Chapter 12-Something To Think About
When Hogan opened the door to his private quarters, he suddenly stopped and stared. Sitting on a chair at his desk was Sergeant Joe Wilson, his medical bag on his lap, his hands resting on top of it.
"Glad to see you, Joe," Hogan said shutting the door behind him. He began removing his leather jacket.
"I'm assuming you came to your senses and are going to let me examine you after all, Colonel?" Wilson asked with a slight smile.
Hogan stopped having only removed one arm from his jacket, and looked at the medic. "Not really." He removed his other arm from his jacket, and hung the jacket on the back of the chair on which the medic was sitting.
"I'm afraid I don't understand, sir," Wilson said. "Exactly why do you need to see me if not for an examination?"
Hogan hung his cap from a nail on the inside of his closet. "I need a few sleeping pills, Joe," Hogan explained sitting on the lower bunk facing the medic, hands dangling between his knees.
"Colonel, I'll be glad to give you a small amount of sleeping pills if it'll help you get a good night's sleep for several nights. And by small bottle I mean about maybe four pills." Wilson went rummaging around in his medical bag.
"Thanks. But they're not for my use."
Wilson paused and looked up at his commanding officer in confusion.
Newkirk, Kinch and Carter were all seated at the table in the common room eating breakfast while keeping an eye peeled on Hogan's closed door.
"Think the Colonel will allow Wilson to examine him this time?" LeBeau asked setting aside a plate for the Colonel.
"I hope so," Kinch replied taking a drink of coffee. "Last time he threw Wilson out before he could examine 'im. But this time he asked for Wilson to come to his quarters so he must've changed his mind."
"Might change it again, mate," Newkirk added taking a bite of crispy bacon.
"Well, we can all hold the Colonel down on his bunk until Wilson finishes his exam," Carter answered with a mouthful of food. He noticed the others chuckling. "What's so funny?" he asked looking at his friends.
"You, mon ami," LeBeau replied with an amused grin at his young friend while preparing a plate for Hogan and putting it aside. "You honestly believe the Colonel is going to allow us to hold him down on his bunk so Wilson can examine him?"
Carter shrugged his shoulders after a few seconds. "Well, it was a thought anyway."
"And a bad one at that," Newkirk commented. He took a drink of coffee. "Congratulations, Louie," he added.
"Congratulations for what?" asked a confused LeBeau.
"For finally cooking something I can eat," Newkirk teased as he walked over to the sink and deposited his dirty plate and utensils. He chuckled hearing LeBeau curse him out softly and Kinch and Carter chuckle as well. Turning and heading back to the table, Newkirk draped an arm around the Frenchman's shoulders. He noticed LeBeau's grouchy expression. "C'mon, Louie. I was only bustin' your chops is all. Can't you take a little good natured ribbing?"
"Not when it comes to my cooking." LeBeau replied crossing his arms and looking insulted. "A true Frenchman takes offense when someone criticizes the cuisine of France. Especially the English who have no taste for anything that isn't on cardboard."
"I'm afraid he's got you there," Kinch teased looking at Newkirk with a smirk.
"Oh, leave off. Both of you," the Englander replied looking offended as he removed his arm from around LeBeau's shoulders and sat back down at the table.
"Boy," Carter chimed in boyishly with a goofy grin. "Some people can dish it out but can't take it." LeBeau and Kinch smirked at the young Sergeant's remarks while Newkirk glared at his best friend.
"Carter, out of curiosity, just who's bleedin' side are you on?"
But before Carter replied, the door to Hogan's quarters opened and Wilson, followed by Hogan, emerged, both men's faces unreadable. Hogan poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Coffee, Joe?" Hogan asked holding up the pot glancing at the medic.
"No thanks, Colonel," Wilson answered looking at the others as Hogan sat down on the bench.
"We saved you some breakfast, mon Colonel," LeBeau explained placing the covered plate in front of Hogan.
"Thanks, LeBeau," Hogan replied hungrily uncovering the scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, potatoes, and two slices of toast. He picked up a fork and started to dig into his food.
Wilson looked at the others. "The Colonel is fine except for a lack of sleep. But one or two nights of uninterrupted sleep will cure that." Wilson's eyes suddenly narrowed in confusion. "Colonel, perhaps you'll satisfy my curiosity. I'm puzzled as to what have you been doing of late that you haven't been sleeping?"
Carter looked up at the medic with an eager expression. "Colonel Hogan's been romancing Frau Linkmeyer at night all week."
Hogan started coughing as if choking. LeBeau jumped to his feet and hit the Colonel repeated on the back several times until he waved the Frenchman away. The Colonel took a drink of coffee.
"Carter!" Newkirk hissed slapping his friend's cap over his eyes. "That's suppose to be confidential." He looked around hoping nobody else had heard, and was relieved that nobody else had seemed to have heard.
"I'm sorry," Carter replied pushing his cap back on his head. "Nobody told me."
"Excuse me," Wilson looked stunned. "But did you just say the Colonel's been romancing Frau Linkmeyer?" The medic stared at Hogan who exhaled and shook his head. "Did I hear Carter right, Colonel?"
Hogan glanced at Carter before turning towards Wilson. "It isn't like Carter makes it sound, Joe, trust me." Closing his eyes, Hogan pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's exactly what I told you it is; an assignment London asked me to carry out," he lied.
Wilson held up a hand stopping his commanding officer. "I don't need any details, Colonel. In fact, I'm going to pull a Sergeant Schultz when I say I don't want to know anything." Wilson grinned deviously. "But just so you know, sir, it is good exercise for your heart."
The Colonel glared at the medic the same time Newkirk, who had just taken another drink of coffee, shot his mouthful across the table. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand embarrassingly.
Kinch, LeBeau, and Carter could only stare at Wilson in amazement trying to stifle their laughter.
Wilson chuckled seeing things were normal in barracks two. "As there's no sick people here, I'll take my leave of you gentlemen," he commented, smirking. He exited the hut. The things London ordered the Colonel to do.
Gertrude Linkmeyer sat on a rocking chair on the porch sipping a cup of tea while enjoying the somewhat warm morning, enjoying the faint breeze. A teapot sat on a small table beside the rocker(1). She found herself looking out over the men in the compound and watching them as they went about their normal routines. But what she really wondered was what Robert Hogan was doing. She figured he might be having breakfast seeing as he was summoned into Klink's office about the time he would have been having breakfast with his men. She began to wonder what Hogan would be doing throughout the day until it was time for him to join them for dinner in Klink's quarters.
She was glad Hogan had given her a sign in the Kommandant's office indicating he would come to her quarters after evening roll call despite the incident of the previous night. She recalled the conversation between her and her brother as they met in Burkhalter's guest quarters for breakfast this morning.
"Gertrude, I wish to discuss something with you." Burkhalter began drinking his orange juice. "But first I want to say I am aware of what was going on in your bedroom last night."
Gertrude's hand in which she held a coffee cup paused midway to her mouth. "Do you now, Albert?" she asked calmly.
"Yes. I believe you were entertaining a man in your bedroom when I knocked on your door last night."
Gertrude took a drink of her coffee. "Was I now?"
"Yes, you were and don't deny it. I saw the flowers, champagne and caviar in your living room. They only could have gotten there if a gentleman caller brought them."
Burkhalter's voice was a bit harsher than he had planned, but he intended on finding out who Gertrude's suitor was.
"There is no man," she replied keeping her face neutral. "I picked those flowers from Klink's garden myself after I returned to camp last night. As far as the champagne, caviar and crackers are concerned, I took them from Klink's quarters. I needed to celebrate my anniversary since you decided to ruin things with your behavior at the Ratszeller." She knew if their secret got out, Hogan would be executed promptly, and she would be sent somewhere. Plus, she and her brother both would be in danger if the Gestapo were to find out.
"I saw two champagne goblets filled with champagne."
Gertrude exhaled wearily. "Otto and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary together.
But Burkhalter wasn't letting go of his suspicions. "Despite what you may think, I am not upset about you taking a man to bed. I am somewhat angry about it, but not by much. All I want you to tell me is who this man is who has captured your interest so I can find out if he is worthy of you. If he is, I must see if he is worthy of being made an officer so he can marry you."
"I am telling you for the last time. There is no young man. The only man who will ever share my bed is Otto and nobody else."
Burkhalter exhaled deeply. "I wish you would forget about Otto. He is more than likely dead, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can move on with your life, remarry, and start living again."
"And what if I don't want to accept your way of thinking where Otto is concerned?" She remembered Hogan's words when she asked him about Otto. "What if I refuse to believe my husband is dead? Not everybody thinks I'm crazy believing my husband is still alive."
"Then I feel sorry for you and for them whoever they are," Burkhalter stated firmly. "I feel sorry because you are letting happiness either with this man who shared your bed last night, or another man slip right through your fingers."
"Then it will simply slip through my fingers because until I have proof I am a widow, I am still married. And I will tell you something else. I am glad you were not able to break up Klink and his lady friend. You hear me? I am glad because you have no right to destroy somebody else's happiness like you are destroying mine by constantly telling me I am a widow."
"Don't you think Otto would want you to move on with your life?"
"Otto would want me to be happy. And if believing he is alive makes me happy, then he would not want me to think otherwise."
Burkhalter wiped his mouth with a napkin. "All right, let's say Otto is alive. How would he feel learning you slept with another man while he was missing-in-action?"
"You're not being fair."
"Or better yet. How would you feel if, after finding out he is alive, you learned Otto had found comfort in the arms of a Russian woman?
Her face turned pale. Gertrude quickly wiped her mouth before slamming her napkin down on the table. "Damn you, Albert!" she hissed angrily. Getting to her feet, she stormed away from the table in a huff. She promptly left her brother's guest quarters returning to her own, carefully avoiding him the entire morning and planned on doing so the rest of the day until dinner when it would be impossible to do so.
Burkhalter watched her leave the dining area with a shake of his head.
Now, as she continued sipping her tea, she had to admit without intending to do so, Burkhalter had given her something to think about. How would she feel if she discovered Otto had been unfaithful while he was missing on the Russian front? Could she forgive him? Her brother's words kept echoing in her mind.
"How would you feel if, after finding out he is alive, you learned Otto had found comfort in the arms of a Russian woman?"
She knew the answer immediately. Yes. Yes she'd be able to forgive Otto if he had found comfort in the arms of a Russian woman. Otto was a man, and like all men, he had needs. In all honesty, if he sought to relieve his stress and pressure in the arms of another woman even if just for one night, she would forgive him. She believed if by sleeping with another woman and easing his stress, it enabled him to relax enough to be able to find his way back home to her, then she would be forever grateful to that unknown woman.
Taking another sip of her tea, she remembered tonight would be her last night in camp. Gertrude decided she needed to do something to make this night different from the others, and something Hogan would remember after she had departed for Berlin. But what? She thought back to the earlier four nights together and smiled warmly recalling each one of them, as well as what they did. Like her Otto, Hogan was certainly well endowed, that much was obvious the first night. And he certainly knew how to use his large hands to get her body to react as he wanted it to. She blushed as she recalled how talented his mouth was. He certainly could use it for things other than kissing. In other words, he brought her body to life again after it had been dormant for three years. Hogan had made her feel alive when she thought she never would again
Hogan was stretched out on his lower bunk with both hands clasped behind his head. After breakfast, he had been thinking about how to make Gertrude's last night in camp a memorable one. He wanted to do something special for her so she would remember her time here. He stared up at the planks on the bottom of the upper bunk as he mulled over several ideas dismissing each one for one reason or another as each was inadequate.
He wanted to do something different from what they had been doing. But first, he would have to make certain both Burkhalter and Klink would not interrupt them, and that's where the sleeping pills he had gotten from Wilson would be used.
He would slip the small bottle of sleeping pills into his inner jacket pocket for after dinner, and when the time came, he would give them to LeBeau to drop one or two each into the coffee served to Burkhalter and Klink to guarantee he and Gertrude would not have to worry about being interrupted unexpectedly thus allowing them to enjoy their night and each other for as long as possible.
Hogan realized after Burkhalter and his sister left Saturday he would be forced to handle the loneliness again on his own. But after this week, he would be better equipped to deal with it, and more relaxed than in a long time. His only hope was after this week, Gertrude would be able to move on with her life whether it be with Otto, or with someone else should he prove to be deceased. Other than a quick end to the war, and wanting to go home, he didn't wish for much. But he would wish this for her. She deserved at least that much. He only wished there was more he could ask for.
Hogan also marveled how, despite being older than him, how well-versed in the art of lovemaking and the different ways of pleasing a man Gertrude had been. She had utterly amazed him with her knowledge and abilities. Also, her stamina hadn't ceased to amaze him, especially when they made love three times Wednesday night. He had been too tired to go another round, but her stamina made him not want to disappoint her. He soon found a reserve he didn't realize he had to go one more time until both were completely and thoroughly satisfied. A warmness soon permeated his body.
Turning on his side, Hogan propped an arm under his head. He wanted to savor all the good memories of the past four days which he realized had gone a long way to soothing his raw nerves, thus enabling him to do the job he was here to do without the added stress and pressure.
Suddenly, a slow smile appeared on his face as he now realized what he could do, and he was willing to bet Gertrude would love it.
(1) Michael Thonet, a German craftsman, created the first bentwood rocking chair in 1860.