Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(187)

She handed out one medical kit per bed, told them as she passed them that she would be back with the doctor, quickly ran back to get more kits, and more, and more, rushing, rushing. When she got back to the commandant's house everyone else was finishing lunch. After downing a glass of water, she went to change her clothes, retouched her makeup and then took Penny and Martin aside and said, "Listen, I think we should return to Berlin to get more kits. We have none left, and we're running out of bandages and penicillin. We'll go back tonight and return here tomorrow."

"We just got here and you want to leave already? She is so fickle, Martin, isn't she?" Penny said with a twinkle.

"Fickle is the least of what she is," Martin said. "I told you we shouldn't have come to a place like this without proper support."

Tatiana patted him on the shoulder. "You were so right, Dr. Flanagan," she said. "But we did get through five thousand people between yesterday and today, and that's quite an achievement."

They agreed to leave at eight in the evening, though Martin expressed reservations about driving on unfamiliar roads at night. While Penny and Martin went with Karolich through the German civilian barracks that Tatiana had just been through, she said that she was going to finish inspecting the rest of the Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

jailed men. When Karolich said he would come with her, Tatiana said, "Nurse Davenport and Dr. Flanagan need you more. The jailed men are the safest, you know that. After all, they can't touch me, and I'll have Corporal Perdov with me."

Reluctantly, Karolich left with Martin and Penny, and Tatiana ran to the commandant's kitchen and got them to prepare a hot lunch of sausage, potatoes, squash, bread with butter, and oranges. "I haven't eaten and I'm starved," she said gamely. There was a carafe of water, and a large glass of vodka that she poured herself.

As she walked through the jail door, this time she smiled at Corporal Perdov, and he smiled back. "Corporal, I'm here to feed cell number seven. I've discussed it with Lieutenant Karolich. The prisoner hasn't eaten in three days."

"I can't unchain him."

"It won't be necessary. I'll feed him."

"Hey," Perdov said, looking at her tray. "Is that a glass of somethingextra special?"

"Why, yes!" She smiled. "But I don't think our prisoner should have that, do you?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Exactly. Why don't you have the whole thing."

Perdov took the vodka and downed it in two gulps. Tatiana watched him amiably. "Very good," she said. "I might come back later with his dinner, and maybe I can bring the prisoner another glass." She winked at Perdov.

"Oh, yes," he said, "but don't be so stingy next time." And burped.

"I'll see what I can do. Now, can you open cell seven for me?"

Alexander was sleeping in a sitting position.

"I think you're wasting your time," Perdov said. "This one doesn't deserve a nurse's attention. Don't take too long, all right?"

Leaving the door open, he walked back to his chair and Tatiana descended the step and came to Alexander. Setting the tray on the ground, she kneeled by him and whispered, "Shura..."

He opened his eyes. She threw her arms around him and pressed herself to him, his bandaged head cradled near her neck. She held him as tightly as she could, every once in a while whispering, "Shura...Shura..."

"Tighter, Tania, hold me tighter."

She held him tighter. "How are the locks?"

Alexander showed her they were open. His wrists lay in them freely. "What happened to your hair?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I colored it. Keep your hands in the manacles. Perdov can come in at any time."

"Are you always on a name basis with the gatekeeper? Why did you color it?"

"Didn't want to be recognized. Just as well. Nikolai Ouspensky is here."

"Be very very careful with Nikolai," he warned. "Like Dimitri, he is the enemy. Come closer."

She did.

"What happened to your freckles?" he whispered.

"Makeup over them."

They kissed. They kissed as if they were young once again in the Luga woods, and it was the first summer of their life, or standing on the ledge of St. Isaac's under the moon and the stars, they kissed as if they were in Lazarevo, raw for each other, they kissed as if she had just told him she was getting him out of Russia, bending over him in the Morozovo hospital ward. They kissed as if they had not seen each other for many years. They kissed as if they had been together for many years.

They kissed away Orbeli and Dimitri, they kissed away war and communism, America and Russia. They kissed awayeverything , leaving behind only what remained--pale fragments of Tania and Shura.

His hands moved out of the manacles. She pulled away instantly and shook her head. "No, no, I'm serious. He can come in at any time and then we're sunk."

With great reluctance he slipped his hands back in the open iron rings. "Makeup can't hide the scar on your cheek. Where did you get it? Finland?"

"I'll tell you all about it later if we have time. Now I'm going to feed you, and you are going to eat your food and listen to me."