20: "Can You Be Brave for Me?"
With Kielholz's arm around his shoulder, Langenscheidt braved his own exhaustion to make his way through the camp in search of Colonel Klink. He wasn't surprised to find the commandant talking with Colonel Hogan outside Barracks Two—well, listening to Hogan read off the Geneva Convention for the hundredth time that month.
Klink was able to get out of it by turning to see Langenscheidt and Kielholz approaching. "You two are supposed to be in your barracks, getting rest! Those were my exact orders!"
"Colonel," Langenscheidt said, "Erich needs to go to the hospital. His tonsils are swollen and badly infected."
"Are you certain, Corporal?"
"Take a look for yourself." Langenscheidt opened Kielholz's mouth himself so Klink wouldn't get bitten, though he could sense Kielholz was too lethargic to really react.
Klink grimaced upon seeing Kielholz's tonsils. "Alright. I will call an ambulance and have Corporal Kielholz sent to the hospital in Hammelburg. Langenscheidt, you will return to your bunk at once."
"I promised I would go with him."
"You are sick as well, and you need to rest. You are not going with him, and that is final."
"Colonel, please—"
"That is final." Klink raised his voice slightly. "You may wait in the infirmary with Kielholz until the ambulance arrives."
Langenscheidt backed down. "Yes, Colonel."
Kielholz was made to lie down in the infirmary. His face was red with fever, and he looked like he was about to start crying. "I don't want to go, Karl."
"You will be alright. I had the same thing done to me, and I survived. I will visit you when they let me. That is something I can promise." Langenscheidt squeezed Kielholz's hand. "Please don't cry."
Tears still rolled down Kielholz's face. "Are you at all scared? I was terrified both times that you were going to die in surgery."
"I survived both times, didn't I? I am a little bit nervous, but I believe you will be alright in the end."
"So, you can be brave when I can't?"
Langenscheidt nodded. "Always."
"Thank you."
Langenscheidt couldn't hang around when the ambulance arrived, and once it left, he was ordered back to the guard barracks to rest. In spite of how exhausted he felt, a suffocating sense of worry lay on top of him. Part of him was confident Kielholz was going to be alright, but another part of him wondered if that was going to be the last time that they saw each other. Nonsense. I was fine. He will be fine. Langenscheidt drew in a breath, trying to keep himself calm. I need to rest. Erich will be alright, and he will fuss his little heart out if he comes back to find me still lethargic.
For once, the thought of Kielholz being his fussy self was comforting, and Langenscheidt managed to fall asleep.
Langenscheidt awoke sometime later to someone gently shaking him. Rubbing his eyes, he looked up to see Corporal Steinhauser standing over him. "Is everything alright, Steinhauser?" Langenscheidt moaned.
"Colonel Klink came to tell you that Kielholz is out of surgery and ready for visitors," Steinhauser whispered. "Are you feeling up for it?"
"Yes, definitely." Langenscheidt needed help sitting up, but once he was out of his bunk, he walked as quickly as he could outside to where Klink was waiting in his staff car. At first, Langenscheidt didn't want say anything, given what happened earlier that day, but when he sat down inside the car, he said, "Thank you for doing this, Colonel."
"Not a problem, Langenscheidt," Klink replied.
They were both quiet during the ride to the hospital, until Klink said, "I hope you understand I did not forbid you from accompanying Kielholz because I downplay your relationship. It was because you needed rest yourself, and I did not want a repeat of Kielholz's behavior when I let him accompany you when you had your appendix removed."
"What was he doing, sir?" Langenscheidt asked.
"He was convinced you were not going to survive. I thought he was going to make himself ill with how stressed he made himself."
"I don't think I would react like that, sir."
"Maybe, but—" Klink grinned at him a little, "don't think I don't know how much you two mean to each other."
Langenscheidt nodded.
"And… do me a favor and don't mention this conversation to anyone."
"Sure, Colonel." Langenscheidt looked out the window, knowing damn well he would mention this to Kielholz at some point.
At the hospital, Langenscheidt was escorted to Kielholz's room. His friend was sleeping, and wouldn't be able to talk for a little while, but it was still nice to be with him again. "I told you that you would be alright," Langenscheidt whispered, resting his head on the bed next to Kielholz's shoulder. "I slept through this, but I still tried to be brave for you." He sighed. "You really need to be less of a worrywart, though. That was part of the reason why Klink wouldn't let me come, you goof." He gently ruffled Kielholz's hair. "I still care about you a great deal."
He noticed Kielholz smiling, though his eyes were still closed.
"You are supposed to be asleep. You're not fooling anyone—" Langenscheidt was cut off by Kielholz wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a hug. He sighed again before saying, "You can go to sleep now, Erich. I'm not going anywhere."
