Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III

Part 113, Chapter 1878
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-Eight



13th September 1968

Tempelhof, Berlin

After days of being absolutely terrified, the lab had taken their sweet time getting back to Kiki. They had told her that it had been a fibroadenomas, meaning that it had been small benign growth, and that she had nothing to worry about. Far from being relieved, Kiki had been furious. Why had it taken them so long to get back to her? What about the consequences of leaving her fearing for her life during that time? There were things she had said and done in that state. Kiki had a few days to calm down since then, but just thinking about what happened still made her angry.

“Benjamin thinks I am going to marry him in August and my asshole father is already was making the arrangements because my idiotic boyfriend talked to him first” Kiki said, spitting out every word. “The only reason I even discussed the matter with him was because I was totally in a panic and thought I was going to die.”

“In fairness to the two of them” Berg said, “I cannot see any other way for that conversation to have taken place.”

“Don’t be another asshole Nora” Kiki said sharply.

“As amusing it is to hear the Emperor’s daughter calling him and the young man who is apparently her intended assholes, I need you to hold still Kristina” The Surgeon said. Kiki had been ignoring the man and her undressed state as she had come here to have the stitches taken out. She fell silent for a few minutes as he worked. The Surgeon was a plain man, roughly the same age as Kiki’s father. Almost invisible unless he wanted to be heard. Those were probably desirable attributes in his profession.

“You’ll be pleased to know that this will probably not leave much of a scar” The Surgeon said, one more thing that Kiki could be relieved about as he pulled the stitches out and started to put a fresh bandage on it. He left the room and Kiki started to put her clothes back on.

“I think that you were being needlessly dramatic over the whole matter” Berg said, “We would have caught it early enough for there to be many treatment options and it would have been dealt with. The worst that probably would have happened is that a mastectomy would have needed to be performed.”

Kiki was completely aghast that Berg would say such a thing so nonchalantly.

“Don’t get me wrong” Berg said, “That would be a terrible thing to have to do to a young woman, even to save her life, but she would still have that life.”

There was something about the way that Berg behaved sometimes, the way she projected an air of nonchalance and didn’t seem to care about how offensive she could be that was starting to ring false. Kiki had also seen how she had behaved when dealing with Marie Von Mischner-Blackwood, being gentle and informative without being overbearing. Kiki suspected that Berg had been just as scared as she was over what had happened and behaved in a caustic manner to hide it.

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The school day was nearly over, and Sophie had almost made it to the end of the week without getting in trouble. The drops of blood spattered in a trail on the floor leading away and the pain in her hand suggested just exactly how far short of the mark she had come this time. It was all she could do to not start crying as she heard voices and footsteps coming back towards her. There was no point in running away.

The Headmistress of the School along with a Teacher and the girl who Sophie had hit was holding a rag over her face trying to stop the bleeding. Sophie couldn’t help but noticing that under the rag the girl had a smirk on her face. Running into the Headmistress’ office with a bloody nose and sob story about Sophie probably made her entire week.

“Did you do this?” the Headmistress demanded. Exactly how did Sophie explain this when the one person who could back up her story had run off, as unlikely as that seemed.

Despite her difficulties the previous year, Sophie had high enough scores in the final exams to be moved to a preparatory class this year. To her surprise, she had discovered that Ziska was there on the first day. During the first week, Sophie had been left alone but it hadn’t taken her long to figure out why. The same group of girls who had relentlessly bullied her and had thought it was funny to make her cry had shifted targets to Ziska.

While Ziska no longer walked with as pronounced a limp as she had during the summer, presumably because her leg had been replaced with one better suited to her height, the other girls had glommed onto the fact that she was missing a leg. The scene that Sophie had come across in the hallway after the final period of the day is when that had come to a head.

“Yes” Sophie answered the Headmistress’ question.

“This isn’t like you Sophie, completely unacceptable” The Headmistress said, “Do you care to give me an explanation.”

“She was trying to pull Franziska’s leg off” Sophie said and the smirk on the other girl’s face vanished in an instant.

“Where is Franziska?” The Headmistress asked.

Sophie didn’t know. When she had hit the other girl, the group had scattered. Ziska had told Sophie that she could fight her own battles and demanded to be left alone as she had hobbled off.
 
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I feel that someone needs to sit Kiki down and explain to her that next summer when she gets he MD. that she can basically do whatever she wants on a professional level.
She can stay full time in the JMS with her pick of any duty station within reason, go on a reserve status and work at a civilian hospital and do research, or go around the world on humanitarian missions.
This will hopefully let her feel that finally that her life is her own.
 
“Benjamin thinks I am going to marry him in August and my asshole father is already was making the arrangements because my idiotic boyfriend talked to him first” Kiki said, spitting out every word. “The only reason I even discussed the matter with him was because I was totally in a panic and thought I was going to die.”

“In fairness to the two of them” Berg said, “I cannot see any other way for that conversation to have taken place.”

P-M, I had just drunk a mouthful of coffee when I read this passage. Laugh-snorting any beverage is unpleasant; coffee even more so. Plus I had to wipe down my laptop... Well done, sir.


There was something about the way that Berg behaved sometimes, the way she projected an air of nonchalance and didn’t seem to care about how offensive she could be that was starting to ring false. Kiki had also seen how she had behaved when dealing with Marie Von Mischner-Blackwood, being gentle and informative without being overbearing. Kiki suspected that Berg had been just as scared as she was over what had happened and behaved in a caustic manner to hide it.

Nora Berg really does see Kiki as a surrogate daughter, doesn't she?


As for Sophie's little fracas; living under the protection of the Tigress and having a Marie as a 'big sister' seems to be having an effect on her. As does having Ziska as a friend. Speaking of, Sophie can say that she knows that Ziska can fight her own battles, but Sophie had a score of her own to settle with that bitch and her gang. Also, can you imagine the thought processes going through the headmistress' head re: "How do I broach this situation with the Furstin?"
 
"Good Afternoon Frau Mischner-Blackwood, I am ringing as Sophie has been involved in an incident... No, no, she is fine. No, it seems that one of the girls that had been bullying her had found a new victim, Franziska, yes that's the one. Well, Sophie stepped in to defend Franziska and appears to ahev punched the girl in the face rather hard.
I trust I can leave this to you to deal with?
No, Frau Mischner-Blackwood, I did not mean that you should add Akido or Krav Maga to Sophies already extensive martial arts repetiore... "
 
Sophie and Ziska needs to meet Zella and hear of some of the things she did with Princess Kristina and their friend Aurora.
But seriously Sophie does have to learn not to resort to violence to solve her problems or at least until she joins the BND.
 
Sophie and Ziska needs to meet Zella and hear of some of the things she did with Princess Kristina and their friend Aurora.
But seriously Sophie does have to learn not to resort to violence to solve her problems or at least until she joins the BND.
I'm of the school of thought that bullies are an exception to this. Especially in this situation where the bully was attempting to steal Ziska's false leg.
 
I'm of the school of thought that bullies are an exception to this. Especially in this situation where the bully was attempting to steal Ziska's false leg.

I would agree. I don't think that one should start a fight, but if other people get physically aggressive and one thinks one has a chance of taking them, then one should.
 
“She was trying to pull Franziska’s leg off”
That is absolutely cruel, and the culprit should get punished appropriately.
"Good Afternoon Frau Mischner-Blackwood, I am ringing as Sophie has been involved in an incident... No, no, she is fine. No, it seems that one of the girls that had been bullying her had found a new victim, Franziska, yes that's the one. Well, Sophie stepped in to defend Franziska and appears to ahev punched the girl in the face rather hard.
I trust I can leave this to you to deal with?
No, Frau Mischner-Blackwood, I did not mean that you should add Akido or Krav Maga to Sophies already extensive martial arts repetiore... "
Teacher, "Your daughter has been fighting in school."
Parent, "Was she keeping her hands up? How was her jab? What combos did she use?"
Teacher, "AAAAARGHHHHHH!!!!!"
Sophie and Ziska needs to meet Zella and hear of some of the things she did with Princess Kristina and their friend Aurora.
But seriously Sophie does have to learn not to resort to violence to solve her problems or at least until she joins the BND.
Sometimes violence is the answer, IMVHO. The challenge is judging when it's appropriate.
Whoever says violence never solves anything should ask the SS, the south, Louis XVII, and the like. If violence hadn't been used against them at the appropriate time, I think we'd be worse off.
 
Teacher, "Your daughter has been fighting in school."
Parent, "Was she keeping her hands up? How was her jab? What combos did she use?"
Teacher, "AAAAARGHHHHHH!!!!!"

Reminds me of this story from Reddit :p


Sometimes violence is the answer, IMVHO. The challenge is judging when it's appropriate.
Whoever says violence never solves anything should ask the SS, the south, Louis XVII, and the like. If violence hadn't been used against them at the appropriate time, I think we'd be worse off.

Agreed entirely.
 
I have a sudden flash of thought in my mind. Sophie grabs Ziska’s leg back from the bully, Ziska ask for it back, Sophie in the interest of peace gives it to her, Ziska( who has had her new Tante Kat talk to her) proceeds to beat the bully with said leg while Sophie just stands there. Parting shor by Z “ I told you I could take care of myself”.
 
I very much applaud the sentiment of the other posters in regards to Sophie taking down that bully but the problem is that I am getting a sense that the school authorities are more than willing to label Sophie as a "Troublemaker" in which they will use against her because they don't want to deal with her emotional problems and the same applies to Ziska as I remember at that time in the United States public schools would send physically challenged students to "Special" schools or if they were at a regular school they were kept separate from other students and were on different schedules.
 
I very much applaud the sentiment of the other posters in regards to Sophie taking down that bully but the problem is that I am getting a sense that the school authorities are more than willing to label Sophie as a "Troublemaker" in which they will use against her because they don't want to deal with her emotional problems and the same applies to Ziska as I remember at that time in the United States public schools would send physically challenged students to "Special" schools or if they were at a regular school they were kept separate from other students and were on different schedules.

Is Helene still Minister of Education? I think that if Kat was to pass her some information that schools were not taking care of students equally, wasn’t the Kaisers sister the reason they brought equality into the schools, there might be an investigation by agencies to determine what laws and regulations were broken?
 
Part 114, Chapter 1879
Chapter One Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy-Nine



16th September 1968

Olive Township, Rural Indiana

“There’s trouble Boss” Beckett said.

“More crap from the locals?” Jim Smith asked.

“I wish” Beckett replied, “The people around here don’t seem to know anything about this one.”

Smith tried to hide his annoyance at more trouble on an already troubled project in a part of Indiana where being Black like he was happened to be rather dangerous to his health. It was an aspect to this part of the Midwest that he doubted that anyone back home in New Orleans would have believed. That Rural Indiana, just a few hours east of Chicago, happened to be a major stronghold of the Klan.

That was why Smith didn’t let on that he was the Senior Engineer for this project and allowed Beckett to appear as if he were in charge. He knew what the locals saw when they looked at him, and it wasn’t an Engineer from Southern Pacific, formerly with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He also happened to have a degree from Howard University that was far beyond what they might ever achieve.

Not that Brian Beckett was much better. He managed to piss off the locals just by opening his mouth. It didn’t matter what Beckett said, they heard his California accent refined by his college education at UCLA and assumed that he was talking down to them. Still, with how important the railroad was in this region and Beckett looking the part of a typical WASP, they put up with him. Smith made sure that the crew, be they White, Black, Mexican, or even Eskimo, knew to stay with the gear on the trains at night. They would have plenty of time to blow off steam in Chicago as soon as the job was done.

The entire project was behind schedule, with a line of parallel track needing to be completed before snow flew. It was always at the back of Smith’s mind that it was already September, so no further delays would be acceptable.

Following Beckett down the line, Smith was listening as it was explained to him what was happening.

“The man operating the frontend loader spotted something” Beckett said, “He gets out and finds the bones, it only took a few minutes for more to turn up.”

Looking into the trench, Smith saw a whole lot of trouble in the offing. A skull with what looked like a bullet hole in the back of it was the first thing he noticed. His hope that this was the site some old Indian massacre was dashed when he noticed a corroded rifle cartridge by his foot. Brass, bottle-necked and rimless. Unmistakably .30-06 and this was entirely too big to keep quiet for long.



Tempelhof, Berlin

“You are not on vacation” Katherine said as she sat Sophie down in the office with her schoolwork after making sure that she was up and ready at the time she normally went to school.

That was how it went because Sophie had been given a one-week suspension for fighting. That had seemed unfair because she had been trying to stop those girls from hurting Ziska. Did anyone really think that they would have stopped if they had been able to run off with her leg? Over the prior year that group discovering that they could make Sophie cry had caused them to become increasingly cruel as the year had wound down. Katherine had said that life was seldom fair and that sometimes doing the right thing meant enduring the consequences afterwards.

Sophie had also been taken to task by Katherine for hitting someone in the face with her first. Sophie had been lucky she hadn’t fractured any bones in her hand by doing that. She had said ominously that they were going to need to work on that so that Sophie wouldn’t injure herself in the future.

Apparently, the desk that Sophie was studying at had been here since Katherine’s oldest daughter Tatiana had been a student at the same school she was attending. It seemed that this was not the first time that one of the children in Katherine’s care had gotten in trouble and had been suspended from school. It faced a blank wall and was in full view of the desk that Katherine used when she was at home, meaning that goofing off or sneaking away were not options.

Presently, Sophie was trying to stay awake as she was reading from the vast tome, The History of Germany and the Baltic, Annotated Edition. It was a thousand odd pages of dry material complete with photographs, diagrams, and hundreds of footnotes. The book was something that Sophie’s entire class had learned to dread being assigned anything out of it and she had been told that she needed to read several chapters out of it over the week she would be suspended. The longer she read from it, the more the words blurred together into a mass of grey.

That was why Sophie wasn’t paying attention as the door opened. There had been a number of people coming and going all day. Mostly Katherine’s aides and high-ranking Military Officers. There were also others like the Japanese man who Sophie was told to address as Herr Kage, didn’t have a formal rank but gave Sophie the impression that they were incredibly dangerous.

“I know that the two of you are friends” Katherine said, “Perhaps it is time you acted like it.”

Though she wasn’t supposed to turn around, Sophie looked to see that Ziska had entered the room. It had taken a considerable amount of time for Ziska to be found the previous Friday after she had run off. Getting the whole story about what had happened had been difficult, the detail that Sophie and Ziska were not on speaking terms had also come up. It seemed that Katherine had decided that something needed to be done about that.
 
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Looking into the trench, Smith saw a whole lot of trouble in the offing. A skull with what looked like a bullet hole in the back of it was the first thing he noticed. His hope that this was the site some old Indian massacre was dashed when he noticed a corroded rifle cartridge by his foot. Brass, bottle-necked and rimless. Unmistakably .30-06 and this was entirely too big to keep quiet for long.
Skeleton....

Hmm. Is this Teller the scientist that was killed way back when...

Was it Teller?
 
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