The Book Finder by DS Holmes

Author:DS Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical mystery, WWII thriller, War fiction, historical romance, historical thriller
Publisher: DS Holmes
Published: 2017-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

THE NOISE IN THE CASUALTY department was appalling. Injured passengers in a bus accident on Budapesterstrasse filled the emergency room at Chariteʹ. Some victims were screaming in pain; others, in a state of shock sat immobile, moaning quietly. White-coated staff members were bustling about, talking to each other while assessing the injuries for priority in treatment—trying to exert an element of control in the midst of apparent chaos. There was also the insistent hum of an X-ray machine and the steady throbbing of a generator.

Thomas sat, hunched, on an exam table, listening to the anxious conversation of a small group of bus riders who had sustained only scrapes and bruises. Evidently, the double decker had skidded on a patch of ice, slammed into an army truck and flipped onto its side. Then his attention was drawn away from the patients to a collection of bottles in a steel-and-glass case. An overhead lamp was aimed directed at the cabinet, creating star flashes on the clear and amber bottles of penicillin and morphine. The precious vials became a glittering light show for his tired eyes.

“You again, Herr Rost?” a physician asked while toying with his stethoscope.

Thomas coughed several times, took a deep breath. “Believe me, I had other plans.”

“Remind me what you do for a living. Are you a fireman, a policeman, or one of those unlucky souls sent to dig up unexploded ordnance in the Tiergarten?”

“I was in a bookstore, Dr. Reymann. You’d think a man would be safe surrounded by books.”

“Take off your shirt.” The doctor told a nurse, “Make notes of the damage. There are singed hairs on the left side of the neck as well as dorsal and palmar aspects of both hands—first degree burns.” The physician shone a light up his nostrils and at his eyes. “Smoke inhalation, too.”

“There was an old man, Benjamin Tauben. He wasn’t breathing.”

“He still isn’t. It’s called death.”

“How did he die?”

“A heart attack, probably. The firebombing of his shop, shock from his burns, smoke in his lungs—it was too much at his age. Fact is, I treated Herr Tauben for chest pains earlier this year. It will take an autopsy to give a definitive answer.”

“Maybe if I hadn’t been there...” Thomas shrugged.

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell me more, Herr Rost.” The doctor turned to the nurse. “Bring the oxygen tank. While he’s breathing through the mask, clean and bandage his hands and neck. Give him a shot of painkillers, too.”

“Nothing to knock me out,” Thomas said. “I need a clear head.”

The doctor nodded. “The way I hear it, you carried Tauben out of a burning building. Are you trying to become Berlin’s citizen of the year?”

“He should be alive.”

“It was his time, Rost. Nothing more you could do. The autopsy can pinpoint a cause and, speaking of which,” the doctor looked across the room, “Dr. Rost is here.”

She helped Thomas off the table. “Some say that minor burns should be left exposed to the air. However, in your case, a visual aid is an excellent idea.

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.