I'm back.
Maria lifted her head after having thrown up for the third time that day. It had been about twenty four hours since she had told the children their father was dead but still her heart pounded hard in her chest and her head was throbbing.
She made her way into each of the bedrooms where the children were snoring, having cried themselves to sleep. It was a relief to see them all in a state of relaxation for the first time in a while. Their bodies rose and sank in sync with their breath, which was soft and even.
She paused and stood watching the three youngest girls who were sleeping with their arms gently wrapped around each other. The tear stains on Marta's cheeks were finally starting to dry, and Brigitta had her hand resting comfortingly on Gretl's shoulder.
"'Accordingly, having requested Cinderella to sit down, she no sooner put her little foot to the slipper, than she drew it on, and it fitted like wax.'" Maria sat, squished between Gretl and Marta on her bed, a story book in her lap. She turned the page. "'The sisters were quite amazed; but their astonishment increased tenfold when Cinderella drew the fellow slipper out of her pocket, and put it on. Her godmother then made her appearance; and, having touched Cinderella's clothes with her wand, made them still more magnificent than those she had previously worn.'"
Gretl clasped her hands together and smiled. "It doesn't seem to matter how many times you read it, it's always just as wonderful when the slipper fits."
Maria nodded and Marta nudged her to continue reading "Marta would you like to read a bit?" Marta shook her head silently 'no' and Maria chuckled and turned the page. "Alright. 'Her two sisters now recognized her for the beautiful stranger they had seen at the ball; and, falling at her feet, implored her forgiveness for their unworthy treatment, and all the insults they had heaped upon her head. Cinderella raised them, saying, as she embraced them, that she not only forgave them with all her heart, but wished for their affection.'"
"I never understood why she did that." Gretl noted.
"Because we must forgive our enemies no matter what their sins." Marta explained. "Right Fraulein Maria?"
Maria nodded again and glanced up to see Georg leaning in the doorway. Her breath caught momentarily in her throat at the sight of him.
"Keep going, the next part is my favorite." Gretl said, bouncing a bit in the bed.
"She was then taken to the palace of the young prince, in whose eyes she appeared yet more lovely than before, and who married her shortly after." She glanced up again at the Captain, who was offering her a lopsided smile. His eyes sparkled ever so slightly and she blushed. She coughed and continued. "Cinderella, who was as good as she was beautiful, allowed her sisters to lodge in the palace, and gave them in marriage, that same day, to two lords belonging to the court."
"The amiable qualities of Cinderella were as conspicuous after as they had been before marriage." Georg said from the doorway, still smiling, before she could turn the page.
"Father." Gretl yelped, jumping out of the bed and rushing over to hug him.
"Fraulein Maria was just reading us a story and then we were to run off to bed." Marta explained nervously, leaving the bed to join her sister.
"Well, then run along you two." Captain ordered, giving Gretl a gentle squeeze then moving out of the doorway so they could dash past him. Once they were gone, he slowly closed the door behind him.
"Captain, I hardly think this is appropriate." Maria giggled. "I'm not dressed."
"Put it to rest Maria, you're my fiancé." Georg approached the bed and sat on its edge.
"Fine, Georg." Maria corrected herself. "I apologize. But honestly, we've only been engaged for about two hours. What do you expect after months of having your rules jammed down my throat?" She grinned playfully at him to show that she had been joking.
Her eyes bulged as his hand suddenly found itself resting on her thigh.
"Georg."
He immediately removed his hand. "Oh god, I'm so sorry." He slapped his forehead. "I often curse myself for being impatient."
"No, it's alright." Maria grabbed his hand in hers. "But you do know how I feel about these sort of things, don't you?"
"You prefer to wait." Georg nodded. "I apologize, that was completely out of line."
"Stop apologizing." Maria insisted, sitting up and kissing him gently, feeling that tingling sensation that would never cease to excite and terrify her.
"I just wanted to say good night, Fraulein." Georg teased, pressing his lips against her neck. She moaned and threw her head back, basking in his touch.
He broke away from her and stood up.
"Good night my love." He whispered.
"Good night." Maria replied. When he was gone, she flopped back on the bed and fell asleep with about the biggest smile she could imagine.
She moved out of the doorway, and the entire weight of her body on the wall behind her, choosing not to fight gravity as she slowly slid down it. When she hit the floor with a soft thud, she let out a deep sigh, releasing the air that had been pent up inside her all day.
She looked down at her midsection, which was still flat and smooth. She realized that she really didn't look at all…
Still refusing to accept the word in her mind, Maria attempted to sway her thoughts towards something else. But she couldn't tear herself away from the reality that she was about to go through what was supposed to be the happiest time of her life alone.
…
Several Weeks Earlier.
…
Sister Berthe, her hands under the cloth of her habit, walked slowly through the graveyard. Her eyes cast down as she examined the damage which the men and their spidery flag had done to the beautiful stone carvings.
She heard a groan ring out and echo around off the walls. Her head snapped to towards the sound and she almost screamed at the sight of a man lying on the ground covered in blood.
"They're all gone now." The voice of the mother abbess carried itself through the open air. "Sister Berthe? Is that you?"
Berthe was running towards the limp body. "Yes, it's me. Quickly, come see." She tore off her wimple and began using it to sop up the crimson that poured from his wounds. "Call an ambulance, we need to get this man to a hospital." She exclaimed.
"Who is it?" The reverend mother asked, her voice shaking.
Berthe looked closer and began to recognize the features, her eyes widening. She glanced the figure up and down. "It's… Captain Von Trapp."
Reverend Mother gasped and knelt down beside her, examining the body and checking for a pulse. "He's alive." She noted. "But we'd better not call anyone. It's unclear who can be trusted these days. Run and fetch some gauze, tweezers and water and try to find a few extra hands to help us. I'm going to try and remove the bullet."
Wincing at the word bullet, Sister Berthe stood and dashed out of the graveyard, her shoes clattering on the marble floor. Upon entering the abbey she almost collided head on with one of the other sisters. "Oh Sister Margareta!" She cried. "Go in and help the mother abbess. Captain Von Trapp was shot and he is severely wounded. I am going to go get some gauze and water."
They parted as Sister Berthe ran into the infirmary. She snatched a pile of gauze and the tub of water from a table in the middle of the room, the antiseptic wipes from the cabinet, then walked back to the graveyard as quickly as she could. When she got back, Sister Sophia had joined them.
"We've removed the bullet." Mother Abbess informed her. "But it is still bleeding profusely and he is in a shock induced state of unconsciousness. Luckily the wound isn't too deep to heal."
Berthe knelt down besides the reverend mother. "We'll have to stitch the wound." She realized when her eyes fell onto the gash in the Captains shoulder.
"Let's just hope it didn't puncture any major arteries. If it did, there is nothing we can do." The mother abbess said solemnly, glancing down at her hands that were now covered in red.
I'm one of the best seamstresses in the Abbey." Sister Berthe placed a hand on the Captains wound as she spoke, applying pressure to slow the bleeding, feeling the blood ooze through her fingers. "Someone get me my sewing kit and we'll patch this up in no time."
Moments later, she attempted to keep her hand from shaking as she pressed the end of the need into Captain Von Trapp's skin and carefully but quickly stitched up his arm until the gash was no longer visible. After that, Sister Margareta cleaned around the wound and wrapped the gauze around his shoulder to stop any excess bleeding.
"Now, let's get him to the infirmary." Margareta said when she had finished.
The four of them carefully carried the Captains body to a bed in the Abbey's small hospital. It had only ever been used for fevers and stomach aches. Never before had it harbored someone with such a life-threatening injury.
They checked his vitals again once he was in the bed. Everything was surprisingly fine.
"He's a strong one." Sister Sophia commented. "Quite perseverant."
Somehow, miraculously, the bleeding stopped and it became clear that the Captain would survive if he could just gain his consciousness again. The problem was that, though he was breathing steadily and his pulse was strong, he remained comatose.
His eyes remained shut, his chest rising and falling slower every minute, his muscles limp.
"He's not pulling through." Sister Berthe said quietly.
"No." Sister Margareta argued. "He has to. He can't die. Not after everything it took for those two to finally connect."
"God wouldn't let him leave his family after everything they have been through." Sister Sophia attempted to reason.
"God works in mysterious ways, my children." The mother abbess finally spoke. "There comes a time when every person must move on to the next stage of his existence. Perhaps this is it for the Captain."
Sister Berthe placed her head in her hands and peered through her fingers at the man who had once been strong and sometimes even terrifying lying motionless on the bed.
Then, after what felt like hours of waiting, Captain Von Trapp blinked.
I know you all hate the cliff hangers but this was a better kind of cliff hanger right? I have a plan for some of the future chapters, so that's good news. What do you guys think of this new format. At this point I am planning on intentionally not doing any chapters from Georg's point of view but rather glimpses of him from the points of view of others to show his journey back to his family. What do you all think of that?
The last chapter got a lot of feedback and I love that. I love any words of wisdom you have to offer. SO thanks.
Adios Amigos.
rosemusic20