Chuck vs. The Courtyard Bench
Well, in the previous chapter: Sarah begrudgingly goes sees and ends up talking to Chief Beckman's old friend Dr. Leopold Dreyfus. Her new therapist and even though it didn't start off smoothly, it would get gradually better to the point where she comfortably shared about her father issues. Add in some Back To The Future references and it's a truly heavy therapy session for the newest patient for Doc. So what's in store for this chapter? What was Jack Burton's real motive for being in Los Angeles that it took 6 months to actually make his presence known to Sarah? Where did Jack go while living in Los Angeles for those 6 months? Who are Chuck and Morgan trying to get for Bash At The Bench in order to surprise Conway's son Everette? When did Chuck and Morgan get kicked out of a movie set? Why is Sarah grateful after having a conversation with Beckman in the courtyard of Westside Medical Center? Read and find out! Anyways, hope you enjoy the read and leave a comment to share your own thoughts on this particular chapters. As always, reviews are awesome.
Again, if you enjoyed reading my stories and left a comment I truly appreciate it. Please continue to do so as it gives me the incentive to write more chapters.
I don't own Chuck.
Questions and Answers
XXX
"I'm so proud of you Chuck..." Sarah happily said on the other upside of the line. "...and Morgan too. Things are looking up for the two of you." she quickly added, after briefly forgetting her nerds bearded best friend.
Chuck expresses a smile knowing the compliment is coming from a woman who he truly thinks highly of and not to mention deeply cares for. Loves even. He knows he just has to have the courage to say it out loud to her, he thinks to himself. In his mind, the right moment to express those three words to her and show her that he means every word of it. Three words that when said will completely change the dynamic of their relationship altogether.
"Thanks. It's so awesome, Sarah. I kind of knew that Roark hacking challenge would get us some publicity our way, but what I didn't know was to what extent?" He retorted, shaking his head in disbelief. "It almost feels unreal and too good to be true." Chuck added, briefly shrugging his shoulders. "A freakin' investor!"
In that instance, he bends down a bit and leans forward with his elbows resting against the front entrance-lobby counter. As he does, Sarah gives her response after hearing excitement mixed with a sense of uncertainty in his voice.
"I bet. Just like Roark, Strickland is considered highly influential in the city of Los Angeles when it comes to media and publishing. So he has a wide reach considerable pull I might add. He can potentially help in the growth of Vessel Run Technologies when it comes to the advertising side of getting what you're creating out there to the masses. Even beyond that." Sarah expounds on, doing her due diligence in researching the man in question beforehand.
"From what Strickland said, it's a double combo investment of sorts. Although Roark isn't his business partner per say, he's backing him and seeing our business as Venture Capital."
"What's that?"
"In simplest terms..." answered Chuck, attempting to define it the best way he can without confusing Sarah. "...Strickland is investing in our company, which is pretty much on the ground floor, but hopes for a big payoff if I...we decide to take Kessel Run Technologies public. He says even though it's a big risk on our part, he's taking a big risk on us. He sees promise in us, Sarah. What we do here when it comes to the type of business we're doing. What we stand for." he added, sounding incredibly positive in his tone of voice.
"It's just not him, Chuck. I see it too. So does Ellie, Devon, Molly, my mom, Chief Beckman, Big Mike, Casey, Alex, Kathleen, Hartley, Vivian, and everyone else who has your back." insisted Sarah, with absolute emphasis and reassurance on her part.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. It's awesome to hear that..." Chuck pauses for a moment continues on. "...especially coming from you. " he added, expressing his trademark toothy smile.
"Hey, I'll always be there for you, Chuck. Remember that. To be there when you need me to listen or talk to." she stated, reaffirming her conviction that her nerd is meant to do awesome things. "Unlike my father who probably disappeared again. No idea where he's at and I honestly don't care." remarked Sarah, expressing a faint but audible sigh on the other end of the line.
It's a sound of the sigh that Chuck clearly hears. A sigh that has a mix of anger, an overabundance of disappointment, and loads of frustration that has been quite possibly stewing for years due to the volatile, as well as combustible nature of the non-relationship shared with her father. His current whereabouts unknown since he last spoke with him and he could still be living there in that expensive suite, which had certainly cost him financially. Or, he checked out and left. Who knows, he thinks to himself.
Chuck's brief thought on the aforementioned Jack Burton's current whereabouts leads him to focus on when he first arrived in Los Angeles and the initial meeting he had with Conway in the parking lot of Santa Monica Beach. He recalls in the file that he provided him that Jack has been in Los Angeles since August of last year and didn't join Mayor Garretty's re-election campaign till January of 2010. The big question on his mind at the time was what was he up to during those months in between before finally showing up in Sarah's life at Westside Medical Center?
The question would be answered by Conway and further explained by Jack himself after revealing to him that he was going to ask Sarah for one of her kidneys to save him. Thinking back on that particular time on the top floor lavish suite of The Weston Bonaventure Hotel, he vividly recalls the prolific spin doctor and self-professed master at reading people telling him that during those 6 months in Los Angeles an important meeting took place with two men.
Conway shared phone records indicating Jack was seemingly in contact with two men named David B.N. Lee and Martin Roberts. Lee, a Professor of Medicine and Roberts an Assistant Professor of clinical medicine, as well as a dialysis consultant with the VA healthcare System. Both affiliated with the Geffin School of Medicine at UCLA. According to the file that he read, they developed a design for an automated bioartificial kidney that avoids the complications for patients that often suffer from traditional dialysis.
In Chuck's mind, it wasn't hard to deduce and put the pieces of the mysterious puzzle together like a nerdy version of Scooby Doo where he's practically the entire gang, which includes Scrappy Doo. In any case, Jack somehow got wind of what the two men were developing and relentlessly contacted them because they could potentially save his life. When Conway's information wasn't able to provide anything further than that, Chuck got more by asking the main source who, much to his surprise, freely shared with him his intentions to where he didn't skip on any of the details whatsoever.
Details such as all 3 men agreeing to meet in the UCLA research lab where Lee and Roberts work at so they would be able to discuss funding in order to further develop then produce the automated bioartificial kidney. Jack would further share with him that he could only give 6 million of his own money as a grant. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough because it needed much more than that to develop and not to mention produce. $20 million dollars to be exact, which is what he's been doing since he arrived in August up to January.
Since August, Chuck learned that Jack went through his black book of contacts to call in as many favors that he deemed were owed back to him. Favors in the form of indebted promises to him for helping certain clients get to be where they are now. However, things didn't necessarily turn favorably for him because even though he was able to collect on some favors in the form of financial compensation, he was only able to get back $4 million and some change. To him, it wasn't enough for the automated bioartificial kidney project to get off the ground leading to the possibility of life saving hope being utterly crushed.
Ultimately, that kidney was considered Jack's quintessential Plan A. His plan to ask Sarah for her kidney was an all-out Hail Mary, Chuck thinks to himself. An act of desperation for an equally desperate man who ended up falling from his own version of Mount Olympus and at one point considered himself a God amongst men. Unfortunately, he's no longer a God as he's simply a mere mortal who no longer wields as much power these days because of his dwindling notoriety taking a substantial hit in the past several years. Yet, he's somehow able to bounce back in some way much to his amazement.
What was even more amazing in a shocking way was the fact Jack actually had the gall to bribe him with the same 10 million that was for the bioartificial kidney to keep his mouth shut. He flat out refused the money knowing he wouldn't ever do that to Sarah knowing if he took it, there would certainly be a tremendous amount of weight added on his already heavy conscience, he thinks to himself. Plus the fact Sarah's own mother advised him not to say a word causing him to struggle even more with what's the right thing to do.
"Ditto..." replied Chuck. In that moment, he knows that they both need a distraction and after what happened today it will most definitely be fitting knowing his big sister will take charge of said distraction. "...and for what it's worth, don't stress out about your dad. He's not worth it, but do you know what is?" he asked, expressing a visible grin afterwards.
"What?"
"A Bartowski family bash at Casa Woodcomb. Expect a call from Ellie and an invite for a celebration. Got to warn you though..." stated Chuck with amusement. "...she won't take no for an answer. A real taskmaster that one." he added, knowing it's the absolute truth.
Sarah expresses a chuckle that Chuck hears on the other end. Afterwards she gives her response. "Then I have no choice but to accept her initiation."
"Awesome." happily remarked Chuck. "Oh, by the way. How did your therapy session go?" he asked, with a mixture of curious wonder. In his mind, he knows that he doesn't have the right to ask what went on because of the strict doctor-patient confidentiality. To him, as long as she opens up to her therapist it's a positive step in the right direction, he thinks to himself.
As for Chief Beckman's 2nd in command, she's momentarily silent with the exception of faint breathing that Chuck hears. It lasts for only a few seconds till Sarah speaks up again. "You said you've done it before when you were younger. Did the therapist just sit there and listen to you talk?"
"Yup. I don't know how he did it, but he was able to do some kind of Obi Wan Kenobi - Jedi mind trick on me. Next thing I know, I'm babbling on about how Morgan helped me keep my mind off things by playing video games like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out for Nintendo or watching the greater Kung Fu movie ever made starring Bruce Lee: Enter the Dragon." he shared, doing a playful karate chop afterwards. "Same with you?"
"You could say that."
"Hey, instead of Obi Wan Kenobi's Jedi Mind Trick, your therapist Dr..."
"Dr. Dreyfus."
"Yeah, Dr. Dreyfus. He could be your Oracle from the movie The Matrix..." he suggested, citing a different fandom comparison. "...and you're basically the female version of Neo. Him or Trinity because..."
"Chuck."
"I'm babbling, aren't I?"
"It's cute when you do it."
If Sarah could see Chuck's face blushing right now, it would cause her heart to melt even more. Speaking of Chuck, he takes a moment to compose himself then clears his throat before continuing on. "From my experience, opening up actually helped me and I'm hoping it does the same for you, Sarah." Chuck revealed, expressing encouragement and urging her on to continue with it at the same time.
"Thanks Chuck."
"You're welcome."
In that instance Morgan's voice is heard from the back hollering out to his hetero life partner. "Dude! Rockstar Rebel time!"
"Hold on a sec, Morg!" he hollered back. His attention then returns to his phone call with Sarah. "Fuzzball is beckoning for my presence." mused Chuck straightening up to his full height.
"I heard. Get to it Nerdy Nerfherder."
"Yes ma'am. Talk later?"
"Yep. Bye."
"Bye." After ending his call with Sarah, he is about to head back to meet up with Morgan and Kathleen when he suddenly stops. He realizes he needs to make one more important call because if he doesn't he'll never hear the end of it. After scrolling through his call list, he finds the name and number he wants then taps it. It's not long before he gets the intended individual on the other end of the line. "Hey El, just wanted to share some awesome news. We had a meeting..."
XXX
The news of an investor for Kessel Run Technologies caused Ellie to become overly excited after Chuck shared the news with her. So excited in fact, that she nearly blew out his right ear drum because she happily screamed out loud to the point of causing a commotion. He knows this because he heard people checking up on her well-being. Plus, the fact that he also heard his brother-in-law Devon asking if everything was kosher with the word babe tacked on at the end. The usual response for the esteemed Captain Awesome. Of course, the oldest Bartowski sibling would start setting up a plan for a celebration that would happen after this Friday's Bash At The Bench on Friday at her home in Echo Park, according to her.
In Chuck's mind, when she gets into a beast mode state of mind when it comes to planning family celebrations it's not ideal to get in her way, which is why it's fortunate for her since she already has Thursday and Friday off. It would certainly be a celebration fit for a nerdy king. Speaking of nerdy king, he along with Morgan and Kathleen are huddled around his office desk as Alex is on speaker phone giving them the 411 concerning one Everette Conway, despite some of the information given by Conway himself to Chuck last Friday evening.
"11 year old Everette Conway. 5 years ago, he was diagnosed with liver cancer." stated Morgan, with a white board behind a couple feet away from him. The name of said 11 year old written on top in all caps and underlined.
"Poor baby." Kathleen breathed out, placing her right hand on her chest.
"That's right. The medical term for it is called Hepatocellular Carcinoma. He's at Stage 3 at the moment." Alex shared.
"What's his status now? Is his cancer serious at stage 3?" Chuck asked, knowing full well it thankfully isn't.
"His doctor says it's borderline. However, a tumor was found to be at least larger than 5cm. Fortunately, it hasn't grown on to any veins on his liver. Plus, it hasn't spread to any of his lymph nodes or to other body parts either."
"Awesome." Morgan responded, then turning around stepping towards the white board. A white board filled with some information concerning the aforementioned Everette Conway. "I'm putting that on the positive column on the Rockstar Rebel breakdown." he added, briefly glancing over his left shoulder.
"Everette seems to be strong and resilient young man." Kathleen said, shaking heard and feeling empathetic as a parent herself. More importantly, a mother.
"He is, Mom. You have no idea. His parents are divorced and his mom has sole custody of him. Father agreed to it. Speaking of his father, he works as a private investigator in Los Angeles. Always helps pay for his son's medical expenses and never late with it. They both are focusing on the well-being of their son. Everette knows that he's loved by both his parents and smiles because of it. You wouldn't know that, behind those smiles, he's been suffering through the pain because of all the chemotherapy these past 5 years. He's lost his hair and considerable amount of weight, but he doesn't complain about it. Yet, he hasn't lost his will to fight and I think I know why?"
"What you got, Alex?" inquired Morgan, listening intently to the woman he's been interested in for quite some time. A woman who is the daughter of Westside Medical Center's Head of Security John Casey. Morgan Grimes living dangerously in more ways than one.
"Everette is a huge X-Men fan. Loves the cartoons and movies to the point where he wears the shirts all the time. The nurses here think it's cute, especially when he was younger. He'd come in either dressed as Wolverine with the adamantium claws or as Juggernaut. Many of the nurses, including myself, have gotten pictures with him dressed up as those two characters. A collage of pictures are even posted on some of the boards in the hallways of the Children's Hospital here." she further shared, with a tone of joyous reflection in her voice.
In that moment, Chuck chimes in asking a pertinent question even though he knows the answer to it. "Alex, out of the two X-Men characters he considers his favorites, who does he like more?"'
"Oooohhh, way to put Alex on the spot like that, Chuck." remarked Morgan, with both eyebrows raised.
"Even though I'm not fully versed into this stuff unlike you guys are..." Kathleen interjected, pointing to Chuck and Morgan. "...and Alex. I'm curious to know myself." she added, leaning forward a bit and listening intently.
"I got your answer, Chuckles. It's Juggernaut. The reason is because even though he's small for his age, his dad says he has a big heart with an even bigger personality. Whenever his father has weekend visitations, they always spend time watching X-Men. His dad considered him his Juggernaut." Alex revealed, expressing some clear emotion in her voice sharing that bit of heartwarming information.
"I got to meet this kid after hearing that."
"You will buddy..." firmly nodded Chuck, shooting a smile towards his bearded best friend. "...on Friday." he added, knowing he wants to meet Everette in person as well.
It's at the point, Kathleen chimes in. "I'm definitely coming on Friday to watch the show, meet Everette, and maybe even give him a hug."
"I wonder who anonymously gave Everette's name nominating him to be Rockstar Rebel?" wondered Kathleen, expressing genuine curiosity on her face
"That's the big question right there." responded Morgan, shrugging his shoulders. "Whoever he or she is, I'd want to shake their hand for choosing an awesome kid."
"I'd second that, Morg." nodded Chuck, knowing full well who the source really was.
"I'd 3rd it." stated Kathleen briefly raising her hand in the air.
"4th it." chiming in Alex on her end.
After all 4 individuals mutually agreed on wanting to shake the hand of the anonymous individual, Chuck would direct his attention back to Alex. "Thanks Charlie." he said, with a truly appreciative smile.
Essentially, Chuck calling Alex by the name Charlie has been a running joke between the two of them because of the classic series show Charlie's Angels from the late 70's to early 80's. After starting Bash At The Bench, Alex would end up becoming the go-to nurse helping him provide them the information concerning potential Rockstar Rebels for Morgan to go over with his tall, curly headed and lanky best friend. Granted, there would be a debate between the two childhood friends on which particular Angel they considered themselves to be. Of course, neither of them chose the stunningly beautiful Farrah Fawcett who played the character Jill Monroe for obvious reasons.
So, out of the 2 original Angels and the 4 others who rotated into the team every so often in episodes or seasons for that matter, Chuck considered himself Kelly Garrett played by the gorgeous Jaclyn Smith. As for Morgan, his choice leaned more towards Cheryl Ladd's character who played the beautiful blonde Kris Monroe. The sister of Jill Monroe. It would be a choice where he brought up something possibly interesting and that Cheryl Ladd bears a striking resemblance to Sarah's mom Emma to the point of having an argument like they've had in past debates.
Chuck saying nay and Morgan yay. For the most part, it would ultimately be settled by Kathleen who googled a picture of Cheryl Ladd and have it side by side with Emma's picture from Chuck's phone to get an opinion on the intense debate. The verdict: nay. Still, Morgan stubbornly stood by his convictions despite the fact that Kathleen and Chuck simply chalked it up to a doppelganger that closely resembles the matriarch of the Walker women. He remembers Morgan got so determined at one point that he caught him staring at Emma and then look at his phone leading him to go over giving a Gibbs slap upside his head to get it together.
Either, he would do it to him or something far worse would be done to him by Molly. Thankfully, his stubborn determination would gradually go away. Funny to look back on it now knowing it annoyed Sarah and flattered Emma at the time, he thinks to himself. Unfortunately, Kathleen wouldn't be able to escape the debate as she tried to not get herself involved, but somehow found herself being dubbed Bosley. Since the character of Bosley is considered a protective parental figure of sorts to the Angels, which fits perfectly for Kessel Run's office manager and not to mention den mother to the two nerdy big kids.
"No problem. Do what you do best, Angels." stated Alex, hanging up on her end.
After handing up, Morgan and Kathleen suddenly notice a look on Chuck's face causing them to briefly look at each other, then towards the nerd himself. It would the bearded one to speak up. "I know that look. What you got cookin' up in that big brain of yours, dude?"
"Everett's favorite X-Men character is Juggernaut, right?
"Right." nodded Morgan, with a questionable look expressed on his face.
"What are you thinking, Chuck?" asked Kathleen.
"What I'm thinking is..." answered the youngest Bartowski sibling in deep contemplation. "...the plan I have is a major longshot."
XXX
"You're right, Chuck. It's a major longshot." Morgan stated, shaking his head in disbelief.
Chuck's major longshot was to contact Vinnie Jones, the actor who played Juggernaut in the 2006 movie X-Men: The Last Stand. Looking over his IMDB and his list of movie credentials run the gambit from acclaimed box office movies such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Gone In 60 Seconds, Snatch, Swordfish, and The Condemned to lesser known straight to DVD movies like Loaded, Smoking Aces 2: Assassin's Ball, The Heavy, and Locked Down. In his mind, he's the type of actor to play the good guy, but is best suited, or in some cases has been typecast, to play the antagonist who is pretty much the heavy. Oftentimes, his portrayal as the brute enforcer doing the bidding of the big boss and abides by those orders to the letter is what's seen on the big, as well as small screen by audiences.
In any case, when it comes to the aforementioned actor, they would first have to figure out where he is first. After scouring through the internet, they found the information about him being involved in the movie Cross. A movie that's currently filming somewhere in Los Angeles. Since going to the set and trying to sneak in to search for a guy or in this case a celebrity who is quite possibly heavily guarded isn't the best option knowing they just got an investor to come aboard they went for Plan B.
Plan B was to use what they know best...social media. They would first record a message giving a shout out to Mr. Jones and then share Everette's story telling him how he's a huge fan of Juggernaut in the 3rd installment of the X-Men franchise. Afterwards, they didn't post it on their YouTube channel because Everette might see it as they wanted it to be a complete surprise. So, they used other forms of their own social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Vine, etc.
It would be sent out to ether in hopes their followers would help in any way possible knowing they can all be awesome when they come together for a great, as well as worthwhile worthy cause, he thinks to himself. In addition, they would also place a video message on the Nerdy Nerfherder and Fuzzball Facebook fan page after realizing Everette doesn't have a page of his own. They know this because they actively took the time to search for his page and on both his parent's pages as well. Luckily, he wasn't giving Chuck and Morgan some much needed breathing room to work with, so to speak.
As for Vinnie Jones, the two men went to infinity and beyond in what they're capable of doing as he, Morgan, and Kathleen would try to make calls. If they weren't able to speak to anyone, they'd just leave a message with anyone who knows or at least remotely knows the former athlete turned actor. When they exhausted every resource imaginable, they would have to do the one thing that would be considered mentally and possibly even emotionally painful...wait.
"Hey, if it doesn't work out at least we gave it the old college try. Plus, Everette will have an awesomely memorable time even if we don't get Vinnie Jones." Chuck remarked, leaning comfortably back in his desk chair. Both his hands, locked together behind his head. An exhaustive sign blown out afterwards.
Morgan nods leading to both men sitting silently across from each other with Chuck's desk in between them. It's not long before Chuck's business partner speaks up "It would be so awesome if he responded though."
"No doubt." repeatedly nodded Chuck. After sharing another moment of silence, it's the nerd's turn to speak up. "Hungry?"
"I definitely worked up an appetite after all that hard work." he answered, suddenly perking up at the mere mention of food.
"So did I." Chuck pops up out of his chair and makes his way around his desk. "Food truck? Today's Monday, so one or two of Lou's trucks should be out there parked in Santa Monica Beach."
"I'm down." Morgan replied, pointing at Chuck as they head towards Chuck's open office doorway. As they are about to head out of his office, the shorter of the two men get the attention of the taller one. "Hey Chuck."
Chuck stops and turns to face Morgan while standing within the open doorway between his office and hallway. "Yeah?"
"Remember when we were in our early teens and we snuck into the set of Last Action Hero? We almost met Arnold Schwarzenegger."
"Key word is almost. You mistakenly got Arnold's stunt double's autograph." he retorted, reaching up to place his left hand on his best friend's left shoulder. "Then we got kicked out."
"I was this close." he recalled, raising his hand then showing Chuck his right thumb and index finger towards Chuck. He then gives a reflective sigh. "Good times, huh?"
"You said it." Chuck responded back, reflecting on their mischievous ways as young men in their early teenage years. "Good times." he breathed out, with a sigh as well. The nerdy business owner takes that moment to briefly glance at Morgan. "We're still not going to sneak into the Cross movie set." Afterwards. Chuck steps back and disappearing out into and down the hallway. "Hey Kathleen, want to come with, on a food truck run?"
"Sure!"
Morgan momentarily stands there and stares down the hallway. "At least think about it!" he hollered out, raising bother hands up in the air in front of him. "He'll think about it." he muttered to himself, giving several nods.
"Not going to happen!"
"How could you hear that!?" Do you have super hearing!?" he hollered back.
"Are you coming, buddy!? Kathleen and I are going without you!"
"I'm paying!" hollered out the mother of Alex McHugh.
Morgan quickly disappears out of sight into the hallway after hearing that in order to join Chuck and Kathleen to partake in some food truck fine dining located at Santa Monica Beach. In the back of all 3 of their minds, the hope of a response of Vinnie Jones himself or those who represent him at least will possibly happen for what could potentially be one of the best surprises to pull off in Bash At The Bench history.
XXX
Sarah is on the 2nd floor of Westside Medical Center performing her duties as Chief Operating Officer. She's having a conversation with Big Mike in order to check in on Jeff and Lester's work performance when Chief Beckman appears getting the blonde's attention. After abruptly ending the conversation with Westside Medical's Head Orderly, Sarah and Chief Beckman would find themselves taking a walk to the point where they would find themselves in the courtyard. The two would end up walking towards then sitting on the blue bench. The same blue bench where Sarah first met Chuck and Morgan. The Chief Administrator began discussing with her 2nd in command concerning her decision to go see Dr. Dreyfus.
"I appreciate what you did for me. I really do, Chief." Sarah acknowledged, giving a nod to her auburn haired boss. "I know you're just looking out for me and do what's best for the hospital."
"There's more to it than that, Sarah." responded Beckman.
After hearing that, Sarah gives Beckman her full and undivided attention. "You see, your former boss and I consider ourselves business associates more than old friends. Two people who work in the same field. I found out about you after he mentioned that out of all his employees who work for him, you were seen as the one who had potential. He was right and then somewhere along the line he changed. So did you. Hence being nicknamed his Wildcard Enforcer."
"I'm not following you, Chief." A look of perplexed confusion is expressed all over Sarah's face.
"It was Graham's idea for me to hire you not the other way around. He knew that you needed a change of scenery after all you've been through personally and professionally. He made the judgement call and contacted me to see if I was interested in hiring his best employee who has the greatest potential to be something better. Be someone better."
"He never told me that." Sarah breathed out. The faint sound of emotion distinctly heard in her voice by Beckman.
"Graham, as you know, isn't the type of guy to express his lady feelings." retorted Beckman with an amused tight lipped smile, taking a cue from her hulking head of security. She briefly pauses then continues on. "You may have asked yourself the question as to why he just let you go so easily."
"I did. I was great at my job, my role as his Wildcard Enforcer, and I knew it was starting to change me, especially after I called off my wedding."
Sarah's boss doesn't say a word after the Chief Operating Officer mentions calling off her wedding. She knows the story after Graham gave her that and many other reasons to give her shot in Los Angeles. "That was Graham's mistake and he knew it. The only way he could make it right was for you to have a change of scenery. He knew it was too late for him..." shared Beckman, with full disclosure on her part. "...but not too late for you." she added, reaching over to place her left hand on Sarah's right.
In that instance, Sarah looks straight forward and silent. She mulls over everything that Beckman revealed to her. Questions that have been sitting in the back of her mind ever since being transferred over to Westside Medical Center from Langley Memorial Medical. Questions that have been finally answered after 3 months working at a place that she loves going to and interacting with people who make her a better person. A workplace that has changed her for the better, proving she can do her job with the backing of Chief Beckman who has placed a tremendous amount of trust in her. It's a workplace where she also possibly, or in this case knows, she's found happiness in the form of one Chuck Bartowski thanks to a decision made by her former boss Langston Graham. Her thoughts concerning the matter are abruptly broken after she feels her left hand being squeezed by Beckman leading Sarah to turn her head to face her.
"I hope you take the opportunity provided for you. Go back to see and talk with Dr. Dreyfus. He seems to like you."
"He said that?"
"Not in those words, exactly. I think the word promising was mentioned while talking to him on the phone. That's all he said." Beckman retorted reassuringly, knowing the strict doctor-patient confidentiality side of things.
After momentarily being silent, she gives Beckman her response. "I am."
"Excellent. Then I don't have to worry about it then. That's how much trust I have for you. A person who I know I can count on when the chips are down. You've proven that already, twice." she said, holding up two fingers. "Well, 3 times if you count scaring the shit out of Jeff, Lester, and Emmitt."
A look of surprise is expressed on Sarah's face after hearing her boss curse. It caught her completely off guard causing her to nearly bust out laughing, but restraining herself to where she only let out a soft chuckle. After clearing her throat and taking a moment to compose herself, she responds. "Just doing my job, Chief."
After saying that, Beckman expresses a proud smile on her face. She squeezes Sarah's left hand once again then stands up after sitting for quite some time on the blue bench leading Sarah to do so Sarah as well. "Let's get to it then Chief Walker. We have a hospital to run." she nodded, peering up at her 2nd in command.
"Yes ma'am." nodded Sarah, peering down at Beckman with a grateful smile on her face.
The Chief Administrator and the Chief Operating Officer of Westside Medical Center steps forward inevitably making their way across the courtyard. The two women totally on the same page as they head inside and start running hospital operations together as a team.
XXX
NOTE: So what do you think? Charah conversation with a big question answered concerning what Jack was doing during those 6 months before actually making himself known to Sarah. Is that a bit of foreshadowing somewhere down the road in a future chapter? Maybe. Also, Chuck and Morgan going above and beyond in order to get Vinnie Jones as a surprise guest for Everette Conway for this week's Bash At The Bench. Will he show up in some kind of capacity? That's the big question right there. Plus, an awesome heart to heart with Sarah and Beckman concerning Langston Graham. Anyways, as always leave a comment and share you thoughts! Reviews are awesome and I very much appreciate the support for this story. Tip of the hat to you readers along with NEVR for doing the beta. You rock dude!
