I NEARLY LOST HIM!

By Hemel Lass(ie)

Okay, this one is definitely a reaction to the 3rd viewing of the Janus List. It is the point of view of three individuals on the actions of one, as they realize how easily it all could have ended so tragically differently. But, for the brilliance of a mathematician's mind, a nurse who remembered long unused, lower corridors and the convenient placement down there of what I tend to think was an earlier prototype MRI machine. Those suckers were huge and so powerful they had to be placed way away from most of the hospital equipment because the magnetic field would play havoc. This is told from three different Points of View. We start with older brother, Don.

SMB, Rev June 11, 2007

DON'S POV

Shit, when I heard Charlie say those words? That security wasn't on Ashby; I went into sheer panic mode.

Forget, professional, cool FBI agent Eppes, man!

I was scared, fricking shitless; all the frantic way, driving like a madman to the hospital. To get there and security hadn't even heard of the situation evolving on the 'safe' zone floor. Incompetent idiots!

I was one of the first cops and FBI agents on scene. We all make this mad dash up elevators and stairs to the floor to find what… While there is clear evidence of a flight, and, of somebody up to no good pursuing some other bodies, but we had no clue where said parties had gotten themselves off to at that juncture.

Those were the longest minutes of my life. Security, cops, FBI, hell, I think some NSA and CIA types were in on it, too.

We were looking all over the damn hospital for a dying man in a bed, a missing ICU nurse and my mathematical genius brother, who, just a short time ago, was honest enough to admit that going out for a face to face on a bridge, with a mad bomber who turned out to be said dying man was going a bit further to help me out on my cases, than he really was comfortable going.

So, what happened to that nice, safe, scared little brother any way? I mean, was that even like, two days ago?

Now, he hooks that nurse into helping him and they wind up down in old corridors the building managers didn't even remember were down there.

I had to call Dad in, because I knew he had approved one of the earthquake or whatever retrofits of the building.

That was a lovely conversation at first, I can tell you. "Your brother is what? Where? Well, what the? Didn't security get up there? What? All right, Don, David is here, I am on my way. Please, find your brother, Donnie."

Yeah, Dad, uh, duh…like I wasn't trying? Me and a lot of other good guy armed goons were trying for all we were worth.

Thank God, by the time Dad actually got here, the nurse had reached a phone and we were all over it.

Still it was that scared younger brother who pulled their collective their asses out of the fire, down there.

Math geek solution or not, pretty damn cool for him to realize he could use that old prototype MRI machine to take a bad guy down. Very James Bond-ish.

M's inventions have nothing on your resourcefulness, Charles Edward Eppes.

Millie, eat your heart out! My brother really IS James Bond cool! Even if none of his students will never really get to hear this tale of Charlie Eppes.

Well, one former student knows…because I called her.

I hope she doesn't get a ticket on her way over here.

I didn't know Amita's voice could get that high and squeaky. "Charlie did what? He what? Oh, my God! Is he…you are sure he's… I'm on my way!"

Am I proud of him? Hell, yeah. But I am also scared.

What if there hadn't been that MRI machine down there?

This was too damn close. I mean, the time with the sniper…that was bad…the time in the office…don't like to think about that much. But this time, he deliberately put himself in harm's way; to let a dying man live long enough to know his death had mattered.

Yeah, think about that a minute, big FBI guy! Your brother laid it all on the line for a DEAD man.

God, no one would have blamed him if he had just grabbed the nurse and run for help. But, he enlisted the nurse's help and they both hauled ass and a hospital bed…to save a dead man.

You know, Charlie; it wasn't that long ago that it really hit me that one of the things I was angriest about on my thirteenth birthday WASN'T, as I always thought, that you had once again stolen my thunder and made one of my days all about you.

In that conversation with Bradford, when you revealed, suddenly, the eight year old logic that led you to NOT get lost accidently, but, intentionally walk away from where we were camping? You said you thought that would give me what I wanted. I mean…what the f----; did you think I REALLY wanted?

Tell me, please, god, tell me you did not think what I wanted was to not have you in my life any more, at all?

The thought of that, that might be what you thought, that nearly made me crack.

Shit, Charlie, you were 8! What if you had run into a bear…or a cougar? Huh? They are up there, you know. And you would have been a very tasty little nugget. Finger food, kid.

Charlie, Buddy, you may have been annoying as hell to me back in those days, but I NEVER didn't want to know what it was like to BE THAT annoyed by you.

I never wanted to not know you were still some where out there, in my life, if not a real active part.

So, do your older brother a favor? Don't get the bright idea to go all heroic on me all the time. I don't think that my heart…or Dad's, for that matter…could handle you pulling this stuff on a regular basis!

Yeah, I know…you will probably tell me something like this was an anomaly and unlikely to repeat itself, but I have to tell you. It really isn't very comfortable being the scared instead of the … what, is Scaree, really a word? I don't like being the one who doesn't know that you are safe is what I mean. Please, don't pull this kind of thing too much. Leave the protectiveness to me, huh? Please. Charlie?