by Kitty Parker
"Good morning." he yawned, tousseling his blonde hair, making it look even more a mess.
"Pancakes?"
"Please! Lord, I should have been married a long while ago, purely for the food."
"Well, our doors are glad you waited." she grinned, scooping three pancakes on his plate. "Orange juice or apple?"
"Apple please."
"What's the plan for today?" she asked, sitting across from him, drizzling syrup over her pancakes.
"I was going to ask you..."
"I don't think there are anymore chores to be done."
"Shame..." he smiled.
"I'm sure we'll think of something after breakfast."
"I must say I've enjoyed my time away from the military." he sighed.
"Why do you do it?" she sighed, taking a large bite of her pancakes.
"Because I have to, I was drafted two years ago, there is no safe way to escape the draft. I was a bit more scared of becoming swiss cheese when I was twenty."
"Becoming swiss cheese?"
"Yeah, I would have been put in front of a firing squad, who, would have blasted a fair amount of holes through me, like swiss cheese."
Klara couldn't help but laugh, his voice was full of serious emotion, and yet the picture that came to her mind did not match. It only took a moment before the truth of his statement hit her full force. She knew that if they were caught running men, they would meet that exact fate. As they continued drinking their coffee, the conversation turned more pleasant as they discussed pasttimes they missed since the war. Klara whined playfully about not being able to walk as freely as she had once been able to and Jack sighed wishing he had more time to read.
Jack eventually left Klara to wash the dishes, promising he would be back after showering. She smiled and created the suds in the sink, plunging her fair hands into them after a moments time. There was something about washing dishes that worked out all of her stress, and seemed to make others happy, at not having to wash them. It was while she was gently scrubbing the frying pan that she heard a rushed knock on the back door. With a quick flick to shake off the suds she wiped her hands on her apron before opening the door.
Daniel stood there, a bloodied man leaning on his shoulder. "We're not to have any men this week!" she whispered hurridly, trying to close the door.
"Please Miss Kemp, there is no where else, the Germans are becoming a great deal smarter about our operation." he urged, stepping into the door. "There are soldiers at every other medic station.
"But my Grandmere isn't here, I'm not a nurse..."
Daniel reached forward, clasping her arm. "I've seen you work, you can do it Klara, please, he only needs a few stitiches."
"Alright, bring him in, quietly." she pulled him inside, he stumbled in the door, pressing himself up against her as a result. He stopped for a moment and gazed down at Klara. The proximity made her blush, she was unable to look into his brown eyes and forced herself to step back.
She followed behind as Daniel carried the young soldier down the stairs, laying him on the bed. "Thanks Daniel, sorry I don't have anything fresh upstairs, haven't been to the bakery much with Grandmere not home."
"No problem, but I'll stay down here for a bit if it's all the same to you."
"I thought you didn't like to stay at houses long after you dropped men."
"I don't normally...but with your Grandmere not here, I'd feel better if I stayed, just in case. What with all the other houses being so closely watched. I can't tell you how relieved I was to find your house quiet. And not just because this soldier needs help..." he said softly.
"You may stay, but don't interrupt me, I need to concentrate." she answered simply, trying to ignore his hint at caring for her and Grandmere, more than the other medic houses.
Klara gathered all she needed and set to work, quickly and carefully stitching up his deep leg wound. Just as she knotted the heavy black thread she heard the telling squeal of the basement door, the only door she and Jack had left ungreased to serve as a warning, followed by footprints in quick succession. Daniel jumped from his chair, pulling a pistol from his belt. Jack emerged and Daniel attacked, throwing Jack up against the wall, his arm preventing Jack from breathing.
"Klara, run! There are sure to be more on the way!" he yelled, holding a struggling Jack firmly against the wall.
"No! Stop!" she screamed in terror, pulling at Daniel's strong shoulders. "He's my husband!"
Daniel stumbled backward, dumbfounded, Jack reeled forward, vomitting on the floor, grasping for breath. "Go take your uniform off! Goodness, what are you thinking wearing that down here?" she exclaimed helping him up.
"It was the only clean thing I had, and I didn't think you were taking anyone this week." he gasped, coughing halfway through his speech.
"Just go change! Put on some of my Grandpere's clothes, they're in the attic in a labeled box." Klara huffed, keeping a steadied hand on Daniel's chest, who was still heaving in disbelief. She took a deep breath as Jack nodded and stumbled up the stairs, wheezing.
"Your husband?!" Daniel began, a betrayed look on his face. "How could you marry a German soldier? An officer no less! Have you any idea the danger you've put us in? All he has to do is report us and we'll be sent directly to the firing squad! Leave it to a foolish girl to risk everything on love." he fumed, thrusting a hand through his dark hair.
"I don't love him." she said bluntly when he allowed her a moment to talk.
"You are making less and less sense."
"He is a German officer, yes, but he has allied sentiments."
"I'm sure he does." Daniel said angrily, folding his arms across his chest.
"I know how ridiculous it sounds, believe me, but six nights ago we were searched by German officers, Jack included. They found the basement, luckily there were no men in, or I would have been arrested on the spot. The basement was enough to make them suspect, so they planned to put the house under surveillance. Jack came to warn me and at my stubborn refusal to quit helping, offered to marry me to dissuade the suspicion. Apparently Germans don't feel the need to watch their own officers homes." She smiled at Daniel, who seemed to calm down quite a bit. "I trust him Daniel, I need you to trust me."
"Alright Klara, alright. I just hope you know what you're doing." he sighed.
"Yes, so do I."
"And you're sure you don't love him?" he asked, eyebrow raised curiously.
"Quite sure, goodness, I've only known him for a week.
"I've known girls to do much sillier things."
"Right..."
"Well, I'd best be off, don't want to chance anything."
"When is his run date?" she inquired, walking with him up the stairs.
"Two days, unless I hear from you. Thanks for taking him Klara, you saved his life."
"You're welcome, see you in two days." Daniel gave her hand a quick squeeze before turning to walk away. Klara watched as he let himself out the gate, his mussed brown hair still visible over the high picket fence. When he was finally gone, she closed the door, shaking her head at the image of Daniel attacking Jack. She was quite sure Daniel would have killed Jack if she hadn't intervened. Sure he was rash and accusatory, but in any other situation, it may have saved their lives.
Jack was in the kitchen when she entered, holding something from the freeezer to his eye. His blonde hair was mangled and smashed atop his head, and he wore a green stripped button down shirt with brown pants that fit his defined arms perfectly. "Are you hurt?" Klara asked quietly, tip toeing toward him.
"I think my eye is black and blue."
"Gosh, let me see." she gently covered his hand that held the piece of meat, pushing it away from his eye. "Yea, quite a nasty bump you got there." she sat down, hair tumbling over her shoulder as she looked at him earnestly. "I'm really sorry about Daniel."
"Don't be...I'm glad to see he is prepared in case of an emergency. I sense that he would never let anything happen to you or your Grandmere."
"
I think he'd die first."
"Well lets hope it doesn't come to that."
"Yes, of course. I'd better go back down to tend to the soldier. Please, don't come down in an German uniform again." she smiled. "It just makes everyone a little...well, nervous."
Klara went downstairs to find the soldier moaning on the cot, clutching his side. When Klara managed to persuadehhim to move his hand , she noticed something protruding from it. She quickly cut away his uniform inspecting the large piece of metal stuck between two of his ribs.
"Jack! Jack!" she screamed.
Jack heard the terrified tone in her voice, dropped the cut of meat from his face and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He found her hunched over the soldier, her muscles tense with panic, her hands trembling.
"I need your help." she whimpered.
"Ok." he replied, rolling up his sleeves.
"I don't really know what to do, we've really only ever had one this bad once before and my Grandmere called the doctor."
"So, let's call the doctor."
"I don't know which one she called, and we can't exactly just call anyone, seeing as we're breaking the law."
"Then what should we do?" Jack asked, now sharing her terror for the young soldier.
"Well, I watched what the doctor did, but I'll need your help."
"Just tell me what to do."
"Ok, ok..." she tapped her fingers nervously, "first we need to pull out the metal, but I don't think I'm strong enough."
"I'll do it."
"You have to pull it straight out, so it doesn't cut anything else on the way out. I'm going to put some chloroform over his mouth so he won't wake up, because I wouldn't be able to hold him down." She moved quickly to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of liquid and poured some into a clean white cloth. Gently, she placed the cloth over the soldiers mouth and counted; one, two, three, four, five. When she reached five, she gave a firm nod, moving from the soldiers head to Jack's side.
After a deep breath, Jack gripped the piece of metal and pulled with all his might. His muscles were tense and his back strained, he couldn't imagine the amount of force needed to wedge something into a person so tightly. Finally he managed to pull it free, and it seemed to be all in one piece. Klara was right behind him, trying to stop the bleeding with pressure.
With a needle, she began to stitch up the wound, slowly. Her stitches were delicate and small and she worked with her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth, evidence of her concentration. She instructed Jack to keep holding a rag tightly on the open part of the wound. He obeyed, putting all of his effort into the care of the young soldier, who couldn't have been more than eighteen years old. Klara worked tirelessly, each stitch as perfect as the last, her eyebrows knitted with concern and fear.
After more than an hour, they finished, wiping the perspiration from her forhead Klara spat out more instructions. "We'll need to go find Grandmere tomorrow and find out what doctor to call, there may be internal bleeding, though, I don't think it nicked anything inside. If he does though, I can't do anything about it. Hopefully he'll make it through the night, we'll have to keep careful watch over him. We also have to go to the butchers and tell him that his run date will have to be moved back, he won't be ready in two days."
All Jack could do was nod, amazed at how sure of herself she was. "I'll go make us some dinner." he whispered.
"There should be plenty in the freezer..."
"I'll just use the pork I had on my eye." he smiled, watching a soft laugh gurgle up from her mouth. She turned back to her patient, rubbing ointment into the wound she had just stitched. He made them a simple dinner that lacked flavor, he was a lot of things but a cook wasn't one of them. Klara insisted on sitting with the soldier all evening, leaving Jack to read his book and shine his shoes. In only a few days time he would have to go back to work with all the prejudiced jerks he dealt with every day, he had so enjoyed being away from them.
"Klara?" his voice was quiet as he crept down the stairs, not wanting to disturb anyone, but also not wanting to startle her. He found her in the corner, her head drooping elegantly to one side, her breath coming slow and steady. A smile grew on his lips, but he didn't notice it himself. Quietly, he lifted her from the chair, she curled into his strong arms a murmur leaving her lips. He hauled her back upstairs, his breath quickening as he reached the top of the third staircase. She looked peaceful as he opened the door to her bedroom, the smell of wild flowers wafting over his nose. He laid her down, pulling the covers up around her petite frame.
After tucking her in, he pulled the door closed behind him and darted back down the steps. He made a fresh pot of coffee and filled a large close to the brim, adding two heaping spoons of sugar and a bit of cream. He walked back down to the basement and checked the soldiers side, figuring Klara had been keeping an eye on it and that he must still be ok. Tonight, he would be the one to stay up with a wounded soldier, so Klara could get some much needed sleep.
Chapter 6
"Klara, Grandmere, I'm back!" Jack called, dropping a bag from his shoulder before shutting the door.
"We're in the kitchen." Grandmere called.
Jack smiled, walking casually upstairs to his room. He liked coming home to a house full of people, well, maybe it wasn't full, but it sure was better than a cold bunk bed and stale crackers. Grandmere and Klara were great company, especially after dealing with all the letters detailing surveillance of where Jews and Allied soldiers could be found. He tried to slip as many as he could into the trash can, but when it was all said and done, he had to submit some for further investigation or risk being caught. Somehow Grandmere and Klara took his mind off the horrible things he did in the German office.
"How was your first day back?" Klara asked, looking up from the carrot she was peeling.
"Well, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good." he sighed, picking up a potato and knife. "The note in my lunch pail was a good touch, even though they couldn't read it, all the guys were whistling when I pulled it out.
"What note?" Klara questioned, confusion scrunching her forehead.
"I put it in!" Grandmere chuckled. "Klara dear, you have a lot to learn about being a newly wed, you have to exude romance, even when packing his lunch."
"Well, if I were in love with him, I'm sure I'd have an easier time, it wouldn't require so much thought."
"It was very convincing. Oh, I forgot, I brought something home with me today." Jack stood and retrieved the sack in the hall, plopping it on the cleared end of the table.
Klara had an anxious look on her face as she dug into the canvas bag. She reminded him of his younger sisters, opening a gift on Saint Nikolas day. When her eyes finally looked into the bag, her look of anticipation turned into a confused wrinkle. "You brought us...German uniforms?" Klara said, her voice thick with misunderstanding.
"Yea, they were in the mending basket, which means they get thrown away. I thought you could put them on your runners. That way, if you ever did get searched while you had men in the basement, you could put the uniforms on them and make it look like you were helping German soldiers, which would keep all of you safe."
"Why would a German officer need help in occupied territory, surely they'd still find it suspicious. And I really doubt that any of our soldiers would even agree to put on an S.S. uniform." Klara said matter of factly.
"It's brilliant Jack! Don't listen to her. It may not fool the German officers, but we'll have a better chance than them sitting down in the basement in Allied uniforms. Surely they'd put them on to save their own lives, and ours. Thank you Jack, this could save lives."
Klara sighed, pulling a uniform out of the bag, staring at it for some unrevealed answer. She turned it over in her hands, fingering the small hole in the breast pocket. Her lips were pursed and pulled to one side, her eyes twitching back and forth. Finally she began to speak, slowly. "This might work, Grandmere's right, it could save some lives, including our own, good thinking!"
; "I'm glad to be doing something to save lives, what with how many I destroy each day." he sighed, collapsing into a chair, raking a hand through his hair, leaving it messy and disheveled.
"What are you talking about? You work in an office." Klara asked, going back to her carrot.
"What do you think we do in that office Klara? Everyday I receive intelligence about hiding places all over France and Germany. Hiding places of Jews and Allied soldiers, just like the ones in your basement. I can't destroy every piece of intelligence that crosses my desk, it would be too suspicious, I'd risk you, Grandmere, and myself. I try to pass on the least possible hide outs, but even those could have innocent people hiding in them, and when my fellow soldiers kill them, whose fault is that."
"Not yours." Klara said earnestly. "You have to do your job, to protect your own life, the life of your family, and now our lives. You are a hero to those you save by throwing away intelligence."
"I just wish I could do more..."
"The only way to do more would be to desert and join the Allied forces, and that would be much more likely to get you killed. Besides, what would we do without you here? And what would become of all those families that live in the houses that would be searched if you did not burn the details?"
"Thanks Klara." he smiled. "Do you need any help with dinner?"
"Not really, but we might take you up on the offer another day." she smiled, dumping the carrots into the bubbling pot.
Jack managed a smile and headed upstairs, deciding to take a shower before dinner. He felt like he wreaked of smoke and alcohol, the men in his office did nothing but sit and smoke and drink as they worked, something no one else seemed to have a problem with. If only he had been living in England when the war had started, he could have easily run from the draft. It was unbelievable to him that the Germans were following Hitler so blindly, mass murdering men women and children for no reason other than following orders. They had already ruined their lives, why did they have to take them too?
