August 21
Stalag 13 at last! The Colonel's Quarters – 1150 Hours

At long last, Carter and I have arrived at home sweet home, home away from home – our very own Stalag 13, with its barbed wire, cold barracks, snappy but loyal dogs and stupid Krauts. I never realized how much I missed this home away from home until I saw it through the woods, its spotlights searching for escaped prisoners and its dogs snarling at the Kraut guards.

It took me a few days to regain whatever sleep I lost in this mission. I think it was worth it, despite Hochstetter being around here a lot. Yes, and I did write Hochstetter. What a pleasant surprise to see him after, what? Eight months?

Rob, Baker, Newkirk and LeBeau were, of course, the first to greet us as Carter and we dodged the last of the lights, dogs, soldiers and Gestapo. Throughout the journey, from run to Emden, Oldenburg and Osnabruck and then the train rides through Münster and Essen and Düsseldorf and Hammelburg, there has been more and more Gestapo patrolling the areas and the S.S. even join them in their investigations and "fun and games" (as they put it as we passed them in Essen). It frightened me, and even my neck prickled, as Carter and I crossed the borders to every town and to each railway station. We arrived safely and the others were more than relieved.

Carter's replacement even left as we arrived, a total opposite of the exhausted and ready-to-drop-to-bed Carter. Even I was tired and I have been the one who withstood everything and have battled generals and manipulated spies by lying about our activities and trapping them in their own deception.

"Welcome back, 'ates!" Newkirk said excitedly as Carter dropped to the cot in the radio room, ready to sleep again. I had, after all, made him run through Germany after waking him from what seemed to be much-needed sleep.

I had popped into the room too, and to be frank, was worse for wear. I really did play the part of being sick that Rob told Klink about. And in being in such a way, I was in no mood to explain about England either. I expected questions about the mission and the others did ask the usual about the spies and how they were foiled (I avoided those like a plague). Newkirk threw inquiries at me and Carter about England's streets and girls faster than a pitcher at baseball throwing balls at the batter.

I listened to them all and groaned at every question of Newkirk's until I had enough, finally saying, "Newkirk, we didn't have time for girls or any such nonsense. I kept Carter away from them and the only one he saw was one that gave us directions to Rosemary Lane Back." Then the questions from Newkirk started again about that particular lane and what the girl looked like, until Rob ordered him to stop.

"Are you ready to tell us about it?" Rob asked me. Carter was then sleeping and snoring away, might I add.

"Maybe you can hear the Readers' Digest Condensed version," I answered (snapped, more like), "or, you can read the full-length volume later. You can have your pick."

"I think I'd 'ear everything 'bout it," Newkirk said.

"And I think we should all head to bed before Hochstetter catches us here," Baker suggested. Rob nodded. His new right-hand radioman is pretty good at knowing what he wants so far, as Kinch did…but I hate to say this because it's unfair to Baker, but Kinch was better and much more realistic. Baker states the facts and has not expanded, as far as I've known him.

"Yes, we should head up," Rob said, "and get the dummy out of the bunk." Rob then turned to me and said, "You mind if I read it later?" I knew that he was referring to me journal and I nodded.

Afterward, I don't remember exactly what happened next after I went up that ladder. I was more concerned about my bunk and how warm it was going to be after I get into it. I didn't even realize how dead beat I was until my head hit that pillow. However, I do remember waking up this morning, about the time we get ready for roll call, and it was dark outside. Rain threatened to come down on this not-so-sunny company of men and I knew the complaints were going to pile up about the weather today. That meant that social hour outside, not to mention exercises, were to be cancelled.

Rob and the others were outside of the Colonel's quarters, and as soon as I opened the door to Rob's quarters to join everyone for a cup of coffee, Rob came towards me so quickly and pushed me back into his quarters and shut the door. I was confused as I hit my bunk again. My head took a turn at it and was throbbing horribly.

"What the hell was that for?" I demanded, rubbing my head. "There is no reason –"

"Yes, there is a reason," Rob said. "Hochstetter's here again and has been waiting for you to wake up. He might have seen you come out."

Suddenly, I stopped rubbing the sore spot on my head. My hand froze midair and my neck prickled. I was speechless. What did that stupid Gestapo hoodlum want with me this time?

"Well," I started weakly, putting my hand down, "what's your plan to stall him?"

"Just act your normal, sick self that you've been for the past week and a half," Rob said with a whispered rush. "You look it anyway."

I then understood what Rob wanted. I also knew that he was right about my appearance. Even as I heard boots stomping and the barracks' door opening, I didn't jump with fear. My neck still tingled with excitement, but I had to ignore it this time. Sitting on the bunk, I grabbed Rob's hands, as if he was teaching me how to walk again, and he took them. His hands were warm compared to the cold fear I wasn't showing at all. And so, as Rob helped me up from the bunk and walked backwards to the wall, Hochstetter barged in, and that was how he found us: Rob, helping me to walk and me, with a pale face (I felt the blood leave as soon as I heard the doors open) and appearing to the be the sick colonel Klink was probably telling Hochstetter I was (that was the amazing part).

Hochstetter, as usual, decided to address me nice enough, because I was supposedly sick. I knew that he wanted something and that I was that something he wanted: information.

"Ah, Colonel Michalovich," he said with a smile, "you're up and…about."

"Yes, Major Hochstetter," I answered, hopefully without any fear in my voice. "It's a wonder what a week and a half in bed – well, a bunk – can do with a sick person."

"Indeed, unless you were in England during that time," Hochstetter answered me hotly, quickly getting to his point as he usually does, "and pointing fingers at people who work for us!" Although I loved that Hochstetter didn't play nice-nice with us this time, it is still chilling to hear him directly accuse me of doing so. Then, I might have underestimated how many Kraut spies are in England.

Still holding onto Rob's hands and walking him forward as if we were really getting me to walk after a week and a half, I said, "Again, Major Hochstetter, you are sadly mistaken." Avoiding a chair at the desk as I walked back to my bunk, I continued. "I have been here the whole time. There are no hopes of escaping Stalag 13, as everyone knows. I've lost the will to escape long ago. And you can blame that on Klink. I just don't know how he does it." I sat down on my bunk, Rob letting me go as I did.

"It is not the case here," Hochstetter said coldly, the opposite of his response earlier. "My spies in England have detected a woman of your standing and a man, who resembles Sergeant Andrew Carter, walking free. Both of you were seen walking down a street, if you can imagine, to where two of our spies were residing. Do you deny that?"

All I could give our nice, local Gestapo agent was another blank face. It was the same one that I gave him the first car ride I had with him, the day I deemed him the Hangman of the Stalags. I knew that it infuriated him more than anything that I did or who I am. So, when I saw that vein in his neck pop out I was ecstatic (I love playing with the Krauts and creating anger in them). I kept it to myself, however. Even to anger Hochstetter more than I already did can have deadly consequences (either that or it can be a hazard to someone else's sanity and wellbeing).

So, having him unable to read my mind, I answered Major Hochstetter. "I can deny that. First of all, I have been sick for almost two weeks. Second off, I can't leave my bed when I'm sick, and as you've seen, I couldn't exactly walk until today. And thirdly –"

"Blah!" Hochstetter screamed at me. I think he was angrier than I had anticipated for he pulled me up, like a limp doll. As I was playing the role of the sick colonel, I fell to the ground, feeling Hochstetter's boot contact my left side. By then, I was really unable to get up and I even heard Hochstetter's voice boom loud. "I know that you were in London and you escaped Stalag 13. When I have the evidence to condemn you, heads will roll!"

At that point, I think I pissed Hochstetter enough to have him leave the camp because he stormed out of the barracks (most likely, his ranting was heard in town). As I lay on the floor still I heard a car roll, the Main Gate creeping open.

Rob helped me up, long after Hochstetter left. "I don't think you can help jell-o legs gain its strength back," I commented, referring to the way I couldn't even stand up straight. I was still scared from this visit from Hochstetter as I usually am.

I did manage to sit back down on my bunk as Rob answered, "Oh, yes you can. It is just a matter of finding where the weak points are."

I laughed and tucked myself into the bunk. Pulling up my shirt as I rolled over (my back was to Rob), I saw that I had a bruise from Hochstetter. No matter. It didn't bother me, but what did was how comfortable the bunk felt. I still don't realize how tired I am, even after taking that nap. Rob did keep everything quiet for me and Carter and we slept well. However, I still feel as if this amazing chance to escape from Germany had slipped away from my fingers. I know that, even if I didn't take this perfectly golden opportunity to my advantage, I still feel, as this mission winds down, that something is missing. I know that I forgot something and to reach into my brain to grab it is impossible right now.

Oops, I see Schultz through the window. This day is bringing some fresh air and I know that he's been worried about how sick I am supposed to be, so I try to enlighten him by saying how ok I truly am. I bet he wants to play a game of poker with me and the guys because I'm stuck here, on orders of Klink, until tomorrow.

By the way, Carter didn't win that bet with Newkirk. Oh, you know what it was! It was the one where Carter bet Newkirk that Schultz would lose most of his pay (Carter said three quarters to Newkirk's half, if I remember right from when we talked in London) in last week's poker game. Indeed, Schultz lost half of his pay this time. And so, Carter had to pay Newkirk five American dollars (not the ones we make in the tunnels though), with much complaint. It was something about not being here to see what happened and that witnesses were not around to see the game, although I think Rob resides over most of the games.

Men…how their spirits remain childlike becomes a mystery to me and it is always one that I cannot solve. It drives me insane.