The Oberführer nodded. ‘Well, good luck,’ he said, and with that he moved on to the next bed, across the ward from Johann, to continue what was evidently a morale boosting visit.
‘No medals for us yet then,’ K?hler said, his shoulders slumping. ‘For a moment I thought the Oberführer might have had them in that briefcase of his.’
Johann turned to K?hler and smiled. ‘I wondered the same thing.’
Just about everyone on the ward had been told they were to receive awards of one kind or another. For Johann, the Wound Badge Third Class in black, and the Iron Cross Second Class for his bravery in combat. He was glad to know that Sturmmann Sachs, who had gone with him to rescue their Kameraden in the woods near Romanovka, had also been awarded the Iron Cross, albeit posthumously. Ernst K?hler was to be awarded the Wound Badge Second Class in silver for the loss of his limbs, which, following a decree from Adolf Hitler the previous year, meant that he was also automatically awarded the Iron Cross Second Class. Johann thought K?hler deserved it far more than he did.
Later that morning, after they had eaten their breakfast and the nurses had been in to wash those who could not wash themselves, Johann was told that he had a visitor. The news came as something of a surprise to him because he didn’t think anyone who knew him enough to want to visit him could possibly know where he was. He had supposed then that it must be another high-ranking Waffen-SS officer, come to hand out the medals, but Ernst K?hler had received no such news.
‘Then who is it?’ Johann asked the nurse who had come to see him. ‘What does he want?’
‘It’s not a man, it’s a young woman,’ the nurse said. ‘And she didn’t say why she was here, other than to see you. She told me her name was Fr?ulein Bauer.’
Johann couldn’t believe it. At first he thought Ernst K?hler was playing another trick on him. Johann had talked about Ava Bauer often enough for the mischievous Scharführer to have come up with some self-amusing jape at his expense, but as K?hler was giving nothing away, Johann knew there was only one way to find out.
‘Could you please bring my uniform?’ Johann asked the nurse. ‘I don’t want to see her in bed like this. Where is she?’
‘She’s waiting in a room along the corridor just outside the ward.’
‘When you fetch my uniform, would you please tell her that I’ll be out to see her shortly. And please don’t let her leave,’ he added, rushing the words out.
‘I’m sure she’s not going anywhere until she’s seen you. She was very insistent.’
Johann couldn’t help but smile to himself as the nurse retreated towards the doors at the far end of the ward. He glanced over at K?hler, who was reading a newspaper, and thought that if he was playing a joke on him, he was being very nonchalant about it.
Within fifteen minutes, Johann was dressed and on his feet, with a crutch beneath his right arm to help take the weight off his leg, which was still painful to walk on unaided. His chest hurt every time he moved, but he was prepared to endure it for Ava, and he’d been told that now he was over the worse, regular exercise would lead to a speedier recovery. As he adjusted to the pain and the awkwardness of movement he felt with every step, it took him a few more minutes to follow the nurse to the room where she’d said his visitor was waiting. When she opened the door for him and he entered, Johann held his breath and continued to hold it as Ava stood up. He began to smile and shake his head at the same time, as though a part of him still needed to be convinced that she was really there.
‘Ava!’ he said at last. She was wearing a dark green, belted peplum suit, and she had a matching felt hat in her hands. ‘But how did you know where to find me? How are you? Oh, it’s so good to see you. It’s been far too long. However did you get here?’
Ava laughed. ‘Slow down, Johann, you’re garbling like an excitable child.’
‘Looking at you makes me feel like a child again, Ava.’
He let go of his crutch and rushed towards her, throwing his arms around her. He kissed both of her cheeks without waiting for an invitation.
‘Shall we get out of this place?’ he said. ‘Heaven knows, I’ve had enough of hospitals by now.’
‘Are you allowed to leave?’
‘I don’t know, and I don’t care. It looks like a beautiful day outside, and I’m sure the fresh air would be good for my lungs.’ He took Ava’s hand and stooped to pick up his crutch again. ‘Come on. If we don’t look suspicious I’m sure no one will question us. There’s so much I want to tell you, and I can’t wait to hear your news.’