Part 17 Hope and Despair.
Jesse awoke slowly, opening bleary eyes on the world, it took him a moment to focus on his surroundings and realise that he was still in the hospital. The room was light and bright. He caught sight of the sun though the window. The clock on the wall said 11am.
He looked up to see Mark smiling down at him.
"Hi Jess, how are you feeling," Mark said. His voice sounded strained, concerned.
"We're glad you're finally back with us." Amanda added with what sounded like forced cheerfulness from behind him. She leaned over so he could see her better. She was also smiling at him.
Jesse tried to shift his position in the bed but gentle hands held him back. "Don't try to move yet". Mark said, "you've just come out of surgery."
Jesse sensed that there was something wrong. There was something about the expressions on his friend's faces. They did not hold the smiles of genuine affection that Jesse expected to find there. They were both smiling but there was a sadness in their eyes that was incongruous with the upturn of their lips. It was more than just worry or concern and Jesse had seen it before, at least on Mark's face, but only when he had had to deliver bad news to a patient.
Jesse answered Mark's question. "I guess I don't feel too bad a little groggy maybe," Then almost too afraid to ask because of what he saw, he added, "How did the operation go?"
Mark sighed heavily, he seemed to be trying to figure out how to word his answer. "I'm sorry, Jess," he said quietly the strain still clearly showing.
Amanda reached out and took Jesse's hand in hers.
"There were complications during surgery. Dr. Michaelson did everything he could but I'm afraid that his attempts were unsuccessful," Mark continued. "I'm afraid that he," Mark paused momentarily before continuing hesitantly. "He couldn't save the arm Jess"
The next words Mark spoke seemed to turn Jesse's blood to ice. "I'm afraid he had to amputate."
Jesse turned to look down at his left arm and instead of the heavy bandaging that he expected to see there was nothing. He let out a half hysterical sob, ignoring the hands that tried to hold him down. He pushed himself up ignoring the pain. "No," he cried out. "No, he can't have."
And then strong arms took hold of him. "Jesse wake up. It's all right." Mark's voice penetrated through the hysteria that gripped him. He opened his eyes, still frantic, his breathing rapid and shallow. He looked around the room which was still in semi darkness as the early wisps of dawn light filtered in. It took his scrambled senses several moments to register the difference in conditions and his brain a little while longer to process them in to coherent thought. It had been a nightmare. Thank God, it had been a nightmare.
Jesse dropped back on to the pillows and looked across, reassured by the sight of his bandaged arm, even happy about the painful throb that told him it really was still there and then he turned to look up at a concerned Mark once more, but this time it was real.
He attempted to bring his breathing under control as Mark stated. "It was just a nightmare Jess, everything's OK"
Jesse smiled up at the old doctor. "I know Mark, thanks," he said, despite his best efforts his breathing was still too rapid and his heart racing. He took a deep breath.
"Want to talk about it?" Mark asked, checking Jesse's IV line and adjusting his bandage slightly. "Whatever it was gave us both quite a fright."
Mark pulled the chair he had been sitting on closer to the bed as Jesse considered the question. Part of him just wanted to push the dream to the back of his mind as he had earlier about the possibility of problems. Another part of him wanted to open up, to admit his fears, talking about it, he knew, would help.
The internal argument lasted only a few seconds. Denial won. "No, it was nothing." he said dismissively. Then, attempting to change the subject he asked. "Have you been in that chair all night?"
Mark sighed. He knew that deep down Jesse was afraid but was unable to admit it even to himself. He would also have been willing to bet that the nightmare that the young doctor had just experienced was directly related to that fear, but until Jesse was prepared to talk to him there was very little that he could do about it.
"Yes," wearily he answered Jesse's question, rubbing his neck as he did so.
"Have you managed to get any sleep?"
Mark looked up at the clock on the wall. It was just after 6.30 am and sunlight was starting to stream in through the windows. The last time he could remember looking at it was around 4. "I guess a couple of hours." He realised that he must have been asleep in the chair. It had only been Jesse's cry that had awoken him. No wonder his neck ached so much. He was definitely getting too old for this.
Jesse looked him in the eye. "There was no need for you to do that," he said sincerely, "but thank you."
Mark returned his gaze. "To tell you the truth, I didn't want to be alone," he paused, "I figured we could both use the company."
Jesse finally had settled his breathing but he was still distinctly unsettled by his nightmare. Ignoring it was doing little to reduce his anxiety but still he could not bring himself to talk about it. Instead he changed the subject again asking Mark about who was covering for him in the ER.
The two doctors chatted until about 7 when the nurse came in to change Jesse's IV and give him a wash. Mark decided he needed to clean up himself and so went to shower and change into the spare set of clothes that he kept in his office. By the time he arrived back, feeling a little more refreshed, Nathan had joined Jesse and was quietly questioning him about what he could remember of the day before.
Nathan stood up when Mark entered the room. "Good morning Mark," he said with a half smile, the rest of his expression was that of someone getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar "Dr. Taylor said it would be OK if I talked to Jesse this morning as long as he felt up to it," he said, feeling the need to explain himself, in case Mark thought he was being inconsiderate.
Mark smiled back recognising the young detective's discomfort, he had frequently seen the same expression from Steve when he had had to interrogate a patient and he wasn't sure if Mark would approve. "It's all right, Nathan," Mark said reassuringly. "I understand that you have a job to do and so does Jesse."
Nathan briefly relaxed a little but then his expression turned apologetic. "I'm afraid that there's still no news on Steve."
Mark looked down at the floor and momentarily closed his eyes as he controlled his expression. It was not bad news it was still no news, which was almost as hard to take. He looked back up again as concerned eyes met his. He could not think of a reply. So he just nodded his acknowledgment.
Nathan wanted to say something else, something that would help but he was unable to think of anything but platitudes that he could offer to comfort the father standing in front of him. Instead he turned back to Jesse. "If you don't mind Jess, I've just got a few more questions?"
"Go ahead," Jesse replied finally tearing his eyes away from Mark as Nathan sat down again. He was also unable to think of anything to say that would help Mark. Steve had now been missing for over 20 hours and the lack of news was clearly eating at his friend. "I'll tell you anything I can," he added.
Nathan began his next question and at that point the phone rang. "You two carry on," Mark said. "It will be another diverted call for me."
Mark approached the phone with the same trepidation as he had the day before. He hesitated slightly before resolutely moving his hand to pick up the receiver. "Hello, Dr. Mark Sloan," he said into it.
"Dr. Sloan," A female voice that he did not recognise repeated his name. "I want you to listen to me very carefully and do exactly what I say."
Mark's heart skipped a beat, instinct told him that the voice on the other end of the line knew something about Steve. "Who is this?" he asked. There was something about his tone that made both Jesse and Nathan stop their discussion and turn to watch him.
"Who I am is unimportant," the voice said, "but if you want to see your son alive again you will follow my instructions to the letter. Now...."
The confirmation that the person, as he suspected, knew something about Steve's whereabouts and condition proved too much for Mark, despite the implied threat in the caller's words he could not help but interrupt. "Steve!" he blurted out, "Is he alive. How is he? Please I have to know." The questions poured out with a pleading tone to them. Mark could not keep his emotions in check. "Tell me how my son is."
For a moment there was silence from the other end of the line and Mark held his breath fearful that the caller would hang up. Then the voice spoke again. "Your son is alive but quite ill. That is why you must follow my instructions to the letter if you want to save him."
On the word 'alive' Mark had let out the breath he had been holding as the relief washed over him. It took him a moment to process the rest of the sentence that the caller had spoken.
"I'll do anything," he said, the pleading tone had been replaced by one of desperation.
"Good, have you got a pen and something to write on?"
Mark quickly pulled a pen out of his pocket and frantically searched round for some paper. Nathan who was watching realised what he was looking for and turned to a clean page in his notepad and handed it across.
"OK," Mark said, cradling the phone under his ear so he could hold the pad and write. "Go ahead."
The voice on the other end of the phone began to reel off a list of medical supplies, that Mark quickly realised were everything you would need to treat an infected gunshot wound. One or two of the requested antibiotics were referred to by names that Mark hadn't heard in more than twenty years. Whoever this was had medical knowledge but it was not recent. When the list was finished. The caller gave a location to bring the supplies to, a specific ATM machine in a large shopping mall
"Be there in exactly one hour," the caller said. "I can't afford to wait." There was a momentary pause before the caller added "and come alone. If you are late or I see anyone with you then I will leave and you know what that will mean for your son?"
"Don't worry," Mark replied, "I'll be there."
"Alone?" The caller repeated
"I'll be alone," Mark confirmed.
"Then I will see you in one hour." The caller stated and the line went dead.
Mark was left standing staring at the list in front of him momentarily stunned by the change of circumstance.
"Mark," Nathan said, "Who was that?"
It was enough to break Mark's stupor, He looked across at Nathan and Jesse. "I have to go," he stated, tearing the pages out of Nathan's notebook and handing it back.
"Go where?" Jesse asked. "Who was that? What did they stay about Steve?' He partially knew the answers to his questions from the half of the conversation that he and Nathan had heard but needed the details filling in.
Mark ignored the questions as at that moment Amanda entered. "Amanda I need to borrow your car," he stated bluntly.
Taken aback by the abruptness of her greeting Amanda none the less readily agreed to the request. "Of course, Mark but what.."
"Don't ask any questions, I haven't got time for answers," Mark interrupted. He knew that he would be hard pushed to meet his deadline and did not want to risk the person who had called him keeping to their threat and not waiting. His mind was already racing as he worked out where he could acquire all of the supplies he needed. "Meet me by the entrance in twenty minutes.
Amanda knew that Mark would only behave like this if he had good reason. "All right." she replied, still a little stunned.
"Mark what's going on?" Jesse tried again to get his friend to answer but Mark was already heading for the door, his mind elsewhere.
Nathan realised that Mark was too preoccupied to talk but he also knew that he couldn't let him leave without getting some answers. If Mark had heard something about Steve then he needed to know. He moved to block the doctor's path.
"Mark!" He said sharply attempting to penetrate through the preoccupation. "You can't just run off like this."
Mark stopped and looked into the young detectives eyes. "I don't have the time..."
"For what? Who was that?" Nathan sensed the urgency in Mark. "Tell us what's happening. We may be able to help."
Mark looked round at the expectant faces of his friends. He at least owed them an explanation. He glanced down at his watch, this would have to be fast. "OK, the person on the other end of the line said Steve was still alive but they need medical supplies to keep him that way. I've got one hour to get together what they need and drop them off."
Nathan pulled out his cell phone. "Give me the location and I'll have the place surrounded long before then. We'll get Steve back and capture whoever it is.." Nathan had already begun punching in the station number.
Mark grabbed his hand stopping him from finishing dialing. "No, we can't risk it. They've arranged to meet in a crowded shopping mall. There's no way we could spot them and every chance that your people would be spotted, and, if Steve is as bad as this list of supplies suggests..." he let the thought hang. "I simply can't risk it. They want me to come alone and that is what I intend to do."
"Then at least let me come along as back up." Nathan said. "I promise that I won't bring anyone else in on this." He paused searching Mark's expression. "There have already been enough people hurt. Just let me watch your back. I promise they won't spot me."
Mark wanted to say no, to say that any risk was too great but he did not have time to argue. He needed to get moving if he stood any chance of meeting the deadline. "OK but stay out of sight. I'll meet you downstairs with Amanda." And with that he hurried out of the room.
Amanda sat down in the chair next to Jesse's bed as Nathan turned back to face them. Nathan still held his cell phone in his hand. He looked down at it and for a moment considered procedure which dictated that he should call this in. Then he tossed it to Amanda. "If anyone asks you found it in here. I must have left it when I interviewed Jesse," Nathan said. At Amanda's puzzled look he continued. "I may have to explain why I didn't call for back up. If I don't have my phone..."
"...you won't get chance to call because you'll be too busy following Mark." Amanda completed for him.
"Yes, terrible time for the radio in my car to develop a fault." Nathan smiled. Jesse and Amanda smiled back, both grateful for what the young detective was doing to help their friends.
Twenty minutes later, true to his word Mark met Amanda and Nathan in the lobby. He held out his hand to take the keys from her.
"You know, maybe I should come too," she said. "There may be something I can do to help."
"No Amanda," Mark replied quickly. "It's enough of a risk taking Nathan, besides," his next words quelled any further protest. "Jesse needs you here. He's more worried about this surgery than he's letting on. I just wish I could stay and help. You need to be there for him"
Amanda nodded "OK, but you be careful," and she handed over her keys.
Mark picked up the heavy medical holdall and headed out through the main entrance with Nathan following closely. Neither man noticed the eyes that watched them cross the car park nor the vehicle that pulled out of the lot behind them, following at a distance, just out of sight.
Jesse sat back on the bed, alone for the first time in twelve hours. He stared up at the clock on the wall and watched fascinated at how slowly the second hand seemed to move. The longer he sat and watched the more time seemed to drag. His surgery was scheduled for 10.30, still over two hours away!
He was worried about Steve and now Mark, who knew what danger the old doctor was putting himself in, but that was not why the time was seeming to drag. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by the images from his nightmare. The pained expressions on his friend's faces, the finality of Mark's pronouncement. He could not escape the deep feeling of foreboding he had, nor the fear that he would never return to full health, that something would go wrong with the surgery.
He tried to ignore the fear as he had done the night before, to push away the negative thoughts but this time they would not go. He stared at the hand on the clock as it continued it's slow trail round.
For Mark time was moving altogether too quickly. He cursed each time he was held up by traffic at a junction and prayed that the freeway would be clear. Any hold up and he would be late and the consequences of that were unthinkable. He pressed his foot slightly harder on the gas peddle and switched lanes to gain himself a few extra precious feet of tarmac as he crawled towards the on ramp.
Twenty five agonising minutes later Mark pulled into the mall parking lot that the caller had specified. He found himself a space and was out of the car virtually before it had stopped. He hauled the hold all from the trunk and slammed it shut, then set off at a half run toward the building. He checked his watch, he had five minutes to make the meeting point.
Nathan pulled into the lot seconds after Mark and deliberately headed down a different row. Parking his car he quickly headed for the only entrance, totally ignoring Mark until he was inside. He was a lot younger than the doctor and so made it into the building before him. Once inside he pretended to check the window of one of the shops until Mark had passed him. He then waited before he moved off. Taking care to just keep the old doctor in sight.
Emma had not wasted any of the time since she had left Steve. The first thing she had done was to completely change her appearance. A blond wig hid her brown hair and glasses shaded her eyes. She wore black trousers and a nondescript dark grey top, along with track shoes in case she had to leave in a hurry.
She had chosen her meeting point carefully. If there was anything that Emma had become intimately acquainted with during her time in LA it was the shopping Malls. There was a coffee shop opposite the ATM machine, from which she could keep watch and more than one exit from the mall within yards of each other. If she saw anything suspicious she could just walk out and no one would ever know she had been there. There were far too many people, most of them women, for anyone to notice her, even if they were looking for her.
She sat and stirred her coffee nervously, trying to resist the temptation to check her watch again, she did not want to draw attention to herself.
Mark strode purposefully through the melee of mid morning shoppers. His mind focused on a single goal. He simply had to reach the meeting point on time. He had long since given up considering how he felt. His anxiety levels as he neared his destination, he knew would be off the scale. His heart was beating faster than it should have been and the progressive contraction of the muscles in his stomach and abdomen felt more like birds flapping around than butterflies. He switched the heavy bag on to the opposite shoulder as he caught sight of the rendezvous point. He quickened his pace.
Nathan almost lost Mark in the crowds twice but he did not dare speed up too much. Mark had been right about one thing. Any overt police presence would have been too easy to pick out even in the bustling crowds of shoppers. Instead Nathan relied upon his brief sitings of the doctor to keep track of him. When Mark reached the meeting point and stopped Nathan carried on past him to a coffee shop opposite where he proceeded to order from the counter keeping Mark in sight in his peripheral vision.
Emma did not notice the young detective walk straight past her. Her attention was focused on the distinguished white haired gentleman who stood nervously next to the ATM machine. He had placed a large holdall on the floor. She recognised him as Steve's father straight away. His picture had been in the paper several times during the time she had been in LA and she had always read the articles with interest since they usually also involved Steve
She watched him for a couple of minutes as he just stood checking his watch, until she was convinced that he was alone. Then she stood and placed her hand in her pocket and walked out of the shop taking a very indirect line she ended up approaching from behind.
"Dr. Sloan," she said just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the crowds of shoppers.
Mark was so on edge he almost jumped at the sound of his name and turned quickly to look at the woman who had spoken. He did not get chance to look at her face, instead his gaze was transfixed by the sight of the gun which she held, steadily pointed at his chest.
"There's no need for that," he said quietly. "I'm only concerned about my son, I won't try anything." Finally able to break his eyes away from the weapon, he looked up into her face. "Please tell me how he is?"
"I'll do better than that," Emma replied.
Nathan turned back from the counter. He had been briefly distracted by paying for his drink and so was surprised to see that Mark had company. He cursed himself for trying too hard to blend in, he had expected the wait to be longer. Then he spotted the glint of metal and swore softly to himself. The woman had a gun pointing directly at the doctor.
Putting his cup down on the nearest table he moved round to the woman's blind side and began to reach for his own weapon.
The events of the next few seconds took everyone by surprise. The gunshot cracked across the crowded mall like a giant thunderclap. The plate glass window which it hit shattered and fell like a cascading waterfall raining shards of glass on anyone unlucky enough to be standing nearby. Mark and Emma both turned to look not at the shattering glass but at the direction it had come from. They had both felt not heard the burning trail that it left as it passed between them.
Nathan briefly thought that the woman had fired on Mark, but his training told him that the direction was wrong. He turned to look at the two Asians one of whom still held his smoking gun aimed at where Mark and Emma stood.
Emma had the gun firmly in her grip as she turned. Almost instinctively she aimed and fired in a single movement at this latest source of danger. More by luck than skill, the bullet found its mark and the man who moments earlier had fired at them, dropped to the ground.
At that moment all hell broke lose. The crowd of shoppers, gripped by panic at the gunfire in an enclosed space, began to react. Some dropped to the floor, others began to run in no particular direction, One or two just stood and began to scream hysterically. In the pandemonium of confused bodies, Nathan lost track of both Mark and the woman and the two shooters. He had only a split second to make up his mind which direction to go.
Deciding that the Asians posed the biggest threat to the safety of the public he headed in the direction he had last seen them. Pushing his way through uncooperative panicked bodies. He finally reached their position. There was only one man there. Emma's bullet had struck him in the left side and he was in no condition to put up a fight. Nathan quickly found and retrieved the gun he had dropped as Mall security descended on his position.
Nathan looked around for signs of the shooter's companion but he was nowhere to be seen. It was then that he caught sight of Mark and Emma disappearing down the stairs towards one of the mall's many parking lots, Emma still pointing a gun at Mark's back.
He did not have time to react. He pulled out his badge and showed it to the approaching guards. "Call 911 and get the paramedics down here and keep an eye on him," he said, handing over the weapon he had taken from the gunman. Then he set off at a run towards the place he had last seen Mark.
By the time he made it to the parking lot. Mark was nowhere to be seen. For the third time in less than ten minutes Nathan let an expletive past his lips. Damn what was he going to tell Jesse and Amanda? Come to that what was he going to tell his captain?
Meanwhile oblivious to the drama that was unfolding across town Amanda had returned to the Path lab. She had decided that the only way she could relieve the tension as she waited for news was to try to get some work done. She had barely got started on the autopsy which was next on her schedule, when there was a knock on the door.
Dr. Bill Taylor put his head around the door. "Dr. Bentley," he said. "Do you mind if I come in."
Amanda sighed ant turned off the tape she had been recording. She pulled the sheet back over the body and smiled at her colleague. "By all means," she gestured for him to enter the room. "What can I do for you?"
"No offense but I was really looking for Dr. Sloan. Do you happen to know where he is?"
"I'm afraid he's had to leave the hospital," Amanda replied. "He should be back but it could be a couple of hours."
"Oh," Dr. Taylor took a moment to digest the information and decide what to do. "In that case I think I need your help." He paused to look her in the eye. "It's about Doctor Travis. He's refused to sign the consent forms. He's adamant that he does not want any further surgery regardless of the consequences"
Author's note: Apologies to any Jesse fans if you found the opening to that chapter too shocking. I did consider a warning at the start but that would make it loose dramatic effect. Hope you are all still enjoying this.
Jesse awoke slowly, opening bleary eyes on the world, it took him a moment to focus on his surroundings and realise that he was still in the hospital. The room was light and bright. He caught sight of the sun though the window. The clock on the wall said 11am.
He looked up to see Mark smiling down at him.
"Hi Jess, how are you feeling," Mark said. His voice sounded strained, concerned.
"We're glad you're finally back with us." Amanda added with what sounded like forced cheerfulness from behind him. She leaned over so he could see her better. She was also smiling at him.
Jesse tried to shift his position in the bed but gentle hands held him back. "Don't try to move yet". Mark said, "you've just come out of surgery."
Jesse sensed that there was something wrong. There was something about the expressions on his friend's faces. They did not hold the smiles of genuine affection that Jesse expected to find there. They were both smiling but there was a sadness in their eyes that was incongruous with the upturn of their lips. It was more than just worry or concern and Jesse had seen it before, at least on Mark's face, but only when he had had to deliver bad news to a patient.
Jesse answered Mark's question. "I guess I don't feel too bad a little groggy maybe," Then almost too afraid to ask because of what he saw, he added, "How did the operation go?"
Mark sighed heavily, he seemed to be trying to figure out how to word his answer. "I'm sorry, Jess," he said quietly the strain still clearly showing.
Amanda reached out and took Jesse's hand in hers.
"There were complications during surgery. Dr. Michaelson did everything he could but I'm afraid that his attempts were unsuccessful," Mark continued. "I'm afraid that he," Mark paused momentarily before continuing hesitantly. "He couldn't save the arm Jess"
The next words Mark spoke seemed to turn Jesse's blood to ice. "I'm afraid he had to amputate."
Jesse turned to look down at his left arm and instead of the heavy bandaging that he expected to see there was nothing. He let out a half hysterical sob, ignoring the hands that tried to hold him down. He pushed himself up ignoring the pain. "No," he cried out. "No, he can't have."
And then strong arms took hold of him. "Jesse wake up. It's all right." Mark's voice penetrated through the hysteria that gripped him. He opened his eyes, still frantic, his breathing rapid and shallow. He looked around the room which was still in semi darkness as the early wisps of dawn light filtered in. It took his scrambled senses several moments to register the difference in conditions and his brain a little while longer to process them in to coherent thought. It had been a nightmare. Thank God, it had been a nightmare.
Jesse dropped back on to the pillows and looked across, reassured by the sight of his bandaged arm, even happy about the painful throb that told him it really was still there and then he turned to look up at a concerned Mark once more, but this time it was real.
He attempted to bring his breathing under control as Mark stated. "It was just a nightmare Jess, everything's OK"
Jesse smiled up at the old doctor. "I know Mark, thanks," he said, despite his best efforts his breathing was still too rapid and his heart racing. He took a deep breath.
"Want to talk about it?" Mark asked, checking Jesse's IV line and adjusting his bandage slightly. "Whatever it was gave us both quite a fright."
Mark pulled the chair he had been sitting on closer to the bed as Jesse considered the question. Part of him just wanted to push the dream to the back of his mind as he had earlier about the possibility of problems. Another part of him wanted to open up, to admit his fears, talking about it, he knew, would help.
The internal argument lasted only a few seconds. Denial won. "No, it was nothing." he said dismissively. Then, attempting to change the subject he asked. "Have you been in that chair all night?"
Mark sighed. He knew that deep down Jesse was afraid but was unable to admit it even to himself. He would also have been willing to bet that the nightmare that the young doctor had just experienced was directly related to that fear, but until Jesse was prepared to talk to him there was very little that he could do about it.
"Yes," wearily he answered Jesse's question, rubbing his neck as he did so.
"Have you managed to get any sleep?"
Mark looked up at the clock on the wall. It was just after 6.30 am and sunlight was starting to stream in through the windows. The last time he could remember looking at it was around 4. "I guess a couple of hours." He realised that he must have been asleep in the chair. It had only been Jesse's cry that had awoken him. No wonder his neck ached so much. He was definitely getting too old for this.
Jesse looked him in the eye. "There was no need for you to do that," he said sincerely, "but thank you."
Mark returned his gaze. "To tell you the truth, I didn't want to be alone," he paused, "I figured we could both use the company."
Jesse finally had settled his breathing but he was still distinctly unsettled by his nightmare. Ignoring it was doing little to reduce his anxiety but still he could not bring himself to talk about it. Instead he changed the subject again asking Mark about who was covering for him in the ER.
The two doctors chatted until about 7 when the nurse came in to change Jesse's IV and give him a wash. Mark decided he needed to clean up himself and so went to shower and change into the spare set of clothes that he kept in his office. By the time he arrived back, feeling a little more refreshed, Nathan had joined Jesse and was quietly questioning him about what he could remember of the day before.
Nathan stood up when Mark entered the room. "Good morning Mark," he said with a half smile, the rest of his expression was that of someone getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar "Dr. Taylor said it would be OK if I talked to Jesse this morning as long as he felt up to it," he said, feeling the need to explain himself, in case Mark thought he was being inconsiderate.
Mark smiled back recognising the young detective's discomfort, he had frequently seen the same expression from Steve when he had had to interrogate a patient and he wasn't sure if Mark would approve. "It's all right, Nathan," Mark said reassuringly. "I understand that you have a job to do and so does Jesse."
Nathan briefly relaxed a little but then his expression turned apologetic. "I'm afraid that there's still no news on Steve."
Mark looked down at the floor and momentarily closed his eyes as he controlled his expression. It was not bad news it was still no news, which was almost as hard to take. He looked back up again as concerned eyes met his. He could not think of a reply. So he just nodded his acknowledgment.
Nathan wanted to say something else, something that would help but he was unable to think of anything but platitudes that he could offer to comfort the father standing in front of him. Instead he turned back to Jesse. "If you don't mind Jess, I've just got a few more questions?"
"Go ahead," Jesse replied finally tearing his eyes away from Mark as Nathan sat down again. He was also unable to think of anything to say that would help Mark. Steve had now been missing for over 20 hours and the lack of news was clearly eating at his friend. "I'll tell you anything I can," he added.
Nathan began his next question and at that point the phone rang. "You two carry on," Mark said. "It will be another diverted call for me."
Mark approached the phone with the same trepidation as he had the day before. He hesitated slightly before resolutely moving his hand to pick up the receiver. "Hello, Dr. Mark Sloan," he said into it.
"Dr. Sloan," A female voice that he did not recognise repeated his name. "I want you to listen to me very carefully and do exactly what I say."
Mark's heart skipped a beat, instinct told him that the voice on the other end of the line knew something about Steve. "Who is this?" he asked. There was something about his tone that made both Jesse and Nathan stop their discussion and turn to watch him.
"Who I am is unimportant," the voice said, "but if you want to see your son alive again you will follow my instructions to the letter. Now...."
The confirmation that the person, as he suspected, knew something about Steve's whereabouts and condition proved too much for Mark, despite the implied threat in the caller's words he could not help but interrupt. "Steve!" he blurted out, "Is he alive. How is he? Please I have to know." The questions poured out with a pleading tone to them. Mark could not keep his emotions in check. "Tell me how my son is."
For a moment there was silence from the other end of the line and Mark held his breath fearful that the caller would hang up. Then the voice spoke again. "Your son is alive but quite ill. That is why you must follow my instructions to the letter if you want to save him."
On the word 'alive' Mark had let out the breath he had been holding as the relief washed over him. It took him a moment to process the rest of the sentence that the caller had spoken.
"I'll do anything," he said, the pleading tone had been replaced by one of desperation.
"Good, have you got a pen and something to write on?"
Mark quickly pulled a pen out of his pocket and frantically searched round for some paper. Nathan who was watching realised what he was looking for and turned to a clean page in his notepad and handed it across.
"OK," Mark said, cradling the phone under his ear so he could hold the pad and write. "Go ahead."
The voice on the other end of the phone began to reel off a list of medical supplies, that Mark quickly realised were everything you would need to treat an infected gunshot wound. One or two of the requested antibiotics were referred to by names that Mark hadn't heard in more than twenty years. Whoever this was had medical knowledge but it was not recent. When the list was finished. The caller gave a location to bring the supplies to, a specific ATM machine in a large shopping mall
"Be there in exactly one hour," the caller said. "I can't afford to wait." There was a momentary pause before the caller added "and come alone. If you are late or I see anyone with you then I will leave and you know what that will mean for your son?"
"Don't worry," Mark replied, "I'll be there."
"Alone?" The caller repeated
"I'll be alone," Mark confirmed.
"Then I will see you in one hour." The caller stated and the line went dead.
Mark was left standing staring at the list in front of him momentarily stunned by the change of circumstance.
"Mark," Nathan said, "Who was that?"
It was enough to break Mark's stupor, He looked across at Nathan and Jesse. "I have to go," he stated, tearing the pages out of Nathan's notebook and handing it back.
"Go where?" Jesse asked. "Who was that? What did they stay about Steve?' He partially knew the answers to his questions from the half of the conversation that he and Nathan had heard but needed the details filling in.
Mark ignored the questions as at that moment Amanda entered. "Amanda I need to borrow your car," he stated bluntly.
Taken aback by the abruptness of her greeting Amanda none the less readily agreed to the request. "Of course, Mark but what.."
"Don't ask any questions, I haven't got time for answers," Mark interrupted. He knew that he would be hard pushed to meet his deadline and did not want to risk the person who had called him keeping to their threat and not waiting. His mind was already racing as he worked out where he could acquire all of the supplies he needed. "Meet me by the entrance in twenty minutes.
Amanda knew that Mark would only behave like this if he had good reason. "All right." she replied, still a little stunned.
"Mark what's going on?" Jesse tried again to get his friend to answer but Mark was already heading for the door, his mind elsewhere.
Nathan realised that Mark was too preoccupied to talk but he also knew that he couldn't let him leave without getting some answers. If Mark had heard something about Steve then he needed to know. He moved to block the doctor's path.
"Mark!" He said sharply attempting to penetrate through the preoccupation. "You can't just run off like this."
Mark stopped and looked into the young detectives eyes. "I don't have the time..."
"For what? Who was that?" Nathan sensed the urgency in Mark. "Tell us what's happening. We may be able to help."
Mark looked round at the expectant faces of his friends. He at least owed them an explanation. He glanced down at his watch, this would have to be fast. "OK, the person on the other end of the line said Steve was still alive but they need medical supplies to keep him that way. I've got one hour to get together what they need and drop them off."
Nathan pulled out his cell phone. "Give me the location and I'll have the place surrounded long before then. We'll get Steve back and capture whoever it is.." Nathan had already begun punching in the station number.
Mark grabbed his hand stopping him from finishing dialing. "No, we can't risk it. They've arranged to meet in a crowded shopping mall. There's no way we could spot them and every chance that your people would be spotted, and, if Steve is as bad as this list of supplies suggests..." he let the thought hang. "I simply can't risk it. They want me to come alone and that is what I intend to do."
"Then at least let me come along as back up." Nathan said. "I promise that I won't bring anyone else in on this." He paused searching Mark's expression. "There have already been enough people hurt. Just let me watch your back. I promise they won't spot me."
Mark wanted to say no, to say that any risk was too great but he did not have time to argue. He needed to get moving if he stood any chance of meeting the deadline. "OK but stay out of sight. I'll meet you downstairs with Amanda." And with that he hurried out of the room.
Amanda sat down in the chair next to Jesse's bed as Nathan turned back to face them. Nathan still held his cell phone in his hand. He looked down at it and for a moment considered procedure which dictated that he should call this in. Then he tossed it to Amanda. "If anyone asks you found it in here. I must have left it when I interviewed Jesse," Nathan said. At Amanda's puzzled look he continued. "I may have to explain why I didn't call for back up. If I don't have my phone..."
"...you won't get chance to call because you'll be too busy following Mark." Amanda completed for him.
"Yes, terrible time for the radio in my car to develop a fault." Nathan smiled. Jesse and Amanda smiled back, both grateful for what the young detective was doing to help their friends.
Twenty minutes later, true to his word Mark met Amanda and Nathan in the lobby. He held out his hand to take the keys from her.
"You know, maybe I should come too," she said. "There may be something I can do to help."
"No Amanda," Mark replied quickly. "It's enough of a risk taking Nathan, besides," his next words quelled any further protest. "Jesse needs you here. He's more worried about this surgery than he's letting on. I just wish I could stay and help. You need to be there for him"
Amanda nodded "OK, but you be careful," and she handed over her keys.
Mark picked up the heavy medical holdall and headed out through the main entrance with Nathan following closely. Neither man noticed the eyes that watched them cross the car park nor the vehicle that pulled out of the lot behind them, following at a distance, just out of sight.
Jesse sat back on the bed, alone for the first time in twelve hours. He stared up at the clock on the wall and watched fascinated at how slowly the second hand seemed to move. The longer he sat and watched the more time seemed to drag. His surgery was scheduled for 10.30, still over two hours away!
He was worried about Steve and now Mark, who knew what danger the old doctor was putting himself in, but that was not why the time was seeming to drag. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by the images from his nightmare. The pained expressions on his friend's faces, the finality of Mark's pronouncement. He could not escape the deep feeling of foreboding he had, nor the fear that he would never return to full health, that something would go wrong with the surgery.
He tried to ignore the fear as he had done the night before, to push away the negative thoughts but this time they would not go. He stared at the hand on the clock as it continued it's slow trail round.
For Mark time was moving altogether too quickly. He cursed each time he was held up by traffic at a junction and prayed that the freeway would be clear. Any hold up and he would be late and the consequences of that were unthinkable. He pressed his foot slightly harder on the gas peddle and switched lanes to gain himself a few extra precious feet of tarmac as he crawled towards the on ramp.
Twenty five agonising minutes later Mark pulled into the mall parking lot that the caller had specified. He found himself a space and was out of the car virtually before it had stopped. He hauled the hold all from the trunk and slammed it shut, then set off at a half run toward the building. He checked his watch, he had five minutes to make the meeting point.
Nathan pulled into the lot seconds after Mark and deliberately headed down a different row. Parking his car he quickly headed for the only entrance, totally ignoring Mark until he was inside. He was a lot younger than the doctor and so made it into the building before him. Once inside he pretended to check the window of one of the shops until Mark had passed him. He then waited before he moved off. Taking care to just keep the old doctor in sight.
Emma had not wasted any of the time since she had left Steve. The first thing she had done was to completely change her appearance. A blond wig hid her brown hair and glasses shaded her eyes. She wore black trousers and a nondescript dark grey top, along with track shoes in case she had to leave in a hurry.
She had chosen her meeting point carefully. If there was anything that Emma had become intimately acquainted with during her time in LA it was the shopping Malls. There was a coffee shop opposite the ATM machine, from which she could keep watch and more than one exit from the mall within yards of each other. If she saw anything suspicious she could just walk out and no one would ever know she had been there. There were far too many people, most of them women, for anyone to notice her, even if they were looking for her.
She sat and stirred her coffee nervously, trying to resist the temptation to check her watch again, she did not want to draw attention to herself.
Mark strode purposefully through the melee of mid morning shoppers. His mind focused on a single goal. He simply had to reach the meeting point on time. He had long since given up considering how he felt. His anxiety levels as he neared his destination, he knew would be off the scale. His heart was beating faster than it should have been and the progressive contraction of the muscles in his stomach and abdomen felt more like birds flapping around than butterflies. He switched the heavy bag on to the opposite shoulder as he caught sight of the rendezvous point. He quickened his pace.
Nathan almost lost Mark in the crowds twice but he did not dare speed up too much. Mark had been right about one thing. Any overt police presence would have been too easy to pick out even in the bustling crowds of shoppers. Instead Nathan relied upon his brief sitings of the doctor to keep track of him. When Mark reached the meeting point and stopped Nathan carried on past him to a coffee shop opposite where he proceeded to order from the counter keeping Mark in sight in his peripheral vision.
Emma did not notice the young detective walk straight past her. Her attention was focused on the distinguished white haired gentleman who stood nervously next to the ATM machine. He had placed a large holdall on the floor. She recognised him as Steve's father straight away. His picture had been in the paper several times during the time she had been in LA and she had always read the articles with interest since they usually also involved Steve
She watched him for a couple of minutes as he just stood checking his watch, until she was convinced that he was alone. Then she stood and placed her hand in her pocket and walked out of the shop taking a very indirect line she ended up approaching from behind.
"Dr. Sloan," she said just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the crowds of shoppers.
Mark was so on edge he almost jumped at the sound of his name and turned quickly to look at the woman who had spoken. He did not get chance to look at her face, instead his gaze was transfixed by the sight of the gun which she held, steadily pointed at his chest.
"There's no need for that," he said quietly. "I'm only concerned about my son, I won't try anything." Finally able to break his eyes away from the weapon, he looked up into her face. "Please tell me how he is?"
"I'll do better than that," Emma replied.
Nathan turned back from the counter. He had been briefly distracted by paying for his drink and so was surprised to see that Mark had company. He cursed himself for trying too hard to blend in, he had expected the wait to be longer. Then he spotted the glint of metal and swore softly to himself. The woman had a gun pointing directly at the doctor.
Putting his cup down on the nearest table he moved round to the woman's blind side and began to reach for his own weapon.
The events of the next few seconds took everyone by surprise. The gunshot cracked across the crowded mall like a giant thunderclap. The plate glass window which it hit shattered and fell like a cascading waterfall raining shards of glass on anyone unlucky enough to be standing nearby. Mark and Emma both turned to look not at the shattering glass but at the direction it had come from. They had both felt not heard the burning trail that it left as it passed between them.
Nathan briefly thought that the woman had fired on Mark, but his training told him that the direction was wrong. He turned to look at the two Asians one of whom still held his smoking gun aimed at where Mark and Emma stood.
Emma had the gun firmly in her grip as she turned. Almost instinctively she aimed and fired in a single movement at this latest source of danger. More by luck than skill, the bullet found its mark and the man who moments earlier had fired at them, dropped to the ground.
At that moment all hell broke lose. The crowd of shoppers, gripped by panic at the gunfire in an enclosed space, began to react. Some dropped to the floor, others began to run in no particular direction, One or two just stood and began to scream hysterically. In the pandemonium of confused bodies, Nathan lost track of both Mark and the woman and the two shooters. He had only a split second to make up his mind which direction to go.
Deciding that the Asians posed the biggest threat to the safety of the public he headed in the direction he had last seen them. Pushing his way through uncooperative panicked bodies. He finally reached their position. There was only one man there. Emma's bullet had struck him in the left side and he was in no condition to put up a fight. Nathan quickly found and retrieved the gun he had dropped as Mall security descended on his position.
Nathan looked around for signs of the shooter's companion but he was nowhere to be seen. It was then that he caught sight of Mark and Emma disappearing down the stairs towards one of the mall's many parking lots, Emma still pointing a gun at Mark's back.
He did not have time to react. He pulled out his badge and showed it to the approaching guards. "Call 911 and get the paramedics down here and keep an eye on him," he said, handing over the weapon he had taken from the gunman. Then he set off at a run towards the place he had last seen Mark.
By the time he made it to the parking lot. Mark was nowhere to be seen. For the third time in less than ten minutes Nathan let an expletive past his lips. Damn what was he going to tell Jesse and Amanda? Come to that what was he going to tell his captain?
Meanwhile oblivious to the drama that was unfolding across town Amanda had returned to the Path lab. She had decided that the only way she could relieve the tension as she waited for news was to try to get some work done. She had barely got started on the autopsy which was next on her schedule, when there was a knock on the door.
Dr. Bill Taylor put his head around the door. "Dr. Bentley," he said. "Do you mind if I come in."
Amanda sighed ant turned off the tape she had been recording. She pulled the sheet back over the body and smiled at her colleague. "By all means," she gestured for him to enter the room. "What can I do for you?"
"No offense but I was really looking for Dr. Sloan. Do you happen to know where he is?"
"I'm afraid he's had to leave the hospital," Amanda replied. "He should be back but it could be a couple of hours."
"Oh," Dr. Taylor took a moment to digest the information and decide what to do. "In that case I think I need your help." He paused to look her in the eye. "It's about Doctor Travis. He's refused to sign the consent forms. He's adamant that he does not want any further surgery regardless of the consequences"
Author's note: Apologies to any Jesse fans if you found the opening to that chapter too shocking. I did consider a warning at the start but that would make it loose dramatic effect. Hope you are all still enjoying this.