Chapter 6:
Corporal Karl Langenscheidt was making his usual night patrol around camp. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Well, out of the ordinary for Stalag 13 that is. The prisoners were playing night games, the guards were at their assigned posts, and the Gestapo soldiers stationed in camp were quiet. Whether he felt safer with them that way or not was beyond his knowledge.
He turned after inspecting the kommandant's quarters and headed towards Klink's office, when the colonel himself hurried down the stairs of his living space to his head corporal.
"Corporal Langenscheidt!" He bellowed.
Langenscheidt turned to face his commander with a confused expression on his face.
"Herr Kommandant, what are you doing out here? I thought you were going to bed for the night," the corporal said.
"I was about to go to bed, when I heard that you're not feeling well." Klink replied.
"Not feeling well," Langenscheidt said, growing more befuddled.
Hogan and Kalina appeared in sight, as Klink was about to continue. When they saw the corporal's facial expression, the two started making hand and facial gestures to try and get Langenscheidt to go along with what the kommandant was saying. Anything from doubling over and clutching their middles to putting a hand across their forehead as if they had a terrible fever.
After a few minutes, Langenscheidt understood what they were saying. Not wanting to get either Hogan or Kalina in trouble for whatever the reason was, he soon wrapped his arms around his middle, clenched his eyes shut, and made a fake cry of pain.
"Oh, Kommandant, I don't think I can carry out my night duties," he said, meek.
"How long have you been feeling ill?" Klink asked.
"About an hour or two. It came on suddenly, I don't know what is wrong."
"Corporal Langenscheidt, you are relieved of your night duties and are to report to the infirmary immediately."
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant."
"We can take him over, Colonel," Hogan said, hurrying to Langenscheidt's right. Kalina made her way to the corporal's left and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Poor Corporal Langenscheidt. He's so pale, Papa," Kalina whimpered, shaking her head in empathy.
"Get him to Sergeant Wilson quickly. And be careful, süßling." Klink urged.
"I will, Papa."
"Don't worry, Kommandant. I'll bring her back here as soon as Corporal Langenscheidt's resting easy," Hogan said.
The trio made their way slowly to the infirmary, leaving a concerned Klink with nothing but his worried thoughts.
Once they were out of Klink's hearing range, Langenscheidt removed his arms from around Kalina and Hogan and stopped in his tracks.
"Was ist los?" He demanded.
"Langenscheidt, we need you to act sick, very sick," Hogan said.
"But I feel just fine, Colonel Hogan."
"Please, Corporal Langenscheidt. If Papa finds out, we're in trouble." Kalina pleaded softly.
"I sense some funny business going on here." The German guard replied, looking at both Hogan and the kommandant's daughter.
"Just act sick for the rest of the night, and you go back to work tomorrow morning. Just act like it's a 24 hour flu bug or something. Sergeant Wilson will do the rest." The colonel insisted.
"Unless you want to be transferred to the Russian Front for indecent exposure." Kalina added.
"Indecent exposure! When did I do that?!" Langenscheidt cried, earning a hush from both the girl and Hogan.
"Relax. Klink thinks it's because of a fever making you delirious. Come on, Langenscheidt, use that good heart of yours. You get off the hook, and we get off the hook. A win-win situation if you wish to look at it." The colonel continued.
The corporal gave a soft sigh, then again doubled over and cried out in pain while clutching his middle.
"Hurry, Colonel Hogan, he's getting worse!" Kalina caterwauled softly.
"Hang on, Langenscheidt. We'll get you feeling better in no time." Hogan reassured.
"Just make it quick, Colonel Hogan. I think my fever is going up," Langenscheidt moaned.
The three continued making their way across the compound and finally reached the infirmary. Once inside, they stopped their act and sighed with relief.
Hogan turned to look at the cot nearest to them and made his way towards it.
"Come on, Langenscheidt. Get under the covers here and relax. You can get a few extra hours of sleep tonight once Klink gets the diagnosis," he stated.
"Jawohl, Colonel Hogan."
The corporal took his helmet off, handed it to Hogan, then made himself comfy underneath the sheets and blankets.
They were soon joined by Camp Medic Sergeant Wilson, who came out from the back of the infirmary. He looked up from the clipboard his was flipping through, saw the scene, and hurried to his commanding officer and friend.
"Colonel, what happened?" Wilson asked, anxious.
"It's alright, Joe. It's just a diversion. I need you to diagnose Langenscheidt with some sort of 24 hour illness. Klink'll be here soon enough and demand to know what's wrong with his Head Corporal." Hogan answered calmly.
The medic nodded.
"Very well, Sir. I can do that." He turned to look at Langenscheidt. "Corporal, what are your supposed symptoms?"
"High fever making me delirious and horrible stomach pain," Langenscheidt said, feeling nice and snug in the bed.
Wilson again nodded.
"Well, that leaves me with a variety of illnesses to decide from. There's a 24 hour flu, food poisoning, gastroenteritis…" He was cut off by Hogan.
"That one. What's that do?"
"Gastroenteritis? Nausea, abdominal pain, fever, dizziness, body aches, a nasty little bugger. Caused either by food poisoning or some sort of virus."
"Better make it a virus. Food poisoning wouldn't cause someone to have a fever making them delirious."
Kalina gave a gentle smile at the corporal, then leaned over to give him a hug and a kiss on the right side of his head. She liked the man and felt very safe in his care. He had become her friend very quickly with his sense of humor and gentleness.
Langenscheidt's response was a kind grin and a gentle pat on the girl's arm.
About fifteen minutes went by before Klink showed up. He came in as Wilson was pulling out a thermometer in Langenscheidt's mouth and shook his head at the result. The medic turned his eyes up to the German colonel and gave a heavy sigh.
"Kommandant, this man has a fever of 103," he said.
"103! I don't understand, he was just fine earlier. What's making him so ill?" Klink asked, growing frantic.
"A serious illness known as gastroenteritis. It can be caused by bacteria or a virus. Unfortunately for Corporal Langenscheidt's case, it is a virus. He might have been exposed to someone carrying the virus on them or drank something contaminated by the virus."
"Will he be alright, Sergeant? He's one of my best guards."
"I'm giving him aspirin for his abdominal pain and a mild sedative to help him sleep. Fortunately, it's just a 24 illness. Taking it easy for the evening and a good night's sleep, and he'll be good as new in the morning."
Klink took a breath of relief.
"Thank goodness," he said.
"He should wake up in about eight or nine hours. He'll be awake and feeling well by morning roll call." Wilson continued.
"I'm glad he'll be okay, Papa," Kalina said, leaning her head against her father's side.
"So am I, my dear," Klink said, wrapping his arm around his daughter.
"I'm afraid I have to ask you three to leave now. Corporal Langenscheidt needs his rest." The medic commented.
"Goodnight, Corporal Langenscheidt. Feel better real soon," Kalina said, soft.
Once sure that the German guard would 'rest easy', the three departed from the infirmary. Klink and Kalina were about to head back to the kommandant's quarters, when the girl and Hogan made a quick, secret exchange of looks. Getting the hidden message of wanting to meet in the barracks later, Kalina nodded, then continued making her way back to her sleeping quarters.
Hogan watched to make sure both of them made it back safely, then made his way back to his barracks.
Kalina stood at the kitchen countertop pouring a warm glass of milk for her father. She knew he always had a glass before going to sleep, and it made her task of getting to Hogan and his men that much easier. She put the carton of milk back in the fridge, then grabbed the glass and made her way towards the bathroom.
Once inside, Kalina silently closed the door halfway and stopped in front of the medicine cabinet above the sink. She searched inside for a brief moment before coming across what she was looking for. Kalina gave a slight grin, pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills, and dropped one in the glass of milk.
Kalina placed the bottle back in the medicine cabinet, left the bathroom, and made her way towards her father's bedroom. She knocked on the door softly, then opened it and peeked her head inside.
"Papa, you still up?" She asked.
Klink, lying in bed, looked up from his book he was reading and smiled at the pleasant surprise.
"Come on in, my dear," he said friendly.
Kalina closed the door behind her, sat down beside her father's legs, and handed him the glass of warm milk.
"Just the way you like it, Papa. Not too cold and not too hot. I couldn't find that snowman mug you love so much, though."
"Oh, that's alright. Probably just sitting behind a bunch of plates and glasses," Klink said, graciously taking the glass. The colonel drank the milk down quickly, making Kalina give a grin of mischief when her father was not looking.
"Taste good?" The girl asked.
"Mmmmm. Best glass of warm milk I've ever had." Klink answered, putting a hand to his daughter's cheek and gently rubbing it with his thumb.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Kalina said, a mystifying twinkle in her blue eyes that her father did not pick up on.
Klink's physical appearance quickly changed. He seemed less connected and like someone had kept him up the previous night. His head began to droop, his eyes felt heavy, and sleep suddenly seemed to be attacking him.
Kalina put on a mask of concern for her father's sudden change in behavior.
"Papa, you alright?" She asked.
"I'm...very tired all of a sudden," Klink said, slowly drifting off.
"It's been a very busy day here. I'd be surprised if you weren't tired."
Klink fluttered his eyes open and closed for a short moment before his eyes rolled and slowly had his head fall onto his pillow. He soon fell unconscious and was completely unaware of everything around him.
"Papa?" Kalina asked, checking if he was asleep.
No answer.
"Papa," she said.
Nothing. The kommandant was out like a light. Not even an air raid siren would wake him up.
Though it had been mostly to get away without notice, Kalina smiled knowing her father would get a good night's sleep. He worked very hard to do his job well and keep all his prisoners and guards in line. He would be completely undisturbed tonight.
Kalina pulled Klink's covers up a bit more to the top of his chest, then leaned forward and gave him a big hug and kiss.
"Gute nacht, Papa. I love you," she said, soft.
Without another word, Kalina turned off her father's lamp, silently closed the bedroom door, and headed for the hidden tunnel to Colonel Hogan's barracks.