A Funny Thing Happened

by Signy1

The main thing to remember is that, in the end, the mission was a success. There's really no need to go over all the little details of who did what, whether or not the instructions were clear, who said they would handle that one crucial step, or why, precisely, someone ended up half-naked. Is there? No, I didn't think so. Let's hope Hogan doesn't, either. Drabble.

4. Chapter 4

Sometime in 1963…

"I've always wondered, Newkirk. About that still..."

"…You're thirty years early."

"RHIP," said Hogan. "Humor me. When the booze went flying, did you drink any of it?"

Newkirk recoiled. "Sir! I'd been flash-fried and shot, I was 'alf-naked, and I 'ad Carter over one shoulder. Louie'd already swooned twice, and I knew if 'e got a third look at me leg, I'd be carrying 'im over me other shoulder. I bloody well wanted a drink, but I was on duty. So no, Colonel. I didn't."

"Besides," LeBeau added. "All the bottles were smashed."

Newkirk scowled in remembered frustration. "That, too."

OoOoOoOoO

Author's note: Okay, this is taking on a life of its own! This snippet is actually a response to Katbybee's wonderful expansion of the story- 'Mission Accomplished- Sort Of,' and MoonyEstelChase's equally wonderful 'Glib.'

RHIP stands for 'Rank Hath Its Privileges.' And speaking of rank, Hogan is almost certainly a general by this point... but he'll always be 'the Colonel' to his men.

Perhaps someday I'll actually manage to write a one-shot that *stays* a one-shot. Between this Jack's Beanstalk of a story and 'Traduttore, Traditore,' which was also supposed to be a single scene, apparently I don't know how to do short.