'I'm telling you, Ross is our man' Warner was on the phone to the precinct.

'This guy risked his life saving a couple of kids a few years ago. He got an award for heroism, for Chrissakes. Everyone who knows him is adamant he isn't the guy' said Warner's partner.

'So he's a risk taker. He doesn't think about the consequences of his actions. I've got a report here saying that he also punched some guys lights out because he thought he was abusing his kid. He clearly has an issue with impulse control.'

'I just don't know. So the guy sleeps around. So do half the guys on this force. You telling me they're all potential kidnappers?'

'Here's what I think happened. This guy is lousy with women – he can't stay in a relationship for more than five minutes. His best friend, meanwhile, is a bit of a geek, who's secretly in love with this other doctor. One day, this other doctor announces she's leaving, and the geek goes after her and gets the girl. Before you know it, this guy's best friend is happily married with a kid on the way. He panics – he can't be the loser. He gets back with this nurse but it's rocky, and he starts to really envy his best friend. He wants what he's got with his wife – literally. So one night, he gets this guy's wife pretty drunk and seduces her. But this nurse he's with, she's in an accident the same night, and it turns out she's knocked up. He realizes that he's had the chance to have what his best friend's got all along, but only now he's blown it and he can't handle it. If he can't be happy, no-one can. So he decides to take this guy's wife. He has access to all kinds of drugs to knock her out, he can just disappear without suspicion cos that's what he's always done when the heat is on.'

'Supposing this theory is correct, what's his next move?' Warner's partner was still cynical, but he had to admit that it kind of made sense.

'He doesn't want a ransom, that's for sure. It all depends on his state of mind. If he's remorseful, he'll let her go. If he's developed an obsession with her, that's where the danger lies. If she rejects him, there's no telling what he'll do' Warner thought he had it all figured out, but was still irritated by the fact he didn't have a clue how to find the victim.

'So what do we do?'

'We wait. It's the only thing we can do.'

'Sign here. Oh, and here' the UPS guy handed over the package to a very bored-looking Jerry as fast as he could.

He looked at the label. Dr Mark Greene. Freebies from some drug company were the last thing on his mind right now, so he placed it on a shelf and got on with what he had been doing: playing a video game.

'Who was that?' asked Randy, arriving for the morning shift.

'Couldn't you tell by the uniform?' replied Jerry sarcastically.

'He can deliver to me any time!' she replied.

'Well today he was delivering to Dr Greene' said Jerry in a scolding tone.

'Oh' she said 'Still no word on Dr Lewis?'

'Nothing' he said.

'Did the police talk to you? They told me to look out for suspicious characters hanging around – as if only normal-looking people come here! Oh, and he said to let him know if any phone calls or mail came for Dr Greene' she said, pointing at the package.

'Man, I have got to get off this night shift and back on days. I'm in charge of all this,' he waved his arms around to imply the admit area, 'and nobody tells me anything!'

'Sure, Jerry' replied Randy, rolling her eyes. 'I'll take this through to the lounge' she added, taking the parcel with her.

In the lounge, she found Mark spread out on the couch with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. She was desperate not to disturb him, but he instantly opened his eyes and jerked up.

'Oh, hey Randy,' he said, before rubbing his eyes, 'what time is it?'

'A little after seven,' she replied, adding 'this just came for you.'

She handed him the package and he stared at the envelope blankly, wondering what meaningless documents it held within. He sighed.

'How's Jake?' she said, trying to take his mind off things.

'Lydia took him home with her last night. She and Al are looking after him today. I'm….I just….I don't know what to do. I can't have him around me, he just reminds me that she isn't here.'

'She'll turn up, y'know. She'll be fine. I just know it.'

'I wish I could feel the same way. I don't know what I'd do if…'

'Hey, don't talk like that. She wouldn't want you giving up on her, would she? Why don't you open your drug company freebie and take your mind off things.'

It was at this point that Mark noticed that the package had no stamps or postmark.

'Randy – call the cops' he said, carefully putting the package down and guiding Randy out of the lounge.

Once outside, word soon spread about the suspect package in the lounge. In the few minutes that it took for the police to arrive, Mark looked around the once-familiar ER. Everything seemed alien to him now. People were coming and going, rushing around. Treating and streeting, saving lives. Two days ago, he had been running this place. Now here he was, bewildered, unable to comprehend the events going on around him. People who had looked to him for leadership just 48 hours ago now gave him looks of intense pity; those close to Susan seemed to mirror his anguish in their own expressions, then look away quickly, unable to bear the misery in his eyes. This whole department had lost something, something tangible but indefinable, when they saw their chief in this state. When they knew that one of their own – someone tough, independent, reliable – had been taken, just like that. Everyone and everything seemed to Mark to be a blur now: background noise, a soundtrack to his own agony.

When Detective Warner and several uniformed officers burst in through the doors, it took Mark a few moments to comprehend what they were doing: evacuating the ER.

'Dr Greene, we have to get everyone out of here. You have to go now. Dr Greene….' An officer was ushering him out into the ambulance bay.

In the ambulance bay, a rig had just pulled up. Kerry Weaver was sending it's inhabitants away, shouting something about being closed to trauma….major evacuation….bomb scare.

Bomb scare? It didn't make sense, thought Mark through the fug of his emotions. Why would they take Susan then try to blow him up? Somehow, nobody noticed as he walked through the police cordon and back into the ER; there was so much chaos, shouting and screaming, that people paid him scant attention. He walk through the empty triage area, past admit and several curtain areas – the entire department was shrouded in an eerie silence.

Then he walked into the lounge. What he found was five men – Detective Warner and some officers from bomb disposal – standing around what looked like a piece of paper. They too failed to notice him at first.

'Doesn't look too good, does it?' said one of the officers.

'In all likelihood, she's probably dead. He's just torturing her husband now, the sick bastard'

'No' said Mark, tears welling in his eyes, 'No, she's not dead. I know it. What does it say?'

The five men stared in silence at Mark, not knowing what to say. Slowly, Detective Warner stood up from his crouching position and walked over to Mark. He placed a hand on his arm before speaking.

'Now you know what it's like to lose someone. It's written in blood, Mark. In all likelihood, hers'.