Let us do something, while we have the chance.
Still don't own Chuck.
Chapter 11 the Recovery
Casa Bartowski
Chuck ran into the apartment. He got to the room with Kristen. Her eyes were closed and her head bend to the side. Lea was bent over with her head down on the bed. Alice was on the other side slumped over in the chair. He looked at the equipment and saw there was another small tank the size of a soda can that had been put in the system. He turned off the supply.
Chuck felt like he was starting to get light headed. He knew he could not let this happen. He grabbed Kristen off the bed and put her over his shoulder. Then with as much effort as he could he got Lea and started to carry her like a big sack of seed.
Devon was checking Sarah. She had hit her head hard when Kathy Murdock swept her legs. Devon knew she was still a bit dazed. The first thing she asked was how Chuck was. Devon checked her head and found she was starting to get a good size bump. Devon said, "Come on, I'll get you an ice pack before that gets too big."
Sarah got up with Devon's help. They were going to Chuck's apartment and Sarah turned to Casey, "You better check on Chuck."
Ellie looked around, "Where did he go? He could help a little." Then she saw him.
The apartment door flew open and Chuck came through with Kristen and Lea. Breathing hard he yelled, "Casey, go get Alice!" He carefully put Lea down and then Kristen. Moving between them and taking several more breaths he began giving them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Lea was starting to come around.
Ellie ran over to Chuck and the girls. Ellie went to Kristen first. She found a pulse and bent down to check her breathing. She called to Devon, "Get that oxygen set up from my closet."
Casey had gotten Alice and brought her to Ellie. He laid her down and Ellie started to check her next.
Chuck backed away and let Ellie and Devon handle their new patients. Sarah came over holding an ice pack to her head. Chuck went to her. He immediately held her. Chuck asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'll be okay. What happened?" Sarah responded.
"She tried to kill them. She switched the tanks and filled the room with CO2. Kristen has it the worst. It would have been pumped into her. I think she took off the tubes while they were having coffee. But they were still too close. I don't know," Chuck shuttered.
Casey had gone back to his apartment and came back with an oxygen tank. He went over to Ellie and showed her the regulators and helped her set it up for Alice. Lea was already sitting up and taking in big gulps of air and pushing it back out.
Mary went over to Casey, "What do you want to do with her?"
"We'll take her over to Castle and put her in one of the holding cells," Casey answered.
Chuck overheard that, "Make sure I get to see who you have for guards." He looked at Sarah, "She knew where we were. There could be more or worse, we could see the Ring again."
Sarah nodded her head, "Right. Chuck, why didn't you change clothes?"
"I'm sorry. I just thought there was something off about Nurse Watts. I kept walking around trying to think what it was. But when her eyes change from a smile to a definitely evil stare, I flashed," he looked at her.
"You know that was dangerous to just run into the apartment without someone checking for a poison gas," Sarah said. She was still not completely happy.
"Well, I did not know what she had done. I saw you and it reminded me of an angel, then she said something about getting Kristen to dance like an angel. I knew she did something. I just had to stop it. Sorry," Chuck shrugged.
Sarah smiled again. He had called her an angel just like her dad did in their happier times. "Okay," was all she managed to say before she kissed him.
They turned to walk over to Ellie, Devon and the girls. Lea was up and walking around. Devon was with Alice. She was still on the ground with an oxygen mask. Ellie was still bent over Kristen and she had a mask on.
Chuck asked his sister, "If you can tell us, how are they?"
Ellie looked up at Chuck, "Aces Charles, Aces. If you hadn't run in there and got Kristen out when you did, she would not have made it. And another ten minutes and Alice and Lea would have been gone too. Lea looks okay. She'll probably have a headache for a while yet. You could get her some Tylenol."
Devon added, "Alice should be okay in a few more minutes. She could use some Tylenol too."
"Kristen will be a little bit longer. She'll need to stay on oxygen for a while and we need to check her. What was the equipment in her room?" Ellie inquired.
"It was a full set up with an oxygen tank, an oxygen concentrator, and monitor to see how much oxygen is being exhaled," Chuck replied.
"That would help. Can you get the windows and all the doors open in the apartment. Better yet, all the apartments on that side. Get that fan out of our closet and put it so it blows air out of the room Kristen was in. We should be able to go back in the room in about an hour. We'll use the monitor to check," Ellie explained. "First let's move her over to your room. You can watch her there."
Chuck picked up Kristen. He looked at Casey, "Casey, could you get Alice? We'll take them over to my room and then we'll air out the apartments."
Chuck with Kristen, Casey with Alice, Sarah, Devon and Lea went to Chuck's room. They put Kristen and Alice on the bed. Ellie and Devon got their oxygen masks back in place.
Casey said, "I think I'd better get our prisoner over to the holding cell."
Chuck moved to Casey, "Wait, let me check your guards to make sure we don't have any surprises." Chuck followed Casey out to the courtyard.
Mary was there waiting with the guards and Kathy. Chuck went to each of the guards and asked a few questions. When he was done he nodded okay to Casey. Mary and Casey decided to go together and take her to the cell.
Steven and a few of the team were in the courtyard asking what had happened. Chuck enlisted them to help air out the apartments. Since the conference room connected to the new apartment and the room Kristen was in, they decided to air everything out and check it in a while.
Chuck came back to his bedroom. Kristen was just coming around with a very bad headache. Doc Adams was in the bedroom too. He had just come to the apartments and was getting filled-in by Ellie.
Ellie finished, "That's about it. As you know, you can call us anytime. But now that you're here, we should be heading to work." Ellie went over to Chuck. "You did good, little brother."
"Well, that tackle might have been illegal in soccer, but you saved Mary. You know we can't thank you enough for that," Chuck gave her a hug.
Devon came over and joined in, "Group hug, you both are awesome. Good job."
With Devon and Ellie gone, Chuck looked back at Sarah, "We need to tell our bosses what happened."
Sarah nodded and called Kelly, "Sarah secure. The nurse you sent turned out to be Kathy Murdock. Well, if it wasn't her, then someone else just tried to kill Kristen, Alice, Lea, and Mary. Yes, Chucked flash on her. Casey and Mary are taking her to Castle. We'll turn her over, but you need to consider someone found out about the request you entered. Oh no, certainly. We'll get right over there. Yes, Chuck and will go. Yes, we'll get back up. We'll let you know."
Sarah looked around for Chuck. He was starting to take out his cell. Sarah called over to him, "Kelly said we need to find out what happened to Nurse Watts. The real one lives about thirty minutes from here."
Chuck saw that Sarah had her keys out. He said, "No Sarah wait, this could be a trap. Wow, I feel like I am starting to talk like Casey. But we need vests, gas masks and…weapons."
As they were heading to the weapons locker, Sarah saw the Chief walking into the courtyard. "Hey Chief, get LT and get some weapons. We need you as back up." About that time Brad came into the courtyard. "Have Brad join us."
Sarah and Chuck put on their vests and weapons. They also took bags with the gas masks in them. Sarah strapped everything in like she was going to a full scale fire fight. The other quickly got their equipment. Chuck got his laptop out off the conference room and displayed a map so they could plan they approach. On the way they alerted Casey to their activity. He sent the on call detail to the area.
The Nurse's house was a single dwelling with a detached garage. It was a corner house which made the approach a little easier. Chuck and Sarah parked their van out front. The Chief was parked behind the house. LT and Brad had taken positions across the street on the side. Casey's detail took positions further back.
LT asked one more time, "Sarah, I have to ask one last time. Wouldn't it be better if Brad and I went in first?"
Sarah replied, "Well, not here. I can handle any lock and Chuck can generally handle any bomb. Just be ready if there turns out to be an armed camp in here."
Chuck and Sarah approached the front door. They put on their masks. Chuck tried the door knob and it turned easily. The dead bolt was not set and the door was not locked in any other manner. Chuck opened the door and Sarah slid into the house with her gun at ready. The only noise in the living room was the fish tanks' air pump. They went room by room from the front living room and study to the dining room and kitchen. They looked first in the bedrooms and then went to the bathroom.
Nurse Watts was there in the bathroom. She was strapped to the old fashion bathtub and anchored to the floor with chains that had been spiked into the floor. Her mouth had been taped over and she kept shaking her head from side to side. Sarah reached down and pulled off the tape.
Nurse Watts struggled to get out, "It's a trap. She said that if I got up or lay down I would explode."
Chuck stood there for a minute looking over the wires and the bathtub. Chuck pointed to Sarah, "The bathtub is wired. It looks like if the water level increases much more there will be a connection and the bomb," he pointed to the vanity, "will go off. The dripping faucet isn't helping. She was right too. If she stands, the chains are long enough, she would break a connection and the bomb goes off. Finally, if she lays down, she would likely break a connection."
Chuck went over and opened the vanity. He flashed, seeing the schematics of several bomb triggers and layouts. Chuck looked at Sarah. She was about to take off her mask, "Not yet. If we wait, the tub will make the connection. And there is a timer in the vanity. It is set for another hour. The real problem is that there are three cuts that have to be made at once. There is a wire here at the vanity, then one by the back of the tub, and another at her feet."
Sarah pointed at a wire, "So, do they all have to be cut at once?"
"Yes," Chuck pulled out two more clippers.
"And we have to do this now?" asked Sarah.
"Dorothy, how much longer do you think you can stay awake?" Chuck countered.
"I don't know," she was blinking her eyes.
"Okay, Dorothy take this and put the cutter right here. Sarah, you take the one in the back of the tub." He waited until Sarah got in position. "Okay, I will count down from five. When I say one cut the wire. Ready, Dorothy?
"Five,
"Four,
"Three,
"Two,
"One."
They cut the wires all at once. Chuck watched the timer go blank. Then two things happened. The alarm on the microwave oven went off. Chuck pushed Sarah into the tub and pulled Dorothy in with him. The explosion started at the microwave. It was helped by a tank of gas Kathy Murdock put in the house. It was slowly leaking out into the house. The microwave radiated the nitroglycerin. It reached an explosive temperature and when the buzzer went off, the aluminum ring on the plate sparked. The explosion grew into a fire ball throughout the house as the explosion from the microwave ignited the natural gas that had filter through the house. When the ball of fire hit the tank that Kathy left behind, the side of the house was blown away. The blast blew the vanity apart. As the wall ripped out the blocks of the C4 bundle came apart. The one stick with the detonator did explode, but the others were already scattered and were only burned.
LT and Brad were both thrown to the ground by the explosion on the side of the house. The Chief watched a piece of piping fly by. Casey's guards began running toward the house.
The Chief immediately started to take control of the situation, "They were on the opposite side from the initial blast. Try going from the side of the house. Report when you get there. I am coming up from the back yard."
Two of the guards got there and used their rifles to knock some of the siding out of the way. The blast and second blast from the C4 left a big hole where the vanity was located. They moved in and started pulling Dorothy, Chuck and Sarah from the tub.
"Hey, this is Nelson. The lady has got handcuffs on and is chained to the floor somehow."
The Chief came running up to the hole, "Get Miss Walker and Mister Bartowski out of the house. Whoever is closest to the van, get those cutters out of there."
One of the guards came running up with the cutters. They had the nurse out in a second.
Sarah was starting to come around. Other than being soaking wet she was fine. She woke up looking at the Chief, "Where's Chuck?"
The Chief pointed and she rolled over and got on her knees next to him, "Chief, have you got an ambulance or anything coming?"
"Yes, Colonel Casey said he just secured the prisoner and is on his way over. Doc Adams is on his way too," the Chief responded.
"Chuck, Chuck?" Sarah thought he was starting to come around.
"Hi, you okay?" Chuck asked.
"Yes, and you?" Sarah replied.
"I think so," Chuck answered.
"Well, Casey and Doc Adams will be here in a second," Sarah combed her hand through his hair.
"How's Dorothy?" Chuck asked.
"She's still out. Can you get up?" Sarah asked.
"Yeah," he got up and started looking around.
In a little Casey and Doc Adams showed up. They put Dorothy in one of the vans. When the local police and fire department showed up, they turned over the scene and headed back to the apartments.
By the time they got there Dorothy was awake and saying she was okay. Doc Adams checked Dorothy and agreed that she was okay. He did have her take one of the portable oxygen tanks and use it for an hour. After a short discussion, LT agreed to stay at his apartment and Dorothy would stay at the apartments in the next room.
The apartments had been aired out and checked. The day was spent writing reports and completing more information in the models Chuck had built. Sarah confirmed that Dorothy would have a choice of a new house at agency expense, or they would put her up in a hotel until her house could be rebuilt at agency expense. Mary got supper together and the team ate up in the conference room. The girls went up to the new apartment and Chuck was left at his old room.
Once again Chuck met Sarah down in the courtyard. Chuck did not say a word. He just went up to Sarah and held her. They moved around a little until they could sit by the fountain. Sarah just leaned against him.
Chuck finally asked, "So, how is everyone?"
"Well, Doc Adams said Kristen's swelling is down. Her lung capacity is getting closer to normal. Alice is fine. She is participating now in everything we do. Lea finally said that this morning was part of the nightmare." Sarah smiled at Chuck, "Probably not what you are thinking. You were at the end of the nightmare, rescuing her from the horror."
"Oh come on that's so," he saw the look in her eyes. He reached over and put his arm around her. Holding her he asked, "Are you having nightmares?"
She shook her head yes, "I know this sounds foolish."
"No, I had that problem out on the range and so did Mary. Seems like a good snuggle fixed that." He reached around to look at her. "I don't suppose the girls would understand me coming up there with all of them still there?"
"I don't know," answered Sarah. "Better not. I'll be alright."
"Well, you know where I'll be. Seriously, if you can't get to sleep or you keep waking up, I want to know. You are my fiancée. I love you," Chuck gave her one last kiss and they parted for their rooms.
Mary almost knocked on the door, but it opened to Casey. He looked at her, "Everything alright?"
"Fine. Kristen is getting better. It sure was nice of Sarah to work that out for Dorothy. I heard her boss didn't have any problem, but poor Sarah had a couple rounds with a few money pinching bureaucrats. Boy, the way I feel today, they would have had…well," Mary shrugged.
"Been there," Casey wrapped his arms around her.
"Come on, let's hit it. I am really tired," she looked up at him.
The next day Chuck was out early in the courtyard and said good bye to Ellie and Devon as they went to work. The day progressed with everyone coming in and working in the conference room. Kristen was there and LT was sitting next to her. Mary was getting a little concerned, Sarah was in her opinion looking a little tired. She mentioned it to Casey at lunch.
Doc Adams checked in on Chuck and changed his bandages. The wound on the side had finally stopped seeping. But he was not impressed.
Doc went to Sarah after checking Chuck. Casey was behind him. Doc Adams said, "Okay, time for you to have a break. I want you and Chuck to take a break. Getting blown up doesn't mean you are suppose to work the rest of that day and then dive in like you weren't supposed to be getting some down time.
"We'll take care of everyone. Casey has a reservation for two at the restaurant down by the docks. And I made reservations at hotel just down the street. Casey will have a guard unit at both places." He saw her start to say no. "Don't even."
Casey looked at her, "Partners right? Go get some rest."
A/N Hope you enjoyed. So do they really get any rest? Please review.
