Fulfilling a woman’s request swayed emotions, giving a man the upper hand. Hannelore’s heart always seemed to soften when I brought her sweets or swept the sidewalk. Yes, if I wanted to bait the pretty nurse, I must fulfill her request. I would find the young recruit.
I walked through the halls, looking for the tall rogue. If he were on board, he would be easy to find. There weren’t many men his age in civilian clothes.
“Frick,” someone called to me from a group. “We need you to issue life vests.”
I put my hand up in protest. “My apologies, gentlemen. I’m on an important assignment.”
“Bettn?sser,” the sailor replied. They all laughed.
Bed wetter.
I scraped at my hands. They would be sorry they had laughed. Very sorry.
The ship’s speaker system buzzed with announcements, calls for lost and found children, and misplaced belongings. No smoking belowdecks. Life jackets must be worn at all times.
After several rounds of the ship, I felt energized both in body and in mind. Perhaps there was something to this physical fitness curriculum the military recommended. As I rounded the corner on the upper promenade deck, I saw the old man and the little boy. The boy was hard at work, shining shoes for coins.
“Greetings. I’m looking for the young fellow from the movie house. Have you seen him?”
The old man’s eyes narrowed to unbecoming slits. He looked down at my boots. “I saw you do it, you know.”
“Do what?” I responded. Had he seen me snatch the crystal butterfly?
“You took your boot to that poor dog.”
“Oh that.” I sighed. “Our Führer would remind you that it makes no sense to support the weak or crippled. In nature, the weaker species simply die.” I leaned in toward him, examining his face. “I believe some might classify you as weak? Now, have you seen the fellow from the movie house?”
“What do you need with him? He had to wait for additional inspection.”
“Inspection, right. Very careful we must be. Can’t allow any riffraff or deserters,” I said. I left their footwear enterprise and went down a few decks to the gangway entry.
“I’ve been sent to find a young civilian man who just boarded. Tall, brown hair.”
“We just sent someone to the infirmary who matches that description. Maybe that was your man?”
I ran to the closest stairwell. I spotted the recruit and called out. He stopped and I made my way up. He looked genuinely happy to see me.
“Well, you’re exactly who I was looking for.” He clapped me on the shoulder and we continued up the stairs.
joana
I held the small bundle next to Emilia, hoping she would make eye contact with the child. The new physician, Dr. Wendt, appeared.
“Joana, a sailor is around the corner asking for you. He seems . . . eager.”
I walked out. Alfred again. He grinned and waved me forward. “Follow me.”
Didn’t he have work to do? “Alfred, I can’t. I’m very busy.”
“Come along. Come along.”
I felt sorry for Alfred. I had known boys like him in school—desperate to be a man, yet trapped in his own mind. Girls joked that boys like Alfred made a cow’s milk dry up.
Alfred stopped at the infirmary and made a grand gesture with his arm. “Ask and you shall receive.”
My stomach gave a little hop. Sitting on a cot in the corner was Florian. Near his feet sat my suitcase. I tried to mask my excitement at seeing him. “My suitcase. Thank you, Florian.”
Alfred looked at me and raised his eyebrows. “And?”
“And thank you, Alfred,” I said.
Alfred paused, eyebrows arched, staring at me.
Florian nodded to him in quiet dismissal. “Thanks again.”
“Right, yes,” said Alfred. “Must get back to work. I’m very busy.” He walked off.
I made my way over to the corner, through the rows of wounded soldiers. “You made it,” I said. I could feel myself smiling.
“Almost didn’t. There’s a Nazi on the dock who doesn’t like me much.”
“And you brought my suitcase. So you found Eva? What about Poet and the boy?”
“They’re on board. Eva’s on the Hansa. She said to tell you good-bye.” He shifted to look at my face, then reached out and touched my arm. “You okay?”
I nodded.
“Can you take these stitches out?”
I walked over to a table to retrieve the necessary instruments. I was sad to hear about Eva. We weren’t given a chance to say good-bye properly.
I returned and Florian began unbuttoning his shirt. The dried blood on his skin now resembled powdered dirt. “Do you have any other clothes?” I asked.
“Are you saying my wardrobe is lacking?”
I smiled. “Very funny. Lie down.” I sighed.
“That was a big sigh. What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Emilia had the baby.”
“The baby didn’t make it?” He seemed genuinely upset.
“The baby’s fine.” I shook my head. “But Emilia isn’t.”