With the help of people who spoke English, the soldier in charge explained to the liberated prisoners that they were going to bring food from the nearby town as soon as possible and would also organize proper accommodations, but this could take some time.
Nobody moaned or complained, because the elation over being liberated ran high in everyone. Rachel stood next to the young American who was holding little Mindel. It broke her heart to see the specter-thin body fighting against the deadly disease. As much as she understood that the Americans couldn’t do magic, she feared that waiting by the train with the others until proper accommodations were organized could cost Mindel’s life.
Together with a woman who spoke English, she approached the officer in charge.
“Please, my sister needs a doctor.”
The officer cast a single glance at Mindel and then yelled to one of his men, “Get this girl to the next hospital right away.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of it.” A younger soldier turned to her. “Miss, if you could come with me, we’ll take your sister to the hospital.”
Rachel nodded and followed him to one of the jeeps that had come after the tanks. “Where are we?”
“Hillersleben.”
She’d never heard that name and must have looked confused, because he added, “Our next field hospital is in Magdeburg, about fifteen miles from here.”
In the field hospital the doctors and medics did everything they could for Mindel, but she wouldn’t wake. Since their liberation four days prior she’d been in a deep slumber the doctors called a coma and for two more days the fever spiked. Rachel grew increasingly desperate when her little sister kept sleeping even after the fever finally broke on day three.
She rarely left Mindel’s bedside, even though the doctors insisted she must rest. One of the medics only got her to go to the delousing procedure by promising her to watch over Mindel himself.
By day four nobody would give a single cent for Mindel’s life, but Rachel stubbornly refused to believe her little darling wouldn’t wake up anymore. She faked a certitude she didn’t possess, and only when everyone was asleep at night, did she allow her tears to flow.
She cried for the beautiful little girl lying in the bed who had watched her entire life explode into a thousand disjointed pieces. It wasn’t fair that things would end this way. Mindel had her entire life ahead of her and now…
Rachel dropped her head to the bedside, soaking the sheets with her tears. Mindel had been her sole reason to keep going this last year. If she died, Rachel didn’t want to be alive either.
31
Everything was soft and plush. Mindel gingerly moved her fingers across what felt like linen sheets, not a scratchy mattress. She held still for a moment, afraid to open her eyes and destroy the beautiful dream.
It was surprisingly quiet and she missed the constant coughing, burping, moaning, whimpering that had been with her every minute of every night since she’d first arrived at the camp. Something was entirely wrong.
Was this how it felt to be in heaven? Curious, she tried to open her eyes, which wasn’t an easy task. She blinked several times, but it still took a while until the whitish fog cleared from her vision and she finally saw her surroundings.
Now she was sure she’d died, because all the men wore white coats, the beds were covered with white sheets and when she moved her head she felt the plush pillow beneath.
She must have missed her own death and had woken up as an angel. More curious than scared, she lifted the blanket to look beneath and yes, she wore a white nightdress just like the angels did. But much to her disappointment she couldn’t find her wings peeking out from under her shoulders, not even when she rolled onto her side.
They must not have given me wings, because I was asleep. A surge of panic bolted through her body, as she considered the idea that she’d overslept the distribution of wings and would now forever be an angel without the ability to fly.
A white-coated man approaching her with a big smile. “Welcome back. You had us all very worried, young lady.”
“Where am I?” Mindel asked with a cracked voice.
“In a field hospital.”
Mindel took a moment to consider his answer and then asked for clarification, “Where are my wings?”
“I wouldn’t know about that.” The man looked somehow confused.
She scrunched up her nose; how come he couldn’t answer such a simple question? Wasn’t he the one in charge of this thing? She tried again: “Am I dead?”
Now he smiled kindly. “No, you’re very much alive, although we were very worried about you.
“Oh.” Mindel wasn’t sure how she liked being back on earth, but since the man seemed willing to satisfy her curiosity, she pressed for more answers. “Are you going to send me back to the camp?”
He shook his head. “No, sweetie. The war is all but over. There are no more camps. You’ll never have to return.”
“Really?” She couldn’t believe her ears. “You promise?”
“Pinkie promise,” he said holding up his little finger and wrapping it around hers. “And now I want to examine you. Can you sit up?”
She nodded and with his help she sat upright in her soft and white bed while he took the stethoscope from around his neck, placing it in his ears. He listened to her heart and her lungs and then removed the earpieces. “Everything fine.”
Mindel decided she was done with examinations and it was time to address the really important issues. “I’m hungry and thirsty.”
The doctor chuckled and summoned a nurse. “This young lady needs some food and a glass of milk. Could you can get her something?”
“I’ll see what I can rustle up.”
Just then Mindel suddenly remembered the march from the camp to the train ramp and how she’d found her sister there.
