“But we have to find out,” he said.
“What can we do?
We believe a certain method may be the cure, but how can we tell until we have tried it? “
He talked to me, also, about the political situation.
“I can only hope that this does not involve us in war. People do not realize the horrors of war … of soldiers in some foreign battlefield without hospitals, without medical attention, doctors … nurses ..”
I said: “I have had a glimpse into one of those hospitals in London.
It was a horrifying experience. “
“Then you can imagine something a thousand times worse.”
“People everywhere must find a way of changing that.”
He looked at me with something like the admiration I had seen in his eyes when he had watched Henrietta singing Early One Morning.
“Something will be done. It is comforting to know that there are people like you in the world.”
“You overestimate me.”
“I don’t think so,” he said.
I could not help feeling a glow of pleasure; and we were joined by Henrietta and were soon laughing.
It was the end of January; the weather was a little warmer and the snow had thawed. I put on strong boots and went for a walk in the forest. Henrietta was on duty at that time and I was alone.
I came to Frau Leiben’s cottage. I wondered whether Gerda would be out on such a day. As I walked past the door opened and my name was called. I recognized Frau Leiben’s voice.
“Fraulein … Fraulein Pleydell. Come … come here … quickly.”
Hastily I went into the cottage. She took me through to a room in which was a bed. On it lay Gerda, writhing in pain.
“Please … help …” stammered’ Frau Leiben.
I went to Gerda.
“Gerda,” I said, ‘what is it? Where is the pain? “
She did not answer, but went on moaning.
I turned to Frau Leiben.
“Go at once to the hospital. Tell one of the doctors he must come here at once.”
She hastily put on boots and cape and was off. She was a frightened woman and so was I when I turned to the girl, for I could see that she was very ill indeed.
I put my hand on her forehead; it was very hot.
“Gerda,” I said.
“You know me. I am here with you. I’m going to take care of you.”
That seemed to soothe her a little. I kept my hand on her forehead.
But after a few minutes she was screaming with pain.
Never had time passed so slowly. It seemed hours before Dr. Fenwick arrived. He took one look at Gerda and said to me:
“Go back to the hospital, arrange some transport. I want her in the hospital quickly.”
I ran off.
And so we brought Gerda to Kaiserwald. She was given a small room little more than a cell but she could not have gone with the others.
Dr. Bruckner was with Charles Fenwick and they sent for one of the nurses. I was a little hurt, because I was not the one. I had felt I could soothe Gerda. She knew me and I believe she trusted me. I found it difficult to go back to my work without knowing what was happening.
It was late. I could not sleep. I decided to do what I could to find out. I crept along to the room in which Gerda lay. It was very quiet and a terrible fear came to me.
The door of her room opened and Charles Fenwick came out. He stared at me.
“Miss Pleydell!” he said.
“I was anxious about Gerda,” I said.
“She’s a little better.”
“Thank God.”
“She will live, though it is touch and go.”
“May I see her?”
“Better not. Wait until tomorrow. She has been very ill.”
“What was it?”
He looked at me steadily but did not answer.
“You should go to bed,” he said at length.
“You’ll have to be up early in the morning. ” He laid his hand on my arm.
“She will recover. She is strong and healthy. I’ll talk to you in the morning. Good night. Miss Pleydell.” There was nothing I could do but return to my bed.
The next morning I went to her room. I opened the door and looked in.
She was lying in bed with her yellow hair loose about her face. She was very pale and looked as though she were dead.
One of the nurses was sitting by her bed.
I said a Guten Morgen and asked after the patient.
“She has had a quiet night,” was the answer.
In the afternoon Charles Fenwick came to me and asked if Henrietta and I would be going for a walk in the forest. When I said we should, he asked if he might accompany us.
As we walked under the trees I asked about Gerda.
“Has she really recovered?”
“I think it will be some weeks before she does so completely. She almost killed herself.”
“Killed herself!” I cried.
“She had an accomplice, of course.”
“What do you mean?” demanded Henrietta.
“Gerda was pregnant. She has just had an abortion.”
“What?” I cried. That’s impossible! “
“She’s too young,” said Henrietta.
“She was old enough,” said Charles.
“Gerda! No. I won’t believe it.”
“That girl knows more than you would give her credit for. In the first place she becomes pregnant and then she attempts to do away with the child.”
“Which she has done, presumably,” said Henrietta.
“And nearly killed herself in the process.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“The evidence makes it clear.”
“But who …?”
“There must be people who would take advantage of a girl like that.”
Vague scraps of conversation came to me. What had she said about meeting the Devil in the forest? What could she have been implying?
Whom could she have meant?
The poor innocent child,” I said.
“Not so innocent,” corrected Charles.
“She knew what it was all about when she decided to be rid of the child.”
“But how could a girl like that get the means …?”
“No doubt she took something given to her by her lover.”
“This is terrible. Do you know who it could possibly be?”
He shook his head.
“Someone with a little knowledge of these things.”
“A little knowledge can be dangerous. Have you spoken to her?”
“No. She is too ill. I am only thankful that we brought her here in time. But for you. Miss Pleydell, calling us in so that we were able to bring her to the hospital … well, it could have been the end of Gerda.”
“I’m so glad I passed the cottage that day. Why didn’t Frau Leiben call for help?”
“She probably knew what was wrong and thought she could manage to look after the girl.”
“You mean the grandmother may have procured that stuff?’
”One never knows. All I can tell you is that Gerda was pregnant and took something calculated to get rid of the baby . and it did . though in the process it nearly got rid of Gerda herself. “
“It’s a terrible thing …”
“I shall warn her about taking such things. She must never do it again.”
Henrietta was thoughtful.
“Well, it worked,” she said.
“That’s what Gerda will say.”
“We must impress on her that she must never do it again.”
“Her own suffering will do that more forcefully than any talking could do,” I said.
“That’s true,” agreed Charles Fenwick.
“But she should never have done what she did.”
“Never have been carried away by the blandishments of a lover,” added Henrietta.
“But people are human.”
“I’d like to know how she got hold of that stuff. Some old woman, most likely. That should be discovered and stopped.”