Chapter 13:

(Kassel, Germany - July 1927)

It was almost a two hour drive from Hammelburg to the campgrounds in Kassel, but the three men finally reached a wooden cabin with a porch completely isolated from the rest of the camp and nestled next to a large lake. A neighborhood of cabins lay beyond the opposite side of the bay, the scent of campfire smoke and s'mores being made almost overwhelming to newcomers.

Klink and Schneider wandered inside the main area of the cabin and saw that they had a kitchen, a full sized bathroom off one end of the cabin, and straight ahead was a room with two full sized bunk beds, half of a wooden wall in between the two bunks to give guests some sort of privacy.

While Klink seemed slightly disinterested, Schneider threw his arms out in excitement as he stared at the little piece of Heaven the trio would spend the next four days at.

"Look at this place, Wilhelm!" He cried. "The next four nights are all ours here. No work, no women, no drama...man, I can't wait to crack open one of those bottles of brandy tonight around the fire. What do you think, mein Freund?" Schneider turned around and found Klink giving him a sad smile.

"It's a nice cabin, Rudi," he answered, then looked back down at the ground and let out a breath of air through his nose. He greatly appreciated what his two best friends were trying to do for him, and he wanted to enjoy this surprise vacation dearly. But the dark cloud that had hovered over him for months now just would not let him out of its grasp. Klink was sick of being sad and reserved. He wanted to laugh and be full of cheer again, but all he could think about was what Klaussner had told him. How he could never have his own children or be a father. The one thing he wanted more than anything in life had been cruelly taken from him, and he did not know how to get back on the horse. All he could do was just stand there and stare at it as he debated whether to get back on it again or not.

Still seeing the empty look in his best friend's eyes, Schneider frowned and set down the suitcase he carried in his right hand. "Aw, come on, Wilhelm; forget about your troubles for a few days. It's been months now. Aren't you sick of being so depressed everyday?" He questioned.

"Rudi, it's not that easy," Klink said softly. "Of course I'm sick of being upset everyday, but I don't know how to swim out of this dark place I'm in. My biggest dream was ripped away from me; how do I possibly move on from that?"

Schneider let out a breath of air through his nose and put a hand on Klink's shoulder. "I know how devastated you were when Dr. Klaussner told you what was wrong, Wil...I know that must have hurt you more than anything...But you can't live the rest of your life like this, mein Freund. You're gonna make yourself sick if you keep this up," he told him.

Klink let out a heavy sigh and slowly shook his head. "I don't think I could smile now even if I tried, Rudi," he finally said. "I don't think I remember how to anymore."

Schneider fell silent for a long moment, desperately trying to think of something that would finally bring his best friend out of this fog he was so lost in. In one last attempt, someone came to the major's mind, and he looked Klink square in the eye. "Wilhelm," he started. "If Kurt was here right now, what do you think he'd want for you? Would he want you to mope around the rest of your life, or would he want to see you be happy and live a successful life again?"

Those words hit Klink like a punch to the gut. He closed his eyes and felt the tears down his cheeks as his lost friend returned to mind after so many years. How he wished Kurt could be there now at that moment. To bring him out of his dark fog like he had during trench training at the academy. And he knew very well, almost too well, of what Kurt would have wanted for him had he still been alive today. What he would have told Klink to lift his spirits again.

Klink sniffled as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. "He'd want me to be happy again," he answered, meek. "He'd say, 'Wilhelm, wipe those tears away, and quit that sobbing. You've got too much left to live for.'...And he'd be right." He then went on to remember all the good things he had in his life. A successful job he loved doing; good and loyal friends that were always on his side; a nice house in a nice neighborhood; supportive and caring parents; a loving and devoted wife, most of all. His beautiful Janine. She had stood by his side and tried to make him feel better all these months. Always there to hold his hand or comfort him while he cried without any judgement. She loved him for exactly who he was and would not trade him for any other man in the world. It was the first time in forever he realized just how lucky he was. It also made him realize just how many 'thank yous' he owed his loved ones.

Seeing something change in his friend's blue eyes, Schneider let a small grin come to his face, and he rubbed Klink's shoulder. "Then come back, Wilhelm," he said softly. "Come back to the light again...If not for yourself, then do it for Kurt. 'Cause I know he'd be hurting right now seeing you like this as much as I am."

Klink sniffled again and felt a smile make its way onto his face. His first real smile since finding out he may never be able to have children. "Rudi," he croaked, then reached his hand out and gripped one of Schneider's arms. "Danke, mein Freund...for everything."

Schneider's grin widened as he patted Klink on the back, when both were taken out of their moment by the sound of Tauscher huffing and puffing, struggling to carry in four things of luggage into the cabin. He gave his two friends an aggravated glare. "Are you girls done here yet, or do I have to carry the rest of this Scheisse in myself?" He yanked a falling suitcase back into the crook of his right arm with a groan. "God, Rudolf; you pack your entire closet in these, or what?!" (1)

"I must have a designated outfit for each day of the week, Ingo, my boy," Schneider remarked, fighting back a smirk threatening to take over him. Klink stood beside him doing all he could to keep himself from smiling in amusement. "I have to keep up my appearances, after all."

"Appearances!" Tauscher exclaimed. "You wear the same damn outfit five days a week!"

"And the last thing I need is Colonel Burkhalter nagging me about how I am not up to par with Reichsheer dress code regulations. If you had that man for your commanding officer, you would understand just why I take dressing myself so seriously," Schneider said defensively. (2)

"Oh, and you think Admiral Brotkopf is any better? That man made me spit shine the entire Naval High Command's boots just for coming in and forgetting my cap at home."

Klink let out a soft chuckle as he listened to the banter, then started to make his way to the door. "Come on, Ingo; I'll help you carry the rest in," he said, then made his way outside to the car, leaving the navy captain to look back at Schneider with a sour glare after setting down the four pieces of luggage he carried.

"See?" Ingo remarked childishly. "Wilhelm actually helps people with things."

"Oh, shut up," Schneider said, crossing his arms. "Before I have Admiral Brotkopf make you spit shine the Naval High Command's biggest battleship next."

Tauscher narrowed his eyes at Schneider, then gave a muffled humph. "Verdammt Armeeoffiziere," he grumbled to himself, just barely loud enough for the major to hear him. "Never able to take anything lightly for once." (3)

Without another word, he marched out of the cabin to meet Klink back at the car, while Schneider rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Navy officers these days," he remarked. "Always ranting and raving about something."

Laughter. Singing and dancing. Accordion playing. S'mores and alcohol. That was an exact description of what that following Thursday night looked like. If Klink and his friends were not eating s'mores or laughing and smack talking one another, he was singing old German folk songs while Tauscher played the accordion, and Schneider danced around the cabin in a drunken manner while poorly singing along to whatever song was being played.

The trio had spent the last three days hiking, exchanging stories about work or their worst relationships in the past, sitting around a campfire while roasting marshmallows, dancing around as Tauscher played his accordion, or staying up until 3:00 a.m. talking and laughing while they were trying to fall asleep. Most of the time it was due to Tauscher's sleep talking and the odd things he mumbled to himself while he slept, causing Klink and Schneider to snicker or burst out laughing when they could not contain themselves. They were having the time of their lives, all of their troubles and stress melting away as quickly as ice did next to roaring flames of fire. By Thursday night, Klink had almost nearly forgotten what had upset him so deeply entirely.

Tauscher had just finished playing 'Bierfass Polka', and Schneider literally plopped down into a chair trying to catch his breath from dancing. He grabbed his bottle of beer and gulped a generous amount down before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Damn," the major said. "I forgot how much polka dances wear me out afterwards."

"It's not the polka that wears you out, mein Freund," Tauscher answered, taking a sip of his brandy. "It's called getting old."

"Old! You've had two boys, been married and divorced, and have the beginnings of gray hair mixed with your light brown ones, and you claim that I'm old?"

"You know what, you're right. You're not old; that Colonel Burkhalter of yours, now he's what I classify as old."

The three men began busting their sides laughing again, only this time it caused tears to stream down their faces from how hard they were cackling. Klink had his arm wrapped around his stomach in attempts to keep himself from falling to the ground in a hysterical heap. His stomach hurt like hell, but it was the best feeling he had felt in months. Like the dark clouds hovering over him had finally faded away and took a 400 pound anvil on his shoulders with them. He could finally see sunshine again. He could feel the warmth on his face and the positive vibes running throughout his body. His depression was gone. After so many months of wallowing in sadness and agony, his depression was finally gone. He felt rejuvenated. He felt refreshed. He felt...he felt happy again.

Once his laughing had somewhat settled down, Klink commented, "I think Colonel Burkhalter was just born old." Again, the three men were splitting their sides and did not stop until Tauscher developed the hiccups. The captain frowned.

"God dammit, now I got the hiccups," he groaned, followed by another hiccup.

Schneider sighed, then slowly rose to his feet. "I'll get you some water," he answered, as he walked towards the kitchen, leaving Klink and Tauscher to briefly talk among the two of them.

"Like that will help any," Tauscher muttered to himself, then turned to Klink. "They have over a hundred of those stupid in-home cures for the hiccups and not a single one of them works."

"You know, I heard somewhere that pulling on your tongue is supposed to get rid of them. Something to do with pressure points and the nerves in your throat." Klink replied.

Tauscher scoffed, not aware of Schneider standing behind him with a clown mask on and gawking at him. "Pull on your tongue; that's about as dumb as having someone scare you," he said. Tauscher turned to his right briefly, did a double take when he saw the clown mask, and practically jumped out of his chair while screaming at the top of his lungs. "Guter Gott, im Namen des Himmels!" (4)

Schneider removed the mask and started laughing uncontrollably, earning a hard glare from the captain.

"You should've seen your face!" Schneider cackled, pointing at Tauscher.

"Rudolf Schneider, I'll get you for this," Tauscher remarked bitterly. "Just keep one eye open tonight; you might wake up in the morning with a snake in your bed."

As he continued to watch the banter in silence, a wide grin came to Klink's face and eventually lost the battle against his built-up amusement. He began to chuckle, and it gradually turned into full on laughter, causing his friends to abandon their argument and turn their gazes to him.

"What's so damn funny, Wilhelm?" Tauscher remarked, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "You just see what he did; he could have killed me or something."

"I'm sorry, Ingo, but Rudi is right; that look on your face was priceless," Klink said, trying to settle down.

Schneider and Tauscher turned to face each other again with a blank stare, looked back at Klink, then the trio burst out laughing again. They stayed like that for at least a minute before calming down, Klink's laughter being the last one to die out.

"Oh, it feels so good to smile again," Klink said sincerely. He could not remember the last time he had so much fun. As foreign as it was to him to be smiling and laughing again, the feeling was welcomed back with open arms, and the last of his depression evaporated into the air.

Schneider and Tauscher smiled back at him, their faces brightening as much as sunshine did on a clear summer day.

"It's good to see you smiling again, Wilhelm," Schneider answered. "Out of everyone in Germany, you deserve all the happiness you can get."

Klink felt his heart warm at his friend's kind words. He was happy. Genuinely and completely happy for the first time since finding out he was unlikely able to become a father. It was then he realized how truly lucky he was. He had a successful job that he loved doing; supportive parents; incredible friends; a good education and degree in a field he enjoyed; a nice house, and the most beautiful woman in the world he was lucky enough to call his wife. He had most things men would kill to have in current times, and he had to count his blessings. He may never have his own children, but he was extremely fortunate and would not want his life to be any other way. His friends had made him realize that. And even better, they had brought back the happiness to him he thought he would never feel again. That was truly the greatest gift anyone could ever give him, and he would always be thankful for his loved ones never giving up on him.

"Alright," Schneider said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. "Who's up for another round of accordion playing? Maybe a little 'Muss i denn'?" The last part he directed towards Tauscher.

The captain rolled his eyes as he picked up his accordion and got his fingers in the right position to start playing. "Fine, but only if you sing and do the dance while I play," he remarked.

"Sing and dance!" Schneider exclaimed, then sighed and hung his head. "Very well. But if I collapse from exhaustion, it's on your head."

Tauscher smirked as he began playing the famous folk song and sang along with Klink, while Schneider danced around the cabin and did another round of the polka.

It was around dinnertime when Klink returned home on Saturday evening. He walked through the front door with a smile on his face and softly humming to himself the melody of 'Muss i denn', when he spotted his wife cooking in the kitchen and felt his grin grow twice in size. He silently walked towards Janine until he was behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist while he rested his head on her shoulder.

Janine felt a smile spread across her lips and began to turn around. "Wilhelm Klink," she said teasingly. "You know you're supposed to kiss me 'hello' the second you come home."

"You're forgetting I've been away from you for four nights, liebchen. A man's urge to hold his wife again grows after a day or two, you know," Klink answered, finishing with a soft kiss on Janine's cheek. She blushed in response, then returned her eyes to her husband. "How's my beautiful wife been while I was away?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, I've been alright," Janine answered, starting to make her way to the countertop attached to the other side of the room, a small gift bag with balloons and white tissue paper sitting casually off to the left. "I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up, but nothing exciting other than that."

Klink's eyes began to widen with fear as his body temporarily froze into place, his muscles tightening from anxiety. "Check-up," he stated, with surprise. He hurried to his wife's side and grabbed a hold of her, checking her face for any signs of illness. "What is it, my love? Are you alright, Janine?"

"Oh, I'm alright," Janine answered, with the wave of her hand. "Just a little nausea; it's no big deal."

Klink took his wife's hands in his and held them tight, anxiety now turning into paralyzing fear. Nausea? That was not a good sign to him. Nausea was a symptom of many life-threatening illnesses. Heart attack, heat stroke, appendicitis, there were over a thousand possibilities of what his wife's sudden symptom might mean, and the last thing he would let happen was Janine to get sick to the point it became nearly fatal. "Janine," he began. "Maybe I should take you into the emergency room."

Janine felt a smile return to her face, and she silently laughed. "Nein, Wilhelm. I'm alright. I'm fine as can be...but I'd feel a lot better after you opened this," she said, and handed her husband the little gift bag.

She watched as Klink cautiously took it, was about to remove the tissue paper, then looked back up at his wife skeptically. "Why, what is it?" He questioned.

Janine's radiant smile turned into one of mischief, her dark eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky. "You'll find out soon enough," she answered, not saying a word more.

Klink continued to eye his wife carefully as he slowly removed the tissue paper to see what was inside. When he finally caught sight of what had been hidden inside, his eyes widened again to the size of saucers, the air in his lungs abruptly being sucked right out of them. As he struggled to regain control of his breathing, he let the bag drop to the floor as he removed a white newborn onesie with little ducks and a matching beanie in his shaking hands. He gradually made his eyes back to Janine, who was simply grinning at him and trying to fight back from laughing at her husband's baffled expression.

Klink shook his head, the shock still not entirely gone yet. "No," he finally was able to say. "You can't be."

Janine silently giggled and nodded to confirm his suspicions.

The shock finally faded from Klink's body, and he began to shake uncontrollably. A wide smile came to his face, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, then took Janine in his arms and began kissing her, Janine doing the same in return. Klink then lay his head on his wife's shoulder and started to cry. He felt so much joy running through his veins he wanted to get up on the roof and scream in celebration. He wanted to shout the news to all of Germany. But he could not move. He could not speak. All he could do was cry, thanking God every other second for the miracle He had just given him. A baby. Klink finally had his miracle baby on the way.

(1) Scheisse - s***

(2) Reichsheer - Imperial Army

(3) Verdammt Armeeoffiziere - "Damn army officers."

(4) Guter Gott, im Namen des Himmels - "Good God, in the name of Heaven!"