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Elsa saw Kotler drag Pavel out of the room and looked to her husband who was sitting calmly as if this was normal as if it was acceptable. Well, maybe to most it would be, but not to her.
Standing up she saw Bruno looking at her with a questioning look and starting to get up, but before he could do it fully his mother held up her hand and shook her head.
Bruno nodded and sat back down.
Elsa smiled at him. Her son had a big heart and wanted to help people, but some situations were for grown ups to deal with. This situation was definitely one of them.
Walking out into the hallway she saw the lieutenant beating the Jew, The old man was crying out for him to stop, but the other man didn't listen.
"What's going on?" Elsa demanded.
Kotler's head shot up and he gulped because of the glare the woman giving him.
"Well, my uniform is ruined because of that thing. I'm teaching it a lesson."
Elsa suddenly lost what little composure she had and slapped the lieutenant on his cheek.
"You are despicable punishing an old man for What a mistake." She didn't care that everyone could hear her yelling.
Kurt opened his mouth, but Elsa started talking again.
"And don't give me the Aryans are superior bullshit." Normally she wouldn't curse, but she was outraged.
Kurt glared at her she did the same. After a few minutes the glaring contest ended.
Elsa exhaled her composure back. "Leave now."
Kotler hmphed, got up and left, but not before saying "You will regret this." to Elsa.
'I don't think I will.' She thought and looked down at Pavel.
"He's gone." She told him.
Pavel turned his face forward and Elsa gasped.
She kneeled down to get a closer look and indeed the man's face was all bloody.
'Kotler is a monster.' She thought while searching for a handkerchief.
When she found one, she started cleaning his face which wasn't easy because he kept turning his head to the side from pain she guessed.
"Sh, sh." Elsa tried to soothe him. "What he did to you is horrible, but please let me help you otherwise the wound will get infected. Do you want that?" She asked.
Pavel shook his head. "N-no." With that word came a river of blood which stained his clothes and Elsa's handkerchief.
She looked at it and shrugged. "Well, time to get another one." Elsa stood up and looked at him. "I'll be right back."
Elsa returned to the dining room, got a few napkins and turned to Maria.
"Could you come with me for a moment, Maria?" she asked.
The maid nodded. "Of course, ma'am."
"But the Commandant?" she asked after she had seen Pavel and had been told to help clean the blood and then take him to the servant's quarters. "What will he think about all of this?"
Elsa looked at her and thought for a moment then "I will say that he died and his body was burned. You don't have to say anything if he asks you, you say that you don't know and didn't see anything."
Maria nodded again and when they were done she took Pavel down to the servant's quarters.
Elsa vowed to protect Pavel and any other Jews she comes across.