His wife

>fragile angel<

30th of June 1943
Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi-Germany

I really used to be way better at this. Or at least I want to imagine that I was.

My ballet teacher would be shouting at me by now as I land wrongly after spinning 17 pirouettes. At best I think I was able to do 25 and that with landing correctly, right now I barely can keep myself from slipping and falling. Though instead of giving up, I force myself to try again.

Get in first position, foot to the side as well as both arms to side in an elegant manner, foot behind the other one and both knees bend. Upper body must be completely straight and one of the both arms that are now in front of my body must go to the side and now spin around, one foot up and put it next to the other straighten knee. Now just spin and spin and spin. Always remember to move the head faster than you turn to a set point so that you won't get dizzy.

22 pirouettes, 23, 24 and finally- ''Hello Liebes.''
And because I stopped focusing on my one point and loosened my muscles, I now lay on the floor and Josef immediately rushes to my side.

''Are you alright?''While he sounds worried, I hold onto my ankle which causes me pain and stare up at him being dressed like a doctor. ''No.'' The pain is even visible in my voice and in my helpless stare and he does hesiate for a bit, probably trying to figure out what to do but then he picks me up and walks out of the flat with me in his arms.

''Don't worry I'll take care of you. You'll be fine, I promise.'' In this hurry he doesn't even tell me to close my eyes before we walks through this horror. Though I don't look around and just stare up at his anxious expression while worrying about being seriously hurt and therefore never being able to dance again.

The building he walks now into is the one with his labourtary in it, though he doesn't seem to be going that way. He rushes into another direction and knocks on some door by kicking it with his foot slightly before an older man answers ''Dr Mengele. May I ask who the girl in your arms is?'' The fellow doctor steps aside and lets us enter and now finally Josef places me down on a patient bed in the middle of the room. ''My wife.''

Nervously I stare at my ankle without even minding both men nor the room around me.''How did this happen?'' Now I look at the other doctor, though only because he is softly touching my ankle and looking at my reaction to it. ''She fell while dancing.'' To me it's unclear why he would even ask this, I am wearing point shoes and a full ballet outfit.

''Does this hurt?'' He asks while flexing my foot. As reaction I only moan in pain which gets Josef to demand nervously ''You see that it hurts her, so stop doing it.'' Though this man doesn't listen to him and just moves my foot around more. Which causes me more pain.

Finally after some more minutes, he calmly explains ''Seems like nothing is broken, though her achilles tendon is overstreched and maybe also some muscles near. Which means she has to stay in bed for at least 3 weeks to rest and wait with dancing for another 3.'' My skin turn paler as I hear this and I have to swallow hardly, though Josef actually seems relieved.

While he thanks the doctor I internally panic about not being able to dance again for a long time. Gently he picks me up again before the other doctor asks ''Why did you come to her with me? You are a doctor as well after all.'' His tone just sounded a little suspicious while Josef tries to hide his nervousness behind his charisma as he replies ''You are better with treating children than I am.''

Now the other doctor raises an eyebrow, probably because he indirectly referred to me as a child. ''I believe quite otherwise, Dr Mengele.''

As quickly as we got here, we leave again and once we are at home. Josef brings me to the bathroom and places me on the edge of the bathtub. Very tenderly he frees my ankles from the pinkish silk bands of my point shoes and then finally the point shoes together with my toe protectors.