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#Post#: 460--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: PlebeianTyrant
Date: July 11, 2017, 11:48 pm
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"Then the wedding should be sooner rather than later." He says
as he puts the ring on her finger. Then he takes her cheeks in
both hands and kisses her deeply. As they lean in together he
wraps his arm around her, one holds her close to him and the
other rests on her stomach. After making out for a few minutes
Hertz reaches into his wallet and throws a hundred dollars on
the table, which he knows will more than cover the dinner,
"Let's get out of here, I know where we can celebrate." Wallmand
chuckles lustily.
Three Months Later
Wallmand is finishing up some paperwork regarding the soon to be
marriage. He is so busy these days. Arranging a wedding this
quickly, coupled with the growing war effort has left him at
work later and later recently. At least Rita's handling the
housing situation, no one cares where the gentile lived. He has
to admit, Rita certainly isn't the worst woman he could have
accidentally impregnated. He gets up, stretching as he goes, and
looks out of his office at Rita's desk. Magazines regarding both
weddings and pregnancies cover one corner of the furniture. He
glances at the inbox to see if there was anything last minute
was sent to him. Nothing interesting catches his eye so he heads
home.
Rita recently moved in to Wally's apartment, unfortunately they
had not found a place that was conveniently large enough for
even two people. So when Wally sees a mountain of mail sitting
on their tiny table he sighs audibly as he enters the home.
"More?" He puts his hat and jacket on the door hook. "How many
people did you tell about this?" he asks into the apartment.
When Rita doesn't answer he steps further into the room and
hears an increasingly familiar sound which tells him exactly
where Rita is. Wally pushes open the slightly ajar bathroom door
and leans down to rub Rita's back. She's currently leaning over
the toilet and spitting bile out of her mouth into the bowl.
"The authors of those books lie too much. I don't think you've
actually been sick in the mornings this whole time." Wally jokes
lightly.
#Post#: 465--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: insert name
Date: July 12, 2017, 3:38 pm
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Rita responds with a prolonged groan, that tells Hertz she's in
no mood. SHe's clutching at her stomach and she looks very pale.
The first few times she got like this, she actually went to her
doctor, because it was so much more severe than anything her
mother or sister ever went through, but the doctor reassured her
that it was just morning sickness. Rita wasn't really reassured.
So, Rita stays there, leaning over the toilet, with Wally
silently rubbing her back for what seems like a very long time.
She doesn't throw up again, just groans in pain and spits out
bile.
Eventually she the nausea and abdominal pain passes, and she
gets up, leaning heavily on Wally.
"This baby is taking forever," she tells Wally.
#Post#: 467--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: PlebeianTyrant
Date: July 12, 2017, 4:41 pm
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OOC
Are you aware that abdominal pain is not a symptom of morning
sickness. Is she complaining about muscle fatigue or are you
implying she's in pain from being nauseous. Either one is
incredibly worrisome because if she's throwing up enough to
cause painful muscle fatigue she's going start losing weight and
the baby is going to die, or she's potentially very sick with
something else. The possibility that Rita is just playing it up
is possible or that she's just a huge wimp. I won't disagree
that morning sickness can be very annoying and can vary in
severity, but just watch out how severe you make it sound
because it's usually (like, 90% usually) just a thing from the
second to fourth month that every now and again makes a woman
barf for a bit and then she's fine for a few days. Rinse, repeat
for two months. Morning sickness affects about 70-80% of women,
and only about 60% of those women ever actually barf. Keyword
there is 'ever', many only throw up once or twice.
I point this out not to say that Rita can't have an unusual
pregnancy, but be careful you don't overdo it or else she's
gonna get hospitalized.
IC
"I know, my sweet. This all usually goes away soon. I've heard
ginger helps." Wally holds her close and rubs her shoulder
gently. "I don't suppose you had started dinner? I don't know
how we're going to eat anything with the table being covered in
letters." Wally says softly to her.
#Post#: 472--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: insert name
Date: July 13, 2017, 5:05 pm
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OOC
As discussed in person, I made an error in research. Rita is
having a bad time of it, throwing up fairly frequently. I
actually did a poke round, and while some women don't throw up
it seems that if you throw up, it's not uncommon to keep
throwing up. Rita's been throwing up a little under once a day
at this point. It's not bad enough to be hyperemesis gravidarum,
but it's unpleasant. (as an aside, I find it interesting you use
the word 'only' next to 60%).
IC
Rita goes into the kitchen and drinks a glass of water from the
tap. "Chicken in the oven," she says, "Sorry, it'll be a little
bit. I'll clear the table." There's a slight edge to her voice,
the usual sharpness she gets when she feels like her ability to
housekeep is challenged. It's remarkable how she's moved from
apologizing for all her short comings to struggling to never
having to admit them again. She seems to think she won't be a
good wife unless her ability to keep things in order is above
reproach.
#Post#: 474--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: PlebeianTyrant
Date: July 13, 2017, 6:48 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
OOC
Because the number is technically 45% of all pregnancies have
actual vomiting as a symptom. Which indeed probably doesn't earn
an 'only', but given the way media portrays it as an almost 100%
I felt that there was sufficient reduction.
IC
Wally simply steps out of her way and heads to their room to
take his work clothes off. He comes back in with some linen
pants and a sleeveless cotton shirt and grabs a beer from the
refrigerator. "Did you hear what I said earlier when I came in?"
Wallmand asks her, gesturing at the pile of mail with his
bottle.
#Post#: 477--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: insert name
Date: July 14, 2017, 12:58 am
---------------------------------------------------------
OOC
--- Quote from: PlebeianTyrant link ---
>
> OOC
>
> Because the number is technically 45% of all pregnancies have
actual vomiting as a symptom. Which indeed probably doesn't earn
an 'only', but given the way media portrays it as an almost 100%
I felt that there was sufficient reduction.
--- End Quote ---
See, I keep finding different numbers, most of which are
somewhere around 50%, but a lot are claiming just over rather
than just under. Your source may be better, though. May I ask
where you found it?
IC
--- Quote from: PlebeianTyrant link ---
>
> IC
>
> Wally simply steps out of her way and heads to their room to
take his work clothes off. He comes back in with some linen
pants and a sleeveless cotton shirt and grabs a beer from the
refrigerator. "Did you hear what I said earlier when I came in?"
Wallmand asks her, gesturing at the pile of mail with his
bottle.
>
--- End Quote ---
Rita shakes her head. When Wally repeats himself, she rolls her
eyes, "It's a wedding, Wally. My mother would kill me if my
whole weren't all invited. They're mad enough this is all
happening so quickly." She doesn't say that they're mad that
he's Jewish. She's mentioned before that they're less than happy
about it, but hasn't brought it up since. "And, to even out
numbers I've had to invite your friends and coworkers." She
speaks like she's treading on thin ice. She's always been
careful about talking about family with Wally. She told him once
that she wished his parents could be there, and had learned that
wishes like that only made things more difficult.
She makes quick work of clearing off the table, but it only
means the mess moves to a kitchen counter. There isn't a lot of
space. She gets the chicken out, along with the collared greens
and baby potatoes. The chicken is a little dry, the potatoes
slightly hard in the center, but the food is serviceable on the
whole.
The pair know to enjoy it while they can. US involvement in the
war seems more and more likely, and so does rationing. Not that
most of the country realizes how close to involvement the US is,
but in Wally's line he's already heard rumors about American
agents working with the British, and the general feeling is that
Roosevelt will throw America in, whether they like it or not.
The sooner the better, as far as Wally, and his family, are
concerned.
#Post#: 481--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: PlebeianTyrant
Date: July 14, 2017, 2:44 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Waiting for a moment and watching her hussle and bussle about
the kitchen, Wally considers the pile of envelopes. He waits
until she's stopped moving to look at the oven where the chicken
is finishing up and wraps his arm around her shoulders and gives
her a smooch on the cheek. "I know." is all he says to her
before grabs the pile of mail and walks into the combination
dining-living room of the small apartment. He sits down in a
thickly cushioned La-Z-Boy recliner chair next to their new
console radio and turns it on. A news broadcast comes on talking
about a local robbery. It quickly becomes background noise as
Wallmand starts taking swigs of the beer and organizing the mail
into piles; one for his guests, one for hers, and one for people
he doesn't know. A fourth one starts pretty soon as well made
out of bills, both medical and housing.
After finishing the piles starts calling out to Rita, going one
by one through the unknown pile and trying to find out who these
people are. The coordinated yelling match ends when Rita brings
in 3 dishes covered in food and two plates with some silverware.
Wally comes over and joins her at the table.
#Post#: 486--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: insert name
Date: July 16, 2017, 6:57 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Partway through yelling names and their identities back and
forth from the kitchen, Rita comes out and says, "I can't
believe I almost forgot," as she passes by into the bedroom. She
comes out again with a letter. "I set it aside for you," she
says as she hands it to him.
The letter is marked different from the rest by the image of
Victoria and George in the upper right corner. A British stamp.
There's also an inked hand stamp text explaining it originated
from the country on the stamp. The center has Hertz's name and
address. The upper right Richard's.
Richard has sent a few letters after Hertz's well being, making
sure America's treating him well. They come through with
diplomatic pouches, and are sent from their through normal mail.
It's not all bad working for the UK state department. The return
is surprisingly smooth, German blockades not withstanding.
The contents of the letter congratulate Hertz on his good
fortune, and apologize that he won't be able to attend, but
there is a war on. So far he's been safe in London, where he
continues mucking about in the sordid affairs at hand.
Paul Stafford, Mark Stafford's younger brother, died on the
sinking of the SS Arandora Star. Hertz can barely remember Mark.
A few years younger than he and Richard, there's a dim
recollection of a man up for anything. Hertz never had as many
friends as Richard, nor his memory for names and faces. He has
no memory whatsoever of meeting Mark's brother. According to the
letter, Mark signed up as soon as the war broke out and somehow
found himself serving as a military guard. A U-boat sank his
ship while it was carrying prisoners to Canada. Italian and
German prisoners. Can you imagine that, being captured fighting
for your country and the thank you is a torpedo? Mark's handling
it about as well as can be expected. Keeping a stiff upper lip
by day, and by night getting drunk and telling everyone all the
horrible things he's going to do to the Huns.
He hasn't heard anything new about Hertz's parents or siblings.
There is a Josef Hertz who is unlikely to be let in at present
(policies continue to tighten in fear of espionage), unless
someone can vouch for him. A cousin perhaps.
The letter poses the question of Josef Hert's fate in terms of
wondering if he might be a cousin, but Wallmand can tell that
Richard considers that a long chalk. What Richard considers a
slightly shorter shot is that some well meaning Jew with the
same name might commit an act of fraud to pull the man out.
Based on past experience with Richard, and talks on politics,
it's exactly the kind of play he'd make. Even Wallmand can't be
sure whether this is a random act of kindness because Richard
saw the name and wants to do right by a stranger, or if this is
a favor to someone else. While Richard was never as good in
classes as Wallmand, he's always been good at wheeling, dealing
and leveraging his family name.
Richard also expresses pride and jealousy over Hertz's new job.
He'd love to be doing something actually using his Biology
Degree (Richard hadn't stayed in school for a doctorate, but
been drawn by his father into other pursuits as soon as he had a
degree to show off). And a job both supporting the military and
working in your field, well that's the dream right now. England
sure lost something when a boffin like Hertz packed up for safer
climes. (And there it is, Richard plucking at Wallmand for
leaving, trying to guilt him into future favors and
indiscretions. It was amazing how Richard could give Wallmand
everything he had, could spend time trying to save his family,
and still preferred to needle and poke his conscious rather than
make demands and return.)
The note ends with:
"In these troubled times it is a small miracle to hear good
news. Thank you, Wally, for sending me some, and thank the
future Mrs. Hertz for making the news possible. Your Rita has a
great task ahead of her, trying to make a family man out of
Wallmand Hertz, and I wish her all the best luck in the times
ahead. Tell her that whatever it is she did to get stuck with
you, I offer my condolences.
Keep up the good work, Wally.
[right]As Always,
Richard[/right]
PS- Will see about sending you a wedding gift. Frankly, large
items are getting hard to ship. Would you mind a cheque? I know
it's tasteless, but with all these ships getting sunk I'd rather
not be shipping a silver tea set or anything."
#Post#: 488--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: PlebeianTyrant
Date: July 16, 2017, 8:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Wallmand finishes reading the letter with a chuckle and sets
about writing a draft for a response letter asking about how
Rich is holding up and how his family is doing. Maybe Rich's
paranoid uncle had the right idea to go hide in the highlands,
away from all this. The letter will be done in a few days and it
will give Wallmand something to do when he has breaks between
projects. He leaves the letter on the coffee table and won't
stop Rita if she wants to read the letter.
#Post#: 489--------------------------------------------------
Re: Secret Origins: Dr. Hertz
DIR By: insert name
Date: July 16, 2017, 10:12 am
---------------------------------------------------------
OOC
For context, since I don't think we previously talked about when
in 1940 this was all happening, I'm assuming it's presently in
Late July. Before the Blitz (starts in September).
In interesting cultural touchstones, the Great Dictator comes
out in October of this year (later in the UK, and not till 1945
in France, but that's neither here nor there).
IC
Rita finishes setting the table, and calls out, "Dinner's
ready."
OOC
I was going to write more... then I realized I don't know how
open Hertz is about a lot of things. Case in point, has he
talked to Rita much about Richard? Would she recognize the name
enough to put things together?
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