Page 24 of The Tattooist of Auschwitz
He staggers to his feet. ‘I was feeling sick, but I’m OK now.’
‘Maybe you should see a doctor. You know we have several at Auschwitz.’
‘No, thanks, I’d rather ask you to shoot me.’
Baretski withdraws his pistol from its holster. ‘If this is where you want to die, Tätowierer, I would be happy to oblige.’
‘I’m sure you would, but not today,’ Lale says. ‘I take it we’ve got work to do?’
Baretski holsters his gun. ‘Auschwitz,’ he says, as he begins walking. ‘And take that blanket back to where you found it. You look ridiculous.’
•
Lale and Leon spend the morning at Auschwitz, tattooing numbers on frightened newcomers and attempting to soften the shock of it. But Lale’s mind is on Gita and several times he presses too hard.
In the afternoon, when the job is finished, Lale half walks, half runs back to Birkenau. He meets Dana near the entrance to Block 29 and gives her all his rations from breakfast.
‘We made a bed for her out of clothing,’ Dana says as she folds the food into makeshift shirt cuffs, ‘and we fed her water from pieces of snow. We took her back to the block this afternoon, but she’s still in a really bad way.’
Lale squeezes Dana’s hand. ‘Thank you. Try and get some food into her. I’ll have medicine tomorrow.’
He departs, his mind a whirlpool.I barely know Gita, yet how can I live if she does not?
That night, sleep evades him.
The next morning, Victor places medicine, along with food, into Lale’s bag.
That afternoon, he is able to get it to Dana.
•
In the evening, Dana and Ivana sit beside a now fully unconscious Gita. The pull of typhus is stronger than they are; the black stillness has completely overtaken her. They talk to her but she gives no sign that she hears them. From a small vial, Dana places several drops of liquid into Gita’s mouth as Ivana holds it open.
‘I don’t think I can keep carrying her to the Canada,’ an exhausted Ivana says.
‘She will get better,’ Dana insists. ‘Just a few more days.’
‘Where did Lale get the medicine from?’
‘We don’t need to know. Just be grateful that he did.’
‘Do you think it’s too late?’
‘I don’t know, Ivana. Let’s just hold her tight and get her through the night.’
•
The next morning, Lale watches from a distance as Gita is once again carried towards the Canada. He sees her attempt to raise her head on a couple of occasions, and is overjoyed at the sight. He now needs to seek out Baretski.
The main SS officers’ quarters are at Auschwitz. There is just a small building for them at Birkenau, and it is there that Lale goes in the hope of catching Baretski as he is coming or going. He appears after several hours, and seems surprised to see Lale waiting for him.
‘Not enough work for you, eh?’ Baretski asks.
‘I have a favour to ask,’ Lale blurts out.
Baretski narrows his eyes. ‘I won’t do any more favours.’
‘Maybe one day I can do something for you.’
