"What is it, Colonel Hogan, I am very busy," Klink sighed in response to Hilda announcing the American colonel's presence.
Hogan took note of the schnapps on the kommandant's desk. "Sorry, sir, I couldn't tell."
Klink looked up from his paperwork and glared at Hogan. "If you have come to complain about the food-"
"No, I'm saving that for another time." Hogan made himself at home in Klink's office, sitting across from the German colonel and reaching for his box of cigars. "Today I was just hoping you'd sign something," he added, his tone casual.
Klink raised the brow above his eye that did not have a monocle, taking the box away from Hogan. "Oh, you were 'just hoping' I'd sign something, were you? How innocent. What kind of trap is this, Hogan?"
Hogan widened his eyes, feigning hurt. "You think I'd set a trap for you, sir?" He placed a hand on his chest at his heart. "My beloved Colonel Klink? I can't believe you!" He sniffled once for added effect. "I simply wanted an autograph, and-"
Klink cut him off, as Hogan knew he would. "An autograph?" Already Hogan could hear Klink's ego inflating like a basketball being pumped. "Why didn't you say so? What did you want me to autograph?"
Hogan handed him a folded-up piece of paper. "I've been collecting inspirational figures' autographs as a souvenir from Germany when I get back home from the war. Could you sign here?" He indicated a line at the bottom of the page.
Klink smiled his "I'm-admired-for-my-greatness" smile and grabbed his pen, signing on the line. "Of course, of course, Hogan. You know, I never realized that you considered me to be an inspirational figure of Germany."
Hogan wove as much sentiment as he could into his words. "You're the person I'll remember most when I get back to the States, sir." Now just hand over the damn thing without reading it!
Klink finished signing and, thankfully, was taken by Hogan's ego-boosting talk enough that he didn't inspect the rest of the paper. "Here you go, Hogan," he said, smiling with self-satisfaction like he'd just given the American a wonderful gift.
Hogan feigned excitement, though it wasn't hard for him to genuinely smile because now he had the signature as the proof Schultz needed to get Anna's parents out of prison. "Thanks, sir! I'm going to show this to my family. I'll tell them, 'This is the signature of Old Blood and Guts, the Iron Kommandant. If only there were more men like him, Germany might not have lost the war!'"
Klink smiled until he heard the last part. "Hogan…"
"Yes, sir?" Hogan asked cheerfully.
"Diiis-missed!"
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(^^So I found a new scene-spacer thingy lol)
"I guess I'm going to have to say goodbye soon," Newkirk sighed to baby Anna. She looked up at him with wide eyes as if she knew what he was saying, and gave a little whimper. "I know, love. I don't want you to go, either."
Hogan entered the barracks as Newkirk was giving Anna her bottle. The baby was so happy in his arms…
"Newkirk," he said softly, tapping on his friend's shoulder. "It's time to go."
Naturally, Hogan wasn't planning on sending Schultz to the Gestapo prison alone. He, Newkirk, and LeBeau would trail Schultz in Gestapo uniforms in case something went wrong. Not only did they have Konrad's and Liesel's safety to think of, they had Anna's as well. "You ready?" he asked after a moment's silence.
Newkirk shrugged sadly. "Ready as I'll ever be." He stood up slowly from his bunk and handed the child to Kinch while he went to change into his disguise. Automatically, she began crying.
"Don't cry, sweetheart," Kinch told her, trying to soothe her like Newkirk did. But only the Englishman seemed to be able to get her to calm down and be happy. "You're going to get to see your family soon."
Newkirk came out from Hogan's separate room, where he has changed into his Gestapo outfit. Disguising was frequent amongst the prisoners; sometimes Newkirk even had to dress up as an old lady. There was one occasion when he, Hogan, and LeBeau all dressed up as women, but fortunately that was only required once.
"Here she is," Kinch told him, smiling sadly at Anna as he handed her back to Newkirk. "Boy, I'm going to miss her. Having a baby around almost makes the place feel homey."
Newkirk took the bundle and nodded, swallowing down the saltwater burning behind his eyes. "Let's go to your family, love. Say goodbye to Uncle Kinch and Uncle Carter." His voice was oddly thick as he let the other men crowd around him to say goodbye to Anna. Carter looked up at him sympathetically.
"It's going to be hard, isn't it? I know the feeling. Once when I was little, I found a turtle in my backyard and I wanted sooo bad to keep it, but my mother said it had to go back to the pond, and-"
"Carter."
The young sergeant blinked. "Yes, Newkirk?"
"Another time."