Don't own Chuck - but I keep a candle burning
SWEET HOME CHICAGO
It was spring and the wind off the lakes was still biting. The weather in California was what Ellie missed the most and going in at night to the hospital especially in the winter was challenging. She had on more than one occasion thought about telling Devon she couldn't take it anymore and that she wanted to move back to Echo Park. But she liked her work and Devon seemed to like his so she put up. However, now that she was arriving at the hospital and she could see police vehicles with flashing blue lights outside and hordes of uniformed officers walking in and out. She couldn't help but think that maybe they had over stayed their welcome. She walked up to the automatic doors and it made its usual whooshing noise as she walked in Ellie felt a sudden blast of warm air. And as he observed this sea of blue uniforms an odd thought passed in her head that a center for healing had been turned into a crime scene and even worse a scene for murder. The barbarians had overrun the citadel.
"Doctor Woodcomb?" asked a uniformed officer to which she responded affirmatively. "This way Detective Franklin would like to see you in patient records." They walked over to the elevator and the officer pressed the button as if he knew the hospital. She could only wonder how many times he had gone up and down this night. They arrive on the floor then made their way down the corridor. The officer never spoke a word she could only think that he had been ordered not to talk to her. Once they got to their destination the officer introduced her to the Detective.
"Yes, Doctor Woodcomb, I need to ask you some questions," said a short rather heavy set man. There in the middle of the floor was a taped out outline of a body with a large blood pool in the middle. As a physician and surgeon she knew how much blood the human body held and looking at the pool she could tell that the amount there would have been fatal to whoever had lost it.
"Yes Detective Franklin," she answered looking at the badge he had hanging out of his left breast pocket. "What can I do for you?"
"We found these records open over there. Can you confirm you're the reporting physician on these?"
"Yes, that's my signature, why?"
"As I said we found these open and there doesn't seem to be anything else that was touched so you can imagine we would like to know what is so special about these two patients."
"As far as I know nothing."
"The patients in these records are never mentioned by name. One is called patient XX and the other XY. Is this normal hospital policy?"
"Sometimes, when our patients request anonymity we purge their names to protect doctor patient-privilege, why is it important?"
"You tell me. I've got a dead security guard with three gunshot wounds and these records found open. The guard was killed with two shots to the chest and one to the head making me think that the man doing the shooting was a professional."
"I still don't understand what this has to do with my patients."
"Listen you seem like a nice lady. I just need the names of these people so I can rule them out as suspects. Listen if they didn't do this then someone is looking for them either way I need their names."
"I'm sorry I can't do that," said Ellie firmly thinking that the morning might find her in jail and how would Awesome manage Clara if she were.
"Doctor, there has been a homicide here and these files seem to be our only clue. I'm afraid you won't be able to hide behind doctor-patient privilege."
"Detective, how about national security," said a woman who marched right into the crime scene ignoring the police tape.
"Excuse me lady but who do you think you are?" Ellie recognized General Beckman right away but though best just to remain silent and she was right.
"That's not important, what is import is the telephone call you're going to receive right about now from the police commissioner ordering you and your people to leave and to turn over everything you've found to me." Before the detective could open his mouth to protest his phone rang. He looked at it for a few minutes then answered.
"Yes, Commissioner. But it's... Okay... I understand national security. Okay. Right away." Franklin turned to Beckman, "Lady he wants to speak to you," handing her the phone.
"Hi, Randy, good to hear from you too. Yes, I'll give your regards to the Attorney General. I've got to run I got this mess to clean up. Look forward to it." General Beckman hung up and gave the phone back to the Detective. "Please leave whatever you've found with my men and by the way there's coffee and doughnuts on the way out. The General waited until all the policemen had left then she turned to Ellie.
"Now, do you mind telling me what's going on here?"
General I don't know. I got called at home and I just got here. The Detective was showing me these records. As you can see I'm the reporting Doctor and these are the examines I had performed on Sarah and Morgan."
"So Agents Bartowski's records were never accessed," asked Beckman and Ellie nodded. "Can we confirm that?"
"Sure there in my CIA safe in my office. They're there right now.
"What I don't understand is why these records were her to begin with?
"I needed them for some research I was doing and since neither are active intersects I didn't think it mattered. I was trying to answer a medical question for Sarah so I need to share some of their patient information that is why I devised the codes for them XX Sarah and XY Morgan."
"What what Mrs. Bartowski's burning question?
"General I'd rather not say." When she said it she knew the General wasn't going to take no for an answer, but she had promised Sarah so she had to at least try.
"Doctor, do you see that blood stain on the floor that isn't ketchup."
"Sarah asked me to look into the ramifications of the intersect and her having a child more specifically the genetic possibility that a child from two intersect parents would have an intersect ready baby. I needed both records to study the effects of short term and long term exposure to the intersect."
"I would think that would be prudent on her part," said the General.
"No General, you don't understand Sarah is pregnant. I had her do a blood test when they came back from Italy and I just got the confirmation this evening. I was going to call them this morning.
"Dr. Woodcomb, you need to do something for me right now. I want you to purge all records about this. I don't want even one bye of information left. Can you do this for me?" Ellie responded by nodding her head. "I think you're going to be able to deliver that information in person. Pack up your family, I'm taking you all to California with me."
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Three men enter the LA Morgue and make their way to the basement. The lower they descended the colder it got like the ninth circle in Dante's Inferno frozen lake Cocytus and Lucifer waist deep in it. They finally reach the door that they were searching for: Medical Examiner. Entering they found an assistant laying out the corpse of the former Elizabeth Watson.
"Oh, my God," one of the men said acting as if he were in anguish. "She's gone. What am I supposed to do now? What about our children? Who would do such a thing?"
"I'm sorry, mister?" said the examiner
"Robert Watson this was my loving wife, Elizabeth." The examiner made a mental confirmation by next of kin had been done.
"Well Mr. Watson I'm sorry for your lose but you guys need to leave you're not supposed to be here."
"But this is my wife, my love what am I going to do?" hamming it up quite a lot. In fact both his men thought he was going a little over board and that they might have to ask their friend Mr. Colt to intervene.
However, the examiner was touched by the man's grief and tried to comfort him, "Listen I am truly sorry is there anything I can do?"
"Could I please have a moment with her?" Robert asked.
"Sure, I don't see why not." The examiner walked back behind Robert's two goons. Robert caressed Elizabeth's face what there was left of it then bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. Then he turned back to the examiner and thanked him. "What do I need to do now?"
"Go upstairs they'll give you some paperwork to fill out and after the police release the body you'll be able to arrange for a funeral."
"Thanks, you've been very kind and understanding. I hate to ask but there is one other thing I'd like to impose upon you but I don't know if it is possible."
"Ask, if I can I will." Robert realized that the man was hooked now all he had to do was reel him in.
"My wife had her engagement ring on and I see it's missing. I was wonder if you had it and if you do could I have it. It was a family heirloom you see and I would hate for it to get lost. In a certain sense having it would make me feel as if a little part of her was still be with me. I'm sure you understand."
"Well, I'm not supposed to but I can't see as it would be any value to the investigation, so okay, wait here and let me get her personal effects." The two men who came with Robert were astounded that he had pulled it off without them having to kill the examiner. The man returned with a paper bag that contained her clothes and another bag that contained her personal things. "Here it is. I just need you to sign for it." The examiner handed Robert a clipboard with forms on it and pointed out where he needed to sign.
Outside the men got into a black Cadillac Escalade. The two goons were up front; one was driving and the other riding beside him. Robert sat in the back dialing a number, "Okay we recovered the stone. I'll be right over with it."
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LEAVING ON A JET PLANE
At the Woodcomb residence a black Chevrolet Suburban pulled up just after dawn with two men in dark suits with sunglasses on even though daylight had just broken. One of them men stepped out and opened the passenger door for Ellie. As she got out she could feel the eyes of her next door neighbor watching her, the Gladys Kravitz of Chicago suburbia.
"Devon," Ellie yelled as she got inside. Awesome could tell something was wrong by the way she had called his name.
"What is it? What did the police want? What did Chuck do?" A million questions he was throwing at her but when he asked about Chuck she was a little taken aback. Why was it that one of his first questions were the same as hers and that the question they both had included her little brother.
"Awesome, listen I need you to be awesome. We have to pack right now. General Beckman sent those men outside to take us to the airport. We're going back to Burbank."
"Why? I mean I've got patients and surgeries scheduled."
"Honey, Beckman has cancelled it all. They've got a military jet waiting on the tarmac for us with engines ready and one way or another we're going on it in less than an hour so get a move on hun. I'll explain everything once we get in the air."
"Holy crap! What has your brother done now?"
"Devon, stop blaming Chuck it's not his fault it's mine. I was careless with some patient records and now, well some people we care about are in harm's way because of me. But I can't get into this with you right now. Get Clara up and ready. I'll put her things together."
Devon went back to Clara's room and gentle woke her up trying not to scare her but at the same time trying to hurry up. As they were moving at ninety miles a minute there was a knock at their front door. As first there were looks of terror as Devon and Ellie stared at each other they were both trying to say answer you or answer me but no words were spoken. Finally after the third ring Devon went to the door.
"Oh Hun, it's just Martha. Hey, Martha what brings you over so early?" Awesome was trying to play down the situation so as not to alarm their friend.
"Well, I was taking Suzie to school and I was wondering if you wanted me to drop Clara off too. I know you probably have a busy day saving lives and working out to keep that gorgeous body of yours in shape."
"No. no we don't, in fact we're about ready to go out of town. Would you mind tell the teachers at school that Clara won't be able to go for a while."
'Oh my, has something happened? Can we do anything for you like feed your dog or water your plants?"
"Martha, we don't have a dog and most of our house plants are artificial. That's the price you pay when both husband and wife work and have little time to take care of them. But we appreciated the offer."
"Can you wait a minute I'm sure Suzie would like to say good bye to Clara?" Martha went out to get Suzie as Ellie came into the living room.
"Devon, the kids don't have to be in school for three hours, what is that woman doing here?"
"Oh, you're just being overly suspicious after everything that's happened. She probably just couldn't sleep so she came over for some company. When she found us packing she probably used the school as an excuse not to embarrass herself or us."
"Honey, you think everyone is like you but dear, there are people out there who aren't nice." Martha came flying in, pushing a sleepy Suzie who could barely keep her eyes open.
"Go play with Clara," insisted Martha shoving the kid along. "Clara is going on a vacation to see her uncle and aunt in California."
"How did you know that"" asked Ellie. "I didn't hear Devon tell you."
"Oh, I just guessed I mean it would take a family emergency to get your two to leave Chicago this time of year. It just seemed that if there were a reason that would be what it would have to be."
"See hun, a perfectly good excuse."
"Martha, do you mind if I take a picture of Clara and Suzie together? I'm making a collage of all of Clara's friends. I want to have it framed for her room a sort of keepsake that she can look back on when she gets older."
"You know Ellie I thought Devon was the clever one but you just take the cake. Sure go right ahead. Suzie honey Ellie wants to take your picture. Now look at the camera and smile."
Ellie went to purse and pulled out her Nokia 1025, "Okay girls look over here I want you two to say, Cheese." Ellie had put the two girls below a mirror she had in the living room so when she took the kids picture she got Martha in the reflection. However, as soon as Ellie finished Martha asked to see it, thinking fast on her feet she told her that it hadn't come out so well so she needed to shot another one.
"How did this one come out?" asked Martha. "Better than the last one, I hope."
"Here look. Isn't it perfect? If you give me your email I'll send you a copy."
"That would be so nice of you. Thanks."
They finally got rid of Martha and company. Now they could get down to the business of packing with Clara jumping up and down with joy at the prospect of seeing Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sarah. Ellie was happy too she had been able to get Martha's picture and email not bad for a civilian she thought.
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I WAS WORKING IN THE LAB LATE ONE NIGHT
Team Bartowski pulled up outside the morgue in a funeral van. All three were dressed in black suits, white shirts and black tie just like morticians. Chuck couldn't resist drawing two vultures on the outside of the van in the dust: one on each side of the funeral company's name.
"I hate body snatching but if I have to snatch bodies I'm glad I'm snatching them with you Love, said Chuck. "You know Hun, you make even an undertaker's clothes look hot."
"Sweetie, I bet you say that to all the morticians."
'Okay Morticia and Gomez, can we get on with this," said Casey
"Okay Igor," said Chuck. "Come on Casey a little grave yard levity."
"Chuck, I need to get out of here are soon as possible so cut the crap and let's get a move on it okay. I've got things to do and people to visit."
"You've made up with Gertrude. I knew you two crazy kids couldn't stay mad forever. So Casey where are you taking her, I could give you some ideas."
"If you want know no we haven't made up and I'm not meeting Verbanski. Alex and Morgan are flying out and I want to see them off at the airport. Alex went to see her mother but I've been with you two all day so I haven't been able to see her."
"Casey, I'm sorry. If you had said something Chuck and I could have managed."
"Morgan's leaving but he's never said anything to me? How could he do this to me?"
"Numbnuts, you're married to Sarah not Morgan and beside he tried but you two were hold up on that cruise and this morning he was supposed to but this Watson thing came up."
"My little buddy is leaving? Where are they going? Does this have to do with the Peace Corps? How long are they going to be gone for?
"Chuck, the answer is yes to all your questions. This job really bites sometimes let's get this over and if we get a move on it we can all see them off together."
"Like get the gang all together one last time," as Chuck said it he didn't like it. The words left a bitter taste in his mouth and a hole in his heart.
The three of them got out of the van and walked straight past the front door security. If there is one thing that goes unnoticed in a morgue that is undertakers. On a good day there can be at least a half dozen companies vying for business. Some have contacts in the mortuary departments of the various hospitals in the area to get first dibs on the newly dearly departed. They made their way through the honeycombed passage up to the medical examiner's office. Chuck knocked on the door and as soon as the examiner opened it Casey gassed him.
"Casey, that stuff FDA approved. I mean the guy could wake up brain dead but I guess he has enough spare parts lying around."
"Chuck, help me put him up on the exam table."
"Casey, you can't do that what'll happen if someone comes in and performs an autopsy on him?"
"Got you, Numbnuts," said Casey as Sarah giggled.
"I'll admit it you got me, very funny."
"Sweetie you should've seen your face. I wish I had a camera."
'Hey Chuck give me a hand with lizzy," Chuck and Casey lifted the woman's lifeless corpse and put it in a body bag. "Okay now grab a gurney that way we can roll her out. Sarah, you got her personal effects?"
"Yeah there here but I don't understand they were just out in the open. I would have thought they would have had them in the vault in the back locked up."
"You're right there is no reason for them to be here when he was doing the autopsy. He'd risk getting them contaminated. Carp, I got an idea and I hope I'm wrong. Look around for a clipboard or piece of paper that has an inventor of her things on it."
"Here, Casey like this one. I found it on his desk."
"Did anyone sign for anything?
"Yeah I have a Robert Watson who signed for an engagement ring."
"We're too late someone's already beat us to it."
"Casey," said Sarah "can we please hurry up the smell is starting to bother me and I'm feeling very nauseous. I don't want to-" She never finished what she was saying she just ran to a deep sank and everything she had eaten came visiting. After she got done Chuck went over and gently rubbed her back.
"Love do you feel better?"
"Yeah, it must be that airplane foot." Chuck ran the water in the sink to flush it out and got bleach to pour down the drain to destroy DNA. Sarah still was feeling well so she let her husband take care of her,
After dropping everything off at a CIA facility the three made their way to the airport with the intention of seeing Alex and Morgan off only to find that they were too late. They got there in time to see Morgan's flight take off taking him and Alex on their way to a layover in Detroit then the Republic of Bonino Central Africa.
"Casey, I got an idea while were here why don't I try to get the CCTV feed from the airport security cameras from this morning I can down load it on a flash drive. If we're lucky there will be a picture we can magnify to see the ring that was taken."
"Good, idea. I'll stay her with Sarah." Casey turned to her "You don't look so hot."
"Thanks Casey, but I'm feeling better. A little bit tired but better. I think it's all this jetlag." Just then Casey's phone rang he looked down at the caller ID and saw General Beckman's picture.
"Yes, General, Sarah's here and Chuck should be back soon. He's trying to gather some intelligence." Casey looked at Sarah. "Yes, she isn't feeling to well. It probably was the food she ate on the plane." Sarah nodded her head. "Okay, I'll tell them. We'll get Echo Park ready. Casey out."
"What is it?" asked Sarah. "Is Beckman coming?"
"Yeah, and she's bringing the Woodcombs. Crap! We've got to child proof Echo Park!"
