The ambulance lights were still flashing when the gurney which Chuck lay comatose burst into the UCLA medical center ER.
In attending was Ellie directing the team of orderlies to move her patient to OR stat.
The triage nurse came up to her.
"Are you Dr. Woodcomb?" the nurse asked.
"Yes…I am." Ellie replied stopping for a moment.
"Good I have alerted Dr, Winston's team. They are ready as soon as…Mr. Frudge? Is brought in?" She asked.
'Dad, where do you get these names?' Ellie thought.
"Yes my patient is Elmo Frudge…Age 29 and has an extreme tumor which needs to be operated on immediately." Ellie said.
"Yes your office has sent the latest screens and tox panels. There should be nothing to worry about." The Nurse said.
"I'll be in observation. I have two colleagues which will be attending also." Ellie said.
"Very Good Dr. Woodcomb…What are their names so someone can direct them?" She asked.
"Dr. Elmer Good and Dr, Naomi Plenty are their names. Is there anything else I can help you?" Ellie asked.
The nurse looked at the chart and shook her head,
"Good alert me when they arrive." Ellie said.
"Yes Doctor I will." The nurse said.
Ellie walked purposely toward the OR observation room. Getting there she settled in to watch the whole procedure. About 20 mins into the surgery the nurse alerted her of her colleagues' arrival.
Sarah dressed in a white smock with the name tag Dr. Naomi Plenty on it arrived first. The two women hugged.
"There Sarah…Chuck will be ok. We caught it in time." Ellie said.
"Oh Elllie… I don't know what I'll do if he is gone, He is my everything." Sarah sobbed.
A few minutes later Casey appeared wearing glasses.
By that time both Ellie and Sarah had gotten their fears out of their systems.
Casey was wondering if he was not walking into a mess of Lady Feelings. He was pleasantly surprised that was not the case. Both women were peering at the screen while Ellie was narrating the procedure. Both had concern on their faces but that was understandable. Casey sat down with a grunt #3 just a greeting.
The two women paused to look at him then returned to the screen.
Casey felt weird wearing this get up though the mission comes first. He would get used to anything to finish a mission. Besides he owed the man in the OR with his life several times. That kind of life debt demands loyalty.
They all settled in for a long operation.
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It was 2AM when the operation was finished and Mr. Frudge was wheeled into recovery.
Sarah chose to stay by Chuck's side the others were taking advantage of the hospital sleep areas.
Sarah held Chuck's hand then whispered.
"Whenever you wake up and propose my answer will be yes." Sarah stated then she kissed his free hand.
Sarah did not notice but after she whispered that Chuck involuntarily smiled.
Sarah stayed with Chuck until 6 AM when Ellie came in to inspect Chuck's readings.
"Good Morning …Ellie did you get any sort of rest?" Sarah asked.
"I tried but all I could think was that my brother had head surgery to remove a tumor. It was one that was not there in the scans taken not more than a few days earlier. If it was not for Orion we would have never caught it in time." Ellie said.
"I'm happy Orion is on our side." Sarah said.
"Yeah me too…Sarah you are beat. Go back to your apt. Mr. Frudge's panels are looking good however, you my friend are not. I will watch him until Casey awakes." Ellie said. "Now I could give you a Doctor orders but I know you are sensible."
Sarah could try to protest but the look in Ellie's eyes told her to back off. So she stood up whispered her goodbyes to Chuck then left.
Once Sarah had gone Ellie took her place on the warmed chair.
"Chuck this is your Sister Please get better." Ellie said.
After she spoke the door opened and Dr. Winston appeared.
"Oh Dr. Woodcomb I had not expected you to be here." He said.
"I always give my personal touch to all my patients Dr. Winston. I have to say the operation was text book, excellent job." Ellie said.
"Well thank you so how is Mr. Frudge?" He asked.
"Everything is in the good range Dr, Winston." Ellie said.
"Good that is very good news indeed. Well Dr. Woodcomb…I'll leave you with your patient. It was good to finally meet the head of Neuro at Westside." He said exiting.
Ellie continued to sit for another 4 hours until Casey appeared.
They exchanged glances then Ellie left to go home. Casey settled in for his shift when the alarms set off.
Chuck was talking.
"No…Mom you're alive!" He said,
Chuck sat straight up and his eyes went into a flash mode.
The alarms alerted the nurses but by the time they got there Casey had disabled them and Chuck was lying flat.
"False Alarm Ladies" Casey said.
The nurses with the crash cart left while the floor nurse looked over Chuck's vitals.
She left once she saw Dr. Good was correct.
Casey knew he should report it but then let Ellie sleep.
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Orion in his chair was observing Chuck's progress. He had just sent a healing routine for the intersect. He was surprise that Chuck awoke just as the update appeared. What Orion was not ready was the fact Chuck knew his Mom was still alive. He wanted to spare Chuck from confronting Alexi himself.
"I'm a coward... I can't confront Alexi without seeing my old friend Hartley. I can't imagine Mary's feelings." He said.
"Charles does not have that flaw." He mused." I'm going to send my son to be possibly corrupted by Alexi because I don't have the courage myself."
Orion was alerted that someone was approaching the perimeter. Looking at the camera it was Bryce! Stephen left the chair then exited through one of the many tunnels that dotted the area.
Stephen did a scan and found a tracer which he removed the reprogrammed with his wrist computer. Capturing a woodland creature he attached the device then let it go.
"That will confuse who ever put the tracker on you." Stephen said.
Bruce winched in pain he had been shot.
Stephen sent a drone up to obliterate his blood trail. The drone caught sight of several groups searching for Bryce.
Stephen laid a self sealing patch over the wound. That prevented more blood loss. Bryce passed out. Stephen dragged him back into the facility. He placed Bryce in a sterile field the called upon a robot arm to do the surgery. Once done another self sealing patch was placed and Bryce was tucked into bed.
The drone monitored the progress of the search parties as he waited for Bryce to wake up.
The search parties were fooled into thinking Bryce took off for higher ground. Soon the drone lost sight of them.
"Well you're safe for the moment. Last that I saw you…You were in Hong Kong. How did you get here to my doorstep?" Stephen asked the comatose Bryce.
Turning his back to the prone man Orion reviewed the feeds to see where Bryce might have been tagged. It took a few hours but finally Orion had pieced together Bryce's gun battle on the streets of Hong Kong just as a High level Asset/ traitor was killed. Orion did not believe in coincidences. Someone lured Bryce to Hong Kong. But who…? Orion pondered.
Stephen heard a groan. He turned around to see Bryce holding a sig with a silencer on him.
"Go back to bed" Stephen said ignoring the gun.
Bryce looked puzzled.
"It is out of Ammo Bryce you need time to heal you can shoot me some other time." Stephen said keeping his back to him.
"Stephen what happened? I thought I was only the rabbit for Fulcrum. When did this other team appear?" Bryce asked.
"I suggest you contact Beckman…There is a secure line over there," Stephen said pointing at an old rotary phone on the wall.
"It takes dimes" Orion said pointing at the emergency roll of dimes.
"Beckman…? What happened to Graham?" Bryce asked.
"Fulcrum blew him up…You don't stay current with the news do ya?" Stephen said.
"I guess not well it is hard when everyone you meet is gunning for your head. Say what is Chuck doing in the hospital?" Bryce said looking at the feed Orion had on the screen.
"Charles just had emergency brain surgery. They removed a tumor. It seems that a feedback was started when Chuck did an incomplete flash. It was lucky that tumor was invisible any other way." Orion said.
"Wow so what next?" Bryce asked.
Orion pointed at the phone. Bryce hobbled over to the hand crank the phone made a clicking noise then he dialed a number on the separate rotary dial.
He stood waiting for him to be connected.