Chapter 7
Dr. Woss stepped out on the terrace overlooking Salzburg her mind occupied with matters other than the lovely view. She could not shake the feeling she had shirked her duty to one of her patients that she should have fought harder for, Maria Rainer.
Dr. Woss' husband, Edward, observed his wife from inside their villa. For two weeks she'd been this way. She was constantly second guessing her decision to leave the care of Georg von Trapp's governess to Hans Schwartz. Carefully, Edward approached his wife, "Maria Rainer again, Linda?"
When she nodded he sighed, "Lin, you are where you're needed. It was impossible for you to work with Schwartz. He's too old fashioned to accept the new ways; you couldn't do Fraulein Rainer any good constantly battling him."
Dr. Woss nodded, "But, Ed, I was needed there. The poor Fraulein was terrified of Dr. Schwartz. I let that bully scare her, chase me away, I'm supposed to be a doctor, an aggressive advocate for my patients and I let Dr. Schwartz and Captain von Trapp." he husband's laughter cut her off.
"Lin, if Georg von Trapp knew anything of Hans Schwartz's reputation, he's dismiss the SOB on the spot," Ed told his wife, "Schwartz is a good doctor by Austrian standards, but he's a pig of a human being."
Dr. Woss turned in her husband's arms, "What do you know?"
Edward Woss was an Austrian and was well acquainted with many members of the Austrian aristocracy including the von Trapp's and the Schwartz's. At times his knowledge of the histories of Salzburg's families helped Linda in her practice. She knew he would once again be useful.
"About 1921, Hans Schwartz married the daughter of two missionaries. Those missionaries were a charitable sort and fostered many orphaned and abandoned children. They were getting on in years all ready and when their daughter married they gave the youngest and most spirited child to her and her new husband, Schwartz to raise. This child also happened to be the daughter of the missionaries' sister, who'd died years before.
"The daughter died in childbirth a few years later leaving Schwartz alone with their charge. She was a spirited little thing, she loved to sing, play her guitar and roam about the mountains. She was quite the little tomboy. When she would disobey him, it was rumored that Schwartz would lock her in a basement, that he would beat her, aiming to break her wrists bones to stop her from playing her beloved instrument. Whether any of it was true no one was able to prove, but.knowing what I know of Schwartz, I'd say it was true."
While her husband was speaking, Dr. Woss was thinking. Break her wrist.just like.
"What happened to her?" she asked, wondering if there was any connection between Dr. Schwartz's niece and Maria Rainer.
"No one knows for sure. She ran away eventually and joined the nuns is what most say," Edward said flatly.
Dr. Woss gasped, "Oh, Ed," in acknowledgement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- Captain von Trapp moved numbly through the halls of Salzburg hospital, his footfalls as heavy as his heart. In the past two weeks, Maria's health had gotten worse instead of better and finally the Captain consented to her being admitted to the hospital in Salzburg. The broken ribs necessitated that she remain in bed and not be moved about too much. The pain from the injury though, coupled with her nightmares, led to sleeplessness. Finally, Marta had caught a bad cold and one night decided she would not be comforted by anyone other than Fraulein Maria. Maria had caught her cold and with her waning strength that cold had turned into pneumonia.
Maria had been in the hospital five days and still there was no sign she was recovering. In fact, she seemed even worse. She was still plagued by demons in her dreams and seemed to have no energy left in her to fight. The Captain went daily to the hospital to see if he could push her along, make her fight the illness, her fears, him even, anything to get her fighting.
Today was no different. He had gone to the hospital after the noon meal with the children. Elsa had come with him this day to go shopping while he visited with Maria and conferred with her doctors. She's been wonderfully supportive through this ordeal, even to the children, but she lacked the warmth the Captain knew Maria alone possessed.
The Captain walked into Maria's room and sat down beside her. She was sleeping, her breathing labored and audible in the silence of the room. He held her frail hand in his as he sat beside her bed and with his right hand, he retrieved his rosary from his pocket and began to pray the decades aloud.
Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom of power and glory f For ever and ever. Amen.
Until Maria had come into his life, the Captain had no been a religious man, but since she came to him, he was immersed in it. His voice cracked as he began to pray the first in a set of ten Hail Mary's and he looked up astonished when he heard a voice finishing the phrase with him.
Holy Mary, Mother of God Pray for us sinners Now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
"Amen," the Captain echoed, turning to see the Mother Superior from Nonnberg Abbey standing in the doorway of Maria's hospital room
"How is she, Captain?" the older woman asked, not even asking if he was indeed Captain von Trapp.
"Not any better, but she doesn't seem to be any worse," he replied, removing his hand from Maria's. "What brings you.?"
"One of the nurses told me that Maria was in the hospital her in Salzburg. I've come to offer her prayer and comfort, but I see you have all ready done that," the Reverend Mother smiled.
The Captain laughed, "I have, but I doubt He's listening," the Captain shoulders slumped a bit in defeat.
"Oh, but He is, Captain. He is," the Reverend Mother assured him, "He has given you so much all ready."
"He's taken so much all ready," the Captain countered.
The Reverend Mother nodded. She knew the poor Captain had lost his beloved Navy when the empire was divided, and then he'd lost his beloved wife to a scarlet fever epidemic. Now she could see that he feared he was about to lose Maria as well and there was nothing he could do about it.
"What did happen to her?" the Reverend Mother asked.
The Captain sighed; he didn't know how to begin. "We went up on a picnic; Fraulein Maria loves to be outside, I'm sure you know. My two youngest children, Marta and Gretel, were flying a kite and that kite got caught in a tree. Maria climbed the tree."
"Oh, no," the Reverend mother gasped, "and she was hurt." It was not phrased as a question.
"Yes," the Captain affirmed. "She'd hit her head, broke a few ribs, but the most devastating was an injury to her left wrist. The doctors said it had been broken too many times. I don't know how she could have done that much damage to it, even if she were a tomboy, but well, that news that she'd never use it fully shattered her." The Captain tightened his grip on Maria's hand.
The Reverend Mother sighed deeply, "Captain, I'm not sure if it is my place to tell you this, but it is more than likely that Maria's injury to her wrist, or injuries to her wrist were not caused by Maria. Maria was.from what I've been able to get out of her, she was abused quite severely as a child."
The look on the Captain's face was wild. His usual stoic features flashed with anger and his hand tightened around Maria's, "So those dreams," he said more to himself than to the Reverend Mother, "they are real."
Sadly, the Reverend Mother nodded, "She used to have those dreams at the abbey too. She never came out and said it to me directly, but she did confess to not having a happy childhood. I put the two ideas together and when I confronted her she began to cry. I knew then."
The Captain collected himself and took a deep calming breath, "Did you know who?"
The Reverend Mother shook her head, "I know."
A sound from the bed halted her speech and grabbed their attention, "Mother," Maria murmured, and the Captain moved so the Mother Abbess could sit beside Maria.
"I'm here, my daughter," she whispered gently, "so is Captain von Trapp."
"The Captain is here?" Maria mumbled, "The children?" she whispered.
The Mother Abbess moved Maria's hand to the Captain's, a silent invitation for him to give in to the feelings she could see he had, that she knew he did not yet recognize, "The children are fine, Fraulein," he assured gently, "now we need you to get well."
Maria didn't say another word, she turned her head and her hand went lax in his grasp. The Captain reached out and touched her forehead. He paled and looked at the Reverend Mother, "Her fever's as high as ever."
The Reverend Mother took her cross, held it and blessed the Captain and Maria. "Look after her, Captain," she told him, and with those parting words, she left.
Captain von Trapp sat with Maria for another hour, until her nurse came and told him he must leave, Dr. Schwartz had arrived to examine her.
The Captain waited outside the door while the doctor performed his examination. When he came out the look on his face was serious.
"Doctor?" the Captain had seen that look before, it made his gut feel like it was in his throat, and he felt sick.
"Captain, she's weakening. She's not fighting as hard as she.I don't know what to tell you," the doctor hung his head.
"Well, I do. I'm going to make her fight. If you can't do it, I'll make her well myself," the Captain said with conviction. "I'll be back within the hour."
With that he turned to leave. It was time to rendezvous with Elsa and get back to the villa. He'd need a few things from there, eight things to be exact, Liesl, Frederick, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretel, plus one guitar. If that did not do it, nothing else would.
Baroness Schraeder noticed the Captain's silence on the way back to the villa, but she did not pry into his affairs when they concerned Maria. He's become entirely too protective of the little governess and the baroness did not wish to invite confrontation.
The children swarmed their father when he returned home, "How's Fraulein Maria? Did she ask about us? When can she come home?" were questions he answered every day.
"Children, get your things together, Liesl, get the guitar. We're going to Salzburg to see Fraulein Maria. I think she needs to remember some of her favorite things. Max, will you follow. When they have finished, I'd like it if you take the children home. I may need to stay at the hospital over night," the Captain told Max, who hurriedly to get ready.
"Why overnight, Georg," the baroness asked.
The Captain took her aside and whispered close to her ear, "Dr. Schwartz says Maria is getting weaker. He says she's not fighting the pneumonia. I'm going to try and help her as much as I can to fight it."
"I'll pray for her, Georg," Baroness Schraeder said and meant it.
"Thank you," he whispered and rushed off to get the children ready.
Before it seemed like the Captain had been gone, he was back at the hospital, this time not all, but with all seven of his children in his company.
Dr. Schwartz was still on the same floor examining other patients, "Captain, what is the meaning of this?" the doctor demanded.
"You told me, Fraulein Maria is getting worse, not better. If anything can make her fight it's the children. I told you, you can't seem to get her well, than I will."
"I simply won't allow it," the doctor insisted squaring his shoulder and looking directly at the Captain. "As long as Maria is under my care I will not allow."
"Doctor, seeing as being under your care got Maria into this position; I don't see any reason that I should allow you to continue caring for her. Since she's been in this place, she's gotten even worse than before. Liesl, find a nurse, have her get Fraulein Maria ready. Max, got and get the car and bring it around. I'm taking Maria home."
Dr. Schwartz stepped into Liesl's path and halted the girl by placing a restraining hand on her arm, "Let go of me," Liesl commanded.
Before Dr. Schwartz could act under his own power, his arm was painfully removed by the Captain's.
"Captain as long as I'm Fraulein Maria's doctor, I will not allow you to remove her from the premises of this hospital," Dr. Schwartz declared indignant.
"Well," the Captain sighed, "as long as I am the one who hired you, I can fire you. You are dismissed as her physician, Dr. Schwartz."
With that, the Captain moved into Maria's room, picked her up and wrapped her tightly in blankets, before carrying her out of the hospital to the waiting car.
The bouncing and jolting of the ride awakened Maria from her slumber, and she opened her eyes to the Captain's, "Where am I?" she asked confused.
"We're taking you home, Fraulein. That's where you belong," the Captain told her before she fell asleep in his arms once again.
Dr. Woss stepped out on the terrace overlooking Salzburg her mind occupied with matters other than the lovely view. She could not shake the feeling she had shirked her duty to one of her patients that she should have fought harder for, Maria Rainer.
Dr. Woss' husband, Edward, observed his wife from inside their villa. For two weeks she'd been this way. She was constantly second guessing her decision to leave the care of Georg von Trapp's governess to Hans Schwartz. Carefully, Edward approached his wife, "Maria Rainer again, Linda?"
When she nodded he sighed, "Lin, you are where you're needed. It was impossible for you to work with Schwartz. He's too old fashioned to accept the new ways; you couldn't do Fraulein Rainer any good constantly battling him."
Dr. Woss nodded, "But, Ed, I was needed there. The poor Fraulein was terrified of Dr. Schwartz. I let that bully scare her, chase me away, I'm supposed to be a doctor, an aggressive advocate for my patients and I let Dr. Schwartz and Captain von Trapp." he husband's laughter cut her off.
"Lin, if Georg von Trapp knew anything of Hans Schwartz's reputation, he's dismiss the SOB on the spot," Ed told his wife, "Schwartz is a good doctor by Austrian standards, but he's a pig of a human being."
Dr. Woss turned in her husband's arms, "What do you know?"
Edward Woss was an Austrian and was well acquainted with many members of the Austrian aristocracy including the von Trapp's and the Schwartz's. At times his knowledge of the histories of Salzburg's families helped Linda in her practice. She knew he would once again be useful.
"About 1921, Hans Schwartz married the daughter of two missionaries. Those missionaries were a charitable sort and fostered many orphaned and abandoned children. They were getting on in years all ready and when their daughter married they gave the youngest and most spirited child to her and her new husband, Schwartz to raise. This child also happened to be the daughter of the missionaries' sister, who'd died years before.
"The daughter died in childbirth a few years later leaving Schwartz alone with their charge. She was a spirited little thing, she loved to sing, play her guitar and roam about the mountains. She was quite the little tomboy. When she would disobey him, it was rumored that Schwartz would lock her in a basement, that he would beat her, aiming to break her wrists bones to stop her from playing her beloved instrument. Whether any of it was true no one was able to prove, but.knowing what I know of Schwartz, I'd say it was true."
While her husband was speaking, Dr. Woss was thinking. Break her wrist.just like.
"What happened to her?" she asked, wondering if there was any connection between Dr. Schwartz's niece and Maria Rainer.
"No one knows for sure. She ran away eventually and joined the nuns is what most say," Edward said flatly.
Dr. Woss gasped, "Oh, Ed," in acknowledgement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- Captain von Trapp moved numbly through the halls of Salzburg hospital, his footfalls as heavy as his heart. In the past two weeks, Maria's health had gotten worse instead of better and finally the Captain consented to her being admitted to the hospital in Salzburg. The broken ribs necessitated that she remain in bed and not be moved about too much. The pain from the injury though, coupled with her nightmares, led to sleeplessness. Finally, Marta had caught a bad cold and one night decided she would not be comforted by anyone other than Fraulein Maria. Maria had caught her cold and with her waning strength that cold had turned into pneumonia.
Maria had been in the hospital five days and still there was no sign she was recovering. In fact, she seemed even worse. She was still plagued by demons in her dreams and seemed to have no energy left in her to fight. The Captain went daily to the hospital to see if he could push her along, make her fight the illness, her fears, him even, anything to get her fighting.
Today was no different. He had gone to the hospital after the noon meal with the children. Elsa had come with him this day to go shopping while he visited with Maria and conferred with her doctors. She's been wonderfully supportive through this ordeal, even to the children, but she lacked the warmth the Captain knew Maria alone possessed.
The Captain walked into Maria's room and sat down beside her. She was sleeping, her breathing labored and audible in the silence of the room. He held her frail hand in his as he sat beside her bed and with his right hand, he retrieved his rosary from his pocket and began to pray the decades aloud.
Our Father, who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom of power and glory f For ever and ever. Amen.
Until Maria had come into his life, the Captain had no been a religious man, but since she came to him, he was immersed in it. His voice cracked as he began to pray the first in a set of ten Hail Mary's and he looked up astonished when he heard a voice finishing the phrase with him.
Holy Mary, Mother of God Pray for us sinners Now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
"Amen," the Captain echoed, turning to see the Mother Superior from Nonnberg Abbey standing in the doorway of Maria's hospital room
"How is she, Captain?" the older woman asked, not even asking if he was indeed Captain von Trapp.
"Not any better, but she doesn't seem to be any worse," he replied, removing his hand from Maria's. "What brings you.?"
"One of the nurses told me that Maria was in the hospital her in Salzburg. I've come to offer her prayer and comfort, but I see you have all ready done that," the Reverend Mother smiled.
The Captain laughed, "I have, but I doubt He's listening," the Captain shoulders slumped a bit in defeat.
"Oh, but He is, Captain. He is," the Reverend Mother assured him, "He has given you so much all ready."
"He's taken so much all ready," the Captain countered.
The Reverend Mother nodded. She knew the poor Captain had lost his beloved Navy when the empire was divided, and then he'd lost his beloved wife to a scarlet fever epidemic. Now she could see that he feared he was about to lose Maria as well and there was nothing he could do about it.
"What did happen to her?" the Reverend Mother asked.
The Captain sighed; he didn't know how to begin. "We went up on a picnic; Fraulein Maria loves to be outside, I'm sure you know. My two youngest children, Marta and Gretel, were flying a kite and that kite got caught in a tree. Maria climbed the tree."
"Oh, no," the Reverend mother gasped, "and she was hurt." It was not phrased as a question.
"Yes," the Captain affirmed. "She'd hit her head, broke a few ribs, but the most devastating was an injury to her left wrist. The doctors said it had been broken too many times. I don't know how she could have done that much damage to it, even if she were a tomboy, but well, that news that she'd never use it fully shattered her." The Captain tightened his grip on Maria's hand.
The Reverend Mother sighed deeply, "Captain, I'm not sure if it is my place to tell you this, but it is more than likely that Maria's injury to her wrist, or injuries to her wrist were not caused by Maria. Maria was.from what I've been able to get out of her, she was abused quite severely as a child."
The look on the Captain's face was wild. His usual stoic features flashed with anger and his hand tightened around Maria's, "So those dreams," he said more to himself than to the Reverend Mother, "they are real."
Sadly, the Reverend Mother nodded, "She used to have those dreams at the abbey too. She never came out and said it to me directly, but she did confess to not having a happy childhood. I put the two ideas together and when I confronted her she began to cry. I knew then."
The Captain collected himself and took a deep calming breath, "Did you know who?"
The Reverend Mother shook her head, "I know."
A sound from the bed halted her speech and grabbed their attention, "Mother," Maria murmured, and the Captain moved so the Mother Abbess could sit beside Maria.
"I'm here, my daughter," she whispered gently, "so is Captain von Trapp."
"The Captain is here?" Maria mumbled, "The children?" she whispered.
The Mother Abbess moved Maria's hand to the Captain's, a silent invitation for him to give in to the feelings she could see he had, that she knew he did not yet recognize, "The children are fine, Fraulein," he assured gently, "now we need you to get well."
Maria didn't say another word, she turned her head and her hand went lax in his grasp. The Captain reached out and touched her forehead. He paled and looked at the Reverend Mother, "Her fever's as high as ever."
The Reverend Mother took her cross, held it and blessed the Captain and Maria. "Look after her, Captain," she told him, and with those parting words, she left.
Captain von Trapp sat with Maria for another hour, until her nurse came and told him he must leave, Dr. Schwartz had arrived to examine her.
The Captain waited outside the door while the doctor performed his examination. When he came out the look on his face was serious.
"Doctor?" the Captain had seen that look before, it made his gut feel like it was in his throat, and he felt sick.
"Captain, she's weakening. She's not fighting as hard as she.I don't know what to tell you," the doctor hung his head.
"Well, I do. I'm going to make her fight. If you can't do it, I'll make her well myself," the Captain said with conviction. "I'll be back within the hour."
With that he turned to leave. It was time to rendezvous with Elsa and get back to the villa. He'd need a few things from there, eight things to be exact, Liesl, Frederick, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretel, plus one guitar. If that did not do it, nothing else would.
Baroness Schraeder noticed the Captain's silence on the way back to the villa, but she did not pry into his affairs when they concerned Maria. He's become entirely too protective of the little governess and the baroness did not wish to invite confrontation.
The children swarmed their father when he returned home, "How's Fraulein Maria? Did she ask about us? When can she come home?" were questions he answered every day.
"Children, get your things together, Liesl, get the guitar. We're going to Salzburg to see Fraulein Maria. I think she needs to remember some of her favorite things. Max, will you follow. When they have finished, I'd like it if you take the children home. I may need to stay at the hospital over night," the Captain told Max, who hurriedly to get ready.
"Why overnight, Georg," the baroness asked.
The Captain took her aside and whispered close to her ear, "Dr. Schwartz says Maria is getting weaker. He says she's not fighting the pneumonia. I'm going to try and help her as much as I can to fight it."
"I'll pray for her, Georg," Baroness Schraeder said and meant it.
"Thank you," he whispered and rushed off to get the children ready.
Before it seemed like the Captain had been gone, he was back at the hospital, this time not all, but with all seven of his children in his company.
Dr. Schwartz was still on the same floor examining other patients, "Captain, what is the meaning of this?" the doctor demanded.
"You told me, Fraulein Maria is getting worse, not better. If anything can make her fight it's the children. I told you, you can't seem to get her well, than I will."
"I simply won't allow it," the doctor insisted squaring his shoulder and looking directly at the Captain. "As long as Maria is under my care I will not allow."
"Doctor, seeing as being under your care got Maria into this position; I don't see any reason that I should allow you to continue caring for her. Since she's been in this place, she's gotten even worse than before. Liesl, find a nurse, have her get Fraulein Maria ready. Max, got and get the car and bring it around. I'm taking Maria home."
Dr. Schwartz stepped into Liesl's path and halted the girl by placing a restraining hand on her arm, "Let go of me," Liesl commanded.
Before Dr. Schwartz could act under his own power, his arm was painfully removed by the Captain's.
"Captain as long as I'm Fraulein Maria's doctor, I will not allow you to remove her from the premises of this hospital," Dr. Schwartz declared indignant.
"Well," the Captain sighed, "as long as I am the one who hired you, I can fire you. You are dismissed as her physician, Dr. Schwartz."
With that, the Captain moved into Maria's room, picked her up and wrapped her tightly in blankets, before carrying her out of the hospital to the waiting car.
The bouncing and jolting of the ride awakened Maria from her slumber, and she opened her eyes to the Captain's, "Where am I?" she asked confused.
"We're taking you home, Fraulein. That's where you belong," the Captain told her before she fell asleep in his arms once again.
