died.
Renate, wedged between Gisela and Audra, cried a pitiful howl until Audra held her.
Mitch shook Gisela. “Wake up.” She had to come to. “Come on now.”
He slapped her cheeks, though not hard.
She didn’t stir.
With quivering fingers, he felt for a pulse. Good and strong.
“Gisela, let’s look lively now. Come on now. Come on.”
Her eyes didn’t open, her long lashes brushing against her pale cheek. He peered at the crowd pressing on every side. “Give her air. Back up.”
But where could they go? The truck hit a pothole, jolting them. Gisela continued to sleep.
“She needs fresh air.”
Kurt whistled, quieting the throng, Mitch’s ears ringing with the shrill sound. “This woman has fainted. Now, everyone, step back so she can catch her breath.”
They did their best to obey their wounded war hero. Not a lot of extra air circulated around Gisela, but enough that her eyes flickered open. Confusion clouded them.
“Mitch? Mitch.”
He covered her mouth, hoping to cover her slip of the tongue. “Ja, Gisela, it’s your husband, Josep. Are you feeling better?”
She righted herself. “What happened?”
“Have you had much to eat?”
She shook her head. “With Herr Holtzmann’s food lost, I was trying to ration what we have left.”
“You fainted.” He dug in her rucksack, found a loaf of bread, and tore off a chunk. “Eat this.”
“I’m not hungry.” She turned her head away.
He clenched his teeth. Stubborn woman. “Suit yourself. When you faint again, I won’t try to revive you.”
She grabbed the bread and stuffed it into her mouth. After she swallowed, she grinned, a most insincere smile adorning her heart-shaped face. He returned the gesture.
Renate, Audra still holding her, patted Gisela’s arm and made an announcement. “I go potty.”
Did she mean she had to or she already had? If she went right here, both she and Audra would smell awful within minutes. And would keep smelling that way for days to come. Judging by the eye-watering odor in the truck, many had.
Mitch took a two-second survey of their surroundings. Nowhere at all for the little one to use the loo. There was only one choice.
He lifted Renate from Audra’s arms. “Take off her pants.”
Gisela leaned back and stared at him. “You want me to do what?”
“Take them off. You don’t want her going potty with them on.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Help her go.”
“Right here?”
“Not exactly.” He lifted Renate over the tailgate and held her out.
Gisela grabbed his arm and screeched. “Stop it! Stop it. Don’t throw her.”
A bubble of laughter rose in his chest. It was the kind of prank Xavier would have pulled. He’d be disappointed if Mitch didn’t play along. “How far do you want me to pitch her? I toss a mean game of cricket.”
Gisela tugged on him and he had to tighten his grip.
“I won’t drop her. I promise. Renate, go potty.”
And the child did so, while hurtling through the East Prussian countryside.
When she finished, Mitch pulled her inside and held her while Gisela dressed her. Renate laid her head on his shoulder.
He gave a short chortle. “Now wasn’t that fun, Renate? When you grow up, you will tell your children all about this.”
“My turn, my turn.” Annelies wriggled out of her own clothing and he repeated the process.
He lifted Annelies inside the truck and she pulled up her pants. Then he faced Gisela. “Is it your turn now?”
She sniffed. “I don’t think you could lift me like that.”
“I could try.”
Bettina began unbuttoning her knee-length wool coat. “I want to try. That looks like fun.”
“Nein, nein.” Gisela grabbed her hand. “That is a game only for the children. You will have to wait until we stop.”
“I want to soar. One day Sebastian took me in his plane, so high above the clouds I never wanted to come down. That is the one and only time in my life I have ever been in an aeroplane. He can lift me out of
Renate, wedged between Gisela and Audra, cried a pitiful howl until Audra held her.
Mitch shook Gisela. “Wake up.” She had to come to. “Come on now.”
He slapped her cheeks, though not hard.
She didn’t stir.
With quivering fingers, he felt for a pulse. Good and strong.
“Gisela, let’s look lively now. Come on now. Come on.”
Her eyes didn’t open, her long lashes brushing against her pale cheek. He peered at the crowd pressing on every side. “Give her air. Back up.”
But where could they go? The truck hit a pothole, jolting them. Gisela continued to sleep.
“She needs fresh air.”
Kurt whistled, quieting the throng, Mitch’s ears ringing with the shrill sound. “This woman has fainted. Now, everyone, step back so she can catch her breath.”
They did their best to obey their wounded war hero. Not a lot of extra air circulated around Gisela, but enough that her eyes flickered open. Confusion clouded them.
“Mitch? Mitch.”
He covered her mouth, hoping to cover her slip of the tongue. “Ja, Gisela, it’s your husband, Josep. Are you feeling better?”
She righted herself. “What happened?”
“Have you had much to eat?”
She shook her head. “With Herr Holtzmann’s food lost, I was trying to ration what we have left.”
“You fainted.” He dug in her rucksack, found a loaf of bread, and tore off a chunk. “Eat this.”
“I’m not hungry.” She turned her head away.
He clenched his teeth. Stubborn woman. “Suit yourself. When you faint again, I won’t try to revive you.”
She grabbed the bread and stuffed it into her mouth. After she swallowed, she grinned, a most insincere smile adorning her heart-shaped face. He returned the gesture.
Renate, Audra still holding her, patted Gisela’s arm and made an announcement. “I go potty.”
Did she mean she had to or she already had? If she went right here, both she and Audra would smell awful within minutes. And would keep smelling that way for days to come. Judging by the eye-watering odor in the truck, many had.
Mitch took a two-second survey of their surroundings. Nowhere at all for the little one to use the loo. There was only one choice.
He lifted Renate from Audra’s arms. “Take off her pants.”
Gisela leaned back and stared at him. “You want me to do what?”
“Take them off. You don’t want her going potty with them on.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Help her go.”
“Right here?”
“Not exactly.” He lifted Renate over the tailgate and held her out.
Gisela grabbed his arm and screeched. “Stop it! Stop it. Don’t throw her.”
A bubble of laughter rose in his chest. It was the kind of prank Xavier would have pulled. He’d be disappointed if Mitch didn’t play along. “How far do you want me to pitch her? I toss a mean game of cricket.”
Gisela tugged on him and he had to tighten his grip.
“I won’t drop her. I promise. Renate, go potty.”
And the child did so, while hurtling through the East Prussian countryside.
When she finished, Mitch pulled her inside and held her while Gisela dressed her. Renate laid her head on his shoulder.
He gave a short chortle. “Now wasn’t that fun, Renate? When you grow up, you will tell your children all about this.”
“My turn, my turn.” Annelies wriggled out of her own clothing and he repeated the process.
He lifted Annelies inside the truck and she pulled up her pants. Then he faced Gisela. “Is it your turn now?”
She sniffed. “I don’t think you could lift me like that.”
“I could try.”
Bettina began unbuttoning her knee-length wool coat. “I want to try. That looks like fun.”
“Nein, nein.” Gisela grabbed her hand. “That is a game only for the children. You will have to wait until we stop.”
“I want to soar. One day Sebastian took me in his plane, so high above the clouds I never wanted to come down. That is the one and only time in my life I have ever been in an aeroplane. He can lift me out of
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