REPOSTED CHAPTER
New A/N: Sorry for the slow uploads but I am going through every chapter and fixing typographical errors. Thinking about adding a small scene or two in future chapters- not sure yet.
Chapter 3- Examination pt. 2
It wasn't long before a knock sounded at the door. A larger man entered, sporting a Nazi uniform. His hair was kempt and grey, showing his age and he carried a clipboard under his left arm.
Colonel Landa stood and greeted the man. His name was Doctor Roderick Kirsch.
"Oh, dear," said the doctor as he spotted me on the table. "What do we have here?"
"She needs to be inspected further regarding her injuries," said Colonel Landa. "She has a broken finger on her right hand that needs bandaged, several cuts and incisions that need cleaned and possibly stitched, and she needs to be checked internally."
"Internally?" asked the doctor.
The colonel nodded. "Rape," he whispered to the doctor.
Doctor Kirsch looked at me wide-eyed and said, "I see. We'll save that part for last. First, let me have a look at that finger." He walked over to the counter and set down his clipboard. He pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket and placed them on his nose, then proceeded to flip through the pages on his board. Finding a clean one, he pulled a pen from his pocket and placed it upon the board.
Colonel Landa stood in front of me, content on watching at the time. I looked at him as the doctor approached me and he just looked back with those eyes…still so solid and focused—on what I still wasn't sure. He seemed to realize that I was staring at him and grinned subtly. His lips rising higher on the left side of his face, his grin was crooked and brought little comfort. But it did bring comfort.
Doctor Kirsch lifted my hand and flipped it back and forth. "I'm going to need to clean some of this blood off if I'm going to see anything," he said. He walked back over to the counter and pulled a large, white washing bowl out of the top cabinet. Placing it in the sink, he turned the faucet handles and began to adjust the temperature. As the bowl filled, he grabbed a wash cloth from one of the bottom cabinets and studied me from afar.
I watched as he dipped the cloth into the bowl, lifted it out of the sink and carried it over to where I was sitting. He smiled softly at me as he twisted the cloth in his hands and let the water trickle back into the basin. Slowly he began washing the blood and muck off of my hand in light strokes. He was particularly careful when he cleaned my middle finger.
I looked up at the colonel who was still watching intently. Suddenly something changed in his expression. It was barely noticeable but it was there as he looked at the doctor. I followed his eyes and saw that the doctor had stopped cleaning my hand and was instead looking at my fingernails curiously. His face straightened and he looked up at me.
"Are you aware that you have some skin under your fingernails?" the doctor asked.
"Yes," I said. "I scratched one of my attackers."
"Attackers?" asked the doctor. "There was more than one?"
I looked up at the colonel.
"Is that really important now, Roderick? We don't need the girl to relive her nightmare," said Colonel Landa. "Please," he continued. "Dress her wounds and I will let you get back to work."
The doctor nodded and continued to clean my hand before wrapping my finger. "I'll give you pain medication for that before you leave," said Doctor Kirsch. "Don't let me forget."
"Don't worry," I said.
"I will also give you some antibiotics to help your wounds recover and get rid of any infection that might have started," he said and continued his inspection. "May you remove that coat please?" He was much quicker than the colonel. The doctor was thorough though as he looked inside my ears and mouth, listened to my heartbeat and checked my reflexes. With all of that it almost seemed like a normal visit that is until he discovered the cigarette burns.
He rubbed some petroleum jelly on the burns and stated that infection was starting to spread. "The antibiotics should take care of that," he said. "I'll make sure to give you a strong dose. The trick is that you are petite and I don't wish to give you more medication than what you need. These things don't happen often. Things like this that are unfortunately brought upon people of your size usually result in their death. Honestly," said Doctor Kirsch as he looked over at Colonel Landa, "I have not seen all of her injuries yet but in regards to the bruises, burns and breaks, she is lucky to be alive. Wouldn't you say?"
The colonel nodded. "Very lucky I found her," he said and raised the left side of his mouth again.
"I have a bit of fight left inside," I said. This time I gave the small hint of a smile back to Colonel Landa.
"That's good," said the doctor. "Now I think it's time we get to the worst. I need you to lie down."
I watched the colonel as he moved behind me. "It's ok," he said as he took each of my hands in his and gently pulled me back. He looked down at me and continued, "He needs to see if you are injured internally. Feel free to squeeze my hands if it hurts."
Doctor Kirsch walked to the other side of the room and rolled a lamp towards me. He asked me to part my legs and bend my knees slightly. Colonel Landa smiled down at me and gave my hands a light squeeze. I complied with the doctor's orders.
He turned the light on and said it was to keep me warm… then I heard the clanking of metal.
"Try to relax," said the doctor. "You have a lot of bruising down here but I need to check inside." I heard him stand and he moved to where I could see him. "Do you see this?" he said, holding up a large sort of metal clip.
I nodded.
"I need to insert this inside of you, alright? It is metal so it might be a bit cold but I need you to try not to clamp up on me," he said. "Then I'm going to push this side together and it is going to help open you up a bit so I can see. I promise I'll make it quick. I just need to assess the damage."
I nodded then looked back up at the colonel. I was terrified. Colonel Landa gave my hands another light squeeze and I swallowed hard as I felt the cold metal slide inside of me. I tensed up and closed my eyes. Letting out a breath of air I hadn't realized I was holding, I squeezed the colonel's hands as hard as possible. I felt the clamp open a bit and whimpered as tears formed under my lids. Suddenly, as soon as it happened it was over and I heaved a sigh of relief as the metal slid out and I heard the light click off.
"You may sit up now," Doctor Kirsch said to me. "You have been sliced badly, inside."
"Is there anything that can be done?" asked the colonel.
"Unfortunately, all I can do is let the medication do its work," he said standing. The doctor moved over to the counter and jotted a few notes on his board. "I will be right back with some medicine.
"Wait," said Colonel Landa. "There is one more," he said gesturing to my stomach. "I did not see any signs of infection but regardless I think it still needs a professional opinion." The colonel stepped in front of me and placed a hand on my shoulder to prompt me to lie down again. He opened my dress, just over the stomach and stepped out of the way.
Doctor Kirsch approached with caution and his mouth dropped open at the sight of my stomach. I tried to avoid his eyes as he studied me. The colonel remained silent.
"Well," the doctor started. "I certainly don't see any infection but I'm afraid it is not fresh enough for stitches. How old is this?"
"About ten days or so," I whispered.
"Do not pick at the scabs," he said. "It will only make it more noticeable as it heals. Let the medication do its work. It is deep though. It will most likely be permanent." He looked at the colonel and said, "I'm sorry. Keep it clean. I shall go fetch your medicines." The doctor nodded at Colonel Landa as he stepped through the door.
Landa waited until the doctor was out of sight then walked with purpose to the counter, where the clipboard lay. I sat up and buttoned my dress, all the while watching his eyes scan the doctor's notes. After a few brief seconds, he stepped away and helped me down from the table.
"Ada," he said. "Do you have any relatives or close friends that I should notify of your condition?"
"No," I said. "My mother died in childbirth and we moved from Germany to France about six months ago."
"We?"
"My brother and father," I said. "They were both soldiers in the German army."
The colonel's eyes sparkled with interest. "Von Braun sounded familiar but it is a popular German surname. I don't believe I knew them."
"It isn't likely," I said. "They were killed not too long after we were stationed here."
Colonel Landa looked at me with concern. "I'm sorry. How did they die?"
"My father's head was smashed in with blunt force, it seemed. My brother was shot and his scalp was removed."
"And you are certain your attackers weren't American?" he asked.
"Hans," I blurted, growing impatient with his insistence that I didn't know what I was talking about. "I've heard of the 'Inglourious Basterds,' and I understand that is who killed my father and brother but they did not attack me."
He sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't make sense," he said. "I haven't known them to attack women unless, perhaps they saw you as a threat."
"Me?" I asked. "A threat? Have you looked at me at all?"
He chuckled at this. "You said it yourself—you have fight inside. I still have further questions I wish to ask you. I want to hear everything," he said. "But first I'm certain you are hungry."
I nodded.
"I would offer to take you to your home but should something happen to you again then my evidence is gone," he said.
"How romantic," I said. "That's what every girl longs to hear. 'You are a piece of evidence.'"
Colonel Landa smiled.
"Why do you care so much?" I asked.
"Someone carved my name into your stomach. I want to know who and I want to know why," he said. "I'm a curious man, you must forgive me."
Doctor Kirsch entered the room again and handed bottles of medication to the colonel. The antibiotics were to be injected with a needle. The pain medication was in pill form.
"You should take your pain medication with food. The antibiotics do not require that but I suggest you go ahead and take everything at once," said Doctor Kirsch. "I will administer your first dose of the antibiotics here. We need to get them into your system as soon as possible." The doctor turned to Colonel Landa. "I trust she will be eating soon?"
"Yes," said the colonel.
"Make sure she takes her pain pill," he said while loading the antibiotics into a syringe. He took hold of my left arm and asked the colonel to pay attention to where it was injected. "You don't have to look, miss," he said. "Most people don't like needles."
"It doesn't bother me," I said and watched as he injected the antibiotics into my arm. When he pulled the needle out, he fastened a small bandage onto my arm.
"It will be tender where the needle entered for a bit," he said. "You may pick other areas in which to inject her every day," he said and pointed to two other areas on the same arm. "Stick to this arm and alternate your entry points. Above all, keep things clean and keep any open wounds covered."
"Thank you," said Colonel Landa as he placed the medications into the pockets of his trench coat. He then placed the coat back around my shoulders.
"Should you need anything else," the doctor began, "don't hesitate to bring her back. At least bring her in for a checkup in two weeks. I can give her lower doses then."
Colonel Landa and Doctor Kirsch said their goodbyes and the doctor exited the room once more.
"Are you hungry?" asked Colonel Landa as he took my hand and guided me out of the room.
"Starving," I said.
"I'll let you wash up first," he said, navigating us through the halls and back out onto the street where Hermann was waiting patiently. Hermann opened the passenger door and Landa helped me step up into the truck. He climbed in and Hermann shut the door behind us then circled around to the driver's side.
I had no idea where we were headed but I didn't care. I was hungry, exhausted and in desperate need of a bath. I was just happy that my physical examinations were over and food was not far away.