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 7- The Morgue
12:44 PM 352 Step-Down Unit
"Shit," Don said under his breath.
"Terry called me on her phone and laid it down somewhere in the cafeteria. So far no one has been shot yet," David said.
"Do we know if it is O'Brian?"
A woman in a suit came in and whispered something in David's ear and left. David stood there for a second before he told Don what the woman had said.
"Security cameras just confirmed that it is O'Brian in the cafeteria."
"Try to stall O'Brian, and go get Dr.Andrews," Don said swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
David acknowledged Don's orders and left to go get Dr.Andrews.
"Where do you think you're going?" Alan said stepping in front of Don.
"I've got to get down there."
"I don't think so, you're staying right here. I don't need to have two sons down there with that mad man, one is enough. Besides, you can barely walk."
"O'Brian wants me; it is the only way to make sure he doesn't hurt a hostage."
Both of them got quiet, knowing that Don meant Charlie. David came back with Dr.Andrews and a nurse, knowing what Don's intentions would be.
"What do you think you're doing?" Dr.Andrews asked coming into the room.
"I need for you to take all of this stuff out," Don said pointing to the chest tube and IV.
"I don't think so; there is still pressure inside your chest cavity, preventing your left lung from expanding all of the way. Just what are you going to do?"
"Go take O'Brian out. Don't worry; I'll wear a Kevlar vest."
"Agent Eppes, if you get shot in the chest, even if the vest stops the bullet, the impact could break a rib and puncture your lung. Since the pressure in your lung cavity hasn't returned to normal yet and if I remove the chest tube too soon, then the pressure could increase and your lung could collapse again," Dr.Andrews said angrily.
"What if I sign a release or something?"
"Then lawfully, I have to…do as you wish."
Dr.Andrews turned to Alan who was getting madder by the minute, but Alan just stood there staring at his oldest son.
"Bring me that paper," Don ordered.
Dr.Andrews and the nurse left to get the release form. Alan stood there for a minute before he said anything.
"Don, you cannot go down there."
"I have to dad," Don said turning away from his father.
"Don't think that you're too old for me to put you across my knee and bust your ass. I wouldn't be able to live if you or Charlie died, especially since your mother died."
"That's why I have to go."
Why doesn't he understand?
Dr.Andrews came back with the nurse, who was carrying various supplies. Dr.Andrews handed Don a clipboard and a pen. Don quickly read over the paper and signed it. Dr.Andrews took the clipboard and pen.
"First, I'm going to take the chest tube out," Dr.Andrews said snapping on gloves. "I need you to lie down flat. After that, I'm going to wrap your chest with an ace wrap to help give you support and more protection."
Don nodded and laid back. The nurse fixed the bed so that it was flat and high, so Dr.Andrews could reach without having to bend down much. The nurse also untied Don's gown and pulled it down, exposing the chest tube. Alan watched from the foot of the bed.
"I need you to take in a deep breath and hold it."
Don nodded and Dr.Andrews prepared to pull the tube. The nurse injected something into Don's IV.
"What was that?" Don asked.
"A mild pain killer," Dr.Andrews said without looking up from his work. "Okay, now I need you to take in a deep breath and hold it."
Don did as Dr.Andrews said. The nurse handed Dr.Andrews a bandage. Dr.Andrews pulled the tube out and pressed the bandage over the hole. Don winced as Dr.Andrews pressed the bandage over the hole.
"Sorry, I have to get this tight so air cannot get in," Dr.Andrews said taping the bandage in place. "I'm not going to change your bandages since they were just changed this morning."
Dr.Andrews helped Don sit on the side of the bed. Together, the nurse and Dr.Andrews wrapped Don's chest in an ace wrap. After everything was done, the nurse took the IV out.
"I'll be back once you get dressed," Dr.Andrews said as he cleaned up there area where he worked. After Dr.Andrews was done, he and the nurse left the room.
Alan left the room so his son could get dressed. Don went to the closet and found his duffel bag that Alan had brought. Don dressed as quickly as he could, which was sports pants and a t-shirt. Alan came back in and helped Don put on his socks and tennis shoes. Alan went over to the closet and got the Kevlar vest that David had left the night before. He helped Don put it on, and Don put a long sleeve t-shirt over the vest. Dr.Andrews came back once Don was finished dressing.
"I need one more thing," Don said.
1:07 PM Cafeteria
O'Brian was getting restless with no one giving him answers. Terry and Charlie were still standing near the vending machines. Luckily O'Brian had not seen them yet.
"Go find out where Don Eppes is, E-P-P-E-S," O'Brian said to the cafeteria clerk. "If you don't come back, I'm going to shoot him," O'Brian said grabbing a little boy.
The clerk ran out of the cafeteria. She came back a few minutes later, with a piece of paper in her hand.
"Donald Eppes is in the morgue, he coded at 12:30," the clerk read from the paper. "The computer said that there was a blood clot in his leg, and it traveled to his lung."
Charlie and Terry were quiet, not realizing that Don wasn't really dead.
Oh no! I knew I shouldn't have left him! This is all my fault.
"I want proof!" O'Brian demanded. "We're going to the morgue. I want everyone to walk around me, and if any one tries to run, I will shoot you."
Everyone gathered around O'Brian and walked down to the morgue.
1:14 PM Morgue
The morgue was cold, and the air was stale. O'Brian locked all of the doors in the morgue. The hostages fled to a corner, and stood there. O'Brian easily found Don's body since the other body out was an old woman. Charlie almost cried when he saw his older brother. Charlie tried to run to Don, but Terry stopped him. Charlie could see the paleness of Don's face from the other side of the room. A sheet was drawn up to Don's neck. The coroner was standing on the other side of the room.
"Is this Don Eppes?" O'Brian asked for conformation.
The coroner looked at a piece of paper on the counter and took off his face shield. The coroner was Dr.Andrews.
"Yes, that's Don Eppes," Dr.Andrews said moving towards the other hostages.
Charlie noticed that the coroner was Dr.Andrews. Puzzled, Charlie watched Don's chest intently, and sure enough, Charlie saw it moved slightly.
Alive!
O'Brian pulled back the sheet covering Don to reveal a gun pointed directly at O'Brian's face. O'Brian slowly backed away as Don sat up.
"Didn't think that you could get rid of me that easily?" Don asked, hopping off the table.
Don looked at Charlie to see if he was alright. O'Brian caught Don looking at Charlie, and he went over to the hostages and grabbed Charlie, putting his gun to Charlie's head. Don stopped moving, his eyes fixed on O'Brian.
"Don't move or… what's your name?" O'Brian asked Charlie.
"Ch-Charlie," Charlie stuttered.
"Don't move or I'll splatter Charlie's brains out over the floor," O'Brian commanded with his finger inching towards the trigger.
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