No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred. Copyright belongs to others and no infringement is intended.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Hogan was dozing fitfully on the cot in the tunnel when Carter descended the ladder carrying a plate full of food. The Sergeant's hop off the bottom rung startled Hogan into wakefulness, and he sat up with a small frown on his face, as though he couldn't remember having fallen asleep in the first place.

"What time is it?" Hogan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"About ten o'clock," Carter answered. He approached the Colonel and presented the plate. "You never came back for dinner," he said simply.

Hogan looked at the food. There was nothing he wanted to do less right now than eat. He shook his head. "Louis's gonna be really upset if you don't eat this," Carter prompted him.

Hogan shook his head again. "Just put it on the desk," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the radio equipment.

Carter did as he was told, then came back to face Hogan. "Nothing from Berlin yet?" he guessed.

Hogan frowned. "Nope. Let's hope they buy what Schafer had to say. London's counting on it. And I don't have any other ideas."

"It's a hard one, all right," Carter agreed. He paused. "Colonel Hogan, are you all right?" he asked.

Hogan dropped his eyes. "I'm fine; I'm just tired."

"Oh, I know you're tired," the Sergeant said. "I mean, it's late, and your leg's still in pretty bad shape, and aspirin can't be helping all that much, and then there's the—"

"Carter," Hogan said, needing to stop the flow that he knew was born of nervousness on the young man's part, "do you have something to say?"

Carter shrugged self-deprecatingly, then came in nearer to his commanding officer. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay after today. You know, with Major Schafer."

Hogan stared at his hands, folded in front of him in between his knees as he rested his forearms on his lap. "Well, it worked, didn't it," he said, not asking, not wanting to hear more.

"Yep, it sure did," Carter agreed. "You know, I bet Berlin will call back tomorrow morning saying to move those anti-aircraft defenses right away."

"Could be," Hogan answered.

There was a long silence. "Colonel? I just wanted to tell you… Well, I mean, I just wanted to say that I…" Carter faltered, unsure how to proceed.

Hogan finally looked him in the eye. "Thanks for pulling me back on track today, Carter. It took a lot of courage to do that, and I appreciate it."

"Aw, shucks," Carter said, suddenly uncomfortable, "you would have come around to it yourself sooner or later, Colonel."

Hogan shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have," he replied. "I knew what I had to do, and I couldn't make myself do it. If you hadn't said anything, I would have just let the whole thing drop." Hogan stared at the floor. "Thanks."

"Someone wanted to help you, Colonel," Carter said softly, looking down at his commanding officer and once again feeling deep compassion. "I don't know if it was Kleinschmidt or someone else… but… you did the right thing, talking about it. If Berlin moves its guns, a lot of lives will be saved."

"All but one," Hogan whispered, so low Carter nearly had to lean in to hear him. Another silence. Then, slowly, he went on. "Gunter was a good boy, Carter. He was a kid, stuck in a war that took away all his dreams. He didn't deserve what happened to him."

Carter nodded and carefully, hesitantly, came to sit by Hogan. The Colonel glanced at him then turned his gaze down one of the tunnel passageways that led down into darkness. "The war took away some of your dreams, too, Colonel," Carter said gently. "You didn't ask to be here, at least that's the way I heard it." Hogan didn't answer, but Carter suspected he was listening to him, so he continued. "When I got here, you were still expanding this whole operation. I didn't know a lot back then, but the fellas told me enough to figure out that if you'd had your way, you would have been out of this camp and out of Germany as fast as we're sending out everyone else who's lucky enough to be rounded up by us."

Hogan nodded once.

"Well, that didn't happen," Carter said slowly. "You were asked to stay here, and you did. You gave up a lot, Colonel Hogan, and it hasn't always been easy, no, sir. I mean, it's been hard more often than you could ever say it's been easy. And you didn't deserve that, either. When it comes to war, I figure almost nobody gets what he really deserves; we just have to make the best of what we get. You do that every day. And maybe Kleinschmidt finally had the chance to, too."

Slowly, with difficulty, Hogan turned to face the man he always called his "innocent." He looked into Carter's eyes and saw an honesty and a caring that he rarely saw in another man. And he remembered everything he had told Gunter about Carter that confusing, pain-filled day in the car—about how the Sergeant was loyal, and generous, and gentle. And he took comfort in those thoughts now, and felt their truth deep inside him. "Thank you, Andrew," he said softly.

Carter met Hogan's eyes and accepted the deep thanks that words were useless at expressing. "You go upstairs and get some sleep now, Colonel. I'll take my turn waiting for Berlin to call."

Hogan nodded and, without feeling the least bit of embarrassment, he let Carter help support him as he climbed with difficulty back up to the barracks.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

"Tell me about your men, Robert. What makes them so special to you?"

What doesn't make them special? Hogan struggled to answer, unable to think past pain so sharp his eyes were tearing up. He kept them squeezed shut.

"Robert, you must tell me about them. What makes them special to you?"

"Lots of things," Hogan finally gasped. Then, not even conscious of speaking aloud, he added softly, desperately, "And I need them now!"

"They need you, Robert. They need you to be strong. They need you to take the lead again. You must be able to do that."

"I failed today. If they hadn't been there to save the day…" Hogan's voiced faded as his guilt grew.

"You were given gifts for a reason, Robert. Please do not be afraid to use them."

Hogan fell back against the seat of the car, panting, fearful, distressed. "I'm tired."

"Rest, Robert. And then get back to where you belong: in the lead."

"I'll try…." And he let his hurting body relax, and drifted away.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

"Repoooooooooooort!"

Colonel Klink bellowed in the early morning light even as he walked toward the men assembled outside Barracks Two. It was cold and there was a biting wind blowing straight through his long overcoat, and he wanted to get this over with so he could get back inside to his office, and his cup of cocoa, which, depending on how his final encounter with Captain Lehmann went, might at some point be laced with schnapps.

"Herr Kommandant, all prisoners present and accounted for!" Schultz saluted Klink and then shrugged deeper into his coat.

"Very good, Schultz," Klink replied. He moved in till he was almost on top of Hogan. The American, his head bowed into his jacket, looked up at him, squinting against the wind. "I wish to see you this morning, Colonel Hogan," Klink said. "Come to my office after morning mess."

"Right, Kommandant," Hogan replied. "Your friends leaving today?" he asked.

"My friends?"

"Captain Lehmann and Major Schafer. Or are they going to take advantage of the Hotel Stalag 13 hospitality for a little while longer?"

"Apparently, there isn't supposed to be any hospitality," Klink muttered through his teeth. He looked at Hogan's face, half hidden under his collar of his brown bomber jacket, looking more recovered but less rested. "Captain Lehmann has seen to that."

"Trouble in paradise?" Hogan asked, straightening. Klink screwed up his face but didn't answer. He didn't need to, and both of them knew it. Hogan lowered his voice and said confidentially, "You know, we might be able to help you out, Kommandant. If you're willing to make a deal."

For a brief second, hope shone in Klink's eyes. Then just as quickly it was extinguished. "Forget it," he said. "I don't need any more trouble than I already have."

Hogan shrugged. "Okay, Kommandant. It's your funeral." Klink cringed. "Sorry, sir. Too close to the bone, that one."

"Just come to my office later," Klink growled. He backed away from Hogan and looked at Schultz. "Diiiiiis-miiiiiiiiiiiiiissed."

Schultz saluted as Klink turned away and tried to disperse the men. Hogan tapped Newkirk's leg lightly with his cane as he saw a staff car roll up outside Klink's office. "Is that it?" he asked under his breath.

"Sure is, gov'nor," Newkirk replied.

"And everything's ready?"

Kinch leaned in behind him. "Yes, sir, everything's just perfect."

Hogan nodded. "Good. Newkirk—you got the letter back?"

"No problems, Colonel."

"Okay. Get to work."

"With pleasure, sir." And the Englishman walked away.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Le Beau popped his head into Hogan's office, where the Colonel had just disappeared. "Berlin is calling for Schafer, Colonel," he said, stopping short when he saw Hogan standing stiffly over his desk, something gripped tightly in his hands.

But Hogan quickly turned to face him and put the item far across the desk. "This is it. Let's go."

"Oui, Colonel." Le Beau waited as Hogan grabbed his cane and awkwardly brushed past him, heading toward the tunnel. Then, making sure he was not being watched, the Frenchman took a couple of steps into the office and looked at what Hogan had been holding onto. He shook his head when he realized it was the bottle of pills from the hospital, that after he found out about Schafer, the Colonel had refused to take. Le Beau only wished he hadn't interrupted before Hogan had had a chance to decide to change his mind.

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Kinch smiled as he handed Hogan the paper with the transcript of everything that had been said while the Colonel was making his way down the ladder. "It's good news, Colonel," he said.

Hogan nodded, and, still listening to the voices on the phone line, he scanned the paper, then smiled. "This is great," he said. "It's exactly what we wanted."

Hogan listened to Schafer crowing about how well he had done for the Fatherland in gathering this important information about Allied tactics, then shook his head as Schafer promised even more in a dispatch to be sent out today, and rambled on and on again about everything Hogan and his men had told him. "Kinch, when Schafer finally stops talking, get on the line to London and tell them the RAF can come in as soon as we confirm the anti-aircraft defense systems are gone. Make sure they know to bomb anywhere but Leipzig and Wiesbaden next week, right?"

"Right, Colonel."

"It's time for me to check on our other little pigeon… who's about ready to fly the coop!"