Chapter Sixteen

North Atlantic Ocean

Usually, the Captain was very relaxed on his vessel, very in control, very in charge. He knew the boat, he knew the crew, and he knew his job very, very well, yet this time he couldn't relax. The decision he would make in the next few days would mean life or death for his men as well as himself. He didn't worry too much over his home situation, Maria and the children were in excellent hands with Max. He never thought he'd say this, but he was really glad to have a friend like Max Detweiler to rely on.

The men watched him curiously the next few days, they watched how often he checked their radar and their ammunition. Their Captain was nervous, that was obvious, but what was he nervous about?

Villa von Trapp

Maria was nervous too. Max unexpectedly arrived at her doorstep one evening claiming he was invited by Georg while he was home on leave. Maria was certain that was not true because Georg would have told her, but intuition warned her to be silent and not question their friend, so she welcomed Max and kept her silence.

Max's surprise "visit" delighted the children even Friedrich and no one except Liesl really noticed Maria's sadness or worry. When a letter came a few days after Max's arrival Maria read it with as much apprehension as anticipation. When she read the words that Georg had for her, she couldn't help but cry.

Darling Maria,

I write this with every hope you receive it intact and with fervent prayer this letter will be entirely unnecessary. Yet, as I am, as you so often remind me, forever efficient and prepared, I feel I must live up to that standard.

I've just been made aware my submarine will be deployed to the Atlantic to perform tasks related to our new trouble with Great Britain, and I fear it will be among my more dangerous assignments since we are involved in open war with the British. I feel it essential to say what's required now, in case, I cannot in the future. The British Royal Navy is a worthy opponent; I already bear the scars of their seamanship and determination to victory. Thus, I must admit that this is a mission I may not return from.

In that event, my love, it is you who will bear the cross of our family, raising and guiding them. I have every confidence you are equal to this task, but I wouldn't be the husband you love if I didn't put in my opinions.

Please realize if I do come home safely, this letter and its messages are never to be shared with the children. I don't wish their undo worry.

The letter went on to detail instructions and expectations for each child along with his hopes and dreams for them. All things Maria knew Georg felt in his heart but would have difficulty saying out loud.

Maria never even realized that as she read what could be her husband's final words, that she cried. That is, until she felt Liesl's hand on her back.

"What is it, Mother?" Liesl asked. "Bad news?"

Hastily, Maria shook her head, "No, I just miss your Father sometimes."

Liesl nodded, "It's nice when he's home, but after he goes back, it's even harder."

"After…before I wasn't as worried so much, but after England got involved, it won't be searching anymore, it will be fighting."

"I know, but Father came home from the last war, he'll come home from this one," Liesl reasoned, needing to believe that herself.

"It's just this letter," Maria sniffed. "It's like…" Georg told her never to read the letter to the children unless she received news of his death. "It reminds me of how much I miss him."

Liesl nodded sympathetically and hugged her mother, "He misses you too."

Liesl left to let Maria calm herself, "If only you knew, Liesl. If only you knew."

North Atlantic Ocean

After a week on the submarine, it was obvious to the crew that the Captain was anticipating an attack. Their normally fearless leader was showing his apprehension and his fear of what could happen.

The night before the projected date Georg read in the death notification letters, after saying a full rosary, he had to give orders to his men. In the event that injuries were incurred it was imperative those left were able to get to friendly port. So, before breakfast the next morning, the Captain addressed a fully assembled crew.

"Gentlemen, last night around 22:00, we entered the north Atlantic Ocean, hostile territory. Years of submarine experience has taught me that we are at a crucial point now. If we're going to be attacked, depth charged, and the like, this is when it will happen. We need preparations in the event we sustain damage and if any of our officers are injured or killed in combat. I've posted a chain of command outside my door. In case, someone in command is injured, myself, or the XO, get the sub back to a friendly…"

"Captain, Sir," a sailor named Kendrich called, "Sonar just picked up a destroyer."

"Have they seen us?" the Captain barked.

"Yes, Sir," the sailor replied as the submarine was shaken by a strong blast.

"Torpedo the ship," the Captain ordered as the back cabin filled with smoke and another blast hit the sub's starboard side. The force of the impact sent the Captain into the gun rack behind him. Flames quickly engulfed the engine room and the small hallway outside it.

Two crewmen moved immediately to their fallen leader and other comrades that had been injured by flying debris, while the XO took command of the boat and shouted an order, "Surface! Surface!"

"Surface?" a crewmen challenged. "If we do that, we'll be taken prisoner."

"No, we won't," the XO countered. "That ship is a friendly."

Villa von Trapp

Maria felt uneasy the day of the attack, since the moment Lucas woke up for his feeding, but she couldn't put her finger on why. Still, when she passed the study which had become an operating system for Dr. Skinner, she couldn't believe her ears.

"Well, I want him sent here!" Dr. Skinner barked. "I am the commanding officer of the Austrian medical corp, he is a highly respected HERO and I will be treating him. Full stop! So get a plane, a boat, a horse and buggy, whatever you need and get him here to his home, to his family, and to my crew!"

There was silence for a few moments then Dr. Skinner spoke again, "Thank you. We'll be ready for that tomorrow morning." With that he hung up the phone.

Damn it! How was he going to explain this to Maria? This was what every wife feared, what he feared as a doctor, that someone he knew would get hurt. He heard a rustle of a dress and looked up, eyes filled with unreadable emotions, "Maria," he said gentle looking at the terrified woman. He knew she'd overheard and likely predicted what he was about to say. "I think you better sit down."

Maria looked at the doctor's grave countenance and felt her heartbeat in her throat. "Wlad…was that about…?" She couldn't finish the query.

"Yes, Maria. The Captain's submarine was attacked in the Atlantic Ocean. He was injured along with a number of his men. His XO and a young sailor named Schreiner got the vessel to a friendly port in Finland yesterday. I've arrange for the Captain to be brought here to Salzburg to be treated by my team and recover under your care," Dr. Skinner told her.

Dr. Skinner kept his voice steady as he revealed this situation to Maria. He didn't want to upset the woman he had grown to admire and had admittedly fallen a little bit in love with.

"How bad is it?" she asked after a few moments and a couple of self-soothing deep breaths.

"I won't be able to fully tell until they get him here and I have a chance to do a complete exam. While it won't be easy, I don't see that it would be impossible for everything to work out," Dr. Skinner replied. "My team is very successful and I'm a good doctor, Maria. This is what I've trained to do and I promise you I'll do everything I know how to do for the Captain."

Maria sat in silence for another minute. "When will it be? I'll have to prepare the children."

"Tomorrow morning, noon at the latest," Dr. Skinner said gravely. "Maria believe me, if it is in my power…"

Maria held up a shaky hand, "I know. I know you've been through this fear yourself, and I trust you will do your best to keep me from…to keep our family from that pain. These children already lost one parent. And Lucas…"

Dr. Skinner's face darkened. "Don't think that way, Maria," he warned. "Positive thinking is a staple in this household. Sometimes I get sick of it, but if there ever was a time to positive, it's now. Please Maria."

Maria wiped a stray tear from her eye and rose from the chair she had nearly collapsed into when the doctor gave her the sickening news. "You're right. Plus, if I let the children see how upset I am it will be harder on them. We don't know much, so we cannot assume anything."

"I'll do everything I can, Maria. Please know that." Dr. Skinner implored her. "They've told me he's had first aid, the wounds have been cleaned and dressed as best they can and they are managing his pain, but as far as extensive repairs for any internal injuries, they aren't capable of that on a submarine or a flight chopper. Trust me with him when he arrives and know I'll fight like Hell to keep him alive and well."

Marie quickly covered his large healing hands with her own smaller ones in a gesture of trust and friendship. "I do, Wladyslaw. I certainly do."

Dr. Skinner watched as Maria left the study. She kept her head up, her shoulders squared and her back straight. She was the perfect Navy wife; calm, collected, and prepared for anything. He prayed that her faith in him would not be unfounded and that he would be able to save her beloved husband; if not for any other reason than to spare her that kind of pain.

Maria decided to wait until after supper to share the news with the children and Max. Even then she only wanted to share it with the older five. Marta and Gretel were simply too young for that kind of news. Maria would handle their questions when she could answer them better, and that would be after Georg was delivered safely home to Dr. Skinner's care.

Maria had spoken with Frau Schreiner, Frau Schmidt, and Franz earlier and they took the two youngest children and the baby upstairs. That gave Maria time to talk to her older children.

The older children sensed that something was amiss. They could read it in their mother's demeanor and Liesl and Friedrich, who ate on either side of Maria, saw how little she ate. Maria always had a healthy appetite except when she was pregnant. They both knew that was not the case of course. That would not be cause for the sadness in their mother's eyes.

The five eldest von Trapps and Max gathered in the salon after their dessert, all were ill at ease, but no one more so than Maria. She saw Liesl and Brigitta watching her, both of them wondering what was going on. She saw Friedrich nervously wringing his hand as if he knew already what happened. The only ones who weren't in tune to something were Louisa and Kurt. Kurt was too busy pulling Louisa's hair, and she was too busy trying to hit him for doing it.

"Children," Maria began. "Kurt, Louisa, settle down. I have something very important to tell you about your father."

Max watched his friend's face. It was pale and her blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. Yet her cheeks were dry, her posture was ramrod straight. Georg would be so proud of her.

"Is he getting another leave?" Liesl asked, her question a prayer.

"Is he getting transferred?" Brigitta guessed.

Maria shook her head. "Well, in a way Liesl, you're right. Your father will be coming home again; soon, tomorrow in fact. But…" Maria trailed off and took a deep breath. "He's been injured in battle. We don't know yet how badly. I just thought you should be prepared."

Liesl got up from her seat on the settee and hugged her mother. She motioned with her eyes for the others to do that same thing. Soon everyone in the salon was hugging, one large show of family solidarity and support.

"Mother," Friedrich began. "Do you know how it happened?"

"No," Maria shook her head. "All I know is that Dr. Skinner arranged it so your father can be treated here by his staff."

"We should thank him," Louisa said.

"I have all ready," Maria replied. "Now, we're all going to need to be very strong for each other in the next few days. It's going to be hard, seeing your father injured. You know he'd want us to stick together so that's what we are going to do."

Georg liked his family strong and unified. It was one thing that he'd impressed on Maria in his letters. That is what they would give to him.

Max who had been silent up until now, saw that Maria needed sometime to be by herself. She was being strong for the children, but she needed time to process and plan things out in her mind. He took over then, as his friend would have wanted him to do.

"Children, let's go on outside now and have a walk. You can show me some of the new animals in the stables," Max suggested.

Liesl wasn't stupid. She knew Max was trying to clear them out to give Maria space, so with a final squeeze of her mother's shoulder; she helped him lead her siblings out of the house.

Friedrich caught up with Max, whispered something in his ear and returned to Maria.

"What is it, Friedrich? I noticed you seemed angry when…"Maria began.

"I warned Father something like this could happen. I heard someone here plotting this, scheming…" The teen sniffed. "We have to be careful now and not let…we have to be careful who we trust."

Friedreich's words scared Maria. When Georg first left, the boy was radically pro-Nazi. He was nearly out of control. Now, he seemed just the opposite of that. It seemed as if his family was his priority, just as his father always wanted it to be. It didn't matter to Georg what Friedreich's politics were, as long as his blood remained true to the fold.

"Who was it?" Maria asked. She had to know. "Was it Dr. Skinner? One of his men? Tell me."

"No." The boy shook his head. "It was Frau Schreiner. I heard her on the phone with some Admiral. She overheard Father say something about why he was really fighting this war. I told him there was…that it could be dangerous, but…"

"Friedrich, calm down," Maria said. "We have to do our best to act as normal as possible."

Maria kept her head for the boy, but inside she felt sick, physically sick. The thought that Helga, someone she had befriended, someone she had invited into her home had betrayed them like this saddened and terrified her. It terrified her that Marta, Gretel, and Lucas were with her now, but even more so, it terrified her that in less than one day, Georg would be in the same house as she was.

"Friedrich, when Uncle Max gets back, I want you to tell him and Liesl what you told me. Your father is not to be left alone with Frau Schreiner not even for a second. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the boy replied.

"Good, your father is not to be out of our sight. Not until we get to the bottom of this," Maria affirmed.

"How are we going to do that?" Friedrich asked.

Maria sighed. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to figure it out. That's what your Father would do. We can't disappoint him can we?"

"No, Mother." Friedrich studied his shoes. "I've done that enough already."

Maria leaned over and hugged her son. "You made some errors in judgement. You are young and now you know what those errors were. Your father has forgiven you for that, and so have I."

Maria hugged Friedrich a little tighter then sent him on his way. She had serious thinking to do. She didn't know who to trust. She wasn't even sure if she could fully trust Wladyslaw or Max. She'd have to go it alone on this until she was sure.

"Not totally alone," she reminded herself. "The Lord will provide."

Dr. Skinner had overheard Maria's conversation with her son. He knew what he had to do, even at the risk of exposing himself and his mission. This family was more important than Roosevelt's noble cause. He'd have to figure out a way to help them, to lead the Gestapo off the von Trapp's track. The Captain's life was at risk, his family was at risk. If he had the power to stop that, he would.

The von Trapp's would need help. The Captain would need medical care and then all of them would have to get out of Austria. They made one failed attempt, it wouldn't stop there. These monsters would get to him however they could, through whomever they could, meaning Maria or the oldest girl, Liesl. He couldn't let that happen, even if it meant his life, he would stop it from happening. On his wife's grave, he would.