Part 148, Chapter 2684
Chapter Two Thousand Six Hundred Eighty-Four
3rd June 1978
Balderschwang, Bavaria
“Now if you could hold that breath” Kiki said to Marie Alexandra as she felt the cold metal of the stethoscope pressed against her back.
Marie had come to Bavaria to visit only to have Kiki express a great deal of concern about her health and being a bit bored after having been on Maternity Leave had been more than happy to have Marie as a reluctant patient. It seemed that the Princess had been talking to her mother and like always, Marie’s mother had told Kiki all about how Marie had been focused on her studies over the months leading up to her graduation to the exclusion of everything else. That included telling Kiki all about what she regarded as Marie’s poor diet, the late nights, and all other bad habits that Marie had apparently gotten into.
“Find what you were looking for?” Marie asked.
“Fortunately, no” Kiki replied without elaborating exactly what that meant. Though Marie suspected that she was checking for something along the lines of the cardiac issues that Aunt Ilse suffered from.
All of that was a reminder that Kiki had been Marie’s Physician since she had been a child. So she didn’t need to see her medical records to know things like family history or Marie’s.
“If I am hungry I get something to eat” Marie said defensively, “I don’t see what the problem is.”
“An apple, a cup of coffee, and a slice of bread with jam perhaps once a day if you remember is not good for you” Kiki said, “Kat told me all about what she found in your kitchen as you were packing up your apartment before you left Montreal.”
“I also had peanut butter” Marie replied.
“That is an American thing and an option you won’t have available in Ireland, so you will need to think of something else” Kiki said as she rummaged around in the waxed canvas bag she kept her surgical tools in. “Worrying about their children is what mothers do, and last I looked Kat is your mother.”
That was a reminder of how Marie’s mother and Kiki were constantly talking to each other, and that Kiki probably wouldn’t respond to any provocations on her part. Marie remembered that when she had been a child Kiki had always been around. Tatiana had told her all about when Kiki had actually lived in the house in Tempelhof and Ben had been living across the alleyway. Aunt Ilse had been there too and had been pregnant with Niko at the time. Marie had been a baby at the time, so she couldn’t remember that period of her life. She wished she could.
“How is your friend?” Kiki asked as she slipped the blood pressure cuff around Marie’s arm. “The one who is in a relationship with Sabastian Schultz.”
“Henni was not happy that I left Montreal and will be going to Ireland in September” Kiki replied, “She told me that it feels like she is losing a friend.”
Kiki didn’t respond right away, instead she pumped up the blood pressure cuff. It went super tight for a few seconds before Kiki started releasing air from it.
“Do you feel the same way?” Kiki asked.
“I think that Henriette is overreacting” Marie said, and Kiki was silent for a few seconds.
“You heart rate and blood pressure went up when you said that” Kiki said, “I believe that you already know what that means?”
Marie felt a wave of anger well up in her, Kiki had just told her that she had just caught her in a lie. No one read her that easily… Then it occurred to her that Kiki didn’t deserve her anger, she had nearly died saving Marie’s life.
“It is not like I am going away forever” Marie said hating the sound of her voice as she tried to rationalize her previous comment. She was also acutely aware of how she felt when talking to Kiki like this. It had nothing to do with her unclothed state during an examination like this, that was something that had never bothered her. It was that it was impossible to keep secrets from Kiki.
“I know that you haven’t had very many friends” Kiki said as she removed the blood pressure cuff from Marie’s arm. “And you saw Henriette and her daughter nearly every day for four years, there is nothing wrong with missing them.”
Marie watched as Kiki put her tools away.
“Despite your neglect and being underweight even for you, you are relatively healthy” Kiki said, “You only get one body Marie, so please try to take care of it.”
“Yeah, whatever” Marie muttered in Korean.
“I am being serious” Kiki unexpectedly replied in the same language before switching back. “Calcium, iron, and anything else I can think of. I have plenty of time and your mother’s permission to make you take care of yourself for at least the next few days.”
“And I am not a child” Marie said, “You didn’t need to get my mother’s permission.”
Kiki shrugged, “I would like to have yours” She said, “Though you will find that your Physician and parents still have a lot of authority over you as an adult.”
“Is there anything I can do about that?” Marie asked.
“You can get married” Kiki said, “Then it would be your husband instead of your parents who I would be talking to.”
That sounded like a sick joke to Marie.
“Now get dressed and come out to the parlor” Kiki said, “Nina really wants to show off her musically abilities to Tante Marie.”
With that Kiki left the room and Marie was left alone with her thoughts.
3rd June 1978
Balderschwang, Bavaria
“Now if you could hold that breath” Kiki said to Marie Alexandra as she felt the cold metal of the stethoscope pressed against her back.
Marie had come to Bavaria to visit only to have Kiki express a great deal of concern about her health and being a bit bored after having been on Maternity Leave had been more than happy to have Marie as a reluctant patient. It seemed that the Princess had been talking to her mother and like always, Marie’s mother had told Kiki all about how Marie had been focused on her studies over the months leading up to her graduation to the exclusion of everything else. That included telling Kiki all about what she regarded as Marie’s poor diet, the late nights, and all other bad habits that Marie had apparently gotten into.
“Find what you were looking for?” Marie asked.
“Fortunately, no” Kiki replied without elaborating exactly what that meant. Though Marie suspected that she was checking for something along the lines of the cardiac issues that Aunt Ilse suffered from.
All of that was a reminder that Kiki had been Marie’s Physician since she had been a child. So she didn’t need to see her medical records to know things like family history or Marie’s.
“If I am hungry I get something to eat” Marie said defensively, “I don’t see what the problem is.”
“An apple, a cup of coffee, and a slice of bread with jam perhaps once a day if you remember is not good for you” Kiki said, “Kat told me all about what she found in your kitchen as you were packing up your apartment before you left Montreal.”
“I also had peanut butter” Marie replied.
“That is an American thing and an option you won’t have available in Ireland, so you will need to think of something else” Kiki said as she rummaged around in the waxed canvas bag she kept her surgical tools in. “Worrying about their children is what mothers do, and last I looked Kat is your mother.”
That was a reminder of how Marie’s mother and Kiki were constantly talking to each other, and that Kiki probably wouldn’t respond to any provocations on her part. Marie remembered that when she had been a child Kiki had always been around. Tatiana had told her all about when Kiki had actually lived in the house in Tempelhof and Ben had been living across the alleyway. Aunt Ilse had been there too and had been pregnant with Niko at the time. Marie had been a baby at the time, so she couldn’t remember that period of her life. She wished she could.
“How is your friend?” Kiki asked as she slipped the blood pressure cuff around Marie’s arm. “The one who is in a relationship with Sabastian Schultz.”
“Henni was not happy that I left Montreal and will be going to Ireland in September” Kiki replied, “She told me that it feels like she is losing a friend.”
Kiki didn’t respond right away, instead she pumped up the blood pressure cuff. It went super tight for a few seconds before Kiki started releasing air from it.
“Do you feel the same way?” Kiki asked.
“I think that Henriette is overreacting” Marie said, and Kiki was silent for a few seconds.
“You heart rate and blood pressure went up when you said that” Kiki said, “I believe that you already know what that means?”
Marie felt a wave of anger well up in her, Kiki had just told her that she had just caught her in a lie. No one read her that easily… Then it occurred to her that Kiki didn’t deserve her anger, she had nearly died saving Marie’s life.
“It is not like I am going away forever” Marie said hating the sound of her voice as she tried to rationalize her previous comment. She was also acutely aware of how she felt when talking to Kiki like this. It had nothing to do with her unclothed state during an examination like this, that was something that had never bothered her. It was that it was impossible to keep secrets from Kiki.
“I know that you haven’t had very many friends” Kiki said as she removed the blood pressure cuff from Marie’s arm. “And you saw Henriette and her daughter nearly every day for four years, there is nothing wrong with missing them.”
Marie watched as Kiki put her tools away.
“Despite your neglect and being underweight even for you, you are relatively healthy” Kiki said, “You only get one body Marie, so please try to take care of it.”
“Yeah, whatever” Marie muttered in Korean.
“I am being serious” Kiki unexpectedly replied in the same language before switching back. “Calcium, iron, and anything else I can think of. I have plenty of time and your mother’s permission to make you take care of yourself for at least the next few days.”
“And I am not a child” Marie said, “You didn’t need to get my mother’s permission.”
Kiki shrugged, “I would like to have yours” She said, “Though you will find that your Physician and parents still have a lot of authority over you as an adult.”
“Is there anything I can do about that?” Marie asked.
“You can get married” Kiki said, “Then it would be your husband instead of your parents who I would be talking to.”
That sounded like a sick joke to Marie.
“Now get dressed and come out to the parlor” Kiki said, “Nina really wants to show off her musically abilities to Tante Marie.”
With that Kiki left the room and Marie was left alone with her thoughts.
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