Finally, Chapter 3! Please read and review. Hope you like it!
It had been ten minutes since Klink, Schultz, and Hogan had arrived back in camp. Schultz had helped Hogan's men take their Colonel to the infirmary, and LeBeau had gone to get Sergeant Wilson, their medic. Klink was now in his office, staring out the window looking out at the building that now held his Senior POW. He was deep in thought.
How did Hogan know the car was going to blow up? Klink thought to himself. Before, seeing Hogan hurt, transporting him back, and watching Hogan's men worriedly take their commander to the infirmary, Klink hadn't had time to be suspicious.
I need a drink of Schnapps, Klink rubbed the bridge of his nose and went over to his Schnapps cabinet. He poured himself a drink, but after placing the stopper back on the decanter, continued deep in thought while staring at the glass in his hand.
Did Hogan plant that bomb in the car? Klink quickly dismissed that thought. Imagine! There was no way a prisoner in the toughest POW camp in Germany could get ahold of a bomb. And he had ordered Langenscheidt to search the barracks only yesterday, and nothing had turned up. Besides, Hogan didn't want to kill him. After all, he had just got done risking his life out there to save Klink. Klink suddenly remembered. "That car was intended for General Hoffman!" he exclaimed, out loud.
And maybe the bomb was too. Klink frowned. No, he had to rule out the prisoners, for the obvious reasons he had just laid out. Maybe, maybe General Hoffman put the bomb in the car, knew he was going to find some way to get me to take the car, and Hogan saw him do it, and he came after me to rescue me! Klink brightened. That must be it! He downed his glass of Schnapps and grabbed his coat, intending to pay a visit to the infirmary.
Meanwhile, at the infirmary, Hogan's core group were gathered outside the small operating room, waiting for Wilson to finish stitching up Hogan's head. When LeBeau first came back with Wilson, the Frenchman had taken one look at the back of Hogan's head and fainted. Newkirk had caught him before he hit the ground, and was now sitting on one of the beds, fanning his friend as LeBeau came to. Carter was sitting on another one of the beds, while Kinch paced in front of the door. Schultz was standing off to the side, looking worried.
Klink entered the infirmary, and made his way to the back where he knew the prisoners were gathered. Upon reaching them, he turned to Kinch. "Well, how is he?" He demanded.
Kinch stuck his hands in his pockets. "We don't know yet. Wilson is putting a few stitches in now."
Klink pursed his lips and looked around at the other prisoners. When he saw LeBeau, he raised his eyebrows. "What's the matter with him?" he asked Kinch, quietly.
"LeBeau faints at the sight of blood. When he saw Colonel Hogan's wound, he fainted. He's coming around now," Kinch explained.
Klink shook his head. "Typical Frenchman."
Kinch gave a wan smile. LeBeau glared at Klink.
But before they could say anything more, the door to the small operating room opened and Wilson stepped out. Everybody who was sitting down stood up, awaiting for a report on Hogan's condition. Newkirk kept his hand around LeBeau's shoulder to support him, as he was still a little swoony.
Wilson looked surprised to see Klink there, but went ahead and gave his report of Hogan's condition. "He had a pretty nasty gash, but I put eight stitches in, and he should be fine now."
There was a collective sigh of relief in the room, and Wilson smiled. "He should be waking up pretty soon. He was unconscious, but I gave him a little anesthetic, just in case."
While he was talking, he removed one of his gloved hands from his pocket. There were a few specks of blood on it.
THUD.
Newkirk rolled his eyes as he bent down, pulling the unconcious Frenchman to his feet.
"What's the matter with LeBeau?" Wilson asked, concerned, as he started toward the two.
Newkirk stopped him with hand. "'e's alright. 'e always does this whenever he sees a spot 'o blood."
Wilson looked at his hand, and chuckled. "Just put him on one of the beds until he wakes up."
Newkirk obeyed. Schultz, meanwhile, forgotten in the corner, stepped forward. "Oh, I'm so glad!" he said, with a big smile on his face.
When the others turned toward him, Schultz clarified, "At Colonel Hogan going to be okay, of course. Not about the Cockroach fainting."
Langenscheidt walked into the room, looking slightly nervous. "I wanted to know if Colonel Hogan was going to be alright," he said.
Wilson smiled. "Yes, I believe he is. I put a few stitches in him."
Langenscheidt was relieved. Unlike Schultz, he didn't come into close contact with the prisoners all the time, but he actually rather admired Hogan, and in no circumstances wanted to see him hurt. "That's good," he said, quickly turning on his heel and heading out of the room. He wanted to get out of there before any of the other guards (the ones who were less sympathetic toward the prisoners) noticed him checking up on the Senior POW. He would be a laughing stock!
Wilson smiled, then turned to the rest of the men. "Okay, everybody else out also. Colonel Hogan will be waking up soon, and I want to move him to one of these beds out here before then. Kinch, Carter, you stay and help me move him. The rest of you, raus. You can come see him when he's awake."
Newkirk helped the semiconscious LeBeau out, and the remaining Germans trooped out also. Once outside, Klink started toward his office, but stopped as he noticed the staff car coming through the gate.
Oh, no. Now I'm going to have to deal with "old loveable Hochstetter."
Chapter 4 coming soon
(It might take awhile, as I've just found someone to beta read for me, and I'm still working on chapter 4, slowly but surely, it's coming.)