Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except a VHS and two DVDS of the movie.
I'm sorry this took a while, and I know this is chapter is pretty short, but another will come soon, I promise. Thank you for the reviews! I'm not 100% sure of how this story will turn out, and I appreciate the feedback.
Sister Margaretta opened the door to the Reverend Mother's office for Georg, who walked in slowly. He could not get the image of Maria in another man's arms out of his mind. It was not just the fact that they were holding each other, but they were crying. She was crying. What did this mean?
The Reverend Mother got up from behind her desk, and approached the Captain with an outstretched hand and warm smile. "Captain von Trapp, it is good to finally meet you in person. I have heard so much about you."
Georg shook her hand warmly. "Thank you, Reverend Mother. I have heard nothing but praise about you from Maria."
Noting that he called her by her first name only, the Reverend Mother continued to smile and motioned to the chair on the opposite side of her desk. "Please sit down."
Georg graciously sat, as did the Reverend Mother. Sister Margaretta stood by the doorway, a silent witness.
"Well, Captain, may I be right in assuming that you have forgiven Maria for leaving you so suddenly? It was a very kind thing for you to escort her here under these circumstances."
Georg smiled, forever wishing to know the whole story. "You would be right. And may I be the one to tell you that last night, I asked Maria to be my wife."
Both nuns' faces burst into radiant smiles. The Reverend Mother clasped her hands together out of joy, as if she were hearing news of her own daughter. "Oh, Captain, what wonderful news! May I wish you all of the happiness in the world!"
"Thank you very much," said Georg. "She has made my family whole again, and opened my heart when I thought it had been buried long ago."
"Well, Captain, I'm glad to know that Maria has found her life and it is with as good a man as you." After a short pause, the Reverend Mother's gaze became serious. "Now, on to the current situation at hand. How much has Maria told you of her life before she came to us?"
Georg shook his head slowly. "Very little. If the subject ever came up, Maria would quickly turn it around to something different. I respected her privacy for fear of causing her pain."
The Reverend Mother nodded. "I am not surprised. She was always reluctant to discuss her past, even with me. But I did learn a few things, both before and after she came to dwell with us as a postulant." She turned to Sister Margaretta, who stepped forward to stand beside the Reverend Mother.
"When Maria was a child," began Sister Margaretta. "She would often come down here, climb a tree, and look into the garden where I worked with the other sisters. Sometimes she would be alone, and sometimes she would have a boy her age with her. His name, as I would learn, was Dominik. On Holy Days, they would come into the Abbey for mass; they were always well-behaved inside the walls and were always welcome. On some occasions, one or both would come with tear-stained faces, asking to pray in the chapel. They would look the worse for wear when they did."
Georg's body tensed. The thought of anybody hurting his Maria was intolerable, especially when she might have been as small as Gretl.
Sister Margaretta continued. "Over two years ago, Maria came to the Abbey alone with the wish of becoming one of us. She never talked of her reasons, her past, or Dominik to me again." She turned to the Reverend Mother.
"I did not see Dominik as much as Sister Margaretta, but Maria mentioned him to me only once, when she first came to the Abbey. She told me that if Dominik were ever to come here, it would be for a reason of life and death, and would we let him in if that happened. I told her of course we would. So, you can imagine when he came last night, and when she read that telegram, how scared we all were."
Georg listened to the story, glad that he knew the situation. But there was something else he needed to know. "Is Dominik her brother? How do they know each other?"
The Reverend Mother smiled, seeming to know something that was behind that statement. "Maria never said. Watching the two of them together, one would assume that they were brother and sister, and even if they are not by blood, they are by soul."
"I know that they grew up near the same village," said Sister Margaretta. "The boy told me once when he was small that they were both from Innsbruck."
Georg nodded. "So, he is ill?"
"Yes," said the Reverend Mother sadly. She went on to explain all that she knew – which wasn't much – to Georg. Apparently, Dominik had known of this condition since he was twelve or thirteen, and it had only gotten worse. The most simple way of putting it was that his body was extremely fragile – brittle bones, thin blood, easily injured and infected. His illness was now in such an advanced stage that there was only one thing that could be done: make him as comfortable as possible.
He couldn't believe it, he simply couldn't believe it. Just this morning, just a few hours ago, his life had been perfect. Just an hour ago, he had sat on the couch, surrounded by his children, and Maria sitting beside him with their fingers entwined. And now, Maria's past had come back to her in the most devastating way. It made him realize that he had a lot to learn about his love, like where she had come from, and what had made her who she was. Any small thoughts of jealousy had long since fled; somehow he knew they were useless and had no grounds. All he cared about now was Maria's happiness, and in this situation, Georg knew that he needed to do everything he could to make things easier for her.
Well, if Dominik needed to be more comfortable, and close to Maria, he could provide that for them. And at the same time, he could learn more about the woman he had given his heart to . . .
I will be the first to admit that I'm not a doctor, and even I don't know how exactly he is ill. All that's important to know is that he is dying, and quickly.
