Author's Note: Thank ya'll so much for reading! I'm so excited that people like my story. I'm trying to update as fast as I can. I appreciate everyone's feedback. Thank you for reviewing! I appreciate it so much, and it helps me out a great deal!

Special thanks to Bloodsuckers37 for reading and helping me get the medical 'stuff' right, and correcting my myriad of mistakes.

Bad to Worse

Chapter 6- Trouble

8:00 PM 352 Step-Down Unit

"What?" Don said with a look of panic across his face.

"His wounds were not a serious as we thought. O'Brian had a minor shoulder wound that went straight through without causing any significant damage," David said, trying to take a breath.

"How did he escape?" Terry asked.

"Somehow he got the guard to come over and O'Brian stole his gun. He left the hospital, but someone in the ward said that O'Brian said that he would be back, to finish what he started."

Everyone looked at Don, who was in deep thought.

"All right, put out an APB on O'Brian, alert the LAPD, and have news channels run his picture. Did O'Brian say specifically who he was after?" Don said while pushing the button on the side of the bedrail, allowing him to sit up.

"No, but our best guess is you. I've got guys going over his files. I want to send officers to your dad's house."

"Alright, but don't let them leave until morning. If O'Brian is watching the house, dad and Charlie leaving will tell him that we know who he's going after. Also make sure red flags go up if someone tries to see what room I'm in."

David nodded and left. Terry just sat there looking at Don; both knowing what could happen if O'Brian was to get a hold of an Eppes.

8:59 Eppes Residence

Several police cars and unmarked cars pulled up into the driveway. David Sinclair got out of an unmarked car. He was about to knock on the door when Alan opened it.

"What's going on David?" Alan asked.

Alan opened the door to let David and a couple of officers in. Charlie rose from the sofa he was lying on.

"The guy who shot Don has escaped from the hospital."

"How can that be?" Alan asked sitting down at the table.

"His wounds weren't as serious as we thought. Somehow he got the guard to come over and he took the guard's gun and left the hospital. He told another patient that he would be back to finish what he started."

"Finish what he started…Don!"

Alan rose from the table and headed for the door. A police officer stood in the doorway and would not let Alan leave. Clearly Alan was getting frustrated and angry.

"Mr.Eppes, we can't let you leave. We have orders to make sure that you remain in this house until morning. If this guy is watching your house, then he can follow you to Don. We don't know who this guy will go after; it could be anyone of you."

Of course Alan caught that someone had ordered him to not leave his house.

"Who's orders?" Alan asked angrily.

"Don's," David said in a low voice.

"Who's?"

"Don's," David said loud enough for Alan to hear.

Alan got quiet, and he just stood there. Alan would get quiet instead of yelling when his son's made him angry.

"I'm not going to deal with this right now," Alan said as he stormed off to his room.

"Is Don okay?" Charlie asked David.

"Yes, there are agents and police officers being positioned around the hospital as we speak. There will be guards at his room, and Terry is with him. That hospital is probably as safe as Fort Knox right now."

"How did this guy find out who Don was and that he was still alive?"

"We don't know for sure, but my best guess would be that he saw something on TV or heard someone talking."

Charlie sat there for a second and not knowing what to do. Finally Charlie got up and followed his father. David positioned several officers around the outside of the house and went to his car to get situated for a long night.

8:17 AM 352 Step-Down Unit

Alan finally persuaded David to let him and Charlie leave the house that morning. Alan was getting nervous because he had not heard from Don or Terry since he left. When Alan and Charlie arrived at the hospital, they were escorted into the hospital by armed police officers. Alan and Charlie went up to Don's room immediately. There were several agents posted on the floor. Two were standing outside of Don's room. Alan nodded at both of them and went into Don's room. Alan gasped when he saw that the room was empty. Charlie also gasped when he got into the room. Alan walked out of the room to one of the agents at the door.

"Where is my son?" Alan demanded.

The agent pointed to several figures walking down the hall. Don was leaning heavily on his IV pole he was holding on to. Charlie noticed a container with blood hanging on the pole, and a tube snaking out of Don's side to the container. Terry and another woman were on each of Don's side. The three people walked up to Alan and Charlie.

"You have explaining to do Donald Eppes," Alan said authoritatively.

"Nice to see you to dad," Don said stopping and resting for a minute, looking tired.

"Why is he walking this soon?" Alan asked the therapist.

"It's not uncommon for patients to walk and be up moving a couple of days after surgery. From what I heard, Don persuaded Dr.Andrews to let him walk," the therapist said, getting ready to walk some more.

"Come on, lets walk," Alan said taking the physical therapist's spot next to Don.

They started walking and Charlie ran up to the group and took Terry's place. Terry and the physical therapist walked behind the Eppes trio. Alan held on to his oldest son's free arm to help keep him balanced.

"You look tired Don," Charlie said.

"I didn't sleep that well last night."

"No doubt it was because he was prisoner in his room, like us," Alan said steering Don around the corner.

"I'm sorry dad, I had to do it. I knew you would have come here when you found out. We could let O'Brian know that we knew who he's going after. We couldn't risk him following you to me."

The three Eppes were silent the rest of the way around the unit. The physical therapist motioned for them to stop when they got back around to Don's room. She helped Don back into bed, hooked up the monitors, and left. Terry stayed instead of leaving like she normally did. The rest of the morning dragged on in silence, everyone waiting for someone to say that O'Brian had showed up. No such news came; periodically an agent would come in and update everyone on the situation. A nurse came in several times to check on Don and the monitors. Everyone's stomach started growling around lunch time. Charlie was the first one to break the silence.

"I'm hungry, anyone want anything from downstairs?"

"Yeah, French fries," Don said.

"Whatever looks safe," Alan said getting some money for Charlie.

"I'll go with you," Terry said standing up.

Charlie got the money and headed out the door with Terry following.

12:38 PM Cafeteria

Terry and Charlie were paying when a man with a heavy coat and sunglasses on came in. Everything went in slow motion when the man took a gun out of a pocket. He fired on round into the ceiling and everyone screamed and ducked. Instinctively Terry pulled Charlie to the ground.

"Everyone move over here," the man said pointing to the vending machine area with his gun. "If any of you try to escape I will shoot you."

The people in the cafeteria moved to the vending machines, including Charlie and Terry. Terry and Charlie stood behind the crowd.

"What room is Don Eppes in?" the man asked looking into the crowd.

No one spoke up. Charlie looked at Terry who was getting her cell phone out. She dialed a number, and laid the phone down on a nearby table. Since she was behind a tall man, the guy with the gun did not see her. David was listening on the other end.

"What room is Don Eppes in, the FBI guy?" the guy asked again. "If nobody gives me any answers, I'm going to shoot this woman," the guy said as he grabbed the cafeteria clerk.

David was silent as he heard the man on the other end. David immediately ran to Don's room with his cell phone in his ear.

12:40 Step-Down Unit

David came running into Don's room. Don and Alan rose up.

"What is it?" Don asked.

"There's a guy in the cafeteria, with a gun, demanding to know where you are," David said breathless with his hand over the microphone on his cell phone. "He's holding the people in the cafeteria hostage until he finds out where you are."

"The cafeteria…Charlie!" Don said realizing what was happening.

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