War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 301

Chapter 20: Anna

Berlin, September 1945

“D

o you have a moment, Frau Zdanek?” Professor Scherer asked as he strode into the nurse’s room. Her mentor had adapted surprisingly well to the changes after the war. Sometimes she believed he’d completely forgotten everything that had happened before “the zero hour” as he called it.

“Of course, Professor, what do you need?”

“Please accompany me to my office.” It was a rather unusual request. The Soviets had assigned him an office in the basement after they’d taken over the hospital. The professor, though, usually didn’t use it for talks with his employees. He much preferred the more spacious and better lit upper floors.

“One moment, please.” Anna finished writing the patient report she’d been working on and then followed the Professor down to the basement. She hated going down there since the Soviets were running the hospital. And she hated working for them, but no work meant no food. Thus, she gritted her teeth and tended to her patients.

Professor Scherer closed the door behind her and locked it. A feeling of déjà vu caused her neck hair to stand on end.

“Please sit,” he said with a pleasant smile.

Anna obeyed. She knew that smile. It was the one he used when he was about to execute a clever maneuver and his counterpart unsuspectingly fell into the trap. So far, she’d always been on his side of the game. Although she wondered whether he held a grudge against her for marrying the man who’d spied on him for years.

“Frau Zdanek. I must warn you that what I’m about to say is confidential and should never be revealed to the Soviets.” His eyes fixed upon her and she noticed just how much he’d aged in the past year. The salt-and-pepper hair that had enhanced his attractiveness had turned almost completely white and the deep wrinkles etched around his eyes spoke of many sorrows.

“They won’t hear anything from me,” she said. Even if she didn’t hate the Soviets, she’d never be disloyal to Professor Scherer. He might not be the perfect human being she wanted him to be, but he was well-connected. It would certainly serve her better to be on his side rather than against him.

“Good. The Charité has lost its luster and, to be frank, the scientific opportunities with the Soviets are far inferior to those the Western Allies can provide. I know, these are dreams of the future, but right now is the best time to lay the groundwork.”

Anna didn’t quite follow his train of thought, but she nodded nonetheless.

“I have put out my feelers and there’s a definite need for highly skilled medical research personnel.”

“But… aren’t the Allies bringing in their own people?” Anna asked, since she’d heard that before.

“They are, but the wiser ones know they can’t do without us Germans in the long run. And… I have found a few very powerful intercessors among the Americans.” He leaned back in his chair, a self-indulgent smile crossing his face.

Anna remembered his strategy of doling out favors to those who might benefit him in the last days of the war. Once again, she was surprised at how well he knew the human psyche. His strategy apparently had worked like a charm. The new authorities held him in high esteem and no one seemed to remember that he’d been working for the Nazi regime and had even, whenever it benefited him, claimed to be one.

“The Americans have offered me a position as chief physician in one of their hospitals. And…” he gazed at her, “… I have negotiated with them to bring a confidante. My head nurse.”

Her eyes went round. “You mean me?”

“Yes. Who would be better qualified than you?”

“That is… unexpected.” Anna’s considered the implications.

“Unexpected maybe, but not unwelcome. The Americans have offered generous pay and meals at the hospital.” He smiled as he noticed her licking her lips. Even for a man in his position food was hard to come by, and she’d often suspected that he worried about her as she got thinner by the week.

“I’m incredibly grateful that you would think of me.”

“You accept.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

“Of course I accept.”

“Then you only need to sign the new contract and start working with me at the new hospital tomorrow.” He handed her a one-sheet work contract. “I have taken the liberty of handing in your resignation to our Soviet employers.”

Anna took the paper and signed it. She should be angry about the way he made decisions for her, but how could she not accept a job offer like this one? Head nurse with food benefits. As far as she was concerned, not having to enter the Russian sector every single day would have been reason enough already.

She loved working

at the new hospital, because everything was so much easier than working with the Soviets. Much to her appreciation her new bosses made sure their employees received proper meals during their shifts.

But despite her delight about the food, she could barely eat a bite during her first days at the new workplace. Such was her guilt, thinking of her mother, Lotte and Jan, who had to scrape by on almost nothing. It was especially hard on Jan, an active twelve-year-old boy who needed to grow. But she’d been warned that it was forbidden to take any food home to their families.

Now she understood how Peter had felt all this time since taking up work with the British administration. It seemed the Allies would rather throw food away than give it to the starving Germans. She didn’t understand how they could be so appalled at the Nazis’ treatment of people and then turn around and do the very same thing, just calling it a different name.

Anna was still pondering how to best smuggle out food to her family when she witnessed something that changed her mind. Two of the nurses, each one the sole provider for several children, raided the garbage cans for food. She fell in line behind them as they exited the hospital after their shift.

“Open your bag please,” one of the sentries asked and the first one dutifully opened her purse. He took a cursory glance and waved her through the gate. The second one, though, got nervous and as she opened her bag, a half-eaten sandwich, wrapped in a piece of paper, fell out of her sleeve.

“Stop!” the sentry yelled and within a split-second several soldiers materialized out of thin air, training their rifles at the nurses standing in line. Anna felt her blood turn into icicles and she dropped her purse to the floor, slowly raising her arms.

Every single woman in the hallway had to turn her handbag inside out, take off her coat and undergo a personal search. In spite of knowing that she didn’t carry forbidden goods, Anna held her breath, fearing for the worst.

She was waved through the gate, but the nurse caught first and another one weren’t so lucky. They were taken to the hospital director and the next day Anna learned they’d been fired immediately. It was a stark reminder not to question the rules of the Amis if she wanted to keep her job – and her ration cards.

From then on, Anna ate every single bite she could get her hands on, because she’d rather nurture herself than let the Americans trash the food. But she made it a habit to give her weekend rations to her family, because when she ate enough at work, she didn’t need to eat while at home.