Chapter 6

I had to find out where I was and took a tactical map of the area from my webbing pouch. I spread it out on the bed, pointed to the floor. “Deventer?” I looked at Boris, and he shook his head, no. “Apeldoorn?”

He sook his head, no, again then looking at the map, pointed northwest of Apeldoorn, off the map. “Vaassen. Dit hier is Vaassen.”

“Vaassen. This here is Vaasen.”

“Vaassen? Jesus H Christ, I’m not even on the frigging map! No wonder there are so many Germans around! I’m behind enemy lines!”

“Je kunt daar niet naar buiten. Je bent maar één man. Ze zullen je zeker doden. Je been is te gewond, je kunt niet weggaan.”

“You cannot go out there. You are only one man. They will kill you for sure. Your leg is too injured, you cannot leave,” Benthe said.

Lana came to me, taking my rifle from me, then taking my hands in hers. “Alsjeblieft, ik wil dat je bij me blijft en je verwondingen laat genezen.”

“Please, I’d like you to stay with me and let your injuries heal.”

I don’t know what she said, but it sure sounded nice. I looked at Boris and Benthe, who smiled their agreement and nodded. I nodded back and was stunned by Lana’s affectionate hug and a strong handshake from Boris.

Benthe knelt, lightly touching my leg. “Je wond sijpelt bloed. Ik moet het verband verwisselen.”

“Your wound is seeping blood. I need to change the bandages.”

Benthe took the bowl and cup, returning to the kitchen. I had to take stock of what I had in ammunition. Fifteen full clips and one-half full, plus two grenades.

I studied my map as to where the gun battle had taken place in relation to Deventer and Apeldoorn.

Benthe returned with a bowl of warm water, fresh bandages and a bottle. Lana brought over a stool and sat, placing a towel over her knees and lifting my leg to rest on her.

“Je hebt geluk gehad. Het lijkt erop dat Lana je weer gezond wil maken.”

“You are a lucky man. It appears that Lana wants to nurse you back to good health.”

Lana’s sitting pose afforded me a good view of her available cleavage. She seemed to know how much breast I could see but didn’t adjust her bodice and blouse. I could feel the bandage closest to my skin pulling on my wound.

She gently peeled back the last bandage, and I could see the sewing stitches that held my wound closed on either side of my calf. She dabbed it lightly with a warm cloth, dried it, then applied what turned out to be iodine.

Boris came into the room as Lana was applying the iodine. “Richard zal waarschijnlijk de neiging krijgen om te zeuren en met zijn goede voet te stampen.”