As Hochstetter drove, his thoughts reeled. Can it be that Newkirk is Papa Bear, not Hogan? he thought. That vould explain vhy Papa Bear never met the contacts…because he vas in the hospital! He frowned. If that is so, then Hogan allowed the suspicion to fall on himself all this time, to protect his subordinate? Hochstetter blinked. Or is Newkirk his subordinate? If Newkirk is Papa Bear, then he may not be a mere corporal…he could be a captain, or a colonel himself, or… Hochstetter tried to think of British ranks. Either vay, he vould be a spy! He could even be Nimrod! The realization almost made him slam on the brakes. But no, Hogan's description has been given. Newkirk's hair is not as dark, I think. He is a little shorter, thinner…and he is too young to be a colonel. No, Hogan has to be Papa Bear…but then, vhy did he not meet his contacts…on the same night that Newkirk vould've been unable to go?
Suddenly, he'd arrived at the hospital. "I vill discover the truth, right now!" he vowed, before getting out and storming up the steps.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hogan dashed over to the tunnel and shot down it, with the others following. "We have to call the hospital and warn Dr. Siegfried," he said.
Kinch dashed over to their switchboard and plugged in their phone, before handing it to Carter, who gave them an odd look.
Hogan never failed to be amazed at how easily Kinch could somehow read his mind. "Your German accent is better," Hogan told him.
Carter shrugged, a little shy at the compliment, as he held the phone to his ear and waited for the connection. "Hello," he said. "I need to speak to Dr. Siegfried immediately." He waited as the operator put him on hold. A minute later, he frowned. "Vhat? But zis is an emergency! Oh." He shot Hogan a helpless look. "Hold on please," he said, before covering the phone. "The doctor's performing surgery right now, Colonel!"
Hogan swore under his breath. "Ask when he should be finished."
"Vhen is he expected to finish?" Carter asked. "Oh." He covered the phone again. "She doesn't know!"
"This is bad…" LeBeau mumbled. "This is very bad…"
"I'm gonna have to go over there," Hogan said, walking away.
"But you heard Hochstetter," Kinch said. "He said you aren't allowed to go back there today."
Carter looked at the phone. "Are you still there?" he asked. The operator was, so Carter covered it again and said, "Colonel?"
Hogan looked back at him and waved his hand to hang up. They couldn't leave a message for Siegfried to call them back…they didn't have a real phone number.
"Um, byebye," Carter said, before handing the phone back to Kinch. He shrugged when LeBeau rolled his eyes.
Hogan headed over to their German uniforms, before a sudden voice called out inside the barracks.
"Colonel Hogan!"
It was Schultz.
"Oh great," Hogan said. Heading towards the ladder, he dashed up it and waited until he heard the guard's footsteps head to where his quarters were, before throwing the tunnel open and climbing out.
Schultz poked his head out of Hogan's quarters just as Hogan materialized behind him, making him jump. "Colonel! Don't do that to me!"
"Sorry, Schultz." Hogan walked over to his door and leaned against it, making Schultz turn around so the others could climb out of the tunnel without being seen.
"The Kommandant wants to see you," Schultz told him.
Hogan inwardly sighed. We don't have time for this! "Oh, too bad, Schultz. I just decided to take a vacation."
Schultz made a stern face. "He wants to see you in his office right now!"
Hogan looked beyond him to the others, who watched worriedly. "Keep trying what we were doing."
Schultz frowned. "What were you doing?" He blinked. "No! Do not tell me! Out, out!" he said, pushing Hogan ahead of him.
Hogan submitted, and took the guard by surprise by running across the camp.
"Colonel!" Schultz exclaimed.
Hogan wasn't in any mood to laugh, and dashed up the stairs to Klink's office. When he entered the room, he found Klink sitting at his desk.
The Kommandant looked up at him. "Hogan," he said. "What are we going to do?"
Hogan blinked. "Sir?"
Klink shook his head and stood, starting to pace. "Major Hochstetter is a ruthless man, you know this! What is Newkirk going to tell him?"
Hogan shook his head. "Nothing, Colonel."
Klink went *hrumph*. "This is an escape-proof camp, Hogan! I refuse to believe that you and your men come and go as you please…why would anyone leave and return again to a Prisoner of War camp? Major Hochstetter is wrong about that, he has to be. But…" He stopped pacing and shook his finger at the American. "You can't deny that some strange things have happened ever since you arrived…some of which you know about before they seem to happen!" Klink thought back to one particular time when Hogan had said something about a train blowing up, and five seconds later, it did. "I am not a dummkopf, Hogan, despite what Burkhalter and Hochstetter think! But it is not only your lives that are on the line…it is also mine…and Schultz's, too."
Hogan said nothing. What could he say?
"Morphine," Klink said, with a sigh. "You saw Newkirk, how is the drug affecting his mind?"
Hogan winced at that.
"I thought so. He could say any number of things that Hochstetter can construe whichever way he wants to!" Klink plopped down back into his chair.
Hogan was quiet for a minute. "Let me go back to the hospital."
"I can't. You heard what Hochstetter said."
"Hochstetter won't recognize me."
Klink blinked at that. He opened his mouth to ask how, before realizing that Schultz had the right idea about wanting to know 'nothing'. "What could you possibly do to stop him?"
Hogan sighed. "I sure know what I wish I could do."
Klink echoed the sigh, seeming resigned to his fate. "I'm sorry, Hogan. I'm sorry…for all of us..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Vhat room is Corporal Peter Newkirk in?" Hochstetter asked at the front desk.
The receptionist looked through her paperwork. "Room 225."
Hochstetter walked away and found the stairs, quickly climbing them and entering the second floor. When he came upon room 225, he quietly entered, half-expecting Newkirk to have conveniently disappeared.
But no, a patient lay in the bed, with an oxygen mask covering the lower part of his face.
The Major walked into the room, seeing a nurse sitting in a nearby chair. "Vhat are you here for?"
The girl was startled at the sight of a Gestapo agent. "I vas told to sit vith the patient until the doctor returns."
Hochstetter nodded. "You can go."
The girl hesitated.
"Go!"
Jumping out of her seat, the nurse fled.
Hochstetter walked closer, and sat in the chair. With an evil grin, he leaned forward and looked at the sleeping patient. "Wake up, Corporal," he sneered. "I have some questions to ask you…"
TBC
