War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 197

Chapter 11: Anna

A

nna sat in the back of the Mercedes limousine with Professor Scherer, the trunk loaded with a large supply of vaccines and other materials from the research center at the Charité. Officially all research had been stopped and resources transferred to the hospital area of the clinic, but the professor had powerful connections. Once again Anna was left with her jaw hanging at the ease with which he’d been able to assign two laboratory technicians to help her growing bacteria cultures for the serum. She herself had been absolved from her nurse duties and transferred once again to the biology institute.

Hans mumbled, disgusted about the bad shape of the roads to Fallingbostel, claiming the Jews had done this to Germany. Anna pursed her lips at the ridiculous yet hateful remarks this dyed-in-the-wool Nazi was making. She bit the inside of her cheek to hold back the words that wanted to spill forth.

She glanced at the professor, who was reading some scientific material and either didn’t hear Hans’ words or simply ignored them. She shrugged. Professor Scherer might be the biggest opportunist on earth, but he wasn’t cruel and spiteful like his driver.

In fact, she’d never heard him say a bad word about the Jews. Even one of his former friends was a Jew, the publisher Louis Ullstein, who’d emigrated a decade ago after selling his mansion to the professor.

Anna leaned back into the leather seat, doing her best to calm her racing heart and her sweating palms. Soon she’d see Peter again. She’d still not come up with a plan to get him out of the camp, but she trusted that her mind would come up with something once she’d been able to take a closer look at the location. Hans continued to spill his vitriol, but she tuned out his voice and closed her eyes to relish her dreams about a happy reunion with Peter.

After a long yet pleasant drive with only a short stop to eat some lunch, they arrived at Fallingbostel in the early afternoon. As soon as the Mercedes pulled up in front of the gate, two Wehrmacht guards rushed out and ushered them to the commandant’s quarters a few hundred yards from the camp.

“Professor Scherer, what an honor to have you here,” the commandant said.

“Kommandant Greiner, it’s my pleasure,” the professor said, shaking hands, before he introduced Anna as his assistant.

“A pleasure to meet you, Fräulein Klausen.” A frown crossed Kommandant Greiner’s forehead. “I will assign two guards for your security. These foreigners can’t be trusted…”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Kommandant,” Anna protested. She’d rather go without two watchdogs by her side.

“No, I insist. You are under my protection and I will ensure your security during your stay at the camp.”

“Well then, thank you.” She cast him a smile, well aware that at this point any resistance would have been futile.

Kommandant Greiner accompanied them on a tour through the camp, including one of the barracks. Anna’s eyes grew bigger and bigger. She’d expected to find appalling conditions similar to what she’d seen in the women’s camp in Ravensbrück, but here everything was scrubbed clean and flashed in the December sunshine. The prisoners, while emaciated, wore clean uniforms, were freshly shaven and bathed and didn’t seem to be pestered with lice.

Professor Scherer asked the officers and barracks seniors to form a line and held a lengthy speech about the virtues of morality, especially in times of war. He then continued to stress that he’d convinced the Ministry of Health to allow him to vaccinate prisoners of war to prevent a major humanitarian disaster.

Anna observed with amazement how the hostile expressions on the prisoners’ faces turned to skepticism and finally to agreement. On the professor’s wink, she ordered her two watchdogs to scrounge a table and two chairs and opened her medical suitcase to start administering the vaccines the same way she’d done at the Reservelazarett.

Her boss engaged some of the higher-ranking officers in conversation, obviously making sure they would remember the name and face of their benefactor. Anna, though, was more interested in finding a certain man. Since he was an officer, too, he should have been in the group.

Hours later her serum had run out with still no sight of him. Her heart squeezed painfully.

What if he is dead? No, you can’t think like that

.

He’s fine. He must be fine.

Then it hit her between the eyes and she gasped, attracting the glances of some of the nearby prisoners. He must be hiding, afraid the professor might recognize him! How stupid of her not to consider this aspect. Hot and cold waves shot up and down her spine, making breathing difficult, as she realized the danger she’d exposed him to. If Professor Scherer had seen and recognized Peter…the blood drained from her head and a dizzy feeling claimed her.

“Excuse me, I need to get some air,” she hissed and fanned herself with a sheet of paper. She jumped up, pushing the loaded syringe into the hands of one of the stupefied guards, and rushed off.

The prisoners opened their ranks to make space for her, each one looking more confused than the next, but nobody dared to talk to her. She walked a minute or two, until she stopped in front of barracks with a huge “P” for Polish painted on it.

New hope filled her soul. She entered the dimly lit structure and asked, “Does anyone know a man called Piotr Zdanek?”

The two men inside eyed her suspiciously and looked away, pretending not to understand or not to know. But she’d seen the glimmer of recognition in their eyes and could tell they knew him. So he wasn’t dead.

A moment later, one of the guards bolted into the barracks, ready to take it up with whoever was in there.

“What the hell are you doing, woman? This is not a pony farm; these men are dangerous. Enemies.” As he yelled, he pointed an accusing finger at her.

“I’m sorry,” Anna turned around to bedazzle the elderly

Landesschütze

with her brightest smile. “I had an anxiety attack back there. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

She stepped toward him and graciously offered him her arm to lead her outside. The bright sun reflecting on remnants of snow patches blinded her and she used her hand to shield her eyes, berating herself for her rash behavior. Nobody could know that she knew Peter. Back at her makeshift medical station, she packed her bag and looked for her boss.

“If you’re looking for Professor Scherer, he’s at the commandant’s office, they asked not to be disturbed,” one of her guards said.

“Thank you. I…” A plan formed in her mind. “…will need to see the sick bay, would you please guide me there,” she said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“But…Fräulein, that wasn’t…”

“Look.” She glared at him, before she softened and cast him a smile. “I’m sorry if you weren’t instructed on the details of our visit, but it’s imperative that I visit the sick bay. So if you have doubts, we can pass by the office and ask Kommandant Greiner.”

Discomfort etched itself into the man’s expression and he shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, Fräulein. I’ll show you the way.”

The sick bay looked a lot more like she’d expected, and suspicion entered her brain. Could it be that the camp had been given a quick makeover for the official guests? She pushed the thought aside, for now her only concern was to find Peter.

The guard opened the door for her and a putrid stench attacked her nostrils. Definitely comparable to Ravensbrück. A gagging noise reached her ear and she turned around to see her watchdog pale. Some people didn’t have the stomach for gore and pus.

“Would you rather wait outside?” she asked with her sweetest voice.

“I should stay at your side,” he said, swallowing hard.

“I’m sure I can manage alone. Look at these men, they aren’t even able to raise a hand. And I promise to yell if anyone bothers me. You stay at the door and wait.”

He seemed to be torn between his duty and the queasy stomach the hospital barracks caused him, and Anna played her trump. “Nobody has to know. I certainly won’t tell anyone.”

A grateful expression flickered across his face and he nodded. “I’ll be right outside.”

The door clicked shut behind him and a sigh of relief escaped her. Maybe one of the wounded soldiers would talk. As she’d expected, there weren’t any doctors or nurses in the so-called hospital. She knew that in most camps the prisoners themselves staffed the hospitals and usually attended the patients only after their other chores. Today they would be in the gathering place to make a good impression on the visitors.

Anna walked along a narrow aisle with bunks on both sides. Most of the bunks were filled with two or three men, covered with filthy blankets.

Dear God, have those people never heard about hygiene and sanitary conditions

?

She distributed water from her bottle and wiped away puke and blood, but that was about all she could do for them. At the end of the building she heard a pained groan and stepped toward the man. When she saw his face, she struggled to hold in an appalled gasp.

The man looked so much like Peter, she had to take a second look. This man’s hair was blonder, his face more square-jawed and he seemed younger, but the similarity was striking. She stepped forward, her eyes fixated on his baby-blues.

“Why are you staring at me? Never seen a dying man?” Stan said gruffly.

Anna gave him an empathetic smile. “You’re not dying yet. Please forgive me, but you look so much like someone I know…someone I was hoping to see while I was here…”

Stan narrowed his gaze and asked, “What’s this someone’s name?”

“Piotr Zdanek.”

He gave a slight shake of his head. “Not me.”

“So who are you?”

Stan eyed her suspiciously, but finally answered her, probably because he knew she could find out anyways. “Stanislaw Zdanek.”

Anna gasped again and searched his face. “Stan? One of the twins?”

“How do you know?”

“Because Peter…Piotr…” She wondered how much Stan knew about her and Peter and whether it was safe to tell him they were secretly married. “…because we’re in love.”

Now it was Stan’s turn to gasp.

“You know where he is? I need to find him. Please.”

His tortured eyes narrowed. “Hold on a minute, lady. How do I know you’re really a friend?” Stan hissed the question, the effort of talking so much making him sweat.

Anna cleaned his forehead with her kerchief, while her brain worked overtime. How could she convince the suspicious man that she didn’t pose a threat for Peter?

“Janusz lives with me in Berlin,” she offered for proof.

Stan scoffed. “Nice try. Not possible.”

“Please, you have to believe me,” Anna begged. “I planned this entire visit just to find him. Ask me anything. I’m sure I can dispel your doubts.”

Stan glared at her, seemingly fighting with himself, but he finally relented and said, “What was the name of Janusz’s pet dog?”

Pet dog

? Neither Peter nor Jan had ever mentioned a dog. She gazed at Stan and recognized the twitching of his lip, the same way Peter’s did when he teased her. “He never had a dog.”

If Stan seemed surprised, he didn’t show it. “We have another brother. What’s his name?”

“Jarek.”

“Who’s older, Jarek or me?”

“You’re twins,” she said. “I don’t know who’s older, but I know that you’re the quick-tempered, stubborn one always willing to solve a problem with your fists, while Jarek’s the one who keeps you grounded.”

“Was.”

“Was?” Anna stared at him for a moment until the pain on his face brought the revelation. “I’m sorry for the loss of your brother.”

“I believe you,” Stan said after a while. “Piotr is hiding in the bone yard.”

“The bone yard? Where is this?”

“No idea. I was unconscious when Piotr carried me out of there.”

The pallor on Stan’s face intensified with the effort and she put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll find him. What happened to you?”

“Bullet in the leg. Got infected.”

Anna reached out and felt for his pulse, concerned with the weakness. “Did they give you something?”

“They don’t waste medicine on prisoners who’ll die anyway.”

“Don’t talk like that. I’ll get you help.” Anna forced a confident smile on her face, but she feared for the worst. The infection he’d contracted was serious.

He sneered, clearly not believing that there was still help for him.

She slipped from the building into the dusk that cast a golden light onto the camp and took a deep breath of fresh winter air. Right in this moment, the place looked serene and peaceful. But she knew she had to hurry up if she wanted to find Peter. Professor Scherer expected her in one hour from now to return to Berlin.

“Finished, Fräulein?” The guard stepped toward her, apparently eager to return to the office area.

Shoot

. She’d completely forgotten about him.

“Almost, but I need to have a look at the bone yard. Can you take me there?” The shock on his face almost made her laugh.

“N…n….nobody ever goes there, except for the penal work parties. Y…y…you shouldn’t go there.” He inched backwards, holding tight onto his rifle.

“Believe me, I hate this as much as you do, but I became aware of an awful breach of hygiene that could endanger the life of everyone in this camp, including the guards. It could even spread to the civilian population of the town.” Seeing that he wasn’t convinced, she asked, “What’s your name?”

“Jochen Kaufmann.”

“Well, Herr Kaufmann, wouldn’t Kommandant Greiner be pleased if you were the one to save thousands of German citizens from dying of an epidemic?” She gave him an encouraging smile.

“I guess…”

“You might even receive a promotion.”

His eyes lit up. “You think so?”

“Certainly. Take me there and keep watch. It’s best if no one except me goes inside, because of the danger of contagion.”

“We need to hurry, since there’s no light back there,” he said and marched off, Anna falling in step with him.

It took them almost ten minutes to reach the farthest corner of the camp, and then she stood in front of the shabbiest tent-like structure she’d ever seen in her life. Despite the low temperature, the stench from rotting corpses was repulsive.

She pulled a face mask across mouth and nose, before she entered saying, “I’ll be right back.”

Inside it was almost dark, with corpses and half-dead people piled up higher than her own height. A shiver racked her body. In the twilight she believed she saw the dancing shadows of tortured souls coming to haunt the living. She shook her head. Dead people couldn’t harm her. It was the living she should be afraid off.

To dispel the fear, she hummed a happy melody, until one of the shadows stepped out from the twilight and stopped in front of her.

She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.