War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 195

Chapter 9: Anna

A

nna stood in front of the Reservelazarett. Wisps of mist hung in the cold air of this November morning. The colorful leaves of the chestnut trees had long fallen to the ground and blown away to mix with with the rubble from the bombed out buildings.

The hospital was located in a school building. Education wasn’t a priority anymore and most of the schools hadn’t reopened after the summer break. Teachers were fighting at the front or working in ammunition factories. The students who hadn’t been sent away to the countryside with the

Kinderlandverschickung

were collecting scrap metal or used paper instead of learning.

Everything and everyone for the war effort. She scoffed. When would this craziness end? And what would happen then? She didn’t delude herself that things would be all sunshine and roses, but she also hoped things wouldn’t get any worse.

Several minutes later, Professor Scherer’s Mercedes limousine arrived along with his new driver Hans Gerber. She disliked Hans, and not just because he’d replaced her beloved Peter, but mostly because she didn’t trust him. He was one of the most fervent Nazis she’d met in her life, a member of the SS proudly representing Hitler’s ideals.

“Good morning, Schwester Anna,” he said, using her job title to address her.

“Good morning, Hans.” She forced a pleasant smile on her face, ignoring the shivers on her back she always felt in his presence.

He opened the back door of the Mercedes and helped Professor Scherer from the car.

“Good morning, Fräulein Klausen, punctual as always. Shall we go?” The professor fell in step beside her, leaving Hans carrying the heavy box with the medical supplies.

Since the professor had phoned in the day before, the head doctor of the small hospital eagerly awaited them, impressed at receiving a visit by the well-known scientist.

“It’s such an honor to receive you here. Although,” the doctor cast his eyes downward and rubbed his hands, “I have to warn you that the conditions in the prisoner ward are not up to medical standards. We never receive enough materials, and priority is given to the Wehrmacht soldiers.”

Professor Scherer gave him a benevolent smile and Anna admired once again the ease with which he won over people and made them feel appreciated. “That’s the exact reason why my assistant, Fräulein Klausen, and I have come here. We won’t be able to work a miracle, but we brought enough serum to vaccinate fifty officers against typhus.”

The doctor’s eyes lit up. “You cannot imagine how much I appreciate this. An outbreak of this disease in the prisoner ward would undoubtedly spread into the main section and possibly into the civil population.”

With the head doctor in tow, Anna and Professor Scherer entered the prisoner ward. A shudder racked her body. As a practicing nurse at the Charité, she saw plenty of gore and pus, but she hadn’t expected the desolate condition of the ward. It reminded her of the sick bay at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, just more crowded.

A slew of even more ghastly memories from her time working at the concentration camp attacked her and she swayed. Taking a calming breath, the putrid stench burnt a blaze deep down into her stomach. She closed her eyes, pulling herself together. Here, nothing could happen to her. Doctor Tretter was dead. Killed with her own hands.

The head doctor introduced them and announced the plan to vaccinate the officers against typhus. He then accompanied Professor Scherer as they conversed with the highest-ranking officers amongst them, obviously making sure they remembered the name and face of their benefactor.

Anna forced a smile to her face and opened her medical bag. “Who wants to be first? It won’t hurt.”

“Me,” a handsome man answered in a thick accent she barely understood. Judging by his uniform he was American. “A beautiful lady like you can prick me all she wants.”

Her smile turned from forced to genuine. Despite their dire situation these lads hadn’t lost their good humor. And getting a good look at them from close up, they looked just like the Wehrmacht soldiers she’d treated. Young men – humans – who wanted nothing more than to stay alive and return home to their families.

She put a patch on the puncture in his skin and said, “Next one, please.” Soon, the walking wounded formed a queue to be treated by the peachy nurse.

“Will you marry me when the war is over, beautiful lady?” another man asked.

Anna shook her head and smiled. “As much as I’d love to, I’m afraid my fiancé would object.”

“Lucky bastard,” the man answered and vacated his place for the next patient.

“Actually, I’m the lucky one,” she murmured, unaware that an older officer had already taken the seat across from hers. He looked straight into her eyes and she couldn’t keep a single tear from slipping down her cheek.

“I’ll pray that he returns to your side safely,” he said, baring his arm for her to put the needle in.

“Thank you.”

He’s a prisoner of war, just like you

, she wanted to add, but couldn’t risk being exposed.

When she’d vaccinated everyone in the queue, she stored the supplies in her medical bag and ventured to inspect those that couldn’t walk. She wouldn’t be able to administer them the serum, because the vaccine would probably kill them in their weakened condition, but perhaps she could alleviate their suffering in other ways.

She organized a glass of water, changed a dressing here and cleaned a wound there, when she came upon a half-conscious man with crazed eyes, whimpering in pain. It squeezed her heart to look at him, because she could see the death in his eyes. There was neither help nor hope for the young fellow.

Anna rummaged in her bag and found what she was looking for. The older officer she’d given the typhus vaccine earlier had caught up with her, giving her a knowing glance.

“I’m sorry for your comrade,” she said and handed him the ampule of morphine. “When it gets worse, give him this.”

“God bless you, nurse.”

“Our visit went well,”

Professor Scherer said, sitting beside her in the back of his limousine, as they headed for the Charité.

“Those poor men were really grateful,” Anna said, remembering how the men had promised her fortunes and eternal gratitude for the smallest deeds of humanity.

“It was well beyond my expectations, and we should make these visits a regular routine.”

Anna nodded and gave voice to the idea that had been running around in her brain since their arrival at the hospital. “While I think it is necessary to vaccinate everyone, we don’t have enough serum to do so. Perhaps we should concentrate our efforts on the non-wounded officers that have better chances at survival?”

The professor looked at her for a long minute. “That is an excellent idea. Limited resources have to be distributed to where they have the highest impact.” His eyes flickered for a short moment. “While this may be unfortunate or even cruel for the individual, it is for the best of society as a whole. Since I’ll be caught up in meetings for the next few days, may I put this into your hands?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Anna said, her heart hammering staccato in her throat.

“Chose the best-suited prisoner camp and make the arrangements for us to visit next week through my secretary. Remember we want to reach as many nationalities as possible.”

“I’ll get right on it.” Anna wanted to scream with joy. Now she had the perfect excuse to see Peter.