A Little Journey with the Inspector General – Part III

The sky became increasingly overcast as the three men and Kielholz's dog headed through the woods. It had been a picky spring so far, and Langenscheidt couldn't tell if it was going to snow or rain. Regardless, the dreariness of the weather didn't help his mood. I am no hero. Rescuing Aschenbrener is not going to prove anything. He glanced up at Westworth, who was perched in a tree branch, observing their surroundings. Part of Langenscheidt hoped he was too far to communicate telepathically, because he didn't need Westworth's smart remarks at the moment.

When he received nothing, Langenscheidt crept ahead. Westworth floated to the next tree, and looked down at the two Germans, calling, "I can see the barn! About half a kilometer northeast of here."

Langenscheidt nodded before continuing ahead. When they came to the base of the hill the barn was standing on, Westworth became completely invisible, but Langenscheidt could feel him alongside. What do you think I should do? I do not actually want to hurt anyone.

"Let's wait for Kielholz. I have an idea," Westworth replied.

Kielholz came over and lay on his stomach next to Langenscheidt. The German shepherd lay next to him. "Now what?" Kielholz asked.

Westworth turned visible to speak to both of them. "Kielholz, give the dog to Langenscheidt. He's going to storm the barn all by himself."

Kielholz's jaw dropped. "What?"

"You heard me. They want him to be a hero, well, now's his chance."

"This is not a good idea," Langenscheidt said. "What if they are armed?"

"They're not armed. I checked," Westworth replied. "There is only one escape, and you'll be blocking it."

"Are you sure about this, Westworth?"

"Positive. I would not tell you to do this if I didn't think you had a chance of succeeding. Go!"

Langenscheidt took the dog's leash and began heading up the hill, staying close to the bushes and trees. The barn's position offered the men inside a good vantage point. If they were paying attention, they would see him coming, but as Langenscheidt drew closer, he couldn't see anything in the grimy, broken windows of the barn.

He knew he had to make it look like he didn't have any help aside from the dog. He threw open the barn doors, and the dog rushed inside, tugging Langenscheidt with him. Behind a rusted set of equipment were three men dressed in black, and a bound, gagged, and blindfolded Aschenbrener.

"Get up! Put your hands where I can see them!" Langenscheidt ordered, yanking one of the men up.

"Damn it, they found us!" One of them, sounding suspiciously like Newkirk, stood up, his hands on his head.

"All of you, get up, right now!" Langenscheidt couldn't remember the last time he yelled like that. He didn't like it at all.

"Alright, alright, we surrender!"

All three of the men were standing, hands over their heads. Langenscheidt ordered Kielholz to take them while he tended to Aschenbrener. He helped Aschenbrener sit up, and took off the gag and blindfold. "Sir? Sir, are you alright?"

Aschenbrener didn't respond at first. He was pale, trembling, and his wrists were raw and bleeding from where he had been struggling against the ropes. He seemed to wait until Langenscheidt had completely removed his restraints, then stammered, "I… I-I have no idea what happened. I-I was just in the recreation hall when someone came up behind me and threw a cloth over my eyes. I v-vaguely remember the pinch of a needle. Then, I felt like I was falling. I was awake, but I had no idea where I was. Everything was dulled, then I started coming around in this… barn."

"You are safe now, Inspector. I will take you back to camp."

Aschenbrener was shaky as he got to his feet. "I knew someone was after me," he murmured.

Langenscheidt couldn't fault Aschenbrener for being so frightened. He helped the inspector out of the barn, and led him back to camp.

"How did you find me?" Aschenbrener asked.

"The dog followed your scent," Langenscheidt said. "I did not know what to expect in the barn, but I knew I had to rescue you, sir."

"Those men were certainly terrified of you. They surrendered immediately."

"I think they were more scared of the dog than of me, sir."

"Possibly, but you were quite forceful in voice. I must say, when we first met, you gave me the impression that you were very timid, Langenscheidt. To hear you raising your voice and taking charge was quite refreshing. Perhaps I was wrong about you."

"I am just doing my duty, sir."

"And you performed your duty well." Aschenbrener managed a weak smile. "You saved my life. That deserves to be commended."

The prisoners managed to make it look like they had been in the barracks the whole time, after coming to an agreement with Kielholz not to make this a bigger issue, and Colonel Hogan promising that he would talk to Langenscheidt once Aschenbrener left the camp. Colonel Klink was disappointed that the kidnappers hadn't been caught, but was glad that Aschenbrener was back safe and largely unhurt.

Langenscheidt expected that Aschenbrener still wanted to continue his tests, so he waited in the recreation hall for the inspector to leave the infirmary. "That went smoother than I thought it would, given that it was your plan, Westworth."

The ghost appeared in front of Langenscheidt. "What makes you say that? It was a decent plan."

"I know that now, but I was worried something was going to go wrong at the last minute and ruin everything."

"You just have no faith in me."

"I have faith in you. I just question you sometimes because your perpetual boredom seems to lead you into doing things that are not practical, but wildly entertaining for you."

"Well, this time, I genuinely wanted to help you." Westworth grinned.

Langenscheidt tried not to smile back, but it came out anyway. "Thank you."

Westworth vanished when Aschenbrener entered the recreation hall. The inspector's wrists were covered in bandages, and he still looked a little drowsy from the sedative he had been given. "I had a feeling I would find you here," Aschenbrener said.

"Yes, sir. I thought you would want to finish the tests," Langenscheidt replied.

"I do, but perhaps another time." Aschenbrener sat across from Langenscheidt. "You certainly proved your worth today with rescuing me. I was afraid I would be out there with those animals for hours. I am very grateful to you."

"Well… I appreciate that, sir."

"Still, I have no clue how they managed to get into the camp without anyone noticing."

Langenscheidt shrugged. "Magic?"

"Possibly. I suppose we will never know unless we capture them. Corporal Kielholz said they vanished."

"One day, we will catch them."

"Yes. As thanks, I would like to reward you. I convinced Klink to give you a week-long pass."

"Does Corporal Kielholz get one as well? He did help."

Aschenbrener frowned, then sighed. "Alright. I will get him a pass as well."

"Thank you, sir."

"I am usually not this generous, and, to be honest, I typically do not like when my troops get so attached to each other."

Langenscheidt gave him a curious look. "Why?"

"What is the point when you could lose each other the next day?" Aschenbrener absentmindedly began toying with the tassels of his scarf again.

"I would rather enjoy those few precious moments, than a lifetime of loneliness because I pushed people away out of fear of losing them."

"Is loneliness worse than grief?"

"I guess that depends on who you are. I was very lonely until meeting Er—Kielholz. I know that if things had gone differently, and I had not been injured, I would never have met him."

"I do believe we have found a weak spot," Westworth said. "A chink in the armor he's tried to build up. His armor's not so tough, now, is it?"

"You lost someone in the past, Inspector," Langenscheidt said.

"I lost a friend, yes, but that is none of your concern. I learned my lesson. I am never going to get so close to anyone again." Aschenbrener squeezed his scarf.

"The war will not last forever. Even outside of war, we risk losing our friends to accidents and illness. That does not stop anyone from making friends, because they give us so much to enjoy. They make life worth living."

"Ask him about the scarf," Westworth whispered.

Langenscheidt hesitated, afraid of pushing Aschenbrener too far, but he had a feeling convincing Aschenbrener to talk about what happened would set him on the path to healing. "The scarf… clearly means something to you. What does it mean?"

Aschenbrener was slumped in his chair, looking defeated and vulnerable. "It belonged to a man I had known for several years. His wife knit it for him. The last thing he did before he died was give me the scarf."

"I really am sorry, Inspector. I… have no idea what I would do if I lost Kielholz, but… I know he has made my life a little brighter, especially after my accident."

"Treasure that as much as you can, because you never know when you will lose it."

Yes. I nearly lost Erich earlier this year when a certain someone wanted revenge and tried ripping my heart out, Langenscheidt thought.

"That was the monster version of me and you know it." Westworth cuffed the back of Langenscheidt's helmet.

"I will still get that pass for Kielholz," Aschenbrener said as he stood. "And… I will think about what you have said. Perhaps I should try to actually put some meaning back into my life."

"If it helps," Langenscheidt replied while standing as well, "I am not angry with you. It looks like you have plunged into your duties and sank too far in order to avoid dealing with your grief."

Aschenbrener nodded a little. "Just do me a favor, and let this conversation stay between us, Corporal."

"Of course, sir."

"I will still return at some point to continue testing your mental capabilities. Do not mistake this for me letting you off the hook."

"I am not, sir."

"Good." A faint smile appeared on Aschenbrener's face. "Farewell, Corporal. Enjoy your leave."

When Aschenbrener left, Westworth appeared next to Langenscheidt. "At least you got him to open up a little. That's better than nothing."

"It is." Langenscheidt shrugged. "I feel like I could have done more, though."

"I don't think there's more you could have done. Aschenbrener's guard is cracked, but we can't force him to get rid of it completely. Forcing him to spill his guts too soon is just as bad as him bottling it up."

"That is surprisingly insightful, coming from you."

"I can be insightful when I want to be." Westworth folded his arms over his chest. "Anyway, you will probably see Aschenbrener again. I would be prepared for him to behave similarly to how he's been over the last couple of days, but he will remember you. Hopefully, we can keep wearing him down until he's no longer a pain in your backside."

"I reckon pigs will fly before then." Langenscheidt grinned a little.

"Don't tempt me. I can make that happen."

Not long before lights-out, Kielholz walked over to Langenscheidt while he was heading to the guard barracks. "Karl, Colonel Hogan is ready to talk with you."

Langenscheidt's contentment dropped like a rock. "Alright."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kielholz gave him a sympathetic look.

"No. I will be fine. This has to be discussed, one way or another, and I would rather do it now."

Kielholz nodded. "Come find me when you are done."

"I will." Langenscheidt started walking to Barracks Two. He knocked, then entered the barracks, knowing exactly what was coming. He didn't want to talk about his memory, though he knew it had to be done. The prisoners had done a lot for him and Kielholz, and he didn't want to permanently damage that relationship.

He half-expected Westworth to be there, but couldn't sense his presence at all. I really will be on my own.

"Hey, Langenscheidt," Hogan said.

"Hello, Colonel," Langenscheidt replied. He let out a sigh. "I suppose I should start by saying 'thank you.' You got Aschenbrener off my back, albeit temporarily. He still thinks my memory is something to be concerned about and will return at some point to finish my tests."

"That's better than nothing."

"It is, but it is no guarantee what my memory will look like by the time he comes back. It could improve significantly, or it could degrade further. Frankly, I do not appreciate anyone taking advantage of that to get away with funny business." Langenscheidt drew in a breath. "Do not think for one second that I have forgotten how I was treated when I first arrived. I was made fun of by the guards, and by the prisoners. I wish I could forget all of that, but it seems it was hurtful enough to be permanently burned into my memory."

"We know, Langenscheidt," Hogan replied. "I think it's safe to say many of us participated in picking on you, and it wasn't right. We're sorry."

"Sorry" wasn't going to replace the missing pieces in the puzzle that was Langenscheidt's memory. For a moment, he saw himself staring at a massive jigsaw puzzle spread before him, each piece a snapshot of his life.

A lot of them were missing. The pieces were nowhere to be found. He would look around the room that was his mind, but they were completely gone. Disappeared. Never to be found again. Unlike a real jigsaw puzzle, where he could randomly find a piece hidden under the rug or a table or the couch. How it got there, he never knew, but at least he found it.

In his mind, the pieces were well and truly gone.

It wasn't like anyone could go back in time and erase what had happened. Langenscheidt knew that, no matter how many times he wished he could. He would have to accept the apology. What more could Hogan do other than apologize? "Apology accepted," Langenscheidt replied. "Where do we go from here?"

"I think we can start by saying we won't trick you into forgetting something again, if it bothers you that much," Hogan said.

"Colonel, may I say something?" Newkirk asked.

"Go ahead, Newkirk."

"In all honesty, Langenscheidt, the first time I ever witnessed you forget something that you saw us do that could've gotten us all thrown in the cooler for the rest of the war, I thought you were joking. I thought you came up with a different way to 'see nothing.' I didn't know that you genuinely forgot. So, when it happened again, I thought you were playing around."

"Then we saw your file in the infirmary," Kinchloe said.

Langenscheidt wasn't about to ask why they were looking at medical files. "You saw I was not lying or playing around."

"No, you weren't. I felt bad about playing along, but—" Kinchloe looked over his shoulder at some of the others, "a few others didn't."

"You're supposed to be on our side, mate," Newkirk muttered. He reached over to playfully squeeze Kinchloe's shoulder. "Jokes aside, maybe we did take it too far. I don't think any of us would appreciate it if the guards did the same thing."

"Unfortunately, some of them did," Langenscheidt said. "They were much more merciless than you."

"Yeah, and we shouldn't be."

"You have done quite a bit for me and Erich. I should not say that I expect better, but… in some ways, I do."

"Know this, Langenscheidt," Hogan said, "we would do anything to make sure you and Kielholz don't get sent to the Russian Front—"

"I cannot be sent to any combat position, Colonel."

"You never know. Anyway, you both are good men, and Germany is going to need people like you and Kielholz when the war is over. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Langenscheidt nodded a little. "Thank you, Colonel. That… That is kind of you to say." His curiosity got the better of him. "So, when will I find out what that woman looked like?"

Hogan gave him that lopsided grin. "After the war."

Langenscheidt lay in his bunk that night, deep in thought. He had a feeling that he probably wouldn't be tricked on purpose again, but wondered if he needed to behave more like Schultz, and perhaps pretend he forgot in order to protect the prisoners. It was no secret that the Gestapo was constantly accusing Hogan of being involved with the Underground.

Even though it was up to him, Langenscheidt wasn't sure he was willing to use his memory problems in such a way, throwing around "I forgot" so carelessly and turning it into a convenient excuse. He feared doing that would come back to bite him, and bite him hard. Surely, someone would catch on.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Westworth appeared next to him.

"Thinking. That is all," Langenscheidt replied.

"About what?"

"Not much."

"Liar. You just don't want to tell me."

Langenscheidt sighed. "Should I play along with the prisoners? Should I be more willing to say 'I forgot' when it comes to their shenanigans?"

"Only if you want to." Westworth shrugged. "I would be careful with that, though."

"I was thinking that."

"Great minds think alike."

"I would not exactly call your mind 'great.' Nor mine. Mine is very broken. Yours is broken in another way."

"Fine. Two very broken minds think alike."

"I like that better." Langenscheidt grinned a little, but it quickly faded. He let out a sigh before turning on his side to face Westworth. "Do you think things would have been better if I had not overheard your conversation with Hogan?"

"I have no idea." Westworth shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't have been listening."

"I tried, but you did not exactly make yourself inconspicuous when you left the recreation hall."

"True. Wait…" Westworth gave Langenscheidt a dirty look, "are you trying to blame this on me?"

"No. I am merely making an observation."

"I see." Westworth folded his arms over his chest.

"We all played a part in this. I really am not trying to blame just you, or Aschenbrener, or Hogan."

"I know. I'm just fooling around with you." Westworth smiled.

Langenscheidt was quiet for a moment, staring up at the bottom of Kielholz's bunk. "I did appreciate your help with Aschenbrener's tests."

"Am I allowed to remind you that you said you didn't want my help?"

"You are not going to let that go, are you?"

"No, never."