Thanks to all for the feedback!
Sorry it took so long but real life calls first.
~/~
"Don't fucking move!" The gunman repeated his threat, pressing the gun harder into Kerry's temple. The small woman winced in pain. She tried to move her head away from him, but the tall man had his arm wrapped around her throat, holding Kerry tightly to his chest, his wild eyes swinging over the ER.
Susan met the Kerry's eyes, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Kerry blinked quickly, letting Susan know that she was all right. Susan let out a slow breath, glancing around the ER. Surprisingly, the area was empty albeit the nurses and doctors whom the man had the gun trained on. Susan wasn't sure if the patients had run or it was just empty to begin with. More than likely they had run, Susan reasoned; after all, Luka had been sent to get her because they were becoming busier.
"You three. Move over here." The command was directed toward Susan, Luka, and Chuck. Susan swallowed, her knees weak. She felt the gentle pressure of Chuck's hand on her back, a somewhat reassuring gesture, considering the grave situation.
Susan forced her legs to move, and she walked toward the admit area. Chuck walked next to her, his fingers interlacing with hers on instinct. Luka moved behind the two, his moves cautious but alert.
"Get over there," the gunman ordered. Susan moved behind the admit desk, Chuck and Luka mirroring her actions, and she leaned against the wooden counter, the ledge pressing into her already sore back. She placed a hand over her stomach, unconsciously rubbing her stomach. Her daughter kicked, and Susan feared for the tiny life that was inside her.
"Sit down," the gunman ordered, shoving Kerry away from him in one swift move. She was surprised at the sudden move, losing her balance. Luka caught the small woman so she would not hit the ground.
"Are you all right?" Luka whispered, helping Kerry to sit on the ground.
Kerry nodded, then replied, "He ambushed me, Luka. He grabbed me before I could do anything."
"It's okay, Kerry," Luka said squeezing her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner before letting go and sitting down. He glanced over and saw that Sam had sat down next to him. Not thinking, he reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "We're going to be okay," Luka told her. Sam nodded, hoping that Luka was right.
Chuck helped Susan to sit, kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay, baby?" Chuck asked, placing a hand on her knee, ignoring the heated glare the gunman was giving him.
"I think so, Chuck," Susan replied nervously. Chuck nodded, looking into her eyes to make sure she was telling the truth. He nodded, only semi satisfied, before turning his attention to the gunman.
"Look, man, what do you want with us?" Chuck spoke up.
"Chuck," Susan whispered urgently, tugging at his hand. She didn't want the man to become angry or violent.
"You'll find out soon enough, buddy," the gunman said.
"Will you tell us your name at least?" Chuck asked, using a soothing tone.
The gunman stared long and hard at the flight nurse before replying gruffly, "Josh. Josh Henderson."
"Okay. Josh," Chuck said. "Josh, I know you are angry, but please listen to reason. As soon as the paramedics realize that they cannot get into the ER they are going to call the police. When the police are brought in, there will be major trouble. So why don't you just walk away and let us all go?"
Josh stared at Chuck before swiftly moving to stand over him. Without warning, the gunman lifted his foot and kicked Chuck hard in the abdomen. Chuck moaned in pain and doubled over, only to have the gunman strike him again.
"No!" Susan screamed, moving to sit up, hoping to protect her husband.
"Don't even think about it, lady!" Josh yelled, pointing the gun at Susan.
The blonde doctor swallowed her fear and looked him directly in the eye, trying to ignore the barrel in her face, her hand immediately going to her stomach. "Please," Susan pleaded softly. "Don't hurt my husband."
The gunman moved swiftly to stand over Susan, gripping her jaw tightly with one hand and pushing the gun against her temple. Susan winced, her instincts telling her to look away but not knowing not to look away from the deranged man. "You tell your husband to sit back and shut the fuck up, then. I would hate to see your baby grow up without a father," Josh sneered, lowering his head to kiss her on the lips.
Susan jerked her head away, fixing Josh with a deadly stare. The gunman met her stare, though with a semi amused look. He stood up and looked at Abby. "You," he said, pointing to her with the gun.
Abby jumped, and asked timidly, "Yes?"
"Lock the doors," Josh ordered. "And don't even think about making a run for it or the pregnant doctor here will die."
Abby nodded, standing up slowly. She met Kerry's eyes, seeking approval from the older doctor. Kerry nodded her head, a gesture that told Abby to follow the man's directions. Kerry looked at Susan, a wave of concern washing over her features when she saw Susan rubbing her jaw and tending to Chuck.
She moved her gaze from the married couple to Abby, who was moving quickly throughout the ER locking doors and entrances. Kerry took a sharp intake of breath when she saw that paramedics were rolling up with a victim. Abby met their eyes through the glass window. Kerry could see Abby mouth the word gunman, and the man immediately turned away.
"What's taking you so long, honey?" asked Josh lazily, holding the gun carelessly. Susan grimaced, knowing that the weapon could go off at any point.
"No-nothing," Abby stammered, turning away from the door after locking it. Meeting Susan's eyes, Abby gave her a ghost of a smile, hoping to reassure Susan.
Susan breathed deeply, trying to control her nausea. The last thing she wanted to do was anger Josh by getting sick; not that it was her fault or anything. She felt Chuck's hand wrap around hers, his grip somewhat reassuring. Susan leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. She felt Chuck's chin come down to rest on her the top of her head.
"Are you okay?" Chuck asked, his whisper barely audible.
Susan nodded against his shoulder, then whispered, "You?"
She felt him shake his head, his soft words causing her heart to flutter.
"Not until you're safe."
~/~
End Part 2
Sorry it took so long but real life calls first.
~/~
"Don't fucking move!" The gunman repeated his threat, pressing the gun harder into Kerry's temple. The small woman winced in pain. She tried to move her head away from him, but the tall man had his arm wrapped around her throat, holding Kerry tightly to his chest, his wild eyes swinging over the ER.
Susan met the Kerry's eyes, the unspoken question hanging in the air. Kerry blinked quickly, letting Susan know that she was all right. Susan let out a slow breath, glancing around the ER. Surprisingly, the area was empty albeit the nurses and doctors whom the man had the gun trained on. Susan wasn't sure if the patients had run or it was just empty to begin with. More than likely they had run, Susan reasoned; after all, Luka had been sent to get her because they were becoming busier.
"You three. Move over here." The command was directed toward Susan, Luka, and Chuck. Susan swallowed, her knees weak. She felt the gentle pressure of Chuck's hand on her back, a somewhat reassuring gesture, considering the grave situation.
Susan forced her legs to move, and she walked toward the admit area. Chuck walked next to her, his fingers interlacing with hers on instinct. Luka moved behind the two, his moves cautious but alert.
"Get over there," the gunman ordered. Susan moved behind the admit desk, Chuck and Luka mirroring her actions, and she leaned against the wooden counter, the ledge pressing into her already sore back. She placed a hand over her stomach, unconsciously rubbing her stomach. Her daughter kicked, and Susan feared for the tiny life that was inside her.
"Sit down," the gunman ordered, shoving Kerry away from him in one swift move. She was surprised at the sudden move, losing her balance. Luka caught the small woman so she would not hit the ground.
"Are you all right?" Luka whispered, helping Kerry to sit on the ground.
Kerry nodded, then replied, "He ambushed me, Luka. He grabbed me before I could do anything."
"It's okay, Kerry," Luka said squeezing her hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner before letting go and sitting down. He glanced over and saw that Sam had sat down next to him. Not thinking, he reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "We're going to be okay," Luka told her. Sam nodded, hoping that Luka was right.
Chuck helped Susan to sit, kneeling in front of her. "Are you okay, baby?" Chuck asked, placing a hand on her knee, ignoring the heated glare the gunman was giving him.
"I think so, Chuck," Susan replied nervously. Chuck nodded, looking into her eyes to make sure she was telling the truth. He nodded, only semi satisfied, before turning his attention to the gunman.
"Look, man, what do you want with us?" Chuck spoke up.
"Chuck," Susan whispered urgently, tugging at his hand. She didn't want the man to become angry or violent.
"You'll find out soon enough, buddy," the gunman said.
"Will you tell us your name at least?" Chuck asked, using a soothing tone.
The gunman stared long and hard at the flight nurse before replying gruffly, "Josh. Josh Henderson."
"Okay. Josh," Chuck said. "Josh, I know you are angry, but please listen to reason. As soon as the paramedics realize that they cannot get into the ER they are going to call the police. When the police are brought in, there will be major trouble. So why don't you just walk away and let us all go?"
Josh stared at Chuck before swiftly moving to stand over him. Without warning, the gunman lifted his foot and kicked Chuck hard in the abdomen. Chuck moaned in pain and doubled over, only to have the gunman strike him again.
"No!" Susan screamed, moving to sit up, hoping to protect her husband.
"Don't even think about it, lady!" Josh yelled, pointing the gun at Susan.
The blonde doctor swallowed her fear and looked him directly in the eye, trying to ignore the barrel in her face, her hand immediately going to her stomach. "Please," Susan pleaded softly. "Don't hurt my husband."
The gunman moved swiftly to stand over Susan, gripping her jaw tightly with one hand and pushing the gun against her temple. Susan winced, her instincts telling her to look away but not knowing not to look away from the deranged man. "You tell your husband to sit back and shut the fuck up, then. I would hate to see your baby grow up without a father," Josh sneered, lowering his head to kiss her on the lips.
Susan jerked her head away, fixing Josh with a deadly stare. The gunman met her stare, though with a semi amused look. He stood up and looked at Abby. "You," he said, pointing to her with the gun.
Abby jumped, and asked timidly, "Yes?"
"Lock the doors," Josh ordered. "And don't even think about making a run for it or the pregnant doctor here will die."
Abby nodded, standing up slowly. She met Kerry's eyes, seeking approval from the older doctor. Kerry nodded her head, a gesture that told Abby to follow the man's directions. Kerry looked at Susan, a wave of concern washing over her features when she saw Susan rubbing her jaw and tending to Chuck.
She moved her gaze from the married couple to Abby, who was moving quickly throughout the ER locking doors and entrances. Kerry took a sharp intake of breath when she saw that paramedics were rolling up with a victim. Abby met their eyes through the glass window. Kerry could see Abby mouth the word gunman, and the man immediately turned away.
"What's taking you so long, honey?" asked Josh lazily, holding the gun carelessly. Susan grimaced, knowing that the weapon could go off at any point.
"No-nothing," Abby stammered, turning away from the door after locking it. Meeting Susan's eyes, Abby gave her a ghost of a smile, hoping to reassure Susan.
Susan breathed deeply, trying to control her nausea. The last thing she wanted to do was anger Josh by getting sick; not that it was her fault or anything. She felt Chuck's hand wrap around hers, his grip somewhat reassuring. Susan leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. She felt Chuck's chin come down to rest on her the top of her head.
"Are you okay?" Chuck asked, his whisper barely audible.
Susan nodded against his shoulder, then whispered, "You?"
She felt him shake his head, his soft words causing her heart to flutter.
"Not until you're safe."
~/~
End Part 2