"The enlisted men follow your example. If you're late for roll call, they will be too. If you can't control them, I'll be forced to do so myself." Klink glowered at the man who was leaning nonchalantly against his desk. He'd given this same lecture numerous times before, but never had he been so prepared to follow through with his threat. He would have order in his camp again. One way or another.

"Discipline away, Kommandant. It'll make it all the sweeter when you're groveling at my feet."

"Major…" Klink paused as the sound of feminine laughter echoed from the outer office. If the cause was what he thought it was, the guard at the outside door was going on report for failure to recognize the enemy. "Schultz, see what that's about."

"Jawohl." Schultz dutifully peeked around the door. "Shh. The Kommandant is busy. …..Jolly joker…..No more monkey business out here."

"Schultz!" Klink forced himself to remain at his desk. "Is that Hogan?"

"Is that Hogan? Let me see." Schultz glanced into the next room again.

"Schultz!" Klink brushed past the guard and flung the door open. Hogan sat sedately – and quite innocently – on a chair.

"Morning, Kommandant."

"What are you doing here? You were too ill to make it to roll call."

"Yeah, but I feel much better now." Hogan ambled to his feet and snapped off a salute. "Colonel Robert Hogan, senior POW, reporting."

"Come inside." Klink waved the man to a chair beside Anders. "I believe you know Major Anders."

"Major." Hogan nodded a greeting. "I'm afraid I wasn't at my best last time we met."

"Colonel." Anders' voice was carefully neutral. "Are you sure you should be out of bed?"

"I feel fine. Thanks for helping out, but I'll resume command now." Hogan ignored Anders' response in favor of greeting the guard stationed behind the Major's chair. "Hey, Kurtz – what are you doing here? I thought you were permanently stationed on the Red side of camp."

"Ja, but…"

"Where I station my guards is none of your concern, Colonel." Klink gestured at Kurtz. "Take Major Anders to his barracks."

"My staff and I'll be moving back this afternoon, Anders." Hogan leaned back in his chair with a cool smile. "See if you can free up some bunks for my boys, ok?"

Anders nodded curtly, exited without a word.

Kurtz exchanged a quick smile with Schultz on his way out.

"It's good to have you back, Colonel." Schultz patted Hogan's shoulder. "Everyone missed you."

"Schultz!" Klink sighed. "Dismissed. Wait in the outer office."

"Auf Wiedersehn!" Hogan cheerfully waved at the departing guard.

Klink shook his head, but let the unmilitary behavior go. Given the choice, he'd have a disciplined senior POW who followed his orders without question. Until that man came along, he preferred tolerating a harmless pest over caging a dangerous wolf. "Are you sure you're well enough to be out of bed, Colonel? You needn't move back into the barracks if you're still ill."

"I'm fine. I'm looking forward to getting back into my old room." Hogan shrugged off Klink's skeptical look. "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

"Of course." Klink studied the American. He was still as pale as he'd been when Schultz had brought him back to camp and his thin bravado couldn't hide the fact that he was unsteady on his feet and that his hands shook slightly. After all he'd been through, his appearance in the office was close to remarkable. But only a fool would believe that he was well.

"I'll need to inspect your wounds for signs of infection."

Hogan shook his head. "Kinch…"

"Sgt Kinchloe will not have to answer to the Allies if you die from lack of medical treatment." Klink forestalled Hogan's argument. "Don't make me call a guard, Colonel."

Hogan reluctantly stood and tugged off his coat and shirt.

The slowly healing wounds were difficult enough to look at, but Hogan's distant expression and the flinching that accompanied the slightest physical contact was even more unsettling. Klink finished his task as quickly as possible. "Alright. You can get dressed."

"Told you I was ok." Hogan mumbled as he hastily dressed.

"What happened to the cast on your wrist?"

"I had Kinch cut it off." Hogan managed a weak grin. "Newkirk found a hacksaw lying around in the Rec Hall. One of your guards must have left it there."

"Careless of them. I assume you'll return it immediately."

"Of course. Just as soon as we finish cutting through the wire."

"Very humorous." Klink resumed his seat behind the desk. "Are you feeling well enough to assume your duties as senior POW?"

"Yeah. So you can get rid of Anders." Hogan toyed with Klink's letter opener. "He's bringing down the property values around here."

"If that means he's difficult to live with, I agree." Klink interrupted Hogan's cheerful rebuttal. "But this is a bad time to transfer prisoners. There is a war going on, you know."

"There's a retreat going on." Hogan snuck a look at a stack of papers before Klink yanked them away. "I was out there, you know."

"Ja. I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you from Hochstetter. It wasn't my intention…"

"I know. Leave it to you to nearly get me killed trying to save my life." Hogan grew serious. "Did you have any trouble with Wolfgang?"

"Fortunately, the Russian commandos captured or killed him before he could cause trouble for me or your men."

"That is good news, isn't it?" Hogan jiggled the new padlock on the cigar box. "Look at this – go away for a couple weeks and the management changes the locks."

"We've become a military installation again, Hogan." Klink unlocked the box and offered the American a cigar. "I run a tight ship now. I'll have order or there will be strict disciplinary measures."

"Don't worry. I'll get the camp back in shape. If…"

"If what?"

"If you tell your men to ease up some. This place is getting to be like a prison."

"Just as soon as you get Major Anders under control."

"Done." Hogan slouched back in his chair. "Ah, it's good to be back home."

"Home." Klink scoffed. "You're obviously still feverish."

"Nah. In fact I'll prove it by beating you at a game of chess."

"You can't beat me when you're feeling well." Klink frowned at the papers piling up on the desk. "You may be able to laze around all day, but I have work to do."

"Aw, come on." Hogan leaned across the desk. "One game."

Klink sighed. Hogan had barely been out of bed an hour and he was already losing control of his camp. "One game. Then you're back to your barracks."

"Deal." Hogan casually strolled to the schnapps bottle and poured two glasses while Klink set up the chess game on the desk.

Klink had to admit – if only to himself – that he'd missed their games. Hogan was a horrible strategist, but he was an amiable opponent. Today's match, however, was different from the opening move. The brash American had grown cautious. And quiet. Klink found both behaviors disturbing. "Hogan."

"Hmm?"

"You shouldn't expect to be fully recovered right away." Klink captured Hogan's knight. "A visit from the Gestapo is not easily dismissed."

Hogan feigned a carefree shrug, but the trembling hand that knocked over a row of pieces told a different story.

Klink ignored the uncharacteristic clumsiness. "In Germany today, there are two kinds of people – those who bend to the Gestapo and those who disappear in the night. I hope you'll remember that if you ever have cause to meet Major Mueller."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning." Klink met Hogan's eyes. "We Germans have had a decade to learn to be silent before Hochstetter's kind. It's a bitter lesson, but one you must master if you wish to see Ohio again."

Hogan paused to drain his glass of schnapps. "Why don't you fight them? They can't kill all of you."

"No, but they can kill a considerable number of us." Klink glanced away from his pale opponent. "And as you are aware, the Gestapo do not limit themselves to inflicting pain. Death one can accept, but fear and humiliation are more difficult to bear."

Hogan faked a laugh. "I don't know what Wolfie told you, but all he did was rough me up a bit. I've had worse from jealous husbands."

"Of course." Klink returned to the game. He had no desire to make the American relive his interrogation. He'd had friends --- years ago, when Hitler had just taken power – who'd dared to object to the regime's policies. He remembered the fear and the shame in their eyes when they'd returned from Gestapo headquarters. He'd learned quickly to have no opinion that disagreed with that of his superiors.

How long had it been since he'd dared to speak his mind? Klink pondered the question as he defended against a threat to his queen. He'd once been a genuine Luftwaffe officer – not just the keeper of a jail for enlisted prisoners. He'd never been as arrogant as Hogan – he had to laugh at the very thought – but he had been a proud man once. If anyone had told him when he was a cocky young pilot that he'd end his career struggling to maintain command of a pathetic stalag far from the front, he would have laughed in his face. But now….

Klink shook away the circling depression. He was safe here, far from the snows of Stalingrad and the intrigues of Berlin. Even a half-life was to be appreciated in these uncertain times. He frowned as he noted signs of battle fatigue in Hogan's subdued demeanor. He'd often fantasized of bringing the American down a peg, but he'd never wished to see him broken. Especially not by the likes of Hochstetter.

"Herr Kommandant." Schultz' noisy entry interrupted Klink's thoughts. "Cpl Newkirk says he has to see Colonel Hogan. He says it's urgent."

"Tell him we're busy." Klink frowned. Hogan was already on his feet.

"Sorry, Kommandant. Duty calls." Hogan quickly moved his castle. "Save the game, huh?"

"Of course, Colonel." Klink grumbled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "We can continue whenever it's convenient for you."

"Great." Hogan grinned, executed a casual salute and slipped from the office.

Schultz chuckled until he noticed Klink glaring at him. "Oh, he is very bad. Very disrespectful."

"Never mind." Klink gestured at the board. "Put this out of the way. I have work to do."

"Jawohl." Schultz carefully transferred the game from the desk to an out-of –the-way chair. "Who is winning, Herr Kommandant?"

"I am, of course."

"Oh, that's very good."

"Ja." Klink scribbled his name on several reports. He paused as he heard the guard heading for the door. "Schultz."

"Jawohl?"

"He's lost weight. See that he gains it back. I don't need any trouble with the Red Cross." Klink ignored Schultz' rambling reply as he concentrated on a file. He swore as his phone rang.

"Klink, here. Heil Hitler…" He sat a little straighter as he recognized his caller's voice. "General Burkhalter, how good to ….Hogan? Yes, he's feeling better. In fact, he was just in here bothering me….How's he acting? Like always. Irritating, annoying, insubordinate….No, sir. No belligerence. At least, not towards me. He doesn't seem to like Major Anders, his replacement. In fact, I think it's only a matter of time until those two have some kind of confrontation. You know Americans, they…. Yes, sir. I'll see to it right away…..Yes, sir. I'll be sure he knows you approved the transfer….. It's always a pleasure talking to you, General. I…"

Klink listened to the dial tone a moment before dropping the phone onto its receiver. Based on Burkhalter's concern for Hogan's health, he decided that the war effort was going badly. He found it grimly amusing to watch the pompous General's desperate attempts to curry favor with an enemy officer, especially one who had such little respect for protocol. He had no doubt that Hogan would find a way to manipulate the situation to his advantage. He always did.

* * * *