The Colonel Vs. The Angel of Death Chapter 9 "Death Walks Among Us"
When the Colonel and his woman finally meet at the N.S.A. Hospital, an unwelcomed guest continues his game of revenge on both of them.
The mobile imaging machine was slowing scanning Rev. Annie Coburn's body as the unconscious woman lay still on the imaging cot. Dr. Ellie Woodcomb and the radiologist technician
were watching the images ticking on the computer screen, behind the observation window. They scanned the right kidney area, and Dr. Woodcome released a heavy sigh she didn't realize she had held in..
"It's shot, isn't it?" Ellie hung her head as the technician agreed. "Well let me see the left kidney, too, so we can have a solid base line." The technician punched in the orders on the computer motherboard and the machine began to swivel across Annie's side. Suddenly, Ellie gasped again and grabbed ahold of the tech's shoulder.
"On, my Lord," she sighed again as she and the technician were looking at the image of a wiggly, healthy preborn 3 month old baby. "I better tell the surgeon, and then her boyfriend." Ellie reached for the phone and quickly gave both results to Annie's attending physician. She then headed up the stairs to her friend's C.C.U. to reveal the surprising findings.
When Ellie entered John's room, she recognized Agent Shelton and the other agent standing guard in the two corners of the room. Shelton nodded curtly at her, and then seemed to blend back into the shadows again. John was asleep on his bed, fitfully, his eyes moving frantically behind his lids, and his entire body was hit with several spells of jerking. Ellie knew enough of John's background not to touch him, in this state, so she began to call his name, softly at first, and then successively louder still until his eyes shot open. Even before she could step back, he had his Sig Sauer cocked and aimed at her head.
"John," Ellie spoke quietly, her hands going up in a surrender pose. She glanced at the two other men in the room, and they, too, were locked and loaded, red aiming spots on her chest and head.
Casey immediately lowered his pistol, and took a deep breath to calm himself, and then nodded at the two who were protecting him.
"Stand down, men." he grunted and slipped his pistol under his pillow, reached for Ellie's hand and held it softly. "What's the news on Annie?" He stared up at the concerned face of his neighbor, and tried to read her for the news.
"John, her right kidney is damaged so much that the surgeon will need to remove it. Her left kidney is very strong, and will carry her for most of her life under ordinary circumstances. Her blood levels will stabilize after the removal and the knife wound itself will heal eventually. I know Annie put you down as her next of kin, so I can share freely with you. But..." Ellie grabbed a chair and plopped close to her neighbor's bed. She seemed preoccupied with her polished nails, and John bent his head to try and look her in the eye.
"Under ordinary circumstances...?" The Colonel prodded, knowing Ellie had to tell him something important.
"John, we were going to scan Annie's left kidney to analyze it's health, and we saw..."
"Our baby." John's tone was reverent and quiet, as he sighed deeply, closed his eyes and laid back his head.
"You knew?" Ellie was astonished. "You knew about the baby? The kicking, squiggly little Casey still alive in her womb? John, you should have told me before we scanned."
"Ellie, this is good." John's face softened and he smiled widely at the doctor. He slowly gulped, and tried to moisten his lips. Ellie grabbed the ice chips and water and helped him maneuver the straw to take a sip. She knew he needed the time to formulate what he was going to say, so she didn't pressed him.
"Ellie, you and Devon know that Annie and I have been together for over a year now." Ellie nodded, and helped John adjust the bed so he could speak with her in a more comfortable position.
"What you and the others do not know is that my beloved Annie is my precious wife." At that statement, Ellie let out a tiny squeal of joy, and then spied his Marine ring placed on the wedding finger of his left hand.
"Oh, John, your ring. I noticed it had shifted from your right hand to left, but I never knew why."
John nodded slightly and continued his story. "General Beckman, my boss?" Ellie nodded again, trying to keep her excitement to a minimal level so he would continue. "She married Annie and me secretly, and we agreed that we would keep it under wraps so that no one could use Annie against me. However, someone has, dear Ellie. Chuck explained about the dart used to cause my heart attack to you?" Again Ellie nodded, and she watched a dark cloud cover John's face and his jaw set rigidly. Once again Ellie was reminded how very lethal this man could be at those who would attack his loves.
"The man behind the dart is an old enemy out to settle the score, and from what Annie's secretary told us, he is the same man behind Annie's attack. So no one, absolutely no one is to know that Annie is my wife, Ellie." After this speech, John grimaced slightly at some vague discomfort, and then he groaned louder, and began to clutch his chest frantically.
Ellie immediately read the heart distress, and pressed for a nurse to come.
"John, easy does it." She lowered the bed, and placed the oxygen canula back in his nose, and then checked the I.v. Flow, and listened to his heart. Sweat was on his forehead, and he was desperately trying to get air, at the same time clenching his teeth in pain.
Agent Shelton and his fellow agent were standing now alert near the bed, ready to spring into action when needed.
"Agent Shelton," Ellie commanded, "find my husband now and tell him your brother needs him stat!"
Casey growled his pain and chocked out, "How do you know my brother?" Then his face went pure white. "Dear God, Ellie, it's happening again." Casey fisted his hands and pressed them to his chest. At that moment, Devon flew into the room and between the 2 Woodcombs, they stabilized Casey and the pressure in his chest subsided.
"Please, Ellie" Casey gasped, as he reached for her hand. "Stay with Annie. My babies are in the right hands with you." Casey's lids fell shut again, and once more the N.S.A. Agent fell into darkness.
"Babies?" Devon's eyebrows shot up as he looked at his wife. She smiled lovingly at him, but bustled toward the door. She patted Agent Shelton on his chest lightly, and whispered, "Casey's secret is safe with me, brother." As she left the room, she could have sworn he grunted John Casey grunt #32: slightly amused, but definitely cautious!
His handsome, square jawed face swirled in and out of her vision, and he whispered to someone out of her eyesight, "my babies are in the right hands with you." Pastor Annie moaned and tried to open to see who the Colonel was talking to. But only Dr. Ellie Woodcomb's smiling face came into her vision range and offered a spoon of ice chips which Annie eagerly took.
"Easy, Pastor Annie, easy. You are such a fighter, dear woman." Ellie checked Annie's vitals and typed them into the computer. She then rang for the charge nurse and they gently turned Annie to her left side to check the wound. As Annie's body shifted, the room spun and she began to gag. Ellie grabbed a plastic basin just in time as Annie vomited violently. "Jeannie, let's get some anti-nausea med. in her line now, so we can get the stomach quieted down." The nurse obediently injected the meds in the pick line, and Annie's retching quieted down.
The parson's tear streaked face grimaced at the foul taste in her mouth and she sobbed quietly. Ellie bent down and encircled this brave woman into Ellie's arms, and rocked her gently.
"Ssh, Annie. You are going to be alright. We had to take the right kidney out, the knife had down too much damage, but your left kidney is strong and healthy so you will be fine."
Annie sniffed and Ellie passed her some Kleenex. Ellie pulled the chair up to Annie's side and stared gently right into Annie's eyes.
"Honey, when we scanned you for the kidney..."
"You saw our baby." Annie ducked her head, a little embarrassed, and then reached out for Ellie's hand.
"Your baby is fine, Annie. At the little Casey grows, we will monitor your blood and sugar levels and we may have to put you on insulin to help keep the level normal. But you have a wonderful, little, lively one. I'm so happy for you and John."
Annie looked a little defensively at Ellie but then relaxed when she saw Ellie's head nod.
"John told you, didn't he?" Annie laid back her head on the pillow, just as John had, and relaxed into the pain medication.
"Oh, Ellie. I love John so much. After the death of my first husband from cancer, I believed there would be never another man for me. But my Lord has such a different plan for me, and I literally met John in a ravine in Capital Forest. Poor man...never knew what hit him." Annie yawned widely.
Ellie laughed softly, wondering if Annie referred to herself or to what had happened to John. She leaned over and kissed Annie's forehead lightly. "Sleep well, Mrs. John Casey."
The doctor walked swiftly and confidently through the front door of the N.S.A. Hospital, his crisp, white doctor coat perfectly fitted over his body, and his hospital I.d. Card clipped to his pocket.
"Well, hello, Dr. Williams, how are you today." the receptionist flashed a big smile at the doctor as he scanned the current patient lists. He glanced up at her name tag and nodded politely.
"Nancy, I understand I've been assigned to Dr. Devon Woodcomb today. Do you know where I may find him?"
Nancy pecked at her keyboard for a moment, and then nodded as she pointed to the screen. "He's up on the eighth floor, cardiac rehab."
"Thank you, Nancy." The doctor nodded curtly again, and walked to the elevator. However, as he entered the elevator, he punched LL and as the doors closed, he pulled a round Ring phone out of his pocket and pushed one of the buttons. Once the elevator descended, the doors opened to reveal the Costa Gravas Ring agent, needle in hand.
"What floor, doctor?" the agent slammed the doctor up again the back of the elevator wall, the needle jammed against the jugular vein of the man's throat.
"Please", the doctor chocked out. "I did everything you wanted me to do. Dear God in heaven release my wife."
"What floor is Dr. Devon Woodcomb?" the assassin demanded again.
"Eighth floor, Cardiac rehab." the frightened doctor reported. The Ring agent grabbed the phone, dialed a number, and murmured, "release the doctor's wife." The doctor sagged in relief, but when he looked into the assassin's eyes, he saw only cold, deep hate.
"You have done well, doctor." The assassin plunged the needle into the man's neck, sunk the plunger, and bodily threw the dying man into the basement floor outside of the elevator. Swiftly, the agent stripped the white coat off the dead man, grabbed the I.D. Tag, slipped back in the elevator. By the time the elevator opened on the eighth floor, "Dr. Williams" was ready for his rounds with Dr. Devon Woodcomb and on the deadly hunt for Colonel John Casey.