Megan looked up from her computer in time to see her blonde patient run from his room, look at her in surprise and drop to the floor. What the hell? She stood and looked to the floor, but didn't see him. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, looked to Sam's room and she saw three men emerge from the room. What she heard next got her heart thumping.
"Shit! Go around that way and head him off!"
"Don't let him get away!"
"He's going to die."
With a gasp, Megan ducked down behind the desk. What the big man just growled made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She heard them run past the desk and sighed with relief.
"Megan? What's going on?"
The gentle, but urgent familiar male voice made her jump up and grab the phone. "Wordy! Some guys are chasing Sam and said he was going to die if they caught him." Megan pointed the way she heard the men go and looked into his blue eyes with desperation.
Wordy looked at Jules who had followed him to the desk when they heard the commotion. "Stay with Megan, I'm going after them."
Jules shook her head vehemently. "No. I'm coming with you. Neither of us are armed and we don't know if they are. What are we going to do?"
"Call the SRU. Tell Greg what's happening when he gets back and tell him to wait here for the team." Wordy looked at Megan who nodded and dialed. He looked at Jules then to the fire box on the far wall. "We improvise."
They raced to the box, pulled it open, grabbed the metal bar used to turn on the hose and fire extinguisher. Jules held the fire extinguisher and looked at Wordy with determination. "Ready."
As they rushed to the stairwell and disappeared through the door, Megan was talking to Sergeant Rollie Cray of the SRU's Team Three.
##### south stairwell #####
Jules and Wordy entered the stairwell carefully and quietly. Jules looked back at Wordy and pointed up. When he nodded she walked up the steps slowly and quietly. They went up a flight and stopped, listening.
Wordy looked up, then looked at Jules and motioned for them to keep moving up. She nodded and started moving again. He hoped that Team Three would be here soon. There were too many unanswered questions and variables about what was going on.
##### nurse's desk on Sam's floor #####
"Ok." Megan nodded and put down the phone. When she looked up, Greg was putting down three coffees and looking at her funny. She was the only one at the desk, all of the patient's doors were closed and a nurse were in the rooms with the three sickest patients. "We're in lockdown. Sam was chased out of his room by three men that said they were going to kill him!" She said hurriedly.
Greg walked behind the desk to her and put a hand on each of her shoulders. "Take a breath Megan and start from the beginning. What happened?"
"I'd like to hear this too." Rollie and the rest of Team Three arrived at the desk.
"Sarge." Greg couldn't keep the surprise from his face, but hitched his chin at Rollie.
"Sarge." Rollie nodded back, a small smile on his face.
Megan took a breath. "Ok. I looked up from the computer and I saw Sam run out of his room. When he saw me he ducked down and I didn't see him again. Them three men ran out of Sam's room. One said, 'don't let him get away' the other said, 'he's going to die'. Then Wordy and Jules came over and I told them what I just told you. They took the pipe and extinguisher from the fire box," she pointed to the wall, "and took off for the stairs. They told me to call the SRU and to tell Greg when he got back."
"Ok good. Can you describe them?" Greg asked.
"Yes. One was about 5'10 with black hair and brown eyes. One was a couple inches shorter with brown hair and brown eyes and the other was a big hulking man. He had to be a wrestler or something, he had that kind of build. He had brown hair and blue eyes. They all had high and tights, I didn't even see them enter the room, which is weird because I would think that big guy would be like a bull in a china shop." Megan explained.
"Ok thank you Megan." Greg thought for a moment and asked, "they had high and tights? You mean they were high on drugs and wearing tights?" He asked, confused.
"No," she laughed, "military haircuts. It's called the high and tight."
"Right. Thanks." Greg grabbed a piece of paper, wrote down his cell number and handed it to her. "Call me if you spot any of them and if you do see them, try to see where they go, but do not put yourself at risk. Make sure you are safe first, ok?" When she nodded he turned to Rollie. "What do you want to do?"
"Mark take the south stairs down just to be sure. Greg and Jim will head up the north stairwell while Charles and I head up the south stairwell here." He pointed to the door to the left of Sam's room. "George and Lance will set up a command in Sam's room, see if you can patch into the cameras and that way they will be close if Megan needs them." He looked at Megan and back to Greg, both nodded. He looked at his techie George. "Get Greg a sidearm and headset."
"Copy Boss." George nodded, went into Sam's room and put his tech bag down on the bed. He fished in a pocket, pulled out an extra headset and handed it to Greg. He ran out of the room and returned five minutes later slightly out of breath, but holding a handgun. "It's loaded, safety's on."
"Ok thanks George." Greg stuck the earpiece in his ear, took the gun and put it in the holster George gave him. He joined the rest of the team. Jim and Greg headed to the north stairwell while Rollie and Charles headed to the south stairs. They each carefully opened the door and entered their stairwell. Greg let Jim lead as they slowly made their way up the stairs. They walked up two flights before they got to the door at the top. "Bravo in position." He whispered.
"Alpha seconds away. George, any luck with eyes?" Rollie answered as they climbed the last few steps to the door to the roof.
George looked at the 26 cameras spread throughout the hospital. "None on the roof and no joy on any of the other cameras, but there are definitely blind spots here. Be careful guys." He breathed as he looked between the two laptops he'd set up on Sam's bed. Even with two laptops he couldn't fit all of the camera views on at once. He had Lance looking at one laptop and switching between screens with seven views on one screen and six on another.
##### Sam's room 30 minutes earlier #####
Pax, Dolittle and Beast walked quietly up the south stairwell and stopped when they came to a door. Pax had done some recon and found out that Sam was on this floor. The helpful girl at the desk told him that if he took the south stairwell he'd come out right next to his friends room. He'd winked and thanked her for her help.
Now, Dolittle was looking through the small glass window trying to see how easy it would be to slip into Sam's room. The nurse's station was empty and no one else was around. "It's clear." He stepped out of the door and walked the ten feet to Sam's room quickly and quietly. He slid the door open enough so he could get through, then retreated to the least visible corner.
Pax went next as Beast kept watch. They'd lucked out, the nurses were all busy with other patients.
A moment later, Beast was out the door and into Sam's room with Sam's door closed before the stairwell door clicked closed. He may be huge, but he was quiet as a mouse.
Sam could sense that someone was in the room, but he wasn't sure what room he was in, so he kept his eyes closed. His right arm and leg hurt. Oh yeah, he fell out of the ceiling on a damned call. He was sure it was Greg and Wordy, but then he caught a whiff of a very familiar cologne.
##########
"Damn Beast, did you bathe in it?" Sam waved his hand in the air of their tent. Beast was standing in front of him asking if he looked ok for his date.
"Shit. Should I wipe it off?" Beast lifted an arm and sniffed himself. "I don't wanna drive her away." He sniffed his pits and turned in a circle trying to smell himself.
Sam gave him a crooked smile. "Maybe just change your shirt." He leaned in and sniffed at Beast's shirt before pulling back with a grimace. He didn't mind cologne, but he knew girls didn't like for it to be too strong. He nodded when Beast returned with a different shirt on, but the same jacket. "You look great." He smiled broadly and slapped Beast on the arm. He got a mischievous look in his eye and said with a smirk, "so did it take a whole village of seamstresses to make those clothes?"
"Har har." Beast mocked.
"Be safe tonight." He grinned wider. "You pick up some extra small condoms? And a magnifying glass for the lady?" He ducked when Beast growled at him and laughed when Beast stalked towards him as he back pedaled.
##########
"Hey Shadow." Beast stepped towards the bed and was surprised to see Sam grin and jump back from him. "Hey. Easy. You ok? You remember me?"
Pax moved forward, concern etching his face.
Sam tried to move back further on the bed, but he had nowhere to go. He looked around the room, trying to find a way to escape Beast's wrath. "You're too slow, you'll never catch me." He laughed at Beast, then frowned, where did his collar shirt and jacket go? He looked to his left and saw Pax. His frowned deepened. Wasn't Pax in the hospital recovering from his burns. Now when he tried to move it was out of panic. What was going on?
"Shadow? You doing ok buddy?" Pax moved forward slowly until he was at the end of the bed. He looked to Dolittle. "What's going on?" He whispered.
"Shadow. It's me Dolittle. Do you recognize me?" Dolittle moved forward so he was at the end of the bed, but off to the side.
"Dolittle." Sam said with certainty. He smiled. "Look at Beast in a penguin suit." He laughed. "Lucky for the girl I got him to change his shirt, it was doused in cologne!"
"What's he talking about?" Pax said behind his hand and whispered.
At first, Beast shook his head, then he remembered. "My first date with that girl Emily." He locked eyes with Sam and nodded.
"Yeah." Sam nodded but he looked away. He was so confused. What was happening right now? How was Pax here? He looked at Pax. "Shouldn't you be in the hospital? They need to take care of your burns." He stepped off the bed on the opposite side from Dolittle. He hobbled the few steps to Pax and looked at him carefully. Damn his hip and leg hurt. Pax's face was scarred, but the scars were faded. Last time he saw Pax the scars were deep and angry red.
Beast leaned over to Dolittle and whispered, "what's happening? He seems so out of it."
"I don't know. Maybe he hit his head when he fell?" Dolittle whispered back. He moved towards Sam. "Let's get you back in bed buddy. You look like you've had a rough couple days."
Sam pulled back from Dolittle. Rough couple days? No, the last mission was quick and easy, no injuries on the team except for Pax. He looked at Pax again, except this time he looked very different. He limped back from them. When both moved forward he retreated until his back was to the wall. He stepped up on the bed with a hiss as his right hip and leg protested. He stepped carefully down on the other side of the bed.
"Hey Shadow." Beast started moving slowly towards Sam. "Can you look at me?" When Sam's gaze darted to his he was unnerved by the fear there. "You know who I am right?"
He shook his head, unsure, and winced at the pain it caused. "Damn." Sam cursed. He put a hand to his head.
"Looks like you're in pain. Why don't you lie back on the bed and get some rest? I can ask someone for pain meds for you." Beast said calmly.
"I'm fine." Sam said flatly and inched towards the door. He was trapped in here with these men and they didn't make sense. Of course he knew who they were, but why did his body hurt? He wasn't injured in the last mission. And why was Pax here? He should be in the hospital. Why was his rack a big comfy bed? That was completely wrong. What the hell was happening? Was he captured and beaten so badly he was hallucinating? It had to be. He couldn't think of any other explanation. He looked at Beast, anger in his eyes. "You can't fool me. They aren't here. You're just playing with my head. I won't let you in. I'm stronger than you."
"I know you are Shadow. You're the strongest among us. But even the strong need help sometimes. Wait, please." Beast put a hand up as Sam got closer to the door.
"Nice try. Beast wouldn't ever say that. He'd tell me to buck up and stop acting like such a girl." Sam bolted out of his room but stopped dead when he saw the girl at the desk in front of him. He dropped to the floor with a grunt and army crawled past her, pushing through the pain he felt. When he heard footsteps behind him he cut through a desk area and pulled open a small door. He saw it was a small closet and climbed in.