Disclaimer: As I enjoyed Valentine's Day I realized that I don't own The Sound of Music…
Author's Note: In honor of Valentine's Day I bring you this next chapter!
I Trust In My Heart-
-Chapter Twenty-Three: Cross Some Borderline
Georg sat there stunned, with Maria in his arms, a small smile playing at his lips despite the dire situation. His name. She had said his name. It was something that she hadn't said in so long. It was music to his ears. And what was more. She had said she trusted him. The thing that she said she could no longer have in him she did. She trusted him-Georg.
He snapped from his thoughts by the feeling of Maria's uneasy breathing and the warm feeling of Maria's blood from her arm beginning to touch his. He needed to find help, and fast. He quickly removed his jacket and placed it delicately around Maria's body, trying not to move her that much or touch her arm, which was bleeding badly.
He sat for another moment, trying to figure out how her injuries were caused and how bad they were. He was sure that the force of her fall, the mans, and the rough contact had resulted in a few broken ribs in Maria's delicate frame. There was no doubt about that. She must have landed on her arm wrong, causing it to break, and the force of the fall caused the bone to pierce the skin. The scratch on her cheek was caused by the rock near by, he had already discovered that, but he couldn't tell how deep it was, all Georg knew was that it ran from her cheekbone to her chin.
He looked around, trying to find a place to take her. The car would be the obvious option, but he had no idea where a local doctor or hospital was. He could set her in the car and run into the tavern, but he couldn't bring himself to leave her alone. What if one of the two men who were now knocked out cold were to wake? No, the only option was to take Maria with him, back into the tavern.
He delicately picked Maria up, and was surprised to find that she felt lighter than a feather. She squirmed slightly, even though she was unconscious. He would have to be careful maneuvering her. Without another thought Georg ran into the tavern.
"I NEED HELP!" he exclaimed, pushing through the door. The inhabitants of the room stopped, and all looked over at him. Georg was sure he himself looked a mess, the first man had hit him a couple of good times, and the fact that he was holding a very broken Maria probably puzzled everyone more.
Without hesitating the bar tender ran over to the two. "What in Hell's name happened?" he asked, as he approached the Captain.
"I'm not sure." Georg grew angry. Who cares how it happened! "There were two men harassing her, the men are unconscious now, but…" Georg said, looking down at Maria's face, she looked so peaceful even in the situation. "She got hurt, I need to get her to a doctor. Her arm is broken, bleeding and I'm sure she had some broken ribs." he breathed out in one breath.
The bar tender nodded. "Follow me. We can call a doctor for you once we get her setteled." he began to move towards a stair case. "Alaric! Bittan! Go get the two men, and then get Officer Bing." he barked orders to two men, who jumped up and ran outside. "We don't have a hospital here," the bar tender kept talking, as he and Georg ascended the stairs, leaving behind the stunned inhabitants of the tavern. "Our town is too small. But we have a great doctor. He'll make sure she's ok."
"Thank you." Georg breathed out. He would be hard to trust these people so quickly, but he had too. They were his only hope of getting Maria well again.
"Here we are." the bar tender said opening the door to a room. Georg followed the man through what seemed like a house, until they reached a bedroom. "It isn't much, but my wife and I have lived here since opening the tavern. Your friend will be comfortable, can guarantee that."
"You're far to kind," Georg said, gently lying Maria on the bed in the middle of the room.
"That's what we need in this world, more kind folks." the man said, making Georg smile. Georg was beginning to like this owner of the tavern more and more. "I'll go tell my wife of your situation and call Doctor Brandeis." the man went to leave. "Oh, I'm Dirk, by the way. Dirk Klein."
"Georg." the Captain paused, not sure he should give his last name. After all, he didn't know what town he was in or if the Nazi's occupied it. "Georg Kutschera."
Maria's head was pounding. She could tell it was light where ever she was despite the fact that her eyes were closed. Even this small, miniscule, seemingly nonexistent light was too much to handle. She groaned. Her groan seemed to cause movement beside herself. Then there was a quiet humming. It sounded like a woman, which puzzled Maria because the last person she remembered being with was Georg, after those horrid men had…her mind blocked the thought. With her curiosity getting the better of herself, Maria slowly, and painfully, opened her eyes.
She was in a room she had never seen before, lying on a large bed. There wasn't much to the room, a chair by a small window, a dresser directly in front of her and a door to her right. Suddenly the curtains to the small window were thrown open, making her groan once more.
"OH! You're awake!" the voice of a woman said, from the window. "You had us quite worried, Frau Kutschera."
"Frau?" Maria whispered to herself, the woman didn't seem to hear. Since when had she been a Frau? What in the world was going on? And how did this woman know her last name?
"…Granted you've only been out for a couple of hours." she hadn't realized the woman had been talking. "Here darling, drink this." the lady said, handing Maria a glass of water, which she gladly accepted.
The water was cool, running down her throat and filling her body with a refreshing feeling Maria had never known before. Once she was done with the drink Maria sat the glass on the small table next to the bed and tried to move into a sitting position, but felt a sharp pain run through her side and arm. It was the first time that Maria realized she had a cast on her arm and bandages around her chest and abdomen. She groaned in pain.
"Oh, careful there. Here let me help you." the lady said, coming over and helping Maria into a sitting position. "There, all comfortable?" Maria nodded. The woman smiled, "I'll let your husband know you're awake."
HUSBAND! Maria's mind screamed, causing her headache to worsen. "You must be mistaken, I don't-" she began to speak, but as she did the woman opened the door and in walked Georg.
"Darling, you're alright." he said, relieved.
"Husband?" she hissed in a whisper as he came nearer.
"I'll explain in a second," he whispered back, kissing her on the cheek. Maria's eyes widened, what in the world was he doing?
"I'll leave you two alone and go call the doctor." the woman said.
Georg nodded. "Thank you Leota." the woman nodded and closed the door.
"Husband?" Maria questioned again, looking at Georg with a raised eyebrow. "What in Heaven's name is going on?" Maria felt her head spin, she had a feeling she was pushing her body to be more awake and well then it actually was.
"Don't you remember?" Georg asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Not really." Maria paused. "I remember those two men." she shuddered, "then you being there, running, falling, then pain…and…that's all."
Georg nodded. "Well," he said. He didn't know whether to tell her now, or wait to till she was better, but he figured she wouldn't stop bothering him about it until he did. He chuckle, that was so like Maria. "Amidst the hustle and bustle of those two men trying to-er-I'm not sure what they were trying to do, actually-"
"Be friendly." was all Maria said.
Georg sighed, and grabbed Maria's hand in support, which she took despite herself. "Well, one of the men tried to grab you and sent both of you tumbling to the ground. When you fell you broke your arm." he said, lightly touching her cast, which she looked at. "Sprained you ankle, broke a few ribs, got a cut on you stomach, and a rather nasty cut on your cheek." he said, lightly touching her cheek were the cut was for a moment, lingering just longer than necessary.
"You passed out from what I guess was the pain. You've been out for the past six hours." he said, finishing the story. Maria nodded, her head feeling bigger than usual.
"So why did that lady, what was her name?"
"Leota."
"Leota, call you my husband?"
Georg gave a small chuckle. "After you passed out I brought you back into the tavern we stopped at, searching for help. The bar tender, who also owns the tavern and lives up here-"
"-up here?"
"Above the tavern."
"We're above the tavern?"
Georg nodded. "He was kind enough to offer his living quarters to us while you get better, for they have no hospital around, just a well experienced doctor." Maria nodded again, her head swelling once more. "His name is Dirk Klein, and that was his wife, Leota."
"And you're my husband, because?…"
Georg laughed. Despite the fact of waking from a rather bad beating she had just as much spunk and drive as she did in her full health. She never stopped amazing him. "Well, Dirk brought me up here and told me to lie you on the bed, while he called the doctor. Then the questions started. It would have looked odd for a man and a woman to be traveling together in the state that we were without being married. So, like you did before, I said we were…married. Besides, it makes us look less suspicious." Maria just nodded again.
"I used you last name because I wasn't sure what the Nazi situation with this town was. I was taking risks trusting these people so fast, but I wasn't going to make a big enough one as telling them my actual name."
Maria nodded, again. He had risked himself getting caught just to help her? Maria smiled. "I see. What happened to those two men?"
"They were arrested." Georg paused, and looked at Maria. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"My head just hurts and my body seems to hurt all over. Is there more water?" she asked, looking around hopefully.
Georg nodded, pored her a glass, and sat down on the edge of the bed again. After Maria downed her second glass of water she turned her attention back to Georg. "So, when do we leave?"
Georg stared at her in complete shock. She was physically weak, half of her body was in bandages, she had just woken from unconsciousness and she wanted to know when the would continue to flee? She really did continue to amaze him. He laughed. "Maria, look at the situation you're in. You're in no condition to travel. Especially over a mountain." he said the last sentence in a hushed voice.
"Captain. We need to leave as soon as possible. You can't possibly expect to stay here the entire time I heal! Lord, only knows Herr Zeller could be making his way to this town right now, and then what? It doesn't matter if I'm ready to leave or not. We have to."
Georg sighed. She was right, be he wasn't going to let her travel in a state like this. "We'll see how you are in a couple of days."
"Tonight." she said, her voice leaving no room for argument.
"Tomorrow morning." his voice was final. Just as Georg spoke, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." he and Maria said together. Leota walked in with a man, whom Maria assumed was the doctor, and another man whom she assumed was her husband Dirk.
"Good morning Frau Kutschera." the Doctor said, walking over to her bed.
"Good morning." Maria replied, inclining her head slightly.
"I'm Doctor Brandeis. How are you feeling?"
"As good as I can given the situation, I suppose." Maria replied, making the Doctor chuckle.
"Yes, I suppose so. I'll just need to do a check up, if you Gentlemen will excuse us, Leota, you may stay." Georg and Dirk nodded and left.
After the Doctor did his quick check up on Maria he allowed Georg and Dirk back in the room. "You seem to be doing fine at the moment. Everything looks ok, and it seems you'll have a good recovery."
"Doctor, when will I be able to be out and about again?" Maria asked, earning herself a warning glance from Georg, she gave him the same look back.
"Oh I don't know. Two to three weeks, and even then I want you to take it easy. No excessive activities for a month or two." he said.
Maria's mouth dropped open and her eyes filled with horror. "Now if you'll excuse me," Doctor Brandeis continued on, "I must be going. I'll be back to check on you in a few days. Good day." Everyone nodded their thanks as the Doctor left.
"We'll leave you too be." Leota said, dragging her husband from the room.
"Two weeks!" Maria nearly yelled as soon as the door closed. "Captain, what are we going to do?" the pain Maria felt from her injuries was gone at the moment as horror filled her being.
Georg sighed. "Wait I suppose."
"You can't seriously be thinking of staying here for two weeks? Where would we stay? I refuse to intrude on these people's lives by making a permanent dent in their bed."
"We don't have enough money to stay at a hotel, I used most of the money to pay the doctor. We only have enough left for food."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
It was late that same night, Maria was asleep and Georg was sitting in the tavern below, having a drink and thinking about what they would do. Maria was in no shape to travel, but they couldn't stay. Asking Dirk and Leota to stay would be unthinkable, they had done so much already and they had no way of repaying the kind couple. So they were stuck. He sighed.
"Georg? Georg von Trapp? Is that really you?" Georg turned around at the voice of a man, and his face fell. "You ol' son of a gun, it is!" Oh God why? Standing before him was a man by the name of Herrick, and old Navy friend. The man was known for always being happy, and usually being drunk, like he was right now. But the sight of his old friend wasn't what was bothering Georg the most. No, it was the Nazi flag band that was wrapped tightly around his friend's arm that bothered Georg the most…
…Moments later Georg was running up the stairs that would lead him to Maria. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn he thought, sprinting. He had been recognized, and what was worse by a Nazi. Perhaps Herrick didn't know that Georg had escaped the clasp of the Third Reich, maybe it was just a coincidence. But there was one thing that Georg knew about these situations, it was never to trust a maybe and take no chances.
Georg quickly entered the room, and went to Maria's side. "Maria." he whispered, slightly shaking her. "Maria you need to get up." Maria groaned and brought her right arm (which wasn't in the cast) to rub her eyes.
"Whu-Captain?"
"Maria, we need to leave, now."
An hour later Maria and Georg sat in the car, moving along the bumpy road, making Maria groan every time the car hit a big rock. After he had woken her Maria and the Captain secretly snuck out of the tavern, he helping her all the way. Once outside Georg laid Maria in the back seat, setting her extra clothes under her head for a pillow, and got into the driver's seat. Driving them away. Once they were in the safety of the car Maria questioned him to why he suddenly changed his mind.
"Oh my." she said, once Georg had finished his story. There was silence. It was too dark to see once more, but Georg kept driving on. They needed to get away from the small town as soon as possible. They never did learn the town's name.
Maria woke the next morning feeling in more pain than before. She supposed it was the fact that she was in a moving car that probably hadn't stopped moving for hours. She looked to the front seat to see a very awake Captain.
"Did you sleep at all?" she asked, the pain evident in her voice. She didn't try to sit up. She stayed as still as possible.
Georg jumped slightly at the sound of her voice. "A little, yes. But I woke up about two hours ago and have been driving ever since." Maria just nodded, perhaps if she fell asleep the pain would go away. But the pain was so strong that she couldn't sleep.
"How are you doing?" Georg asked from the front.
"It hurts." was all she said.
"You need to take this." Georg said, rummaging in the front and then handing Maria a bottle. "It's medication from Doctor Brandeis, I'm not sure what it'll do for pain, but he instructed that you take it."
Maria just nodded, holding the bottle. She would need to sit up to take it, and sitting up was something she couldn't and didn't want to do at the moment. "Once we stop. I need to sit up, but don't think I'll be able to on my own."
Georg just nodded.
"Maria, Maria wake up." Maria groaned as she heard the voice of the Captain. She opened her eyes. Odd, she hadn't realized she had fallen asleep.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Georg was smiling, the biggest smile she had seen on his face in a long time. "We're here. At the base of the mountain." he said, helping Maria sit up.
Maria moved quickly, too quickly for her bodies liking, but she felt no pain as adrenaline rushed through her body. They had made it. They were at the base of their escape mountain. Maria smiled. "I thought we could take a small break and give you that medicine before we continued on."Maria nodded.
After resting for an hour and making sure that Maria was alright and her wounds were better they decided to begin the trek up the mountain. They would take the car as far as possible then walk the rest of the way. Luckily the mountain wasn't as large as they were known to be.
"Are you ready to lie back down?" Georg asked Maria as they prepared to leave.
"I don't want to."
"Are you sure?" he looked at her concerned. "I don't want you to be in more pain than you have to be, especially with the kind of task you're going to take once we get to the top."
Maria smiled at his concern. "I'm positive. I want to be able to see the trees and the scenery as we pass through it. I want to remember every detail of this moment." she said, almost dreamily. Georg just smiled.
"You're the most courageous woman I've ever met, Maria."
Maria blushed.
Two hours later Maria sat in the back seat of the car with her face contorted in pain. She was torn between letting the feeling of pain or relief wash over her body. She was in more pain than she had been before. This trail up the mountain was far more bumpier than the road and being in a sitting position wasn't helping the matter. Her chest was in pain. But then, it was nice to stretch her muscles in a different way, after she had been lying down for so long.
She was debating whether of not to slowly lie herself down, but anymore movement from herself or the car would send her body into the feeling of being on fire. So she stayed still, willing it all to stop. And it did.
Maria opened her eyes to see Georg getting out of the car, and looking around. He nodded and walked over to her door and opened it. "This is where the car stops." he said, kneeling down by the side of the car.
Maria nodded.
"Why don't you stay here, and I'll get everything ready. Just relax. Do you want to lie down again?"
Maria sighed. "You read my mind." Georg chuckled and helped Maria lie down.
"Get some sleep, what ever you need to rest." Maria nodded again.
An hour later Maria was growing impatient. She had been lying there forever, trying to sleep, but it was no use. She was too excited. "Ready?" she heard Georg ask as he came back to the side of the car.
"More than you know. Will you help me out of the car?" Maria asked, as Georg helped her sit up.
"Of course." he said, gently wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. Her arms instinctively went around his neck. He set her feet lightly on the ground and her arms lingered around his neck just longer than necessary before she realized how close they were, and back away, putting her weight on the car.
She looked around. The were about two-thirds the way up the mountain, by a small cliff. It was beautiful. All of Austria sat before her, the most amazing sight she had ever seen. She slowly filled her lungs with the mountain air, careful not to hurt her ribs. So refreshing. She then took in the scent and smiled. That smell, that fresh feeling…that would be her home. Forever and always. And she loved it more than she herself knew.
Love…
Her thoughts traveled to Georg. Over the past week. Had it even been that? She didn't know. Well, however long it had been she had grown to love him more and more. The nights they spent talking, their playful banter. The support her had been in a time of trial. Helping her in a dire time of need. Putting her before himself. Everything he did. It had made her love him all over again. And what was more everything that had been shattered seemed to be rebuilt. That hope she had in him was back. And so was her trust.
She smiled. Together they had made it thus far and together they would make it to safety. What ever it took. As long as she had him with her, Maria knew she would ok. Her smile grew.
"What are you smiling at?" Georg asked, laughing as he walked over to where she was standing.
"It's so beautiful," she said, pointing towards Austria. "And yet, we have to leave it. No, not have to, need to. It's said to think that something this beautiful could be filled with something like the Third Reich. But looking at it from up here. It's like that evil isn't there at the moment. And, it's just…Austria."
Georg looked at Maria. Completely moved by her words. The way she had said it, the truth behind her words, the passion. It was so right.
"But it's not, and we're taking that final step to leaving it far behind."
"Disappointing." was all Georg could say, not looking away from Maria. With her face having a dream like look to it, and the wind slightly blowing, she looked stunning. He hadn't realized he was even talking.
"But we're almost free…" she trailed off, finishing what ever thoughts were in her mind.
"We'll be there soon." he said, snapping from his trance and turning to the Austrian "picture" before him. "Sooner than either of us can imagine."
They looked at each other and smiled. Then Maria did something neither was expecting. She threw her arms around Georg's neck and hugged him, as tight as her body would allow. He stood their shocked, for a moment but slowly encircled his arms around her waist, making sure not to hug her to tightly. "It will be ok." he whispered into her ear.
She nodded as she slowly pulled away, but only slightly. Still leaving her arms around his neck. They stared into each other's eyes. Neither wanting to look away, scared of what would happen if they did. Something happened in that single moment, neither would never know. But it had happened. The line that had been there since they met again, had disappeared and there was nothing between them to hold them back. They were close to crossing the border, but whether the country's border or another they didn't know. All that they were aware of was the fact that Georg was once again closing the distance between them, bringing his head towards Maria's and meeting her lips in a sweet kiss.
As quickly as it happened, Georg pulled away, stepping back only slightly, still leaving his arms on her waist. "I'm sorry I shou-" Maria's finger on his lips stopped his apology.
"Don't be." she said, her voice just above a whispered, before once again closed the space between them and kissed him fully, crossing that line that was no longer there.
Author's Note: The title also comes from the song 'As Long As You're Mine' from Wicked, so I don't own it. Uh yeah. I was going to do things differently, but I thought if I go this way their journey over the mountain would be more written out…and it's Valentine's Day, what a better tribute then getting them back together! Lol
THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! YOU ALL ARE AMAZINGLY AWESOME! THANKS MUCHLY!
Until next time,
Your humble Author,
The Lonely Goatherd
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!