Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty-Two
27th November 1957
Berlin
“I am truly sorry Kristina” The Headmistress had said, “While I find your diligence and hard work commendable, I cannot in good conscience allow you to take that examination. With your educational and emotional development where they are currently, I do not feel you are ready.”
Kiki had only a hazy memory of what had happened next. She had started bawling as her whole world had caved in.
She supposed that Kat must have come and collected her because she had come back to her senses she was in her room. Through the window Kiki had been able to see the grey light of the pre-dawn through the blinds, so she had been there all night. She had been aware that her throat was raw, her eyes hurt, and her nose was sore. Kiki was also aware of how she was completely exhausted, but she had not been able to stand another minute in that house. She had needed go someplace she would feel safe and no one would think to look for her so that she could process what had happened.
That was why she was in the hospital cafeteria. A tired girl who looked like she had been crying simply didn’t stand out there. What Kiki had failed to factor in was Doctor Nora Berg as she had dozed off.
“You look terrible” Berg said as she startled Kiki awake, “You aren’t neglecting your health again, are you?”
“No” Kiki replied, “I had a really awful day… yesterday.”
“I know” Berg replied, “Katherine called, she asked if I had seen you.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I would keep an eye out.”
“No, what I mean is. Did you tell her I was here?”
“Not yet” Berg replied, “I figured I would let you do that, when you were ready.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet” Berg said, “She’s worried about you, afraid that you’ll do something stupid.”
“Oh” Kiki replied with some bitterness. She wasn’t too thrilled with the Gräfin at the moment. She had concluded that Kat must have known what was going to happen before Kiki had. Over the last several weeks Kat had said a lot of things that now in retrospect were intended to soften the blow.
“You’ve got to see things from her perspective” Berg said, “She wants to protect you and that includes protecting you from yourself at times.”
“I just wish that she didn’t just assume that I was stupid.”
“Kiki, you can’t help yourself” Berg replied, “You have the emotions and hormones of any other teenaged girl. Stupid is sort of baked into the cake.”
“This isn’t going to turn into another one of your talks about birth control?” Kiki asked.
Berg just laughed, “That is one of the risks of having your mentor be an FG” She said, “I’ll be right back, with fresh tea. If you want breakfast I would suggest not running off.”
Berg was probably right about that, specializing in what were termed “women’s issues” certainly put all of that directly in her wheelhouse. And the paper cup of tea that Kiki had been drinking had gotten cold after she had dozed off. Berg came back a few minutes later followed by Hospital Porter who was carrying two plates of food on a tray. One of the advantages of being a Senior Doctor meant that Doctor Berg seldom had to wait in line for anything.
“You aren’t here because of me?” Kiki asked.
“No” Berg replied, “I never went home, and you aren’t the only one who had a rough night. I had a complicated delivery that ended badly, difficult labor only to find that it was case of Anencephaly. Something that I’ve only seen once before and hoped to never see again.”
Kiki who had been studying Greek and Latin for all the good that had done her translated that. “No in-head?” She asked.
“It means exactly what it sounds like” Berg replied as she was buttering her toast, “Born without most of their brain. There are few things I hate to see more than a baby born only to watch it die a few hours later.”
That put things in sharp contrast. Compared to that, Kiki’s problems seemed very trite.
“I was told that my school would reevaluate my situation at the end of the next term” Kiki said, “In six months.”
“I’m sure your boyfriend will be happy to learn of that” Berg replied offhandedly.
Kiki felt herself blush at the mention of that. “Ben is a boy and he is my friend” She blurted out, “But I would hardly call him my boyfriend.”
“Does he know that?” Berg asked, “Because Katherine told me that the boy is totally infatuated with you.”
Kiki really wished that Kat had not told Doctor Berg about Ben. She shoveled some of the scrambled eggs on her plate into her mouth to keep from saying something untoward.
“Katherine also told me about your efforts to support your artistic friend” Berg said with practiced nonchalance, “Better hope that this Ben never sees those drawings, or his head might explode.”
With that Kiki choked on her eggs.
“Now” Berg said, “I know that Katherine is very strict about you having boys only on the floors of her house where they can be seen at all times. I only ask because as your Doctor it is important that I know if you have been creative in getting around Katherine’s rules.”
As she finally managed to get the mouthful of eggs down. “No, I’ve done nothing like that” Kiki blurted out.
“Are you sure?” Berg asked sternly.
“Yes” Kiki replied, “Why ask me such a thing?”
“Because it is important” Berg replied, “With the death of your mother and now this latest setback you are particularly vulnerable, emotionally anyway.”
Kiki heard that, in her own blunt way Nora Berg was concerned about what would become of her. “You’re right” Was all she could say in reply.
“Good” Berg said, “Because the last thing I want to see is you in one of the theaters in a few weeks or nine months depending, because you allowed yourself to be taken advantage of.”
There was blunt and then there was horrifying, especially when Doctor Berg wanted to hammer a point home.
