The Good Doctor

Verführerische Zauberin

Henrik couldn't have been happier when the war ended. It was 1945, a couple of weeks before his thirteenth birthday. He was in Berlin with his tantchen and his father, and he knew things would change, probably become harder, but he didn't care. He was just happy the fighting was mostly over. And his father would no longer be able to sign him up for the Hitler Youth.

The thought of going to the Hitler Youth had scared him. He hated the idea of going, knowing he'd never be able to be a properly qualified doctor if he had gone. And his fear became worse after one of his closest friends, Billie, a year older than him had gone... Henrik shuddered. Billie and he had bonded over talk of saving people, of protecting the innocent. They had both wanted to be doctors, they had both disagreed with the Führer and his views on the jews... and yet his friend had gone to Hitler Youth with no choice.

And when Billie had returned, having been away for months and returning for Christmas... Henrik had not recognized him, a young boy now hungry for destruction and the death of those Henrik believed innocent. All Billie could talk about was the Youth, of how he'd gotten to see the Führer in person and how the man had congratulated their group.

And he had disowned Henrik as his friend, stating he couldn't be friends with a Jewish Sympathizer, a traitor to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. He said to honor their once friendship he would not tell anyone of his traitorous thoughts. Henrik had acted grateful, he'd smiled and nodded and went to hug his friend one last time... but he had been pushed away with a disgusted snarl.

Don't touch me you brown eyed fool.

Henrik shook his head and rubbed his arms. He shouldn't be thinking of this anymore. That was a year ago, things have changed. He was to be stuck in Berlin for the foreseeable future, he needed to make the best of what he had. And be grateful for the fact he had no ability to take part in anything Nazi-related.

...

It was several years later when he met her. She was beautiful, with long golden hair and beautiful blue eyes. One might say it was love at first sight, but he didn't believe in that. He was a man of science and logic, a doctor. Or, at least a wannabe doctor. He had seen her in a small café, her being friends with the woman behind the counter (whom he most certainly did not question about the lovely woman and if she was a regular and that no, he wasn't crazy he just wanted to tell her she was beautiful). He returned quite regularly after that. They became friends, and one day, a couple (after much courting from Henrik filled with flowers and the jewelry he could afford). His big brown eyes finally winning her over, or that's how she phrased it.

His Lorelei. His Verführerische Zauberin.

Henrik doted upon her in the following years, both still young at the time they met, only twenty-one years of age. He loved her, wanted what was best for her. She encouraged him to follow his dreams and helped get him a position in the hospital in West Berlin that she worked at as a receptionist, though for his lack of education she had to make a few changes, and the other doctors and staff members knew him as 'Schneep' instead of 'Schneeplestein'. Henrik found the act only made him love her more though.

He quickly rose from a mere nurse to an actual doctor, everyone conveniently forgetting his lack of proper education and proper etiquette. They were short doctors anyway. He didn't mind he wasn't the surgeon he'd dreamed of being since a young boy, hearing tales from older soldiers home from the war about the men and women who saved them by taking their bullets and shrapnel out through surgery, how they were thankful they were still alive and mostly functional. He was just happy to be helping people.

...

When Henrik was 26, his Lorelei 25, in October 1958, he was filled with nerves. He took in a deep breath of air as he waited for his verführerische zauberin outside of the hospital they both worked at, her shift having been nearly over. Henrik swallowed, fingering the small ring he had hidden in his pocket, when he saw her coming down the front steps, and he stepped out with a smile.