A/N How was the chapter? Let me know what you think.
Opening my eyes, my mind had snapped to attention at the sound of loud rustling. Sitting up, the blanket dropped from my shoulders and settle at my waist. Rubbing my eyes free from the morning blur, I looked around trying to find the source of the sound when my gaze landed on a young girl. Laying on the medical bed to my left, she stopped moving to look at me. I recognised her. She was the girl they called Laura on the truck. The one that asked why the soldiers hadn't asked if we were Jews "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you" she said apologetically.
Swallowing the dryness in my throat, I looked Laura up and down. I couldn't get a good look at her from our travels, as the inside of the truck kept us mostly sheltered from the light. Realising her to be around my age, Laura has short mousy brown hair and hazel eyes. Fairly tanned and thin, her nose was slightly crooked and her lips were thin.
Managing to find my voice, it came out somewhat husky "It's alright. I just…wasn't expecting company" frowning, the realisation of her being here had come to mind. I guess Zola wasn't wrong. It hadn't taken very long at all to gain new company.
"I remember you, but I don't think we've met. My name is Laura" turning on an angle to look at me properly, she managed a smile on her face "it's nice to meet you"
Nodding my head, I give her one of my own "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Amelia" after acknowledging each other, I turned my gaze away and continued to sit. Reaching around, I grabbed the button that controlled the bed settings. Hearing the slight winding noise, the top end of my bed began to move upwards. Once I was comfortable, I placed the remote back onto the side hook. Yawning, I stretched my arms before reaching for the cup of water on the portable table. Taking a sip, my eyes fluttered as I tried to stay awake.
"I don't mean to pry, but I've been locked away…I don't know for how long" She started, a small hiccup in her voice "I just…I haven't seen anyone else since they first brought us here. Have you heard anything at all? About the others" Laura questioned with a gleam of hopefulness.
Not trying to show the pity in my eyes, I didn't know what I should say to her. It was obvious that none of the other girls had been given the same information as Erik has to me. And I wondered if I should keep it to myself. That there are only five girls left. That she was lucky to be one of them. Shaking my head, I tried to give a convincing smile and a clueless look "No. I don't know anything. They all speak Russian" watching Laura sink back into her bed, she held a face of defeat.
Waiting in bed, Laura and I hadn't talked at all in the time it had taken for Erik to make his way to me for this morning. Clutching my first tray of food, Erik gave a side way's glance to the teenage girl who now stared curiously at him. Sighing, he didn't say a word as he placed my tray down onto the portable table. Walking around to the reasonable gap between me and my new company, he pulled on the flimsy curtain that acted as a divider.
Untucking it, he partially separated our two sections to give us some privacy. Now that Laura is here, Erik has to be more mindful of what he says and does from now on "How are you this morning?" he asked whilst grabbing my clipboard from the end of the bed and coming to stand beside me.
"Good. Surprising" I said referring to the girl on the other side of the curtain.
Nodding his head "Yes. I was only told a few minutes ago. She was moved here early this morning" he said quieter than normal. Taking a few steps, Erik clutched the chart in his hands before setting down on the nearby table. Gesturing with his hand "please, sit up"
Following his orders, I rolled my shoulders back to be as straight as possible. Taking the stethoscope from around his neck, he plugged his ears before I felt the warmth of his hand trail down the top of my night gown. Placing the end piece between my shoulder blades, he listened to my heart beat and lungs.
At first when he had done this, I found it strange as I didn't know what this would 'tell him' exactly. He had then confirmed, after me asking, that it was only routine. That there wasn't anything to worry about. He just had to 'make sure' I was in good health. Especially after my breathing episode in the exercise room "Nice deep breaths" he said as he tapped my back gently. Breathing in, I followed his instructions until he removed his hand.
Slumping in posture, I watched with my eyes as he grasped the clipboard again and started to right a series of numbers and letters in the drafted boxes "It's been days" I started off quietly "why is it that me and Laura are the only ones here? What's…happened…with the others?" I didn't want to sound rude, but it's been an awfully long time for just the two of us to be in this room.
Not looking up from the clipboard, Erik answered swiftly "There have been mishaps. It's proving difficult for the others"
Hearing his silence, I questioned further "Difficult how?" hearing him sigh, his jaw went taught before looking up to face me.
"I told you there were complications. This is another. We don't know what to expect. We don't know if this will be a hundred percent successful. The other girls are having trouble conceiving. It's taking longer than we planned. If nothing progresses in the next week, than I cannot promise that they'll be alive for much longer" taken aback by his answer, I slumped further back into my bed. It seems as if every time I ask for information, it's never anything good. I don't know why I bother asking anymore.
Reaching with his free hand, Erik pulled the portable table over my bed "Eat. You need energy for your exercise today"
Staring down at the tray, I felt my stomach twist as I reached forward with my hand. Grasping the silver package, I teared away at the seam when the stench of the food inside wafted up my nose. Gagging, I pushed it away "…I'm not hungry" I muttered under my breath. How can I eat, knowing what I know now?
Pushing the table and tray closer, Erik instructed again with gesture of his pen "Eat Amelia" shaking my head, I shuffled as far back as I could. Hearing him heave a sigh, I didn't care. It wasn't as if he would force it down my throat "if you don't eat, I can't fill out your chart and you won't have the nourishment you need for the day. Please eat"
Hearing the plea in his voice, I stared at the opened package revealing some sort of preserved meat that smelled of a foul odour. Reaching forward, I ignored the scent and went to take a bite. Scrunching my nose, I felt a hairy gravelly texture brush against the top of my tongue. Chewing once and then twice, I almost gagged before spitting it out onto the tray "No…I can't" rolling my tongue around my mouth, I hated the fishy left over taste "can you not smell that?" I asked before pushing the tray away.
"It doesn't smell any different. You've eaten it before" he stated. Feeling his eyes bore into my body, I turned to face him with a displeased look. Did I have something on my face? Why was he staring at me like that? "It'll be a month soon" Erik said while looking away and wheeling the table and smelly food from me "your body will begin to experience changes" handing me a cup of water, I sipped and flushed my mouth, hoping to wash away the after taste.
"I know what happens" I said after swallowing the water. I wasn't ignorant to the changes of the human body when having a child. My mother told me all the time what it was like to have me and Garrick. How you she felt sick and how she detested the taste of chicken. Hated it. That she craved the sweet hard boiled candies that the man down the road would make.
"Then you know that you'll have to eat things you may not want to. Things that will taste disgusting" gesturing to the still full tray next to him "I know it's difficult. But if you could try and eat as much as you can without throwing up, it would be much appreciated" nodding my head, our attention was diverted by the sound of a rather bulky man walking through the doors.
Giving a curt nod towards Erik, the man hobbled past us with a slight hobble in his step. He must be Laura's caretaker. With short balding hair, the larger man's lips jutted out from his slightly fat swollen cheeks. Sitting from here, I could see the patch of sweat under his arms pits as well as on the edge of his blue collared shirt. Creasing my brow, I sometimes forget that not all doctors here look as young and handsome as Erik, or as thin and wiry as Gregov.
"I will be back at lunch. After that we'll continue with your exercises" loosing track of the large man as he passed the dividing barrier, I turned back to Erik at the sound of his voice "hopefully we can get a little farther than before"
"Yes" I said with a nod of my head.
Licking my fingers, I couldn't help but revel in the taste of the left over salt. Peeling through every packaging, I sniffed and debated which meals I was able to eat. Soon after testing and tasting every single one, I had discovered I strongly craved anything salty. It was strange as I don't think I've ever wanted something so odd in such a large mass.
After sucking on my fingers, I pushed the table that lay across me away. There were only three small silver packages left on the whole tray that I didn't eat. It wasn't that bad, considering. Sitting back in my bed, I tilted my head as I heard the man from behind the still drawn curtain mumble under his gruff breath. Hearing him shuffle on the other side, I noticed it's been awhile. I wonder what he's doing.
Jolting on the spot, I flinched at the sound of the curtain divider being pulled back quicker than I could comprehend. Finally glimpsing to the other side, I watched as Laura lied back with a face of exhaustion. Following my eyes, the bulky man gave me a quick glance before continuing on his way out of the room. Once he had gone, I waited for a few seconds to make sure he had left before speaking "Laura" not moving, the girl just laid staring up at the ceiling "Laura" I repeated a little louder.
Waiting as a few seconds ticked by, Laura spoke with a dull tone "Do you think we'll ever get to leave here?" not facing me, she continued to stare up.
Taking a moment to respond "I'm not sure...I hope that we do. I hope that everyone does. No one deserves to be in a place like this" I said solemnly.
"When we first got here, I wondered to myself every night 'Why did it have to be me?'. What made our little town so special that they would come there to take us? None of us were Jews. None of us had ever spoken a single word against Hitler, or what he was doing. It makes no sense to me. And no matter how hard I try to think of an answer to my question, I can never find one" hearing Laura sigh, I wondered what had brought this on.
Why was she suddenly so sad and confused? I understand, but it's been weeks. You would think that she would have accepted what has happened to us. That we were innocent, caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. That these people didn't need a reason for their actions "it's better not to think about these things. It's better to take each day as it comes. This will end" whether it be by the freedom of death or this place, I didn't know.
"Your right…shouldn't dwell on things you can't change" turning on to her side, Laura faced away from me. Shifting, her short hair had fallen from her shoulder to reveal a purple and yellow toned bruise. Wincing from the sight, I couldn't help the gargle and spark of hate and pity as it swirled in my stomach. I knew where that came from, and I was glad that mine had long since faded.