Adam Blake - 113. Chapter 113

Walking into our hotel room, I sat down to finish the correspondence James gave me. There were the usual family letters, which I made some notes on knowing James would follow up. There were two letters from parents who wanted to know about the college, those were easily handled. All in all nothing really important, I had some pictures for James to included in the letters, but he can get them when I return.

Sleep that night didn’t come. I tossed and turned, not sure if it was the bed or something was going to happen that I may not like. I had this happen once before and there was bad news. I got up, read the newspaper, Marie came and started to massage my shoulders. “You couldn’t sleep?”

“No, I don’t know if it’s the bed or if it’s a premonition.”

“Come back to bed, I’ll give you a back rub, maybe that will help.”

And it did. Doc knocked on the door, “They are getting Anton prepped for X-rays.” Marie was up and dressed and heading for the hospital before I was out of bed.

I took my shower, dressed, and headed to the hospital. When I arrived the room was empty, I went to the first-floor waiting room, and then looking across the street, Josef and Mrs. Muller were exiting the diner. As soon as Josef saw me, he turned, went back to the diner, and a few minutes he later returned with a cup of coffee for me.

We waited about a half-hour, when I saw Marie coming down the hall talking to a doctor. She saw me and came over, a quick kiss, “Is he finished?”

“Yes, they will be taking him back to his room soon.”

“ Are they going to give him breakfast?”

“I think so, they will operate tomorrow morning.”

“Did you see the X-rays? Are you going to tell me or keep me in suspense?”

“I’ll tell you later, it’s good news.”

Walking into Anton’s room, I see a tray on his table. It didn’t look appetizing, the toast was cold, the cereal was soggy. There was a container of orange juice. “I’m going to get him a healthy breakfast. Be right back.”

“I went to the diner, got two toasted cheese sandwiched and a side of grilled ham. I also picked up a carton of chocolate milk.”

I must have been gone 15 minutes, tops. “What happened to his tray?”

“They came and took it. The only thing they left was the orange juice.”

“Well, here is the breakfast he’d get at the school.” I set the grilled cheese on a napkin, I had the grilled ham on a piece of aluminum foil, and of course his chocolate milk.

I watched as he ate, he left half of the grilled cheese, which Hans ate. The ham was gone, it wasn’t that big of a piece and of course the chocolate milk with the mustache. Hans asked him if he had enough, he looked at me and nodded yes.

Everyone started talking about the weekend at the cabin. I pulled Marie aside, “Ok, tell me.”

“His left leg has a cracked bone, it isn’t major and can be healed by putting a special dressing that would pull the bone together, They will use glue to hold everything in place. The right leg, the femur is cracked and is rubbing against a nerve. That will require an operation to reset the bone. He’ll be in a cast for the right leg for about 6 weeks, the left leg maybe two weeks.”

“That sounds like good news.”

“It is”

We sat there and talked while we waited for the doctor. It was just after lunch was served, that he came in and told Marie and Doc, what he was planning on doing. It was pretty much what Marie said, I was impressed with my smart wife.

I looked at the tray, the soup looked okay but it wasn’t the soup from yesterday. There was some fruit and a small container of milk. Hans, Doc, Marie, and Mrs. Muller went to the diner for lunch. I stayed with Anton and Josef. We laughed at the face Anton made when he tasted the soup. Josef said something and he smiled. “I told him I’d bring him some soup like yesterday.”

“Josef, how much education does Gunther have?”

“Gunther is 14 and he just stated what you call high school.”

“Would you say he was a smart student or a student who just got by?”

He knew where I was going with this. “Because of the ridicule he was getting in school, he tried to excel. In your country sports are the way to popularity, In my country, it's scholastic grades. We are not big on spots except skiing.”

“I’d like Gunther to come over with you when you go back home. How about his sister?”

“She is smart only there’s little opportunity for girls. Most are trained by their mothers to be good wives.”

“Maybe we should start to train girls to be teachers, particularly the initial years.”

I was planting some seeds, we shall see if they grow or if I need to make them grow. Everyone came back, Marie had a bowl of chicken rice soup and of course the chocolate milk, a cup of coffee for me.

Being in Philly I thought I’d introduce them to a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I remembered a place on South Street. I wondered if it was still there. It was and I bought a sandwich for everyone. When I handed them one, all I got back were smiles.,

I went to the waiting room and called James. I told him I probably return after the operation which was scheduled for tomorrow. He told me the Ambassador called and when he told him where I was he asked that I call him when I returned. I wondered what that was all about.

The operation went as planned. On the day of the operation, all Anton had to eat was gelatin. We all stood around his bed as he was wheeled in. Both legs were in a cast, the left one was a heavy cast and the right one looks more like a plastic sleeve. Marie later confirmed that was what it was, to keep the leg from bending.

That evening, I brought two cartons of chocolate milk and two dishes of chocolate ice cream. I told Marie I have made arrangements to go back to the school, but I’d keep in contact and possibly be here on the weekend.”

I took the copter back to the school. The boys wanted to know how Anton was, I told them he had his operations and everything is fine. He should be back at the school within a week.