The secret island E-Book

Marina Umlauf

• Herausgeber: novum pro Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 417

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

For Dr Michael Berg it is a stroke of luck when he is offered the management of the small hospital on a remote island. He is to treat prisoners who are settled there as part of a secret project. The offenders are allowed to move freely on the idyllic, seemingly uninhabited island and have to look after themselves. Very soon, however, it turns out that they are not alone at all. None of them suspects that they are to become victims of a gruesome experiment. Only when huge primeval predators invade the men's camp and apparently regard the defenceless humans as prey, do they realise that they are in the utmost danger of their lives on this cursed island ...

Leseprobe

The secret island

People

Dr. Michael Berg, physician

Karl Mütze, Administrative Officer

Manfred Rupp, prisoner

Harry Bender, prisoner

Sven Sörensen, prisoner

Thomas Winterbach, prisoner

Marion and Katharina, nurses

Max and Andy, nurses

Jessica Schwarz, student

Marc Dehner, paleontologist

The first boats reached the white sandy beach of the idyllic island at dawn. The occupants were ordered in a gruff tone to disembark and wade ashore through the shallow water, which they obediently did. The boats then immediately cast off again to return to the ship and bring more men to the island.

Those who arrived initially stood undecided on the shore, not knowing what to do next. They waited for instructions. When they noticed that no one seemed to be looking after them, a few of them slowly moved away. As if expecting to be called back the next moment, they cautiously moved away from the beach. When nothing happened, their steps became more hurried. They quickly disappeared into the interior of the island and disappeared into the lush vegetation.

Most of them, however, remained in place. The handcuffs had already been removed from them on board the ship, but the men could not believe that they were now actually allowed to move freely on this island. Surely they were being watched. Whoever did not comply would have to expect heavy penalties, they suspected.

It took several hours before everyone was ashore. Finally, several uniformed men got out of the boats and walked carelessly past the waiting people.

Manfred Rupp, one of the prisoners, pushed his lower lip forward.

"What the hell is this?" He nudged his buddy, whom he had met on the crossing. "They're just ignoring us. There's no such thing!"

"Funny. Sure it's a trap. They're out to get us!" Harry Bender, a blond hunk who measured almost six feet, grimly screwed up his face.

"Hello! What's going on? Where are we supposed to go now?" he called out to the uniformed men. One of them looked around briefly, but walked on unmoved. No one answered him.

The men continued to stand around, perplexed. They still did not dare to simply leave the shore. For too long, they had lived by strict rules and only acted on orders.

"Maybe we should go after them?" pondered Manfred Rupp aloud.

"What's the point? They don't care about us at all," said Harry Bender doubtfully.

"But we can't stand here all day, either!" another suggested.

"I agree," another agreed with him. "We could take a look at where the accommodation is. That's plausible! Surely no one can touch us there!" He looked around for applause.

"All right," Bender said, "I would agree to that. Who's coming?" He looked questioningly around the table.

Not everyone could bring themselves to follow the men, but most nodded and started moving. Since no one knew their way around, they first went in the direction the uniformed men had taken. When they had walked for a while, a whitewashed building became visible.

"There you go!" Harry Bender stopped and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "That'll be the accommodation."

"A bit small," Manfred Rupp thought. "But maybe the building is bigger than it looks from here."

Everyone finally gathered in front of the front door and waited. By now they were thirsty and hungry. They had not had anything to eat or drink for many hours.

Of course, the prisoners could not know that the building was not a shelter at all. It was just as small as it looked at first glance. It didn't have to be any bigger than that, because apart from the infirmary it contained only the administration, which consisted of exactly one office, where an official was on duty. It must be said that he had been ordered here because there was no longer any use for him elsewhere. His name was Karl Mütze, he came from Hamburg and was drunk most of the time.

The infirmary was a little more extensive, but it was mainly for emergencies. One had to be able to provide medical care for the men who were on the island. The bare necessities were available for that purpose. There was an examination room, a small operating room and a few sick rooms.

Otherwise, only the living quarters of the personnel present were in the small building.

Of course, there was also a doctor who looked after the infirmary. Dr. Michael Berg had applied for this position, of which he did not know what was in store for him, since they had been very cagey with information. However, he was something of an adventurer to whom the prospect of working on a desert island seemed very exciting. He had been told that he would be treating prisoners, but that did not deter him. To him, they were patients like any other, and he didn't care where they came from or what their backgrounds were.

Stupidly, he had been assigned two young nurses who probably didn't fit there at all! If the island was filled with male prisoners who had no opportunity to socialize with women, it would be problematic. He felt responsible for the nurses and couldn't imagine how he would protect them. But there were still two beefy nurses to help him.

The men who were still standing on the beach were getting impatient. They were hungry and thirsty. If they were not taken care of in any other way, at least they had to be supplied with water and food!

At some point, they decided to set out on their own. They too finally arrived in front of the small building, where the other prisoners were still standing around. Excitedly, they discussed with each other. No one could understand why they were not let in.

"They want to soften us up!" shouted Harry Bender, who had appointed himself spokesman. "We're not going to put up with that! We have rights, too!" He looked around promptly, but no one agreed with him. Everyone looked silently ahead. Wait and see, they thought.

"It's no use at all," Manfred Rupp finally said. "I would suggest that we take a look around ourselves to see if there is any drinking water and something to eat around here. I'm hungry, anyway!" He looked around. This time some of the men nodded and were ready to join him.

Together they wandered into the interior of the island. After some time, they came across a small lake that was fed by a spring. Immediately they plunged into the water and drank. Due to the heat and the long march they were half thirsty. Hiding behind the trees were the men who had already fled immediately after arriving on the island. At first they thought they would be pursued and punished. However, they were hell-bent on defending themselves by any means necessary. With clubs and branches in their hands, they rushed out of their hiding places. Only when they realized that the arrivals were also prisoners did they lower their weapons and come closer.

"What are you guys doing here now?" one of them asked. "Aren't the guards following us?"

"No. Nobody gives a damn about us!" he got a rude reply. "They don't give a damn about us! We get nothing to eat and nothing to drink! They want to let us die here!"

"Slow down! There's no such thing! And if necessary, we'll take care of ourselves," said a bold-looking man whose face was covered with a wild beard.

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Manfred Rupp. "There's nothing here after all!"

"How do you know that? We've only been here a few hours! We need to split up and explore the island!" The bearded man's name was Sven Sörensen and he had a lot on his plate. But he was of a practical nature. The men found what he said plausible. Some nodded in agreement.

"So let's go! In groups of ten men we'll fan out and see what there is to get!" the bearded man determined.

One of the squads, to which Sörensen belonged, actually found a small tent after a short time, in which food had apparently been provided. At first glance, it was not much. Sörensen took a closer look at the sacks. Apart from him, no one else could fit into the tent. The others waited outside.

"What's inside?" one of them wanted to know.

"Corn, beans and rice."

"Is that all?"

"No."

"No pots? Are we supposed to eat it like this?" asked another. "They're out of their minds! Are we chickens or what?"

Sörensen rumbled around in the half-dark tent. Finally, he found what he was looking for. A few cooking pots and bowls were piled up in one corner.

The second troop also found a tent in which there were several bags marked "seeds". There were also some fishing nets and various tools.

Harry Bender, who belonged to this group, was quite stunned. "What's this all about?" he asked. "Apparently we're supposed to cultivate the island and catch fish until then?"

This is what it actually looked like. And the available tools were apparently to be used to build the shelters.

The third group did the most sensible thing. The men collected perennials of ripe bananas and found some coconuts. First they ate their fill, and then they dragged the perennials and nuts to the beach. They had not agreed on a fixed meeting place, but by shouting loudly they eventually found the others again.

In the meantime, food was bubbling in the pots over the fireplaces. Several boxes of matches had been found among the utensils and fireplaces had been built from stones and wood lying around. Corn, beans and rice had been poured indiscriminately into the pots and were boiling away. Everyone's stomach growled, and the men stood expectantly around the pots. When they thought they could finally eat, however, they were bitterly disappointed. It turned out that the corn and the beans were much too hard and inedible. Only the rice could be eaten, but even this was relatively tasteless because they had no spices.

"I think you have to soak it first," one of the men reasoned after spitting out a few kernels of corn.

"And why are you just saying that now?" shouted Sörensen sourly. He almost punched him, but he controlled himself.

"Because it just occurred to me now," the man replied calmly, shrugging his shoulders. "You didn't know it either."

"Don't we have any salt?" the next one complained.

"You'd best check with the people who brought us here," Manfred Rupp said, grinning. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"Perhaps some seawater could be used for cooking. Then it would certainly be salty enough," one of the men suggested.

"That's disgusting! You've got the shit from the fish in your food," another immediately objected to the idea.

"It's nothing compared to what we're usually fed. And at least it's natural," one of the men remarked.

At least now they still had bananas and coconuts.

"Tomorrow we'll go fishing!" determined Harry Bender, pointing to the nets.

Dr. Michael Berg had been waiting for the men to show up in front of the small building. He didn't really know what to expect. Anything was possible. Hopefully, they would not try to force their way in. He could not count on Karl Mütze, who was in charge of administration. If at all, he was only responsive for a short time in the morning hours. He spent the rest of the day senselessly drunk in his bed. As a physician, Dr. Berg found the official's condition very alarming. Morally, he found it impossible to simply dump this alcoholic man here because he could not be used elsewhere. That he could not fulfill his duties was obvious. As always, Dr. Berg felt responsible.

In fact, the prisoners gathered in front of the small building that evening. They had decided to do so at short notice. Perhaps they would be able to tell them here how things should proceed.

The two nurses anxiously kept to the background as they realized that there was a horde of men outside.

"I'm going to talk to these people," Dr. Berg said. "I suspect no one has told them why they are here and how they are supposed to live here. Frankly, I can't quite figure it out yet either." Shaking his head, he made his way to the front gate of the building. The uniformed men who had brought the people to the island had long since departed. For safety's sake, however, the two nurses accompanied him.

They won't do me much good if those guys run me over now, Berg thought to himself. Let's hope this turns out well!

He took another deep breath before opening the security gate. It was silent for a moment. Everyone waited anxiously to hear what he had to tell them.

"Good afternoon!" said Berg. "I'm a doctor, and my name is Michael Berg. Anyone who is sick or injured can come here anytime for medical care."

"Where are the shelters?" shouted one of the crowd.

Berg had expected that. The people didn't know that they had simply been abandoned here.

"There isn't." Berg shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, but that's not my responsibility!"

"Should we build huts?" another man asked.

"Yes, it was probably thought of that way," Berg replied.

"And we have to take care of the food ourselves, too?" asked Manfred Rupp.

"As far as I know, they provided you with food for the first time." Berg didn't know for sure. He had been given only vague hints.

"Yes. A few bags of grains. Quite great! In the penitentiary we got a proper meal three times a day!", Harry Bender was excited. He had been less satisfied with the meals in prison, but that didn't matter now!

"What is this exactly? Can you cook something from it? On the island there might be other things to feed yourself with. Maybe fruits? Or could you imagine catching fish?" Berg didn't know any better. He hadn't had a chance to look around the island yet.

Sven Sörensen waved it off. "We already know all that! But it won't work!"

"Why not?"

"Because we don't want to do that! One is obliged to provide us properly! What's all this crap about anyway?"

"I guess it's a new concept for housing prisoners." Berg raised his shoulders. "You're free to move around the island, but you have to support yourselves in return."

"Yes, exactly! Building huts and planting fields with the seeds! Not in a lifetime!" Manfred Rupp tapped his forehead. "They'll pick us up here again real quick!"

Dr. Berg was absolutely sure that this would not be the case. If the men refused, they would just have to starve. Those who had decided this were completely indifferent.

Berg was worried. He was dealing with men who would not be told anything. They would fight back. And that could be damn dangerous!

The two nurses shared a room in the small building. They had furnished it quite nicely with the little they had brought with them to the island. They got along quite well right away, although outwardly they could hardly have been more different. Marion was small, buxom and had short, blond hair. Catherine was very slim, a head taller than Marion and had beautiful long dark hair. Her face was very narrow, finely cut and looked a little exotic. She was a type that many men looked longingly for. Marion was rather inconspicuous, although she too had a very pretty, roundish face.

Most of the time, the two young women talked about Dr. Berg. Both seemed to have taken a liking to him.

So far, there were no sick people in the small clinic, and there was not very much to do. Dr. Berg had instructed the two nurses to unpack the medicines and bandages and put them in the cabinets. They were busy with that for a while. They neatly labeled the medicine cabinets and sorted everything very meticulously. Dr. Berg looked at this, since he had to know where to find the things.

Marion and Katharina were happy about every praise from him and did everything to please him. Now, however, each of them paid close attention to whether he spoke more to the other or praised her. As soon as he addressed one of them directly, the other became jealous. Both tried by all means to attract his attention.

Dr. Berg didn't notice that at all. He just had other problems. However, he felt responsible for protecting the nurses, which gave him a headache in view of the horde of criminal men.

The very next morning, the first set out to catch fish. Since they had no boats, several men swam a little way out to sea and pulled one of the nets between them through the shallow water.

Although it was doubted at first, they actually managed to catch a lot of fish this way. When they finally pulled the net to the shore, it was quite heavy. Some men stood on the beach and were amazed when they saw the filled net.

Immediately, a number of people set to work. The fish had to be gutted, cleaned and fried. One could see at first glance that some obviously had experience in this. Without hesitation, they cut open the fish and gutted them. Most, however, remained standing at a safe distance, their faces contorted in disgust.

"Maybe you'll help out a bit, too?" called out Sörensen to them, who was in the process of gutting one fish after another. He had done this many times in the past and found nothing wrong with it. "Anyone can stand around stupidly! If you don't do anything, you don't need to eat!" he threatened.

Some grumbled to themselves, but did not dare to contradict him. "We could collect wood and make a fire," one suggested.

"The main thing is that you do something!" said Harry Bender. He came out of one of the supply tents with a bowl full of beans and corn.

"Some of the guys are looking for bananas and see if they can find anything else," said Manfred Rupp, who brought a pot of rice. "Who's going to get water?" Immediately, three men started moving. In fact, suddenly everyone seemed to be making a little effort after all. After all, they were all hungry.

The fireplaces were just about ready to put on the rice and fry the fish, when suddenly it began to rain heavily. This was completely normal on the island, but the men did not know it yet. It rained at least once a day. The rain never lasted long, but it was always very productive.

Hungry and disgruntled, they sat under the palm trees and waited until it stopped raining. The fires had gone out and everything was wet! Where were they going to get dry wood now?

"What a bummer!" growled Bender. Sörensen shrugged and handed out bananas. "What do you want to do? That's just the way it is. We need to build waterproof roofs so this doesn't happen to us more often."

Some nodded in agreement. Others screwed up their faces. They would have preferred to stay in prison. There they had been taken care of and didn't have to worry about anything.

With the tools found in one of the tents, they actually began to build makeshift huts. They were actually more shelters that were half open. The main thing was to have dry places to sleep. In addition, the men wove a few roofs out of palm leaves, which could be quickly placed over the fireplaces when it rained.

After a short time they brought the first injured man. He had slipped with an axe and hit his leg. The wound looked bad and was bleeding profusely. Two of the prisoners carried him to the hospital and called for the doctor. When they reached the front gate with the wounded man, it was immediately opened by the two orderlies. They lifted the man onto a stretcher and sent the others away. Only the sick and injured were allowed in! Immediately the gate was closed again. At a run, the nurses took the injured man to the treatment room. Dr. Berg had already been alerted and had prepared everything for wound care. The two nurses stayed in the background and waited for his instructions.

"It's going to hurt a little now!" Dr. Berg bent over the injured man, whose eyes widened in fear.

"Hold him down!" he said to the nurses.

Max was from Bavaria and looked like a prizefighter. The other keeper's name was Andy, and one would have rather suspected him to be the bouncer of a brothel. No one knew where he came from. In general, the backgrounds of the two were very obscure, but no one had been interested in that when they were hired. The important thing was that they were suitable for the job. Apparently, they were just right for the job. Whoever saw the two of them no longer thought of fighting back.

The nurses grabbed the patient vigorously. The patient whimpered piteously. Unable to move, he lay helplessly on the treatment table. "Will you give me anesthesia?" he begged the doctor. His eyelids fluttered.

"No. Not because of a flesh wound!" Dr. Berg began to clean the wound. The injured man roared. The nurses winced. Berg beckoned them over. "What is it?" he shouted, annoyed. "You have to assist! If you can't see that, you're out of place here!"

The axe had gone into the lower leg and severed the calf muscle. Only after Berg had cleaned the wound did he see that the bone had also suffered some damage. He used tweezers to remove individual, small bone splinters. The two nurses watched emotionlessly. Katharina pressed her hands in front of her mouth and did not react at all. Marion, on the other hand, calmly carried out all the hand movements Berg instructed without making a face.

Finally, the visibly upset patient was wheeled into a hospital room. There he was given a clean, freshly made bed and was to be looked after by the nurses. This was not so easy, however, since this was not a normal hospital. Berg thought it was too risky to send the nurses to him without protection. When they brought him his food, which they had prepared in the small hospital kitchen, one of the nurses always had to accompany them. Since there were no other patients to care for besides him, this was possible without any problems at the moment.

"What was wrong with you today?" asked Marion guilelessly that evening when they were alone in their quarters. "Why didn't you help?"

Catherine wheeled around. "The main thing is that you've made yourself popular again!" she sneered angrily.

Marion looked at her with widened eyes. "But why? I was just doing my job!" She looked at Katharina without understanding.

"I'm sure he loved the way you threw yourself into it!"

"You're crazy! He's not interested in us at all. Neither for you nor for me! He just wants us to do our job!" Marion thought soberly. It was clear to her that Katharina had certain intentions, and she herself liked Dr. Berg very much, but she knew exactly where the line was. If Berg was not interested, then that was the way it was and had to be accepted. After all, she was not here because of him.

Dr. Berg checked on the injured man several times a day - always accompanied by a nurse and an orderly. So far, however, the patient was behaving calmly. He was in pain and was happy to be cared for.

The wound had been sutured, but the patient was given a local anesthetic. The dressing was changed once a day. Dr. Berg did this himself. One of the nurses handed him the material, while the orderly stayed in the background and supervised that the prisoner did not become rebellious.

However, it was not long before more wounded were standing in front of the small hospital. Again and again it happened that the men were injured during the construction of the huts. However, most of them could be discharged after outpatient treatment. This did not suit many of them at all, as they had already been looking forward to a comfortable bed with all-round care. Only two other cases were admitted as inpatients. One had developed a high fever, and the other had a bad, festering wound after scratching his arm on the branch of an unknown plant that was probably secreting a toxic substance.

There have been no injuries from fights so far, although Dr. Berg had firmly expected that his patients would come to him mainly for that reason.

He had no way of knowing that there were no violent criminals among the prisoners who had been abandoned on the island. He had not been informed about what crimes they had committed, and he had not asked about it because he was basically not interested. His job was to help sick people. No matter where they came from or what they had done. Nevertheless, it had been wisely decided to bring only certain men here, because they did not want to provoke a massacre of this kind on the island.

Hardly anyone knew that there were two islands. One of them was completely official. No violent offenders were housed here either, as men were almost completely free to move around on this island as well. But there was a difference. On the official island there were shelters and real prison cells. Anyone who did not comply was locked in a cell without further discussion, where he remained until he could be picked up again to be transferred back to a regular correctional facility.

This island mainly housed offenders with good prognoses. Only those who had previously proven themselves through good behavior, were hardworking and had not assaulted anyone were given the chance to serve their prison sentence here. The special thing was that the men could live there almost like in a normal village. Pigs, chickens and geese were kept, and there was also a little agriculture. Corn, wheat, rye and barley grew in the fields. Thus, the men's diet consisted mainly of their own crops. Each prisoner was assigned a job to do. However, they did not receive real money for it. The men were paid by a point system, with which they could buy in a magazine, which was supplied regularly by a supply ship.

On the island there was an administration, a canteen and even a small library. The shelters remained open day and night. Only at fixed rest times everyone had to stay there, but this was controlled only sporadically.

Officially, the convicts of the secret island had also been housed here. Only a small circle knew that this was not true. It was simply a matter of being able to prove where the abandoned convicts had been taken, in case anyone was interested, since no one was allowed to know anything about the secret island. However, no one asked about it because they had previously documented exactly whether anyone had relatives or received visitors. These men were not eligible for the experiment.

The decision as to who was taken to which island depended on whether the inmates were willing to work. This had already been clearly assigned in the penitentiary. All those who had finally been abandoned on the secret island had refused to do anything. They were of the opinion that since they had been imprisoned, they had to be taken care of. In principle, that was already the case. One could not force anyone to work. Of course, they still got food and lodging for free. The men complained that they were not allowed to keep much for themselves when they worked. They preferred to do nothing at all. They lay around on their cots, watched TV, read books from the prison library, and strolled around the fenced-in area chatting comfortably with the others during the yard exercise that everyone was allowed. Food was brought to them, and the detention rooms were heated. They did not have to worry about anything.

So it was no wonder that many prisoners who had been taken to the secret island were very unhappy. They wished for their prison cell back and hoped that they would be taken there again.

Now no one forced them to work either, but if they didn't want to starve, they had no choice but to engage in some form of activity.

A few of the prisoners were roaming the island looking for fruit when they suddenly noticed a strange smell.

"What's that smell?" asked Harry Bender, who was one of the party, wrinkling his nose.

"It smells like goats," another commented. Some nodded and felt the same way.

"I'm curious about that now!" Bender took the lead and trudged hastily ahead. Indeed, after a while, the bleating of goats could be clearly heard. Finally, the terrain ended abruptly. They stood in front of a steep slope and looked down into a valley full of feral goats. A nauseatingly acrid smell rose up to them.

"We're having roast goat tonight!" One of the men rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Without thinking, they began to climb down the slope. When they were about halfway down, a boulder on which one of them had sought a foothold came loose. With a bloodcurdling scream, he plunged into the depths. He crashed hard onto the rocky, caked ground.

"He's gone!" said another emotionlessly, looking down.

"Nonsense! He's still moving," Bender said. "Come on, let's make sure we get down. But watch out! Don't let another one slip."

It turned out that the man had broken his leg.

"So what now?" one asked. "I actually thought we were taking a roast goat with us. Instead, we're supposed to lug that along now, or what?"

The others looked at him in irritation. They couldn't leave the man lying here! But how were they supposed to get him up the rock?

Bender bent over the injured man. "We can't possibly bring you back like this," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

The man panicked. He didn't put it past the others to just leave him here. "You have to take me with you!" he whimpered. "I don't care how!"

But when they tried to lift him, it became clear very quickly that it was simply not possible. The injured man was screaming in pain. They had no stretcher and did not know how to get him up the slope.

"Maybe there's another way," one pondered. "I'm sure the goats have paths to get out of the canyon."

This was logical, and the men went in search of them. The goats immediately bolted wildly as they approached them. Indeed, there were narrow animal paths that the goats had trodden to graze in the surrounding countryside. However, it turned out that the paths led to another part of the island. One would have had to take a huge detour to get back to the small hospital.

"It's all no use," Bender finally said. "We have to go back! Tell the doctor to come with the nurses. That's what they're there for, after all."

"Don't leave me here alone!" the injured man immediately yelled.

"Why?" Bender pushed his lower lip forward. "Are you afraid of the goats?"

"No. But are you sure to send the doctor?" The man knew exactly that he was lost if the others simply concealed the fact that he was lying here.

"I'll stay with you," offered one who immediately understood what was going on in the man's mind. He himself would have had the same concerns.

"We'll take at least one goat for dinner, though!" one grinned.

"You're a douche!" Bender felt like he was surrounded only by idiots. "How are you going to catch them? And then what? Strangle them, or what? Or do you have a dog leash with you and hope it goes along good?" He shook his head in annoyance.

A second man also agreed to stay with the injured man. Now it was obvious that one did not trust the other. If no help came, they were now at least two and could perhaps somehow assist the man, he thought.

It was very tedious to climb back up the rock. It had been easier going down. It would not have been possible to transport the injured man with the broken leg to the top without aids. After the men had reached the plateau and waved goodbye once again, it was now a matter of waiting.

The two helpers bedded the injured man as comfortably as they could in the situation, sat down next to him and waited. The goats slowly came back. Cautiously they approached. They had no experience with humans and did not know what to make of them. Within a radius of about three meters they stopped.

"Do you think they're going to attack us?" One of the men slid uneasily on the floor.

"Come on! They're just goats!" the other one said. He raised his arm and made a shooing motion. Immediately the animals retreated a few meters.

"There you go!" He laughed. But the next moment the goats moved even closer. They had become curious by the gesture. The ring of goats closed tighter and tighter around the man lying on the ground and the two helpers, and there seemed to be more and more of them.

On the way back, the men found bananas, coconuts and unknown red fruits that looked very tasty. They took everything to the makeshift camp they had set up near the small building.

Harry Bender immediately marched to the hospital and called for Dr. Berg. When he had reported what had happened, Berg thought briefly and nodded.

"Wait here! I'll be right there." He packed up everything he thought he would need. He had to leave one of the orderlies here, as he didn't want to leave the two nurses unprotected.

"I'll need several men to get the injured man out of the ravine and carry him here," he said calmly to Bender, "and I'm afraid you'll have to come along again, too, because you know the way to get there."

"Okay." Without another word, Bender ran to the others and asked who would go along. Sven Sörensen, Manfred Rupp and a few others came forward immediately.

When they set off, it was already getting dark. Dr. Berg ran with Harry Bender in the lead. The others followed, and the nurse Max brought up the rear. They had a stretcher with them, several ropes, splints for the injured leg, bandages and some other things that could be helpful. Berg dragged his emergency case with him, which Sörensen took from him wordlessly after a while. Berg nodded to him gratefully.

There seemed to be no end to the way across the island.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Berg looked over at Harry Bender and was startled. With a practiced look, he realized that Bender was at the end of his rope. Not much longer, and he would give out. "Halt!" he immediately stopped the column. "We'll take a short break!"

The others looked puzzled. What was going on now? They had only been gone an hour. Bender let himself slide to the ground. He really didn't have any strength left, but he didn't want to admit it to himself or the others. He was not used to such forced marches, since he had not had to exert himself physically for months before. In addition, he had drunk little and eaten nothing. His eyes were shimmering and his legs felt like they were made of rubber.

Max came forward and pressed a water bottle into Bender's hand. "Drink something first, you'll feel better!" he said. Berg nodded in agreement. Without Bender, they would not find the injured man. The island was not the Brazilian rainforest, but it was not so small that one could walk through it in a short time. And one didn't know where to look. After a while, we moved on.

Suddenly, Bender stopped, disoriented. "I don't know if we've been here," he said doubtfully. "Everything looks kind of the same."

Berg had feared this. In the dark, it was barely possible to make anything out. "Doesn't matter. We have to go on!" he said anyway. They didn't get much further, however. Bender suddenly slumped over and rolled across the stony ground before Berg could stop it.

At first they wanted to put him on the stretcher they had taken for the injured man, but very quickly they agreed that there was little point when Bender no longer knew where they were anyway.

"I can't do it anymore. Just go on without me," he said powerlessly. "If you smell the stench of goats, you're in the right place!"

"Good." Dr. Berg looked around him in the dark. He couldn't see very much. "I would suggest we try it without him. We have to get to the injured man somehow! We'll split up. Two people stay with Bender. If we don't come back, you'll have to see how to get back to camp." Everyone nodded in agreement, as far as could be seen in the darkness.

"But watch out, doctor," Bender warned, "there's a sudden drop down the slope somewhere! You won't see it in the dark!"

"Thanks!" Berg patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, guys, let's go!" he determined and trudged ahead.

At dawn, the rescue party finally reached the plateau from which the rock sloped steeply. In fact, the men had been following the smell of the goats for some time. However, they could not hear anything. Cautiously, they approached the precipice and looked down into the valley.

What they saw initially left them speechless. The three men who were waiting for them down there could only be discovered after a closer look. Around them lay or stood hundreds of goats! Some had lain down directly with the injured man and the other two. Some had even nuzzled their heads on the legs and bellies of the men, who didn't seem to mind as they slept peacefully.

"I don't believe that now!", Dr. Berg was the first to find his speech again.

Immediately the goats were on the alert. Following their instinct, some always stayed awake and protected the sleeping ones. A huge roar arose when suddenly all the goats jumped up and began to bleat. Berg told the others to keep quiet. Hopefully the animals wouldn't panic and trample over the injured man, he thought worriedly. His fear was unfounded, however. The goats were so careful, as if they knew that the sick man was helpless.

Dr. Berg and Max began to abseil down. The others were to stay on top and then pull the stretcher up. Then everything happened very quickly. Berg gave the injured man a painkilling injection and examined the leg. It was clearly broken. He waved to the others to lower the stretcher. In the meantime, he splinted the broken leg. Together with Max, he put the man on the stretcher.

Almost inch by inch, the stretcher was then carefully pulled upwards. Max always stayed next to it and held it tightly so that it wouldn't hit the rock with the injured person. This concussion would have caused him unspeakable pain. Dr. Berg and the other two, who had spent the night in the valley, climbed behind.

When they had reached the top unharmed, the return march began. Without asking for long, Sörensen and Rupp immediately took over the stretcher with the injured man and trudged off. Later they wanted to take turns. On the way they met Bender and the others again. Bender was feeling better in the meantime, so that finally, after a few hours, they all arrived at the camp in front of the hospital.

Andy, the nurse, whom no one knew where he came from, had his hands full. More and more men gathered in front of the small hospital. At first there had been only two, who claimed they were sick. Andy didn't let them in because he didn't believe them. He had to be careful. Many were trying to get inside the building by some kind of trickery, as they hoped to get convenient care there. Only when they vomited in front of the security gate and slumped down with yellowish faces, it dawned on him that the men really needed help.

"What's the matter with you?" he urged them. The two were barely able to answer. It seemed to be about some fruit they had apparently eaten.

"What was that stuff?" Andy braced his hands at his sides and looked down at the men lying on the ground.

"The others brought the fruit from the forest!" whimpered one.

"Goddamn it! Do you have to eat everything if you don't know it?" roared Andy roughly. He wasn't squeamish about it. Finally, he let them in and took them to the small treatment room. Actually, he would have needed Dr. Berg now, but he wasn't there. So he started pumping out their stomachs himself. That was not very nice. While Marion stood next to him and helped, Katharina remained pale in the background. She was in no position to do anything. The nurse yelled at her a couple of times, but none of it helped. She rushed out and threw up.

When Dr. Berg reached the hospital with the others, he was initially stunned to see the collection of men outside the building.

"What's going on here?" Horrified, he looked at the helpless figures crouching on the ground. At first he thought of an epidemic. Just not that! The capacities of the small hospital would not be sufficient to provide medical care for everyone. They were not equipped to do so. And the disease would spread in no time at all!

Quite quickly, however, he learned that the men had eaten unknown fruit, and it was suspected that they had poisoned themselves with it. Berg immediately sent out Sörensen. He was to warn everyone and bring him some of the suspected fruit.

When Berg finally attended to the man with the broken leg in the hospital, Andy, the nurse, looked at him uncertainly from the side. What would it be now? He knew for a fact that he was not authorized to pump anyone's stomach. He could do it because he had done it before, but as a nurse he was not usually allowed to do it.

Berg did not react. He just had other things to worry about. "Where the hell is the other nurse?" he shouted in exasperation. "Tell her to get over here right now and assist!" he ordered. Marion was not meant. She was still at Andy's side, helping him.

When Berg didn't get an answer, he got angry. "What's going on here? Does anyone here ever do what I tell them to do?" That was unfair. Everyone else did what they could. Only Katharina remained missing.

"I think she's in the kitchen," Marion ventured coyly.

"What does she want there? She's needed here!" Berg shook his head when no one responded. The man with the broken leg had been tended to and was wheeled by Max into one of the hospital rooms. Berg had had enough now. He ran over to the small kitchen and found Katharina standing at the stove with several pots of soup bubbling away.

"You're supposed to be taking care of the sick, not cooking around here!" he drove at her gruffly.

"But I just wanted to prepare food for the patients!" she said harmlessly, giving him a twinkle in her eye.

"No. They can't and aren't allowed to eat anything today anyway! They only get water. And tomorrow tea and a little rusk! Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"Oh, I don't feel well at all!" she wailed, pressing both hands to her stomach with a skillfully contorted face.

"You haven't eaten any of these unknown fruits, have you?" asked Berg suspiciously. He grabbed her by the shoulder to take a closer look.

"No, but I haven't been feeling well all this time," she lied, sinking to the floor with a groan. Berg had no choice but to catch her. He pulled her to a chair, at which point she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. At that moment Marion appeared in the doorway. Horrified, she gazed at the scenario. Berg felt caught and got a red head, although he was completely innocent of this compromising situation. Wordlessly, Marion turned and ran back into the treatment room. That snake, she thought bitterly. She does nothing and throws herself at the doctor at the first opportunity!

"If you don't feel well, go to your room and lie down!" Berg abruptly broke free from Catherine's grasp and rushed out. He was annoyed beyond measure. Women!

There was not enough space to accommodate all the sick. Only the worst cases were given a white-covered bed. All the others were allowed to stay for observation, but had to find a place on the floor. The nurses gave them blankets and pillows with which they could make themselves halfway comfortable.

Astonished, Berg examined the red fruits that Sörensen brought him. They were completely unknown to him as well. Whether the men's symptoms of poisoning came from this, he did not know, but the assumption was obvious. He had no way of analyzing the fruits. He lacked the necessary equipment to do so. However, he wanted to send them to the mainland with the supply ship to gain clarity.

To anticipate - he never heard anything about it again. Quite simply, no one was interested in it. His letter was read in a rather bored manner at the relevant place and then simply thrown into the trash together with the fruit. Thus the topic was done and nobody had to care about it anymore.

"Marion, do we have rusks here?" asked Dr. Berg, as if this was the most important thing in the world right now. Marion nodded. "Yes. We have some packages of it there," she said quietly, without looking at him.

"Good." Berg hesitated. He was visibly uncomfortable with the situation. "Please provide the sick with tea and rusks tomorrow!" he ordered.

"They're not supposed to get anything today?"

"No. Just water. Please tell everyone else, too."

"Yes. Of course."

"Thank you." He nodded to her.

"Please." She remained cool, yet completely correct, and didn't let on.

The next day, most of them were much better. Almost all of them could be discharged from the hospital. Berg had initially waited to see how they tolerated the tea and zwieback. When no one threw up or had stomach pains by noon, he breathed a sigh of relief. This could have ended badly! Three of the men were allowed to stay because they were very shaky on their feet. They were too weakened and should recover for another day, Berg decided.

As he gave the orderlies the appropriate instructions, he noticed that Andy could not look him in the eye. What problem is waiting for me here again, Berg thought in alarm. There was definitely something wrong with the man. He obviously had a guilty conscience - for whatever reason.

"Andy. Please come and see me in a moment," he said as irrelevantly as possible.

The nurse flinched as if under a blow. Gone! That was it now! He had thought that no one here would be interested in his past. But apparently that was not the case. I can actually start packing my suitcase, he thought in despair. It will be done quickly. It's not much anyway.

Looking down at the floor, his shoulders slumped, he groped along behind Berg. When the door had closed, Berg took a closer look at the nurse. It was quite obvious that he had something to hide.

"Do you have something to tell me?" asked Berg seriously. His tone, however, was not unkind.

"What do you want me to tell you now?" Andy pushed his lower lip forward defiantly and shrugged. "You already know everything anyway!"

"What am I supposed to know? I have no idea. You speak in riddles!"

"Well. The thing with the stomach pumping. I shouldn't have!"

"Has anyone complained about that?"

"No."

"So what's the problem now?"

"I thought you were kicking me out for this!"

"Why? You did an excellent job!"

"Thank you."

"How can you do that?" It slowly dawned on Berg where the journey was headed. He suspected that he was not dealing with a nurse here.

"I watched a couple of times," Andy lied. "You weren't there, after all, and I had to do something!" When he said it, there was no reproach in his voice.

"You did everything right!" Berg nodded at him appreciatively. "Don't worry about it. If someone comes at us stupidly, we'll work it out. Even though I'd like to know more about you, it's up to you what you want to tell me."

The nurse nodded slowly. "Maybe another time," he said softly. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, of course." Berg looked after him thoughtfully. The man was carrying a secret, he was quite sure of it.

Towards evening, accompanied by Max, he ran over to the self-built huts to check on the sick. Apparently the people were doing quite well again. They were sitting around the fireplaces, frying fish on sharpened sticks over the embers. Pots of rice had been fixed over other fireplaces and were simmering away.

"Doctor!" Sörensen came toward him, beaming with joy. "How nice of you to come and visit us!" He thrust a stick with a speared fish into his hand. "Sit down with it!" he urged him. "The fish tastes delicious!"

Max also got a fish, which he eyed suspiciously. "Don't worry!" said Sörensen. "We've eaten these before, and I gutted them myself. Nothing will happen!"