Arbeit Macht Frei

7

The following day, Hans walked into the twin’s room to find them moaning.

“Boys?” He asked as he quickly crossed to the bed. “What’s wrong?”

David let out a scream. Abraham stretched his arm across his chest and allowed his fingertips to touch David’s shoulder. David calmed.

“Something went wrong.” Abraham whispered.

A pain rose in Hans’ chest.

“Oh Hans, good morning.” Mengele pushed his way into the room, his arms full of chemicals.

“Mengele, what happened?” Hans asked, hoping his voice wouldn’t quiver.

“The muscle trauma created an infection. Clostridia formed and released toxins throughout the body. The gas is trapped in the tissue.”

“Gangrene.” Hans whispered.

“You’re familiar?”

Hans nodded, trying to keep his eyes from watering. “My father caught it after being impaled at the factory. He- he was dead within a day.”

David’s eyes widened.

“Touching, really, but I have other experiments to do and I can’t spend the day worrying about these two.”

“I’ll watch them.” Hans said immediately. “You go test.”

Mengele grinned. “Thank you.” He left the room.

“Are we going to die?” David squeaked.

“No.” Abraham said strongly. “We are not going to die.”

“But Hans just said-.”

“No, my father was old and unwell. He wasn’t in the prime of his life. He didn’t have the strength. You do.” Hans knelt beside David.

“It hurts.” David whispered.

“I know.” Hans whispered.

He glanced at their back and felt his eyes widen. At each pinpoint where the wire met skin, it had swollen and turned a dark brown.

“This might hurt.” Hans whispered and stretched out his hand. He put slight pressure on the brown skin. David let out a scream. The skin cracked and puss poured from where the penetration had occurred.

His hand retracted immediately.

“Is it bad?” Abraham whispered, a hint of fear clouding his voice.

Hans didn’t reply. “I need to get Viktor.”

“He was already here.” David whispered. “He took the dawn shift; he came and read to us.”

“More of Inferno?”

Abraham nodded. “Treachery, still.”

“Boys, I have to find you something for the pain.” Hans whispered. “There has to be something.”

David shook his head. “Mengele doesn’t want any medicine added. You can’t risk getting caught.”

Hans fell to the floor, the feeling of helplessness overpowering him. “How am I supposed to help you?” He croaked.

“Just stay here.” David whispered before cringing in pain.

Hans thought about watching the Typhus flow between the little twin girls. This was worse. Little Annabelle being punished for having strange eyes. This was worse. These boys were his family. He had allowed this to happen to them, and there was nothing he could do.