((Sorry for the long wait. It's been so long since I worked on this that I had actually forgotten my plan for HOW IN THE HAY they were going to pull this off. I still don't remember my original plan for this story, but I have a new plan, so it'll have to do. [Much of Hogan's frustration here is reminiscent of my own frustrations trying to figure this the heck out].))

Friday Morning

Hogan pressed his lips against his fingers in deep thought. The Germans were expected to arrive in a matter of three hours- Carter and Newkirk had already been sent out to delay them via injury (against Colonel Hogan's better judgement). "Blue Eagle" was anticipated to arrive this afternoon. They had to keep the Germans away until they collected Blue Eagle and followed through with whatever orders Blue Eagle (hopefully) had.

Hogan rubbed his temples, trying to ease his slowly rising nerves. He didn't like having the situation out of his control. He didn't like it at all.

x Stalag 13 x

Hogan was tapping his chin absent-mindedly when he heard two knocks on the bed frame and Carter and Newkirk climbed back into the barracks.

"Well?" Hogan asked impatiently- his nervousness easy to read across his body.

"Well, we set the charges like you asked, colonel," Newkirk started sheepishly and Hogan had to keep himself from snapping at them, 'Skip the chatter and tell me what's gone wrong already!". He knew it was just his nerves, so he waited for the two to continue.

"They went off great!" Carter piped in enthusiastically, then added, a bit more sullen, "real great… actually…"

"See, the charges went off alright, just," Newkirk paused, "The krauts weren't moving after, if you see what I mean here," Newkirk trailed off.

Hogan sat up a little in shock, a thousand thoughts crossing his mind at once- the most prevalent being,

'Have we just killed two of the highest-ranking officers in Germany?'

The answer, of course, was obvious. Yes, yes they had.

Hogan sat back a little, bringing his entwined fingers to his lips again in thought as he tried to calm himself. This could be bad for them- it would more than likely be the end of them if he didn't find a way to cover it up somehow. But Hogan couldn't come up with a plan- he could barely think at all. The only rational thought that crossed his mind was, 'Well, dead does equate to delayed, I suppose…'

x Stalag 13 x

Everyone knew that Hogan was stressed when he didn't reply with some ingenious plan or even a witty comment. Everyone figured he was at his wits end as he sat in silence, seemingly mulling things over. But those who knew him best knew that there weren't any thoughts behind his expressionless face. They knew that- just like them- he was envisioning the end of the Unsung Heroes.

x Stalag 13 x

"Colonel Hogan," Schultz said, walking into the barracks. Hogan didn't even look up. "Colonel Hogan, Kl-"

LeBeau and Carter ran up the the Sergeant, shushing him before he could continue.

"Not now, Schultzy," LeBeau hushed.

"Yeah, the colonel isn't really in the greatest of moods right now," Carter added helpfully.

"Why, what's the matter? Is he sick?" Schultz asked, sounding equally concerned and curious. "But the kommandant asked to see him. I have to-"

"Another time, Schultzy," LeBeau said, pushing Schultz around and nearly forcing him out the door.

The barracks door closed softly behind him, and Carter and LeBeau turned around to glance at Hogan, who hadn't even turned towards the door.

They spared each other a glance and wondered if Hogan had even registered that Schultz had come in.

For the next half hour of the afternoon, everyone in the barracks took their turn trying to cheer up the colonel. Newkirk demonstrated rare card tricks, LeBeau managed to make him some soothing herbal tea, Carter prattled on about who knows what, and even Kinch gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

The colonel responded when spoken to, and took some interest in his men's attempts to improve his mood, but everyone could see that dead look behind the colonel's eyes. It was unsettling, to say the least.

Half an hour later, Schultz returned, looking rather pale. He glanced first at Hogan- who still hadn't moved from his chair- and then to LeBeau, to whom he spoke.

"Klink demands to see colonel Hogan at once," Schultz explained quickly, "Please, LeBeau, I need to take him to see kommandant Klink. You see, there were these two German generals-"

Hogan suddenly stood up from his chair, causing a scraping sound against the floor which drew everyone's attention. Hogan seemed to collect himself for a moment before turning around and facing Schultz.

"I'll go see the kommandant," he said without any of his usual luster. He padded past Schultz and out the door in the direction of the kommandant's office.

Schultz and the others just stared after him in wonder.

Hilda could tell something was wrong as soon as Hogan entered. She stood up from her chair in surprise.

"Hogan? What's the matter? You look-"

"Hilda?" Klink interrupted from inside his closed office, "If that's colonel Hogan, send him in immediately. I need to speak with him."

Hogan brushed past Hilda, sparing her a half-hearted kiss before he entered the kommandant's office.

As soon as the door opened, Klink began his rant, not looking up at the colonel just yet.

"Oh, Hogan, it's awful! Hogan, you'll never guess-" Klink looked up and even he noticed the dead look in the colonel's eyes. "Oh, Hogan, you look absolutely terrible! You must be sick," he commented.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me," Hogan agreed with some resilience.

"Oh, but Hogan, you simply won't believe it. It's terrible!"

Hogan kept his gaze on the ground, dreading the inevitable news. It would be a while before the Gestapo would pinpoint Hogan and his men- but the investigation would be thorough. He didn't do anything to cover it up- nothing had come to mind, and even now he had no ideas on how to retroactively destroy any evidence. It was the beginning of the end- he knew it.

"-and I still can't believe it! Even though they called just this morning! Oh, can you believe it Hogan?"

"Sorry, sir?" Hogan asked, too lost in his thoughts to catch anything the kommandant had said.

"Oh, can't you listen, Hogan? Those two officers that were supposed to visit today have been attacked! They had to postpone their visit! I've been told their injuries are quite severe."

"Injuries… sir?" Hogan asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes! A bomb went off at the Hofbrau! Can you believe it? A bomb! Who would have the audacity to try and assassinate two German generals?!"

"You mean to say," Hogan paused for a moment, still in disbelief, "That the generals are still… alive?"

"Oh, yes, indeed. But only just. I've heard that they're being kept in a hospital a few miles away. Oh, it'll be in the newspaper tomorrow- and I still can't believe it. Who would do such a thing, Hogan, you must tell me."

Hogan blinked a few times, trying to regain his luster. "Don't ask me, sir. I don't have a clue who would dare attempt such a thing."

"Dare! Who would dare, indeed, Hogan!" Klink said, offering Hogan a cigar as a sign of good will. Hogan took it and smoked it all the way back to the barracks, extinguishing it just outside.

He stepped into- what appeared to be, at least- a party. Newkirk clapped him on the back, pulling the string on a party popper* they had been saving for the end of the war and releasing confetti in the air. He heard Carter 'woo!' and Kinch gave a solid chuckle and a loud clap. LeBeau turned away from whatever he was cooking to face the colonel.

"Hey!" LeBeau shouted in his general direction, "Isn't it great? The generals aren't dead!"

"Yeah, colonel," Carter added, stuffing what appeared to be cake batter into his mouth, "So I guess we're not doomed after all, huh?"

Hogan took a minute to collect himself again. Schultz couldn't hold back on some good gossip, it would seem.

"All right, all right, knock it off," Hogan said, and everyone was relieved to hear the commanding fire returned to the colonel's voice. "We've still got a lot to do. For starters, someone has to come with me to pick up this 'Blue Eagle' of ours."

Everyone groaned as their celebration was put on hold, but they were glad to have their colonel back.

*There is pretty much zero information on when party poppers were invented, so let's just pretend that they were around. And if you don't buy that, we can just say Carter invented them XD. PS. If you know when party poppers were invented, let me know, because now I'm curious.