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An Argument Amongst Brothers
By
Jennaya O'Neill
DISCLAIMER:
All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of CBS and Ryscher Entertainment. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Thank you to Waikiki for all her beta work.
Colonel Klink and Sergeant Schultz walked through Stalag 13's compound discussing security details. As they neared the back of the camp, they could hear angry voices and quicken their pace to investigate. The sight presented to them behind the storage building stopped Klink dead in his tracks. Colonel Robert Hogan, the senior prisoner-of-war officer, had the new prisoner, Captain Patrick Walker, up against the wall of the building by the collar of his jacket.
"What's going on here?" Klink called out across the length of the building.
Hogan leaned in and whispered to the Captain's ear. "Don't talk to the Krauts and this isn't over." Letting him go Hogan said in a tightly controlled voice. "You're confined to quarters until further notice. Get out of here." Captain Walker walked back to his barracks as Klink and Schultz approached Hogan.
"Colonel Hogan, do you care to explain?" Klink had never seen Hogan this angry before. He'd witnessed him livid, frustrated, and irritated, but this…this was borderline rage.
"Kommandant, you asked me to leave the disciplining of your men to you. I'm asking you for the same military courtesy," Hogan responded with minimum control, his eyes still boiled with anger.
"Schultz, make sure Captain Walker stays in his barracks. Colonel Hogan, let's discuss this in my office." Klink and Hogan didn't speak as they walked through the compound to his office. Although he'd never admit it, he was a little bit afraid of Hogan right now, and Klink wanted him calmer. Entering his office Klink indicated for Hogan to sit. "Now, tell me what was going on out there."
"I've been charged with making sure the men under my command stay inline. I was handling a situation." Hogan was more composed, but not enough for Klink's taste making him still uneasy.
"What I saw wasn't command discipline. You were completely out of character, and I've never seen you so angry." Klink said with more bravado than he felt, and then he walked over to his liquor cabinet and poured them both a drink. He hoped it would help Hogan to calm down more; it would definitely help Klink's nerves. "You are supposed to keep the prisoners in control, but ultimately I'm responsible for everything that happens in this camp."
"What you saw today you will never see again. I can promise you that," he said calming down some.
"I never want to hear about it happening again either." Just because you say I won't see it, doesn't comfort me enough to know it won't happen again. "I need to know what this was about."
Hogan sat quietly drinking the schnapps before answering. His fury had turned into a quiet seething. "I was stopping an escape attempt."
"Uh huh, I see and why would you stop an escape attempt?" Klink didn't believe that was all he saw earlier.
"I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Hogan always worried about his men, but something in his eyes told Klink it was much deeper than that. "Besides I couldn't allow your record to be ruined."
"I'd almost think that this incident between you and Walker was personal. Did you know each other prior to his arrival here? He's a pilot, was he in your old unit?" Klink was hoping to gain some background information, as well as understand what was happening between the two men.
"No, never laid eyes on him before that day in your office." Hogan lied, finishing off his drink he poured them both another one.
"How was this escape attempt supposed to occur?" Klink could play along with this ruse for a moment; it might have some semblance of truth in it, and he was always interested in escape threats in order to prevent against them.
"Colonel Klink, do you really think I'd tell you that?" Hogan said with a half-lopsided grin.
"Yes, I do. I order you to tell me," Klink responded with much more convection than he had in their conversation.
"You won't believe what I saw," Newkirk nearly yelled as he burst into barracks two. "The Gov'nor and Walker were at each others throats at the end of the compound; Klink broke it up and took the Colonel into his office." The others gathered around him at the head of the table, not believing the news they were hearing.
"What's going on between Colonel Hogan and Captain Walker? They've had words a couple of times since he arrived last week." Carter looked bewildered, and a little scared Hogan was acting out of the ordinary.
"That settles it! We have to get him out of here or take care of him ourselves," LeBeau's eyes were bright with anger. Whatever the Colonel's problem with Walker was, they wouldn't let Walker get away with anything.
"Let's hook up the coffee pot and see what we can find out," Kinch suggested as they all went into Hogan's office.
Hogan sat thinking for a moment before responding to Klink. He had let Walker get under his skin again, and their dispute was old and personal. Unfortunately, it was starting to affect his command, and he couldn't allow that to happen. He was in the wrong and needed to correct the situation. "Walker was trying to rally the prisoners into one mass escape. That would have caused injuries on both sides, and I don't want my men to get hurt. He had to be stopped, and some men only listen to strong orders."
"A mass escape? He will get thirty days in the cooler immediately," Klink hit his fist on the desk.
"No, that wouldn't work," Hogan said leading Klink down the road he wanted him to go.
"And why not?" Klink was indigent, how dare Hogan tell him what would or wouldn't work in his own camp!
"Because as soon as he got out, he'd try another attempt, and plus he'd have all that time to come up with a better plan. Kommandant, the only way to preserve your no escape record is to transfer him to another Stalag." No matter how angry he was with Walker, Hogan wouldn't let him spend a day in the cooler let alone thirty of them.
"Perhaps you're right, I'll see to it he's transferred immediately." Klink studied Hogan. Although he was back in control, Hogan still wasn't telling him something. Getting any more out of Hogan would never happen; Hogan talked a lot but rarely said anything. Transferring Walker out would return the camp to normal which Klink wanted. Anyone who could push his senior prisoner of war officer that far could cause an uprising among the prisoners, and Klink couldn't take the chance. Nor could he risk Hogan blowing up again, which might also cause a riot if the prisoners saw him out of control.
"Kommandant, I apologize for my actions today. It won't happen again," Hogan said in a much calmer tone.
"Make sure it doesn't. I can't let this go unpunished; you're restricted to the barracks for five days. Dismissed," Klink saluted Hogan back. "Hogan, Walker will be gone today," he wanted to reassure him.
"Thank you, sir." Hogan answered leaving the office and walking back to his hut.
"So, how much did you hear?" Hogan asked looking at the faces staring at him from around the common table of their hut.
"We heard you explaining the escape plan, sir." Kinch answered looking embarrassed at being caught.
"Newkirk, LeBeau, and Carter, I need you to get Walker when they transfer him and hide him in the tunnel. Make sure you get him, don't let him be taken elsewhere, he's too important. Kinch, find out how soon we can get him to London, and tell London the sooner the better."
"Yes, sir, we'll take care of it," Newkirk answered as they went to accomplish their task.
"I'll be in my office if anyone needs me," Hogan walked into his office wanting to be alone for a while.
"Colonel," Kinch walked over to the office door, "is there anything we can help with?"
"Thanks, but everything is all right. Let me know what London says about getting Walker home," Hogan gave him a forced smile.
"Will do, sir," Kinch promised leaving to send the message. The Colonel wasn't going to explain what was happening between the two men, and Kinch could tell it wasn't the right time to push.
"Captain Walker, here's your identification and money. The underground will get you to the sub and you'll be in England in two days." Newkirk handed him the paperwork as Walker finished putting on his civilian suit. Hogan had asked his men to make sure everything was taken care of and triple checked. This was one escape that had to go perfectly.
"Thank you for everything thing you've all done to get me home." Walker had been quiet since he was brought into the tunnel. Hardly speaking, other than when asked direct questions, his mood was quiet and contemplative.
"It's what we do, sir. I hope you have a safe trip," Newkirk still wasn't sure about this man who upset the Gov'nor so much.
"Newkirk, give us a moment." Hogan requested coming down into the tunnel for the first time since Walker's rescue.
"Yes sir," Newkirk replied walking down the tunnel to give them privacy.
"Patrick, you won't have any trouble getting back; we have our best people escorting you. I handpicked them myself," Hogan explained.
"Thank you, when we meet again…," Walker started his face wrought with emotion and his words caught in his throat.
"We'll settle it, I know we can…it's gone on far too long. If the world can survive another world war, I know we can put our differences to rest." Hogan was calm and penitent. He had spent the last twenty-four hours in his quarters thinking about how much time and energy had been wasted over something that was petty, in the light of the dangers each man faced daily.
Walker shook his head in agreement. "Big brother, please be careful and come home to us. This stupid fight means nothing. I don't know why it's gone on so long. You on the other hand are very important, and I don't want to lose you over here." The younger man had mist in his eyes with worry for Hogan.
"I'll be home as soon as this war is over. You're just as important to me, and I want you safely back in London. Please tell dad and mom that I'm all right." Hogan answered blinking away his own tears of concern.
"I'll make sure they know," Patrick promised. The half-brothers embraced, and then Hogan led him out to meet the underground.
Finish.
A/N: Family can push our buttons like no one else. Sometimes a petty ordeal can turn loved ones against each other until reality strikes back. What was the argument? Does it matter? Every family has one that only makes sense to them.