Thanks again for the reviews! You guys are wonderful. Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter; I'll try not to do that again.
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Chapter 4
It was raining so hard Georg could hardly see a thing. He was vaguely aware of dark shapes rushing back and forth, each with a purposeful stride; no one noticed the shivering figure that was Maria. Damn her young legs for carrying her so quickly. Georg thought his heart could pound no faster as he rushed toward her. Nothing around him seemed to exist; his ears had gone temporarily funny, as if the volume of life had been turned down, leaving nothing but a dull roar. His whole mind was concentrated on one thing: run to her, fast.
He may have slipped once or twice, sloshing about in the rain; he neither noticed nor cared. At last, thoroughly soaked to the skin, he skidded to a halt beside her.
"Maria, are you hurt? Is anything broken?" He had to shout. The wind and rain were so loud he thought perhaps she hadn't heard him. He put a hand on her shoulder. At the contact, she drew away from him, shaking her head; he couldn't see her face. She was shaking so badly.
Her sobs punctuated her words as she finally spoke. "I – I'm fine. Please...please don't concern yourself with...m – me." She made to stand, but her ankle gave way and she fell down once more with a gasp of pain.
Georg's heart clenched painfully at the sight of her helpless body on the cobblestone ground before him. Cursing himself a thousand times over for causing her such pain, he bent forward and swept her up into his arms. "Maria, I want no more arguing from you. You're hurt and you need care. Tell me the address of your flat. Now, please!"
Shaking water out of her eyes, Maria hesitated. Then, seeing the determined look in his eyes, finally gave way, "D...down that street, and turn...turn left."
Georg let out an audible sigh of relief, and set off at a fast pace, careful not to damage her ankle any more. He arrived soon in front of a homely looking apartment complex. Her flat was not far. She gave him the key and he stepped inside.
The small flat was comfortable, yet meager. A table and two chairs stood by the window, which was still dark with the pounding rain. A small kitchen, a desk nearby, a cozy fireplace, and a door that led, he presumed, to her sleeping quarters. There were a number of squashy-looking cushions lying about, and, he smiled, her guitar leaned against the opposite wall. The whole place was immaculately clean, Maria obviously did not stand for a messy room. He flipped on a light switch and sat her down gingerly on a chair.
"Right, well then, good." He stood looking at her awkwardly. "Okay, I suppose you should...uhh...change out of those wet clothes." He cringed inwardly, scratching the back of his neck, oh why did he have to make a prat of himself now... "I mean...ahh...you know, so you don't catch pneumonia or something...worse."
She nodded, "Yes, Captain. And thank you for carrying me here."
"Not at all. I think I'd better take a look at your ankle...once you've changed, that is."
She nodded once more and stood up to walk to her bedroom. Georg stepped forward and took her arm, steadying her.
"Perhaps I should carry you over there, too, Fraulein." And, without another word, he picked her up once more and carried her into the bedroom. If the captain had stopped to think of his actions at that moment, he would've deemed them highly inappropriate. Not a few hours ago, he'd planned on having a quiet lunch with her; now, both of them soaked, he was carrying her over the threshold of her bedroom. He almost laughed aloud, what would the Reverend Mother say? He sat her down on the bed and stood awkwardly. Surely she would need help fetching clothes. Without waiting for instructions, the captain strode over to a likely-looking wardrobe and pulled the doors open. He glanced back over his shoulder, "What will you need, Maria?"
The younger woman flushed pink, "Just...just that dress there, the top one will do. I can manage on my own, thank you."
Georg nodded, embarrassed. He handed her the article of clothing and hastily backed out of the room, closing the door as he went.
Maria sat on the bed, clutching the dress to her chest. She could scarcely believe the sequence of events. Captain Von Trapp was here in her flat. And here she was soaked to the skin with a sprained ankle and there he was, soaked as well and waiting to examine her ankle. As if suddenly remembering something, perhaps the fact that he was wet and cold with no extra clothing to change into, she hobbled over to a drawer and pulled out some undergarments and undressed quickly. She would have to run next door and borrow some extra clothing for the captain from the old retired gentleman. She stopped suddenly, hearing him stoke the fire in the next room. Well, she thought, at least he was being economical about it. After she had changed, she hopped clumsily on one foot and emerged into the living room.
"Oh Captain, I haven't any extra clothes for you here, so I'll just run next door and borrow some." She started toward the door, knocking things over as she went.
"No I'll go, Maria. Which door?"
"The one to your right," she answered gratefully. She hopped back into her room and grabbed some towels for him. She heard the door open again, "That was quick," she said, with an attempt at a smile, which the captain returned fully.
"Here are some towels. Just change in there please." She motioned him to her room, making nervous unnecessary gestures. He bowed at her, still sopping wet and closed the door behind him, adding, "Put some ice on that ankle."
Maria sank down into a chair and sighed deeply. Part of her wanted to bless the rain while the other part cursed it to all hell and damnation. What was she suppose to do now? She cast around the room, feeling helpless and confused. Tea! Of course, what a horrible hostess she was! Not even offering the man a hot drink. She hopped to her kitchen and heated some water. Her ankle was indeed hurting very badly. She took his advice and prepared a pouch of ice, then hobbled back into the living room and stoked the fire some more. Before long, the small room was infused with warmth and glowing light from a fire crackling merrily.
Georg emerged, dressed in a loose linen shirt and slacks, holding his wet clothing aloft, "I thought I might dry them by the fire."
"Certainly, Captain. Just lay them there."
"Thank you. Now, please Maria, sit down and let me look at your ankle."
She obliged, taking the ice pack off and pulled back her trouser leg, flushing deeply again. "It's just a small sprain, Captain. Nothing serious."
He knelt down and gently massaged both sides of her ankle, checking for broken bones. After confirming that it was nothing but a sprain, he said, "Do you have some pieces of cloth to bind it in? You'll have to rest it a while, but it'll feel much better when it's bound."
"Yes I have, they're in the second drawer beside my bed."
He stood up and disappeared within her room, returning promptly with a small collection of rags. He knelt down once more and bound her ankle tightly. "There, that should be better. But keep the ice on it."
Maria stood and tested her weight. It was much better. She could at least walk with both feet now. She turned toward him, grateful, "Thank you so much, Captain, it's much better."
He smiled warmly at her and she turned away, turning pink again. "Umm, Captain, may I offer you some tea?" And she stepped crookedly to the kitchen without waiting for his reply.
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Awkward situation...I'll try to update soon.