A Time to Pinch
Maria practically hopped off the bus, followed by Brigitta. Both relished in the feeling of the clear October sky and sun that still lingered with the heat of summer. Somehow, Maria knew that this would be one of the last warm days of the year. It was a miracle they were still having days like these this side of October.
"I think that was a successful shopping trip, don't you?" asked Maria to her middle daughter, carrying a bag of new sewing supplies.
"Oh, yes," said Brigitta, her new book held lovingly to her chest that she had bought with some of her birthday money while her mother had run her errands.
"In spite of the fact that it took me a good fifteen minutes to find what corner of the bookshop you were reading in," Maria teased, giving Brigitta's side a brief tickle, causing a jump and giggle. "It's nice to have company."
"I'm glad you let me come," said Brigitta. "The others were planning to play some kind of ball game with Father, and I'm no good at those games. I'm always picked last for good reason."
Maria wrapped her free arm around Brigitta. "And you're always the first pick for the trivia or mentally challenging games. So it all evens out in the end, sweetheart."
Brigitta smiled and returned her mother's embrace.
"Do you think Frederich will like his gift?" asked Maria after a content moment of silence.
"Oh, yes," said Brigitta. "Sledding was always something he loved to do in winter, and we need a new one, anyway, since…"
The pause caused Maria to turn her head to Brigitta. "Since…?" she prompted, thinking their last one got broken.
She didn't expect Brigitta to look uncomfortable and a bit sad. "Well, our sled was one of the things thrown out after mother died, along with a lot of fun things, just before we moved. Father was so sad and angry that we all were a bit scared of him and didn't dare say anything. But Frederich was the most upset, and so for the past few years, we could only sled when we visited our grandparents at their lodge outside Vienna."
"Ah," said Maria softly, absently squeezing Brigitta. No wonder Georg had been adamant about finding the best sleigh they could find, along with a few more for the rest of the family around Christmastime. Even today, with his children's love and their budding friendship, Georg was doing everything he could to make up for his actions.
"What are you smiling about, Mother?" asked Brigitta, bringing Maria out of her reverie.
"Oh, nothing, darling, I'm sorry," said Maria, wiping the small smile off her face. Thankfully, by now they were coming up to the gate of the villa, which was open. When the villa came into view, Maria was surprised to see an unfamiliar black car parked outside. Confused, she turned to Brigitta who had frozen in her tracks, staring at the car with terror on her face.
"Brigitta, what is it?" she asked, alarmed by the fear in her eyes.
"That's…that's our doctor's car, Doctor Falk," she said, not taking her eyes off the car.
Maria now got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. If the doctor were here, that certainly wasn't a good thing. "Are you sure, Brigitta?"
Brigitta nodded. "We saw his car enough times when our mother was ill."
With that, the mother and daughter clasped hands and rushed to the villa, their minds melding. Maria immediately went through every possible scenario, who could be hurt or who could have fallen ill. Was it really serious or was it a trifle? Why had she not been home?
Maria and Brigitta rushed into the house, only to find Frau Schmidt and a middle-aged man, unfamiliar to Maria, walking down the steps with his doctor's bag in one hand and a tiny, amused smile on his face.
This must be Dr. Falk, since he's carrying a medical bag, thought Maria frantically. And he's smiling a little bit, so it must not be that bad.
"Dr. Falk!" called Brigitta, leading her mother to the two of them.
The man looked at the ten-year-old with recognition and his smile widened. "Brigitta! I was wondering why you were not with your siblings!" His gaze moved to Maria. "And are you the famous Maria?"
"Well, famous no, but yes, I am Maria," said Maria, letting the doctor shake her hand. His brown hair had begun to grey, but his green eyes radiated warmth, life, and great intelligence.
"Dr. Hans Falk," he said. "I've heard nothing but great things about you."
"Is everyone all right, Doctor?" asked Maria. "What's happened? Something must have or you wouldn't be here."
"Well, there's been a little accident," he explained, the mere shadow of a smile on his face and more than a little amusement in his eyes.
Maria was very confused by the amusement she saw and almost became irritated as well as worried. "Was there an accident? Which one of the children –"
"Oh, no, none of the children were hurt," said Dr. Falk, shaking his head. "It was your husband who had a bit of an accident."
"What?" asked Maria, not expecting that answer. "What's happened?"
His slight smile had not disappeared. "Well, he and the children were playing a ball game. Apparently, Kurt threw the ball a little too hard and got stuck in a low tree branch. Georg couldn't quite reach it from the ground and Gretl asked to help. He was in a playful mood, I expect, and decided to lift Gretl up onto his shoulders to she could grab the ball. Unfortunately, when he picked her up, Georg discovered that his baby girl was no longer that easy to lift that high anymore. A nerve in his upper back was pinched as a result, though thankfully Gretl did manage to get the ball and come down unharmed."
Maria could now understand the small smile, and she could tell this man would not smile unless he knew he would make a full recovery. "Where is he now? What's his condition, Doctor?"
"He's in his bedroom, lying down. I'm afraid he'll have to be confined to his bed for about a week, and after that take it easy for a few weeks more. But he's going to be just fine, this can happen to anybody."
Maria nodded, and Brigitta hugged her in relief. "Well, Doctor, I am certainly glad this hasn't been as serious as it could have been. So Gretl wasn't hurt at all?"
Dr. Falk chuckled. "No, she is just fine, but she does feel a bit guilty, thinking it her fault that she 'broke Papa.' She was crying a bit last time I saw her."
"Aww," said Brigitta. "I'm going to go see her. Thank you, Dr. Falk!" With that, Brigitta shook his hand and rushed up the steps.
"What do you want me to do, Doctor?" asked Maria. "How can I help, since he is going to be confined to bed for a week."
"I was just talking to Ellen about that," said Dr. Falk. "Of course he'll have to have his meals brought up to him, along with anything else he needs, and Ellen's assured me that won't be a problem."
"Absolutely not," said Frau Schmidt. "I'm going to prepare a tray for him right now, since it's nearly dinnertime."
Maria smiled. "Thank you, Ellen." The housekeeper departed for the kitchens, and Maria turned back to the doctor. "And myself?"
Dr. Falk smiled at her asking this, and spoke to her in a friendly, if somewhat lowered voice. "I've known Georg since our navy days, when I was assigned as a military doctor to his submarine. Though he's an introverted spirit who likes the quiet life, he also has that restless explorer side as well. He's frustrated to be bedridden like this, and he expressed as much to me even while accepting he had to do it for his own good. So make sure he isn't alone up there all day, and that he has some distractions to keep his mind off of being stuck. Obviously, when the children are there, make sure they are gentle with him. And, I've already mentioned this to your husband, but no marital relations for at least a week."
Although he spoke in the most delicate tone, Maria still blushed ruby red. Of course he would assume the newly married husband and wife would be having marital relations. But they were not: Maria was nowhere near ready yet and Georg stayed true to his word. So at night they stuck to their own side of the bed, each bound there by different emotions and promises.
Not wanting to broadcast her personal life, Maria merely nodded and averted her eyes.
"Also, it would help if, once or twice a day, when he feels the most pain, put ice on his back and massage the muscles there to ease the pain and help with the healing, directly onto the skin preferably. Would that be a problem for you?"
Maria shook her head, still not speaking. No, it wouldn't be a problem for her; she wanted to help him. But the thought of touching his bare skin like that sent an unfamiliar feeling through her that had fear mixed with something not fearful at all that she couldn't define.
Dr. Falk gave her a grateful smile. "If there is anything you need or something comes up, Ellen has my number; I'll come at anytime. I'll come by in a week to make sure he's up to moving about."
"Thank you very much, Doctor," said Maria, finding her voice. "I'm just relieved that something more serious didn't happen."
"As am I," said Dr. Falk. "This family has had enough tragedy for a lifetime. I'm glad to have met you, Baroness."
They shook hands again and Maria saw him out the door. She took a moment to assess all that had happened, and let out a theatrical exhale.
Well, this certainly is not what I expected to happen in the middle of October! I'm certainly glad there was not a serious injury, and we'll just have to make due with the situation.
Maria knew that some or her original spirit was back in her, though she was far from the naïve girl from the convent she had once been. The last few weeks had been nothing but lovely and busy. Along with her wonderful relationship with the children, she and Georg were becoming friends while learning to share their lives together, both making an effort to a strong partnership.
This was the lovely part. The busy part was because what the Von Trapps called "the birthday bulk" had begun. It began with Brigitta's eleventh birthday on the 30th of September, followed by Kurt's twelfth on the 8th of October. That had been a week ago exactly, and Frederich's fifteenth was fast approaching; on the 21st only six days away. And in November there would be birthdays for both Liesl and Georg before there would be a two month before the next one (Louisa) in January. But Maria and Georg relished in these preparations, so eager were they to make the children feel special on their special days.
All in all, Maria felt as if she were living in the aftermath of a great storm, and the rebuilding work was getting easier and easier with each day.
After making a request to Frau Schmidt and paying a visit to the children preparing for dinner (and comforting a still crying Gretl), Maria made her way to her and Georg's room. Upon entering the living room, she shut the door and set her bag of new sewing supplies down by her sewing machine, which had been moved in here the day after the autumn ball. The door to the bedroom was open, so Georg heard her come into the living room and watched her come to stand in the doorway, taking in the sight of him lying, on his back, on the bed.
He had a look of frustration and discomfort bordering on slight pain that quickly melted into a pleased, but abashed and embarrassed look for his wife.
Recalling the story and looking at him now, Maria could now find the humor in the whole situation, and covered her mouth and slight silent giggles with her hand. To no avail, though; he noticed.
"Something funny, Fraulein?" Georg teased but not without some annoyance. Maria couldn't blame him; he was clearly not in a comfortable place. Also, she liked that he, too, was learning to be more natural with her. Over the last few weeks, she had learned that he had a quick wit and mind; though a man nearly twenty years her senior and a man of experience, there was still a part of him that was as old as one of his sons, with a love to tease and enjoy life. Also a side that could get cranky, just like Kurt did when he got hungry or Frederich when he was restless.
The young woman found this side very endearing, and she knew she would never mind comments like this because she, too, could play this game. "Believe me, I'm not amused that you got hurt and are in this position; it is the way you got here that I find both amusing and adorable." She couldn't help but let out a giggle.
Thankfully, Georg did not get more annoyed but looked appropriately embarrassed. "Yes, yes, guilty as charged," he said, blushing the teeniest bit as his voice took on the tone of a tragic hero. "Just call me a softie, not being able to resist the pleadings of my baby girl and thinking I still had the body and strength of a man your age. Now I am thoroughly humbled with a twisting feeling in my back, realizing I am an old man."
At this, Maria couldn't help but laugh and shake her head as she came to the bed. "You are not old; you're just older than you once were."
"I have gray hair," he said, sounding like a pouting child and looking like one when he crossed his arms, causing her smile to remain.
"Only a little, and it looks nice on you."
At this, he looked fully at her, looking curious and hopeful. "You really think so?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Yes, it makes you look dignified," replied Maria automatically, then she went silent, blushing, realizing she had just, in a way, called him nice-looking.
After a moment of silence, Georg said in a soft voice. "I'm sorry you're being forced to play nursemaid because of my foolishness."
Maria smiled softly at him as she carefully sat beside him on her side of the bed, crossing her legs pretzel-style. "I don't mind," she said simply and truthfully.
"Really?"
"Really. Frau Schmidt is coming up soon to bring your dinner as well as mine; I don't want you to eat alone."
Georg smiled for the first time since he saw her come in. "Thank you, Maria." He reached out tentatively and stroked her hand with his fingers.
"You're welcome, Georg." Maria took his hand and squeezed it in return.
No, thought Georg, looking into her blue eyes and relishing in the small smile he was seeing more and more often. I don't think I'll mind being bedridden for a week at all.
A/N: So, I wanted to give you a chapter that was definitely lighter than the last ones have been. The next one will have something I absolutely love to write, what I know you all love to read, and what this story desperately needs: sexual tension. ;) Keep an eye out and reviews will definitely motivate me.
