Several top figures in political and military circles gathered around the hospital bed, looking at Rokossovsky, who was lying on the bed with a pale face, and couldn't help but sigh. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

Such a large battle suppressed the doctors and nurses standing at the door, they were not as powerful as the dean and the commissar, and so far it was not known who the wounded lying in the hospital bed were. A doctor whispered to his companion who had participated in the operation: "Hey, do you know who was wounded, why are several marshals and people's commissars here?" ”

"I don't know," the doctor who was asked shook his head, then spread his hands and said, "I've been helping the dean in the operating room, and I haven't even had anyone to talk to, how do I know who is injured." ”

After the doctor involved in the operation finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly added: "Oh, I remember, during the operation, the political commissar once quietly came in and asked me about the injuries of the wounded. It looks like this must be a big shot. ”

Without waiting for the first doctor to ask anything, the political commissar had already walked to the door and said sternly to the doctors and nurses standing outside the door: "What are you doing here, have you done your work?" Seeing that everyone was still standing still, he waved his hand and ordered, "Let's all go back to work!" ”

At this time in the ward, Molotov asked the dean: "Comrade dean, I wonder when Rokossovsky will wake up?" ”

"It's hard to say!" The dean in the white coat shook his head and said, "His injuries are too serious, maybe a few hours, or even a few days." ”

Hearing what the dean said so seriously, everyone's hearts couldn't help but raise their throats. Timoshenko asked cautiously: "Comrade Dean, Rokossovsky, he has a spine injury, and when the injury is healed, he... He's not going to be paralyzed, is he? ”

Timoshenko's question made the sweat on the dean's head come down. After raising his hand and wiping it on his forehead, he said nervously: "Comrade Marshal, we will do our best to prevent the occurrence of the kind of situation you mentioned. ”

At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps at the door. The political commissar who had just walked in turned his head sharply and was about to reprimand the daredevil, but when he saw a general standing at the door, he hurriedly raised his hand and saluted on the spot, and said at the same time: "Hello, comrade general!" ”

The voice of the commissar alarmed the people in the ward, and everyone turned their heads to look at the door, only to see that standing at the door was Vasilevsky, the deputy chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, although he was only a lieutenant general, but because of the higher position he held, whether it was several marshals, Molotov, or Boskrebeshev, they all nodded politely at him. Timoshenko asked bluntly: "Comrade Vasilevsky, how did you get here?" ”

"Comrade Marshal," Vasilevsky replied respectfully, "I heard that Comrade Rokossovsky was wounded, and I came to visit him on behalf of the General Staff Headquarters and the Headquarters of the 16th Army. ”

"The headquarters of the 16th Army?" When Timoshenko heard this, he couldn't help frowning and asked: "Rokossovsky has been injured for so long, why hasn't the commander of the command arrived yet?" ”

"The situation at the front has changed unexpectedly," Vasilevsky said this, and then closed his mouth in time, and at the same time glanced at the dean and the commissar who were standing aside. Seeing the eyes of the deputy chief of the general staff on him, the two knew that the big men were going to discuss important matters, so they hurriedly said that they still had work and hurriedly left the ward.

After the director and commissar left, Vasilevsky continued: "According to reports from the front, after Rokossovsky was wounded, the command of the 16th Army was paralyzed, and at this very moment the Germans launched a counteroffensive against the town of Maklaki. Our troops, not ready for defense, were taken by surprise by the Germans and, after a fierce battle, were forced to withdraw from the town of Maklaki. ”

"What, the town of Maklaki is lost?" Hearing this, Timoshenko's face turned pale, and he turned his head to the other two marshals and said: "The recent war has really been unfavorable, a few days ago, Vlasov's 20th Army was completely annihilated by the Germans, and finally Rokossovsky commanded the troops to capture the town of Maklaki, saving a little face for our army. Unexpectedly, he had just been wounded, and the fascist invaders took back the town of Maklaki. ”

"Comrade Marshal, don't worry." Vasilevsky hurriedly persuaded Timoshenko: "The deputy commander of the 16th Army, General Zakharov, is directing troops to counterattack the town of Maklaki, and I believe that it will not be long before good news comes." ”

"Comrade Deputy Chief of the General Staff, I am not as optimistic as you." Voroshilov, who had been silent, spoke: "I knew Zakharov long before the war, and according to what I know about him, although he is a very combative commander, he lacks the ability to take charge on his own, and I think it will be very difficult for him to recapture the town of Makrakhi. ”

"Alright, comrades, don't say that again." After Voroshilov finished speaking, his old partner in the 1st Cavalry Army, Marshal Budyonny, also spoke: "Let's stop staying here and influencing Comrade Rokossovsky, let's go back to our posts." He looked at Pos Krebeshev and said meaningfully, "Maybe Comrade Stalin is still waiting for Pos Krebeshev's report." ”

"Comrade Marshal is right!" Molotov also realized at this moment that it would be useless for a group of people to remain in Rokossovsky's hospital room, so he promptly echoed Budyonny's suggestion: "Let's all go back to our jobs." ”

Immediately after leaving the military hospital, Poskorebeshev returned to the Kremlin as quickly as he could, reporting to Stalin, who was still working in his office, about Rokossovsky's situation.

After listening to the report, Stalin walked out from behind his desk, took the pipe in his mouth and clenched it in his right hand, and walked back and forth in his office. Bosk Klebeshev, who was familiar with his character, knew that he was thinking, so he stood there without saying a word, only his eyes moving with his movements.

After walking for a while, Stalin stopped and asked Boskorebeshev: "Since the hospital says that it does not know when Rokossovsky will wake up, can he be transferred to a hospital with better conditions?" ”

"I don't think that's going to work, Comrade Stalin." "Rokossovsky's injuries are serious, and although the operation was successful, moving rashly before he wakes up could be life-threatening," Poskosov said cautiously. ”

"If that's the case," said Stalin, after listening to Boskrebeshev's words, he was silent for a long time before he spoke slowly: "Let's wait for him to wake up before he is transferred." But before that, you have to choose a hospital. Rokossovsky is a rare and excellent commander, and we must do our best to bring him back to the battlefield as soon as possible. ”

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Boskrebeshev bowed slightly, and replied respectfully: "I will arrange a new hospital for General Rokossovsky as soon as possible." ”

…………

Rokossovsky regained consciousness on the third day of the operation. Although he tried hard to open his eyes, such an ordinary easy action was almost an impossible task for him, and his eyelids were like lead, and he couldn't open them at all. He tried to move his body, but the huge pain from the wound made him snort softly.

"Comrade Commander, you're awake." The nurse, who had been guarding the side, heard that the wounded man, who had been in a coma for two days, had symptoms of awakening, and immediately cheered and ran out to find the dean and the commissar.

It didn't take long for the dean and commissar to flood the ward with a large group of doctors and nurses. After checking his temperature and measuring his blood pressure, the dean said to Rokossovsky, who opened his eyes, with a sense of relief: "Comrade General, your vital signs are normal, and your wounds are recovering well, I believe that it will not be long before you will be able to sit up." ”

After the dean finished speaking, he turned to the political commissar next to him and said: "Hurry up and call Comrade Molotov and tell him that General Rokossovsky has woken up." ”

Seeing that the commissar happily agreed, and was about to run out, Rokossovsky hurriedly whispered: "Wait a minute!" ”

Hearing that Rokossovsky had something to say, the dean hurriedly came over and asked with a smile: "Comrade General, do you have anything else?" ”

"Don't hurt me," Rokossovsky said with some breathlessness, "and tell my family so they don't worry." ”

A few minutes later, Molotov received a call from the commissar of the hospital, and he couldn't help but smile: "What, Rokossovsky woke up?" That's great! … Did he say anything when he woke up? … What, don't inform his family about his injuries ?! … I understand, thank you, Comrade Commissar! ”

Molotov originally wanted to inform Stalin of the news of Rokossovsky's awakening by phone, but after thinking about it, he felt that it would be better to say it in person, so he picked up a stack of papers on the table and prepared to tell Stalin the good news when he reported on his work.

An hour later, Lobachev, who was far away at the headquarters of Sushinich's 16th Army, received a call from Vasilevsky, and when he learned that Rokossovsky had woken up, he could not help but burst into tears of excitement. As soon as he put down the phone, he excitedly said to Zakharov and Malinin: "Deputy commander, chief of staff, comrade commander has woken up, I will go to Moscow to visit him on behalf of the command of the army group, you have no different opinions, right?" ”