Chapter Twenty-One
von Trapp Home
After an hour nap and a hot shower Georg felt better if not still tired. He looked at his reflection as he shaved. He was looking tired, old, at least to himself. He made a mental note to drink more milk. It was supposed to help the skin.
Maria returned from church around noon and by 3pm, the house was full of people. Everyone was pushing Maria at church to tell them the news. Liesl guessed they were going to redecorate the house, Brigitta feared it was bad news, but Maria quickly assured her she was wrong.
With the roast in the oven and the family circled around them Georg slid his arms around Maria and whispered softly in her ear. "Are you sure you want to do it like this, Darling? Some of them might have strong opinions on the matter."
"Can't be any stronger than your reaction, Georg," Maria murmured. "Three nights up and down all night long with anxiety over this. Even still, I'm so happy. We will really have a chance to enjoy this baby and notice everything about it. I think, in my heart, this is your boy, my love. Your little boy that looks just like you."
Maria turned in Georg's arms and nuzzled him. "Oh, Curtis wanted me to remind you he wanted to have you to the office for a check up. I told him you would go this week and you will go this week, Captain."
"Was that just a mood swing?" Georg chuckled. "Snuggling in my arms to calling me Captain in two heartbeats?"
"You only wish," Maria replied. "I went to the fancy doctor, I'm even considering having this child in a sterile hospital without you to hold my hand, the least you can do is get a check up and maybe something for your back."
"All right," Georg agreed. "All right, you have a point as usual. I will go see Curtis, but only because you asked me so nicely."
Georg didn't care who was watching them. He held Maria closer and slowly dipped her backwards as if they were dancing, making her laugh.
Liesl's oldest two girls groaned at the public display by the grandparents. They were too old to have fun. Friedrich's boys covered their eyes, and Marta's youngest, four year old Jonah asked, "Mommy, why are Pop-Pop and Nana kissing all the time like you and Daddy?"
Marta blushed. Truth be told, the Leland marriage was the most like Georg and Maria's in terms of age difference, demeanor, and level of open affection. Marta had picked a good man, Georg had to finally admit that.
"Because they love each other," Marta replied. "It's okay when you are married to hug and kiss like that, remember what Daddy explained to you?"
Jonah nodded, "But when I kissed Missy Evans I had to stand in the corner and write Bible verses for Father Barrett."
"That's because Missy didn't like you back," Bobby offered not missing the opportunity to tease his younger cousin.
The two boys were about to start squabbling when Georg caught their line of sight. "Excuse me, I suggest you both seriously rethink whatever it is you are about to do that will end with both of you over my knee. You have until I say three…One…"
That was as far as Georg usually got. Maria kissed him, "You are an amazing father and grandfather. I cannot wait for this, I truly can't."
Most of the family was taking in Maria's smile and the gentle way Georg was holding her, but Marta was taking in something different. She was taking in Georg's manner, the paleness in his cheeks, the tired look in her eyes, the way he kept wringing his hands as if to warm them up, something didn't look right.
Maria began to speak as Georg gently rocked her. She sounded far away like she was in a tunnel of sound. "I know you have all been anxious about our news, and believe me we never expected this. Georg, you want to tell them? I told them last time."
Georg smiled and took a deep breath, at least he tried to take a deep breath, but found it difficult. "Of course, my love. In short, your mother is going to have a baby. We are pregnant again for the first time since Julia."
There were gasps of surprise and squeals of delight, then young Bobby asked, "Are you going to be the baby's Pop-Pop too?"
Maria laughed softly as Georg had turned his attention to Max who had been hovering at his side. "No, Darling. We will be the baby's Mama and Papa. The baby is in my tummy like Maggie was in Mommy's tummy."
The chatter continued all around them. Max clapped Georg on the back. "You holding up on this?"
"I'm concerned," Georg admitted to his old friend. "But Maria agreed to think about having the baby in the hospital so that certainly makes me feel better. Believe it or not, Curtis has been very comforting and understanding about this"
"I told you he was a good man," Max laughed. "I knew eventually you would come around to my way of thinking you always do."
"Not always, Max," Georg laughed.
"Only when it counts," Max retorted lightly. "I;m going to go kiss the mother-to-be."
Maria was smiling as she accepted the congratulations of her children. Julia was very excited to not be "the baby" anymore. She wanted a little sister.
The only two that were quiet were Kurt and Brigitta. They were off alone in the corner of the kitchen. "I was there when mother had Julia, so was every one else and we know what happened after that. If anything like that happens again."
"It was bad," Kurt replied. "But we were all young ourselves then. We don't know that it will happen again. There are better medicines now and better hygiene. Curtis is always washing his hands and boiling things so I hope it will be okay. I'm just worried that fighting with Lida will complicate things for her."
Friedrich spotted his siblings. "What am I missing that you two are over here?"
"We are just worried," Brigitta replied. "Don't you remember what happened after Julia was born?"
Friedrich nodded, "It happens sometimes. It happened to Rosamaria after Georg was born. She was fine when she had Stefan. Mother is happy, Father is calm, we need to be happy and supportive."
Georg was anything but calm. He was putting on a good show, but he felt like he was going to explode or pass out. He quietly slipped into his study and reached for his half used pack of cigarettes. A quick smoke, and drink he would feel better. He fumbled in the drawer and came up with a new pack. "I thought I had four left," Georg mused as he quietly exited the side door.
As soon as Georg stepped outside into the yard he smelled it. Cigarette smoke. He turned his head in the direction of the odor and spied Friedrich's eldest son, his namesake, Georg and Liesl's youngest boy Thomas hiding in the alley between the house and the car park. Young Georg had a cigarette in his left hand and a lighter in his right.
Georg's vision went white for a moment at the surge of anger he felt seeing his grandsons sneaking around to try cigarettes. First, it meant they had gone into his private study without his permission and second, it meant they were sneaking a very adult substance when they were too young to appreciate what it could lead to, the need for the nicotine that the cigarettes contained. It had a calming effect and could be a nice way to end a meal, but not at 13 years old.
Thomas was nervous. Young Georg had convinced Thomas to be the lookout while he snuck into their grandfatehr's private office and stole a pack of his cigarettes. Now, they were both hiding on the back side of the house, while Young Georg lit one and started to smoke it.
"I can't believe we are doing this," Thomas said nervously. "If Grandpa catches us we are going to be in big trouble."
"Grandpa won't catch us," Young Georg replied. "He's busy inside with Grandma. No one is going to even know."
"I woud seriously rethink that assessment if I were you!" Georg said firmly. He was using his Captain voice, standing ramrod straight his blue eyes blazing.
Both boys froze in their tracks as Georg stepped up and snatched the cigarette from his namesake's hand. "What do you think you are doing? Sneaking into my study, stealing my propertly, and creeping outside to…Boy, you have lost your mind and I'm about to help you find it! Get in the house now! Both of you!"
Both boys ran into the house at full speed with Georg only a few steps behind them. When Friedrich and Liesl saw their sons dash into the house they both looked at their boys. "Don't not stop," Georg told them."Keep moving, go right into my study!"
"Father, what happened?" Liesl asked as she read the anger on Georg's face.
"Nothing I won't handle right now!" Georg thundered getting Maria's attention. "I caught young Georg smoking one of my cigarettes. Cigarettes he stole from my private study. Thomas was the lookout I believe. You boys have something you want to say?"
Both boys look at the ground. Thomas apologized quickly. He was only 11 and wanted to be like his older cousin. He admired Young Georg so much. Georg held his namesake's gaze but the boy locked his jaw. "I can't hear you," Georg pressed.
"Father, I'll handle it," Friedrich spoke up. "I can discipline my son on my own. Thank you."
"Get to it then," Georg ordered. "I will not have such disappointment and disrespect in this house. Is that clear?"
"Father, stop," Friedrich warned. "Georg, go with you mother."
Georg fixed Friedrich with one of his ice cold stares. He didn't say anything else, he just turned, disappeared into his study, and slammed the door.
"He's going through a lot," Maria interjected. "He's still very upset about your sister and now with the baby, he's worried. He's tired and his stomach has been bothering him, so he can't sleep. Please let it go. He didn't mean to lose his temper like that."
Marta was taking all of this in. She hadn't like Georg's color all day. He moved as if he was weight down with boulders and now her mother mentioned indigestion. Marta had personally observed Georg rubbing his neck and pressing on the left side of his chest. Something didn't feel right. No matter what Georg said Marta was going to insist that he see Curtis the very next day!
Georg sank down into his desk chair and leaned forward. His stomach hurt, his head, his neck…It felt like everything was falling apart. He wanted to be happy about the baby, but this entire dinner only reminded him of the gap in their once tight knit group. Now he had disagreed with Friedrich. Georg know Friedrich was holding his tongue regarding his own feelings over the family secret. How was he going to do this? How was he going to become a father again when he did such a terrible job the first time around.
In the quiet and with those thoughts on his mind, Georg gave into the fatigue he had been feeling all day. He shut his eyes and took a couple deep breaths.
Before he knew it, he was in a hospital waiting room full of von Trapps and one very pesky Detweiler.
Georg had paced this blasted floor for twenty-two hours. Maria had gone into labor late last night and still there was no baby. All of the girls had come quick enough with Cathy taking longest at 9 hours. Those times Georg was allowed to be with Maria. He held her hand, rubbed her back, encouraged her when she felt she had nothing left. That's what she did for him also. Georg needed Maria like he needed air. She was his everything.
Georg looked around the waiting room. Fredrich and Lida had disappeared from the group. With each pace and each circle, it seemed he got farther and farther away from the doorway where Maria had been taken. As he got further away, Gretl disappeared from the grouping, then Liesl…it went on and on.
A man in blue scrubs stepped through the doorway…he held up his hands and Georg could read his expression. Another turn, Cathy was gone, then Louisa…He was losing them... He was losing everything! He needed Maria. Maria would fix it, when he was speechless, she knew what to say. He was speechless now, and breathless, and lifeless as everything he loved slipped from his grasp.
Georg's head shot up from where it had been on the desk and couldn't stop the shout. "MARIA!"
Maria heard her husband's tortured cry and dropped the dish towel she'd been holding to run to the study. She didn't walk, she ran. She had never heard Georg sound like that before. Something was wrong.
When Maria got to the study and pushed the door open, she found Georg crouched over the sofa, white as a sheet, grimacing in pain. He was breathing so fast and so hard she was concerned he was going to pass out.
Maria closed the gap between herself and Georg and took him in her arms. It was then she noticed he was dripping from perspiration. He was leaning more heavily on her now, trying to speak but unable to catch his breath. It was then Maria let out a scream of her own. At the top of her lungs, with a much command presence as she could muster she called out, "CURTIS" Then guided Georg's shaking form down to the floor.
A/N: So, I decied to mess with Georg and Maria a little bit more, will make the ending even more sweet, I hope. We are in the early climax here, the turning point for this family. Is this just unexpressed anxiety on Georg's part or something more? Is it a combination of things? Will it bring Lida home? Read on with me to find out. See you on Tuesday.
