Anna, struggling to control a flurry of emotions swirling inside her, watched Stalling cross the field and approach Fleck.It must be serious if Stalling wants me to leave so soon. This can’t be happening!As the two men discussed her fate, she said a silent prayer for Max to be all right, and for Fleck to permit her to take a leave of absence. But only half of her prayer was answered when Fleck called her aside and said, “I’m granting your leave, Fräulein Zeller. You may go home and pack your bags.”
CHAPTER36
OLDENBURG, GERMANY—JULY19, 1917
Anna stood next to Norbie as the morning train chugged into the station. Iron wheels screeched over the rails as the locomotive slowed to a stop. The engine hissed, spewing a black cloud and filling her nose with an acrid smell of coal smoke. A surge of panic flooded her body. She drew in a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Norbie asked.
“I’m sure,” she said. “I’ll send word to you after I arrive.”
“All right,” he said. “But I’ll be ready to leave at a moment’s notice if you need me.”
She appreciated his support, and she had no doubt that Norbie, if given the invitation, would take the train with her regardless that he hadn’t packed a bag.I’d love for you to join me, but I feel that I need to see him on my own.She shook away her thoughts and said, “I didn’t get a chance to talk to Emmi, and I’m not sure if Fleck will explain the reason for my absence. Will you speak with her for me?”
“Of course.” He gave her a hug. “Tell Maxhallofor me.”
“I will,” she said, releasing him.
He looked into her eyes. “Everything will be all right.”
Anna nodded, feeling thankful for his reassurance, and then picked up her luggage and climbed on board a carriage. An attendant punched her ticket, which was purchased with money she’d saved from working at the guide dog school, and she located a vacant seat. Minutes later, the train jerked, and then chugged forward. She peered out her window and saw Norbie wave to her from the landing. She pressed her fingers to the glass and watched him disappear.
She leaned back but was unable to rest. Despite sleeping little, if at all, her mind raced with thoughts of Max and her encounter with Dr. Stalling.What does the doctor know that he’s unwilling to tell me? Why didn’t Max inform me about his visit with Stalling?She knew it was something medical and that it was likely serious, otherwise Stalling would not have persuaded Fleck to allow her to leave. She reached to her neck and clasped hermutter’s locket. “Harbor your heart,” she whispered to herself.Whatever it is that Max is going through, we’ll get through it together.
She retrieved a book from her bag and tried to read, but her brain was unable to focus on the words. Instead, she leaned back in her seat and watched the German countryside flash by her window. She remained awake for the entire seven-and-a-half-hour journey, which included a short delay and a train change in the city of Hanover. Norbie had packed her a lunch of sliced black bread with raw cabbage, but she’d lost her appetite for food. A few hours before sunset, she arrived at the Leipzig station.
The city was far bigger and more populated than her hometown of Oldenburg. The sidewalks were crowded, forcing Anna to weave between throngs of pedestrians. Also, the street crossings were more difficult due to a high volume of horse-drawn wagons and motorized vehicles. And it saddened her to think that Max and Nia had not been given the opportunity to practice their training skills in such a congested urban environment.
She stopped in an apothecary shop and asked the proprietor for directions to Max’s street address, which she had from their letter correspondence. Thirty minutes later, she arrived on his street, but she struggled to find his apartment building due to a lack of address signs. She canvassed the area until an old woman, who was sweeping a broom over the front steps of a brick rowhouse, guided her to the correct building.
In the entrance hall, she glanced to a group of metal letter boxes. Her heartbeat quickened as she read Max’s name above one of the slots. She sucked in air to catch her breath, and then climbed the stairs to his apartment. She paused, placing down her luggage and rubbing an ache in her elbow.Please, let him be all right.She buried her trepidation and knocked.
Paws pattered over the floor inside the apartment. A sound of sniffing emanated from a gap under the door.
Nia.Anna blinked back tears as she waited for Max to answer the door. Seconds passed. Her shoulder muscles tightened. She knocked again. A moment later, footsteps grew inside the apartment.
“Who is it?” Max’s voice asked from behind the door.
She clasped her hands.He sounds the same.“It’s Anna.”
Nia barked. Her toenails clicked over the hardwood floor.
She knows that it’s me.
A deadbolt unlocked, and the door opened.
Nia lunged to Anna, nearly knocking her over.
“Nia!” she said, kneeling and rubbing the dog’s body with her hands.
“Anna, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.” She kissed Nia on the head, stood to face Max, and froze.
His complexion was ashen with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept in days, and his hair was rather long and uncombed. A coarse stubble covered his face and neck.
A pang pierced Anna’s chest.Oh, Max.
