The next morning Max was sick. As she usually did on weekends, Liesel had brought breakfast to bed. She placed the tray next to the bed and greeted Max with a bright smile. But she immediately noticed that Max wasn't feeling well. He had still no appetite and there was a high colour in his cheeks. Liesel stroke back his hair and pressed her lips softly against his forehead. "I think you have a fever, Max".
Liesel took the thermometer from the drawer and shook it down. "May I-?" She sat on the bedside, pulled the blanket down, opened the top buttons from Max's shirt and held the thermometer under his armpit for a few minutes. Max was very warm. She watched his swampy eyes and his feathery hair and couldn't help glancing at him. Even being ill he looked beautiful. Her cheeks blushed when he smiled back. She remembered to remove the thermometer and suddenly her face was stretched with concern. Max's temperature was at 38,5ºC. "Jesus Max, you're burning...Stay in bed, I'll be right back", she said and covered him. She remembered how sick he had been at the Hubermann's house and how desperate those weeks had been for all of them. Back then they could not call a doctor for obvious reasons. Liesel searched for the small wooden box where she kept some savings and counted the coins. "It should be enough..."she thought.
Liesel took the thermometer from the drawer and shook it down. "May I-?" She sat on the bedside, pulled the blanket down, opened the top buttons from Max's shirt and held the thermometer under his armpit for a few minutes. Max was very warm. She watched his swampy eyes and his feathery hair and couldn't help glancing at him. Even being ill he looked beautiful. Her cheeks blushed when he smiled back. She remembered to remove the thermometer and suddenly her face was stretched with concern. Max's temperature was at 38,5ºC. "Jesus Max, you're burning...Stay in bed, I'll be right back", she said and covered him. She remembered how sick he had been at the Hubermann's house and how desperate those weeks had been for all of them. Back then they could not call a doctor for obvious reasons. Liesel searched for the small wooden box where she kept some savings and counted the coins. "It should be enough..."she thought.
Dr. Brugger was a frequent client at the Steiner shop. Liesel knew he lived only a few blocks away. The weather was as unfriendly as it had been the day before, but Dr. Brugger was a good man in his late 60s and he agreed to go with the girl. "Max wake up", she said softly "the doctor's here to check on you".
Max sat up slowly, he was dazed from the fever. But suddenly his eyes flung open at the sight of the man in the white robe. Max's heart began to race and it was as if he had seen a ghost.