"Put the gun down! Put it down now!" Spike yelled, as the man put the gun down on the ground, "Show me your hands!"
"Spike…" Ed said, as he put the cuffs on him.
"What'd you do with her?" Spike continued yelling, "Where is she?"
"Hey Mrs. Perrasmith." The doctor said to Jules as she entered the room, "Let's check up on that baby of yours."
Jules rolled up her shirt as the doctor put on and spread out some of the ultrasound gel.
"So, is your husband at work?" the doctor asked, "The two of you are police officers, right?"
Jules looked away.
"I'm sorry, is something wrong Mrs. Perrasmith?" the doctor asked.
"My husband died over a month ago."
"I'm sorry for your loss." The doctor said, as she started the ultrasound.
"I'm gonna do it, I'll pop him, and you can't do nothin' about it." Ed said, in a fake slanged up jargon.
Ed had his arm wrapped around Spike's neck, loose enough so it wouldn't hurt him, but just enough to make it seem real.
"You said your name is Neil, right?" Megan asked, as she was in the middle of testing her negotiating skills, "Neil- what you want, I can work with that. Why don't you lower that gun a bit- so your hostage doesn't struggle so much, you know?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
The gun came down a few inches.
"Neil, I'm going to thank you for lowering that gun, ok? You wanted some drugs right?"
"Yeah- 4 pills of oxy, right now!"
"Ok, Neil, the problem with that, is that I don't carry those drugs around on me, ok?"
"I need them now!"
"Ok, ok- are you addicted to these pills Neil, because if you are, that's fine- but I want to help you. Now I'm just going to make a call ok, I'm going to call my friend, see if he can bring some, ok?"
"And scene." Greg said from behind Megan, "Good job Megan."
"Was there an ultimate solution?" she asked.
"Do you think there was?" Ed asked, as he holstered the fake firearm.
"Well, by me referring to a 'friend', in theory I'm referring to a higher authority. By breaking him down like that, I'm therefore breaking down his emotional resistance, so when or if a tactical plan is put into motion, the team has a lesser chance of the suspect resisting."
"Very smart," Greg said, as they walked into the debriefing room, and sat down, "But if the person has a decreased emotional resistance?"
"The person is then more likely to turn the gun or weapon on themselves."
"Said the textbook." Spike laughed, "Seriously, everything you say sounds like it's in some thick, ridiculous police manual."
"Spike, it's those police manuals that give you a job." Ed pointed out.
"Touché, Mr. Lane." Megan said with a smile.
"Alright, it's Friday, everyone knows what that means…" Greg stated.
"Pizza from Cornellos?" Spike asked, as his eyes widened.
"Mr. Scarlatti hits it on the head," Greg said, as he accepted a high five from Spike, "Winnie!"
"Ordering one extra-large Cornello's Friday Special." Winnie replied.
Jules noted that the doctor was having difficulty finding the baby.
"Is everything ok?" Jules asked.
"Your baby is just moving around a lot."
"I don't feel anything."
"You won't feel any kicks or anything for a few more months." The doctor explained to her, as she pressed some buttons on the screen, "Zooming out, see if I can find the rascal."
The doctor leaned in to look at the monitor and after looking things over for a few seconds, leaned back, and removed the ultrasound wand from Jules' stomach.
"Mrs. Perrasmith, are you stressed, either right now, or at any time since the last time I saw you?"
"Well, my husband died since then, so I'd say a little stressed. More depressed than stressed though."
"Are you taking any sort of medications?"
"I'm seeing a therapist to help me cope- it's the same one my daughter's been going to for the same reasons. She doesn't want to prescribe anything in case it has any sort of reaction to the baby."
"Ok- I'm going to admit you to the hospital for the next few hours. They're going to start you on a magnesium drip for the baby, and I'm going to order a psychological evaluation."
"Why, what's wrong?" Jules asked.
"Mrs. Perrasmith, your baby is in distress. It could be that you are stressed or depressed, but we need to make sure. The magnesium is for the baby- it'll calm it down, and prevent any negative reactions to any further medication that we may have to give you."
The team ate in the debriefing room.
Ed was telling the team a little story.
"So, you know, I told him that he could borrow the car. He comes back, I'm in the garage, working on the Chevelle-"
"You still working on that thing Eddie?" Greg asked, "You got it running yet?"
"Not yet boss. Clark comes back from his drive, and there's a dent in the passenger's side door."
"Sure it wasn't there to begin with, Ed?" Megan asked.
"Yeah, I know Perrasmith, because I would've noticed a dent the size of your head in my car. So I asked him about- doesn't want to talk about it."
"I'm surprised you didn't pull up the GPS." Spike replied.
"Seriously, Spike?" Megan asked, "Why would you even suggest that?"
"That's a good idea Spike- can you help me with that?" Ed asked.
Then Megan remembered about her anti-depressants. She'd have to take one now.
She quickly popped out the canister, popped the top, and poured one pill out and downed it with a gulp of Pepsi.
"What you got there?" Ed asked, as she sneaked the medication bottle back into her pocket.
"It's nothing Eddie." She said, as she took a bite of pizza.
"Nothing, eh? It wouldn't be some sort of medication, would it?"
"Yeah, it's some meds that have been prescribed to me, ok?"
"Eddie, leave her alone." Greg said who knew that Megan was getting therapy and was prescribed anti-depressants.
"What is it?" Ed asked her again.
Then Megan's phone rang, which was on the table.
"Hello?" she answered, silently thankful for the phone call, "Yeah- mom, really? Ok, yeah, ok- thanks for letting me know. You going to be ok? Yeah, we're just having some lunch. Ok- I'll tell them."
"Jules?" Spike asked, "What's up?"
Mom's being admitted to the hospital because the fetus is in distress. She should be ok though. Do I tell them? She didn't tell me not to, and she asked me if I was with the team…
"Yeah, she's at the doctor's office, just wanted to keep me updated."
Yeah, there we go. I didn't lie, but at the same time, I didn't pass on too much information.
"You sure?" Greg asked, "Is she ok?"
"Yeah, she's fine. She says 'hi'. "
"Team One, hot call!"
"Aww, man," Spike said, as he got up, "The pizza's going to get cold."
"St. Patrick's." Megan said, as the Team rolled up in the SUV, "I was hoping I'd never have to come back here."
"Never say never." Greg commented, as they got out of the vehicle, "Ok team, here's what I got- a man comes in needing a scheduled iron infusion. When he was told that he'd have to wait a few hours, he flipped out and locked himself into a janitor's closet."
"Really?" Megan asked, as she squinted from the autumn sun, "Because that's the first place I'd go when I'm mad."
"When you're mad, you just go to a locker room." Ed quibbled.
Megan just gave him a sideways glance.
"Tactical options?" Greg asked, "Spike we got a place to setup a command post yet?"
"Best place is going to be the security post, which is just inside the ER doors."
"Let's go then." Ed suggested, as he lead the team to the security post.
Ed opened the doors to the security room, "Police, strategic response unit- we need access for a command post."
"You got it." A security guard agreed, as he got up off his chair, and offered it to Spike, who starting bringing up different screens on the computer.
"What are we looking to do?" Spike asked, "We going to talk him out?"
"Let's try that, but we need a tactical option, in case this goes sideways." Greg thought out loud, "Eddie?"
"How do you feel about going into some ducts?" Ed asked Megan.
"There is two air ducts into that closet-" Spike said, "One intake, and one outtake."
"Best if we use the outtake," Megan suggested, "That way if we make any noise, it doesn't travel into the closet."
"Good thinking." Ed replied, "What's our entry location?"
"Second floor mechanical room- you'll need climbing gear, because the closet is on 4th floor."
"And I'll approach from the east flank of the closet," Greg said, "Through day surgery- that'll get me as close as possible. Spike- stay on standby in case I need you."
"Copy that."
"Ok, Mrs. Perrasmith, we're getting you a non-emergency ambulance to come pick you up and take you to the Civic Hospital." The doctor told Jules.
"Why the Civic?" Jules asked, as she finished wiping off the gel, "St. Patrick's is closer."
"There appears to be some sort of security incident at St. Pat's." the doctor explained, "All ambulances and patients are being redirected to Civic."
"Is everything ok?"
"How do you mean?"
"At St. Pat's." Jules explained further.
"Oh, I'm sure everything is fine. My receptionist told me that the on-site security contacted the police." The doctor said, as she handed Jules a clipboard with some blank forms on it, "While you wait, I'll have you fill out some information."
Name- Julianna Perrasmith. Gender- Female, duh. Next of Kin- Megan Perrasmith. Contact phone number…oh what's Megan's cell number again? How come I can never remember it?
Jules got out her cellphone and copied down the information.
There, I think that's everything.
Then two EMTs came in the room with a stretcher, "Non-emerg wagon for a Julianna Perrasmith?"
"I can walk." Jules said, as the one EMT helped her up.
Once in the mechanical room, Ed helped Megan setup a harness and the climbing gear.
"Ok, once you're in position," Ed explained, "Radio it in, and get a strobe and CS gas ready."
"Ed," Spike radioed in, "No gas- that closet is so small it could be lethal. That, and the chemicals in there could have a nasty reaction with the gas."
"Copy that Spike." Ed confirmed, "No gas then, just a strobe. If you get the signal, drop it in, drop in after it, contain and cuff. Got it?"
"Got it." Megan said, as she readied herself to start the climb in the air ducts to the 4th floor.
Then her cellphone rang.
"Cellphones are supposed to be off, or on vibrate." Ed scolded Megan.
"Hello?" Megan whispered, "Mom- what do you want?"
"Did you hear that there's a- no! I don't want an oxygen mask!"
"Mom- you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I heard there's a security issue at St. Patricks. What team was dispatched?"
"We were." Megan answered, as she looked up to Ed, who was waiting for her to be finished, "I gotta go."
As Megan hung up the phone and put it on vibrate Ed asked, "Everything ok?"
"Radios?" Megan asked, as she removed her headset.
"What's up?" Ed asked, as he removed his.
"The fetus is in distress. Mom's being admitted into the hospital for further examination."
"Are you going to be ok?" Ed asked.
"Yeah." Megan asked, "I'm made of tough stuff, you know."
"Alright," Ed said, as he helped Megan into the open air duct, "I'll be here the whole time as your reverse anchor. If you need anything, you either radio it, or if you can't for whatever reason, just release the tension on the third rope, which is this one, which will let me know that you need to be recovered, ok?"
"How do I release the tension?" Megan asked, "If I need to."
"The popular choice is a knife." Ed suggested, "Here."
Ed handed his duty knife to Megan. She put in the knife in her back pocket of her pants, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it.
"Thanks."
"Alpha unit, mark two- what's your location?" Spike asked over the radio.
Megan knew that Spike was asking for her location.
"As it was five minutes ago Spike- in an air vent."
"10-4 mark two."
"I'm in position Eddie," Greg radioed in, "Sargent Greg Parker beginning negotiations."
Neither Ed or Megan could hear Greg's conversation with the man, as Greg had turned his radio into ambient mode, which would pick up what the suspect was saying. The downside to ambient mode was that only the auto-transcriptor at command post would hear his conversation.
"In position." Megan said, as she finally got to the custodial closet. "Man appears to be approximately 40 to 50 years of age. His current location is in the corner of black wall W8 and white wall W9."
"Copy that." Ed confirmed with her, "You have your strobe ready?"
"Ed- I think I can drop in and apprehend without using a strobe." Megan suggested.
"Spike- we got an identity yet?" Greg asked.
"Not yet, I have to go through medical records, a lot of it has restricted access. I have a nurse here giving me a hand."
"Sir- do you mind telling me your name?" Greg yelled out.
No reply.
"Sir- are you ok in there?" Greg asked.
"Boss- what's going on?" Ed asked.
"I was just talking to him, and now it's nothing. Like he's not in there."
"Megan- you have eyes- what do you see?" Ed radioed to Megan.
"Megan?" Greg radioed when she didn't reply to Ed, "Eddie, her position been compromised?"
"I don't have the recovery rope signal, so I don't think so." Ed replied.
"Spike, I need to get in there," Greg said, "I need you up here."
"Copy that." Spike said, as he closed the laptop he was working on and left the command post, "Be there in five!"
"No- I need you now!"
Once Spike finally got to Greg, he had a few choice words for Spike, as Spike quickly picked the lock on the closet. Once Spike knew it was unlocked, he didn't open it right away, but instead gave Greg a quiet signal to form up.
Using his fingers, Spike counted down. One, two, three…
Then he swung the door opened, and unholstered his handgun. Him and Greg immediately turned on their weapon lights and entered the small closet.
"And?" Ed asked with anticipation.
"She's not here." Spike said, as he looked up, and saw that the ceiling vent cover was removed on both the intake and the outtake.
"How is that possible?" Ed asked, "I never lost tension."
"Ed- he tied the harness off to a supply rack." Spike said as he continued looking around.
"New deal Team One," Greg said, as he absorbed all the facts, "Emotionally unstable man has now taken a hostage. I repeat, Officer in Training Megan Perrasmith has been taken hostage."
Megan woke up. All she remembered was the man looking up and removing the ceiling vent cover. She had tried to backtrack into cover, but it was futile, as he quickly had placed a rag doused with chemical over her mouth and nose.
She looked around. She appeared to be in another part of the hospital- a part that hadn't been used in a long time.
It looked like a multiple bed patient room, but the stretchers had a thick layer of dust on them. The window had a thick covering over it, limiting the amount of light that was allowed in by the sun.
She looked across from herself, and saw that most of her equipment had been removed, including her radio, headset, rifle, handgun, taser and cuffs.
"I like puzzles." Came a deep male voice, "Do you like puzzles?"
"Depends." Megan replied, as she immediately turned her mind into negotiator mode.
He must've found something else in here, because he tied my hands and feet together with something other than cuffs.
The man walked towards her, although she couldn't really make him out; except that now he seemed to be wearing nurses' scrubs.
He bent down, and with a bit of difficulty, he removed the handgun from its holster in the pile of Megan's equipment.
"SERPA." He said, "Didn't have those."
"You were a cop?" Megan asked.
"Maybe I was. Doesn't matter now- all that matters, is that I get what I came here for."
He left Megan's field of view, and Megan could tell that he had opened a door.
"I'll be back for you."
Once he left, Megan immediately tried to work the knife out of her back pocket. It was a lot easier said than done, even with her hands tied behind her back. She managed to use her fingers to push the knife out of the pocket, but it fell out and onto the cement floor.
"Spike- can you track her with the GPS?"
"I could, but I can't." Spike replied to Ed, as the trio of them returned to the security post, "It's like her signal disappeared."
"Is it disabled or turned off?" Greg asked.
"No, I can access the device status report and it says that it's on and enabled. I don't get it."
"Is there anyway of that she could be in a dead zone, where the signal can't return to?" Ed suggested.
"Could be, but those units are the best of the best, you'd have to be a mile underground and surrounded by concrete for a failed return signal."
The door to the security post opened. It was a security guard. "Hey, there's a report of a guy matching the description up on fourth floor."
"Copy that." Ed said, "Hard, fast tactical, let's go Spike."
Together, Spike and Ed bounded up the steps to the fourth floor.
"I'll cover day surgery to admitting," Ed yelled, "Spike- you got administration?"
"Copy that." Spike yelled back, as he pushed his legs hard to cover more ground.
"Spike, you got joy?" Ed radioed in.
"Negative." Spike responded, as he turned a corner, "Actually, now I do."
"Put the gun down- put it down now!" Spike yelled at him, "Put it down!"
"I just want my iron, son- won't you let a sick, dying man take his iron infusion?"
"Sir- you have a weapon, I have to consider that a threat." Spike explained, "Keep it aimed down, and we can talk about things ok?"
"No." he said, as he inched it up higher, "I'm just looking for the prick who denied a dying man his medication."
"Put the gun down!" Spike yelled, "Sir- you were not denied the medication, you were told that you would have to wait!"
Spike could hear Ed coming up from behind him.
"Put the gun down now!" Ed demanded, "Put the gun down!"
"Put the gun down! Put it down now!" Spike yelled, as the man put the gun down on the ground giving up, since both Ed and Spike had their guns trained on him, "Show me your hands!"
"Spike…" Ed said, as he cuffed the man, concerned with the location of Megan.
"What'd you do with her?" Spike continued yelling, "Where is she?"
Ed had the cuffs on the man, but Spike grabbed him by his neck and slammed him up against the wall, denting the drywall, "Where is she?"
"Officer Scarlatti." Came a voice over the radio.
Spike heard the voice, and he let off his grip of the man, "Megan- where are you?"
"I don't know." She replied, "In an old part of the hospital. He left me here, and he disabled the lock- I can't get out. He's probably ex-police or military, so be careful."
"We have him in custody, don't worry Meg," Spike said, as he pulled out his PDA, and pulled up the building schematics, "There is no older part of the building Megan. Look around, do you see anything distinctive?"
"No, it's an old patient room. Looks like it hasn't been used in years, and there's a window that's facing out, I'd guess maybe north."
"You ok, Officer in Training?" Ed asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine Ed. A little dizzy, that's all; I think he used some sort of chemical to knock me out."
Spike looked around, and found a maintenance worker nearby, "Sir- do you know of any patient rooms that haven't been used in some time?"
"The only ones I can think of are the ones that were condemned."
"Why were they condemned?" Spike asked.
"Because their walls were load bearing. They're behind the new morgue, and there's a small access hallway."
"That's great, can you show me where they are on the schematics?"
"They're not on any schematics- they weren't included on the re-design. I'll show you."
The maintenance technician showed Spike the access hallway.
Spike continued down the hallway, and knocked on a bunch of doors.
"Hello?" came a voice after knocking on one door.
"Megan- its Spike."
Spike then looked at the door frame.
"Oh good lord."
"What do you see Spike?" Greg asked.
"Booby traps. He did not want Megan leaving or being found."
"What exactly?"
"Motion sensors, and it looks like they go into a signal chaser."
"What's that?"
"It sends a wireless signal to a remote device- could be a cellphone, pager, garage door opener…"
"Or a bomb." Greg finished.
"Yeah." Spike said, as he prepared himself to defuse the devices, "I should be able to defuse the devices, though, I'd consider evacuating."
"It's been underway since you said 'booby traps'." Ed said, "Anything else?"
"I'd prefer not to touch any of it, since I don't have schematics of the wiring of the devices. This is above me."
"He's probably military then." Megan suggested.
"That window you mentioned," Spike asked her, through the door, "Think you can climb out?"
"I'd have to break it."
"That's fine- collateral. We just want you safe." Spike replied, "Think you can do it?"
"It's high up, I can climb out, but I'll have to either shoot out the window, or throw something at it."
"Don't shoot." Spike said, "If there's a bomb nearby, it could trigger it."
"10-4 Spike. Ed- you mind if I throw your knife?"
"Go for it," Ed said, "How's your knife throwing skills?"
"We'll find out in about three seconds."
Sure enough, from the other side of the door, Spike heard the crash of the window shattering.
Ahh, Textbook.
Ed and Spike were able to find Megan once she was outside.
On the way back to the SRU station, she rode with Ed.
"Uh, Ed, you missed a turn." Megan pointed out, as Ed didn't follow Greg and Spike in the other SUV.
"I'm taking you to Civic."
"Ed…."
"Your mom is there getting her treatment, and you need to get checked out."
"We were just at a hospital." Megan pointed out.
"Yes, and St. Pat's is going to be closed until the Department of National Defense can come in and remove the devices from that door, so you need to go to Civic. That, and you should be with your mom."
Megan looked over to Ed.
"Thanks."
Once at the hospital, a nurse put Megan in a stretcher, and carted her up to the day surgery floor, where Jules was sitting in a comfortable chair, with the magnesium drip hanging from an IV machine.
"The doctor will be with you shortly." The nurse said to Megan.
Once the nurse left Jules asked, "How was your day?"
Megan laughed, "Oh, you know, the usual. Report for duty, go out to a call, get taken hostage, get saved by Ed and Spike."
Jules laughed too, remembering her previous experience, "Oh yeah, I remember those days."
Then a doctor came in and asked, "How are you doing Mrs. Perrasmith?"
"Good." Both Megan and Jules answered in unison.
Together, they laughed as well.
"Am I missing something?" he asked, as he used a device to look into Megan's eyes.
"My step-daughter." Jules explained.
"Oh, she'll fit right in then."
"What?" Jules asked.
"Your ultrasound images, I was just looking at them." The doctor explained, "There's evidence to suggest you're expecting a baby girl."
A/N: Shocker! Right? Or am I wrong? Either way- read and review my friends! Did you enjoy the girth of this chapter? I know I did- because it only took me 6 hours to write. (I take a LOT of breaks.)