Uncertain Soldier by Karen Bass

Author:Karen Bass
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pajama Press Inc.
Published: 2020-01-09T18:30:41+00:00

Chapter 24

24:

29 January 1944,

Logging Camp (-8°C/18°F)

Erich blinked. Then again. His eyes wouldn’t focus. Someone pale hovered above him. “Gran?” he rasped.

“No, it’s Max.” The face came closer. “We were really scared when we found you.”

Erich’s eyes closed. When he opened them again, he realized he wasn’t in his bunk. Too warm. In the dim, waivering light he could see a brick column beside him and the back of a stove. He turned his head slowly, for it pounded like the steam engine that ran the sawmill. A radio seemed to lean toward him. Other than a dream about his grandmother and Max, the last he remembered was the forest, a path...

“Johann?” he whispered, voice creaking.

Max appeared in his line of vision. “You’re awake? Really awake.”

“I think... Where...?”

“You’re in the Lanes’ house, on the floor by the stove.”

“Johann was hurt. Is he...?” Erich continued to whisper; it hurt to even do that.

“Alf took him to the hospital in Spirit River. Everyone is upset. All the lumberjacks like Johann.” Max wiped his brow with a warm cloth. “What were you doing out there, Erich?”

A mantle clock ticked as Erich considered the question. “Not sure.”

“You don’t remember?”

“It’s...cloudy.”

“They think you hit your head out there.”

“I did? I...was looking for something I think.” He squinted as pain bounced in his head.

“Mrs. Lane said I’m supposed to make you rest if you woke up.”

He gave a small smile that was more wince. “Why are you here?”

“I stayed over and have been sleeping on the couch. Well, I guess I haven’t slept much. I was really, really worried.”

Erich could see the lingering concern. It curdled his stomach. Of all people, Max shouldn’t have more worries piled on him. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I’ll be fine.” He licked his lips. Max lifted his head and held a cup for him so he could sip some water. He lay back with a groan.

“You should go to sleep.”

“First...tell me.”

“What happened?”

Erich nodded, which set waves of pain sloshing around his head. He shut his eyes.

Max touched his shoulder briefly. “Don’t move. Here’s what I know. I used Gertie, our horse, to haul the big toboggan filled with clean laundry to camp. When I got here Henry was ready to send out search teams because no one had seen you since they’d brought Johann back to camp. I told him I wanted to help and he wasn’t going to send me but I made him and I went with Christmas, who’s really good in the bush. He was teaching me to track, but I saw the clean path. And he took his rifle off his shoulder like we were hunting an animal, but he was just being careful. And wolves were howling. And we found you. And Christmas fired his rifle to bring everyone else there. We brought you back by travois, the one they’d made for Johann. Henry and Chuck carried you inside, we made a pallet on the floor, and here you are.”

It was hard to stay focused on the river of words.

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