CHAPTER 7 - OLDENBURG, GERMANY—JULY 19, 1916
At sunrise, Anna dressed and went to the kitchen, where she lit a wood stove and toasted a bit of black bread.
With her mind imbued with thoughts of Nia, she’d barely slept.
I hope she was able to eat, Anna thought, picking at her bread.
She regretted not offering to bring Nia home with her, despite that Fleck, who appeared to be a rule-following ex-military man, would likely not allow a dog to leave the premises.
I’ll try when he sees that I’m a good worker.
The house was quiet, except for ticking coming from the first-floor workshop, and the snores emanating from Norbie’s upstairs bedroom. With a bit of time before heading to work, she retrieved a piece of paper and pencil.
Anna sealed the letter in an envelope and placed it on the kitchen table.
She was eager to check on Nia and begin her first day of work, but she was also pleased to bring along her friend Emmi.
Yesterday, after leaving the guide dog school, Anna had gone directly to the hospital.
She’d told Emmi, while she was taking her break in the garden, about her new job, and that she was charged with recruiting another person to work at the school.
Before Anna had inquired as to Emmi’s interest, Emmi clasped Anna’s hands and asked, “May I join you?”
Anna was overjoyed with Emmi’s offer. Even after she told Emmi about the hours, the lesser pay, and the brusque demeanor of Rolf Fleck, Emmi’s determination to join her didn’t waver.
“Ewald works with ambulance dogs at the front,” Emmi had said.
“I’m certain he’d be honored for me to work with guide dogs.
” Anna was glad that Emmi would have the full support of her husband, and she wondered, although briefly, how her Bruno would feel about her abrupt change in profession.
Before the end of the day, Stalling had made arrangements for the hospital to transfer both of them to the guide dog school.
Emmi, who was a highly regarded and competent nurse, would no doubt be welcomed back to the hospital, if she chose to do so.
But for Anna, who relied on her ability to comfort and care, rather than technical skills, the change in employment might be permanent.
“Good morning, Anna,” Norbie said, stepping into the kitchen.
“Sleep well?” Anna asked.
“Ja.” Norbie ran a hand through his mussed, gray hair and yawned. He looked at the pendulum clock on the wall. “You’re up early.”
“Emmi should be arriving soon,” Anna said. “I thought it would be wise to show up early on the first day of work.”
“I’ll make coffee for you and Emmi,” he said.
“There’s no need,” Anna said.
“I insist,” he said, retrieving a tarnished copper coffeepot.
“Okay,” Anna said. There’s no changing Norbie’s mind when it comes to hospitality for visitors, even ones who will only be staying a minute.
A knock came from the front door. Anna descended the stairs to Norbie’s workshop. A few minutes later, Anna, Emmi, and Norbie sat at the kitchen table with cups of steaming brew. A roasted, wood-like scent permeated the air.
“Thank you, Norbie,” Emmi said, clasping her cup.
“It’s made from tree bark,” Norbie said. “Save your gratitude until after you tasted it.”
Emmi chuckled.
“To Anna and Emmi,” Norbie said, raising his cup as if it was filled with wine. “May your work mend the lives of those who cannot see.”
Anna’s heart swelled. “Prost,” she said, clinking their cups. She sipped. The hot, bitter brew warmed her belly.
Emmi drank. “It’s quite good, Norbie.”
Norbie grinned. “How’s Ewald?”
“That’s kind of you to ask,” Emmi said. “His spirts are good. I wrote him last night to inform him of the guide dog school.”
“He’ll be impressed,” Norbie said.
I hope Bruno is as excited about the school as I am. Anna shifted in her seat and pointed to her letter on the table. “Vater, do you have time to mail my letter to Bruno?”
“Of course,” Norbie said.
A grandfather clock sounded in the workshop. Seconds later, a barrage of rings, dongs, clangs, chimes, and bells erupted, signaling 6:00 a.m.
Norbie, who prided himself with creating accurate timepieces, shook his head and sighed. “No matter how many adjustments I make to the pendulum disk, that confounded grandfather clock always strikes early or late.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to fix it,” Anna said. She finished her coffee and turned to Emmi. “We should get to work.”
Emmi swigged her drink. “Danke for the coffee, Norbie.”
“After the war,” he said, “I’ll make you and Anna a breakfast of real coffee and cake.”
“Sounds delightful,” Emmi said.
Norbie hugged Anna. “You’ll do great,” he whispered.
Anna smiled and released him.
As Anna and Emmi descended the steps, a ticktock chorus rose to a crescendo.
They maneuvered through the workshop, cluttered with clocks, and exited through the front door.
As they walked over the uneven, cobblestone street, an anxiousness filled Anna’s stomach.
She wondered if Nia’s feeble paws would improve, and if Fleck would accept Emmi as her recruit.
There’s nothing I can do about it until I get to work.
For the duration of their walk, Anna told Emmi about Nia’s condition, all the while hoping that they could save her.
They arrived at the guide dog school twenty minutes early. Anna had expected that they’d might be the first to arrive, but the door to the building was open. Inside, she found Fleck, walking along the stalls, as if he were inspecting the dogs.
“Hallo,” Anna said.
Fleck turned and placed his clipboard under an armpit. “You’re early. I thought I told you to be here at seven.”
“I . . .” Anna swallowed. “I didn’t want to be late.”
“Tomorrow, arrive at seven,” he said. “It’s important for the dogs to have a precise schedule.”
“Ja, sir,” Anna said.
Emmi nudged her.
Anna swallowed. “This is Emmi Bauer.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Emmi said.
Fleck nodded.
“Emmi’s the finest nurse at the hospital,” Anna said. “She’s willing to work here.”
Fleck looked at Emmi. “Did she tell you about the pay and the potential need for you to board veterans?”
“Ja,” Emmi said.
Anna’s eyes drifted to Nia’s stall, but she couldn’t see her. She hoped that she was standing.
“Did Dr. Stalling arrange for both of you to transfer from the hospital to the school?” he asked.
“He has,” Anna said.
“Follow me,” Fleck said. He approached a series of wooden stalls and pointed, using his clipboard. “One at a time, you will attach a leash to a dog, and then take it—individually—to relieve itself. There is a section of grass behind the barn that is marked.”
“Okay,” Anna said, noticing that several additional dogs had been delivered, all of which were standing in their stalls and wagging their tails. She glanced to Nia’s pen and her heart sank. Nia, her chest slowly rising and falling, was on her side, in the same position where Anna had left her.
Fleck looked at Anna. “You may tend to her later, when the other dogs are training.”
“Ja, sir,” Anna said, dreading the time that would need to pass before she could go to Nia’s aid.
“After all the dogs have relieved themselves,” Fleck said, “you will feed them and give them fresh water. The bowls are in each of their pens. There is a bin of feed, of which you will give them precisely one level scoop. It will be more efficient if one pumps the water from the well, and the other carries the filled buckets to their bowls.”
Emmi nodded.
“Thirty minutes after they have eaten, take them outside again—individually—to relieve themselves. Then attach a harness to each of the dogs.” He pointed to a row of harnesses with an attached handle.
“You will be shuttling dogs to trainers on the obstacle course. While the men are working with them, you will clean pens and scoop droppings in the yard.”
A foreboding knot tightened in Anna’s gut. She glanced to Emmi, who was staring into a pen.
“Between shuttling dogs to trainers and cleaning pens, you will provide medical and hygiene care for the dogs who are not working. I’ll have a trainer instruct you on how to properly cut their nails.”
“Will you—” Anna swallowed and clasped her hands. “Will you need our help with training the dogs?”
Fleck furrowed his brows. “Nein.”
Anna swallowed. “I thought that our duties might include—”
“You were mistaken,” he interrupted. “Have the dogs ready for when the trainers arrive.” Fleck turned, his boots scraping over the ground, and left the building.
I’m such a fool, Anna thought.
Emmi retrieved a leash.
“Emmi,” Anna said. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what?” Emmi asked.
“I thought our work might include training dogs,” Anna said, her words sounding a bit absurd said aloud. “Are you upset with me?”
“Of course not.” Emmi placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder. “Based on Ewald’s stories of ambulance dogs, I assumed that guide dogs would be trained by military veterans. Also, I thought I could do this job because it would be similar to the role of a nurse.”
“How so?” Anna asked, relieved that Emmi was not disappointed in her.
“It is the physicians who perform surgery and decide if a limb needs to be amputated. We, as nurses, clean the wound, feed the infirm, and change the bedpans.”
“I’m glad I didn’t mislead you,” Anna said. “But I feel foolish for believing we might work with dogs and their partners.”
“You’re not a fool,” Emmi said. “You’re a dreamer, and it’s one of the things I admire most about you.”
Anna smiled, despite the disillusionment about her duties. “I want to introduce you to Nia.”
“We need to get to work,” Emmi said.
Anna peeked through a window. “Fleck is smoking a cigarette. We arrived early, so we have some extra time.”
“I don’t know,” Emmi said tentatively. “We might get in trouble.”
“It will only take a second,” Anna said. “I want you to have a look at her so you can give some thought to how we should care for her paws.”
Emmi glanced to the window.
“Please,” Anna said.
“Okay,” Emmi said.