The Maimed by Ungar Hermann

Author:Ungar, Hermann [Ungar, Hermann]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3
Publisher: Twisted Spoon Press
Published: 2011-04-08T04:00:00+00:00

When Polzer returned from the bank a few days later, Dora was sitting in his room with Frau Porges. Dora was crying.

Karl had been sent to the sanitarium. Although Dora wanted to stay with him, he had brusquely sent her away.

“He is not a bad man,” said Dora, sobbing, “no, no, I know him. – Now they are going to amputate his arm! Oh God, what will be left of him? If you only knew, Frau Porges, how handsome he used to be! Who knows if he will survive this.”

“One should never give up hope,” said Frau Porges.

“He is so weak,” said Dora. “If he sits in the easy chair for half an hour, his brow is covered with sweat.”

“Sonntag says he has seen worse cases, and that they survived for many years,” said Frau Porges. “Sonntag is a good attendant. One can rely on him. That is a great advantage, Frau Fanta. If my husband had had an attendant, everything would have been easier. I suffered so much in the final weeks, Frau Fanta! No, no, I wouldn’t want to have to live through that again!”

She raised her handkerchief to her eyes.

“They are supposed to operate on him tomorrow,” said Dora Fanta, crying. “I hope he will survive! He is a good person, believe me!”

“We shall not give up hope,” said Franz Polzer.

Polzer could not imagine how Karl would look without his left arm. It seemed impossible that he would have only his right arm, hanging down limply from his fat torso. He also wondered about the amputated left arm. He felt it would be absolutely necessary to find out what happened to it. Sonntag would know. He would be holding the arm in his hand when the doctor amputated it. It bothered Polzer to think that Sonntag might throw the arm away, just as butchers throw the stinking entrails of slaughtered cattle into a pit.

“What will Sonntag do with the amputated arm?” he asked.

Dora sobbed loudly.

“Oh God, Herr Polzer!” she said.

Polzer was filled with consternation. Dora could not calm down. He realized that he had asked an inappropriate question.

“What are you saying, Polzer?,” said Frau Porges. “Don’t cry, Frau Fanta! I will bring some tea. Tea is soothing, believe me.”

“No, no,” said Dora. “I have to leave. Franz is waiting at home. No, no tea! It’s so horrible,” she covered her face with her hands, “so unbearable, oh God, what will Sonntag do with the arm? Where will he throw it, no, no! ...” She cried loudly, without any signs of stopping.

Frau Porges tried to pull her up.

“What kind of talk is that?” she said. “Who would think of such a thing? The arm is covered with abscesses, Frau Fanta. What should Sonntag do with it? Tomorrow we will ask him what he did with the arm.”

Dora stood up. She arranged her hair. She nodded silently to Polzer and Frau Porges and then left.

When Polzer left the bank the next day he hurried directly to the sanitarium. Frau Porges and Dora were standing in the hall.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.