Chapter 5

Thank you all so much for reading and especially for reviewing. Yes, they'll eventually find out the why's and such. Also, I do my best to respond to all the reviews from people who have signed in, except for those that have disabled the private messaging feature. If I do miss you, either you have disabled PMs, or it was purely by accident. Or it was TinySprite, who I annoy often enough without also sending her responses to reviews. *grins* She da bomb.

Hogan woke up and shivered. His room was freezing and he groaned and pulled his blanket a bit higher up on his head, hoping that it was early enough that he wouldn't have to get up quite yet. A stiff breeze found it's way under the thin fabric and he pulled it tighter yet. It was bad enough to be cold, but to have the breeze blowing in his room...

He sat up suddenly and looked at a wide open window and shutters. For just a couple seconds he stared at it, watching the light grow as dawn grew closer. "Newkirk!" He slid off the bunk and lurched to the window to look out, hoping somehow that he'd find the Brit right there. Instead he saw nothing and rushed out into the main room. "Wake up, he's gone!" He spared a quick check to find the bunk empty just as he feared. Everyone in the barracks was trying to wake up and make sense of his words. "Get up! We have to find him before the guards do!"

LeBeau was still on the false bunk so at least they knew he hadn't gone down into the tunnels. Hogan cursed as a thought occurred to him. There was a chance that Newkirk could have entered a tunnel from outside.

LeBeau and Carter were already in their pants and slipping out of the door. Olson took an extra minute to check underneath all the bunks before sneaking out one of the windows at the rear of the barracks as well. Hogan took the time to dress before composing himself to confront the guards. When he stepped out, he found Langenscheidt just approaching his post again. "Where have you been?" asked Hogan angrily.

Langenscheidt stammered as he stood there. "Colonel Hogan! I- I was j-just..."

"Just leaving your post! Yes I see that." Hogan's eyes were scanning the compound even as he listened for any noises. He saw LeBeau going around the corner of another barracks. "Aren't you supposed to stay at your post the whole time?"

Suddenly Langenscheidt gasped with a sudden insight. "The Englander is gone! Ja?"

Hogan's eyes narrowed. They all tended to underestimate the young corporal. "Yes, he's sleepwalking again and I don't know where he went."

"We should find him... very quickly." Langenscheidt turned to go look but then turned back, obviously torn between searching for the missing prisoner and standing at his assigned post. He moved several steps away and then paused to turn back to Hogan.

The guard's indecisiveness made Hogan want to scream at him. "What? Are you trying to decide if you'll get into more trouble for going to look for a missing prisoner who escaped from your barracks?" His tone was scathing, as he tried to cover his own slight panic. "I can guarantee the Kommandant will look harshly on a missing or dead prisoner versus Schultz being upset you left your post!"

"Nein!" Langenscheidt pointed. "Der Englander is on the roof!" His open mouth would have been amusing in any other circumstances. "Why is the Englander on the roof?" He seemed to think of something. "How will we get him off the roof?"

Hogan scrambled away from the wall to look up. Curled up in a ball was his missing man, to all appearances asleep. In the thin layer of snow. In his nightshirt. "Dammit." He moved closer to hiss up at the figure. "Newkirk! Newkirk wake up!" There was no movement and Hogan suddenly feared the cold had gotten to him. "Newkirk!" he shouted.

The shout was enough to wake the sleeper and Newkirk sat upright with a yell. Unfortunately the speed at which he sat up caused him to slip and his yell turned into a squawk as he slid down the roof, taking a considerable amount of snow with him.

Hogan winced at the muffled thud. "Well, at least we don't have to figure out how to get him down." He rushed over to check on the prone form. "Are you okay?" Kinch joined him and Hogan spoke quietly to his sergeant. "Signal the others to get back in the barracks." Kinch nodded and moved to the corner to whistle softly. The sharp tone brought both Olson and Carter back quickly.

Olson spoke in an undertone as he passed them. "LeBeau went through the dog pen." He raised his voice as he reached to pick Newkirk up. "Are you hurt? Where were you?"

"What?" His voice hoarse, Newkirk looked from one to the other. "Where am I?" Hogan and Olson got him up. "Ow..."

"Is Corporal Newkirk injured?" Langenscheidt hovered anxiously, looking over his shoulder to see if Schultz was coming yet. "Take him inside before someone sees!" Hogan wasn't certain if the guard was more worried about them or himself getting into trouble.

Olson pushed Langenscheidt out of the way gently. "We will, come on, Newkirk." He nearly had to carry the man to get him inside. "LeBeau, get a blanket on the stove to warm up. He's half frozen." The Frenchman was already putting broth on the stove.

Depositing Newkirk into Carter's bunk, Olson began gathering blankets from other bunks. "Come on guys." One of the men unwrapped his blanket from around himself and put it on top of the Englishman. "Thanks Williams."

LeBeau came to gently slap at Newkirk's face. "Stay awake, mon ami. Why are you going outside into the snow? It's too cold to do these things!" He dropped into French as Newkirk's eyes closed anyway. He slapped him harder to bring him back around. Olson returned and sat on the bunk to haul the Englishman upright and prop him against his own chest. "Keep him awake, I will get a cup of broth."

Carter brought over a warmed blanket and draped it over his friend before settling on his other side and wrapping an arm around him. "Come on, Newkirk, you have to warm up. I mean, roll call is soon, you wouldn't want to miss that." He looked over at Olson. "I knew we should have tied him to the bunk."

"No t-t-tying me up..." Newkirk's head drooped back down almost as soon as he raised it to try to glare at Carter. He couldn't keep his eyes open. When Carter jostled him roughly, he got his eyes half open.

A cup of broth pressed against his lips and he swallowed more by reflex than desire. LeBeau spoke softly in French, trying to encourage more drinking. When Hogan came to check on them, LeBeau turned to him urgently. "Mon Colonel, we need Wilson. Pierre is much too cold. How long was he outside?" When Newkirk's hand closed over his to draw the cup back to him, he apologized and went back to feeding him slowly. "Not too fast. Just a little sip."

"Is good... sehr gut, mein freund..." Newkirk abruptly fell asleep and bubbled into the soup before LeBeau could get it away from him. Olson shook him awake again. The Brit opened his eyes quickly. "Sehr gut..."

LeBeau put one hand on his jaw to get him to focus. "You don't have to speak German, it's us. Look."

"Soup." Newkirk blinked at LeBeau before smiling. "'ey little mate..."

"Hi. Drink a little." With a great deal of patient encouragement from LeBeau and a lot of repeated shaking by Olson and worried fussing from Carter, Newkirk slowly warmed up and got more alert. Even their guard was wringing his hands in worry.

Wilson arrived with the taciturn guard Mueller in tow behind him. While the medic began to fuss over everyone moving Newkirk around after he fell off of a roof, Mueller tilted his head just enough to look at the shivering prisoner, grunted and left again.

Wilson spoke quietly to reassure everyone. "He'll be just fine. Who knows how he managed to fall off the roof and not break anything. He's just cold, there's no signs of frostbite and he's practically alert already." Wilson sighed as Newkirk took that exact moment to close his eyes and let his head tilt forward again. "Oh for Criminy's sake... Newkirk!" The face came back up and sleepy eyes focused on him again. "See? He'll be okay."

"We're just worried, he was outside on the roof in the snow!" Carter tightened his arm around Newkirk protectively. "He could have frozen to death out there."

Newkirk himself snorted loudly and twisted to look at Carter with bemusement. "You just wanna tie me to the bunk."

"Well, if I had, maybe you wouldn't have gone on the roof!" Carter frowned, still not willing to back off on the idea.

Everyone's heads lifted at the sounds of roll call beginning outside in the compound. Langenscheidt inhaled and then looked at Hogan. "Roll call, Colonel Hogan."

"Carter, stay with Newkirk. Langenscheidt you can count them inside the barracks. Everyone else outside for roll call." Hogan's glance around the room sent everyone scrambling to dress and get outside.

Newkirk took notice and tried to stand up. "I can..." He tried a second time to get up. "I really can make it..."

Carter tugged him back and pulled the blankets back over him. "No, look, you're still freezing." He exchanged a look with Hogan before bending to speak quietly to Newkirk. "Besides, I don't want to go out in the cold, so if you stay inside, then I can too, okay buddy?"

"Yeah." Giving up on his attempts to get out of the bunk, Newkirk hitched himself around and propped his back on the bunk's post. "Only so you can stay inside too though. Not that I can't go stand for roll call."

"Of course not." LeBeau was wrapping his scarf around his neck, ready to go outside himself. "Just rest, I promise I'll make porridge this morning."

Newkirk perked up almost as much as Carter. Hogan smiled at the near identical hopeful expressions. The Colonel paused before he went out. "I'm going to talk to Klink after roll call. Then we're going to talk about how to keep you inside." Hogan sauntered out, putting on his usual show of insolent carelessness. As everyone lined up and began the morning ritual of harassing the guards attempting to both count heads and invoke a minimum of order on the prisoners, Hogan watched over it with an indulgent eye. Barracks Two was no exception although they chided Langenscheidt with a bit more humor than malice. Some guards were not as lucky and were already resorting to shouting at their charges.

Schultz came over at a speedy waddle to question Hogan. "Was is los? Where is Newkirk? And Carter?"

Hogan rocked back and forth on his heels looking unconcerned. "Hmm? Who?"

Schultz got a look of remonstrance. "Colonel Hogan. Newkirk and Carter are missing." He shook a finger at him then at Langenscheidt. "You know the count has to be correct."

Langenscheidt blanched. "They are inside. I counted them inside." He lowered his voice. "The Englander was on the roof, herr Sergeant."

Schultz leaned back as he considered that. After a few seconds, he leaned over to the side to ask Hogan in a near-whisper. "Why was the Englander on the roof?"

Hogan looked right, then left, then leaned in close. "Do you really want to know why Newkirk was on the roof this morning, Schultz?"

Schultz considered that for another few seconds before he straightened up. "No." He toddled off, shouting for all the barracks' guards to finish the counts.

Langenscheidt suddenly looked uncertain. "But Colonel Hogan, Newkirk was sleepwalking, ja?"

Hogan nodded at him. "Yes."

"But why do you tell Sergeant Schultz it was something else?" Langenscheidt puzzled over the American's behavior.

Hogan smiled at the corporal. "Did I?" He leaned closer. "How odd. By the way, Klink seems to want to hear a report."

Whirling around, Langenscheidt saluted quickly. "All present and accounted for, herr Komamandant!"

Klink glared at them both but turned to pay attention to the other reports. Looking annoyed at everything, he snapped off a quick salute to release his guards. "Disssssmissed!" He turned to head inside out of the cold only to hear a familiar and annoying voice call to him across the compound.

Hogan was already striding towards him. "Sorry, Kommandant, but I need to speak to you, most urgent matter, I know you'd want to take care of it right away, being the most efficient and capable German officer that you are..."

Klink finally broke into the American's rambling. "Yes yes, fine. Come into the office." He spun on his heel and went in past Hilda's empty desk and into his own office. Without waiting for Hogan, he settled behind his desk, already shuffling papers about to look busy. "What is it this morning, Hogan? Generally you wait until at least after breakfast to begin bothering me."

Hogan removed his crush cap and grasped it in both hands, standing in front of the desk and smiling a bit vacantly. "Yes sir, but I knew that you'd want to know about last night's incident, well, and this morning I guess too. Yes, definitely."

Not having had time to hear any of the overnight reports, Klink narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What incidents?"

Hogan looked surprised. "Oh? I thought the guards reported... I mean, I shouldn't have said anything, no no, I'll just go..." He hurried towards the door, making it to grab the doorknob before Klink stopped him.

"Wait right there! Hogan! Something happened last night and you will tell me what it was! You tell me or it's the cooler for you!" He came out of his chair and came to point at Hogan threateningly. "Tell me!"

Hogan looked at the floor and turned his hat around in his hands in a mockery of nervous indecision. "Well, it's just that I know that the guards know better but you know how they sometimes don't always act the way you'd want them to, no reflection on your leadership of course, no one man can keep them in line twenty-four hours a day! And if they make a few slip ups, why, I'm sure that it won't come back on you at all!" Hogan nodded and tried to smile.

Klink's face had gotten more confused and worried. "Hogan stop waffling and tell me what the guards did!"

Hogan took a deep breath. "Well, it's just that you did say how you understood about Newkirk's sleepwalking and how he can't help sleep walking but when he happened to step outside the barracks... you know, you really should get the story from the guards, not from me. I'm not even in your Army! I should just go... I'm sure that they'll tell you what they did... eventually." He reached for the door again.

Klink grabbed him by the arm now and pushed him towards the chair. "Sit down and you tell me right now!"

"I don't like to carry tales about the camp, Kommandant! You know, it's just not my place. Besides, I know you!" Hogan shook a finger knowingly. "You're an old school Prussian! You don't mind doing all the proper reports when one of your guards shoots a prisoner for no real reason! Sure, it's just Newkirk, and you already knew that he's got a little problem walking in his sleep suddenly, but if one of your guards ignores how harmless he is and shoots him the instant he steps out of the barracks... why you'd back that guard up and take the blame yourself!"

Hogan was watching Klink carefully as the kommandant grew more alarmed. "Besides, what could possibly happen? The Red Cross would get involved sure, but when they investigate, they'll just complain to General Burkhalter!"

Klink paled even further, raising a hand to his mouth in horror. "General Burkhalter?"

Hogan nodded with a smug smile. "But you're not intimidated at all by him! You're the Kommandant here, not him! And it's your guards! You're in charge and you rule everyone here with an iron fist! When Burkhalter sends you to the Russian Front, you'll finally be back in combat! Zooming down on the enemy in the snow and ice!" He beamed. "We'll sure miss you, Kommandant Klink!"

"Miss me? I'm not gone yet!" Klink paced in a small circle, his mind fixating on the possibility of being sent to the Russian Front. "This is terrible! I didn't want the guards to shoot Corporal Newkirk! They didn't, did they?" He paced again. "Of course they didn't, I would have been told immediately. So there's no problem at all, Hogan!"

Hogan nodded eagerly, agreeing. "That's right! But tonight, when Newkirk walks in his sleep, as he probably will, the odds might catch up with him. Then you'll finally get back into combat!" He sighed, staring off into the distance. "You'll be out in the life and death struggles of the war. I envy you, sir... I really do."

"Hogan!" Klink came to him, as Hogan knew he would. "The guards don't just shoot prisoners for nothing. And of course, you did say you would keep Corporal Newkirk in the barracks!" He pointed angrily. "I distinctly remember you promising you'd keep him inside!"

"Well, I tried. But he's so hard to corral, you know how he is." Hogan tapped his chin. "If only there was some way to make sure he doesn't get shot. I know that you want back into combat, but sir, we really need you here! Without your keen eagle mind to outwit the prisoners, my men will have hope that they can escape and then they might get hurt or killed. No, I'd feel much better with you here. You know how to run a prison camp." He tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. "If only there were some way to make sure the guards don't shoot poor helpless Newkirk. But how?" He sighed. "I think it's hopeless, sir."

Klink paced and then stopped. "I shall order the guards to not shoot. Hogan, it's simple." He stepped over. "I shall issue orders to the guards that if they find the Englander outside of the barracks, that they are to escort him back. No one needs to involve the Red Cross. No one needs to alert General Burkhalter. Everyone is happy. No one escapes. See?" He spread his hands with a superior air.

Hogan blinked with mock surprise. "Wow, Kommandant." He stood up humbly nodding at him. "It's no wonder you're in charge of the place." Smiling now, he moved to the door. "I sure feel better now. Thank you sir." He flipped a quick salute at the German officer.

"Of course, Hogan." Looking entirely benevolent, Klink returned the salute. "You can always leave these problems in my hands, Hogan. Dismissed."

Hogan left the kommandantur quickly, replacing his cap on his head and smiling smugly. Now all he had to do was to figure out how to lock in a thief who had made a study of getting into and out of locked places. He sighed. Piece of cake.

End Chapter

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