Newkirk opened his eyes and lay quietly, blinking as he looked around the room. He had the vague sense that time had passed, and couldn't figure out what day it was. A noise to the right startled him, and he craned his head to see what had caused it.

"Hello, Peter," said a voice. Dr. Siegfried walked over and sat in the chair beside the bed. "How are you feeling?"

This time, Newkirk understood the question. "Fuzzy," he said.

Siegfried nodded, leaning over to listen to his heart. "Not surprising. You had a rough time."

Newkirk frowned. Bits and pieces of different scenes played in his mind, and he tried to make sense of it all. "I did? 'ow long 'ave I been 'ere?"

"This is the third day."

"Three days!"

"You will be leaving in an hour or two," Siegfried said. "How does your head feel?"

Newkirk blinked. "It 'urts."

The doctor frowned. "How badly?"

Newkirk started to remember. "Not near as bad as it did. Blimey, that was me worst one yet!"

Siegfried patted his shoulder as he went to get some aspirin. "It will soon be gone, do not vorry." He came back and set them on the table, before reaching down to help his patient sit up.

Newkirk tried to do it under his own power, but felt unexpectedly weak. Guess that's what 'appens after lyin' in a bed an' not movin' for three days, he thought. He suddenly noticed that something was sitting on his face, and realized that it was an oxygen mask. He reached up and took it off, finding that he was taking shorter breaths than he should be. "What's this for?" he asked, nervously.

Siegfried explained it to him, as Newkirk swallowed the aspirin.

"Blimey," he said, again.

Siegfried wondered if Newkirk remembered what had happened with Hochstetter, but rather than ask, he called for the nurse, to get the patient something to eat.

Newkirk found that he wasn't really hungry…his stomach didn't quite feel right, so he mostly picked at the porridge that she brought.

"You must eat," said the doctor. "You need to regain your strength."

Instead, Newkirk frowned, as if he was thinking. He suddenly dropped the spoon and looked up. "Did I succeed? Is the Colonel safe?"

Siegfried nodded. "Yes, you found him before those imposters could capture him."

Newkirk suddenly remembered the walk back to the hospital—with Hogan beside him—and sighed with relief. He suddenly saw a flash in his head of a familiar man in an SS uniform, but before he could say anything, the door opened.

"Newkirk!" Schultz spoke before Hogan even had a chance. "Oh, it is so good to see you awake!"

The Englishman smiled. "Hiya, Schultzie. It's good to be awake…seems like I missed a lot."

You were there, but too loopy to know what was going on, Hogan thought. "We'll fill you in later. How do you feel?"

Newkirk shrugged. "I don't rightly know…I guess the right word would be 'drained'. At least me 'ead doesn't 'urt near as much as it did."

Hogan smiled. "That's a relief." He looked at the doctor. "How long before he's ready to go?"

"As soon as he finishes that porridge."

"Aw, Doc," Newkirk said. "I really don't want it. It's nowhere near as good as ol' Louis makes it." He looked at Hogan. "Don't tell 'im I said that."

Hogan smiled again. "Your secret's safe with me."

Siegfried gave in once he heard that LeBeau was making Newkirk's favorite soup back at camp, and ten minutes later, the Englishman was dressed and free of the IV. The doctor and Hogan helped him slowly stand up, aware that he'd likely be dizzy upon standing, after being bedridden for three days.

Newkirk blinked furiously. "Ya weren't wrong about that, Doc."

"Just take it easy for a few days," Siegfried said. "Colonel Hogan vill tell you everything you need to know."

Hogan knew exactly what he meant.

Newkirk frowned. "Tell me what?"

Schultz laughed. "You were very—what was the word you used, Colonel? Ah! 'Loopy'! You were very loopy, Newkirk, some of the things you said were so funny!"

Newkirk sensed that his 'loopiness' wasn't what the doctor meant.

"Thanks for everything," Hogan said, shaking Siegfried's hand.

"Anytime," Siegfried said. He handed Newkirk a bottle of aspirin.

Newkirk smiled and put it in his pocket. "Thanks, Doc."

Siegfried patted his shoulder, and watched as they left the room.

It felt weird to be walking after being in bed for three days, Newkirk noticed, but he was extremely glad to be leaving.

Hogan was just as glad. Suddenly Newkirk stumbled, and Hogan grabbed his arm. "Whoa, easy there."

"Almost tripped over the tree," Newkirk said.

Hogan looked behind himself at the empty air, before staring at Newkirk in shock.

Newkirk smiled, and Hogan realized that he'd been joking.

The day was bright and sunny, and it was like a balm to Newkirk's mind. He took a deep breath of the fresh air as they walked down the steps, to the stalag's truck.

"I seem to remember the Colonel mentionin' stoppin' at a pub on the way back," Newkirk said, after he climbed in.

Schultz chuckled. "That is all I need…Mr. Big Shot hears about it and I get sent to the Russian Front!"

"We would never allow that, Schultz," Hogan told him. His firm tone showed that he was serious, and Schultz fully believed him.

They'd driven for six or seven miles, when suddenly, two men jumped out into the road ahead of them, pointing guns.

"Was ist los!" Schultz exclaimed, jamming on the brakes.

Hogan automatically grabbed Newkirk's arm, looking at him and then back to the men in the road. "Is that them, Newkirk?"

The Englishman squinted, trying to remember. He'd been out-of-it when the men had come into his hospital room, and didn't really get a good look at their faces. "It must be," he said, as the men came closer and motioned everyone out of the car.

"What is the meaning of this!" Schultz exclaimed.

"It is time to rid the Fatherland of Papa Bear!" one of the men answered, in German.

Newkirk and Hogan looked at each other.

Both men walked over to the prisoners, and one of them pushed Hogan away, from where he'd moved in front of Newkirk.

"You know exactly what I just said," the man said in German, before cocking the gun and shoving it under Newkirk's chin. "Nice to meet you, Papa Bear. I'm James. Or at least, that's what the Underground thinks."

Newkirk said nothing, ignoring the cold metal pressed against his skin. To someone who didn't know him, he appeared nonchalant, but Hogan knew that the Englishman was thinking, 'Come up with a plan quick, Colonel!'

Hogan's mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this…he opened his mouth to tell the men that Newkirk wasn't Papa Bear, but realized that if he did, he'd be proving the men right that he and Newkirk understood German. "Hey!" he said instead. "What do you think you're doing?"

Schultz couldn't believe what he was seeing. He pulled out his own gun, which the two men hadn't taken, assuming him to be loyal to them. "Put the guns down, right now!" he exclaimed.

Both men looked at Schultz in shock. "Put down your gun, Sergeant! These men are the enemy!"

"No!" Schultz exclaimed. "They are Prisoners of War at Stalag Thirteen, and are under my protection!"

In a flash, James suddenly shifted behind the Englishman and grabbed him in a chokehold. "This is going to end one of two ways!" he answered. "Either these two men come with us, or this one ends up dead!"

Hogan stared at Newkirk, who looked like he couldn't take much abuse. He'd become paler, and looked very tired. Hogan could only pray that the Englishman wouldn't suffer a relapse after this.

Suddenly, Hogan noticed that the other man had his gun trained on Schultz, not him. James also was looking at the Stalag guard, having said something else that Hogan hadn't noticed while his mind plotted. There was only one thing to do. He caught Newkirk's eye, and sent him a look that he knew he'd be able to interpret, before he suddenly lunged at the other man, grabbing him by the shoulders and spinning him around.

The gun went flying.

At the same time, Newkirk elbowed James in the stomach, which made the German's grip around his neck weaken. He tried to grab the gun, but James was ready for that, and latched onto it with both hands.

Hogan punched the other man, who fell on the ground and lay, unmoving. Hogan turned to Newkirk, to see him and James struggling for the gun. Before he had a chance to take a step, a sudden gunshot sounded behind him and he whirled, in time to see the now sitting-up German fall over again…dead this time.

In shock, Hogan saw that the dead man had found his gun, and had attempted to shoot him in the back. Looking at Schultz, Hogan realized that he'd shot the man, and saved his life.

Meanwhile, James and Newkirk had exchanged blows…James mostly, since Newkirk wasn't at full strength and was concentrating on keeping his hold on the gun. He tried to wrench it out of James' grasp, and they both ended up on their knees.

James threw his body against Newkirk, knocking him onto his side. At that moment, the shot that Schultz fired echoed through the street, but neither man reacted, as they wrestled for the gun.

Suddenly, another shot split the air, and their struggle abruptly ended.

TBC

*Runs away from lynch mob.* Sorry for the rotten cliffhanger! LOL