Chapter Five

Franz took Liesl into Salzburg so that she could send a wire to Georg at Bremerhaven. She understood why her mother did not want her father to know, but Maria's condition was rapidly breaking down and Georg needed to be informed.

Liesl held her shoulders back the way her father taught her to do when she needed to be in command of something. He told her a straight posture will always signify your determination and demand respect. She approached the telegraph operator with confidence. "I'd like to send an urgent delivery telegram to Captain Georg von Trapp, Navy of the Third Reich." She nearly choked on those words, but bit her tongue. "He's my father and our mother is ill. Please get the message to him before suppertime if you can."

"I'm sorry, Fraulein," the telegraph operator told her. "There's no way I can guarantee a delivery to the naval base in a certain number of hours."

"Please, do the best you can. It's very urgent that Captain von Trapp receives this telegram," Liesl replied. She hoped her voice didn't show her worry.

"Ah, Captain von Trapp. We'll do the best we can. What do you wish the message to say?" the young S.S. officer asked.

Liesl took the message pad and pencil and in a rushed yet delicate hand wrote:

Father –

Mother very ill with sickness from the baby. Put on bed rest. Not working. Getting weaker. Send another doctor if possible.

Liesl

"Thank you." Liesl paid for the wire and left the telegraph office, "Please God, please let him come home," she prayed silently as Franz started for the villa.

Louisa had been keeping an eye on Maria while Liesl was in town sending the wire. Maria had slept for a bit and when she woke up, she was able to eat some reheated soup Frau Schmidt brought for her.

"Where's Liesl?" Maria asked Louisa, wondering what crisis was preventing her oldest daughter from joining their pajama party.

"I saw her go outside, Mother," Gretel responded. "She left with Franz."

"Did she have a date with Warren?" Maria asked her intuition telling her Liesl was not out with friends, but up to something else.

"I don't think so," Louisa replied. "Just errands right, Kurt."

"Right," the boy agreed, not really realizing what he'd just agreed to.

"Ah, errands, hmm? And I suppose she's bringing home some blue strawberries from those errands." The children laughed, so their father had told Maria about the blue strawberries. Before Maria could question the other children any further, Liesl returned giving Maria a winning smile, "Hello, Mother. Feeling better?"

"Mm, hmm," Maria nodded. "Where have you been Liesl?"

Liesl winked at Louisa and smiled mischievously, "I was berry picking."

Bremerhaven Naval Base

Georg surveyed his sailors. They were a young, rag tag bunch, not much older than Liesl's first young man, Rolfe. They were hotheaded and sloppy. They needed whipping into shape, and he was going to do it.

Georg surveyed the men similarly to the way he used to survey his children, "You are men," he began. "You are members of the Reich's Navy. You are gentlemen; you are supposed to be gentlemen. Yet, you can't march, you can't navigate, you can't or won't follow orders, and yet I am supposed to put you on a u-boat and make submariners out of you.

"Up until now, it's been easy. It's been lax, some could even say fun, but that day has passed. Once we set foot on that ship, you are mine. Once we are on that sub, we are at war. I have fought in war before. I have been where you are. I had all the preconceived notions you have about romance, glamour, and glory. I can tell you it's not glamorous, not romantic, and not glorious. I can tell you what war is. War is killing, killing your enemies. War is fear, fear of dying, fear of losing. War is loneliness, loneliness for your home, families, and friends. War is a challenge, the biggest one of your lives, and if any of you feel you are not prepared to meet that challenge, leave your rank now."

Georg waited a moment. When no one moved he continued, "Once we step on that submarine, we're a family, men. We're responsible for each other. We all have families, loved ones, sweethearts waiting for us. We all want to go back to them safely and as soon as possible. It is imperative you obey orders, imperative you listen to instructions, and above all else, it is imperative you remember the rules of war. It's kill or be killed, men kill or be killed.

"Now, tomorrow at 23:00 our submarine deploys for the Adriatic. I want everyone, the entire crew assembled and prepared at 22:15. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir," said a number of men.

"I said, is that clear?" Georg asked louder, more forcefully.

"Yes, Sir," the whole crew answered.

"All right. You're dismissed."

Georg returned to his office before he prepared to retire for the night. On the door hung a telegram addressed to him. Georg read the telegram and felt his heart drop. "Tom!" he called for his aide, "Tom!"

"Sir?" the man replied.

"Tom, get me Admiral von Schriever or someone from his staff on the phone immediately. Tell him it is urgent and that I must speak with the Admiral a.s.a.p."

Tom left to do as he was ordered and moments late returned with the news that Georg may come join the Admiral for a drink in his office. Georg thanked and dismissed Tom and left quickly.

The Admiral seemed to be a fair man. He was a German, but not yet a Nazi. He was fighting because it was part of his career, he was fighting for the place where he lived. Georg could accept that for he fought because he was an Austrian, and Austria was part of the Reich whether he liked it or not. His family was a part of Austria and a part of the Reich, whether he liked it or not.

Georg saluted the Admiral and sat across from him, "Sir, I'll get to the reason I've come directly," Georg state as he remove the telegram from his uniform pocket.

Admiral von Schreiber read the words and examined Georg's face. "You are set to deploy in 24 hours, Captain," the Admiral replied.

"Yes, Sir," Georg acknowledged. "But my wife's never been pregnant before. I was hoping...Sir, if I left now, I could be back tomorrow by 18:00. My daughter Liesl is not a worrier, and Maria would never ask her to contact me. All I'm asking is one day, one day to go home, see my wife and perhaps ask one of our doctors to examine her," Georg nearly choked on the word our, but the Nazis did have excellent physicians, even a few that were trained in the delicate ailments of ladies. "Maria is very small and if...my children have already lost one mother, and I'm out here fighting in the war, in the action..."

The Admiral was moved by the Captain's plight and his Salzburg villa was close. He needed Georg. He needed him at the top of his game, and the he knew he would not be that if he was worried about his young bride.

"All right, Captain," the Admiral agreed. "I'll send word for Dr. Kreiger to head for your villa at first light, and you may have 24 hours of leave time to attend to your wife. However, you must report back here tomorrow at 20:00 to prepare for deployment. Dismissed."

Georg saluted his superior officer and practically darted out of his office.

Villa von Trapp

Very late that night the door to the villa opened and squeaked. Servants and family alike lay sleeping in their bids, no life stirred in the elegant home. Georg made his way up the stairs quietly and entered Liesl's bedchamber. As the oldest Liesl earned the privilege of a private bedroom.

"Liesl," Georg whispered softly to wake her. "Liesl?"

Liesl stirred when she heard a voice, her father's voice. She knew it was nearly impossible that it was him, but she wished it just the same. Slowly, she opened her eyes and started when her father's beloved face filled her gaze, "Father? How?" she asked sleepily.

"I got your telegram. Admiral von Schreiber gave me a day's leave. One of the navy docs will be out tomorrow to see your Mother. How is she?"

Liesl could read the concern in her father's voice and smiled, "She ate some soup for supper and kept it down. She's lost weight instead of gaining it, she awfully pale and tired and Dr. Burke put her on bedrest. I was shocked when she didn't tell you about it," Liesl revealed.

"I wasn't. She wouldn't want me to worry," he replied, "I'm going to go to her now. I just didn't want to startle her."

Liesl nodded, "Frau Schmidt is in with her. Mother will be delighted. She's missed you so much. She writes letters constantly."

"I missed her too, I've missed all of you," Georg said passionately rising from the floor and heading for the master bedroom.

Carefully, Georg entered his bedroom and took in the beauty of his sleeping wife. Frau Schmidt slept in with her on a nearby cot, in case Maria needed something in the night.

The creaking of the door caused Frau Schmidt to stir and she lifted her head, "Captain?"

"Ssh," Georg quieted her. "I don't want to wake Maria."

"What's going on?" Maria mumbled, looking somewhat confused, her eyes falling on Georg almost immediately, "Georg," she gasped in surprise, and tried to rush out of bed to him though the weakness in her legs wouldn't let her.

"No, stay put, Darling," he commanded rushing over to her before she fell. "Frau Schmidt, will you excuse us, please?"

"Of course, Captain," replied the loyal housekeeper. "I'll be in my quarters. Welcome home, and goodnight."

Frau Schmidt departed, and Maria tried to gain her voice back, "Georg, how...why...how...?"

He chuckled softly, "Could it be? Fraulein Maria speechless at last. I got a telegram from Liesl. She said you're morning sickness was worse than ever and that Dr. Burke had placed you on bedrest. I can see now why the doctor did that, you look so pale, Maria. Why didn't you tell me how bad it was?"

"I didn't want to worry you. I..." She never got to finish her excuse because Georg began kissing her, full and square on the lips.

"I love you, Maria and I'll always worry about you, Darling," Georg told her. "As to how I'm able to be here, I showed Liesl's telegram to the Admiral and he gave me a 24 hour leave to see about it," he leaned over and kissed her again relishing the feel of his lips upon hers.

"Von Schriever? He's the Admiral who sent that telegram to you after..." Maria recollected her eyes filling with anger at the name.

"Yes," Georg nodded. "But he's a good man. He's got a family too, so many of us do," Georg told her, holding her tightly to him, not wanting to let her go.

"I wish you could stay forever, that you didn't have to go back," Maria whispered against her husband's chest.

"I wish that too my love, every day," he whispered.

"Well, at least you're at Bremerhaven and safe and not out fighting in the seas somewhere," Maria offered in seeming consolation.

Georg grew quiet. He didn't want to upset Maria in her delicate state, but he wouldn't lie to her or leave anything out. Lovingly, Georg took Maria's hands in his and stroked her palm with his thumb, "Darling, I wrote you a letter today, to tell you that tomorrow, I'll be deploying to the Adriatic Sea."

Maria stared at her husband, speechless for the second time in her life in only a matter of minutes. She was looking at Georg, hearing his words, but for her life, she could not believe he'd just said what he'd said. He was going to war, to battle. This could be the last time she would hold him or be held by him. She couldn't say that or vocalize that, he didn't need to worry about her being afraid.

"I know it's scary, Darling, I know that...but we can't think like that. We must keep the faith, remember, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help."

"I know, Darling, and I know you have to go, but I can't help but want to beg you to stay," Maria whispered, and with that, she let down the barrier she'd been trying to erect, leaned her head against his chest, and began to cry.

Georg stroked her hair and tried to comfort her, "I'll still be relatively safe, Darling. Germany's u-boats are among the best in the world, and I may be older, but I'm not stupid. I'll come out of this just fine. I have a fine crew, young boys, and we all want to go home to our families. It'll be fine, you'll see," he soothed rocking her to and fro in his arms as he sat beside hr on the bed. "Now, why don't you try to get some rest. I only have one night, and I want to spend it holding you. No more tears, okay?" he asked her, giving her a light kiss on the tip of her nose, before stretching out upon the bed to hold her throughout the night.