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"Hide and Seek" Part 3
Claire Leyland
Disclaimer: ER and its characters belong to NBC, Warner Bros. etc and no infringement of their copyright is intended.
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"How's it going Doc?" Smith asked sarcastically, moving past Carter to lean against the jeep. "Had a nice day?"
"Mr Smith….uh…..what are you doing here? Carter nervously replied, taking a step
back from the elder man.
"Well that's not very polite Dr Carter. You're supposed to ask me how I'm doing. Isn't that how it works?" Queried Smith closing the gap between them in one large step. "Well guess what; I'm not doing very well at the moment, not very well at all. You want to know why? You see my mother was rushed to hospital this morning with the reassurance that she was going there to receive help. However instead you know what happened? When she got there her so called doctor left her to die. So imagine the anguish of that woman's son when he comes face to face with that doctor. Do you think he's just going to forget what's happened and let bygones be bygones?"
"Mr Smith that's not what happened at all. We followed your mothers wishes." Carter tried to explain, his fear growing. He tightened his grip on his leather case and looked around frantically for help. The car park was as quiet as a graveyard with no one in sight.
"LIAR!! Yelled Smith, clenching his fists. "How do you know what my mother would have wanted? You didn't know her for forty two years. She was a fighter, not a quitter! I just can not believe she signed this order, what was it, do not resuscitate?
She had fought for so long and now to just give up?" Leaning his tall body against the trunk of the jeep Smith shook his head in disbelief.
"She never once spoke to me about it. I'm her son so I'm surely someone she would inform. Which makes me wonder how exactly you treated my mother."
Carter was about to respond when the bright glare of a cars headlights caught his attention. He observed with much relief that someone was entering the hospital car park, someone that might offer him some much needed assistance.
Smith saw Carter's attention waver from him and stood up to see what he was looking at. Squinting his eyes against the light he started to panic when he realised that someone in the oncoming car could notice them and walk over. If Carter made a scene then his plan would be ruined. How then could he discover what had happened and avenge what this man had done to his beloved mother? Taking desperate measures Smith hastily shoved his hand into his pocket, pulled out his gun and aimed it at Carter.
"One word from you and you're dead. Got it!"
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Peter Benton quickly pulled into the hospital's car park and anxiously searched for a parking space. The clock on the dashboard of the car was a constant reminder of how late he was; Romano was going to have a fit. What with the appalling traffic and the sudden onslaught of rain, it had taken him almost twice as long as usual to get here.
Noticing a car leaving up ahead Benton quickly put his foot on the accelerator and speedily parked the car, past caring if it was straight in the lines or not.
He jumped out and made a mad dash for the elevator all the while glancing at his watch, willing the minute hand to move backwards.
Whilst running down the walkway he noticed Carter out of the corner of his eye talking to some man in front of his jeep.
"Hey Carter how's it going?" He asked as he hastily ran past. Not waiting for an answer he jumped into the elevator and pressed the button for the surgical floor. As he watched the doors slowly slide shut he suddenly remembered that his surgical notes for Romano were sitting neatly on the back seat of his car, right where he had left them.
"Damn!" he cursed.
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As Carter watched Benton run into the elevator, he felt his hopes diminish with the surgeon's retreating figure. He had been desperate to scream out that yeah he was doing just great, standing here with a lunatic aiming a gun to his chest. But he knew that the moment he opened his mouth he would have been dead.
Sadly reverting his gaze back to Smith, he could only hope that someone else would come past, but knowing that most hospital shifts had already begun he knew that wasn't very likely.
Smith quickly released the breath he had been holding. How close had that been! He had to get out of here now before anyone else turned up and ruined his plan.
"Right!" He whispered forcefully. "You and me are going on a little trip. Won't that be nice? Now put your hands together!"
Carter realised there was no chance of him getting the better of Smith, not whilst he was pointing a gun at him, and so wearily obeyed his orders. He watched sorrowfully as Smith pulled a long piece of rope out from underneath his coat and tie both his hands tightly together.
Smith grabbed his keys from his coat pocket and shoved Carter in the direction of his van, which was parked a few spaces over from Carter's jeep. He speedily opened the back doors and pushed Carter inside the empty space, locking him tight. After carefully checking that both doors were secure, Smith ran round to the driver's side of the van, climbed in and started the engine. He was about to reverse out of the space when he heard a loud voice behind him bellow:
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Smith angrily looked into his rear view mirror to see the furious face of one Dr Peter Benton glaring back at him.
