Apologies for the late update. No real excuse other than work being so busy that I plain forgot! I hope that you enjoy this chapter. Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed and to all the folks who helped me!

Chapter 6

Newkirk sat on his bunk looking miserable. "I'm sorry, guv'ner. I really am."

"It's not your fault, mon ami." LeBeau reached up to pat his friend on the knee. "You wouldn't walk in your sleep if you could help it."

"LeBeau is right." Hogan was sipping coffee as he paced. "But we are going to have to find a way to keep you inside. Some of the pressure might be off with Klink telling the guards not to shoot you automatically, but I'd rather not rely on twitchy German guards remembering their new orders."

Olson still found most of the situation amusing. "That's for certain. They have trouble remembering basic instructions already. I wouldn't want the odds that they'll remember to identify Newkirk and not shoot versus their long-standing orders to shoot any prisoner found out of the barracks after lights out."

Boosting himself up onto Newkirk's bunk beside him, Carter shifted himself around until he was comfortable. "I still say tying him up is a good idea. Whether you like it or not, it's safer, buddy." He reached out and patted his friend gently. "I'm really just thinking about you being safe."

Newkirk gave him a half-smile and reached back, putting one hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Get off my bunk, you wanker."

As Carter climbed back down and LeBeau got done chuckling, Hogan snorted to himself. "Okay, this morning was my mistake. I didn't consider my own window. If we secure it the same way, then we should have all the exits of the barracks covered. But just in case, we're going to indulge Carter a little bit." Ignoring Newkirk's protests, he continued. "Newkirk sleeps in Carter's bunk. We'll put you on a leash." He smiled up at the disgusted looking man. "You'll still be able to move around a bit, but if you go too far, you'll wake up Olson since we're going to tie the other end of your leash to him." That named worthy suddenly looked up, the amusement gone from his face. "If you wake up Olson, trying to wander too far, Olson can put you back in bed or wake you up."

Olson sighed. "Yes sir. But I want extra pay. This is a highly distasteful duty. I never signed on to be tied to a Brit!"

The Brit in question snapped back at him irritably. "Oi! We're Allies, remember? And I'm no 'appier about this than you are."

"Well, I'm not the one who suddenly decided to start wandering the camp at night." Olson grumpily waved a hand at LeBeau. "Isn't he a better person to use? He's the one sleeping on the tunnel bunk and that's kind of close by and they're pals too."

LeBeau objected. "I don't want to be tied to him either."

"Thanks Louis." Newkirk's sarcasm was clear. "It gladdens a bloke's 'eart to find out none of 'is mates wants to be leashed with 'im."

Anyone could have predicted Carter's words. "I wouldn't mind."

Hogan sighed. "Carter, you are really beginning to worry me."

Newkirk was shaking his head as he stared at Carter. "Worry you? 'ow about worrying me?"

"I just want to help!" Carter protested.

Hogan shook his head. "Okay, whoever ends up being our volunteer, if he wanders, he'll wake them up. We boobytrap all the windows, block the door and LeBeau sleeps on the tunnel bunk. Does that cover everything?"

All eyes turned to Newkirk who heaved a sigh. "I keep saying, I don't know."

Hogan nodded. "We'll find out tonight. I think we'll have you contained now. Even the best magician only has so many tricks up his sleeve."

Carter looked doubtful. "Sir, I don't think you've checked Newkirk's sleeves lately..."

Hogan was awakened that night out of his sound sleep by a slight scuffing noise. He stayed very still, waiting to identify the noise before he revealed that he was awake. Almost as soon as he was fully awake, he realized what it probably was, but until he saw the lean form shuffling around his room, he didn't move.

Finally having verified it was Newkirk, again, Hogan sat up where he had been sleeping on the upper bunk. "Newkirk." whispered Hogan. "Corporal Newkirk." He realized he had an opportunity to try to find out what the man was doing in his dreams. "Newkirk, what are you doing?"

The figure in the shadows paused and then mumbled before moving to the window and lightly touching the latch. Hogan could actually see his hand outlined in faint light from the searchlights outside as it moved to the string with the rattley cans. There was no rattle, no clinks or sounds as Newkirk gently explored the booby trap before he began unhooking the string.

Hogan slipped off the bunk, having no intention of allowing his corporal to get out of the barracks. "Newkirk..." whispered Hogan urgently. "Newkirk, where are you going?" He paused and then in a fit of inspiration, changed tactics. "Peter, what are you looking for?"

"Can't find..." mumbled Newkirk softly as he continued to try to dismantle the noise maker. The string finally came undone.

Hogan started forward to keep the window closed but the string of cans hit the floor and rattled loudly. He had to grab Newkirk when he jumped and nearly ran facefirst into the wall. "Easy easy..." His grip just managed to stop the man in time. "Wake up! It's okay, shhh..."

Newkirk started to yell and Hogan clamped a hand over his mouth. "Mmmph?" He pulled away finally. "Colonel Hogan?"

"Yes. You were sleep walking. Go back to bed." Hogan followed the confused Brit back to Carter's bunk where he flopped back into the blankets. "Weren't you supposed to have a leash?"

Now yawning widely, Newkirk reached to the floor and fumbled a moment before coming up with the end of a piece of line. "Yes'sir."

Hogan took it with a sigh. "Seems like people don't know how to tie a good knot." He tapped an arm which Newkirk obligingly lifted for Hogan to tie the heavy twine onto. Once Hogan was done, he gave a light tug. "There. You shouldn't be able to untie a bowline in your sleep too easily." He lifted the line to see that it still went to another sleeper and found it disappeared into LeBeau's covers. "Go to sleep. Whatever you're looking for, we'll help you find it in the morning."

"Whaa?" replied a puzzled Newkirk. "I just want to sleep."

"Okay. Stay inside." Hogan gave him a last pat before he headed back to his own room. He was almost comfortable in his blankets before he sighed and climbed back down to replace the booby trap on his window. He even took a few extra moments to tie the string into place firmly. Newkirk wasn't getting out of the barracks again.

Back under his blankets, he shivered and wondered briefly what Newkirk could have been searching for in his dreams. It had to be fairly important if it was making him walk around in his sleep. He sighed deeply as he became sleepy. Knowing the man as he did, it was probably a pretty fraulien.

End Chapter

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