Chapter Ten—Beside Still Waters

Andrew lay on his stomach, finding himself content, enjoying the feeling of the earth beneath him. It was chilly, but not uncomfortable. He also knew his time was short and that it wouldn't last much longer. He sighed as he heard Joe Wilson's voice. Though he had been released from the Infirmary a week before, Joe still watched him like a hawk, and he still could not lay on his back at all. He was allowed only limited exposure outside. His skin was still extremely sensitive.

"Come on, Carter, that's enough for today." Carter sighed in disappointment, but perked up at the medic's next words. "Besides, your masseuse is due in a few minutes."

Wilson grinned at the smile that lit the young sergeant's face. Hilda had been coming to visit Andrew on a regular basis for the last couple of months. She had taken on the task of massaging the muscles of his back and his arm, helping to break up the heavy scar tissue and increase his mobility. She turned out to be very strong and very skilled. In turn, Andrew was able to draw her out from behind the wall she had built around herself regarding her childhood memories. It was hard to tell who had benefited most from the visits.

It was common knowledge that, though they had had a pursued a long fling, neither Col. Hogan nor Hilda were serious about each other. Most people who knew the colonel well understood that his heart had been captured by a certain French spitfire, and there was no going back. Fortunately, Marie Monet, aka Tiger, was a very strong woman, and felt the same about her Papa Bear, though neither intended to pursue their feelings until after the end of the war.

There had been quite a stir, however, when it became known among the prisoners, that, shortly after Hogan had bowed quietly out of Hilda's affections, shy, naïve Carter had stepped in. It came as no bigger shock to anyone than the man in question himself. There was no animosity between the two men, as Hilda had handled the situation in her usual diplomatic and graceful manner. Above all, Hilda was a lady, and, Hogan, trickster and joker though he could be, was a gentleman.

Hilda had realized early in their relationship that she really liked the young sergeant; and that they had much more in common than she had first realized. Both had come from large families, and both were middle children and both carried scars both physical and emotional. Unlike Andrew, however, who had come from a very close-knit, loving family, Hilda's upbringing had been very different.

Her father had left the family when her youngest sister was born, leaving the family nearly destitute. Hilda never understood why he had left, and quickly learned never to ask. Her grandmother came to live with the family, to help care for the children, while her mother went to work for a local farmer to help feed the family. Her older brothers left for the army so there would be less mouths to feed. It was not enough. Her mother's health soon failed, and eventually, Hilda found her sisters being sent to various relatives after her mother's death. She left Hammelburg to live with her grandmother in Hamburg, where she grew up. She was not reunited with them for many years—in fact, she had only found her twin sister Helga again about five years ago, living a few miles from Hammelburg.

Hilda had gotten her job at Stalag 13 when Helga had fallen in love with a young member of the underground and had escaped with him to London, where they married and were both now active in Papa Bear's organization on that end, acting as liaisons to the refugees, helping them settle into their new lives. It had taken Kommandant Klink a while to get used to Hilda, and he still occasionally slipped and called her by her sister's name.

The long hours of difficult exercising of his arm and back had taken a lot out of Andrew over the last few months and Hilda tried to be there for him as often as she could. Of course, they had to keep their relationship a secret from the Germans in the camp or it would have gone very badly for both of them. With this in mind, they became very adept at hiding their affection, and exchanging messages secretly. It became something of a game between them. Of course, because he already knew how they felt, there was no need to hide his feelings from Colonel Hogan or his teammates, so at least he did not have to pretend for their benefit.

One of their methods of exchanging messages while Carter had been confined to the infirmary was through Corporal Langensheidt, the only German besides Schultz, (who of course, knew NOTHING) who knew of their romance. He had discovered it completely by accident. He had walked in on them one day while Hilda was finishing a massage on his shoulder and arm. Unlike previous massages, this one had grown rather heated, and the two had ended up in an intimate embrace.

Just as Carter shyly kissed Hilda, the German stepped into the room, and nearly dropped his rifle. Carter jumped up in a panic, visions of firing squads dancing in his head. As Langensheidt blustered and threatened to report them, Hilda quickly went to him, and a low, intense, rapid-fire conversation in German took place. Carter's German was good, but even he had trouble following their discussion. Finally, Andrew caught the words "last leave, Heidelberg, and Russian Front."

Karl rolled his eyes and nodded reluctantly. Hilda smiled sweetly and patted his cheek. The odd thing was, he didn't even seem particularly upset with her, even flashing her a quick grin. He turned and left without a backward glance.

As Carter stretched and prepared to head into the infirmary, he remembered staring at Hilda that day after the German had stalked out…

"That was amazing!"

She smiled and kissed him lightly. "Not really, darling. You just have to have the right ammunition in this war."

As Carter stood to head into the infirmary, he saw Hilda coming down the steps of the Kommandantur. He grinned to himself as he admired her lovely figure. Oh, she definitely had the right ammunition!

~TBC~