Chapter 2: Worries
Hogan didn't sleep much that night trying to think of how to get Sleeping Beauty away from the Gestapo and to London. He was starting to feel like the walls were closing in on him in his room, so around 0400 he walked into the common room, he noticed that everyone was sound a sleep except for LeBeau.
LeBeau felt that he was being watched and turned his head. He stopped when he saw Hogan staring at him. Hogan motioned for him to join him in his quarters.
Quietly LeBeau climbed down from his bunk and followed Hogan into his office. LeBeau shut the door. "You wanted to speak with me mon Colonel?"
"Yes I do. I noticed that ever since mail call yesterday that your mind has been elsewhere. Anything you want to talk about?" LeBeau said nothing, just stared at the floor. "LeBeau, we have an important mission coming up and I need to have your mind here and not thinking about other problems."
"You have enough to worry about. I don't want to bother you with my problems. I am sorry. I will keep my mind focused."
"When your problems affect this operation, they become my problems."
LeBeau sat on Hogan's bunk and started crying. "I received word from a friend of my family. He said that the Gestapo took them away. From what he was able to find out, they were sent to a concentration camp."
This was not an answer Hogan expected to hear. "How many were taken and do you know why?"
"Eleven" he answered quietly. "I come from a large family. There was mom and dad, three brothers and their wives, one sister, one nice and one nephew. It might have something to do withthem helping the underground."
"Do they know about this operation?" Hogan asked nervous that the operation was not in jeopardy.
"No Colonel. They think I am just a POW and this is a regular POW camp."
Hogan didn't know much about the personal lives of the men under his command. He had no idea that LeBeau came from such a large family or what they did. "Do you know which camp?"
LeBeau just shook his head. "Non." He could not hold back any more tears and he put his hands over his face and started to sob as images came to his mind of what was probibly happening to his family.
Hogan sat on the bunk next to him and put his arm around him. He let LeBeau take time to grieve so he could get it out of his system. When the sobbing went to an occasional sniffle Hogan spoke. "I am sorry to hear about your family. I will see what I can find out."
"But Colonel, you have this mission to be thinking about. You don't have time to be worrying about my family."
Hogan smiled and LeBeau noticed the famous twinkle in his eye that told him more than words. It told him to relax and leave the worrying to him . "LeBeau, I appreciate your concern, but I have been known to juggle two problems at one time. Now try and get some sleep."
LeBeau wiped away the tears. "Sorry for crying like that Sir."
Hogan shook his head "No apologies. Contrary to what people might think, men hurt and have feelings. It is okay to let it out."
Never in a million years did LeBeau ever expect to hear something like that coming from Hogan. I will have to remember that for when he is bottling up his feelings. "I will go to bed only if you do."
Hogan laughed, "I don't have time to sleep. I have a Sleeping Beauty to rescue and eleven people to locate." At first, LeBeau thought that this might be too much for him to handle, but then quickly realized that he was joking with him.
"Good night Colonel." LeBeau walked over to the door. He looked over his shoulder at a final look at Hogan. Hogan just motioned for him to go to bed.
"Good night LeBeau." LeBeau smiled and left. Hogan started pacing again. Okay, I need to have Kinch get in touch with Tiger and have her check her contacts in France and see if she can get any leads on LeBeau's family. From what I have been able to find out about them transporting Sleeping Beauty, they are going to move her during the day which will make it harder for us to be out of camp. Hogan stopped pacing and stared out the window and could see the faint glow of the sunrise now. Another sleepless night I think when the war is over I am going to sleep for a month.
HH HH HH
Shultz's bellow for roll call came too early. The entire time Hogan was standing in line he yawned.
"Is my speech boring you Colonel?" Asked Klink who finally decided to say something.
So tempted to say yes. "Sorry Kommandant. I just…yawn…couldn't fall asleep last night. Believe me I tried. You see I had a date with a beautiful blonde last night, but I could never make it."
Klink nodded his head in mockery "If you weren't so busy planning escapes or ways to keep me from getting promoted, you would be able to make it to your date. Like I was saying before I was interrupted. The Gestapo is going to be temporarily keeping a prisoner here until they can move her to Berlin to be interrogated. If anyone breaks any of the rules or gives me a hard time, they will spend thirty days in the cooler and all privileges for the rest of the camp will be revoked for thirty days as well. Dismissed."
Kinch walked up to Hogan. "Sir why don't you try and get some rest? Someone will wake you when Sleeping Beauty gets here."
"I need you to get on the radio and set up a meeting with Tiger for tonight."
He avoided my question. "Do you think that is wise Sir, with all the Gestapo that will be around here. Not to mention that you haven't had much sleep in two nights." Kinch asked.
"Let me worry about the Gestapo. Just set up the meeting."
"With all due respect Sir, only if you take a nap." Kinch was probably the only person, besides Wilson the camp medic, that could push Hogan without fear that Hogan would really court martial him.
"Sergeant, do I have to make this an order?"
Sergeant? I guess I am over stepping things. It is probably because he is tired and has a lot on his mind. "You can if you want, but I still wont place the call until you take a nap."
Hogan gave Kinch a stern look that said you have gone beyond overstepping your bounds. "Then I will place the call myself." Hogan pushed his way pass Kinch and went to the entrance to the tunnel
"Can't do that Sir." Kinch leaned against the bedpost and stared at his hands and then started to clean the dirt from under his nails.
Hogan was clearly beyond upset now. The rest gathered around to see what would happen next. "Why is that Sergeant?"
There is that sergeant again. "Radio doesn't work."
"What do you mean it doesn't work? Since when?" Hogan faced Kinch with his hands on his hips.
"Since I removed the fuse. Like I said Sir, you rest and I will make the call." Kinch looked Hogan in the eye and smiled.
"Sergeant, I have a good mind to court martial you right here and now."
"Do what you want, I am already in a prison camp." Kinch kept smiling at Hogan and his voice mild.
Hogan stood there and stared at Kinch for a moment without saying a word. Rob, both of you know that no matter how angry you get at these men, you could never go through with a court martial, especially when you know they are looking out for you. He is right I do need some rest. Maybe then I can think of something. "You win. I will rest and you make the call."
