635798

I waited three days before I went back to the clinic. 635798 needed to let out some steam and I knew she didn't want to see me right away. This was my second time messing up. The first time was telling about the gas chambers. I could’ve kept that a secret. My second time was with Lenz. I could’ve stopped him from raping 635798. What if I was out after the third time?

The friendship between Lenz and I had been off. We’ve never got into a fight before, let alone a physical one. Ever since that night at the clinic, Lenz was suspicious of my actions. I knew he sensed I’ve made a friendship with a Jew. His eyes followed me whenever I went up to one. He was going to keep his suspicions a secret though. He knew I would tell Gretel he had sex with a Jew and he didn’t want her finding that out.

I fanned myself with my cap as I walked through the hot camp. I was sweating bullets and I had a feeling there might’ve been stains in the armpits of my uniform. Why they made us wear these in this weather was beyond me. Surprisingly, no one was getting a heatstroke.

Lie. The prisoners were. Chaya was getting worse by the day. I watched her try to work every day at Buna. Her face was badly burnt and her head hung low. She dragged her feet along the dirt whenever she walked. She no longer picked up her tools; she dragged them too. The older prisoners stopped her from working. As they did her work, she hid herself in a tiny house she made with logs. 635798 had to heal soon. It was going to be a matter of time before Chaya dropped dead.

The clinic door closed with a click. It was just as hot in here as it was outside. Nurses looked up at me for a second and then went back to work. I trudged along the hall, my boots booming against the floor.

635798’s door was ajar. She was sitting upright in bed as she ate what seemed like soup. The Jewish nurse was attending to her ankle. 635798’s swollen eyes and lips were healing fast. I smiled. At least something good was going for her.

The nurse noticed me. “Can I help you?”

635798 looked over in my direction. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked away.

“I need to talk to her privately.” I jerked my head towards 635798.

The nurse looked at her, then back at me. “I don’t know. She may not be ready after the other night’s fiasco.”

I held my hands up in surrender. “Please?”

The nurse sighed. She and 635798 made eye contact. Tears formed in 635798’s eyes. The nurse put a hand on her cheek before leaving the two of us alone.

I sat down on the other side of 635798’s bed. Her eyes stayed on her soup, but she didn’t eat it.

“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked, looking at her bony wrists.

I received no reply.

“At least I gave you time to let off some steam, right?”

635798 glared at me, almost as if she was in disbelief.

I raise an eyebrow at her. “What?”

635798 put her soup down on the nightstand next to her bed. Suddenly, she was kneeling in front of me, despite her broken ankle. She pushed my chest hard, grunting along the way. I jerked back a little. For someone so weak-looking, 635798 was strong. Very strong. She punched my chest continuously. Pain formed each time. I didn’t stop her though. Obviously she needed this after being cooped up in this hellhole for so long. And, after all, I deserved it.

635798 kneeled back. A glare was still on her face as she took in heavy breaths. Her hands curled into tight fists.

“You’re not done,” I said. I leaned forward. “Go ‘head. Punch me across the face.”

635798 raised an eyebrow at me.

“I’m not testing you.”

With that, 635798’s fist collided with my cheek. I felt a red spot form immediately.

“Better?” I asked.

635798 took in a deep breath before collapsing in my arms. I hugged her closer, pulling her body onto my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. I rubbed her back, hoping I wasn’t hurting the wounds she had there.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

635798 wrapped tighter. She buried her face in my neck and grabbed a fistful of my hair.

“I won’t let that happen again,” I said. “I promise.”

“We need to start practicing your walking, Tzi – Oh my God.”

635798 and I jumped. My mouth dropped at the sight of the nurse. Her mouth was agape too.

“Wha… What are you two doing?” she asked.

635798 gave me worried eyes.

“Are… Are you two… together?” The nurse covered her agape mouth with her hands.

I stayed silent.

“I have to tell someone!” the nurse exclaimed. She started to turn away.

“NO!” 635798 jumped at my volume. “Don’t. Please.”

“But-”

“No. Not only will I be killed, but so would Six. You would most likely be killed, too, for letting this happen this one time,” I said quickly.

635798 started trembling.

The nurse stood in silence, considering what I just told her. After a minute, she sighed and said, “Fine. But they want her back to work in two days. She needs to practice walking on that foot.”

“Got it,” I said.

The nurse stared at the two of us for a second but finally left.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. 635798 hugged herself closer to me. Her trembling body made mine shake, and her tears wet the nape of my neck.

“It’ll be okay,” I whispered. I held 6357986 at arm’s length. I wiped away the tears that gathered under her eye and chin. “It’ll all be okay. That nurse won’t say anything.”

635798 gulped and looked at the doorway.

“Let’s start practicing,” I said.

I stood the two of us up, holding 635798 in front of me. She winced loudly as weight was put on her broken ankle. She lifted it up. Her chocolate brown eyes found mine. They were gathering tears again.

“I know it hurts but you’re going to have to get used to it,” I said. “They’re not going to extend your stay here.”

635798 put her foot down reluctantly. She winced. I held her by the waist as I forced her to take steps forward. A cry slipped through her lips every time she put weight on her ankle. How did they expect her to work with that?

“C’mon. Just a few more steps,” I said.

635798 kept doing it. The winces became quiet. Finally, they stopped. 635798 was biting her bottom lip in order to prevent herself from making any noise. She got that she had to get used to this. She knew she had to hide her pain in order to survive out there.

“Alright. This is hurting you too much. Break time,” I said.
I walked her back to her spot on the bed. She sat down without hesitation. I sat next to her and looked at the doorway. Nurses weren’t passing us. In fact, most of them were in the lobby from what I heard. 635798 followed my gaze. She sighed heavily and then leaned against me. I looked at the clock across the room. It was one in the afternoon. I had to stand guard at one of the barracks in five minutes.

“I need to get going, Six,” I said. “Guard duty soon.”

635798 squeezed my right hand. She wouldn’t let go even when I tried to stand up. I was pulled down on the bed again. When I opened my mouth to say something, it was forcefully closed. It took me a second to realize 635798’s mouth was on top of mine. I stopped breathing.

635798 pulled away. She was biting her lip, but smiling at the same time. I smiled back. This time I was the one who closed the space between us. A shiver ran down my spine. I slid my lips to 635798’s forehead and lingered there.

Someone cleared their throat at the doorway.

I jumped and looked over. The Jewish nurse glared at us, her arms crossed.

“Sorry to ruin your fun,” she said. “The patient needs rest now.”

I pecked 635798’s lips as a goodbye. The nurse’s hard glare followed me as I walked to the lobby. She met me in there.

“So you are together,” she whispered, making sure none of the other nurses heard her.

I didn’t respond.

“You probably killed Yitzchak too. Oh boy. Wait ‘til I tell someone about this!” the nurse nearly exclaimed.

I grabbed her arm and held it tightly. She winced. “You’ll do no such thing. You’ll pretend you never saw what happened.”

“But I have to tell someone! She’s doing something wrong!”

“Do you not realize she’s a prisoner just like you?” I spat. “Picture if you two traded places. You wouldn’t want her telling someone your secret.”

“It’s my job as a Kapos to rat out wrongdoers,” the nurse said. She made eye contact with another nurse. “Katrina, I have something to tell you!”

“Jesus Christ. You Kapos really are worse than some Nazis,” I muttered. I took out my handgun and pointed it at the nurse’s head.

“Katrina! That Jew with the broken ankle is-”

I pulled the trigger. Nurses screamed at the eruption of my gun. Blood spewed onto my arm. I let go of the Jewish nurse and watched her body fall to the floor. Every nurse had her mouth agape. I sucked in a breath and walked out of the clinic, their gazes following me.

My hands began to shake so I clumsily put my handgun back through my belt.