A/N: Not as bad a wait as last time, but I still apologize. Time just moves faster as you get older! Anyway, I finally churned this out and have a very good plan for the next chapter! Very exciting! It's also why this one is a little shorter- it's the best stopping point for the upcoming beat. Thank you all for your patience and dedication- I know I haven't been the easiest author as of late. It's been... well, it's simply been.

I hope you enjoy this next installment!

The two leaders eyed each other across the small distance. Kirk pulled up a chair and sat down, never taking his eyes off Hogan. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

"I'm sure one of the things preying on your mind is what we're doing here," he began, critically analyzing the colonel's reaction.

"I've thought about it once or twice."

Kirk paused for the briefest moment before driving forward. The web-spinning began.

"Commander Grayson and I are a part of a top-secret rescue mission. We discovered that one of the men we served with on the… USS Enterprise had been captured by the Germans. The last report put him somewhere in this area. We had almost caught up to him when we were mistaken for escapees and transported here." Kirk leaned forward some more.

"Now, if it hadn't been for your little stunt framing me for the cooler, Grayson and I would be back out searching for him already. You may have impeded a mission for our country."

He got a raised eyebrow in response. "I take it nobody talks to each other anymore?"

Kirk glanced at Spock, furrowing his brow. He was not prepared for that response. More than likely it went back to the mysterious set up here. Kirk phrased his next words carefully. "You have your secrets, I know. I would love for this to be the time we both lay all our cards on the table."

Hogan finally took his foot off the bench and sat down, mimicking Kirk's posture. "How about you give me a day to confirm your story and then I'll see about helping you find your friend? That would mean my cards would be on the table during that procedure. Sound fair?"

There was a slight deliberation. "Fair enough," Kirk conceded. It wasn't the answer he wanted but at least it was the promise of an answer.

"Good. No escaping tonight and we'll talk again tomorrow." Hogan stood up. "What's the name of your missing man?"

"Dr. Leonard H. McCoy," Kirk replied. "He's a Lieutenant-Commander."

Hogan nodded. "I'll see if anyone new brought in has heard of him. In the meantime, gentlemen?" He gestured the door. Kirk and Spock uneasily drifted towards it.

"The mess hall is delicious this time of day," Hogan bade them farewell.

Kirk tried not to sigh stubbornly once they were outside. They were so close to finding out what was going on here, which he knew was the key to getting out (or lack thereof). So close! One more day.

As soon as the two mysterious visitors left the barracks erupted in motion. "Kinch, get that info to London- three men, formerly stationed on the USS Enterprise, names, rank and any possible rescue mission concerning this Dr. McCoy. LeBeau, get some soup ready for our downstairs guest- I want to see what progress Carter and Wilson have made with him. Newkirk, with me."

The men scurried off to do as ordered, which meant three disappearing into the tunnel while the fourth quickly heated up some food for the soul. Kinch broke off towards the radio while Hogan and Newkirk continued on to the little cot holding the third part of this crazy day. Wilson was putting away his stethoscope while Carter hovered overhead.

"How's he doing?" Hogan asked immediately.

"Better, from what I can tell. His heart rate is finally down. You can see that most of the discoloration has cleared, though he is still very pale and exhausted. I still don't have any idea what messed him like this, though." Wilson rose from his crouch by the cot.

"Has he awakened at all?"

The medic shook his head. "Out like a light, although Carter and I were being quiet so as not to purposefully disturb. I don't know what he's been through, Colonel."

"Think he'll make sense when he does wake, Colonel?" Newkirk murmured.

Hogan exhaled. "We'll find out." He knelt down and gently shook the man's shoulder.

"Hey there, soldier, time to wake up. The war's still on, you know."

It took a few more prods and shakes before the man stirred and blinked open his eyes. They were still terribly bloodshot, but after a few confused blinks seemed to focus for the first time. Hogan leaned back on his heels as the man turned his head towards him, absorbing his appearance. The blue eyes flicked rapidly towards the other members of the small group. Confusion crept over his face.

"Do you know where you are?" Hogan asked.

"No," the man answered. His voice was a little gruff, but otherwise clear. "I don't think I want to know."

"Why not?"

The man closed his eyes. "Because the only possible answer would conclusively prove that I'm either unconscious or demented."

"Mate, this first time you don't seem demented," Newkirk stated frankly.

Those blue eyes snapped up to him seriously, then faded into concerned doubt. "Uniforms," he mumbled. He glanced back at Hogan. "And American- looks around… 1942?"

"'43," Hogan replied. He flashed a grin. "Getting to be spring, now."

"I am unconscious, or demented." The man dropped his head back on the pillow.

"Not anymore." Hogan clapped his shoulder, startling him. "I'm Colonel Hogan. These are some of my men, Newkirk, Carter, and Wilson's been the medic taking care of you."

"Medic, huh?" He scrutinized Wilson for a moment. "Well, thank you, but your services won't be needed anymore. I'm a doctor- I can figure out my own health now."

Hogan looked at him curiously. The man caught his stare and sat up, a little defensive. "I am Leonard McCoy- senior medical officer of the USS Enterprise."

Now Hogan stiffened and glanced at Newkirk, who had realized the same thing. The little outburst had taken what little energy McCoy had out of him and he sank back onto the pillow.

"Carter, make sure LeBeau hurries up with that soup."

Catching the urgent tone in his commanding officer's voice, Carter ran for the ladder without question. Hogan prodded McCoy again, trying to stave off the call of sleep.

"Hey, don't fade out just yet. Soup's on the way. Did you say the Enterprise?"

McCoy's eyes stayed close but he raised a hand and pointed in Hogan's general direction. "Yeah. You said it."

"Earlier you mentioned you were running from people on a ship- is that ship the Enterprise?"

The doctor's brow furrowed. "I don't remember…" He cracked open his eyes again. "Running?"

"Yes, from the ship," Hogan repeated impatiently. There was a commotion and Carter and LeBeau hurried into the tunnel. LeBeau carried a hot bowl and Wilson tried to get McCoy to sit up.

" 'm not hungry, jus' tired," McCoy protested, but he leaned like a ragdoll propped up against the side of the tunnel. Hogan waited until he had taken a bite of the soup before repeating his question.

McCoy tried to consider it again as he chewed. "I'm not sure," he confessed at last. "There's not much I remember… mostly fear… some kind of terrible fear. It was everywhere. Had to run, had to get away… from what I'm not sure anymore. I think-" He suddenly broke off and chuckled.

"What is it?" Hogan pressed.

"Sorry," McCoy snickered. "For a moment there I forgot I was speaking to a hallucination." He gave the colonel a watery smile and returned to his soup.

Hogan stood up abruptly, frustrated that the tantalizing progress had been cut off so sharply. Delirium, even mild, was a pain. "Make sure he eats all that soup, Wilson," he instructed. He left the tunnel for the radio room, trailed by the others.

Newkirk spoke first. "Well, he seems to corroborate their story, Colonel."

"What story?" Carter asked.

"Kirk and Grayson are looking for him," he replied.

"Oh, that's Leonard McCoy?" LeBeau whispered.

"Yep."

Hogan interrupted. "What we need to figure out is what this means for everyone. McCoy initially said he was running from people from the ship. Does he mean them? And if so, why? I want to figure out who the enemy is here, if anyone." He turned to Kinch as the man pulled off his headphones. "Anything?"

"London's going to go through the naval files to find the records of the three names on the Enterprise, and they'll get back to us tonight. But they did tell me one interesting thing now." He shifted in his seat. "Colonel, the Enterprise is stationed out in the Pacific. Has been since Pearl Harbor. How did two men wind up all the way out here?"

"Three." Hogan jerked his head towards the tunnel. "We found their missing McCoy. He said the same thing, that he was senior medical officer of the Enterprise. At least all of them are consistent."

Kinch nodded. "I'll radio back to confirm that position."

"Good." Hogan paced away from the radio, lost in thought. "If McCoy defected or deserted, then it would explain, somewhat, why Kirk and Grayson are after him. On the other hand, if he's a valuable prisoner he could be running from two defectors. Or the Axis could have gotten hold of him, and Kirk and Grayson really are on a rescue mission, in which case McCoy is running from the Gestapo, or, perhaps, the German ship that brought him here, if the 'ship' mention holds any water." He pinched his brow. "For a lot of willing talk, there are surprisingly few straight answers."

Carter piped up. "Dr. McCoy's still a little out of it, Colonel, that could just be it."

"It could," Hogan agreed. "But evasiveness of our dynamic duo still rubs me wrong. For a 'cards on the table' talk they revealed surprisingly little. How did McCoy get captured? How did they wind up in the other hemisphere from where they were stationed? Why, for a top-secret rescue mission, weren't we contacted? That one worries me most, even over how they both don't know about us here."

"Red tape?" Newkirk suggested.

Hogan shook his head. "I wish. But when are things that simple?" He slapped his hand on a beam once. "Kinch, let me know as soon as London confirms or denies the status of their posting on the Enterprise- from that I'll talk with them again. In the meantime, the rules still stand- don't mention the operation yet. I want to actually know more about them before we reveal ourselves."

He started towards the ladder but was slowed down by Carter as he reached it. "Colonel, um, what if we mentioned Kirk and Grayson to McCoy? If he knows those names it might help us."

Hogan opened his mouth when Wilson stepped towards them, holding an empty bowl and shaking his head. "He's just fallen asleep again. I'd wait until he at least wakes up on his own before asking him that. His mental acumen has definitely improved, but he still believes that we're all a mass hallucination. Let him sleep a little more, and then he should be able to give you the clear responses you want."

The colonel dragged a hand across his brow. "Noted, Wilson. Did he tell you anything?"

Wilson shrugged. "Yes and no. I asked him about his clothes but he just seemed confused. It was like he couldn't figure out why I was asking him about that. From what I can figure they strike him as normal, but he also doesn't believe that I exist, so I take everything with a grain of salt."

"Well, at least he's improving. Maybe he'll wake up before I have to talk with Kirk tomorrow." Hogan sighed. He hated waiting for information to come in. Sure, they had a lot more than they started with, but it only seemed to raise even more questions. So. London, McCoy. Tonight. It would have to be enough.

Deep in the woods on patrol, Private Meyer strolled with Heidi as she sniffed through the brush. They were out further from the camp today, almost near the outskirts of Hammelburg, since Kommandant Klink hoped that lost saboteurs from the from that factory job would still be stranded in the woods.

Meyer huffed. If they hadn't found anyone by now, they weren't going to. What was that dummkopf thinking?

Heidi paused and whined, pawing at the ground. Meyer stooped down to see what had gotten her attention. He thought it was nothing, just a squirrel in a bush again, but she was insistent. Peering close, he spotted something shiny. Picking it up, he turned it over. It appeared to be a little black box with some kind of button on one side. He'd certainly never seen anything like it.

Meyer pocketed the device, suddenly very excited to get back to camp. Wait until he showed the commandant this.