The Tunnel: Chapter Four

When Hogan woke up, he realized that he was very thirsty. To make sure he was safe, he looked around the room to see if Wilson was in the room; he wasn't. To Hogan, this was a very good thing. Nobody was in the infirmary, so that meant that he could get up and do things on his own. As he stretched out his body, he yelped softly as he felt a jabbing pain in his leg, and ribs; to think about it more, his whole body ached! What happened??? He thought slowly –his brain didn't seem to want to work. Owww……why does my stomach hurt?

The tunnel! He thought briefly, letting the flashback fill his brain. Carter! I wonder if he's okay…..Why isn't he in here with me? What if he's---No Robert, don't think like that. He's probably in his bunk in the barracks taking a nap, or making new bombs for the assignment. What was the assignment? I can't seem to remember. Where is everybody, anyway? Is it time for roll call? Why didn't anybody get me? Oh yeah, my leg. It's broken. Owww……..my stomach……..

Soon enough, the colonel was fast asleep, oblivious to all that was around him.

Contrary to the Colonel's "seeings" People were really around him when he "woke up". Kinch was with him, dozing beside the bed, while Wilson was in the background, filling out some paper work. As Hogan was starting to moan, and groan, Kinch slowly became awake and became apparent to his colonel's needs. "Wilson-do you have anything that will help the colonel? He's in pain!"

Sergeant Wilson hurried over to the occupied bed and looked into the Colonel's eyes, and took his heart rate, and tried to hear his breathing without aggravating his wounds. "You're right; he is in pain, but not from his old wounds. His appendix is bothering him. He's going to have to go to that hospital, against his wills. I reckon it's going to explode soon. I'll go tell Kommodant Klink, while you get your gang and prepare a vehicle for him. There's no time to wait for the ambulance."

As Kinch hurried to do what he was told, Wilson ran across the compound to Klink's office. Barging through the office, yet nodding politely to Hilda, he ran into Klink's office where he was signing some paperwork. "Colonel Klink. We need you to call Dr. Mueller-Colonel Hogan is in a lot of pain and we need to take him to the hospital with Doktor Mueller. I think he needs to take out Hogan's appendix. But we need to hurry before it bursts or else Hogan could be in a lot of trouble! I sent Sergeant Kinchloe to prepare your car. You will need to help us get to the hospital quickly and tell the employees to help the colonel. German hospital staff are very cautious about whom they attend to first."

Klink was speechless. He knew that Hogan's appendix was going to have to be taken out, but he thought Hogan was stable at the moment. Apparently not he thought. He then realized that Hogan might be fighting for his life. "Sergeant Wilson, let us go to the motor pool to get my car. Frauline Hilda, I have some very important business to attend to-you may leave when you are finished with your duties."

"Colonel Klink-your car is waiting with Hogan in it-Everybody is waiting on you!"Wilson reminded him, hurriedly.

"Yes of course." He mumbled like a buffoon. Klink hurried to get into the car, and they were off. Shultz was driving, rushing along the dirt road. Hogan was propped up against the seat, gallons of sweat falling down his face; his face twisted in pain. Corporal Newkirk was sitting beside Hogan, halfway letting the colonel lie on him; halfway propping him up. It occurred to him that he never called the hospital to let them know they were coming. When he mentioned it to Shultz, Newkirk responded, "Oh, we 'ook care of that. 'Ilda was very obliging to call the hospital to inform 'em of our arrival."

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. As they got closer to the hospital, the tension was very tight. As soon as they pulled up to the "emergency room" door, Hogan was whisked away by doctors and nurses and Klink was handed a stack of paperwork three feet high, as the three men sat down to wait in the vacant waiting room.

Thanks for reading!!!!!

Notes:

I used Newkirk to take to the Hospital instead of Kinchloe because Germans didn't accept African-Americans at that time and probably would have thrown him out.

I know nothing of medicine or WWII time period, so please correct me if I shared any incorrect information.

Just in case you didn't realize, Hogan is hallucinating when he is "awake".

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G. Kinchmeyer!!!