Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(13)

"Maybe they do not want to get better faster. Maybe they like it here," Tatiana said, and found Edward studying her again. She thought of something. "Edward, you say you have milk?"

"Not much, but yes, regular milk, not condensed."

"Bring me some milk and a large vat, and long wooden spoon. Maybe ten liters of milk, twenty. The more the better. Tomorrow we will have butter."

Edward said, "What does milk have to do with butter?"

Now it was Tatiana's turn to study Edward, who smiled and said, "I'm a doctor, not a farmer. Eat, eat. You need it. And you're right. Despite everything, there is still plenty." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

CHAPTER FIVE

Morozovo, 1943

THEY CAME FOR HIMa few hours into the night. Alexander, sleeping in the chair, was roughly shaken awake by four men in suits, motioning him to stand.

Slowly he stood.

"You're going to Volkhov to get promoted. Hurry. There is no time to waste. We've got to get across the lake before it gets light. The Germans bomb Ladoga constantly." The sallow man who was speaking in hushed tones was obviously in charge. The other three never opened their mouths.

Alexander picked up his rucksack.

"Leave that here," said the man.

"Well, I'm a soldier. I always take my ruck with me if it's all the same to you."

"Have you got your sidearm?"

"Of course."

"Let's have that."

Alexander took a step toward them. He was a head taller than the tallest. They looked like thugs in their drab gray winter coats. On top of the coats they had small blue stripes, the symbol of the NKVD--the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs--the way the Red Cross was a symbol of international empathy. "Let me understand what you're asking me," he said quietly but notthat quietly.

"So it's easier for you," the first man stammered. "You're wounded, no? It must be hard for you to carry all your gear--"

"This isn't all my gear. These are just my few personal things. Let's go," Alexander said loudly, moving out from the side of the bed, pushing them out of his way. "Now, comrades. We're wasting time." It was not an even fight. He was an officer, a major. He couldn't see their rank in their shoulder bars or demeanor. They had no authority until they were out of the building and took his away from him. This police liked to do its work in private, in the dark. They did not like to be overheard by barely sleeping nurses, by barely sleeping soldiers. This police liked it to seem as if everything was just as it should be. A wounded man was being taken in the middle of the night across the lake to get a promotion. What was so out of the ordinary about that? But they had to leave his gun with him to continue with the pretense. As if they could have taken it away.

As they were walking out, Alexander noticed that the two beds next to him were empty. The soldier with the breathing difficulties and another had gone. He shook his head. "Are they going to get promoted, too?" he asked dryly. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"No questions, just go," said one of the men. "Quickly."

Alexander had slight trouble walking quickly.

As he made his way through the corridor, he wondered where Tatiana was sleeping. Was it behind one of those doors? Was she there now, somewhere? Still so close. He took a deep breath, almost as if he were smelling for her.

The armored truck was waiting outside behind the building. It was parked next to Dr. Sayers's Red Cross jeep. Alexander recognized the white and red emblem in the dark. As they got closer to their truck, a silhouette hobbled out from the shadows. It was Dimitri. He was hunched over his casted arm, and his face was a black pulp with a swollen protuberance instead of a nose--earlier courtesy of Alexander.

He stood for a moment and said nothing. Then, "Going somewhere, Major Belov?" His hissing voice placed special emphasis on Belov. It sounded likeBeloffffff .

"Don't come close to me, Dimitri," Alexander said.

Dimitri, as if heeding the advice, took a step back, then opened his mouth and laughed silently. "You can't hurt me anymore, Alexander."

"Nor you me."

"Oh, believe me," said Dimitri in a smooth sweet-sour voice, "I can still hurt you." And right before Alexander was pushed into the NKVD truck by the militia men, Dimitri threw his head back as if in studied delirium and wagged a shaking finger at Alexander, baring the yellow teeth under his bloodied nose and narrowing his slit eyes.

Alexander turned his head, squared his shoulders, and without even looking in Dimitri's direction as he jumped into the truck, said very loudly and clearly and with as much satisfaction as he could get his voice to muster, "Oh, f*ck you."

"Get in the truck and shut up," barked one of the NKVD men to Alexander, and to Dimitri: "Go back to your ward, it's past curfew. What are you doing skulking around here?"

In the back of the truck, Alexander saw his two shivering ward mates. He hadn't expected two other people, two Red Armysoldiers , to be in the truck with him. He had thought it would be just him and the NKVD men. No one to risk or sacrifice except them and himself. Now what?

One of the NKVD men grabbed his ruck. Alexander yanked it away. The man did not let go. "It looks as if it's hard for you to carry it," he said, struggling. "I'll take it and give it back to you on the other side."