I crawled under the skirt of a large fir tree and spent the night. In the night I woke up shivering and then I was burning up.
At first daylight, I started west again. The forest opened up and looked like the parks I had read about. It made things a lot easier going. I could sight further ahead, so I didn’t have to check my compass as much.
I tried to jog but that wasn’t in the cards. I just kept going, putting one foot in front of the other. It seemed like I had just started and the sun was setting.
As I staggered along I realized that I was on a well-used trail. I had to get off it. I turned to go into the brush and fell down. I tried to get up but was having a problem.
I got as far as my knees and fell again. I heard someone say something but I blacked out.
When I came to I was in a bed, opening my eyes I realized it was a hospital bed. All that to end up captured. At least I had tried. I wondered what was next.
What was next was Mum coming into the room followed by Dad. I did a double-take, yes it was my parents.
Mum came over and hugged me. That is when I found out that I had an IV in my arm. Her avoiding it was what brought it to my attention.
“We have been so worried ever since we heard that your plane went down due to bad fuel in East Germany. They were searching all over for you. Why did you leave the plane?”
Whoa!
“I didn’t have bad fuel, a Mig jet was trying to force me to land at an airport. I didn’t want to be a captive so I deliberately landed and ran.”
“That’s not what the East Germans are reporting.”
“What can I say? I know the fuel wasn’t bad. They certainly were hunting me. They had troops with dogs after me.”
“Another thing Rick, how did you get shot?”
I told them about coming across the poacher and the outcome. It didn’t seem to bother either of them that I killed him.
“That hasn’t been mentioned anywhere. The body hasn’t been found or they are suppressing it.”
“After I saw that guy at the Glienicke Bridge I was not going to be captured. How did I get here anyway?”
“A couple of hikers found you and called the police.”
“I mean how did I get into West Germany.”
“You were ten miles inside the border when they found you. You were pretty much out of it. We have been concerned about you for the last two days.”
“Two days?”
“You have been unconscious for the last two days. They loaded you up with penicillin to fight the infection.”
Looking up at the glass bottle flowing into the IV in my arm I asked, “What's in the bottle?”
“It is a glucose solution, you needed nourishment.”
“Oh.”
The next thing I knew I was waking up and Mum was in a chair by the bed. I asked how long I had been out, it had been for another eight hours. I was more clear-headed than I was earlier.
A nurse came in and checked me out and left with a cheerful, “He’ll live.”
Mum told me that the West German government and the Crown wanted to interview me on what had happened. It wouldn’t be until I was discharged from the hospital.
The nurse came back with a doctor. After examining me he told her to remove the IV. I could eat some food.
I was hungry so I was looking forward to a meal. Imagine my disappointment when a cup of chicken soup was brought in along with a gelatin dessert. It was green and wiggled, the only good thing you could say about it.
I tried to sleep but I must have been getting better, I woke up during the night every time a nurse came into the room. Then there was the early morning routine.
One good thing was that my bodily functions were working. Based on that the Doctor told me I could be released later in the day.
Mum and Dad were there when I was released, it was a good thing as it seemed like half the German government was there with questions.
We were led to a conference room in the hospital. I was still in a wheelchair as I had not left the grounds yet.
Dad took charge of the ground rules.
“Rick will tell you his story. Take notes of any questions you may have, and wait until he finishes to ask them.”
No one had issues with that approach.
I told my story starting with the spy exchange. I left nothing out, including where I got shot and killed the poacher.
There wasn’t any way out of telling them I killed a guy, as I had to explain the gunshot wound. One guy started to ask a question but Dad shut him down.
“Make notes of later questions, any more interruptions and we are done.”
I had never seen Dad come across so strong before.
I finished up and then the questions started. I was taken through the whole sequence at least twice more. They were polite but thorough. I was so glad my parents were here, I don’t know what it would have been like without them.
Finally, the questions died down to nothing. Dad wheeled me out to the door of the hospital where I was allowed to get up and walk. I was a little shaky but could do it on my own.
We were driven to a small airport where a chartered plane waited for us. We flew back to London. From there we went to
