Henri had proven to be an excellent cook. In typical French fashion, he had even brought wine.

It was a decent red wine, if heavier than what Moffitt might have enjoyed at the best of times. However, since it was not the best of times and instead the worst, Moffitt was enjoying the unexpected treat. While it was making him more lightheaded than it really should have been, it did not stop Moffitt from continuing to drink it. He quietly enjoyed the soft buzzing in his head that seemed drown out some of his more morose thoughts.

Hitch was also enjoying the wine, with an opposite reaction.

It seemed to be making the boy decidedly chatty, thought Moffitt. He had given Moffitt a much more detailed account of his and Tully's afternoon adventure of retrieving the wrecked jeep than Moffitt felt was either interesting or necessary.

Nodding along at the appropriate intervals, Moffitt concentrated on enjoying the first real meal of any kind that he had taken the time to eat in a week. While he still questioned his judgment, finally allowing trust in Dr. Somme and Henri had indeed had its benefits.

"So, here's the really weird thing, Moffitt. Get this, will ya?''

Hitch's tone, more than his words, caught Moffitt's attention and interest. Moffitt looked over at Hitch, no earthly idea what he was saying. Despite that he said, "Go on?''

"So, we get just outside of the camp, to where we left the bum jeep and then, we run into two of our guys.''

"Americans?''

"Yeah. US Army.''

Moffitt frowned and put his fork down. "Were they lost?''

"Nah, they didn't look lost.''

Boggs had told Moffitt that word had been spread throughout the Allied and German desert troops that the location of the camp and a rather large radius surrounding it were off limits. To Moffitt, it made what Hitch was telling him even stranger.

"Whatever were they doing?'' Moffitt asked. Hitch now had his full attention.

"Digging in the sand.'' Hitch laughed and shook his head. "And I am not making this up. Ask Tully.''

Tully nodded.

"Digging? Really? As in, with a shovel? In the ground?'' If not for Tully's silent affirmation, Moffitt may have believed that Hitch had been touched with a bit of heatstroke.

"Yep. It was the weirdest thing, Moffitt.''

"So you've said. I don't suppose that you happened to ask them why they were digging in the sand, did you?''

"We asked, but it was two officers.'' Tully's expression made it clear that he didn't expect an officer to tell him anything of any use, even at the best of times. "They weren't inclined to share with the likes of us.''

"I see.'' Moffitt could not determine an explanation for what the boys had observed.

"They must've found what they were looking for, because when we saw them leave, they looked pretty pleased with themselves. Even for officers.'' Hitch took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Now, this is where it gets even weirder.''

"How so?'' Moffitt wondered what else Hitch possibly tell him.

"On the way back to the camp, we noticed a couple of Germans coming in from the opposite direction.''

"What?''

"Yeah. And we thought that they were just patrolling. But then they stopped, right around where the jeep had been. And get this. They started digging, too.''

"And you don't know what they were looking for either?'' Moffitt continued to be mystified.

"Um, we didn't turn around to ask them what they were doing.'' Tully took a drink of his wine and made a face, presumbably at the taste. "They didn't bother us and we didn't bother them. Wasn't a good time to go looking for a fight.''

"Wise choice.'' Moffitt wondered what could have possessed both sides of the war that afternoon. It sounded as though they were playing at being pirates on a bloody treasure hunt.

Something suddenly occurred to Moffitt. "I say, did you happen to find anything in the jeep that MJ took? Anything that wouldn't normally belong there?''

Tully frowned. "Like what?''

"Black leather case. Insulated.'' Moffitt put his fork down again and gestured with his hands. "About this big.''

"Nah, nothing like that. Found her bag, but not much else.''

"Where is it?''

"We left it over there.'' Hitch jerked his head towards MJ's former bunk.

Wiping his mouth hastily, Moffitt got up from his stool and went over to the knapsack. Opening it, he dumped all of the contents on the bed. Little of interest fell out: A copy of his father's book, MJ's notebook, a lipstick, a small bottle of French perfume, and other odds and ends.

The black insulated cases was not there, nor were any of the other samples or trays that Moffitt had noticed were missing after MJ's early morning departure.

"Moffitt?'' asked Hitch. "You okay?''

Moffitt came back to the table, leaving MJ's belongings scattered on the bunk.

"Sarge?'' asked Tully. "You look like your brain is working a mile a minute.''

Moffitt drained his wine glass. "It is, but it doesn't seem to be getting anywhere, though. I seem to be stuck. I think that I might need a hand to dig myself out of the sand.''

"Huh?''

Moffitt left the tent without another word.


Somme, too, was eating the dinner that Henri had prepared.

He looked up when Moffitt came into the infirmary. "Did you enjoy your meal, Sergeant?''

"Yes, very much. Mes compliments au chef, Henri.''

Henri looked up and smiled. "Merci.''

"I have excellent news for you. Our patients are all doing remarkably well.'' Somme looked over at Troy. "Sergeant Troy is not only is his breathing better, but his fever has broken.''

"What about Bader?''

"The boy is marginally improved, but still, any improvement is a good one.''

After a week of watching Bader's health doing nothing but declining Moffitt agreed. "And Dietrich?''

"The German captain is the most improved of all. As I told you, he would have likely recovered on his own. With the antibodies in his blood, he is making a rapid recovery.''

Finally, Moffitt asked the question to which that he was most dreading the answer. "And Dr. Knight? What is her condition?''

Somme looked over to the area where MJ lay and shook his head.

"Except for waking very briefly, she continues to sleep,'' he told Moffitt quietly. "It is unfortunate that the Underground has not been able to find the man for whom we are looking. They will keep trying. Your Captain Boggs has promised to contact us as he hears news.''

"Well, we likely still have some time? Right?'' Moffitt thought of how long Troy, Dietrich and Bader had lain ill. If the doctor could be believed, they were potentially on their way to a full recovery. There was no reason not to hold the same hope for MJ.

Somme shook his head. "I am not sure. I think that she has been infected longer than you knew. She must have been hiding the symptoms quite well for you not to notice.''

Moffitt sighed. "Perhaps I just wasn't paying enough attention.''

"Perhaps. Or perhaps the disease is just progressing extremely quickly. There are some other factors, however, that may explain that.''

Moffitt once again gave his largest regret a voice. "I could have not let her lay in the desert for most of the morning.''

Somme looked at Moffitt with frustraion. "As I keep telling you. Nothing that you could have done would have made any difference, Sergeant Moffitt. She would still be ill, regardless of what actions you took or which you did not. You are not to blame for Dr. Knight's current condition, Sergeant. That is the last time that I will tell you that. It is growing tiresome.'' The doctor threw his hands up as if he were done with Moffitt's gnawing self doubts.

Moffitt looked hard at Somme, once again trying to determine if the man was offering the truth or cold comfort. "I'm going to go in and sit with her.'' It seemed to be the least, if not the only thing, that he could do.

"Very well, then. Henri and I will be out here with the others.''

Moffitt pushed the screens aside and dropped into the chair beside of MJ's bed. True to Somme's word, she was still in the deep dead sleep that the illness seemed to cause.

"Just what were you up to this morning, Dr. Knight?'' Moffitt murmured, uncertain if he would ever get a definitive answer to his question.

He thought about all of the things that had transpired in the short while had known MJ Knight. It all added up to something.

Despite how many times he reworked the sum, Moffitt did not like the answer that it produced.


Moffitt knew that he must have dozed off.

Unfortunately, it had become common for Moffitt to find that he had fallen asleep in a chair. It took him a moment to remember who he was sitting by on that particular night.

There was a lantern still lit somewhere and Moffitt watched the flicker of the surreal shadows that it produced against the walls of the tent and across MJ's sleeping form. The night was quiet. The only sound that he could really hear was the rasp of her breathing.

From sleeping the chair, Moffitt found that he had a stiff back and a sore neck. His raging headache had also returned, now accompanied by an equally raging thirst. Moffitt knew that the wine was likely to blame for at least his second condition, if not for part of the first.

Deciding that an aspirin or two and some water would be a quick end to at least a few of his miseries, Moffitt got up.

Before leaving, he looked down at MJ. "Try not to go anywhere until I get back, Dr. Knight. I'd like to find you exactly where I left you this time around.''

He was certain that the lamp light was playing tricks on his eyes, but Moffitt could have sworn that he had seen her smile. "MJ?'' Moffitt asked softly, just to be sure. "Can you hear me?''

When he got no answer, Moffitt resigned himself that once again he was seeing things and walked out into the larger area of the tent.

Dr. Somme looked up from his book. "Good evening, Sergeant. How is Dr. Knight?''

"No better, no worse.''

Somme nodded. "And you?''

Moffitt rolled his neck one way and then the other. "I need to stop sleeping sitting up.''

"You are right about that.'' Somme chuckled. "If only you were not so pig headed, your neck and back would likely thank you.''

"If he weren't so pig headed, the whole German army would probably thank him." The voice paused, but then though weak, it continued on, "Heck, our own armies might even thank him sometimes.''

Moffitt once again thought that he might be imagining things. A look in the direction of the voice confirmed that he was not. Two bright blue eyes looked back at him. "Troy? I say! How are you feeling?''

Troy gave a short laugh that ended in a short cough. "I think that someone is going to have to break it to Dietrich that I'm going live.''

Dietrich made no comment, as he appeared to be asleep.

"I think that he'll likely be as relieved as we all are.'' Moffitt thought about that. "Until we start blowing up his columns again, then he'll likely be back to wishing you dead.''

"Yeah.''

Moffitt looked at Dr. Somme. "That cure is a bloody miracle!''

Somme shook his head. "It's not a cure, Sergeant. We merely gave Sergeant Troy additional help to enhance his body's ability to be able to fight off the disease. You should be giving your friend the credit.'' Looking in the direction of Bader, Somme smiled. "And young Herr Bader's fever has dropped considerably. I am sure that he too is now on the right path.''

"May be for the first time,'' muttered Moffitt with a grin. He was very sorry that Dietrich was missing the conversation, as there would have been so much for him to add. "How long has Troy been awake?'' Moffitt asked Dr. Somme.

"Not more than fifteen minutes. I came to tell you, but found that you were asleep. You needed the rest, so I did not disturb you.''

"You should have. I can't sleep for more than thirty or forty minutes at a time, anyway. I think that it's become habit.''

Dr. Somme was not smiling. "It is not a habit! It is a symptom of your exhaustion. As I keep telling you, Sergeant Moffitt, you need to take better care of yourself.''

"I've never felt better,'' Moffitt said, almost meaning it. He couldn't help himself but to grin idiotically in the direction of Troy's bed.

"I am not sure what happens when they send otherwise sane young men off to war. Suddenly, you feel that you have become supermen and have no regards for your health!'' Dr. Somme inclined his head in Troy's direction. "Do you know the first thing that one said? When he woke up? He asked me for a cigarette!" The doctor looked appalled.

"That certainly sounds like Troy and it sounds like he's definitely on the mend.''

Troy returned a smile to Moffitt and then yawned. "Yep.'' He was still smiling when his eyes closed. "I'll be back out giving Dietrich hell before he knows what hit him.''

"That may be a bit optimistic, Sergeant Troy,'' Dr. Somme muttered as he turned a page in his book.

"I'm sure that Dietrich will hope so at any rate,'' Moffitt said. "I'm sure that he would enjoy the respite.''

Dr. Somme looked up at Moffitt. "So, tell me something, Sergeant Moffitt. When this is over, do you all truly intend to go back to trying to kill each other? When you've hoped for nothing else but that you would all live?''

Moffitt gave the only answer that there was to give and the only reason that there was to explain his answer. "Yes. There is a war on, you know, Dr. Somme.''

"Remarkable.'' Dr. Somme shook his head.

Moffitt nodded. "It is at that, isn't it.''


Moffitt was so ecstatic at Troy's first forays into recovery that he very nearly ran to Hitch and Tully's tent.

When he got there, he was surprised to find that it was empty. Moffitt wondered where the lads had gotten off to.

At least, Moffitt consoled himself, Tully and Hitch were far too bright to go driving off in a jeep in the pitch dark.

Too wound up to sleep and wanting to fill his life with a little more joy before going back to the depressing task of sitting by MJ's bedside, Moffitt went to search for Tully and Hitch. It did not take him long.

He found Tully at the edge of the camp with only a Thompson for company. Staring out into the desert with the predictable matchstick in his mouth, Tully looked deep in thought. Not wanting to startle Tully into shooting him, Moffitt softly called his name.

Tully turned. "Hey, Sarge. What are you doing out and about at this hour? Nothing's wrong is it?''

"Tully, I actually have fantastic news! Troy is awake! Dr. Somme seems to think that he's going to make a full recovery.'' Moffitt laughed. "And of course, Troy thinks that it's going to be immediate.''

"That sounds like Sarge, all right.'' Tully gave Moffitt a slow smile that kept expanding until it reached from ear to ear. "Well, that is good news!''

"I can't think of any better,'' Moffitt agreed. "And it's been a long time coming.''

Tully looked to the star laden sky. ''Amen.'' He continued looking up for a moment longer before his eyes came to rest on Moffitt's. "How are Dietrich and the little fellow?''

"Doing very well. Bader still has a ways to go, but Dr. Somme seems very hopeful. He's not a man to sugar coat the truth, so I put a lot of faith into what he says.''

Tully nodded. "And what about Dr. Knight? How is she doing?''

"Not as well, I'm afraid, but she hasn't had the treatment that the others had yet, either. Though things looked up dramatically for Troy and the others after they received it.'' Moffitt tried to sound optimistic because the statement was indeed the truth.

Tully nodded. "Hope so.''

"Look, we should tell Hitch about Troy. He'll want to know that he seems to be out of the woods. Where is Hitch, by the way?''

Tully jerked his head in the direction of MJ's former lab. ''He's been standing by the radio in case Boggs has any news. It'll be his turn to take watch though soon and then I'll go sit by the radio for a while.''

"Long night of it, then.''

"Well, I hope that we hear something soon. So, if we're lucky it might get shorter. If not, then at least it's warmer in there than it is out here.'' Tully pulled the collar his jacket tighter and almost shivered.

For the first time, Moffitt noticed that there were hollows under Tully's eyes. It struck Moffitt that he had been thinking so much about Troy, MJ, the others, and himself that he had never fully appreciated the quiet support that Hitch and Tully had been lending to the group.

"Tully . . .''

Tully looked at Moffitt expectantly.

"I just wanted to tell you, well, how much I appreciate everything that you and Hitch have done through this. I know that it hasn't been easy on you, either.'' Moffitt put his hand on Tully's shoulder. "I don't think that I've said thank you.''

"We know, Sarge.'' Tully looked at the tent where Hitch sat waiting for the radio call that may save MJ's life. "Let's go tell Hitch the good news. And then you can thank him, too.'' Tully grinned at Moffitt. "And then maybe both of you all can work an apology or two in there, too. If it suits you, you know.''

"Quite right. Lead on, then, Tully.''


Moffitt followed Tully into the tent. As advertised, Hitch was sitting in front of the radio, blowing sticky pink bubbles and reading a comic book.

Hitch looked up, his face going dark. "What happened? Everything okay?''

Moffitt put his hands on his hips and looked at Tully. "Well, it's Troy . . .''

Out of his seat in a second, Hitch faced up with Moffitt. "What? What happened, Moffitt?'' Hitch asked, his voice sharp.

Remembering all too well their conflict the afternoon before, Moffitt placed his hands on Hitch's arms, lest the young man began swinging before he could finish. "Troy was awake! Dr. Somme says that his condition is greatly improved.''

Hitch blinked, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "What? Really? Sarge is going to be okay?''

"Yes, I think that he is.'' To Moffitt, it looked like Hitch was close to enthusiastically hugging him. Moffitt was glad that he was still holding Hitch's arms. It would likely save them both some embarrassment.

Breaking from Moffitt's hold, Hitch nearly bounced over to Tully. "Did you hear that? Troy's going to be fine!''

Tully nodded and smiled. "It's real good news.''

"The best news ever!'' Hitch looked over at Moffitt. "How are the others? They okay, too?''

"Doing well, apparently. Even Bader.''

"And Dr. Knight?''

Moffitt frowned at the reminder that despite all of the good news, all still was not well in their world. "She's not doing well.''

"Well, that stinks.'' Hitch looked over at the radio. "I haven't heard from Captain Boggs yet, and it's pretty late. What's going to happen if they don't find that guy with the right type of blood?''

"I don't know, Hitch. I just don't know.'' Moffitt sat down heavily on the lab bench. "Let's just hope that Boggs pulls through for us.''

When the radio crackled into life all three of them started. "Bad Wolf to Little Pig. Little Pig, come in. Over.''

Hitch looked at Moffitt.

Moffitt tried not to roll his eyes at the call signs. "Answer him.''

"Little Pig here, Bad Wolf. What's the status on that brick house? Over.''

"Brick house has been located for Snow White, Little Pig. Will be at your Lima tomorrow as soon as possible. Over.''

Hitch grinned up at Moffitt and Tully. "Thank you, Bad Wolf! We'll deliver the news. Over.''

"Little Pig, one more thing. Over.''

Hitch frowned. "Little Pig waiting for instructions, Bad Wolf. Over.''

"Tell Snow White that the gold was located. X marked the spot. All a-okay. Tell Snow White that she's still the fairest of them all. Over.''

"Bad Wolf, I'm not sure that I copy that. Over.''

"Tell Snow White, Little Pig. She'll understand. That's all, Little Pig. Bad Wolfe over and out.''

"I think,'' Moffitt said slowly, ''that our codes may have gotten to the point where even we don't understand them. Snow White, Hitch?''

Removing his headset, Hitch nodded. "Snow White is Dr. Knight. Boggs has been calling her that. I get the feeling that they've been talking when we're not around.''

"Why am I not surprised?'' Moffitt shook his head and supposed that he should just be thankful that Boggs hadn't taken to calling himself Prince Charming. "All right, what's the gold?''

Hitch shrugged. "That one I don't know. Dr. Knight would, I guess. But it doesn't sound like you could ask her.''

"Well, didn't the dwarves have a lot of gold?'' Tully looked like he was trying hard to remember the story from his childhood.

"Yes.'' Moffitt nodded. "Every day, while Snow White stayed at their house, they went out to hunt for gold in the mountains.''

Tully looked thoughtful. "You know, gold is treasure. And you dig for treasure. X marks the spot, right?''