The Horse Adjutant stepped on his foot, he felt hot pain. He was admitted.
The infirmary had to open the wound to allow it to drain. The procedure was done without any pain medicine. For the next six weeks, Moshe remained in the infirma - ry. On the third week, the dreaded SS visited. They were doing a selection. When they came upon Moshe’s bed, he tried to sit up and make his eyes bright, alive, and able to work soon. After looking at him, they asked the male nurse, ‘How long does this hâftlinge need to be in the hospital?” Without hesitation, the nurse shot back, “Four days.” They lied. With the wound draining, something was very wrong. The officer accepted the answer he received and walked over to the next patient marking his number on the chart. Moshe passed another deadly selection. When they were gone, the nurse put him into the surgical rotation and, in a miracle, no one can explain, another surgery was performed and the foot was repaired. Moshe remained in the hospital for a few more weeks dreading the next selection, but knowing there was nothing he could do about it. He had to take his chances; there was no way he could survive in a work crew until he healed. Moshe said, “The male nurse was friendly. He was Polish. The only thing I can remember about him is that he was from Krakow. Unfortunately, I don’t know his name. I think the surgeon, doctors, and the nurse were all prisoners. I am sure they must have had SS oversight. After the surgery, I was weak but getting better. While I was in bed, I had time to think about all the patients around me. So many of those patients would never get better. Each day a few died. In a strange twist of fate, the nurses marked many to be alive, even after they died to obtain extra rations. Those that died helped to save the rest of us because we ate their rations. As I got better, the nurse got me on my feet, and I started to help by cleaning dishes or whatever else I could with my limited mobility. We had time to speak about things we both had an interest in, like Polish songs and culture.” Moshe’s natural tendency is to make friends regardless of the situation, so I am sure this friendship meant much more, as his life ended up depending on it. Moshe told me, “The day before the next selection, the nurse told me of a black storm coming.” He said, “Moshe you must leave today. There will be a selection in the morning. You must not be here, or they will take you.” There was no choice. Moshe was not healed, but facing certain destruction, he had to leave. Just before Moshe left, the male nurse said, ”If you come back after they are gone I will accept you again.” Moshe was counting on that. All he had to do was survive the day. Limply he left the medical barracks and went back to the general population.
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