Chapter 5 – Sweat and Searching for Clues

Hannes sat on the bench, drinking bottle in hand, gazing at the water as if it could tell him when the blueberry would return. Listlessly he took a sip, his eyes lingering somewhere between floor and wall.

The door opened, and Hannelore Handeltstark walked in. A designer of defibrillators by profession – a job she always described with a mixture of pride and irony. Today she had booked a training session with Hannes.

She noticed immediately that something was off. Hannes, usually beaming, seemed… absent. One more step, and he saw her – and then the sad, blueberry-less glimmer in his eyes vanished. Instead, he gave her his typical, warm smile. The blueberry was forgotten. Now Hannelore was the centre of attention.

"Oh Hannes," she began, setting down her sports bag, "the superficial cattiness in the defibrillator-designer community is wearing me down." Hannes raised an eyebrow, stayed silent and let her continue. "Tell me… what can you actually do about little pads of fat here and there?"

He shrugged. "Do they cause you pain or any physical limitations?" She hesitated. "No… not really." Hannes smiled briefly and shrugged once more. "Then let's make sure your back stays strong, and your knees too. Fitness is above all there to keep you healthy – not to feed superficialities."

Hannelore nodded appreciatively, even if her colleagues' snide comments still lingered at the back of her mind. But as soon as she began Hannes's exercises, there was no room left for them in her thoughts. The weights, the movements, the rhythm – all of it claimed her completely.

When the training was over, Hannelore said goodbye, exhausted but relieved. Later, in the shower, she felt the clear thoughts returning. Hannes stayed alone in the gym for a moment longer, towel around his neck, and smiled. This was exactly what he lived for – getting people back on track. Through sweat, through work, through looking ahead.