As Hans Dietrich regains consciousness, neither sound nor light invade his senses. The throbbing pain in his shoulder is still present but has slightly subsided compared to the afternoon. When he reaches up, he finds the handcuffs removed and a fresh proper bandage applied around his shoulder. Also the strange sensation of feeling a bullet still buried in his flesh, which he has had before, seems to have left. Somebody has provided him with a medical treatment for his injuries. This could either mean that he is not yet fully condemned and still has a right for proper care as a Wehrmacht officer or it could mean that the Obersturmbannführer is not willing to allow Dietrich to escape his kind hospitality through death any time soon. Lack of water and exhaustion have the young Hauptmann return to a dreamless sleep over his musings only a short while later.
A rough hand on his shoulder jerks Hans Dietrich awake. "Aufstehen!", a fierce sounding SS soldier shouts a him in an unfriendly manner. Apparently, the man is quite convinced that the young officer in front of him is indeed a traitor or he would not act with such open hostility the Hauptmann assumes. Disoriented and dizzy from lack of water, Hans Dietrich tries to rise to his feet only to feel his knees buckling underneath him, as he is barely able to catch himself at the rim of the cot he has slept on, when his legs give out and he loses his balance. Losing his patience apparently, the soldier grabs the lean Captain under the left shoulder and drags him to his feet, forcing the swaying man into an upright position which he is still unable to remain in.
"Geben Sie mir bitte etwas Wasser, dann kann sich mein Kreislauf stabilisieren", Hauptmann Dietrich rasps out with his voice almost breaking from dehydration, as he tries to reason with the soldier to give him some water to stabilise the prisoner's blood circulation which is affected by the blood loss from the bullet wound as well as the lack of something to drink. His efforts earn him a harsh beating into the stomach with the butt of the guard's gun which causes the lean German Captain to collapse back on the cot where he stays panting for breath. The SS guard hits him a second time to keep him downed, before turning and marching out of the door.
Shortly afterwards, the soldier returns with Hauptsturmführer Metzlich who Dietrich has met a few days ago as Obersturmbannführer Waldheim's second in command. "Hauptmann Dietrich", the man sneers with sadistic glee proving the younger German's immediate dislike absolutely right, "halten Sie es wirklich für klug, Widerstand zu leisten?" The accusation that he is stupid enough to put up resistance sparks enough righteous anger in Hans Dietrich to snap back at the SS man in spite of his rasping voice: "Ich leiste keinen Widerstand. Ich habe lediglich um Wasser gebeten, um meinen Kreislauf zu stabilisieren." Explaining his plea for water, the Hauptmann cannot stop himself to remark sarcastically in spite of struggling with every spoken word that this might actually help someone suffering from blood loss and dehydration, although he is not a medical expert: "Ich bin zwar kein medizinischer Experte, aber das könnte nach Blutverlust durch eine Schusswunde and Schwitzen vom Laufen durch die Wüste tatsächlich helfen."
Hauptsturmführer Metzlich is apparently as devoid of humor as his name suggests and merely growls: "Der Sarkasmus wird dir schon noch vergehen, Verräterschwein!" The change from the formal "Sie" to the informal "du" along with the derogatory term clearly shows his contempt for his prisoner in addition to his reduced self-control and loathing of the Afrikakorps officer who Metzlich apparently has already declared guilty. For the moment Dietrich is glad about the iron bars separating him from the man, as he would have expected to be beaten for his insolence otherwise, since the scornful look Metzlich is shooting him clearly promises exactly that to happen later. Despite his obvious loathing, the SS officer orders the guard to call a medic and have Dietrich's injuries checked. His final contemptuous statement reveals this to be not in the least motivated by concern for the well-being of a fellow German officer, but keeping the Hauptmann alive as long as possible during the interrogations to come.
As Feldunterarzt Dr. Ludwig Sommer enters the prison area, he stops short at the barred door, while staring at the young Hauptmann he has served with during the past months. Hans Dietrich has always conducted himself with pride and dignity, keeping a proper outward appearance and straight posture under almost all circumstances however dire they may have appeared. After all, his soldiers have admired him for this steadfast attitude of hardly ever showing weakness in front of his men or enemies, while not being unkind and showing chivalry and compassion whenever he could afford that. Now, the tall, lean officer lies curled up on the cot in his own prison cell, with a large bruise on his chin from where the SS officer must have stricken him and the bandage around his shoulder drenched with blood.
Sommer has treated his Captain on the previous night, after the man has collapsed unconsciously while being dragged toward the command office and jail by the ruthless brutes of the SS. Removing the bullet from his commanding officer's shoulder and stitching up the flesh wound has been the lesser part. The true challenge has been stabilizing the severely dehydrated man with transfusions of plasma and saline solution in addition to the dearly necessary blood transfusion in order to keep his blood circulation from collapsing completely. The stress of the blood loss and the run trough the desert after hours of a car ride in the heat without being given any water has been too much even for a healthy, young desert veteran as Hans Dietrich. The lack of experience with the North African desert and its specifically harsh conditions has been apparent for the Schutzstaffel officers who must have come freshly from Berlin and hold no regard for the necessity of giving a prisoner far more water in the desert heat simply to keep him alive than would have been necessary in Central Europe.
The SS guard grants the medic access to the prisoner's cell, although he observes him warily and keeps his gun in his hands. "Hauptmann Dietrich", Ludwig Sommer gently calls out to the huddled figure on the cot. Dietrich stirs at the sound of his name and cranes his neck to look in the medical Doctor's direction. "Doktor Sommer", he rasps the man's name in form of a greeting, his exhaustion and pain apparent in his hoarse voice. Gently placing his hand on the lean Captain's uninjured shoulder, the Stabsarzt helps him to sit up, before handing the young officer a canteen with water. "Langsam trinken", he warns his patient to drink slowly which is hardly necessary for a man with the desert experience of Hans Dietrich, but Ludwig Sommer cannot rely on him being fully aware of his actions at the moment, given his current state of health.
Drinking some water carefully, gulp by gulp, feels like an immense relief to the young Hauptmann who enjoys the relief the wetness brings to his parched throat. His foggy mind is starting to clear, his dizziness subsiding, until the gaze he focuses on Ludwig Sommer becomes steady enough to not worry the medic any further. As Sommer's gaze moves from the drawn face of the slightly younger officer to the bandage around his shoulder, his frown deepens again. As he has already observed before a light red stain is shining through the bandage which is increasing in size however which is worrying the medic. "Lehnen Sie sich zurück, Herr Hauptmann", Sommer orders the injured man to lean back. "Ich muss den Schulterverband wechseln." Dietrich nods quietly in understanding, not wishing to strain his voice any further by speaking unnecessarily.
After Ludwig Sommer has fulfilled his work with practiced precision, Hans hands him back the now empty canteen with gratitude: "Danke, Doktor Sommer!" Glancing over his shoulder at the guard, the Stabsarzt finally can ask the young officer with a whisper what this is all about: "Was wollen die von Ihnen, Dietrich?" The Hauptmann shrugs wincing at the pain in his shoulder, as he snarls in indignation about the accusations of treason against him: "Beweisen, dass ich ein Verräter bin." Then, his tone become more moderate, pleading with the medic to look after his men in case he might not survive his ordeal: "Doktor. Falls ich das nicht überlebe, schauen Sie mir bitte auf die Männer!"
"Was soll das Geflüster?", the guard interrupts them, suspicious of their whispering, before the German medic even gets a chance to reply to the Hauptmann's desperate plea. Trying to protect the younger man, Doktor Sommer smoothly pretends that this has just been a medic talking to assure his patient's health, before the guard shoos him out of the cell with an impolite "Raus!". Then, the SS soldier turns back toward Dietrich repeating his original order: "Aufstehen!" Carefully and slowly, Hans rises to his feet while steadying himself at the wall with his good arm. "Mitkommen!", the harsh guard orders him to come along, as he opens the cell door. Carefully and slowly, to not lose his balance the Wehrmacht officer walks along the steadying wall. After the first few minutes of staying upright and moving around, his blood circulation has become stable enough for him to move without requiring support and he would finally be able to increase his speed, but refrains from doing so. Deciding he would rather be underestimated, Dietrich moves slowly towards the door of his former office, while spending his gained time on carefully observing his surroundings and the SS guards. Overall, he has counted five SS soldiers on guard duty which is quite a heavy guard schedule and keeps almost all of Waldheim's troop that Dietrich knows of busy at any given time. At some point they will have to sleep and be replaced by his own men as guards.
As Hauptmann Dietrich enters his former office, he finds Leutnant Brunner moved from his usual desk to a corner of the room with a make-shift table, while Hauptsturmführer Metzlich has taken over Brunner's desk and Obersturmbannführer Waldheim Dietrich's own desk along with his office. Briefly, the German officer wonders what makes the room feel so oppressive and then realises that he is actually missing Fritz' bark and joyful yelps which have greeted him every day in the past several weeks, when he has entered his office. Hans Dietrich is hoping briefly that the cook would have had the presence of mind to hide the dog and that the two SS officers have not shot the poor beast out of pure malice which he would not put beyond them. Then, his mind focuses on his own dire situation again.
Waldheim smiles his deceptive smile, while Metzlich's face already tells about his awaiting of a torture session. "Herr Hauptmann. Gut, dass Sie es geschafft haben zu unserer Besprechung", Waldheim speaks his greeting in a nonchalant tone, as if they would all join a staff meeting. Dietrich refuses to let himself be taunted so easily and remains silent, forcing himself not to glare at them with too much loathing. Leutnant Brunner looks up in surprise as the guard enters with the wretched, injured prisoner and all color drains from the thin man's face, as he recognizes his former commanding officer, Hauptmann Hans Dietrich. Shaking his head almost imperceptibly, the German Captain hopes that his junior officer will understand the message that he should keep out of this and not risk his own life.
"Der Obersturmbannführer hat mit dir gesprochen, Judenfreund!", Metzlich shouts his derogatory at Dietrich angrily, when the Afrikakorps officer refrains to answer Waldheim's insolent welcome in any acceptable manner. At least, Hans would have the satisfaction of not having lost his nerves and temper before the malicious SS officer. Waldheim's casually polite tone is far more dangerous, as he promises future torture: "Keine Sorge, Hauptsturmführer Metzlich. Der wird schon noch reden." Turning his attention back to Dietrich, he continues in the same casual tone: "Nehmen Sie doch Platz, Herr Hauptmann." In a regal gesture, the older SS officer motions for the Hauptmann to take a seat which the young officer reluctantly and slowly follows, straining his muscles, as the instinct to flee become almost unbearable to resist. Leutnant Brunner in the background has stopped his pretense of work completely and is staring at the haunting scene playing out with rising horror written clearly in his face. The SS have their reputation among the regular army not without reason.
Casually, Waldheim opens his large file folder and starts to turn page after page, document by document. "Sie stammen aus einer Offziersfamilie mit Reputation, Dietrich", he starts out with Dietrich's family having a tradition in military service. Hans' face turns grim, as he sees photos of his mother, a German aristocrat, and his father, an Oberst of the Wehrmacht, laid out in front of the SS Obersturmbannführer. When Waldheim turns the pages to reveal the next set of photos, the young Wehrmacht officer frowns, as he recognizes the images of his sister and her husband who is a SS officer himself. Throwing a disapproving glare in the Hauptmann's direction, Waldheim turns the page to reveal the next photos, showing his uncle, a Navy Vizeadmiral commanding a sub-marine squad in the English channel, and his aunt, a school teacher. Both their sons are not present in the family photo collection. Hans muses that maybe this is because they are already dead, both sunk on sub-marines in the Atlantic ocean. Turning the page again, Waldheim reveals the photos of Dietrich's other aunt, his father's and uncle's sister, with her husband, a medical doctor. Their daughter, a young nurse, is the next photo in the collection.
To Hans Dietrich's surprise, Waldheim takes this particular photo out of the folder. Until now, the Hauptmann has considered this show of photos the way of the SS to demoralise their victim by demonstrating that they know everything about his family and might go after them as well, if he would refuse to cooperate. Choosing his beloved cousin Lisl for this strategy however is a truly vile move the young officer considers, as he tries to keep his contempt for the SS men from showingon his face. "Stehen Sie Ihrer Cousine, Elisabeth Wolf, nahe, Hauptmann Dietrich?", Waldheim asks almost casually whether Dietrich is close to his cousin, but the Afrikakorps officer notices the tone of a lurking predator in his voice. The question and tone make a shiver run down the younger man's spine. Summoning his power of will to not outwardly show his discomfort, Hans answers with carefully intoned neutrality: "Ich schreibe ihr alle paar Monate, wie auch meiner Schwester und meinen Eltern". The Hauptmann answers truthfully that he writes to her every few months as he does to his sister and parents, as this is no information worth hiding given how easily it can be checked.
"Hat sie Ihnen gegenüber jemals etwas von ihrer Arbeit erwähnt?", Waldheim continues his interrogation in his dangerously lurking tone. However, Dietrich is confused to be questioned about his cousin talking about her work as a nurse in a military institution rather than interrogated about his own misdeeds as they are apparently perceived by the SS. "Sie hat geschrieben, dass sie als Krankenschwester arbeitet, in einem Heeresspital oder einem Gefängnis", he replies with honesty, seeing no reason to hide the truth. Waldheim's smile turns far more unpleasant, as he continues with a dangerous undertone: "Wussten Sie, dass Ihre Cousine tot ist?" For a moment, Hans Dietrich is too perplexed to react to the question about whether he has known of his Cousin's death. Then, the Hauptmann shakes his head in the negative, shock still visible on his features: "Nein, Herr Obersturmbannführer. Wann und wie ist sie gestorben?" The question of the when and how of her death induces a truly sadistic gleam in the SS officer's eye, as he answers with sickening joy: "Sie hat vor zwei Wochen versucht ein paar Juden beim Ausbruch aus einem Lager zu helfen, wurde des Vaterlandsverrats für schuldig befunden und standrechtlich erschossen." In spite of his pride, Hans Dietrich flinches, as he hears that his gentle and compassionate cousin has been tried as a traitor and executed after trying to help some Jews to escape from a detention camp. If looks could kill, Dietrich would have slain Waldheim on the spot.
Focusing his full attention on the Obersturmbannführer all too soon turns out to have been a mistake, a Metzlich considers Dietrich's murdereous glare at his superior officer an admission of treason and an attitude he wishes to correct appropriately. The German Hauptmann is taken completely by surprise, when the SS man's fist strikes his face from the side. Before he can recover, Metzlich deals several blows to the younger officer's head for good measure. Unable to defend himself, Hans Dietrich feels his consciousness quickly waning, as another fist strike hits his temple. "Genug", Waldheim orders finally, as he sees their prisoner's head lolling to the side with his gaze unfocused. Motioning in Leutnant Brunner's direction, he barks his orders: "Wasser. Schnell." Brunner does not hesitate and dashes off, as if the Rat Patrol were behind him on their Jeeps, and returns with a pitcher of water and a glass in less than a minute from the adjacent room, Dietrich's personal quarters.
"Geben Sie es ihm!", Waldheim barks and Brunner does not need to be told twice to give his barely conscious Captain some water. "Hauptmann Dietrich", he speaks timidly in a low voice and Dietrich stirs slightly at the sound of his name and the hand gently placed on his good shoulder. "Trinken Sie, Herr Hauptmann!", Brunner mutters, as he presses the glass against the other's lips who drinks after a moment of hesitation. "Danke, Brunner!", Dietrich murmurs softly. As their injured prisoner regains his posture and strength, Waldheim orders Leutnant Brunner back to his work: "Sie können wegtreten und Ihren Dienst fortsetzen, Leutnant!" Metzlich takes the glass from his hand and glares intimidatingly at the young Lieutenant who scurries off into his corner.
Waldheim retakes his seat behind Dietrich's former desk and continues with his interrogation, as if nothing has happened. "Die Hinrichtung war Ihnen also offenbar nicht bekannt, Hauptmann Dietrich. Wussten Sie von den Verbindungen Ihrer Cousine zu Widerstandszellen?" Hans Dietrich's head is spinning more from the incredible news that his twenty year old compassionate and pacifistic cousin should have been part of a resistance group than from Metzlich's blows to his head. Tasting blood from his split lip, he is considering his next move more carefully. Their only reason for telling him such information could be that they want to maneuver him into revealing his own connections with resistance fighters, admitting to be guilty of a crime he could not even have committed, if he would have wanted to. If not for the dire situation, Hans Dietrich would have laughed at the irony that he who has not set a foot into Germany since 1939 would now find himself accused of holding connections with German resistance groups. Being neither a spy nor a traitor, but finding himself accused of both, he wonders how he should manage to escape his impending doom. Neither Rommel nor his father would be able to help him. The latter would rather execute his son himself than have the family's honor damaged by accusations of treason.
His musings have obviously taken too long, as Metzlich repeats his previous motivation tactics, this time hitting the Hauptmann's torso rather than his head. Apparently, he still is smart enough to not kill him quickly by accident or at least Waldheim has him well enough under control to prevent that from happening too soon. Breathing heavily after the ordeal is over, Dietrich finds a glass tipped to his lips. The first gulp he takes makes him cough out the vile substance. Metzlich has given him salty water in the same glass Brunner has used before to give him water. Obersturmbannführer Waldheim now steps into his view and continues with his mock polite tone which is unnerving Dietrich more than he cares to admit. "Sie können sich das leicht oder schwer machen, Hauptmann Dietrich. Das liegt ganz bei Ihnen." The lean Hauptmann merely shakes his head and answers with the same statement he has repeated several times in as neutral a voice, as he manages to maintain: "Ich kann Ihnen nichts dazu sagen, Herr Obersturmbannführer. Ich habe Deutschland seit mehr als 3 Jahren nicht betreten. Ich habe keine und hatte niemals Kontakte zum Widerstand. Weder bin ich ein Vaterlandsverräter noch ein Spion."
Both SS officers clearly look as if they did not believe a single word about having no contacts to resistance or being neither a traitor nor a spy. Waldheim shakes his head in mock disappointment at his prisoner's stubbornness. "Wie schade, dass Sie so uneinsichtig sind, Dietrich." Hauptsturmführer Metzlich beams with joy as if Christmas would have come early, when he receives the order he has been waiting for all morning. "Metzlich, Sie dürfen ihn bearbeiten, aber passen Sie auf, keine bleibenden Schäden zu hinterlassen. Und lassen Sie ihn auf die Krankenstation bringen, wenn Sie fertig sind!" Dietrich tenses in anticipation of what is to come, when Waldheim hands him over to Metzlich with the warning to cause no permanent damage and to send him into medical care afterwards.
"Hauptmann Dietrich... Hans", somebody calls with clear concern audible and shakes his uninjured shoulder gently. Dietrich stirs slightly at the sound of his given name. Gradually, his senses return to him and he groans, as the pain of his injuries gradually filters into his consciousness. With the return to awareness, also the pain all over his body returns forcefully, reminding him that the bullet wound in his shoulder has received company through countless bruises in his face and along his torso. He notices the hand which is placed on his left shoulder and squeezing gently. Sounds of rustling and the smell of disinfectants invade his senses, before he finally gathers the strength to open his eyes. Doktor Ludwig Sommer leans over him with a worried frown marring his face. Closing his eyes again with a strangled groan, the lean young officer evens out his breathing to better deal with the waves of nausea and pain striking him, until he feels accommodated with his situation.
"Endlich, Hans", the German Stabsarzt sighs with a some relief. "Sie waren gut zwei Stunden vollkommen bewusstlos, Mensch." Dietrich's clouded mind needs a few seconds to process the information that he has been unconscious for more than two hours. The Hauptmann struggles to guess how long Metzlich has been working him over, before he has finally managed to escape into the blissful oblivion of unconsciousness. Shifting his eyes to the windows without moving his body too much reveals that it is dark outside, assumably evening or night. As if reading his mind, Doktor Sommer informs him: "Es ist 20:30 und mittlerweile dunkel." Lowering his voice to a whisper, he inquires about Dietrich's crime: "Was bei Gott haben Sie verbrochen, dass die SS so mit Ihnen umgeht?"
Closing his eyes again, the younger officer sighs and answers in a hoarse whisper: "Meine Cousine wurde als Widerständlerin und Verräterin erschossen." Doktor Sommer is speechless for a moment. Of course, he is as much aware of the concept of clan liability as any German, as it is a relevant part of the NSDAP propaganda and politics against all Jews as a whole people. But that the SS would act in such an aggressive manner against a German officer like Hauptmann Hans Dietrich despite his proven loyalty and reputation within the Afrikakosps has been unimagineable for Ludwig Sommer until now. The camp medic finds himself unable to think of any other comfort he could possibly give to the man who has been his commanding officer for a full year and proven time and again that he cares about his men's wellbeing and is willing to put his own life at risk for the protection of his soldiers, the man who has always acted with as much chivalry, as the Hauptmann's position would allow him. Therefore, Ludwig Sommer squeezes the young Captain's shoulder reassuringly: "Geben Sie nicht auf, Herr Hauptmann! Sie haben sich nichts zu Schulden kommen lassen."
Dietrich squeezes his eyes shut with a pained expression on his face. If only the good Doktor knew what kind of transgressions he has accumulated of his own accord in the eyes of the Obersturmbannführer and the SS. Even though loyal to the bone to his homeland which his family has served as officers for the last 4 generations, his personal code of honor and concept of chivalry drilled into him from early youth clash with the reality of people like Waldheim or Metzlich becoming more frequent in the army, Wehrmacht as well as the SS which is taking over more and more of the regular army's responsibilities. But the sub-branch of Hitler's personal task force, the Schutzstaffel, act with such brutality and inhumane sadism beyond military necessity that it disgusts the young Wehrmacht officer. All the while the likes of Hauptmann Hans Dietrich fall by the dozen every day, loyally following the command to withstand a superior enemy without surrendering or being given the chance to surrender.
Ludwig Sommer lets the desperate young officer deal with his emotions for a minute, before literally shaking him out of his reverie. "Hauptmann Dietrich, wir haben Befehl, Sie zurück ins Gefängnis zu bringen, sobald Sie dazu in der Lage sind." Dietrich's gaze focuses on the medic, as he slowly drags himself out of his reverie. What else could he have expected than to be ordered back to jail by the brutal goons of the SS. "Sie sollten davor noch etwas Wasser trinken, Suppe essen und sich waschen. Ich habe auch eine frische Garnitur für Sie holen lassen", Sommer continues compassionately and Dietrich thanks him for being so considerate to not only provide him with water and soup but also the chance to wash, shave and change into clean clothes, however long they would stay clean after that. Doktor Sommer helps him with maneuvering his injured shoulder while putting on a fresh shirt, scowling with worry, as he worries that the already lean Hauptmann will only lose more weight than he already has during his taxing desert ride and leg injury received from the thrice cursed Rat Patrol.
Looking more like himself wearing clean trousers and a fresh shirt despite the bruises on his face, Hauptmann Dietrich is escorted back to the jail by a nervous young Private from his own unit, Gefreiter Wolf Bauer, and a very determined looking SS guard who glares at the injured prisoner. At least they do not harass him any more and he can lie down on the cot and find some dreamless sleep induced by pure exhaustion.