Chapter 25---The Mission
Hogan was laying on the lower bunk reading a paperback book with his pillow 'fluffed' up as much as possible behind his head when his door opened and he saw his team enter the room. Of course, it was difficult to fluff a piece of cardboard. He looked up. "Something I can do for you fellas?" he asked.
Kinch appeared apologetic. "We hate to disturb you, Colonel," he said. "But we need to plug in the coffee pot for a moment."
"What's happening?" Hogan asked, putting his book down flat on the bed beside him. His eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, sir," Newkirk remarked.
"If it's nothing then why do you need to plug in the coffee pot?"
"Well, if you must know, Colonel," Carter began, "Hochstetter's in Klink's office and...."
"Carter!!!" Newkirk yelled. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Sorry," Carter mumbled apologetically.
LeBeau punched the young Sergeant in the arm. "You and your big mouth!" he muttered, annoyed.
Hogan got up and plugged in the coffee pot himself. "You don't have to baby me," he said, slightly annoyed. "But in case you've all forgotten, let me remind you. I'm still the Senior POW officer around here even though I haven't been acting like it lately. If the Gestapo's in camp, I need to know about it." He removed the filter and waited.
"Klink, for the last time, you will stop your babbling and do what I tell you or heads will roll I promise you!" Hochstetter bellowed loudly.
"But, Major Hochstetter," Klink began nervously. "You yourself asked Colonel Hogan if he knew anything about that Allied airplane the other night and the Allied flyer who parachuted out in this area. He told you he didn't know anything."
"Klink, do you think I believe anything Hogan says? Do you think I even believe anything you say?"
But, but, Major Hochstetter....is it really necessary for the Gestapo to take over Stalag 13 just because you can't find one single Allied flyer? I mean, we've never had a successful escape from Stalag 13."
"So you've told me, Klink. And told me. And told me. And told me. But right now, your record means nothing! I will find that Allied flyer if it's the last thing I do. And right now, I will search this entire camp and tear it apart board by board if I have to."
"But Colonel Hogan said...."
"And that's another thing, Klink! I am not finished with Colonel Hogan! There is something strange going on with that man. I just can't put my finger on it yet."
"What do you mean strange? What's so strange about Colonel Hogan? He always acts like that."
"You said it yourself, Klink."
Klink appeared puzzled. "I did? What was it I said?"
"You said Colonel Hogan hasn't been himself of late. I noticed that when I was questioning him earlier. There's something off with him, and I will find out what it is I promise you!"
Klink shuddered. He didn't want to admit to Hochstetter that he suspected Hogan was acting differently a few days ago and hadn't been able to put his finger on it either.
"Boy," said Carter nervously, "Hochstetter's really ticked off today."
"Shhhhh," Hogan remarked. "I want to hear this."
Klink swallowed nervously. "Major Hochstetter, let me say positively, that there is no way this allied flyer is in this camp. None at all!"
Hochstetter leaned forward so closely, that he was practically nose-to-nose with Klink. "Is that so, Kommandant," he muttered. "We will see about that, believe me! I will begin with barracks one and go through all twenty barracks if I have to. And I promise you Klink, should I find anything, or find out what it is that Hogan's hiding, I promise both you and Hogan will be shot. Of that you can be sure!"
"But, but, but Major Hochstetter. There's no way...."
"Bahhhhh!!!!" Hochstetter bellowed as he walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him. Klink rubbed his eyes.
"Schuuuuulllltttzzzzzz!" he yelled.
The door to his office opened and Schultz entered, closing the door behind him. He saluted Klink. "You called, Herr Kommandant?"
Klink returned the salute hurriedly. "Schultz, I want you to go to barracks two, get Colonel Hogan, and bring him here immediately."
"Here? Herr, Kommandant?" asked Schultz. "But, Herr Kommandant, Colonel Hogan was just here."
"Then bring him here again, dummkopf! Major Hochstetter's on the warpath and he's threatening to take Stalag 13 apart board by board if necessary. He also suspects Hogan's hiding something, and so do I. Now get him here! Go!" he saluted his sergeant.
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant." Schultz saluted and then spun around and left, heading for barracks two.
Hogan unplugged the coffee pot. "Where's Noel?" he asked.
"I think he went down below to speak with Doctor Praeger, sir," Kinch replied. "Want me to go get him?"
"No. There's no time. Just go below and tell him to stay there and keep the good doctor company until he's told it's safe to come up."
"Right, Colonel," Kinch replied heading out the door.
As Kinch left, Hogan looked at Carter. "Carter, keep watch at the door. Give me a heads up if you see anybody coming this way and that includes Schultz."
"Gotcha, Colonel." Carter hurried out the door as well.
Newkirk and LeBeau watched them leave. "What happens if Hochstetter comes while you're in Klink's office, sir?" asked Newkirk nervously.
"As long as Noel and Dr. Praeger stay below, there shouldn't be any problem." Hogan rubbed his face with both hands. "So much for resting, " he muttered wearily. He was so tired.
"Are you all right, mon Colonel?" asked LeBeau, concerned. "I mean, are you sure you shouldn't let Noel handle this? I mean, it hasn't been that long since...." LeBeau stopped talking when he saw Hogan's hard eyes glaring at him.
"Are you saying you don't have any faith in me anymore, LeBeau? Is that it? " he asked. His eyes shifed to Newkirk. "Do you feel the same way, Newkirk?"
"No, sir," the Englander started to squirm uncomfortably. "It's just that we're worried about you, sir, that's all. You've been through a lot of late and I'm sure LeBeau only meant that perhaps it was too ruddy soon for you to be getting involved in this mess."
Hogan's eyes remained cold as he looked at both men. He was about to say something when Carter appeared in the doorway. "Colonel?"
"What!?!" Hogan snapped at the young Sergeant.
Carter paused and looked at his commanding officer, puzzled. "Did I do something wrong, Colonel?" he asked quietly.
Hogan massaged his forehead. "I'm sorry, Carter. It isn't anything you did. What is it?"
"Schultz is on his way over here."
"Thanks, Carter."
Carter nodded and went back into the barracks area. After he had left, Hogan again stared at his two Corporals. "I never thought I'd see the day when two of my own men would practically tell me to my face that they have no faith in me anymore. Thank you very much!" Hogan got to his feet and grabbed his bomber jacket from the closet and put it on, zipping it half way. Then, he snatched his crush cap and put it on, pushing it back on his head. "I don't have time for this right now. Schultz will be here any minute and I have to see, Klink. So if you two will excuse me...."
LeBeau and Newkirk exchanged looks with each other. They didn't like it when their commanding officer was angry or upset with them. "But Colonel, we didn't mean...." LeBeau began.
"Later, LeBeau," Hogan snapped storming past both men as he entered the barracks area, just as Schultz opened the door. "Colonel Hogan, the Kommandant wants you in his office right away."
"Lead the way, Schultz," Hogan said rather curtly as he fell in behind the Sergeant who happened to notice the American Colonel seemed to turn suddenly pale.
"Is everything all right, Colonel Hogan?" asked Schultz, concerned. "You don't look well. Is something wrong?"
Hogan suddenly covered his eyes with one hand and steadied himself against the wall with the other as a wave of dizziness overcame him. "I'm okay, Schultz," he murmured as the room started to spin. He reached out one arm towards the Sergeant. "Schultz, I need....you....to...." Schultz barely turned around in time to catch Hogan as he collasped.
"Colonel Hogan!" Schultz cried out as he caught the unconcious Colonel in his arms. "Help me, somebody!" Schultz cried out looking around the barracks.
Carter was the first to reach Schultz with LeBeau, Newkirk and Kinch right behind him.
"Schultz, what happened?" asked LeBeau, frightened. He picked up Hogan's crush cap from the floor.
"I, I don't know. Colonel Hogan was right behind me when he suddenly became dizzy and blacked out. Help me get him into his quarters." Kinch slid his arms under Hogan's dead weight, and lifted him up into his arms. He headed in the direction of the Colonel's quarters, and once inside, laid him gently on the lower bunk. He looked at the others. "Carter, get me a bowl of cold water and a cloth."
"Right," Carter replied hurrying from the room. He came back in a few short minutes with a bowl and a washcloth. He handed them to Kinch who was seated on the edge of the bed. Soaking the washcloth in the water, he rung it out, and then began patting the Colonel's face with it. He looked at Schultz.
"Will he be all right?" asked Schultz, worried.
"I think he will," said Kinch as Hogan slowly began to come around as he felt the cool water on his face. "Schultz, go to barracks twelve and get Sergeant Wilson. Tell him Colonel Hogan blacked out and we need him in barracks two."
"Jawohl. Right away. I hope he'll be all right. He's been through so much already." The rotund Sergeant hurried out of the barracks and headed in the direction of barracks twelve. Suddenly, Schultz snapped his fingers, turned around, and instead of heading towards barracks twelve, headed towards the Kommandant's office. First he'd explain things to Klink, then he would get Wilson.
Hogan's eyes opened just a slit allowing him to focus on Kinch continuing to pat his face with cool water. Hogan rubbed his forehead. Looking around, his eyes fell on LeBeau and Newkirk standing quietly close to the door of his quarters.
"We are sorry, mon Colonel," LeBeau said, eyes bright with unshed tears. "We, Newkirk and I, did not mean to upset you. We didn't mean what you thought we meant."
"What he said, Gov'nor," Newkirk added quietly. "It's just that, well, we're worried about you is all, sir. We just felt that you might have been rushing things is all. We never meant to give you the impression we didn't have any faith in you anymore. Quite the contrary, Colonel. We have just as much faith in you as we've always had."
Hogan didn't respond. He just continued to look at them.
Newkirk and LeBeau exchanged looks. "We'll wait outside, mon Colonel," said LeBeau, sadly. "This way you won't have to see us." They started to leave.
"Wait," a voice said weakly.
LeBeau and Newkirk stopped and turned towards the Colonel. "Oui, Colonel?" asked LeBeau.
"I should apologize to both of you," Hogan said. "I shouldn't have blown up at both of you like I did. I know the two of you were worried I might be rushing things because Hochstetter's here and I'm trying to protect Noel, Dr. Praeger and everyone else. I know you're both worried about me. I'm sorry. I hope both of you can forgive me."
The Frenchman and Englander came close to the bed. "There's nothing to forgive, Colonel," said Newkirk. "If anything, we should be asking you to forgive us for having you think we didn't have faith in you anymore."
A faint smile appeared on the Colonel's face. "To quote you, Newkirk," he said, "There's nothing to forgive."
"Then we're all right, sir?" asked LeBeau.
"We're all right. For sure."
"Are you all right, Colonel?" asked Carter. "You really scared us when you passed out like that."
"I know. I'm sorry, Carter." Hogan slowly pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed. It was then he saw Schultz reappear with Wilson behind him.
"I'm sorry it took so long," Schultz exclaimed. "But I had to explain to the Kommadant why I did not bring you to his office before I went and got Sergeant Wilson."
"I hope my passing out didn't get you in trouble with Klink, Schultz," Hogan explained.
"The Kommandant was concerned when I told him what happened. He said for you not to worry about it. He will come by later and talk to you about what he wanted to see you about." Schultz suddenly smiled slyly. There was a slight twinkle in his eyes. "I told him I thought you hadn't really gotten over the flu you had and perhaps had a relapse."
LeBeau poked Schultz in his stomach. "Very good, Schultzie," he said. "You're picking up some bad habits from us."
"Not really. I just thought it was the least I could do after what Fritz did to Colonel Hogan. I figured I owed it to him."
"Thank you, Schultz," Hogan replied. He saw Wilson's annoyed expression. "I think we'd better let Sergeant Wilson do his examination. He has that look on his face again."
"Thank you, Colonel. I want everybody out. Now. I need to examine this man before he decides he doesn't need me to examine him."
Grudgingly, Hogan's men and Schultz all left the room. As he was the last to leave, Carter closed the door behind him. Schultz sighed wearily. "When you can, tell Colonel Hogan that Major Hochstetter intends to search all the barracks one by one."
"What the bloody hell for?" asked Newkirk lighting a cigarette. "Did he lose something? Like his mind maybe?"
"Who knows," Schultz replied. "The Kommandant told me the Gestapo is looking for an Allied flyer who parachuted out of a plane several days ago in this area and then disappeared."
"Y'know, Schultz," said Kinch. "Hochstetter really needs to get himself a hobby. This business of searching Stalag 13 every time something or someone is seen in this area is getting old real quick."
"Y'got that bloody right, mate," said Newkirk. "It's becoming ruddy borin' it is."
Schultz headed towards the door. "I better get back to my post. Let me know how Colonel Hogan is."
"Will do, Schultz," Kinch replied. "And again we owe you our thanks for helping the Colonel."
"It's okay. Y'know, something just occured to me."
"What's that, Schultzie?" asked LeBeau.
"The Kommandant said Major Hochstetter told him that an Allied flyer parachuted out in the area of Stalag 13 a few days ago. That was about the time there were two Colonel Hogans in barracks two."
"And....?" asked Kinch innocently.
"And nothing. I just thought I'd mention it." Schultz then left the barracks