Female Trouble

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Dietrich and Lieutenant Leck stood up as Lydia and the German nurse were escorted into his private quarters. "I'm pleased that you decided to join us Miss Fontane. You look lovely."

"Thank you, Captain." Lydia blushed as Captain Dietrich pulled her chair out for her. She slid into the seat and shivered as his breath warmed her neck. She kept her eyes down as he moved away to take his own seat.

Lieutenant Leck held the chair for the German nurse before taking his own seat.

"I hope you and Miss Weidler are getting along all right."

"She's a dear," Lydia answered with a smile directed at the German nurse.

The nurse blushed to be the center of attention from her commander.

"How are you going to get me back to the Allied base Captain?" Lydia blushed again as she realized that she was being pushy.

"Pleasure before business Miss Fontane. Let us enjoy our dinner before we get serious, shall we?"

Lydia nodded unhappily but didn't voice an objection. She decided to enjoy the food and see what happened next. Dietrich and Lieutenant Leck proved to be excellent hosts. She soon found herself relaxing and actually joining in the pleasant conversation. The captain entertained her with stories of his life before the war. She was surprised to find that he had a family in Germany. The face that she was surprised surprised her even more. It just hadn't occurred to her that he would be so normal.

Dietrich noted with pleasure that his guest seemed more relaxed by the end of the meal. The tinkle of laughter that accompanied one of his jokes pleaded him to no end. A strong need to protect her washed over him, leaving him conflicted again.

"So how are you going to do it Captain?"

Lydia's question caught him daydreaming and he had to think before he realized what she was asking. Clearing his throat, he explained his plan. "I thought that I might just radio the American base and tell them to send someone to get you."

"Just like that?" Lydia scoffed. "What makes you think that they will agree to such a thing? Why would they believe you at all?"

"There has been a precedent set Miss Fontane. A young lady was once returned to me by one of their units. I think they will agree to my terms."

"What terms?" Lydia's heart skipped a beat as she pictured herself being used as a pawn.

"I will allow them safe passage to and from this base as long as they don't take any detours to complete any missions. This will be a rescue mission only. They can take you back but they must not take any other prisoners." Dietrich laid out the terms of his deal.

"How will they know that they can trust you?"

"How will I know that I can trust them?" Dietrich countered. "It is a matter of honor, Miss Fontane. We will call a truce and each side must trust the other to keep the truce."

"I don't know Captain Dietrich." Lydia felt the first bit of doubt about the plan.

"Relax Miss Fontane," Dietrich responded. "This is not the first truce I have had with the Allies. I am certain that they will accept, especially once they find out that a young lady is involved."

"Can they trust you Captain?"

"Once I give my word, I keep it," Dietrich asserted.

Lydia nodded. "I believe you Captain, I don't know why, but I do."

"Then that is settled," Dietrich replied with a smile. "I will make the call tomorrow morning. In the meantime, can I offer you the use of a guest room for the night? It would be much more comfortable than the cell you currently occupy."

"No, thank you, Captain. I think I prefer the cell. I wouldn't feel right sleeping in a guest room while the sergeant is still in his cell. I think I should stay and keep him company. He has no one else."

"Commendable of you Miss Fontane, but I am not sure that he will appreciate your sacrifice. It is my understanding that he hasn't even spoken to you since your capture."

"That's true, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't change the way I feel."

"Was the sergeant a member of your group?"

"No," Lydia answered, "He was an escort for the convoy. I never met him before the convoy was attacked."

"I am sorry about that Miss Fontane. We were not aware that there was a medical team with the convoy. My men would have taken more care if we had known."

"The base commander thought that we would be safer if no one knew about us. He was afraid that you would target us to keep us from doing our jobs."

"I am not in the habit of waging war on medical staff. You are non-combatants as far as I am concerned. We would have tried to avoid your truck if we had known."

"I wish the commander had known that," Lydia answered wistfully. "I guess it doesn't matter now. I suddenly find myself feeling very tired Captain. I think I would like to turn in now."

"Very well," the captain agreed. "Could I at least have an extra blanket sent to you? The nights get quite cold on the desert."

"That would be most welcome Captain. Thank you."

"I could stay with you tonight," the German nurse offered. "Then you wouldn't be so alone."

Lydia was tempted, but in the end, she decided to decline the offer. "Thank you, that's very nice of you, but I will be fine. I'm very tired so I don't think I'll have any trouble sleeping."

"Then I'll have you escorted back to your cell," the captain offered. "I'll have a man bring the extra blanket. Sleep well Miss Fontane."

Lydia entered her cell and immediately regretted telling the German nurse that she was fine. She wasn't fine. The sergeant wasn't talking to her and she suddenly felt all alone. She believed that the captain meant well but his plan was by no means a done deal. She could still end up in a POW camp. She sighed as she moved to her cot. It was going to be a long, lonely night.

The events of the day came rushing back. The attack had been terrifying. If she hadn't climbed out of the truck when she had, she would have been killed in the explosion too. As it was, the loss of the others was never far from her mind. She hadn't been especially close to any of them but she missed them just the same. Lydia hugged her arms close to her body as she shivered with the memory. She had wanted to be a nurse since grade school and the chance to be an Army nurse had seemed the chance of a lifetime. She had been looking forward to treating the soldiers wounded in battle. None of her experiences of the last twenty-four hours had been included in her plans. She certainly hadn't expected to be a POW before she reached her first assignment. And she hadn't expected to view the enemy as a friend. Captain Dietrich had proven to be the second biggest surprise of the day.

The soldier arrived with the extra blanket and she took it gratefully. She carried it to her cot and wrapped it around her body. As her head hit the pillow the tears started. She sobbed into the blanket until she fell asleep.

The sergeant listened as she returned to her cell. She hadn't seemed upset at first. He nearly spoke to her when the tears started, but he didn't know what to say. He lay on his cot and listened to the sounds of her despair as the camp settled for the night.