III

A week ago.

Michael sat opposite a brunette, in a high pony tail, holding a hand of cards delicately. He watched as the woman carefully examined her cards and decided on one to place in line with two already on the table between them. Michael whistled at her choice and shook his head. She'd placed an Ace of Clubs in the lie up beside another Ace of Clubs, a 3 of Spade, and a 10 of Hearts.

"Katelyn, Katelyn, Katelyn…" Michael retrieved an 8 of Clubs from his hand and slipped it between the 3 and 10. "One Pair," he declared; and dropped his wrists on the table.

Katelyn examined the line then dropped her shoulders. "Shit!"

Michael grinned as he scooped the cards up. He mixed them into his own hand and shuffled them into the main deck to his left. Katelyn surrendered her cards for Michael to include in the shuffle.

"I really thought I had you that time," Katelyn said, and watched Michael shuffle the deck.

Michael chuckled. "How about we play something you're actually good at?"

Katelyn bowed her head and chuckled, then nodded. "Slap."

Michael grinned and begun dividing the deck equally between them: flicking Katelyn every first card and himself every second. He glanced around the room and saw the familiar faces of other in-house patients whom he shared the living quarters with. There weren't many of them, maybe 20, and every few months someone would leave and a new face would replace them. Katelyn had arrived three months ago. She was the newest addition to the ward.

The ward looked like any other hospital ward… if you took out the sick people and doctors. There was a lobby with tables and chairs, a lounge area complete with a flat screen TV, a collection of bookshelves filled with hardcovers donated from local libraries. Two wings broke away from the lobby from either side of the nurse's station, and lead to private rooms for each of the occupants.

"So, are you a prisoner here, too?" Michael asked as he dealt the last of the deck.

Katelyn tapped her cards against the table to straighten them, but stopped to look at Michael. She smiled. "You too?" Michael stretched his lips and flicked his eyebrows. "I feel like I've been sent to the nut house."

"Yeah," Michael agreed with an amused chuckle. He spread his cards as neatly as he could in one hand and prepared to play an intense game of Slap. "What're they keeping you for?"

Katelyn considered her first card and plucked one from her hand and placed on the table in front of them. "Ex-boyfriend's mates want to kill me." She gestured to the left side of her torso. "Already tried once."

Michael considered his first card. "That's a bit harsh," he said and dropped a card on top of Katelyn's.

"Pro tip?" Katelyn glanced at him. "Don't run to the cops when you realise your seemingly perfect boyfriend is actually a spazzed out homicidal drug dealer." She picked her next card. "What about you?"

Michael shook his head and added another card to the pile. "I've never dated a drug dealer."

"No!" Katelyn laughed and slapped Michael's arm with the back of her hand. "I mean: why are they keeping you here?"

Michael laughed and shifted in his chair. "I know what you meant."

"So?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

Katelyn titled her head to the side. "What do you mean you don't know?" She asked, sceptically.

Michael shook his head. "I don't," he confessed. "I've been asking since I got here but no one's letting up." He shrugged and gestured for Katelyn to add another card.

"Maybe someone's gunning for you," Katelyn offered.

Katelyn added another card and quickly slapped her hand down on top of the pile when she noticed the match. She collected the cards and tapped them into a neat pile to place beside her.

"Ok, this officially has my curiosity," she rested her wrists on the table. "What do you know?"

Michael was still chuckling from Katelyn's triumph. His laughter faded and he shrugged. "I took a beating, and I was shot…" Michael gestured from his chest to his forehead. "Here and here."

Katelyn stared at him curiously. "Someone tried to kill you," she stated. "Why would someone try to kill you?"

Michael shrugged like it hadn't been a question he'd been trying to figure out since the moment he woke up. "I don't know. I don't remember." He shook his head. "There's a whole week of my life missing. It's like I remember being there but I just can't see it, if that makes sense?"

Katelyn nodded; intrigued. "Yeah, I get what you're saying."

Michael added a new card to the table to start a new game. "It's like I have my back turned to the memory or something, but no matter how hard I try I can't turn around and see it. It's frustrating." He took a moment to spread his cards out in his hand. "Because I know if I could see the memory then I could answer all the questions I have. You know?"

Katelyn fixed her cards in her hand. "Well, you did get shot in the head. It's amazing you're even still a regular functioning human being." Katelyn placed a card on top of Michael's. "Maybe it's a blessing in disguise, though. I mean, you got beaten up and shot. Who wants to remember that anyway?"

Michael considered and added a new card. The game continued on for another hour, with Katelyn winning most rounds. They only parted when Katelyn got notified of a phone call from her parents. Michael packed up his deck of cards and headed back to his room.

"Michael!"

Michael had just stepped out of his room and was headed to the lobby when the familiar voice caught his attention. He turned around to see Elias, his trauma doctor, walking up the wing, dressed in a familiar blue dress shirt ducked into grey slacks.

"Hey, Elias, what's up?"

Elias came to a stop a few feet from Michael and pointed to the ward entry behind him.

"Can you come with me? There's someone here to see you," he informed.

Michael nodded and let Elias lead him out of the ward. They descended the stair case to the first floor, which was mostly occupied by reception and office spaces. To the left of the staircase was a hallway where Michael immediately noticed two uniformed police standing against a wall. Elias led Michael towards them and it soon became clear the officers were guarding a door. Elias stopped outside the door and looked to Michael like he wanted to warn him about something, but decided not to.

When Elias opened the door Michael saw a tall man, initially standing with his back to them. He'd quickly turned around when he heard the door open and Michael instantly noticed the man was another officer. Though he wore parade uniform unlike the patrol uniform the guards wore, complete with the white gloves and held his dress cap against his lap. Michael's first instincts were to look at the man's epaulettes and determine his rank. When he did, Michael swiftly straightened his posture and debating saluting. The man in front of him was the Deputy Commissioner.

"At ease, Senior Constable Sandrelli," the Deputy Commissioner dismissed, "this is an informal setting." Michael nodded. "I'm Deputy Commissioner Collins of the News South Wales police force. Take a seat," Collins gestured to the table that stood between them. "We have something to discuss."

Michael obeyed and sat at the table directly adjacent to Collins. Elias took a seat to Michael's left and for a moment Michael wondered why he'd been allowed to stay. Collins reached for a cream coloured folder that rested on the table to his right, and retrieved portrait mug shots. He lined the three mug shots in front of Michael.

"I'm here today to shed light on a question I know you've been wanting answers to," Collins tapped the table above the photos. "Do you recognize these men?"

Michael took a moment to look from photo to photo. A photo of Doug Rainey sat in the middle with Cole to the right and Liam to the left. He nodded and looked up. "The Rainey family. They had a cocaine business in Melbourne."

"What was your relationship with them?"

"I was sent undercover with an operative from drug-squad. Our mission was to lure the Rainey's into a high priority deal and execute arrests," Michael reported; feeling himself slip into the persona of a police officer again.

Collins nodded. "Didn't go down that smoothly, though, did it?" He retrieved another mug shot from the folder and laid it on top of Cole's. "This is Yuri Gringko. He's Russian Mafia. He went into partnership with Doug Rainey a month before you and Sergeant Soltoss were put under. But he got greedy, he wanted to take Melbourne away from the Rainey's but Doug wouldn't give it up." Collins retrieved another mug shot and placed it on top of Doug's. "Do you recognize this man?"

Michael leaned forward to get a look at the new face. The man was bald, blue eyed, fair skinned, and—Michael instantly sat up. He suddenly saw the face in his memory: standing in front of him with a gun rising to his aim. Michael could feel his heart beginning to race but kept himself under control. He could suddenly see a fragment of a memory he'd believed to have turned his back on. Michael remembered sitting on the back of a boat. He could hear Liam's voice behind him but couldn't see him. Something had caught Michael's attention, a shadow or the sound of approaching footsteps, he'd started to look up which was when he saw two men standing on the pier in front of the boat and suddenly both men raised a gun. Michael had been watching the man who stood directly in front of him, the man whose face he now saw in mug shot photo, and remembered being shocked to see the gun pointed directly at him.

"He shot me," Michael recalled, despairingly; forcing his mind away from the memory.

"Yuri abducted Liam to intimidate Doug into giving up his turf," Collins reported, "It's unclear if your cover had been blown at the time of the shooting but unfortunately you got caught in the middle of a turf war either way."

This was news to Michael. He hadn't known about the turf war or Liam's abduction. He nodded and glanced to Elias, who wore an expression of sympathy directed at Michael.

"You were transferred to Sydney because, at the time, Melbourne was a very unsafe place for you to be in," Collins continued. "Yuri Gringko, unfortunately, had a reputation for not letting a target survive and since he was still at large at the time there were real concerns for your safety. So, to avoid another attempt on your life, you were brought here…" Collins hesitated. "And your death was made public."

Michael scrunched his face at the information and shifted in his seat. "Sorry, my what?"

Collins nodded once, he'd expected this reaction. "It's called a Miller Order," he informed. "It's when the police force stages a person's death in order to protect them. It's what your Commissioner did to you. It's an extreme case of witness protection. You were kept in Sydney to recover while a marathon of court hearings and trials took place over 23 months in Melbourne." Collins rested his hands on top of each other over the folder. "Now that those involved with the Rainey drug ring and Russian Mafia have been prosecuted and sentenced to maximum prison time... I'm here to tell you it's safe for you to return home."

Michael fell back in his seat. Everything had started to make sense; why he wasn't allowed to leave the premises or why he hadn't been allowed to contact anyone.

"Who knows I'm alive?"

Collins collected the photos from the table and slipped them back into his folder. He considered the answer. "In Melbourne: your family and the Commissioner's office."

Michael pursed his lips and shook his head. "So, my team don't… Do they?"

"Sandrelli, understand that for the Miller Order to be successful it's crucial a list of those involved is kept as short as humanly possible," he said matter-of-factly. "Because of that, it's a good bet your team have no idea this happened."

Michael nodded, he was in no position to challenge a superior officer on moral ethics. The meeting adjourned some time later. Collins didn't have more information for Michael but was able to answer questions Michael had about returning to Melbourne and the status of the Rainey family and the man who shot him.

"Did you know about his?" Michael asked Elias as they climbed the staircase back to the second floor.

Elias shrugged, "I didn't know details but I knew you being transferred to us was classified information."

Michael shook his head and pulled the glass door open that lead into his wing. "How would you fake someone's death, though? I mean, I understand why they did it but I know my team," he glanced back at Elias and waved his hands. "They would've been at the hospital every chance they got." Michael sighed and stepped into his room where he came to a stop at the foot of his bed in the centre of the room. "Especially Stella."

Elias considered and put his hands on his hips. "Well, you would've been in an induced coma – especially with the head wound." He shook his head and thought hard. "Your doctor probably administered you with rocuronium bromide." Michael looked at him and Elias quickly waved his hand at the realisation. "It's a neuromuscular blocker and skeletal muscular relaxant. It's a drug we administer to patients in preparation for surgery, usually administered with general anaesthesia. And since you were already in a coma, the administration of rocuronium would've mimicked paralysis. Then all they had to do was reprogram the hearts monitors and…" he shrugged and shook his head.

"So you're saying it's possible?" Michael questioned.

Elias nodded. "It's risky, but, yeah… It's easily done."

Michael exhaled. "That's comforting."

He turned his back to Elias and headed for the walk-in wardrobe to the back of his room. He retrieved a black leather duffle bag that his mother had brought up with her; containing a small wardrobe and personal hygiene items. Michael placed the bag on the end of his bed and returned to the wardrobe to start packing his belongings.

"What are you doing?" Elias asked, though he could've guessed.

Michael rolled each item of clothing against his body and packed them tightly against each other inside the bag. "I can leave, right?" Elias nodded. "So, I'm leaving. I'm going home."

Elias nodded; knowing he's do the same thing In Michael's position. He left Michael to pack, saying he'd drive Michael to the airport and see him off. Michael's bag was almost completely packed. He looked around the room a final time to determine if anything else was important enough to him to bring back to Melbourne. He turned to the door and saw Katelyn leaning against the frame with her arms folded.

"You've been freed," she said enthusiastically. "I guess that means you finally got your answers."

Michael smiled at her and lifted the bags strap onto his shoulder. He nodded and stood in the doorway opposite her. They gazed at each other for a moment, until Katelyn took a deep breath and straightened her posture.

"Where're you going?"

"Home," Michael answered softly. "Melbourne."

Katelyn nodded absentmindedly. Truthfully, she was disappointed. "Right. You're leaving me here by myself, then."

Michael tapped the side of his bag and chuckled. He slipped his tapping hand into one of the bags unzipped pockets and retrieved his deck of playing cards held together by a double wrapped elastic band. He offered the deck to Katelyn. "Practise. And when they free you, come find me."

Katelyn smiled and accepted the deck. She played with it in her hands; pressing her thumbs against the top card and bending the deck. "I'll kick your arse," she teased; returning her attention to Michael.

Michael smiled broadly. "Unlikely."

Katelyn tapped the deck against her hand then arched her back to allow her hands to slip through and press against the door frame behind her. "So, how will I find you?"

Michael considered. He glanced out to the hall then back to Katelyn. "There's a police base in Yarraville, west Melbourne. It's Tactical Response." Katelyn nodded; curiously. "Ask for Senior Constable Michael Sandrelli."

Katelyn's eyes widened and her bottom jaw dropped in surprise. "I've got to be honest, I didn't pick you for a cop."

Michael laughed and adjusted his positioned against the door frame. It was then that Elias appeared in the hallway and waved to Michael. Michael nodded back and scooted himself into the hallway. "I gotta go." He stepped forward and pulled Katelyn into a hug. When they parted, he rubbed her shoulder and smiled again. "Take care of yourself."

Katelyn nodded and stepped into the hallway with Michael; bouncing her weight onto her back leg. "You too."

Michael gently squeezed Katelyn's shoulder and held onto her until the steps he'd taken towards Elias created too much space between them. He gave Katelyn a final grin before falling into step with Elias and leaving the in-patient ward for the last time.