Chapter 14:

Wilson was in the back of the infirmary with Hogan behind several curtains, as he performed the operation. Kinch, Newkirk, Carter, and LeBeau sat up front on cots or paced back and forth across the area. waiting for news on how Hogan was doing and how the operation had gone. For the moment, Newkirk and Kinch were pacing while LeBeau and Carter sat on the cot up front lost in their thoughts and minds.

"Blimey," Newkirk moaned. "How long has it been since that bloody operation started?"

Kinch looked down at his watch and sighed. "About four hours, now."

"When are we gonna hear something?! I don't think I can take all this waiting much longer!" LeBeau cried, leaping to his feet.

"I'm with Louis. We haven't heard anything in hours, Kinch. What if something's wrong?" Newkirk asked, worried.

"Colonel Hogan is a fighter! He'll make it through this," Kinch said, hopeful that his optimism would pull through for him.

Carter had been the most quiet. He sat on the cot wiping tears away and sniffling. He felt the worst of all. If Hogan died, he would never forgive himself. He would resign his spot as technical sergeant/explosives expert of the operation and demand to be sent back to London immediately. Losing Hogan, the best commanding officer he ever had, his best friend, basically a father to him, would completely shatter his reality. He was not so sure if he would be able to get through it. He had a feeling he would just shut down entirely.

Kinch walked over to Carter, sat down besides him, and started rubbing his shoulder to comfort the young man.

"Don't cry, Carter. Colonel Hogan's gonna be alright," Kinch said softly.

"Kinch...I don't know what I'm gonna do if we lose him...I don't think I'll be able to live without him," the young man admitted.

"The Gov'nor would want you to go on, Andrew. He'd feel horrible if you stopped living because of him," Newkirk encouraged.

Carter did not seem to hear him. He leaned his head against Kinch's shoulder and continued softly crying.

"Don't worry, André. Nothing will happen to mon Colonel. He will live, mon ami," LeBeau told Carter.

Wilson came out from the back in a lab coat slightly covered in blood, a removed surgical mask around his neck, and tired eyes. He looked older than he had before the surgery. He rubbed the back of his neck, sighed, and turned to Hogan's men with weary eyes.

"How is he, Joe?" Kinch asked, still rubbing Carter's shoulder.

Wilson let out a huge breath and shook his head.

"Not good, Kinch," the medic softly said. "The bullets severely damaged his stomach and small intestines. There was the blood on the outside and the internal bleeding in his stomach and abdominal muscles on the inside. He required about 12 pints of blood and still requires blood transfusions plus a regular IV. He lost a lot of blood, which in his condition, is not satisfying signs. His skin is clammy, completely drained of color, and is currently in a coma. It'll help heal his body from its injuries, but I don't know how long it'll remain a non life threatening condition."

"When will he wake up from his coma, Joe?" Newkirk pressed.

Wilson did not answer for a long while. He gave all of them a sorrowful look.

"I'm afraid I don't know if he'll wake up."

"What do you mean 'you don't know if'?!" LeBeau exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, LeBeau, but Colonel Hogan's condition is critical. These next 72 hours will be the most trying of times. As of now, his chances do not look well. I'm worried that a blood clot will form from the bullet wounds and travel to his heart. If that's the case, he will suffer cardiac arrest and...it will be fatal."

Carter shook his head as the waterworks began, and he ran off to Hogan's bedside.

"Andrew..." Newkirk said, with sympathy.

Kinch put a hand on Newkirk's shoulder.

"Let him go, Peter," Kinch said. "He needs to be alone right now."

Newkirk let out a heavy sigh and nodded. As much as he wanted to be there for Carter, he knew that his best friend needed to be with Hogan by himself for a bit before the rest of them went to go see him.

Carter hurried to Hogan's bed and sat down by his legs on his left. The young sergeant swallowed a knot in his throat and let the tears just fall.

Hogan was as pale as his bed sheets, his skin was clammy, and was hooked to many tubes. One IV in his right hand, which rested on his now swollen belly, another IV in the same arm for the blood transfusion, a tube leading to his belly to clean it of infection, and oxygen assistance in his nose.

Carter took hold of Hogan's left hand and squeezed it gently.

"Hi, Colonel...it's me, Carter, sir...I'm not gonna leave your side for one minute, buddy. No siree, I'm staying right here until you open your eyes and come back to us...you gotta come back, Colonel...Walters is gonna turn this place into a nightmare, otherwise...he'll completely ruin the operation, sir, and I refuse to let him wreck everything you made here. Please come back...I'm not gonna be able to go on anymore if you die. I can't lose you, Colonel...I lost Captain Fischer, I can't lose you, too...please come back, sir...please come back to me, Colonel."

Carter bowed his head and started silently weeping. He suddenly felt a soft hand touch his shoulder. Carter turned around and saw his friends there looking at him with the same fear in their eyes. Newkirk's hand was the one on his shoulder.

The young sergeant shuddered and continued to softly cry.

"He's gonna be alright, Andrew...no matter what happens, the Gov'nor's gonna be just fine. I promise." Newkirk softly spoke.

"Mon Colonel will always be with us, mon ami." LeBeau choked back from crying himself. He was just as scared as Carter was.

"We have to be brave for him now, Carter. He needs us to be strong for him and protect him from Walters," Kinch said softly.

"That does it, the man bloody dies!" Newkirk snapped.

"Oui! I shall help!" LeBeau added, with a snarl.

"We're not killing Walters no matter how much I wanna kill him myself right now." Kinch answered, fighting a growl himself. He would not have him and his friends murder Walters, but he sure as hell would make the man suffer dearly for what he had done. No one harmed Hogan and got away with it...no one. Walters would pay for traumatizing Carter and now for trying to kill their commanding officer and take over the prison camp.

"Carter...you gotta tell us what happened with Walters, now. Colonel Hogan's life depends on it," Kinch said softly.

"No! That's just how we got stuck in this mess in the first place!" Carter whimpered.

"We have our guns this time, mon ami. He won't harm us, I swear!" LeBeau promised.

"No!" Carter said, angry.

Kinch walked over to the only window in the infirmary, checked it, then proceeded with the door that lead into the infirmary. He walked back over to his friends and nodded.

"Both door and window are closed. The window's locked, and Wilson's watching the door for any unwanted visitors. We're all safe, Carter. You can speak as free as you wish." Kinch reassured his friend.

Carter sniffled and turned to Hogan. He again gently squeezed his hand.

"He'll be alright, I promise. If Walters walks in and tries anything, I'll shoot him without hesitation," Kinch said.

The young sergeant let out a shaky breath, swallowed a lump in his neck, and sighed.

"Alright...I'll tell you what he did," Carter said, giving in.

For the next hour, Carter sat there by Hogan's side and shared everything he had told the colonel with his closest friends. Several times, Kinch, LeBeau, and Newkirk dropped their jaws, gasped, or just stared at him in horror at what they were told by him.

"He did that to you, mate?!" Newkirk gasped.

Carter softly nodded.

"The filthy bosche!" LeBeau snarled.

"I'll kill him if I ever see him again!"

"Major Hochstetter is too good for him!"

"I say we hand him over to the Gestapo High Command."

"I like it!"

"Hold it, fellas," Kinch said loudly, but soft enough he felt it would not cause Hogan any medical distress. "I think I'm getting something."

"We're gonna have Walters put in front of a firing squad?!" LeBeau asked, excited.

"No, but he'll be wishing it was that." Kinch answered.

"What do you have in mind, mate?" Newkirk asked, smiling.

"Not a lot, yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I get the details worked out." Kinch replied.

"Will Walters suffer, Kinch?" LeBeau asked.

"I guarantee that Walters will get what's coming to him. I'm determined to do so," Kinch said.

LeBeau and Newkirk turned to look at each other and exchanged devilish smiles on their faces.

Wilson came through the curtains and sighed sadly.

"I'm afraid visiting hours are over. The Colonel needs as much rest as possible," Wilson softly said.

"No, I'm not leaving him." Carter whimpered, stubbornly looking at Hogan again.

"Don't worry, mate. He's gonna be here in the morning. You can come back and see him then." Newkirk spoke, with a soft smile.

"But what about Walters?!"

"I had Klink put two guards outside the infirmary. Only you four, I, and Klink are permitted to enter unless given strict directions to do so. I also had it made that Walters is forbidden to come within 50 feet of here. He is to be arrested and put in the cooler, if he does not comply with orders," Wilson said, smiling.

"Joe, you're beautiful," Newkirk remarked, beaming.

Carter gently ran his hand down Hogan's arm and clenched his eyes.

"I can't leave him...he needs me." He quivered.

"I promise, Carter, the moment something changes, I will be sure to notify you four immediately. I will make sure Klink sees it that way." Wilson promised.

Carter sighed and nodded.

"Good night, Colonel...get better really soon...we'll miss you." The sergeant about broke down on the last part.

Newkirk wrapped an arm around his best friend and the four of Hogan's men said their 'goodbyes' and left to return to the barracks.

Morning arrived and so did roll call. Hogan's spot remained open. Walters stood on the opposite side tall and proud of his new position as Senior POW. Kinch, Newkirk, Carter, and LeBeau did nothing but give the man death glares. They wanted Walters to drop dead where he stood. It would make their situation a whole lot easier. Death was too good of a punishment to give a man like Walters, though, in the minds of Hogan's men. Up until this point, Carter had felt sorry for the man that he was living with a mental disorder. Ever since he had injured Hogan and been told that he had a high chance of not pulling through, all sympathy for the man had vanished. He wanted Walters to suffer severely for what he had done to his commanding officer. He hoped in the end that Walters went through as much pain as he had caused him to go through.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you are all aware of Colonel Hogan's current medical condition. Until further notice, Lieutenant Walters is temporary Senior POW Officer. He will listen to your complaints, report them to me, and obtain Colonel Hogan's duties to perform. If one of you decide to not comply with Lieutenant Walters's, that person will find themselves in a very difficult situation regarding me. Any questions or arguments?" Klink asked.

"Just one, Kommandant," Newkirk said, respectfully.

"Yes, Corporal Newkirk, what is it?"

Newkirk and LeBeau smiled at Klink, then turned their heads and glared at Walters at the opposite end.

"KILL HIM!" LeBeau hollered.

All the men of barracks two started shouting and tried to kick and hit their new assigned Senior POW Officer.

Klink started whistling for guards to break it up.

"Guards! Guards!" Klink bellowed.

Schultz, Langenscheidt, Webber, Schneider, and about four other guards came over and broke it up. Schultz was holding onto both Newkirk and LeBeau with each hand, while Langenscheidt held back Kinch and Carter from approaching.

"That bloody bastard deserves to die after what he did to the Gov'nor!" Newkirk barked.

"I want General Burkhalter! He'd get rid of Monsieur Bosche!" LeBeau yelled.

All the men started yelling again in agreement.

"Quiet!" Klink hollered over all the men. Once they had all settled down, he continued. "Now, I know all of you are upset about Colonel Hogan's current condition, but starting a riot will not help the issue in either way. Now, I want all of you to stop this behavior at once, or I will confine all of you to the barracks! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, Kommandant," all the men besides Walters grumbled.

"Good!" Klink then heard the sound of a car pull into camp and pull up alongside the Kommandantur. A man in a dark uniform with a red armband exited out of the vehicle with two tall, slim men with him. Major Hochstetter had arrived to camp. Seeing he had company, Klink turned around immediately, his face trembling with anxiety. "Diiiiiiissssssssmiiiiiiiiiiiiissed!"

The Kommandant spun on his boot and approached Hochstetter with Schultz following behind him.

The guards left to return to their posts and the rest of the prisoners went off in their own directions. LeBeau, Carter, and Newkirk surrounded Kinch, who was thinking and staring at where Klink and Hochstetter were standing.

"What are you thinking, Kinch?" Carter asked. "And why do you think Hochstetter's here?"

"Maybe Hochstetter can help us out with getting rid of Walters," the leading sergeant said, thinking of an idea.

"What the bloody hell will Hochstetter do about it? He doesn't care about us." Newkirk snarled.

"No, but he hates anyone that tries to hurt the Colonel unless it's him." Kinch explained.

"And when he finds out Walters hurt mon Colonel, he'll want him gotten rid of immediately," LeBeau said, as it dawned on him. The little Frenchman gave a devious smile.

"Exactly," Kinch said, returning the same smile.

"Kinch, you're beautiful, mate!" Newkirk replied, also giving a sinister smile.

"Looks like the short little monkey is useful for something after all," LeBeau said, surprised.

"So wait a minute. I'm confused. Is Hochstetter gonna help us or not?" Carter asked, completely missing the point as always.

Newkirk rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Mate, one of these days you're gonna learn," he said gently.

Carter raised an eyebrow puzzled and turned to look at Kinch.

Kinch smirked.

"Hochstetter's gonna help us, Carter." The radio man answered.

"Oh," Carter said. "Okay."

"Gentlemen, care for some coffee?"

"I'll go for a cup, mate," Newkirk said.

The four of them were headed for the barracks, when Carter stopped and frowned. He turned his head and looked off in the direction the infirmary was in.

LeBeau, Kinch, and Newkirk turned and looked at him concerned.

"What's wrong, Andrew?" Newkirk asked.

"Nothing," Carter said sadly.

Kinch gave a small smile.

"You can go see him after we listen in on Hochstetter," the radio man promised.

"I'll go with him, Kinch," Newkirk said. "You heard what the Gov'nor said; until we get rid of Walters, we go in groups of at least two."

"Oui. I don't trust one of us to be on our own for a second," LeBeau said.

"As do I. Come on, guys," Kinch said.

The four of them walked into the barracks and entered Hogan's room. Carter closed the door behind him, and they all gathered around the coffee pot set on Hogan's desk to listen in on Klink and Hochstetter.

"Major Hochstetter...what are you doing here?" Klink gasped. Had someone called the Gestapo major to investigate Hogan's shooting, or was he just here on another riot claiming the American colonel had committed some act of sabotage against the Third Reich?

Hochstetter's two men, both captains, stood guard at the door to make sure no one entered without permission.

"Klink, I received word last night that one of your guards shot a prisoner of yours and wished to congratulate them on the matter," Hochstetter said, his face beaming a bit.

"You received word? How?"

"The Gestapo has its ways, Klink."

The Kommandant shivered and answered, when he finally found his voice again. He was not even going to ask how Hochstetter had found out about one of his prisoners being shot. He did not want to know how he found out.

"Major Hochstetter, I gave no consent to any of my guards to shoot one of my prisoners, and I want to know who did it immediately," he said, with determination.

"Why are you upset with one of your guards shooting one of the prisoners? Are you defending the enemy, Klink?"

"Definitely not! I am a loyal German officer to the Third Reich and always will be."

"Which worries me greatly, Klink. Now, who was the prisoner that was shot?"

It was then Klink swallowed hard and started to freeze up. If he told Hochstetter that it was Hogan who was shot and the condition he was currently in, whoever was the assassin would have hell to pay once the major found out. Hogan was Hochstetter's property in the major's mind and no one else's. Finding out that someone had gotten away with harming and possibly succeeding in killing him was something that Klink did not want to witness. He had to tell Hochstetter carefully and at the right time...but what on earth was he going to say?

"Ah...the prisoner, Major," Klink said. He walked around his desk and poured a glass of Schnapps for Hochstetter. He handed the glass to the major, who gratefully took it, and continued speaking. "Yes, Major, the prisoner who was shot was a prisoner who lives here in Stalag 13."

"I know that, Klink. Who else would it be?!"

Klink gulped again.

"Right. Quite right, Major. Now, as for who the prisoner is, the prisoner is…" Klink stopped again. He hurried to his cabinet, poured himself a glass, and quickly drained it down. He quickly poured another glass and took it with him this time. He slowly turned to face Hochstetter, who was impatiently waiting on who the prisoner was. Klink decided to look at the guards while speaking with the Gestapo officer to make things easier, only seeing the expressions on his men did not ease him at all. In fact, it made him ten times more nervous.

The guards were not smiling and were not moving. They seemed possessed and not connected with reality. It was as if they were immortal.

Klink continued with a shaky voice. "The prisoner who was shot, Major...was...Colonel Hogan." The last part was said almost unhearable and through gritted teeth.

"I do not understand mumbling, Klink!" Hochstetter hissed.

Klink shuddered again.

"Wouldn't you rather have more Schnapps, Major?" The kommandant suggested, hoping to God that he would drop it for a moment.

"Klink!" Hochstetter snarled.

"The prisoner is...the man who was shot is...his name is…" Klink shook in fear, but finally was able to somehow answer Hochstetter in a very soft, meek voice. "...Colonel Hogan."

Hochstetter's eyes jumped from their sockets at whose name Klink had said, then his face turned a frightening shade of red.

"WHO WAS SHOT?!"