Sokov was about to continue inspecting the defense areas of other divisions. After chatting with Nikitin for a while, he was about to leave, but at this time Lunev suddenly snorted, covered his abdomen with both hands, his face turned livid, and his expression looked particularly strange. happy.
"Comrade Military Commissar, what's wrong with you?" Seeing Lunev's sudden illness, Sokov couldn't help but panic, and quickly asked with concern: "What's wrong with you?"
"Misha, if I'm not wrong, it may be an attack of acute appendicitis." After Lunev said this to Sokov, he looked up at Nikitin: "General Nikitin, could you please call some military doctors? ?"
Seeing Lunev's sudden illness, Nikitin was also shocked. If something happened to the military commissar of the Army Group, he would not be able to live without it. At this time, he heard Lunev talking to him, and he nodded vigorously and said, "No problem, I'll call the military doctor over right away."
The chief of staff standing nearby said to Nikitin: "Comrade division commander, the military doctors may be busy at the moment. I will go there personally and invite the director of the field hospital to come over and ask him to examine Comrade Military Commissar."
A few minutes later, a middle-aged military doctor, led by the chief of staff, walked into the division headquarters.
Seeing the military doctor entering the door, Nikitin immediately came forward and said anxiously: "Comrade Dean, you are here! The military commissar of the Army Group has a sudden illness, possibly acute appendicitis. Please check him out."
After Sokov learned that the person who came was the director of the field hospital, he also came forward and said politely: "Hello, comrade director! I am the commander of the group army Sokov. My military commissar may be acutely ill." Appendicitis attacks, please help him get a checkup."
The dean nodded after hearing this, and then asked someone to find a stretcher, let Lunev lie on it, and then began to examine him.
During the examination, Sokov, Nikitin and others were anxious, but they did not dare to speak casually, lest they interrupt the dean's diagnosis.
After the dean examined Lunev, he said seriously: "Comrade Military Commissar, your guess is correct. It is indeed acute appendicitis."
"I'm in severe pain," Lunev said. "Can you give me some painkillers?"
"Comrade Military Commissar, just prescribing painkillers is useless." The dean shook his head and said, "I suggest you perform surgery immediately, otherwise your life may be in danger."
But Lunev said with concern: "But the war is still going on. Is it appropriate for me to have surgery at this time?"
As Sokov, who comes from a later generation, he naturally understands that acute appendicitis may seem like a minor problem, but if it is not taken seriously, it may become life-threatening once the infection becomes suppurative. Thinking of this, he said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I think you should listen to the dean and perform surgery immediately, otherwise it may really endanger your life."
"If I undergo surgery, I'm afraid I won't be able to cooperate with your work for a long time."
"It's okay, Comrade Military Commissar." Sokov comforted him and said, thinking that he could still carry out his work normally even without Lunev's cooperation, not to mention that a small appendix surgery would not take long to recover. After the operation, you can recover for a week at most before you can return to normal and return to your command position. Comrade Dean, am I right?" He said the last sentence to the Dean.
"Yes, Comrade Commander, you are right." The dean nodded in approval of Sokov's statement: "Appendix surgery is a minor operation. You can get out of bed and walk around on the day of the operation, and the wound will be basically healed within seven days."
Seeing that everyone was persuading him to have surgery, and the pain in his lower right abdomen getting worse and worse, Lunev felt that his life might really be in danger if he didn't have surgery, so he nodded slowly and said, "Okay. Well, Comrade Dean, please hurry up and perform the surgery."
When Lunev was lying on a stretcher and being carried outside by several soldiers, Sokov wanted to follow him, but Lunev said to him: "Misha, don't you still want to inspect?" , then forget about it, I will stay at the field hospital of the 120th Guards Division after the operation, you can come and see me at any time."
Since Luniev was unwilling to affect his inspection work, Sokov would no longer force himself. However, Lunev's operation was not a trivial matter. Before leaving the division headquarters, Sokov called Sidorin and told him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let me tell you something. We are in the near future." During an inspection at the headquarters of the 120th Guards Division, Comrade Military Commissar suddenly suffered from acute appendicitis and has now been sent to a field hospital for surgery. After the surgery, he will recuperate here for a period of time."
"Comrade Commander," Sidorin said: "The conditions of the division field hospital are not comparable to those of the group army field hospital. I think it is better to send the military commissar back for surgery."
"The director of the division field hospital is going to personally perform the surgery on Comrade Military Commissar. I think there is no need to go back and forth." Sokov said into the microphone: "Besides, in a few days, the group army field hospital will also be moved forward. Then we’ll choose the location here.”
"That's okay." Sidorin nodded and said: "In this way, Comrade Military Commissioner will not have to move before he recovers. By the way, Comrade Commander, where do you plan to inspect next, I will contact you in advance. The unit’s commander says hello.”
"I plan to go to the 118th Infantry Brigade and the 202nd Tank Brigade next." Sokov thought about the enemies sneaking in now. Although he had a guard company with him, who could guarantee that no accident would happen? If you greet the commander of the unit to be inspected in advance, they can arrange some things in advance to minimize the possibility of danger. It was out of this consideration that Sokov agreed to Sidorin revealing his whereabouts to the commander below: "Say hello to the two brigade commanders."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Sidorin said, "I'll call them immediately."
Since Lunev stayed in the division field hospital for surgery, a seat was vacant on the jeep. When Sokov once again invited Lednikova, she did not refuse, but sat on it generously. Sokov's side.
After the car started, Lednikova asked Sokov tentatively: "Comrade General, is the chief just now from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
Sokov knew that Lednikova was asking about Lunev, so he nodded, and before she asked again, he took the initiative and said: "Yes, General Lunev is the deputy minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a member of the Supreme Command. To my military commissar.”
When Lednikova and Lunev exchanged codes, they only knew that the other person was from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but they did not expect that his position was so high, only one or two levels lower than Beria. Thinking of this, she asked with some anxiety: "He knows that we were assassinated by German agents today. Will he punish us next?"
Lednikova was right to worry. A group of agents from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came out to perform a mission, but were actually plotted against by German agents disguised as Soviet soldiers. Their weapons and documents were even taken away, which even harmed the group. He was almost shot as an enemy by his own people. If the superiors really want to hold people accountable, I'm afraid none of the team members will be able to escape.
"Second Lieutenant Lednikova," Sokov saw Lednikova's worries and comforted her: "Don't worry, Lunev is now my military commissar and no longer the deputy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Minister, I don’t think he will pursue this matter anymore, so just keep it in your heart.”
"Is it true, Comrade General?" Lednikova asked in surprise and joy: "Is it true that he will not pursue our mistakes?"
Sokov was worried that Lednikova would not believe what he said, so he nuzzled at Koshkin, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, and said: "This captain was Comrade Military Commissar's subordinate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He told Lu I know General Nev’s character very well. If you don’t believe it, you can ask him and see if you will be punished?”
"No, Second Lieutenant Lednikova." Koshkin half-turned around and said to Lednikova, who was sitting in the back row: "Comrade Military Commissar is a very kind person. When you were rescued, he I didn’t say anything, so naturally I won’t punish you later, so don’t worry.”
After receiving Koshkin's confirmation, Lednikova felt a little more at ease: "That's good, that's good, now I feel relieved."
"Koshkin," Sokov said to Koshkin, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat after the convoy continued to drive for a while, "did you see any supply points on the way?"
Today's large corps operations usually set up several supply points along the way to refuel passing vehicles, provide food to commanders and soldiers on the roadside, etc. When Koshkin heard Sokov's question, he immediately thought that he had left too early this morning and had not eaten yet. He quickly replied: "Comrade Commander, I haven't seen the supply point yet. But don't worry, it won't be long." , you can see the existence of the supply point.”
Sokov nodded and said nothing, but he was thinking in his heart: The number of supply points is still too few. We have walked so far and we didn’t see any of them. Those soldiers who are marching on foot may be missing many times. We had to go on the road hungry. It seemed we should give a message to the Army Logistics Department and ask them to increase the number of supply points.
The convoy drove forward for a few more minutes. Koshkin suddenly turned around, pointed forward with his finger, and said excitedly to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, there is a supply point on the roadside in front. We can eat there first." Grab something and rush to the unit you want to inspect."
"Well, I think it's okay." Sokov was already so hungry that his chest was touching his back. When he heard that there was food ahead, he immediately became energetic. However, he still reminded Koshkin: "Koshkin, let the team Find a suitable place to park, and don’t block the normal movement of other vehicles, do you understand?”
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Koshkin said confidently: "The location chosen for the supply point is very open. Even if twenty or thirty trucks are parked, it will not appear crowded."
When the convoy stopped in the open space next to the supply point, the soldiers of the guard company got off the car one after another. After briefly lining up, they were ready to go to the food place where the supply point provided food. After eating, they could also go to a nearby tent to rest for a while. .
Just when Sokov was about to walk over, he was grabbed by Lednikova: "Wait a moment, Comrade General, please wait a moment."
Sokov turned to look at Lednikova, and was about to ask her what was going on and why she suddenly pulled him, but he saw the other person said with a horrified look: "Comrade General, I saw it, I saw it." Him."
"He? Who is he?" After Sokov said this impatiently, he suddenly thought of a possibility, and an expression of disbelief suddenly appeared on his face: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, you said it was the ones who attacked you. German?"
"That's right, that's right." Lednikova nodded vigorously and said in a positive tone: "Look among the people standing next to the tent eating, there is a major with his arm wrapped in a bandage and hanging on his chest. , he was the one who led the attack on us."
Sokov looked in the direction Lednikova said, and sure enough he saw a major with a wounded arm. The bandaged arm was hanging on his chest, and he was gnawing a few slices of bread in his other hand. But he was not alone. There was a soldier-looking man next to him, holding a lunch box with what seemed to be soup inside. After the major finished eating the bread, he took a spoon from the soldier's hand and scooped up a spoonful of soup in the lunch box...
"Comrade Second Lieutenant, please tell me." Sokov asked Lednikova with a serious expression: "Did the soldier next to him also participate in the attack on you?"
Lednikova stared at the soldier carefully, then shook her head and said: "There is no such soldier among those who attacked us."
"Then take a look and see if there are any of their people nearby?"
Hearing what Sokov said, Lednikova searched the crowd of people eating again. After a while, she said in a positive tone: "Comrade General, there is a second lieutenant five or six steps to the right of the major, who is in the same group as him."
Sokov quickly looked towards the position Lednikova said, and sure enough he saw a second lieutenant. Since the second lieutenant is surrounded by ordinary soldiers, he is easy to identify. After confirming the two targets, Sokov continued to ask: "Are there any more?"
"No more." Lednikova shook her head and said, "At least no one found them among the crowd."
Sokov quickly called Koshkin over, told him in a low voice what Lednikova had discovered, and then ordered him to take someone to pretend to go there for a meal, quietly approach the major and second lieutenant, and control them by surprise. stand up.
After listening, Koshkin looked at Lednikova and asked: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, are you sure that there are only two of them here and that no other accomplices are here?"
"Yes, Comrade Captain, I'm sure." Lednikova said in a firm tone: "Don't forget, I am from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and my basic ability is to have a photographic memory of people. This is You can’t go wrong.”
