted for desertion." She explained.
Charly felt her flesh turn cold. Her mouth gaped at Hildegard, unable to respond to what she just heard. It didn't seem right, surely Hildegard must be joshing her, there was no way some soldiers would come and take Wilhelm away for a war crime in the middle of the night. Wilhelm was a noble man and a good lieutenant, he wouldn't willingly take an unauthorized absence. She felt panic rise in her chest, she dashed past Hildegard, ignoring her shouts of protests as she rushed toward where Wilhelm was bunking. She rounded a corner, only to see a group of brisk looking soldiers encircling Wilhelm's bed.
"Stop!" Charly cried.
The soldiers turned to her, their faces cold and stony with little feeling. She watched one of the soldiers abruptly lift Wilhelm from his bed and force him onto his feet. Wilhelm gritted his teeth in pain, letting out a low groan. Charly felt her throat constrict in fear, they were going to damage him even further and reopen all his wounds. She took a step forward, but one of the Feldgendarmerie soldier's lifted his hand, halting her.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you cannot proceed. This man is wanted for desertion, which is a crime punishable by death."
"There must be some mistake." Charly interjected desperately, feeling dizzy from disbelief.
"There's no mistake. This is Wilhelm Winter, is it not?" He replied, his tone hardening.
Charly's eyes flitted toward Wilhelm. His eyes were downcast and his head lolled over to the side as he struggled to stand up on his own legs. Beads of sweat formed as his breathing became intensely labored. Two of the soldiers were at both of his sides, holding him up from under the armpits. She gulped, unable to stand seeing her dear friend in so much pain. The soldiers started to leave, turning on their boot heels and heading toward the hospital entrance.
"No!" Charly screamed, chasing after them. There was no way she was going to passively stand by and let these men take him away to be executed. The soldiers continued to pull Wilhelm away, yanking him painfully by his arms. He moaned in agony as his body was forced out of submission. "You're going to injure him further! Please stop!" She pleaded, but her constant begging fell on deaf ears.
Charly reached out and gripped one of the shoulders of a soldier, trying to convince him to stop and listen to her. His head whirled around as his eyes suddenly flashed with fearsome glare. He glowered down at her as his nostrils flared in aggression. Startled, Charly took a step back feeling meek under the murderous stare of the soldier. In an instant he closed the distance between them, his fist colliding with her abdomen. Charly doubled over, her eyes flying open wide as all the wind seemed to be sucked out of her lungs. She collapsed to the ground, landing on her knees as she hugged her aching gut. Dribble drained from her mouth as she attempted to rasp for breath. Her body didn't seem to be taking in enough oxygen.
"Never lay your hand on an officer again." The man warned in a menacing tone that gave Charly goose bumps. The soldier left her toppled over on the floor and followed his comrades as they violently escorted Wilhelm away. She opened her mouth in an ill attempt to yell or call for help, but her mouth wordlessly formed words. She still couldn't summon enough air to speak loud enough to alert anyone who could be nearby. She watched in helplessness as Wilhelm was dragged out of sight. Tears welled in her eyes at the realization that she'd lost him forever.
"Charlotte! Charlotte!" She heard Hildegard's alarmed voice call from behind her. She ran over to Charly's crumpled figure, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. "What happened."
Dr. Jahn appeared before her, gazing in the direction of where the Feldgendarmerie soldiers had taken Wilhelm away. He shifted his gaze down to Charly, whom was slowing gaining back her composure. She pushed herself upward with Hildegard helping her stand fully upright. The pain that had erupted in her stomach from the man's knuckles was now reduced to a dull ache.
"What the hell is going on?" Dr. Jahn commanded.
Hildegard glanced back between the doctor and Charly, whose eyes were peeled toward the hospital entrance. Tears drained down her face as her breathing started to become uneven. Hildegard observed her distraught friend, unable to explain to Dr. Jahn about what happened.
"Well?" He pressed, growing impatient.
"Some Feldgendarmerie soldiers took our patient Wilhelm Winter away. He's wanted for desertion." Hildegard finally managed to say.
Dr. Jahn let out a frustrated sigh. "So be it. Pull yourself together, Ms. Weiss." He walked away, clearly upset that he'd been disturbed over something he found trivial.
Charly couldn't contain herself any longer. She dropped back down to her knees and a strangled sob escaped her throat. She caught herself with her hands as her head dropped down. She succumbed to her grief as sobs took over her body. The harsh reality that she'd never see Wilhelm again slammed her all at once. Regret flooded her with little mercy as she lay there on the hospital floor. She should've told him how she truly felt before it was too late.
Sorry for the short chapter! I just wanted to update and get something out there so the story can move along!
