Happy Holidays to all! I hope that you have a great week whatever you celebrate, even if it's just celebrating "Tuesday". Thank you for the lovely reviews and for reading.

Morning came early. The first rattle at the door brought Kinch rushing over to remove the chair to let the guards in. Schultz himself followed Langenscheidt into Barracks 2 and threw his hands up at the empty bunk by the door. While Langenscheidt urged everyone up and outside for the roll call, Schultz went to bang on Colonel Hogan's door.

"What is it Schultz? I'm getting up." Hogan grumbled, mostly out of form, but everyone's sleep had been interrupted so he wasn't happy to be rousted out. "Look, everyone is getting up."

Schultz's arms pumped with each of his words. "The Englander is missing again! You said that you would watch him. Now he is gone. The Kommandant will blame me."

"Sergeant Schultz!" Langenscheidt was crouched at Olson's bunk in the far corner of the room. "He is here!" The lanky guard pointed under the bunk and Olson tilted his head over to peer underneath. "Corporal Newkirk! Raus, roll call!" called Langenscheidt.

Olson laughed as a half-asleep Newkirk crawled from under the bunk. "What were you doing?" asked Olson.

"I'unno." Newkirk got to his feet and went to dress quickly. Olson pulled on his own coat and went to pick at him more. "Leave off. I don't remember." The Englishman crankily threw on his greatcoat while heading for the door, snapping at the guards on his way. "Yeah, roll call, like I wouldn't remember that we 'ave bloody roll call every bloody morning in this godforsaken 'ell 'ole."

As they lined up, Hogan reached out to give him a pat. "Easy. We'll talk inside after roll call. It's not Schultz or Langenscheidt's fault you're wandering the barracks at night." The American pilot watched him duck his head down. "It's okay. It's not your fault either."

"Whatever." Newkirk shuffled his feet, jamming his hands down into the pockets of his coat. When Langenscheidt came by counting, Newkirk glanced up and caught his eye. "Sorry Langenscheidt."

Smiling at him and nodding his head, Langenscheidt paused. "It is okay. I am glad you were in the barracks, Corporal Newkirk. It would not be good if you were missing." He went on to finish counting heads without incident, despite most of the men shouting numbers in various languages to try to confuse him. Once he tallied the men against his list, he went to stand impassively in front of Hogan and awaited the Kommandant's arrival.

Klink bustled out shouting for his morning report and dismissed everyone immediately. He looked a bit worse for wear after his own interrupted sleep and disappeared back into the offices without any further comments. Schultz seemed relieved and headed back off to the guards' barracks while Langenscheidt attempted to dismiss his prisoners who had already mostly wandered away after the kommandant's dismissal.

Newkirk took the time to sidle up to their guard and reassure him. "Don't worry, Langenscheidt, they don't listen to the sergeant of the guard either. It's not personal, you see."

"Ja. Ja." Langenscheidt leaned in to speak quietly. "It would be nicer if they waited for me to tell them to go though. You will tell them for me? Ja?"

"I'll pass on your concerns." Newkirk smiled as he headed inside, yawning again as he did. Peeling off his greatcoat, he climbed right back up into his bunk and rolled up in his blanket again. "If anyone needs me, I'll be taking a kip, mates."

LeBeau stood on tiptoe to peer at him. "You said you'd help me get the fresh vegetables this morning from the guard's mess."

There was a loud grunt from the blankets. "If anyone IMPORTANT needs me, I'll be taking a kip."

Muttering in French, LeBeau gave a lump in the blankets a good smack before he went back to the stove to check the coffee. There was only a muffled complaint in response.

Carter looked up but went to LeBeau. "I'll help you, LeBeau! After breakfast, that is. Are you coming now? I hope the mess has oatmeal. Something hot would be better than just bread for once."

"Oui, Carter. We'll go when the Colonel comes out." LeBeau busied himself with cleaning a few cups in the sink waiting. Kinch left already with Olson and some of the other men. When Hogan emerged, LeBeau and Carter joined him.

Hogan stopped at the door and leaned to speak to Newkirk. "Are you coming to breakfast?"

"Sleeping." was Newkirk's muffled answer.

"Okay, try to not wander off too far until we get back." Hogan started out the door and paused for just a second. "If you feel a need to crawl under a bunk, feel free to use mine, it needs dusting under there." He left before the grumbling man could unwind himself from his covers to retort.

LeBeau was grinning as they crossed the compound. "Pierre is tired this morning. What will we do about his sleepwalking? It could have been very dangerous."

Carter piped up quickly. "Newkirk didn't mean to sleepwalk. It's not his fault."

LeBeau snapped at him. "It doesn't have to be his fault for him to end up dead, shot by a guard out in the compound at night!"

Hogan put a hand on the Frenchman's shoulder to calm him. "Right now, we don't have to worry about it, but tonight, we'll just make sure to block the door. If Newkirk can't wander outside, he's not likely to harm himself. If he wants to walk around the table in his sleep it won't bother anyone."

"Oui, but..." LeBeau looked up at the colonel. "What if he really starts wandering? If he ends up in the tunnels, who knows where he could come up and if he's asleep..."

Carter had grown more alarmed with each word. "What if he doesn't check for guards? What if he uses the entrance to Klink's quarters?" Turning to look back at the barracks, he looked as if he would rush back to the barracks to check on his friend right away.

"Easy, let's not borrow trouble." soothed Hogan. He reached out and turned Carter back towards the messhall. "Keep your voice down too, let's not tell all the guards about the tunnels, okay?" He started them both back on the walk to the messhall. "After breakfast, we'll figure out how to safeguard Newkirk and the tunnels."

Reassured, Carter followed along although he still looked a bit worried. Suddenly he brightened. "Hey, we can always tie him to the bunk!"

Hogan and LeBeau exchanged a look. Hogan tilted his head a little as he reached to put one hand on Carter's shoulder. "Carter, when you sound so enthusiastic about tying Newkirk to the bunk, you worry people."

End Chapter

I hope you liked it. I may post an extra chapter for the holiday. What say you?

Thank you for reading!