Page 56 of All We Thought We Knew
“No,” Gunther said, too quickly and too loudly. He composed himself before saying, “What I mean is, I came to America to study medicine. That is still my wish.”
“I’m glad to hear that. While I can’t offer you the same type of internship you would have received in New York, I believe you can be useful in the dispensary. Soldiers with minor ailments and such are treated there rather than taking up beds in the hospital. Major Gridley oversees the unit. He’s a fine man. I’m sure he would welcome the help.”
Gunther sat speechless.
He wasn’t being deported. He wasn’t even being punished for acting irrationally and putting the patient in danger. He would be allowed to work in a medical clinic. Not as an orderly, simply there to lift patients or clean up messes, but to be of use to the ill and injured.
For the first time since his arrest, Gunther felt as though someone cared about him as a human being. If people like ColonelFoster and Mrs. Delaney could see him as the man he was and not some foreign enemy alien, then perhaps others could too.
“Thank you,” he finally said. “I appreciate your willingness to trust me.”
The colonel stood. Gunther and Mrs. Delaney rose too.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Schneider. I’ll look forward to hearing a good report from Major Gridley in the coming days.”
He offered his hand once again, and Gunther accepted it with a new respect for the man. He turned and followed Mrs. Delaney from the office. His ever-present guard sat on the corner of a desk and flirted with the young woman seated behind it. When he saw Gunther, he leaned down and whispered something to her, causing her to giggle.
Gunther turned to Mrs. Delaney.
“How can I ever thank you for this?” he said, dumbfounded how things had worked out. “I thought for certain I would be sent back to Germany.”
Her hazel eyes shone. “I simply told Colonel Foster what I saw that day. It’s something I’ll never forget. You should be allowed to continue your studies and become a doctor. You have a gift from God that shouldn’t go to waste.”
“Let’s go, Schneider,” the guard called. Gunther turned to find the armed man near the door.
When he faced Mrs. Delaney again, he lowered his voice. “You have given me hope. And for that, I will be forever grateful.”
With her warm smile tucked away in his memory, Gunther followed the guard outside.
He didn’t even mind that it was snowing.
SEVENTEEN:MATTIE
DELANEY HORSE FARM
NOVEMBER 1969
I awoke the morning after Thanksgiving to bright sunshine streaming through the lacey curtains of my bedroom, providing a bit of warmth to the otherwise chilly air. It was half past nine, much later than I’d intended to sleep. Unlike most mornings, I couldn’t recall having any dreams during the night. The strange images usually kept me tossing and turning, making me groggy, but today I felt rested.
While I showered, I heard the telephone ring downstairs. By the time I dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, ready to start the day, an unfamiliar female voice came from Mama’s room. I crept across the hall and found Dad chatting with a woman I didn’t recognize. A glance toward the bed told me Mama slept through it.
“Mattie, this is LuAnn Bradford,” Dad said when he spottedme. “She is a nurse. Dr. Monahan thought it best if we had someone come help a little every day.”
Although this news caught me off guard, I nodded politely. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”
The older woman smiled kindly. “It’s good to see you again, Mattie. You probably don’t remember me, but I worked in Dr. Monahan’s office when you were a little girl. My family and I moved to St. Louis some years ago, but now we’re back in Tullahoma. I’m what they call ahome nursenow. I make house calls, like in the olden days.”
I nodded again, but I wondered why we suddenly needed a nurse. Dr. Monahan visited Mama last week, but I hadn’t heard him mention it. Was there something he wasn’t telling us about her condition?
The nurse moved to Mama’s bedside. “Your father says you’re doing a fine job taking care of your mother,” she said to me, then focused on Mama. “She looks good, considering all that’s going on inside.”
While she gently lifted Mama’s hand to take her pulse, I glanced at Dad, but his attention was on the nurse’s actions. It surprised me to hear that he’d sung my praises to the woman. He certainly never voiced his approval to me.
After listening to Mama’s heart, chest, and stomach with a stethoscope, LuAnn returned to where Dad and I waited in silence.
“I was telling your father that Dr. Monahan suggested I visit each morning and assist with bathroom and bathing needs, and generally relieve some of the burden you both have been carrying. I don’t live far from here, so it’s not a problem.”
“Why didn’t Dr. Monahan tell us about this when he was here?” I asked. “Mama sleeps a lot and hasn’t been very hungry lately, but I haven’t noticed any big change.”
