Dmitry's bleeding was stopped in the hospital . All the time he was unconscious from loss of blood. The hitting from the scope was bleeding, but was not serious. There was no concussion, and therefore, harmless for future flights, which Dmitry immediately thought of returning to consciousness. But with the hand was very hurt.
The next morning, the doctor examined it again. Physician long fingered the hand and clicked his tongue.
He said only that the treatment will be long.
Three days later he was visited by Raya. She started work in the same hospital where Dmitry was treated . To find Dmitry was not hard- if you know the number of his unit and being a nurse was almost two years of experience. She came in when Dmitry was finally woke up and stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to create a pattern of cracks on it. The room was too small or large with such number of wounded, which were becoming more and more. It was the hospital for just arrived, it was filled with groans, odors and stuffiness. The sun was shining outside and there was a July heat, which comfortably only on the beach, but not in the hospital with limbs hidden in plaster.
Seeing Raya, Dmitry's heart was ready to jump out. Raya came and chastely kissed his forehead.
-I found you and will work and see you!
Dmitry pressed Raya's hand and froze ...
In a few days, Dmitri stood up, swaying slightly and weakness, wandered into the yard of the hospital.
The hand was sick, dizzy, it was hot and nasty. In the courtyard were the men with bandages and smoked a rolled cigarettes.
-Flyer?
-Pilot.
-Seat down and smoke!
Dmitry was stretched tobacco and a piece of paper.
- Thanks, but I do not smoke
-To sit here and to learn, do not worry.
-shot down? So, two days ago, a two people came from your squadron , all asking how you are. And we did not know nothing.
They daid that you shot down three had stopped and representation on the Order of the Patriotic War . They asked you to recover .
-Let's Get acquainted, or something.
-Bring It On. My name is Dmitri.
- Yes I do know, I Nicholas. I am a gunner on the tank.
-Then tell me how is fighting on the ground .
Nikolai inhaled a cigarette and told
-It is terrible to see coming at you" Tigers "and" Panthers "with crosses and swastikas. We hit on the enemy tank from the gun and it immediately burst into flames. Machine guns finished the job by shooting the crew, who left the burning tank. The main task for us, in the heat of battle, not to give to the enemy to shot us to the board.To shoot and immediately to go away!
The armor tank is heated, and here spent cartridges fall down of the powder in the cabin burns. Not possible to breathe. Two fans barely have no time to disperse the smoke. We beat but they shoot at us. A lot depends on the driver. But we proved to be a real ace. He was so thin, how the soul is kept.. But he proved himself in battle. Not for a moment overawed!
And here in our tank blasted. So much fast that in the eyes darkened, and we became all deaf.
I looked at the commander and I saw that he was sitting and lip-synching, and I could not understand anything. I looked in the triplex - The tower was broken, and did not rotate.
Somehow we reached our position. We looked at our mangled tank and were very grieved. But then we saw that we were not alone in that battle .
Later, under the way back, my hand was under shot ...
Soldier's memoir: MY Kursk
(Memoirs of World War II veterans
SOKOLENKO Sergei Ivanovich)
Than Dmitry was sent on the bandage and there he saw Raya. She bandaged his arm.
It was only lightning light for Dmitry. He was tired, dizzy, and his temples throbbed.
- Tell me what with the hand,the doctors did not say.
-with hand ..do not worry. Cure. We shall see
The calming worked, dusk had come and wanted to sleep.
The moaning of wounded in the coming night had stood the time. In the morning of July 14, it was a headache and it was sad. His head was pounding and nasty mournful idea how long he would in the hospital and whether he will fly.
As always, after breakfast was а ligation. There was no Raya and it was sad.
The bandaging was made by the woman in the years, in untidy white-gray robe, which could see the faded brown spots.
Well. that fighter, hello! - she said.
-Hello!
- I see that it hurts, this will be ill for a long time. You rejoice that lie on the bed here. So nowhere to put the wounded and bring and bring them. The fights are terrible!
I'm not a doctor but I can see that the wounds are bad and you will lie down for a long time.
She bandaged wounds Dmitry and he fell asleep.
Then he saw Raya. She was almost ran, just slowing down at the head of Dmitry, and then ran away.
Then, Dmitri had the surgery and then another one. If Raya was not here the wounded groan brought to mind
The most terrible is full of suspense. Will he fly?
Dmitry at last was said that he had a fracture of the middle third of fragments hummers. He was said after nearly of two weeks! His hand was damaged from the clavicle to the most up to the elbow, he was put gypsum and bandaged a hand. He was said that for a long time and that he was not bored. In this situation, there was only one joy. Every day he saw Raya.
The time dragged long. Sometimes Raya was flying away like a meteor with highlighting all its dazzling smile, and again stuffiness and groans of the wounded.
It had been already August.Orel (Eagle) had been taken back but he still was lying with bandaged hand and no end was in sight.
On August 5, Moscow was the first salute in the honor of the capture of Orel and Belgorod,in the history of World War II . On the August 15, Dmitry was removed the gypsum
The hand did not bent, fingers did not move.
But worst of all that the doctors said that such injuries would not include any flights.
However, one doctor reassured that if everything was good bend, then he allowed to fly
Dmitri mood completely disappeared, but at Raya was hope that she would not share Dmitry with the sky.
He did not want to marry her until there was the war and, therefore, to made her a widow, if he is killed.
But Dmitri had to recover. The next day he was summoned to the head physician. He congratulated Dmitwi convalescence and gave direction to a sanatorium of the Southern Urals.
A day should go to Chelyabinsk. There was no mood. Dmitry was willing to marry Raya, but he had to leave.
n the sanatorium "Bitter Lake" resembled about the war only wounded. Neither the usual cannonade, no burning smell ... Near sanatorium was a lake with a dark and warm water, which the forest was reflected . In front of the main housing as expected, rose bust our leader, Comrade Stalin. The chambers were for four persons. Dmitry was lucky- his neighbors were two pilots and one artillery.
Smart in the artillery,
Beautiful in the cavalry
Drunks in the Navy,
Fools in the infantry.
And as horse riding and piloting airplanes are very similar and pilots were beautiful and intelligent, then intelligent artillery quickly find a common language with them. However, Dmitry associated with love to Raya and primary task was speedy recovery and return to duty. That is why Dmitry worked with his hand to the darkening of the eyes and to the pain in the joints. In the morning, he did morning exercises, waving his arms so that sitting in the bushes and the trees sparrows and pigeons, crows and ravens flew away being frightened.
Dmitry began to swim in "Bitter Lake" already by the end of September.
The lake is large and Dmitry swam at the beginning of no more than 100 meters, and then continue to do not paying attention on the fact that water is already cold and the objections of doctors.
In the early November, Dmitry already been discharged and began to pass a medical examinations for future flights. The hand, of course, was different from normal, but it was surprising that he was able to develop it so in just 3 months! Doctors were puzzled and admired, however, impose restrictions on flights of fighters
Dmitry vain indignant. The sentence was handed down, and not subject to appeal.
-You would be happy that you can fly, as if not a war, it would be written off completely!