War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 59

Chapter 4

D

octor Tretter approached the professor, pasting a confident smile upon his face, looking every bit like the competent and skilled research doctor.

“Professor Scherer, it’s always a pleasure to see you,” Doctor Tretter said, clicking his heels and raising his hand in the

Hitlergruß

.

“Doctor Tretter, the pleasure is all mine,” Professor Scherer answered. Anna groaned inwardly, at T the devil’s

oversight

in not mentioning her name.

“There are so many things I’d like to discuss with you about my latest discoveries on the gangrene bacteria–” Tretter stopped mid-sentence when the professor turned toward Anna.

“I’m afraid we weren’t introduced, Fräulein?” he asked, looking her straight in the eye. As if she mattered.

“This is Nurse Anna. She works for me.” Tretter all but growled at the professor. As Anna considered his words, she noted that T the devil’s tone and insolence were ruining his image far more than she could ever do.

“I’m delighted to make your acquaintance, Fräulein…”

“Klausen, Anna Klausen,” Anna said.

“Fräulein Klausen. Welcome to my home.” The professor reached out his hand and when she dutifully placed her fingers in it, he gracefully lifted them to his lips and blew a kiss on the back of her hand.

Anna was more than a little impressed by Professor Scherer. She’d admired his work for so many years that she could hardly believe she was meeting her idol in person. One of the few men in attendance wearing a tuxedo, he exuded the distinguished aura of a person who’d grown up wealthy and powerful. The salt-and-pepper hair and wire-rimmed glasses underlined his classy appearance. His impeccable manners, the cultured voice, and the way he’d called out Tretter’s faux pas solidified Anna’s high opinion of him. It was obvious that he was not only a skilled scientist, but also schooled in the finer arts.

A few more persons joined them and soon the conversation turned to the Nazi ideology of the Master Race. Doctor Tretter made it a point to agree with and repeat whatever Professor Scherer or other high-ranking Nazi officials said. Anna couldn’t hide a smile when she noticed that the professor wasn’t overly impressed by T the devil’s blatant efforts to win him over. In fact, he politely suffered the doctor’s dialog.

Anna would have been able to join in the conversation, since genetics was one of her favorite topics, but she chose to remain quiet and listen in. And with every minute that passed, her admiration for Professor Scherer grew. In contrast to most of the others present he didn’t appear to be a fanatic follower of the Nazi ideology, and often objected to any outrageous claim about the inferiority of certain races, with a hint at scientific research that hadn’t been able to prove such claims. He worded his phrases carefully so as to not openly discredit any of the guests.

“We know accurately only when we know little; with knowledge doubt increases,” the professor quoted.

Anna heard the words and turned to look at him with a raised brow. “Goethe?”

“Very good, my dear. You are familiar with his writings?” The professor smiled at her, obviously relieved to change the topic from ludicrous ideology to something more substantial.

“Some of them, yes.” Anna felt a blush rising to her cheeks as the professor glanced at her with new interest.

“Oh, I love a good conversation about literature. Who is your favorite author?”

Anna didn’t have to contemplate the question. “Schiller.” Her younger brother Richard was the bookworm of the family and before he’d been sent to war, he tended to spend hours with his nose in a book. She smiled at the memory of how he enacted his favorite plays, assigning his three sisters minor roles as stage extras.

“Schiller, a comrade-in-arms of Hitler. Heil Hitler!” Hans Fabricius, head of section in the Ministry of the Interior, mentioned the book he’d written in 1932:

Schiller als Kampfgenosse Hitlers

.

Anna pictured Friedrich Schiller rotating in his grave. He’d never endorse his work being used to justify mass murder. A few of the men started a conversation about how both Schiller and Goethe would have supported National Socialism, had they lived one hundred and fifty years later.

Even though the conversation had steered away from him, Doctor Tretter wasn’t finished with his lame attempts to butter up the professor. He took a step away from the rest of the group, before saying, “Your work in genetics is outstanding, Professor.”

“It is based on Mendel’s Laws. I daresay you have studied those?” the professor said. A glimmer in his eyes betrayed how much he loved to talk about his research.

“I have read everything about Mendel’s work that I could get hold of,” Anna couldn’t help but say.

“Please forgive my inquiry, but aren’t you working as a nurse?” The professor raised an eyebrow, apparently in disbelief at the idea that a nurse grasped an understanding of the complicated laws of genetics.

“I am, Professor, but more out of need to help the war effort than out of passion. My dream is to become a biologist one day.” Anna smoothed her hands over her skirt to hide her nerves.

The professor gave her a scrutinizing glance. “And what area attracts your attention the most?”

“Human biology. Eradicating diseases with new treatments. And genetics, to gain a better understanding of hereditary diseases.”

Doctor Tretter scoffed. “The solution to this is to prevent those tainted with bad blood from procreating. Then there’s no need to

understand

exactly how damaged their offspring will be. The Master Race can only be achieved when we relentlessly pursue and annihilate the inferior elements.”

Anna shuddered. Annihilating what the Nazis considered inferior elements was what the evil machine did day after day. The same machine she’d willingly become a part of to save her sister.

“Unfortunately, creating a pure and healthy race has suffered some setbacks. Eugenics might seem to be the answer, but as Mendel discovered, there are things the eye can’t see that must be taken into consideration,” Professor Scherer said and turned toward Anna. “Fräulein Klausen, let’s see if you recognize this writer:

There is no such thing as chance; and what seems to us merest accident springs from the deepest source of destiny.

”

“Schiller,” Anna answered.

“Right you are. Research has proven that there are diseases that can be avoided by careful breeding and isolating the affected individuals, but recessive genes often skip one or even several generations before rising again.”

“But our Führer has taken care of this problem by creating the Aryan Master Race,” Doctor Tretter insisted, and Anna half expected him to shout out another Heil Hitler.

“Yes, Doctor, our Führer has great visions, but so far we have only one generation to observe and we do not know what might become of the second or third generation,” the professor answered.

“And if the diversity in the gene pool is too small, this might cause problems with new hereditary diseases in the future,” Anna said.

“You seem well versed in the subject,” the professor said, complimenting her.

“Thank you.” Anna blushed at the compliment from the expert on genetics and felt as if she’d received a Christmas gift. She soaked it in, wanting to pinch herself to see if she’d been dreaming.

The camp commandant SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Suhren approached their small group. “Excuse me, Professor, but I must sequester Doctor Tretter for a few minutes.”

The professor nodded and Anna almost jumped with excitement. From the look on the commandant’s face it was clear that he wanted to speak with T the devil in private.

“You have a lovely home,” she said to fill the ensuing silence.

“Thank you. It belonged to a well-known publisher, Louis Ullstein, before he emigrated.” The professor adjusted his glasses with a sad look before continuing, “He used to host regular literary discussions. But his kind wasn’t welcome here anymore.”

“Not welcome? The Jews are responsible for the decline of the German culture. Our Führer will put a final solution to the Jewish problem once and for all.” Doctor Tretter had returned far too soon, showering them with more Nazi ideology.

“Of course I agree with our Führer’s point of view, but isn’t complete annihilation a bit harsh?” Professor Scherer asked, apparently uncomfortable. Anna got the impression that this Louis Ullstein had been more than a random acquaintance to the professor.

“We can’t make exceptions. Every last Jew has to be forced from this earth or he will come back to haunt and destroy us.” Anna tuned out Tretter’s continued spoutings of Nazi ideology. What did he mean with a final solution? Complete annihilation? It couldn’t mean…no. It was a ridiculous idea. Killing not thousands but millions of people just wasn’t feasible.

It wasn’t. Or was it?