Gift from the Sea Read Free

gulped back the bile of anxiety that had formed at the back of her throat as her father placed a sodden leather wallet on the table and carefully removed one of the papers.
    “Our guest is Stefan Witte of Düsseldorf. That’s inGermany,” he added, as if they didn’t already know that. “According to these papers we found under his diving suit, he is twenty-six years old. If Tom’s German can be trusted, his papers identify him as a communications officer assigned to the German Naval Command.”
    Sarah and Lucie gasped, and Maggie moved in for a closer look at the document her father had spread across the front desk. Same age as Michael.
    “He is beginning to regain consciousness,” Dr. Williams reported, “although it is difficult to tell if his ramblings are the result of delirium or he is attempting to tell us something. He appears to be in a great deal of pain, though he takes it well. I expect that’s the frostbite starting to thaw.”
    “Did he say anything that made sense?” Mama asked.
    “A couple of words,” Gabe replied. “We believe that he was aboard a German vessel—probably a U-boat—that made it past the lightships keeping watch.”
    “In any case, he appears quite agitated, which is dangerous given that we cannot know the extent of the tissue damage the frostbite has caused,” the doctor added. “In addition to the frostbite, there is also the potential he’ll develop pneumonia.” He turned his attention to Maggie. “The frostbite seems limited to his toes and fingers. I expect the hood protected his ears and much of his face, but we’ll need to keep a watch on his nose and cheeks.”
    “Yes, doctor,” Maggie replied, automatically dropping into her role as charge nurse for the patient.
    “Keep his hands and feet elevated and splint the fingers and toes between regular massages of those exposed areas with snow through the night.” He continued to speak to Maggie as a colleague.
    “Is he suffering?” Sarah asked, wringing her hands.
    “Tom has sedated him, and that should help him make it through the night,” Sean assured her.
    “And tomorrow?” Lucie asked.
    Dr. Williams cleared his throat, then glanced at Sean and Gabe before answering. “We’ve decided that in light of the storm and the fact that the island is virtually cut off from the mainland, the best course is to keep his presence here to ourselves for the time being. At least until we can find out who he is, how he got here and whether there are others. If we raise an alarm, it’s likely any cohorts he might have will panic and go into hiding. We might never learn their true purpose.”
    “Isn’t that a job for the military?” Maggie asked, increasingly aware that everyone but her thought this was a good plan.
    “Oh, Maggie,” Sarah said, “he’s a young man and he needs our help. What if he were one of our boys over there and some family had found him half-drowned?”
    “He is German,” Maggie replied. “He is our enemy.” Have you forgotten? Forgiven?
    Sarah turned away, and Lucie stared at Maggie for a long moment. “My darling daughter, what has this war done to you?”
    “This man is not Michael—or George, Mama,” Maggie protested.
    “Margaret,” her father said sternly, but Mama held up her hand as she looked deep into her daughter’s eyes.
    “No, but like George and Michael, he is a young man in a foreign land. You have always been the one to remind us that there has already been enough loss of young lives on both sides of this horrible war.” Her voice caught and Gabe moved to her side, but she waved him away as she foughtto control her emotions. “Stefan Witte is our guest,” she continued in the firm voice she had always used when Maggie was in need of a reprimand. “He is ill and injured. Before we ask any questions or bring others into this, we will do our Christian duty. We will nurse him, feed him and show him that although our governments may be at war, he has nothing to fear