No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"You are up early this morning, Herr Oberst."
Hogan turned, surprised, to see Greta standing behind him in the living room. He had been lost in thought, staring up at the teapot on the top shelf, and had not heard her approach. "Couldn't sleep," he answered briefly.
"Too anxious," she speculated.
"A bit." Hogan didn't want to admit it was the pain in his shoulder and side that had woken him from a restless slumber a couple of hours before dawn. Unable to get back to sleep, he had simply tossed and turned, trying to stifle his anguished moans, until it became impossible to remain lying in bed any longer, and eventually he consciously focused his thoughts on the transmitter part sitting in the living room, where he wandered in search of a distraction.
"Großvater will look after you," Greta said. Hogan nodded, then looked back up at the teapot. "You are thinking of the radio," she said after a long silence.
Hogan was surprised yet again when Greta suddenly handed him a glass filled with brandy. "Drink," she said.
Hogan just stared at her questioningly.
"I also couldn't sleep last night," she said matter-of-factly. "And my room is adjacent to yours."
Hogan nodded, uncomfortable with the idea that someone had heard his private suffering, and took the offering. Too early in the day for this, he thought fleetingly, then downed the drink appreciatively, feeling the liquid burn hot down his throat. "Thanks," he said hoarsely.
She took the glass back and smiled gently. "You can hide many things, Herr Oberst," she said. "I believe you are a very clever man. But the eyes never lie, and that is where you carry your pain."
Hogan could think of nothing to say and averted his eyes. After a moment he changed the subject. "I'm sorry your grandfather's involvement with the Allies is putting him in such a bad position at the moment."
Greta shrugged. "Großvater is a stubborn man with fine ideals. He will do what he feels best."
"That's very heroic," Hogan said sincerely. "I can't thank the two of you enough for your help last night."
"Any chance to strike a blow to the Third Reich is welcome, Herr Oberst," Greta replied.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," Hogan said, "But I'm going to have to ask your grandfather to do one more thing for me. It may benefit a lot of people, including him."
Greta looked at Hogan, not with anger, but with curiosity. Hogan went over the idea one last time in his mind, then launched into the telling, before he changed his mind.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"Call out the dogs! Schultz, get the guards and start a patrol at once!"
"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant!"
The prisoners watched as the Germans scrambled after morning roll call. Schultz had nearly fainted when he realized that Hogan was not among the assembled men, and Klink was practically apoplectic. The Kommandant's demands to know when Hogan had gone missing were met with confused and innocent looks, neither of which Klink was willing to believe. "Guards! Start your search immediately! Diiiis-misssssed!" he shouted.
My perfect record of no escapes will not be broken, Hogan, Klink thought, almost frightened at the idea of losing the protection that this accomplishment afforded him. It would be better if I find you, rather than the Gestapo. With me at least you have a chance to survive.
"Do you think the gov'nor's made it to the Underground?" Newkirk asked under his breath as they observed the frantic proceedings.
"Impossible to tell, Newkirk," Kinch answered. "We can only hope for the best."
"But even then, we may never know, may we?" asked Le Beau.
"No, Louis," Newkirk agreed, staring at the barbed wire fence, remembering Hogan's promise: I won't forget you. "We may never know." But I'll wonder for the rest of my life.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"You're not going to believe this!" Newkirk exclaimed, bursting into Barracks Two at dusk.
"What is it, Peter?" asked Kinch, looking up from the book he was apparently only pretending to read. He had tried to divert his attention away from the business around camp after the morning search had been organized and failed. First it had been a game of basketball, where all the shots missed by a mile. Then, when the Gestapo officers had shown up and the shouting about Hogan's escape could be heard all over camp, it had been fervent work on the flower beds that Hogan had planned before his unceremonious departure. Now, with the day nearly over, it was the book. Thirty minutes after he had first picked it up and he was still on page seven. Somehow he suspected his mind wasn't on the written words.
"I'm seeing it with my own eyes, but I can't believe it meself!"
"What is it, Pierre?" asked Le Beau more insistently.
"Schnitzer's just pulled in—and he's got Colonel Hogan with him!"
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"Colonel Hogan, where have you been?" Klink demanded, exasperated but relieved to have his no-escape record miraculously restored.
"This man came to me early today, Kommandant," Schnitzer said, pointing to Hogan. "He said he had escaped from Stalag 13 and was hoping I would help him get out of Germany." Klink turned to Hogan, his face severe. "He was injured, and naturally, as a doctor, even of animals, I felt compelled to help him in that way. But I felt it was my duty to bring him back here."
Klink waved his fist under Hogan's lowered, unshaven face. "Hogan, I warned you not to try anything foolish. Do you have any idea what your irresponsible actions meant to this camp? The Gestapo were crawling through this camp yesterday and in the woods all around this area, looking for you! Didn't you know you would naturally be captured? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Hogan's features reflected a look of defeat. "That's the last time I trust a lousy Kraut," he said bitterly.
Klink raised his eyebrows, surprised at the acrimony in Hogan's voice. He turned to Schnitzer. "Herr Schnitzer, your devotion to the Fatherland is to be commended. I hereby rescind my previous decision to replace you; you may go about your business as usual, with my thanks, and, I am sure, the thanks of the Fuhrer."
Hogan stole a sideways glance at Schnitzer at the words. "Thank you, Herr Kommandant," Schnitzer replied. "I assure you I have nothing but the Third Reich's interests in mind each and every day."
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"C'mon, Schultz, let us see what is going on!" Le Beau was protesting. The guard was keeping the inhabitants of Barracks Two firmly inside their quarters, as per the standing order of Klink. But he was finding it hard to resist the persistence of the three men pushing him now.
"I cannot, Le Beau. The Kommandant said all prisoners are to be kept away from Herr Schnitzer when he changes the dogs."
"But look, Schultz; he's got Colonel Hogan there. Surely we have a right to see what's going on." Newkirk strained to see past Schultz's bulk.
"You will know what I know, and that is nothing," Schultz replied.
"Not if we can help it," Newkirk declared, and he pushed Kinch and Le Beau ahead of him out past Schultz and into the yard, leaving the Sergeant blustering in the doorway.
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
"Very well; accompany Colonel Hogan back to Barracks Two, and see that the medic attends him," Klink said to Schultz, who had followed the errant prisoners as they burst across the compound. He turned to Hogan, his voice angry and bothered. "And when he is through with you, you will come to my office to receive your punishment." He turned on his heel and stormed back towards his office.
"Colonel—what happened? How come you're back?" Newkirk couldn't help but ask, even with Schultz close by.
"Don't ask questions," Hogan said shortly. "Just get Wilson."
"I will go, Colonel," Le Beau said, and, sharing his worried look with the others, he took off across the camp.
"Was it bad, Colonel?" Newkirk asked in a low voice. "We couldn't tell Schnitzer; Klink had us locked up in the barracks."
"Don't worry about it. Just get Wilson over to the barracks. Now."
Kinch and Newkirk tried to help support Hogan as he headed for the barracks, but he refused their solicitousness, and, throwing a look of loathing at Schnitzer which stunned Schultz, he made the slow journey back alone.