Ginger Tea and Trickery - Hogan's Heroes Fanfiction

Chapter 3

Hogan entered the barracks, shut the door, and took one moment. He leaned back against the door, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply.

He only got a moment, though, because the next he was surrounded by people.

"What happened?"

"Are they okay?"

"We heard the shots."

"We've got Hiedler down in the tunnel, sir," Finally Baker, voice of reason, spoke up.

"Okay," Hogan shook his head and moved to the table, "All right. Everyone's alive," He said first.

"Alive as in okay, or alive as in someone's got a bullet in their chest but got lucky?" Broughton asked.

"Davis was grazed, but he's fine. He and Barnes, plus Garlotti and Joseph, are in the cooler," Hogan said. It was a sore loss, but that had been the plan, "Kinch, LeBeau and Olsen ought to be here any -," He broke off at the sudden coughing fit from Cohen's bunk.

Foster moved to his bunk, propping the boy up, "Easy breath, Ezra," He said, as Broughton passed him the mug, "Come on."

Hogan watched, concerned, as Cohen steadily regained his breath, "He's getting worse?"

Foster nodded, "Havin' a tough time breathing, Colonel," He said softly.

Cohen bobbed his head in agreement, taking a slow sip of the tea. He frowned tightly, and then weakly smiled a thanks.

"Alright, lay down," Foster tucked the blankets back around him and then rested his hand against his forehead, "Shoot, he's fallen asleep already," He stood up and sighed.

"Burning up?" Hogan asked. Foster nodded, "Great," He frowned. Pneumonia in a prison camp could be deadly, "We'll have to have Wilson get another look at him tomorrow," He looked up as the door swung open and Kinch, LeBeau and Olsen entered.

"Boy, Klink wasn't very happy," Olsen smirked, "We told him he'd gone out for a walk, like we planned, Colonel."

"Great job, fellas," Hogan smiled.

LeBeau unbuttoned his coat and the mysterious lumps underneath spilled onto the table, "We went shopping," He said.

"But there wasn't any cashier," Kinch quipped, "So we just left."

"Oui, service is horrible these days," LeBeau admonished, "Here, we got some ginger and honey for..." He trailed off and looked at Cohen, "Mon Dieu, is he worse?"

"Yeah," They nodded.

"Thought he was doin' better," Olsen frowned.

They shrugged.

"It doesn't help that it's freezin' cold in here, and all we got for it is ginger an' honey," Broughton motioned towards LeBeau's "groceries" and Addison nodded his silent agreement, "Plus he wasn't very healthy to begin with."

"Lovely prison camp diet," Baker sighed.

Hogan shook his head, "Well, as long as at least one person will wake up if he needs help, he should be okay until Wilson takes a look at him tomorrow," He stood up, "You guys all did great today - I'm going to head down below, be up in a few minutes for merry ole Hochstetter."

Kinch followed him down the tunnel, where Newkirk sat by the radio.

"Did you touch my radio?" Kinch asked suspiciously. As far as Newkirk and the radio went, Kinch was about as relenting as a mother bear protecting her young - fitting, considering their code name.

Newkirk rolled his eyes, "Relax, Kinch, I've not laid a finger on it. Just thought someone ought to be around in case London called," He looked up at Colonel Hogan, "Hochstetter'll be here soon, sir, he'll be looking for you."