Chapter Four
The Captain drove up into the hills as far as he could, then hiked the rest of the way up toward the picnic spot. The wind was whipping fast and furious, and Georg doubted Maria would hear him calling out to her, but he tried anyway. "Maria! Fraulein Maria!"
Georg carried a flashlight in one hand and Maria's raincoat in his other. It was cold, it was really cold, and Georg felt the fear set in. "Maria! Maria, answer me! Maria!"
As Georg got closer to the brook, Maria thought she heard something. "Thank you," she whispered to God as she heard the welcome sounds of help. "Maria! Fraulein!"
"Ugh," Maria sighed. "Is this a joke?" she asked the air. It was not Franz, or even Max, but the Captain himself. She would prefer to crawl home in the mud rather than be "rescued" by the Captain at this moment.
The flashlight turned on Maria at last. "Fraulein!" Georg skidded onto his knees, landing right beside Maria. "What happened? Are you…you're bleeding!"
"I tripped," Maria replied. "I had to come back for Heidi, I wasn't paying attention and…I couldn't let Gretl cry herself to sleep so I…"
"Came out here and…" Georg reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Gently, he dabbed at the cut on her forehead. "I can't see how deep it is, you might need to see a doctor."
Maria sighed, "I know I need to see a doctor, I've hurt my ankle, I'm certain of that. Probably broken."
The Captain immediately reached out for Maria's leg, but she pulled it back, hissing in pain in the process. "Don't touch me! I am after all a lady and we are unchaperoned."
"Fraulein, you're being ridiculous! I have medical training for emergencies and this is clearly that. Let me examine it so we can get you someplace warm. You're hands are already red. We need to get you out of here, now let me help you up and get you back to town before you freeze to death up here!"
"I'd rather freeze to death than be in a car with you or anywhere with you at this moment, Captain!" Maria retorted. "I hear death by hypothermia can be quite peaceful, and more pleasurable than living with you the last little while!"
Georg sighed, "Ma…Fraulein Maria, I behaved like a boar, I admit that, and I am sorry, I am very sorry, but this is not the time or place to work this out. Let's go home, get you warm, and we can talk things out. I have so much I need to say."
"Nothing I want to hear, I'm certain," Maria bit out.
Maria shifted and tried to stand up again. The pain shot up her ankle and into her thigh. She couldn't help but cry out and instinctively reach for the Captain to steady her.
Georg did her one better. He carefully sat Maria back down and wrapped the rain slicker around her soaking wet dress. Then, as quick as a jack rabbit, he scooped her up into his arms and headed back toward the car.
When Georg got Maria situated in the car, he shined the flashlight closer to observe her face. There was a scrape with a significant cut in the center that was still trickling blood but what worried him was how swollen the area was and the way Maria shied away from the light. "Don't do that. It hurts enough. I don't want to get sick."
"You feel sick to your stomach?" Georg clarified as he moved the light away.
"I fell face down in a puddle of brook water and my ankle is throbbing, of course I feel sick to my stomach."
Georg sighed. "Okay, let's get you home. I'll look at your ankle there and Frau Schmidt can see about a bath while I arrange for the doctor."
"I'll be fine, I have had worse believe me," Maria grated out as she began to shiver.
The Captain wrapped Maria in blankets, making sure to keep a few in reserve then got into the car. He turned the key and nothing. The car clicked but the engine wouldn't turn over. Meanwhile, Maria was continuing to shiver and now her eyes were closing as she accepted she had been found and was, for all intents and purposes, safe.
"No you don't, Fraulein," the Captain said firmly patting her hand. "You have to stay awake. I think you might have a slight concussion, we have to keep you talking."
"That's a first," Maria laughed. "You always say I talk too much."
"You don't talk, you chatter. If you ever actually talked to me I think I'd fall over myself," Georg replied as he tried again, in vain, to start the car.
"What do we do now?" Maria asked as the freezing rain that had been pelting down on them made the change to snow.
"You tell me," the Captain replied. "This is your mountain, where can we go? Is there a shelter?"
Maria closed her eyes again, this time to bring up her memories. "There's an old cabin, I think it is only used for the holiday season, but it's at least a mile from here and straight down the hill. I can't walk it."
"You won't have to," the Captain said quickly. "But we can't stay here, we'll both freeze if we do that. I can't hike out and leave you behind, even to get help, I'll never be able to go home again, my children will…well…"
Georg got out of the car again and moved around to the trunk. He was always prepared for an emergency, it was the military man in him. He managed to secure the remaining dry blankets to keep them that way, he also secured a spare change of clothes he always carried; then moved around for Maria. Her eyes were closed again against a mounting headache. "Maria…don't…I need you to help me find this place now. You man the flashlight. I've got you, I won't drop you, okay?"
Maria knew she had no choice. She didn't truly relish the idea of freezing to death so she complacently wrapped her arms around the Georg's neck and began to direct him down the steep mountain road toward an old, under-used mountain cabin that was quickly becoming their only hope.
When they finally got to the cabin, Maria was still shivering and dozing on and off. "Fraulein, you have to stay awake. I need you to help me now. We need to see if there is wood for a fire."
Maria looked around, "Check the wood box."
Georg checked the old box and found it had dry, but old wood left in it. There was enough for a few hours at least. "Yes, all right. I'll get a fire going, then see about your leg. Can you light the lamp next to you? Use the cigarette lighter in my jacket."
Maria nodded fighting against the mounting pain in her body. When the lamp ignited she fussed as the light made her eyes throb.
In mere moments, Georg had a fire going and Maria felt the warmth start to spread through her body. "We need to get out of these wet clothes. I always keep a change of clothes, but for you…let me see if perhaps…"
The Captain searched and found the previous occupants of the cabin did indeed leave a few things behind, one of them being a ghastly dress resembling a judges robe, long, black, and shapeless, but also dry. "Do you need help?" the Captain asked. "If you can't stand, how can…"
Maria snapped at him, "I can do it myself, I always do things for myself! Would you…go change in the other room, I can…"
Georg nodded and took the clothes he had for himself into the small kitchen to change. Maria was so different right now, abrupt and angry. He knew he had earned her anger with the words they exchanged but even when she was angry she was never so dismissive. Had he really done that much damage during their argument that she wanted nothing to do with him now, not even the comfort of his friendship?
"Are you ready?" Georg called out. "Do you need help?"
"I'm ready," Maria replied after a beat. Georg went into the dimly lit parlor and saw Maria had indeed managed to change herself down to her socks, except for the shoe still on her injured foot.
The Captain looked at it with a silent question. "It won't come off. My leg is probably swollen inside. Maybe there is a tool, I can try…"
Maria moved to try and propel herself off the sofa but the Captain stopped her. "I'll be as gentle as I can," he assured her as he removed a utility knife from his pocket and began to cut away at the body of her ankle high shoe.
Maria hissed in pain at even the slightest pressure of movement. "I'm sorry," Georg kept saying as he worked to remove the shoe. He felt awful at being the cause of her pain. He knew he was, at least in part, the cause of this entire incident, but to be directly responsible for hurting Maria was like a punch to the gut.
Georg realized he had to end this for her more quickly. "Fraulein, can you count backwards by sevens for me. Just close your eyes for a second and count backwards by 7."
"Why on earth should I…" Maria began in protest then yelped as Georg pulled the shoe off with one firm tug.
"That's why," Georg replied. Now, more gently, the Captain rolled down the remaining portion of Maria's stocking. The ankle was indeed swollen and terribly bruised. Maria sighed softly as Georg's gentle fingers encircled her aching joint. "Maria, I need to examine your other foot for a moment. I'm going to take off the stocking, just for a moment."
Georg moved Maria's good ankle to his lap and removed the stocking. His cool, firm hands wrapped around her small, delicate ankle and felt the temperature of the skin. When he found both ankles and sets of toes were cold he sighed with relief.
The Captain softly began to massage the damaged ankle. He could feel the fluid pooling in the skin. "I need to find some pillows and make a compress…I'm sorry there nothing I can give you for the pain."
Maria shook her head, "I'm not afraid of pain."
"You might not be afraid of it, but you shouldn't have to feel it either," Georg replied. He got up and first retrieved some of the old, wet clothing and laid it in the snow. After a couple minutes, he raised Maria's leg onto the back of the sofa and laid the cold material on the swollen limb.
"Ooh," Maria moaned a little bit as the Captain manipulated the limb.
"Ssh," Georg soothed. "I know. I know. Take a breath, deep breath." Georg held Maria's hand. "Don't close your eyes, okay? I know it hurts but dont…"
"How do you know anything?" Maria asked. "I'm certain you are quite unfamiliar with unmedicated pain."
"Not at all, actually, not that it's a competition," the Captain replied. "Let me see what I can find. If I can find something here, perhaps aspirin might be available. Don't fall asleep, Fraulein. Your head wound."
Maria sighed and bit her lip, trying not to cry. This was scary, it was just too close for comfort. How could they stay here tonight, alone, and she keep from revealing her emotions to the Captain. This could likely be the hardest thing she had ever done, and she had done some really hard things…
A/N: Well, here is Chapter 4. Maria has been rescued, such as it is by the Captain and now they have no one but each other to rely on. Two chapters to go. I know, for me, that is really short.
For my Ph.D. studies, I actually have been asked to take a course in writing more concisely. Not sure if I should be offended by this, lol.
R ans R. Enjoy!