635798

“Hello Lenz!” Gretel waltzed her way over to our table. I looked down at my barely touched food. “How are you?”

“I’m great!” Lenz exclaimed. He dragged Gretel onto his lap while kissing her. “Thanks for getting me over here. Better than Treblinka. The prisoners are easier to torture here.”

My breath hitched and everyone made it obvious they heard it. The fork I was holding made a loud clang as it fell to the plate. I curled my hands into fists.

“Wolfgang, are you okay?” Lenz asked.

“Just dandy,” I muttered. With a shake of my head, I picked up my fork and picked at my food once again.

“This is the Wolfgang you’ve been telling me about? Gretel asked, eyes sending daggers in my direction.

“Yeah. Why?” Lenz asked.

I suddenly felt his eyes and Vater’s looking at me. Even Jonji picked up his head.

Gretel kept staring at me, her eyes slits. “No reason.”

The last thing I needed was Gretel explaining to Lenz about the things I did here. Lenz knew I never wanted to enlist, and he wasted no time teasing me about it before he left for Treblinka. I didn’t need Vater hearing about any of my doings either. If he ever found out I killed a Kapos just to save another prisoner, I was done for.

I got up from our table. As I headed out the door, the last thing I heard was Lenz asking Vater, “What’s with him?”



I made my way into the clinic the next day. I stood in the bland hallways, clueless as to where to go. Nurses, who looked less than pleased to be here, walked passed me. A prisoner stuck her head out of her room, but quickly hid herself once we made eye contact.

I rolled my shoulders, trying to get used to not having a rifle on my back. The only things I wore were my boots, pants, and jacket. My cap was lying on my bed along with my rifle. I didn’t want to look too threatening while I was here. Having the uniform was bad enough for some of these patients.

The living conditions were better here – or so I heard. Blankets were thicker, and some even got new uniforms. Stale bread wasn’t served here. The soup was actually soup, not vegetables floating in hot water. Food rations were larger, too. What prisoners normally got in three meals, the prisoners here got in one. Let’s not forget there were actual beds here instead of hard, wooden bunks.

I began to walk down a hall, ignoring the stares I received from some nurses. Some doors were closed while others were open. There was no screaming, but there were voices. Male voices. They were coming from an open door two spots down from my right. I crept over there and stopped at the frame. The men were mumbling so I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Suddenly, one of the men came out of the room, startling me.

“Vater!” I exclaimed.

“What are you doing here, Wolfgang?” Vater asked, sounding annoyed.

“I was sent here,” I quickly lied.

Vater gave me a confused look, but didn’t push forward. Nazis didn’t usually question orders given to other Nazis.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“For a reason that doesn’t need your concern,” Vater snapped.

I held my hands up in surrender. “Sorry.” I suddenly noticed Jonji wasn’t with him. Funny. That dog usually never left his side.

Vater said, “A Kapos was killed a while ago. He brought another prisoner to and from her work.”

I gulped. I knew he was talking about Yitzchak.

“Mengele asked me to find a replacement.”

“Oh,” I whispered. The sound of that man’s name gave me an uneasy feeling. “Do you know who killed this Kapos?”

“No. But I would like to congratulate him. Without that Kapos, that means one less Jew in this world and one less Jew to worry about.” Vater walked passed me and said without looking back, “See you at dinner, Wolfgang.”

I bit my bottom lip to prevent myself from saying anything. When Vater was out of sight, I turned on my heel to peek inside the room. I stopped breathing for a second.

635798 lied on this bed. Her injured ankle sat on a pillow. Her lips were still swollen and her left eye was closed shut. Clean streaks were on her face, meaning she had been crying. Her one good eye followed a dark-haired man as he walked across the room. I squinted to get a better look at him. Arzt Mengele.

The man turned around. The two of us made eye contact. I didn’t get the chance to move away. A smile swept across Arzt Mengele’s face.

“Ah, Wolfgang!” he exclaimed.

At this, 635798’s head rapidly turned my way. Her good eye widened. I quickly put a finger to my lips, signaling to make it seem we didn’t know each other. 635798 nodded slightly. The interaction was so quick, Arzt Mengele didn’t notice it. If he actually did, he didn’t make it obvious.

“Come in!” Arzt Mengele said rather happily.

I stepped forward only so I was in the room but still against the doorframe.

“Are you this patient’s doctor?” I asked.

“Oh no, no! The nurses just needed me to check on her.” Arzt Mengele walked up to me. He said quietly, “A mighty patient is on that bed. Excellent for experiments.”

I gulped. “You actually do those?”

Arzt Mengele backed away, smiling. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” He winked and then walked out of the room.

For the next thirty minutes I stood by the doorway, watching nurses care for 635798. They set food, which 635798 always eyed suspiciously, on a nightstand. The pillow for her ankle was changed every now and then along with her blanket. Ointments were put on her face and a nurse lifted her up to put some on her back. The wounds were ghastly. Dried blood covered her back but no one bothered to wash it away. Skin peeled where the wounds started. 635798 nearly screamed as the ointments were applied. Nurses helped her lie down again before leaving the room.

No one ever questioned why I was there.

After making sure the nurses weren’t coming back any time soon, I sat on 635798’s bed at her side. She looked away from me.

“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked, avoiding the awkward situation.

No response.

I took hold of the soup – which was cold now – and held it towards her. She quickly sat up and took it. As 635798 ate, she looked down.

“Are you trying to avoid eye contact?” I asked.

635798 froze. It took her a minute to respond with a slow nod.

“Why?”

635798 shrugged and continued eating.

“I want to see your pretty face. Can I see it?”

I received a wince for a response.

I actually surprised myself saying that. Never in my life did I have the courage to tell a woman she was pretty. Yet, here I was, telling a woman in a hospital. Wrong place, wrong time? I couldn’t be sure. Like I said, I never did that before.

A tear was slipping down 635798’s face, creating another clean streak. I wiped it away. She made no reaction. She just kept staring at her cold soup.

“Why are you crying?” I asked quietly, hoping it was soothing.

More tears. 635798 put her soup back on the nightstand. She wiped her face with her hand, smearing dirt around.

I scooched closer so we were only a foot apart. I had my hand under 635798’s chin, about to tilt it up, when she smacked it away. A thought behind the reason why passed my mind.

“Your face isn’t that bad,” I said.

635798 covered it with her hands.

“I know it’s not. I saw it earlier. You’re still pretty.”

At this, 635798’s head shot up. Whatever parts of her face she was able to move, she did. A look of confusion and shock was facing me.

“It’s true.” I wiped a few stray tears. “You really are.”

Tears were welling up in 635798’s eyes again, but probably out of happiness this time. A smile – an actual smile – swept across her face. Her teeth were yellowing, but that didn’t matter. They were still straight and the smile made her face light up. I felt her hands squeeze the sides of my uniform. I inched closer. Next thing I knew, 635798’s arms were wrapped around my neck and her head was on my chest. I hugged her closer, resting my chin atop her head.

635798 looked up at me, her brown eyes – er, eye – shining. It was a light brown now. Maybe because she had been crying, but I didn’t care. Either way, it was beautiful. I was staring at a pool of melted chocolate that one might drool over.

“Wolfgang!”

635798 gasped. I knew who the voiced belonged to. Vater.

I quickly pulled away from 635798. She lied down on her bed as I regained my stance by the doorframe. By the time Vater came in, I was standing up straight, legs together and both arms at my sides. The tapping on the floor made me realize Jonji was there. I stole a glance at 635798. She was cowering against the bed. She remembered the dog perfectly well.

“Why are you still here?” Vater asked.

“Just watching,” I said quickly. Too quickly.

Vater raised an eyebrow at me. He sensed I was lying, but he didn’t push it any further.

“Come. Dinner awaits.”

“Will Lenz and Gretel be there?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

“Yes. But first we need to drop Jonji back at home.” Vater turned on his heel and walked out the room, Jonji following.

I trotted over to 635798’s bed. Without thinking, I kissed her forehead. I felt her hand wrap around my right one. I scanned her face. For some reason she had tears strolling down under her chin. I grinned a little. Surprisingly, she did too.

“I’ll be back soon, pretty lady,” I whispered.

I kissed her forehead again and left.