Page 97 of All We Thought We Knew
“What do you mean? Who said you shouldn’t love him?”
She rubbed her temple, grimacing. “My head hurts again.”
“Mama,” I said, urgency in my voice. I reached for her hand, drawing her attention back to me. “Why weren’t you supposed to love him?”
The question seemed to draw her back to the present. “I never told anyone. Only Gertrude knew, but she promised to keep our secret.”
“What secret, Mama?”
“We kept it from you and Mark to protect you.”
My mouth went dry, and icy fingers of fear gripped my thundering heart. “Mama, what secret?”
She closed her eyes for a long moment before she met my gaze.
“Your father was a German prisoner at Camp Forrest,” she whispered. “His name is Gunther Schneider.”
TWENTY-NINE:GUNTHER
FORT LINCOLN, NORTH DAKOTA
JUNE 1944
Gunther found Dr. Sonnenberg reading a book in the foyer of the dormitory, waiting for him when he returned from a long day at the hospital.
“You look tired,” his mentor said as he placed a scrap of paper between the pages to keep his place. When he closed the cover, Gunther saw it was a copy of Mark Twain’sThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Residents of Bismarck had generously donated books to create a small library for the internees, many classics among them. With nothing beyond dreary weather, barren landscape, and long boring hours to look forward to day after day, an escape through a good book was much appreciated.
Gunther dropped onto an empty chair. “Dr. Ludwig had mecleaning bedpans and mopping floors again today rather than helping with patients.”
Sympathy showed on the older man’s face. “I’m sorry. You suffer because of your friendship with me.”
Outrage washed over Gunther. “It is ridiculous that McCoy gave in to the Schlageter’s demands and removed you from the hospital. You are far more qualified than a man who made his living tending to drunken sailors on an oil tanker.”
Dr. Sonnenberg gave Gunther a patient look. “Now, now. Accidents and illnesses arise on ships when they’re out to sea, same as on land. Having a doctor onboard could mean the difference between life and death.”
Gunther scoffed. “From what I’ve seen, I’d take my chances rather than have Dr. Ludwig attend me. The man is a clown. He nearly broke the X-ray machine today. One of the levers was jammed, and he beat it with a hammer. Thankfully Nurse Roe intervened before the machine was destroyed.”
“Dr. Lipp will not be pleased when he hears about this.”
Gunther shook his head. “He’s as frustrated as the rest of us with Dr. Ludwig’s antics, but McCoy won’t listen. I think he fears more what the Schlageter will do if they don’t get their way than the complaints against their doctor.”
Dr. Sonnenberg looked thoughtful. “I don’t believe Mr. McCoy is afraid of the Schlageter, but I do believe he will go to any length to keep peace in camp. He’s in a precarious position if you think about it. We aren’t prisoners of war, and while the regulations set by the Geneva Convention do pertain to us, they weren’t specifically written for our situation. Most of us are not American citizens, so the rights stated in the Declaration of Independence don’t apply either. Although, as we’ve seen with Japanese American internees, the government has treated them as badly as they’ve treated us.” He looked at Gunther. “I’m Jewish, and the Schlageter hate Jews. Neither of those facts are going to change.”
“That may be true,” Gunther said, “but the behavior of those men only gets worse when McCoy gives in to their demands.”
As the sun disappeared below the horizon, they made their way to the mess hall for dinner. Delicious aromas and noise met them when they entered. Most of the men had already eaten but remained in the great room to socialize. Gunther had to admit one positive thing about Fort Lincoln was the food. Unlike at Camp Forrest, where they ate the same American fare as the soldiers, Mr. McCoy had assigned German cooks to prepare food for the internees. They enjoyed authentic German dishes likeSchnitzelwith mushroom gravy,Spätzle, andApfelkuchenfor dessert. It made him long forMutter’s cooking.
His mind was still on her when they carried their trays to an empty table near the back of the crowded room.
“You look troubled,” Dr. Sonnenberg said.
Gunther noticed his friend’s plate held only vegetables, and he remembered their discussion about Jewish practices regarding food and food preparation. Dr. Sonnenberg did the best he could to keep to his traditions without starving.
“I was thinking aboutMutter. I haven’t heard from her since I arrived at Fort Lincoln.” He lowered his voice so only his friend could hear. “With everything going on in Germany, I worry.”
Dr. Sonnenberg gave a solemn nod. “I too have loved ones I am concerned for. The last I knew, my brother and his family were safe in Switzerland, but I do not know about my sister’s family. No one has heard from them since the war began.”
They discussed the latest news from Europe as they ate. Near the end of their meal, loud voices rose from across the room.
