A/N:As always, thanks to all you nice people who've following this story. It's very encouraging to see that you seem to like this increasingly convoluted tale.
If you've been waiting for some of our favorite characters to make an reappearance, you going to like this chapter of the Bartowski arc.
Wouldn't be here without my beta Micahelfmx. Thank you, thank you thank you.
Don't own Chuck, etc.
Enjoy!
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CHUCK VERSUS THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS
Chapter 4 Bartowski
As Karen Green walks out of the hospital for the first time in three days, she's struck by the coolness of the night air. It seems that their late Indian summer is over. As she hugs her sweater closer, she's reminded that winter is just around the corner.
Ever since Chuck had awoken, she's been sleeping at the hospital and spending her waking hours watching over him. But now she's been given leave to spend a day at her own place. A chance to take care of some needed things and sleep in her own bed for a change.
Chuck's words still puzzle her. How could he believe that she and Beckman are the only two people who care for him? He'd spoken so fondly of Sarah and how close they were. It was so obvious how he felt about her and, from what Karen had seen, it was clear the woman felt the same about Chuck. And the same for his other visitors as well. So how come he suddenly felt so alone in the world?
She catches herself, wondering if by following Beckman's orders to not reveal he'd had those specific visitors, she may have contributed to the problem. She can't see how, though. He must surely remember them and how much they care for him!
She wished she'd had another minute to reassure Chuck of that, but, of course, the General had entered the room just at that moment. Karen still can't figure out why Beckman was so eager to get rid of her.
She gets into her red Toyota Prius, and, while driving toward the exit, finds herself distracted by the odd events surrounding the young man given into her care. To such an extent, that when she reaches the security gate, she doesn't have her pass ready.
"Hi, Karen. Your pass please."
"Sorry, George. It's in here somewhere." She fumbles around in her purse, annoyed when she can't find it. She looks back at the guard.
"We've known each other for two years, George. Surely, you can let me through."
He shakes his head. "Sorry, Karen. You know I normally would, but they've really tightened security in the last few days. I'll need to be able to say that I saw it before I can open the gate."
She nods. "Yeah, I understand. It's the same inside." She looks again. "Ah! Here it is." She hands it over and watches the man casually glance at it before handing it back to her.
"OK, you're good. Oh, by the way, I've been instructed to take a week off with pay. In fact, I've heard all the regular security personnel have been asked to do the same. They'll have an all new crew in for the next week. They'll start at midnight tonight."
"Why would they do that, George?"
He shrugs. "Haven't the foggiest. But it'll be nice to have the time off."
He raises the gate.
"See you in a week."
"Goodnight, George. Have a nice break."
"Thanks. Night, Karen."
…
Fifteen minutes later, Karen pulls into the driveway of her modest rancher on the outskirts of Alexandria. She remains in the car for a few minutes, ruminating over the unusual events of the past few days. She can't make heads or tails of the whole thing and, frustratingly, it appears that no one is going to make her the wiser.
Oh well, it's not the first time and likely won't be the last.
After exiting the car and setting the alarm, she walks toward her front door. But before she's taken more than a couple of steps, she's startled by a figure that steps out of the shadows to her right. For a moment she panics, afraid, her heart pounding.
"You…I recognize you." Karen fights to get her breath back.
"I'm sorry to frighten you, Nurse Green."
"You're the woman who visited Chuck every evening."
"Yes. And I thank you for taking such good care of him."
"I haven't seen you for a while. How come?"
"That's part of why I'm here tonight. You see, we have a problem, my friends and I, and we require your help." She gestures to the house behind her. "May we go inside? We need to talk.
"However, first of all, I believe introductions are in order." The woman steps closer, offers her hand.
Karen takes it, is surprised by the firm grip.
"My name is Sarah Walker."
…
Karen closes the front door behind her and, upon turning on the lights, is startled once again when she sees a man sitting in one of her armchairs.
She jumps but before she can make a sound, Sarah says, "Don't worry, he's with me."
The man stands and Karen realizes that it's "Military Guy".
Sarah asks him, "All clear, Casey?"
The man nods. "No bugs, no cameras."
"Good. Nurse Green, I'd like you to officially meet Casey. One of those friends I spoke of."
The big man steps closer and, like Sarah had done, offers his hand. Karen's own is virtually lost in the man's large one. She senses that he refrains from exerting too much force in his grip.
For some reason, she finds herself a little flustered as she says, "Please call me Karen."
The man looks at her appraisingly. "OK, Karen. You can call me John."
Turning to Sarah, he says, "The others will be here in a few minutes. I'll wait outside until you call."
"Thank you, Casey."
The man leaves, shutting the door softly behind him.
The nurse turns to the woman beside her. "Now, can you please tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Yes. I imagine you're a little confused at this point." She gestures to the couch. "Can we sit? I'll try to clear things up a bit."
They both sit, turning to face each other.
The younger woman speaks first. It's not difficult for Karen to detect the anxiety in her eyes, hear it in her voice and see it in the rigidity of her posture.
"But, before I continue, I need to know if Chuck's OK? He's awake? Lucid?"
"Yes. He appears to be just fine. He woke up three days ago and he's been undergoing tests for the last two. I didn't hear of any issues, and, In fact, just this morning they disconnected all the monitoring equipment. He's a little weak, but he's up and about. He had a substantial breakfast this morning."
It's easy to see her relief. She smiles a little as she asks, "Pancakes?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"It's just him. Thank you, Karen. I've been worried."
"I could tell, Sarah."
"You didn't seem surprised when I told you my name."
Karen shakes her head. "No, I wasn't. Chuck had spoken of a Sarah and, based on what I saw of you, it wasn't difficult to put two and two together."
The nurse sees the woman's expression soften as she asks, "Would you mind telling me what he said about me?"
Karen hesitates for a moment, unsure whether she's breaking some rule of confidentiality, but the pleading she sees in Sarah's expression tips the balance.
"Well, he described you, in glowing terms I might add, and then told me how close you and he are. But he also said that the two of you couldn't seem to make that final connection, that things were much more complicated than he felt they should be."
Sarah's face falls a bit at this, and the nurse can't help but feel she's touched a nerve of some sort.
Her voice is quiet. "Yeah. That sounds like Chuck."
Karen waits a few seconds before she asks, "Could you tell me what kind of relationship you and Casey have with him?"
When Sarah doesn't answer immediately, Karen's frustration boils over. Exasperated, she stands, arms folded in front of her chest. "Look, you ask for my help after practically ambushing me in my own home and scaring the crap out of me. And now you won't tell me what's going on? Don't you think I have the right to informed consent? I have to have some sort of idea of what I'm getting into before I can make any sort of decision."
"I'm sorry, Karen. You're right. Please sit and I'll tell you as much as I can." Karen complies, waiting for Sarah to elaborate, which she does after a few seconds. "To make a long story short, Chuck has a unique ability to retain large amounts of data and extract actionable intel from it. Three years ago, when he first acquired that ability, Casey and I became his protectors and teammates. We've been working together ever since. I'm with the CIA and Casey is NSA."
"I figured you two were agents of some sort. I assume Chuck was one as well?"
Sarah looks uncomfortable. "No, he was an asset."
"So that meant one of you was his hand…" Karen stops and stares, her hand over her mouth. "Oh my god, you fell in love with your asset!" Even as far removed as she is from field work, the nurse knows this is a definite no-no.
Sarah squirms in her seat a little, seems about to protest, but instead says, "How did you figure it out?"
Karen takes pity on her. "Sarah, it was clear the very first time you came to visit him. Let's just say you couldn't have been any more obvious if you'd put a sign around your neck that said, 'I love Chuck.'"
Sarah gives the nurse an embarrassed little smile. "I didn't realize I was quite that transparent. I'm usually better at hiding my feelings."
"Trust me, you weren't that time. So when you told me you'd be coming by the same time the next night, I made sure I was on duty, and during your subsequent visits as well."
"I don't understand."
"That first night, when I saw you with him, I knew that I didn't want something that personal to be the subject of idle hospital gossip. You deserved some privacy."
"So no one else there knows?"
The nurse shakes her head. "No. Regs prohibit surveillance devices in patient rooms. So, the only people who know were the ones there. Just you, me and Chuck."
Karen sees the spy suddenly flush.
"What's wrong, Sarah?"
Looking down into her lap, she says, very quietly, "I…I never told him…before all this."
Karen can't hide her astonishment. "What? Not even once?"
Sarah gnaws at her bottom lip, then shakes her head. "No, not even once."
"Help me out here. Was it something you just figured out after all this happened?"
"No. I wish I could use that excuse, but the truth is that I've loved him pretty much since the day we met."
Karen just shakes her head, a little sadly. "And yet you never found the chance to tell him? Why?"
"Like Chuck said, it's complicated. You know about the regs."
"Screw the regs!"
Sarah jumps a little at the nurse's sudden vehemence. "What?"
"You heard me."
"But if they found out, they'd reassign me so fast I wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye."
"Then you'd have to find a way around the regs."
Sarah shakes her head. "I'm not sure—"
Karen slides over and takes her hand. "Sarah, you love this man. And I'm certain you told him as much each time you visited."
She nods. "Yes."
"Then you are sure. Now you just have to find the courage to tell him when he's awake."
"I know I have to, but…"
"But you're terrified that he won't be able to accept your past and the things you've had to do for the job. That's really the main reason, isn't it?"
Sarah just stares, mouth agape. "How…how did you know?"
"I've been at the bedside of more dying agents than I'd like to remember. And as I held their hand, you know what they most often told me was their biggest regret in life?"
Sarah shakes her head, a little uncertainly it seems to Karen.
"It was the god awful loneliness that came from hiding themselves, pushing away the people they did care about, afraid to let them see who they really were."
The nurse pauses. "Sarah, let me ask you a question. When your time comes, is that the last thought you want going through your mind? And if it comes to it, who do you want at your bedside, holding your hand? Some stranger you've known for a couple of days at best, or someone who's spent a lifetime loving you?"
"No. But what if he can't…maybe all he'll see is a monster."
"Yes, there's always that chance. But, in your case, I'm certain it's an infinitesimally small one."
Karen sees the hope and doubt warring in her expression. "How can you be so sure?"
"Sarah, I've seen the look in his eyes every time he speaks about you. If I'd ever, even once, seen that look in the eyes of my ex, he wouldn't be my ex, if you get my drift."
The nurse smiles. "Besides, when he woke up, do you know what the first word out of his mouth was?"
The young woman shakes her head.
"Your name."
"Oh!"
"Yes, and in fact, that was the only thing he said before he fell asleep. And this after almost a week-long coma. You were obviously the first thing on his mind."
Blinking her tears away, the spy replies, "Probably because he has some totally idealistic image of me."
"Tell me, Sarah. Amongst all this data that Chuck has stuck in his head, is there stuff about you and your service record?"
She looks surprised, seemingly caught off guard by the question. She's silent, thoughtful for a few seconds before she answers, "Yes, almost certainly."
"So more than likely, Chuck already has a pretty good idea of what kind of things you've had to do. Right?"
"Yes. Most likely."
"Yet, every indication is that you're still the most important person in the world to him."
Karen sees something, a small sliver of hope, perhaps, in the young woman's expression. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely. So what are you waiting for, girl? Just tell him. Give him the chance to prove that he loves you regardless of all the crap you've gone through. You have to believe that he can and wants to do so."
Listening to the nurse's words, Sarah is reminded of all the times she's been encouraged, even urged, to push aside her fears and take that step. Over the past three years, pretty much everybody, Ellie, Devon, Morgan and even Casey, each in their own way, had made their feelings on the matter known. But somehow, Karen's little pep talk, coming, as it does, from an outsider, has finally crystallized matters for Sarah. No more wasted chances.
She sits up straighter, a look of determination on her face. "You're right. I have to stop being a coward."
"Sarah, I very much doubt that you're a coward. The thought of losing the love of someone we care for so deeply can make anyone apprehensive."
"Thank you, Karen." She looks at the nurse for a few seconds, then grins. "You and Chuck hit it off pretty well, didn't you?"
The nurse smiles. "Yeah, we did. He's a good man. Funny. Kind. Loyal. He misses you and your friends. Which brings me back to the question as to why you haven't visited since he came out of the coma?"
It's easy to see the spy shift gears. Her whole demeanour changes, suddenly becomes businesslike. There's no room for emotions, at least for the moment.
"Karen, that's why I'm here tonight. You see, General Beckman has rescinded our visitation privileges. None of us are allowed in the hospital at all, let alone into his room. We tried to find outwhat's going on, but we've been stonewalled at every turn.
"At first, they said it was for medical reasons. Given that Chuck's health was the top priority, we were willing to give to give them the benefit of the doubt. But later, when we pushed them for the specifics, their answers were vague, unsatisfying. So we asked again, and this time they told us it was for security reasons. Which made no sense either. Casey and I have security clearances that are only a few levels below Beckman's. We knew then that it'd all been a load of crap. But it's been a very effective delaying tactic. If the hospital had been a regular one, that kind of ploy wouldn't have worked, but it being under CIA and NSA control made it feasible.
"So, right at the moment, it seems that only way we're getting in there is by means of a full frontal assault, which we're not prepared to do. Yet. Then, to top it off, both Casey and I received reassignment orders. Going into effect," she glances at her watch, "three hours from now. I'm supposed to be on my way to Jakarta, while Casey's special skills are somehow needed in Antartica. Needless to say, neither of us are reporting in."
"What? Why would she do that?"
"It's clear that she doesn't want us around. And it's also clear that it was no coincidence that the rescinding of our visitation privileges happened the same day he woke up." Sarah pauses. "Do you know why Chuck was taken to your hospital?"
The nurse shakes her head. "No. No one has seen fit to tell me. And it's all been very frustrating."
"That ability that I mentioned earlier began to affect Chuck's mental health. About a month ago, we started to notice abnormalities in his actions and thoughts. At first, we put it down to fatigue. We'd been on a number of consecutive missions and all of us were feeling the strain. Then he started to get serious, almost debilitating headaches. But then it got even worse. He began to have trouble distinguishing between reality and what he saw in his mind. Following his usually reliable intel even got us into a dangerous situation more than once. We determined that…his ability was the problem. We realized that something had to be done. So he was taken to the hospital to have it removed, using a relatively untested procedure. But we had no choice. It was either that or he'd die, or at the very least, be severely brain-damaged."
"Did it work?"
Her frustration is clear. "We, that is, my team and I, don't really know. In fact, until you informed me, we had no confirmation that he'd even come out of his coma. We can't get to Chuck and no one is telling us anything."
"I had no idea they were withholding that information."
Sarah looks into Karen's eyes. "You said he'd been tested. I suspect this goes against patient confidentiality, but can you please tell me what kind of tests?"
Karen hesitates, but once again is swayed by the pleading she hears in the agent's voice.
"All sorts. EEGs, MRIs, CAT Scans, psych tests, the works."
"Did you happen to notice if they showed him any pictures, images, stuff like that?"
The nurse thinks for a few seconds. "Yes, once I came in to draw blood and a doctor, a shrink, if I had my guess, was just finishing showing him a stack of photos."
Sarah sits forward, her posture tense. "This is very important. Did you notice any reaction from Chuck?"
"What kind of reaction?"
"Eyes rolling. Squinting really hard. Staring off into space. Speaking in a monotone. Almost like something else was dictating his words. Anything like that?"
Karen thinks again, then shakes her head. "No, nothing that I saw. He looked a little confused, but that was about it."
Sarah sits back, smiles, nodding. "That's good. It looks like it worked. Although we can't be absolutely certain until we talk to him. But even if that's true, it doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet. It appears Beckman won't let it end there."
"What do you mean?"
"Our team has been instrumental in a battle we've been fighting against forces determined to impose their own system of government on this country. In fact, they've been largely defeated by the actions of our team. Chuck's ability has been a critical part of our success. With that in mind, Beckman was very reluctant to let him have it removed."
Sarah frowns. "This whole thing stinks of Beckman's machinations. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that she believes keeping us away will somehow make it possible to convince Chuck to take the whole thing on again."
Karen's shocked. "What? She'd do that, even if it meant it might kill him? I didn't think she could be that monstrous."
Scowling, Sarah replies, "You don't know Beckman as well as I do. She's single-minded in her duty to protect the citizens of this country as a whole, but doesn't really give a damn if she has to ride roughshod over individuals in order to do so."
"I had no idea. She almost sounds inhuman."
"The truth? In some ways, she's not that far off. To her, the people that carry out her orders are just disposable pieces, some admittedly with more value than others, but in the end she'll sacrifice any one of them if the need arises. And that includes Chuck."
The nurse is genuinely confused. "I just don't understand how she could be like that."
Sarah's reply surprises her. "I can."
"What do you mean? You're not like her."
"Maybe not now, but before I met Chuck, I was well down that same road."
"I find that hard to believe, Sarah."
Sarah ruefully chuckles. "I do too. Now." Her expression softens once more as she looks off into the distance. "Being around Chuck did something to me. I didn't realize it at first, but it changed me. I began to feel…whole again. Worthy of being loved."
The nurse looks at her for a few seconds, then quietly states, "And that's just one of the reasons you love him. And need him."
Sarah nods. But then her expression hardens, her eyes ablaze.
"Yes. And that's just one of the reasons why I'm not going to let that bitch take him away from me. I won't go back to what I was." There's a small hitch in her voice as she adds, "I can't."
Karen is tempted to give the woman a hug, but before she's able, Sarah abruptly stands, starts pacing. Karen can sense an almost crackling energy within her, one that doesn't allow her to remain still.
"If I find out she's hurt him, in any way, she might as well ask for God's mercy because she sure as hell won't get it from me!"
"But Sarah, that would be treason!"
Sarah rounds on the nurse, her expression fierce, so much so that Karen actually shrinks back, frightened for a second. "Do you think I give a damn about that? Mark my words. If he's gone, she'll pay. Simple as that. She just better pray that she hasn't done anything stupid before we get to him!"
Cowed by the spy's incandescent rage, Karen doesn't speak, simply nods.
Sarah stops pacing, takes a few deep breaths, obviously trying to get her anger under control. "OK. OK. We need more intel. I know Chuck would never voluntarily go down that road again, so, assuming Beckman actually is trying something, we need to find out what it is. Quickly."
"Is that why you've approached me?"
"Yes, Karen. We're hoping you can help us find a way to communicate with him."
"Why me, Sarah? Why did you come to me instead of one of the other nurses or doctors?"
The agent looks at her for a few moments before quietly replying, "I saw something in you when I was visiting Chuck. Something in your eyes, your expression. I'm not quite sure exactly what. I just felt that you'd be on our side. That I could trust you."
Karen's well aware that trust in the spy world is not something to be taken lightly, so finds herself moved by Sarah's declaration. But she also understands that there's a "Was I right to do so?" left unasked. The nurse, for reasons she's not quite sure of, suddenly realizes just how much she values that trust, doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize it.
This impels her to speak up. "Sarah, I don't think you need have any doubt that Beckman's trying something. In light of what you've told me, things that happened today have started to take on new meaning. For instance, she had a lengthy private discussion with him this afternoon. During it, she asked me to bring in some water, and I could see he was very upset. Later, she brought in a couple of doctors I hadn't seen before. They also had a lengthy discussion and just after they left, Chuck said something odd to me, that he needed a new life because the one he had wasn't his own. I tried to ask him what he meant, but Beckman came in just then and basically pushed me out. On top of that, on the night he awoke, she'd ordered me to not let on that you and the others had visited him. I didn't understand why, but when I asked her about it, she just told me the reasons were classified." Karen shakes her head. "I just wish I'd told him anyway. Who knows how she might have used that to mess with his head?"
"Not your fault, Karen. You couldn't be expected to know what was going on." For a moment Sarah's pensive, muses to herself. "It's interesting that would she come down here to have a private conversation with Chuck. It's totally out of character for her. And what does Chuck mean with his life not being his own?" Giving herself a little shake, she addresses the nurse once more. "Thanks for telling me. The team needs to know about what we've discussed. So, before we go any further, I think it's about time for you to meet the rest of them." Taking her phone, Sarah types out a quick text message before returning her attention to the nurse.
"They'll be here in a minute or two. Before they arrive, Karen, I need to ask outright if you're willing to help us. I wouldn't hold it against you if you said no. If we're caught, you'd likely wind up being disciplined in some way or other. Maybe fired. Or worse."
Karen sometimes wonders if's she's missed her opportunity for happiness. The crushing disappointment she'd felt over the failure of her youthful marriage had made her wary. So she'd buried herself in her work and before she knew it, twenty years had passed without any serious relationships coming her way. But, unlike some, this hasn't embittered her towards the idea that it's possible to find that one person who makes it all worthwhile. It may be too late for her, but it's plain to the nurse that Chuck and Sarah still have that chance.
So, even though the "or worse" sends a momentary chill down the nurse's spine, in truth, it has no effect on her determination to do whatever is within her power to help the two of them get their happily ever after. Yes, her resolution had been reinforced by Sarah's fiercely protective feelings for Chuck, but in reality had been fully formed the night she'd let the young woman leave his room without doing anything to assuage her grief.
So her voice is firm and unwavering when she replies, "Yes, I'll help in whatever way I can."
"Thank you." The spy looks at the older woman for a moment, as if she's assessing her. Smiling a little, she says, "You're a good person, Karen. In some ways, you remind me a lot of Chuck. No wonder the two of you got along so well."
Before the nurse can reply, there's a knock on the door. Sarah, after checking through the peephole, opens the door to let four people file into the room. Unsurprisingly, Karen recognizes them all.
She rises from her seat as Sarah speaks. "First of all, Nurse Green has informed me that Chuck is awake and appears to be just fine. It seems the procedure went well. Karen has been taking care of him since he woke up three days ago."
A sense of relief permeates the room, sudden smiles all around. Some tears as well. But then the nurse hears a muttered, "Three days ago and they didn't tell us?" and the smiles turn to angry glares, directed, Karen's certain, towards the powers that be.
"Secondly, she has agreed to help us, and I have no reason to doubt her word."
A few heads nod, acknowledging Sarah's assessment.
"I guess it's time for official introductions." Sarah turns to the nurse. "Karen, Casey you already know. This," gesturing toward the short bearded man, "is Morgan Grimes, Chuck's best friend."
He takes a step forward, offers his hand, a little shyly, which Karen takes. "It's nice to meet you, Karen. Thanks for taking care of my man."
"You're welcome."
Morgan steps back as Sarah continues, "This is Ellie Woodcomb, Chuck's sister, and her husband Devon."
Karen is totally unprepared for what happens next, as she suddenly finds herself engulfed in the close hug of the brunette doctor. It seems to be a family trait.
"Thank you so much. I know nurses, and I can tell you're one of the best. Thank you for taking care of my little brother."
A little overwhelmed, all Karen can say is, again, "You're welcome."
Ellie steps back, and Devon shakes Karen's hand, and says in a booming voice, "It's awesome to meet you, Karen. Officially, that is."
Smiling affectionately as she looks at her friends, Sarah says, "So, Karen, now you've met us all. This ragtag group is," she makes air quotes, "'Team Bartowski'. Minus, of course, Chuck."
The nurse is puzzled. "Why Bartowski? Shouldn't it be Carmichael?"
Sarah picks up on that, very quickly. "You don't know Chuck's real last name?"
Karen shakes her head. "It appears I don't. The only name I ever heard was Carmichael."
The five of them exchange looks and the nurse realizes there's a silent conversation going on, one she's not privy to.
"I wonder why he never told you," Sarah mutters.
The nurse's memory is suddenly triggered. "Sarah, Chuck told me something as I was leaving tonight. It might be relevant."
The response is rapid. "What did he say?"
"He might be having some memory issues because he told me I'm the best person he knows. He also said that the only people in the world who actually care for him, are myself and Beckman. Looking around this room, it's easy to see that neither of those statements is true."
Sarah looks at Karen, a shocked expression on her face. "He actually said that about Beckman?"
Casey grunts. "He's obviously delusional. The woman barely tolerates him at the best of times."
Morgan quips. "Hey, sort of like you at the beginning, big guy."
"Yeah, well, the moron sorta grows on you after a while." It's easy for Karen to once again see the affection that Casey had tried so hard to hide during his visits.
Sarah addresses the nurse, "Karen, would you mind telling us all what you'd said to me earlier? Your thoughts about Chuck and Beckman's interactions?"
The nurse does so, her words eliciting from the group more than a few softly muttered expletives directed the General's way. She finishes by saying, "In all fairness, though, from what little I saw of the two of them, she seemed to be treating Chuck quite kindly."
Out of the blue, Ellie nods, and almost as if she's thinking to herself, quietly says, "Yes, that might work."
All eyes turn to her.
Sarah asks, "What are you thinking, Ellie?"
The brunette doctor jumps a little, perhaps just realizing she'd spoken out loud. "An idea just came to me. If they wanted Chuck to download the Inter-"
Sarah interrupts, shaking her head. "Ellie."
"Oh! Sorry. If she wanted Chuck to…to be able to do what he did before, one way might be to make out that she's genuinely concerned for his welfare. That it would somehow be for his benefit to take it on again."
Devon interjects, "I'm not sure what you mean, babe. We all know how Chuck feels about it, so how could she possibly talk him into it?"
"It's just a hypothesis, but there would likely be some residual confusion, and, perhaps, like Karen suggested, even some recent memory loss caused by removing the…thingy. Perhaps they've reinforced that somehow, making him doubt the accuracy of his own recollections, feelings. The whole life not being his own thing seems to back that up."
Morgan's suddenly enthusiastic, gesticulating. "Maybe it's like in Total Recall where they gave Schwarzenegger a completely fake memory of who he was and he didn't even realize it. Maybe they put something like that into the program that was supposed to remove the Intersect—"
Sarah cuts him off. "Morgan!"
He blushes. "Oops! Why can't I just keep my big mouth shut?"
Casey looks over at Morgan with a scowl, making the man cringe. He then turns and, sounding quite formal, says to Karen, "Nurse Green, you never heard that word, did you? And you won't hear it again, will you? No matter how many times it's mentioned in the future, right?"
"What word?"
Casey nods, and she thinks she sees the ghost of a smile on the man's face. "Good."
Sarah turns to Ellie again. "Ok, Ellie, you were saying?"
"Morgan might be on to something. Implanting a whole new identity is well beyond our abilities at the moment, but some false memories might be possible. Add that to his other probable issues and Chuck could be vulnerable to suggestion. It just might be possible to convince Chuck that he really is somebody else. Maybe the Carmichael cover that he's used quite extensively. If that's true, there's no way that Beckman would let us talk to him. She would have to do her best to make him believe that we," she gestures around the group, "don't really exist, at least not in the way he remembers us."
Ellie stops for a moment. "I helped them to design the removal program, but who's to say they didn't add something in without me knowing it?"
"If they did, it means they were planning to try something all along," Sarah growls. "The bastards."
Casey grunts, a little fiercely, and even though Karen doesn't know the man that well, she can tell that this grunt doesn't bode well for "they", whoever that might be.
Sarah wipes her palms on her jeans before looking around at her friends. "OK, we need to move up the timetable. Assuming the worst, we have to get to Chuck before they manage to con him into doing something he doesn't want to do."
Karen asks, "Sarah, couldn't they just put this thing into him against his will if they were that desperate?"
The blonde agent nods. "Yes, they probably could, but in the end, they would need Chuck's willing participation for it to actually be effective. If they forced it on him, I know he would refuse to cooperate. They might try forcing it as a last resort, though."
"Oh, I see."
Sarah continues, "We need to warn him. Karen, would you convey a message to Chuck for us? Could you please tell him that we're OK and that he shouldn't agree to any procedures until we figure out what's going on?"
"I think we can do one better than that."
"What do you mean?"
"I think I can get you into his room to speak with him yourself."
The agent is suddenly eager. "What? How would that work?"
"As I was leaving the hospital tonight, I was told by my friend George, the guy on the gate, that all the regular security personnel have been given the week off, starting at midnight tonight. They're bringing in a totally new crew, inside and out."
"Why would they do that?"
"He wasn't sure, but if I had to guess it was because they want to tighten things up. Most of the time, the regular staff and security guys are pretty casual about things."
Casey speaks up, "Yeah, I noticed that. Walker, bringing in her own guys would certainly be a sign that she's got something on the go."
Sarah nods, thoughtfully. "You're right. But that could also be to our advantage. Good thinking, Karen."
Devon jumps in, "Hold on. How would that help us? The new guys would be even more vigilant than the old crew."
Sarah smiles. "Karen, care to explain?"
The nurse smiles back. "We don't have any biometric security measures, so all they have to go by is the ID badges. And the new guys wouldn't personally know the staff."
"So?"
Karen walks over to stand by Sarah. "In case you haven't noticed, Sarah and I are about the same height." She grins, a little ruefully. "I weigh a little more, but the bulky scrubs would disguise that pretty well. Our eyes are about the same color and there's a reasonable similarity in facial features."
She looks to the agent standing beside her. "I'm not assuming you have some sort of Mission Impossible face-mask making machine hidden somewhere, but I would guess you're pretty good at changing your look for different missions?"
Sarah nods. "I am." She looks closely at the nurse's face. "No offense, but I would have to add fifteen years or so. And a few laugh lines and such."
Karen laughingly replies, "None taken. By the way, thanks for calling them laugh lines."
Sarah chuckles. "Your welcome." Suddenly thoughtful, she adds, "And I'll have to cut my hair."
Morgan pipes up, "Chuck told me he loves your hair long."
A gentle, little smile passes over Sarah's face. "I know." Then she's serious again. "But that's the least of our worries right now. Our job is just to make sure he's around to see it grow out again."
Sarah turns to her partner, grins a bit as she asks, "You've got a disguise kit in your car, right Casey? Or did you remove it to make more space for your guns?"
"Funny, Walker. Plenty of room for both. One of the reasons it's the best car ever made. I'll go and get it."
As he leaves, Morgan pipes up, "I can't believe he keeps a backup Crown Vic here in D.C."
Sarah shrugs her shoulders. "Probably a boy scout at some point." Then she turns to the nurse. "You have a pair of scissors we can use?"
…
Sitting in the guardhouse, Agent Dave Schultz looks down at his watch, yawning, and sees he still has three more hours on his shift. He has no idea why he was suddenly pulled from his duties at Fort Meade and assigned to this quiet medical facility. The rumor mill hinted it was Beckman herself who'd ordered a complete security detail down here. Probably for some VIP or something.
One thing he does know is how boring the job is. Since he started at midnight, exactly three cars have passed through the gate, two leaving, one arriving. That would be a typical ten minutes at his regular guard post, even this late at night.
He glances at his watch once again. Two hours and fifty-five minutes. He yawns again, but cuts it off as a car's headlights come into view. Without consciously realizing it, he straightens his jacket and confirms that his Glock is securely in its holster.
The red Prius comes to a halt as the guard punches the license number into his terminal. An ID photo appears on the screen. Nurse Karen Green. Forty-five. Five-foot-nine.
Armed with this information he steps out the door, his hand not straying far from his sidearm. He taps on the window and it rolls down. "Ma'am, would you please step out of the car." He backs off as the door opens and a woman in blue scrubs, meeting the nurse's description, exits the car.
He holds out his hand. "ID, please."
Handing it to him, she says, "I don't recognize you. Are you new here?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Temporary assignment."
With a quiet chuckle, she says, "Have I really reached that age where I have to be constantly addressed as a 'Ma'am'? How about you call me Karen?" She smiles, dazzlingly, and its power catches him unawares, momentarily throwing him off balance. So much so, that her ID slips from his hand and drops to the ground. Embarrassed, he bends down to pick it up. A little flustered, he quickly scans it before handing it back to her.
Trying to regain his composure, he clears his throat and says, "OK, you're good. However, I'll need you to pop the hatch."
She pushes a button on her fob and the latch releases. "Is this some new security measure? Why do you need to check?"
She looks over his shoulder as he shines his flashlight into the rear area. Seeing nothing unusual, he answers, trying to sound very official. "Can't say. Just obeying my orders." He closes the hatch.
"We're clear." He looks at the nurse and asks, "Seems like an odd time to start a shift."
She gives him a sheepish smile, "Actually, I was given the day off, but I just realized that I left my phone charger in my locker and now my battery is dead. So I had to drive all the way back here. Expecting a call this morning from my sister up in Canada. She gets all worried if I don't answer."
"You shouldn't be too long then."
"No, but since I'm here, I going to check on a patient under my care as well."
"Alright. I'll see you on your way out, Ma'—Karen."
She smiles again. "See you in while," she looks at his name badge, "David." She gracefully slides back into the car and carefully drives down into the parking area. And as she does, Agent Schultz wonders to himself if Nurse Karen Green could possibly be interested in a younger man.
…
Inside the hospital, Sarah stops as soon as she catches sight of the nurse's station nearest Chuck's room. Karen had told her that there'd only be the one nurse on duty there, but it would be one who knew Karen well. Sarah glances at her watch, waiting for the distraction they'd planned. Exactly on time, the phone at the station rings and the nurse turns away to take it, giving Sarah a chance to quickly walk by unobserved.
Grabbing a tray off a nearby cart, she quickly places a pill cup on it that she'd brought with her, then throws a couple of aspirin into it. Walking casually down the hallway, she rounds the corner and comes to Chuck's door. The guard there seems to be cut from the same cloth as the man at the gate. He tries to look alert, but Sarah can detect the boredom in his body language.
She gives him a big smile and sees him perk up. "Long night, huh?" She stands in a spot she'd noticed on her previous visits, a place where the light from two directions casts a slightly confusing shadow on her face.
He smiles back. "Yeah. Kind of."
She chuckles. "I know what you mean. Hate the night shift." She holds up her ID. "I'm here to give the patient his meds."
He looks at the ID and then back to her as she smiles again. "OK, you can go in."
"I'll check his vitals as well. Be just a few minutes."
"Take your time." He opens the door for her.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
…
As the door closes behind her, Sarah's eyes are immediately drawn to the man lying in the hospital bed. The room is darkened, but even in the dim light, she can see he appears to be asleep.
After walking quietly over to the bed, she studies him for a few seconds. Even sleeping, she can see the difference between now and the last time she saw him. There's color in his cheeks and instead of just lying there, still, he moves around for a few seconds, looking for a more comfortable position. Once he stops, she leans in and gently brushes back one of his stray curls.
He looks so peaceful that she hates to disturb him, but it has to be done. She gently shakes his shoulder and whispers softly, "Chuck, wake up."
He doesn't respond immediately, so she repeats herself, jogging him again. He opens his eyes, looking a little bleary as he brings himself to wakefulness.
Yawning, he says, "Hi, Karen. What's up?"
She leans in closer and says, "No, Chuck. It's me, Sarah."
He rubs his sleep-filled eyes, looks more closely and says, his voice low and tremulous, "Sarah? Is it really you?"
She rests her hand softly on his cheek and, smiling gently, quietly says, "Yes, Chuck, it is. I've missed you. So much."
But then he suddenly stiffens, pushing her hand away as he sits up on the edge of the bed. His voice hard, his expression harsh. "Have you really, Sarah? Tell me, how would your husband feel about you being alone here with me, saying stuff like that?"
She's stunned, confused. "What?! I'm not married, Chuck!"
His voice is quiet, but the anger and the hostility she hears isn't in any way diminished by that. "Well, it just so happens that I have it on good authority that you are. I also know that you and the rest of the team are nothing more than actors playing a part. All of you pretending that you actually cared about me. Just so I'd keep spewing out the intel you guys wanted so badly."
Sarah feel the hairs on her arm stand up as a chill runs through her. And part of can't help but wonder if Morgan's idea wasn't really all that far-fetched.
"Chuck, that's crazy! You're being lied to!"
He sneers. "Yeah, you're certainly right about that. The question is, by whom? You or Beckman? Whom should I trust?"
"Me, Chuck! Trust me! Please!" Both seem momentarily surprised by the desperate pleading in her voice. But it's apparently not enough to sway him.
His face contorted with anger, he hisses, "Give me one goddamned reason why I should!"
Sarah has never seen him like this. Even when he'd been at his very lowest, hurt, again and again by her unkind words and actions, even then he'd never addressed her with such venomous bitterness, though she'd probably merited it. It's precisely at this moment when it's not being demonstrated, that Sarah realizes just how much she's come to depend upon, and, perhaps to her shame, to presume upon, his gentle forbearance.
She takes a step back, suddenly unsure of how to get through to him, how to disabuse him of the untruths he's been fed. And as they stare at each other, she can't help but wonder, for a moment, if he no longer cares for her, that his feelings for her had been far more fragile than she'd thought.
But then she recalls Karen's assurances, is convinced in her heart that, despite whatever it is that they've done to him, he still loves her.
Sarah knows she just has to reach him, somehow. But she also knows that, right at this moment, words alone won't be enough.
So she boldly steps in and, before he can react, grabs his head in her hands, crashing her lips into his.
TBC
—
A/N: I know. Cruel place for a cliffhanger.
It's likely the next instalments will be little later than I'd hoped, but rest assured they will be there.