Nothing but the ever-reliable tick-tocking of the grandfather clock in the hall could be heard throughout the common rooms of the Von Trapp household. Within the private rooms, however, the air was thick with anxious and fretful thoughts. The children had decided to crowd together on Liesl's bed, a fact known to most of the staff but overlooked given the day's events. Whilst the little ones slept, the older children pretended to sleep but could only recall the horrors and upheavals in the afternoon of what was otherwise a very ordinary day. They could only think of their father and of their Uncle Max. Only Leisl had caught a glimpse of the scene in the hallway, of her dear father's bloodied face and hair and of Fraulein Maria cradling his head in her lap. Leisl hadn't prayed as hard since the night she watched her father cradle her mother in his arms all those years ago. The floorboards on the landing beyond their bedroom door creaked as somebody walked past their room. Leisl watched the shadow pause beneath the door and closed her eyes quickly when the door opened slightly. The line of light emitting from the hallway was gone almost in an instant as the shadow moved on towards the master bedroom further down the hallway.

Maria, cleaned and bathed, closed the door to the Leisl's room carefully and tiptoed lightly across the landing towards the Captain's room. Before she entered, she hesitated outside the door and brushed down the light brown fabric of her skirt before straightening the cuffs of her blouse, as she always seemed to do before meeting the Captain. She knocked and the door opened almost immediately.

"Ah, Fraulien Maria," Frau Schmitt smiled warmly as she opened the door "You look much brighter after your bath." She turned to the Captain "The Fraulein will look after you until morning, sir. Goodnight."

And with that, she was gone. And Maria didn't quite know what to do. He looked so uncomfortable and so helpless that her heart broke at the thought of being unable to improve things for him.

"Are you planning to stand there all night, Fraulein?" The voice was weak but unmistakably his. The sound jolted her from her thoughts.

"No sir, I mean..." she stuttered, as she was moved by an invisible force towards him, and immediately placed her hand lightly over his. She felt him tense slightly at the touch so she pulled away, conscious that she may have hurt him. "How are you feeling?"

"I've honestly never felt better." Although he teased, he was soothed by her presence and wanted her to stay. The world was dark to him, but her voice was a ray of sunshine. The sound of the sash windows being closed woke him his reverie. "Fraulein, would you mind leaving the windows open slightly?"

Maria frowned and shivered slightly in the cool breeze.

"Only... I'm very warm, you see." He explained and could almost sense her frown. "The burns are quite painful."

"Oh I'm so sorry, Sir!" She was mortified and opened the windows once more. "I should have thought."

He chuckled slightly then winced as an intense bolt of pain shot through his arm. "Is there anything I can take for this?"

At the rasped plea, she was back at his side with her eyes closed tight against the thought of his pain and the sight of his bandages. There was one more thing she could try...

"What's that?" The sound of liquid being poured into a glass on his bedside table startled him. He smiled at the scent of Islay peatiness. "Fraulein Maria, you surprise me."

"It's not for me, silly." she admonished lightly and lifted the cut crystal glass to his lips. The bandages covered his raised eyebrows and he drank willingly.

As she helped him drink, she took the opportunity of their close proximity to study what was visible of his face. The dimpled little scar on his chin that she had noticed on their first meeting, the jet black strands of his hair, the smoothness of the skin on his chiselled jawline... Stop it Maria, you mustn't, she told herself sternly.

The captain felt the skin of his chin prickle slightly at her touch. Everything about her presence comforted him. If only he could see her... he tensed and cleared his throat, not really wanting to ask the question he know he must. "The doctor...did he..."

"Yes, sir?" Maria's heart clenched as she knew what he would ask.

"Did he give any indication regarding my sight?"

The silence in the room thickened. The sensation was unfamiliar to them both as they always seemed to have so much to say.

"He will return next week so we will know more then." She hoped her voice was steady but she doubted it.

The slight quiver in her voice spoke volumes to him and he sunk back further into the cushions against which he was propped.

"But it does not look... hopeful?"

"Captain, he truly did not indicate either way..."

"But you saw them? How bad..."

"Really, Captain I am not a Doctor." She interrupted sharply, her heart breaking once again at the panic in his voice.

Although he needed more than anything to know, he took pity on her and ceased his questioning. He could sense that she was frozen to the spot beside his bed, possibly in fear of him.

"The darkness is like none I have ever known, Fraulein." His voice had softened.

"I'm sure that the bandages account for that, Sir." The image of those angry red burns were are the forefront of her mind, but hope pushed them away. "All will be well when they are removed."

"Let us hope so, Fraulein." He smiled. The thought of never seeing his children again filled him with horror, but now was time for a brave face.

There was no need for more conversation as the Maria helped the Captain lie back so that he could sleep. Each understood the the hopes and fears of the other and both were tired and weary from the events of the day. Maria settled down into the fine wing-backed armchair beside the Captain's bed and watched as his body slowly relaxed under the influence of fatigue and opium. The heavily brocaded curtains swayed in the night breeze and the chill penetrated through Maria's thin blouse. She shivered in response as she knelt down on the floor and clasped her hands together to silently pray for her Captain.