Chuck vs. The Courtyard Bench
Well, in the previous chapter: Chuck joined Sarah, Molly and Emma for a steak dinner. He shared with the trio what happened in his office and Pollak's real name. That led to Sarah directly telling her younger sister to not let that information out because it could potentially damage his career. As the dinner continued on Sarah did two things that surprised Chuck, which were burp and fart. Chuck thought it was an awesome burp but when she suddenly farted, it literally cleared the kitchen because it was that potent. In the living room, Chuck continued to share how White was involved in Pollak ending up as the silent partner of Project Pegasus. It pretty much involved a potentially lucrative project they both were taking part in, but because of Pollak's bad behavior the deal fell through. She harbored resentment towards him and although he had plenty of opportunities to get out of being the silent partner he didn't. He used his position to anonymously send a hefty donation to Jagger Renner. Meanwhile, Bennett was rushed to the emergency room after a nasty head injury. A concerned Casey wanted to know what happened but was thwarted by Ellie and Head nurse Alex Forrest. The next thing he knows he's face to face with someone he has encountered where Bennett had been residing thank to Casey. That man was James Keller. So, what happens in this chapter? Here are the who, what, where, when, why, how's? Read and find out! Who is James Keller? What caused him to end up living a life where he hopped from one veteran's shelter to another? Where did Keller taker Bennett that ended up causing his neighbor's nasty head injury? When does the movie Jason Bourne get referenced? Why did Scooter freak out talking about Casey? How do a Ronald Reagan quote play a part in the conversation as well. I 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.
The Choices We Make
XXX
"You know my name?" questioned Keller, standing there timidly.
"I've done my homework," Casey retorted, standing several feet away from Keller.
The hulking Head of Security for Westside Medical certainly did do his homework. Unfortunately, the man that stood before him didn't resemble the man he used to be, as he was now replaced with someone who would rather shy away from any sort of confrontation, rather than confront it head on. That was evident when he checked his social media but gradually learned they were no longer in use after he fell on hard times. It was like he fell off of planet Earth. Essentially, Keller became a shell of his former self who once exuded an intimidating presence back then. Now, that's all changed after he thought he could fly too close to the sun, in a manner of speaking.
"James Edward Keller. United States Army,." he shared. "You were on the fast track to becoming Colonel," he added. There was a hint of admiration behind it as he briefly pointed over to him.
Keller briefly went wide-eyed after the hulking individual somehow knew about his rise in military ranking status. He stood several feet away from the mammoth man who he once believed could stare down anybody and was able to take them, no matter how strong or how big he was. Now, he acted skittish and instantly felt uncomfortable when making eye contact with someone, which was a far cry of who he used to be.
After a few seconds go by, Keller nodded. "What else do you know about me?"
At that point, Casey expressed a noticeable smirk. "No wife. No kids." He then took a couple steps forward before he stopped and stood 3 feet away from Keller. Speaking of Keller, his whole body flinched when Casey stepped forward, which was quite telling for the proud marine. "Forced into early retirement. Medical," he shared, furrowing his eyebrows towards Keller. "And mental health reasons."
While Casey momentarily stood there in front of the military veteran, he took notice of Keller's overall appearance. Although his dark brown, medium length hair with spots of gray was slicked back, it resembled a combination of the untamed mane of Nick Nolte and Gary Busey. He also sported an unnamed bushy beard as well, which had small but noticeable remnants of whatever he had for lunch in it. His overall physique was a bit on the hefty side, as he had a fairly pronounced beer gut that protruded out of his jacket. Speaking of his jacket, it was a tattered green military cargo jacket with pockets that were considerably frayed, worn, and faded. Underneath his jacket, Keller was wearing what looked like a white long johns type shirt, but it was considerably dirty and stained as if it hadn't been washed in a while.
As for Keller's jeans and sneakers, they also matched his tattered military cargo jacket. Casey speculated that he probably obtained his clothes from the veteran shelter's lost and found clothing pile he'd stayed at in the past or places like soup kitchens, goodwill, etc. It provided him ways to either change or add to his wardrobe. In any case, while Casey continued to stand there across from Keller, he stared at the man who lived right across from his sensei. A few seconds later, Casey resumed speaking.
"My question is," the proud marine briefly paused before he continued on. "Why did you risk pretty much all of your pension on such a bad investment?"
After Keller heard that, a seemingly pained expression washed all over his face as if he felt like he was suddenly stabbed. While he stood experiencing that stabbing pain, he shook his head as if the memories associated with risking his pension by gambling all of it away in bad investment instantly flooded back. He shrugged his shoulders then breathed out a faint chuckle before Keller responded.
"I was told by my financial advisor to invest in the mortgage market," he shared. Keller reached up and rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand out of frustration recalling that particular moment in time. "With Lehman Brothers."
"How'd that work out for ya?" Casey snidely remarked, in a sarcastic tone.
"He said it was a sure thing," Keller sounded off, with a mixture of irritation, agitation and annoyance.
Casey softly grunted after he heard the words 'sure thing'. "Until it all collapsed."
It seemed Keller wanted to say something after what Casey said. He stood there struggling to compose himself and not angrily lash out, recalling one of the worst moments in his life. "How was I supposed to know they ended up filing for bankruptcy?" responded Keller, shaking his head with disappointment. "It was supposed to be my nest egg that would add on to my military pension," he added, emotionally riled up. "I should be living like a king."
"Instead, you've been living like a pauper bouncing around from one veteran shelter to another. New Directions is actually your longest stint living in a military veteran's shelter." Casey shared, furrowing his eyebrows towards Keller. "You made that choice. You and you alone. It also unknowingly started you on a downward path involving your physical and mental health," Casey pointed out. "2007. Am I right?"
Keller nodded. As he did, the military veteran shook his head once again. Of course, Casey took notice of this, especially when it came to Keller's overall body language. Beckman's right-hand man surmised that thinking about the past wasn't considered conducive for his mental stability. He carefully observed the man's actions and so far, the man who stood a couple feet away from him wasn't putting himself in any sort of danger. When it came to himself personally, Casey knew he would potentially suffer from some scrapes if it came right down to actually physically taking Keller down. In his mind, that would certainly be the last resort because he hadn't shown any signs of being a threat until now. However, he's locked in on the man who unfortunately lost all the money in one of the biggest financial banking bankruptcy collapses in August of 2007. It wasn't just Keller that lost everything, but so did everyone else who invested their money in the risky mortgage market with Lehman Brothers.
Casey shook his head at that particular thought, knowing he wasn't the type of guy who focused on making money. Instead, he saved it. As a father to his daughter, Alex, he placed a little here and a little there in her own account before she was even born. Their daughter would be able to access it when he, as well as her mother, felt she was not only personally, but financially responsible enough to appropriately handle it. His thoughts concerning finances and savings were abruptly broken when he saw Keller not only shuffling from side to side, but also incoherently mumbling to himself. The only words he could clearly make out were 'it was a sure thing' and 'it was his fault'.
He knew, after talking with Dr. Busgang, that he needed to keep Keller calm and not have him triggered. Thankfully, it was a different kind of trigger that didn't involve any sort of PTSD pertaining to the battlefield. So, he had to get him focused on something else entirely. Casey did.
"Were you the one who called 911, Keller?" he inquired. That question caused Keller to suddenly stop walking from side to side and mumbling to himself. His focus was then directed to Casey. "If that's the case, I owe you a debt." Afterwards, Beckman's head of security gave a firm nod towards him.
Keller ducked his head a bit and slightly shrugged his shoulders. "Never leave a man behind."
"Oorah," Casey proudly breathed out. Afterwards, he stepped forward, walked up to Keller, and stopped in front of him. Beforehand, Casey made sure to approach his sensei's neighbor in a nonthreatening way so that Keller didn't end up getting triggered. After taking a deep breath, Casey softened his body language in order to not make it seem overly menacing, which worked. "I don't say thank you often…"
"You don't have to," Keller retorted, shaking his head. "We're a brotherhood. Soldiers are supposed to look out for one another."
Casey softly grunted and then expressed a noticeable smirk. Afterwards, he lifted his right hand and held it there at waist level in front of Keller for a handshake. There was a momentary pause on Keller's part as he stared at Casey's hand then lifted his gaze up and locked eyes with the proud marine. For Casey, he could clearly tell that Keller was doing his best not to break eye contact with him as if he reciprocated the handshake offered to him. While they exchanged handshakes, Casey sensed his sensei's neighbor was trying to prove he was still the man he was back then. A man who exemplified respect, determination, and most of all an unyielding sense of unwavering strength. The hulking head of security for Westside Medical Center truly commended him for that. He was also impressed that Keller wanted to, in a way, prove to his younger counterpart he's not as weak as he looked, evident by the strong grip he felt in the handshake. Speaking of the handshake, when it was subsequently over, Casey spoke up.
"Come on," grunted Casey, expressing a brief grin. "Let's go check on our fellow soldier and brother," he added, giving a firm nod towards Keller.
A firm nod was given back by Keller. Afterwards, both men made their way inside heading through sliding doors of the outer ambulance bay. The common bond between the two men was their mutual friendship with Ty Bennett who was not only brought in severely injured, but unconscious as well.
XXX
Casey and Keller were in the trenches standing at a safe distance from the emergency room trauma bed #5 where Bennett was in. They watched with concern as Ellie, Forrest, and an additional nurse did a quick, but thorough check on Bennett's head injury before the two men arrived. While they continued to stand there, someone else approached and stood by Casey's side.
"Walker."
Keller heard the name and then leaned forward a bit. When he did, he suddenly saw an absolutely attractive looking blonde standing on the other side of the man he knew as Alex Coburn. From his perspective, it was very evident from the banter between the both of them they shared a relationship. As for the banter and the body language between both individuals, it sort of resembled the couple from the classic series The Honeymooners. It starred Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows as Ralph and Alice Kramden. Keller couldn't help but notice the similarities between the man Bennett spoke highly of and the iconically classic 50's television character.
In any case, when Keller leaned back a bit his intent was checking Sarah out from the back, but his efforts were blocked by the same man who he was standing beside. Keller froze then slowly peered up and exuded a momentary deer in headlights look on his face. As he did, he noticed Casey not only glaring at him, but expressed a grunt that basically told him to watch it. Keller quickly turned and faced the emergency room bed where Bennett was currently being worked on. As for Sarah, she couldn't help but express a faint, but humorous chuckle knowing how protective Casey can be. Afterwards, she turned her attention back to the situation at hand concerning her partner's mentor. Before she spoke up, she playfully slapped the back of her hulking partner's right arm.
"Can you share what happened?"
Keller nervously stepped forward in a timid way and then turned to face Sarah. "Well, young lady…"
Casey instantly interjected. "Chief Operating Officer Sarah Walker." growled Beckman's right-hand enforcer.
After he shared Sarah proper title, Casey stared at Keller as if he was staring right into his soul, which caused the man to lean back a bit. Keller then leaned over to his right and continued on, "Ssss…sorry ma'am." He quickly corrected himself. "Chief Operating Officer…"
At that point, Sarah cut Keller off, while humorously shaking her head. "Chief Walker is fine," she stated, stepping forward. Afterwards, she reached up and patted her partner's left shoulder a couple times with her left hand. She then turned her attention, peered up at Casey, and pointed up at him. "Be nice," she uttered, sternly arching her right brow. Her attention returned back to Keller. "And what is your name, sir?"
"Keller…James Keller, Chief Walker," Keller nervously answered. "I was just telling your husband Alex…"
"We're not married," Casey and Sarah quickly uttered, in unison.
Keller paused and briefly stared at the two individuals. "Are you sure? You two sure act like it."
"Yes. I'm sure," Sarah confidently nodded, with a smile. "Alex here is like my protective and stubborn older brother,." she jokingly remarked, but in a proud way. Sarah heard Casey express a grunting growl but completely ignored her partner as she continued on, "I am engaged though," she happily shared, showing off her engagement ring. "To an awesome guy. He's a nerd. My nerd."
A confused and bewildered expression washed over Keller's face after hearing that. "Okay," After shaking his head, he continued on looking at Casey. "It's just that Ty talked about how you were married and had a daughter. I just assumed you two…"
"Divorced," interjected Casey. "But on good terms. She works with Chief Walker's fiancé," he shared. "My daughter works here at the children's hospital."
Keller nodded and then noticed the look on Casey's face. His instincts told him that he shouldn't press any further and listened to it. So, he changed the subject entirely.
"How is my friend Ty doing?" he inquired, pointing over to him on the emergency room hospital bed. "He fell down the stairs and hit his head."
"What caused him to fall down the stairs, Mr. Keller?" wondered the Chief Operating Officer. Afterwards, she crossed her arms and prepared to listen to the events that led Bennett to end in her emergency room.
Keller was briefly silent as he turned his attention to Bennett who was still being attended to by Ellie, Forrest and another nurse. A second later, he shared with Sarah and Casey what caused his neighbor to suffer his head injury.
"We came back from getting paid…"
Casey immediately interjected as he furrowed his eyebrows after he heard that. "Paid? For what?"
"There's a clinic down the street from New Directions that's been doing clinical trials. They pay a good amount of money for volunteers to test new drugs," Keller revealed.
Casey breathed out a soft grunt when he heard that. "His choice?" He paused before he continued on. "Or yours?"
There was a brief moment of silence on Keller's part before he responded. "He was curious. So," Keller shrugged his shoulders. "He tagged along. For the amount of money they were paying the both of us," answered Keller, "Hell yes." he added, grinning with a hint of laughter.
Unfortunately, the laughter he expressed was brief after Keller saw the glaring look on Coburn's face. He heard the soft grunt turning into a low growl. At that point, he tried speaking up but was too intimidated by Casey who seemed like he was going to pounce on him. Thankfully, he didn't. "That's the reason you haven't left and moved on, isn't it?" questioned the proud marine, crossing his arms.
"Both?" Casey growled with concern after he heard that Bennett was also involved. "Why was he there in the first place?" angrily questioned, the proud marine.
In that instance, Sarah reached out and calmed Casey down, knowing how truly protective he was of Bennett. She had valid concerns, knowing that clinical drug trials do come with some risks. She recalled a number of patients in that past that have succumbed to the unfortunate side effects when it came to volunteering in taking part in experimental drugs trials. Of course, some side effects can be minor while others can most definitely be considered major depending on the type of experimental drug being tested. She has attained not only firsthand knowledge, but witnessed the major side effects with her own eyes, especially when she lived in D.C.
The number of patients being treated at Langley Memorial's emergency because of experiencing the major side effects of clinical trial drugs was astonishingly grim, Sarah thought to herself. For the Chief Operating Officer of Westside Medical Center, she's learned working at her former stomping grounds that most clinical trials pose the risk of minor discomfort, which often lasts only a short time. However, when that minor discomfort ended up turning major, it resulted in a heavy price. The deaths of those individuals.
In Sarah's mind, she has always been able to be personally detached from individuals who lost their lives volunteering to be test subjects for some promising new experimental drug. They knew the risks in what they signed up for despite not knowing if the drug seriously affected any pre-existing conditions the patient was dealing with. Essentially, those experimental drugs that had more positive than negative results were then pushed on to a certain number of hospitals that ultimately financially benefited from doing business with big pharma. Unfortunately, it's the ugly side of business involving medicine focused more on profit than on the patient.
"I've dealt with clinics doing trials," Sarah stated, stepping forward. "There may have been side effects of what he possibly took that was given to him. What was it?"
"I don't know," responded Keller, shaking his head. After he said that, there was an intensified, angry glare shot back at him by the man he knew as Alex Coburn. "But," he quickly blurted out. "I do know he stuck something in his pocket when we left."
After she heard that, Sarah made her way to trauma area #5 and was about to get her future sister-in-law's attention. She suddenly stopped when she saw Bennett's pants laying on the floor that were nearly underneath the emergency room bed. Before she reached down and picked them up, she retrieved some hospital gloves then put them on. Safety first, always. It didn't take long for the Chief Operating Officer to not only find the item in question that Keller was talking about, but she also retrieved a piece of paper as well. Sarah made her way back to where Casey and Keller were standing.
"What is it?" inquired Casey.
Sarah stopped in front of her hulking partner. She lifted the item in question that was in her hand. The item in question was a pill bottle. Afterwards, she opened it up and fished one of the pills out and lifted it up to eye level. That led Casey to take it from her for a closer look of what looked like a white and green looking pill.
Keller pointed to the pill in question. "Yeah, that's it." At that point, Sarah closed the bottle and then scanned the pill bottle itself.
"What's the name of it?" Casey asked.
"Laudanol." Sarah answered.
After he heard the name of the pill, Casey furrowed his eyebrows as if he'd heard of it before. He then expressed a soft, growling grunt.
XXX
Sarah and Casey reconvened in Chief Beckman's office after finding out what caused Bennett's serious head injury. Before they left, Sarah politely asked Keller to wait in the Trenches waiting room and he complied. Of course, she asked him instead of Casey because the blonde Chief Operating Officer was considered far less threatening than the hulking Head of Security for Westside Medical Center. In any case, as Sarah was sitting in the chair in front of Beckman's desk, the auburn-haired Chief Administrator was sitting behind it with her trusted assistant, Scooter, standing just off to her right behind her. All three turn their attention to the lounge area of Beckman's office where Casey is on the phone with his back facing the trio. A few seconds later, Scooter spoke up.
"Who do you think he's talking to?"
"Go over there and ask him." retorted Sarah, expressing an "I dare you" tone in her response. Afterwards, she leaned somewhat comfortably back in the guest chair she was sitting in to see what Scooter's next move was.
Speaking of Scooter, he stood there for a moment and contemplated Sarah's suggestion as his attention on her turned to Casey. After a brief moment, he shook his head. "No thanks," Scooter lifted both hands in front of him. "I don't want to end up at some," Beckman's trusted assistant suddenly stopped and briefly looked over at Casey still on the phone with their back to them. He then returned his attention to Sarah. When he did, he stepped to his right and made his way around to her. Scooter then knelt down in the space between the two guest chairs. Afterwards, he briefly looked over his left shoulder at Casey before he faced Sarah and leaned in a bit closer. "I don't want to end up waterboarded," he softly whispered.
Although Scooter's response was softly whispered, Beckman was able to hear it while she sat on the other side of her office desk. That led the Chief Administrator to stand up, place her hands down on her desk, and leaned over towards both individuals. Mainly Scooter.
"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" she whispered.
"Do I, Chief?" Scooter whispered back. "Casey…Coburn. Whoever he is. " He shook his head in disbelief. "We don't know what he's capable of. What if one day he suddenly snaps," Scooter paused. "Goes all Private Pyle on us?" Beckman and Sarah stared blankly at Scooter. In that instance, he needed to clarify the name he shared with the two ladies. "Character from Full Metal Jacket who was played by Vincent D'Onofrio."
Sarah lowered her head and gave a 'really' look to Scooter. "I know the movie," she retorted. "It was one of Jack's favorites that he let me watch with him when I was younger."
"It's a rated R movie," responded Scooter.
"I know he wasn't father of the year," she retorted, shrugging her shoulders. "But it was a bonding experience for the two of us." She paused, recalling that particular father-daughter moment. "It was before the dark times."
After Sarah said that Scooter arched his right brow. "Okay, Obi Wan Kenobi," he sarcastically uttered.
"I prefer Dumbledore, since I am a Potterhead." Sarah's response caused Scooter to stare blankly back at her this time. "Seriously?" whispered Sarah, somewhat amused. "You've known him just as long as I have."
"Yeah," responded Scooter, with a nod. "But he likes you better," he added, pointing to Sarah. "You somehow have this ability to calm him down or tame him. What's your secret?"
The Chief Operating Officer of Westside Medical Center arched her right brow. "What? Like Crocodile Dundee?" She stared at Scooter who continued to kneel down beside her. "You think I'm some sort of Casey whisperer?" Her attention was then directed to Chief Beckman "Chief?"
Beckman was briefly silent before she responded. "He has actually mellowed out a bit since your arrival, Chief Walker."
After Sarah heard that, she couldn't help but be astonishingly amused by the fact that her hulking partner actually wants to be around someone like herself who doesn't get on his nerves. Granted, Casey has mostly tolerated a number of his co-workers, but when it came to those who truly irritated him they can be counted on one hand. Jeff, Lester, Milbarge, Chuck and Morgan. At the same time, she was flattered that her friend and colleague had become considerably protective of her in a big brother sort of way. Casey wasn't much of a sharing person, especially when it involved what has always referred to as lady feelings. In any case, Sarah did recall a brief conversation between the two of them that he was an only child. Although it was considered a quick mention, it overshadowed not only his alias in the military, but the missions he took that were deemed classified, she thought to herself.
Sarah's thoughts abruptly ended when she heard Scooter whisper something to her but wasn't really paying attention at that particular moment. "What?" she softly whispered.
"He used to be in the military, right? I'm betting if he was captured and tied up or handcuffed, he would know the easiest way to escape," whispered Scooter.
After Scooter said that Sarah expressed a look of disbelief as she turned to face Beckman. Both women expressed looks of disbelief. Beckman's second in command opened her mouth to respond but was suddenly interrupted.
"Thumbs."
That sudden interruption caused all 3 individuals to be started. It led Scooter to shoot straight up into a standing position and then turned around to see Casey standing there. Afterwards, he backed up a bit to where he was safely behind Sarah. Speaking of Sarah, she noticed this and instead of saying anything, she simply rolled eyes as Chief Beckman spoke up.
"What about your thumbs, John?"
"If I was ever captured and handcuffed," Casey repeated what he overheard from where he was standing. "I'd break my thumbs," he answered, lifting both hands and showed his thumbs. After he shared that, he received a mixture of disbelief, shock, astonishment, and mostly a WTF look from Scooter. "It's doable. Here I'll show you…"
Casey was about to demonstrate his technique. which caused Scooter's eyes to bug out. Fortunately, Chief Beckman intervened.
"No need, John," she retorted, briefly lifting, then waving her right hand. "What did your contact say?"
Casey grinned. "After he cussed me out for interrupting his vacation, he gave me the rundown on Laudanol." The grin on his face faded and it was replaced with a look of seriousness.
Sarah crossed her arms as she noticed the serious look on her hulking partner's face. At that moment, she hoped for the best, but truly prepared for the worst. She took a deep breath before she continued on, "And?"
XXX
"What I'm divulging with you now is considered classified," stated Casey to all 3 individuals. He looked from left to right. "If this goes beyond this room…"
"I won't say a thing," Scooter quickly blurted out. "Mainly because I don't want to end up in some secret black site to be waterboarded or be tortured. The song 'Photograph' by Nickelback on a constant loop," he nervously added, sounding panicked and horrified. His thoughts then turned darker. "Maybe thrown in a deep dark dungeon never to be seen again by my friends and family."
After Scooter said that Beckman reached up with her right hand and instantly Gibbs slapped her personal assistant on the back of his head. "Pull yourself together, Greg." she uttered, shaking her head.
"Besides," Sarah uttered, chiming in. "Your imagination is running wild. I'm sure Casey didn't take part in any of that. Am I right?" Her attention directed to the hospital's Head of Security.
Speaking of Casey, he stood there in silence with arms crossed in a seemingly menacing way. As for Sarah, she stared at her hulking partner expecting an answer from him. She didn't get one. Instead, all that was given back was silence. Her attention was then averted to Scooter who she noticed expressed a mixture of nervousness and fear on his face. While he continued to stand there, the hospital's head of security could actually hear Beckman's personal assistant's ass tighten. As much as he wanted to mess with the man who enjoyed wearing bow ties to work, he decided to press further on.
"What I was going to say before I was interrupted," growled Casey. "I don't want anyone in this room, or the hospital for that matter, to get sued."
"Thank God Emmitt isn't here or he'd have a coronary," Beckman stated. She then pointed at Casey. "Don't even think about it." She received a firm grunt in response from the hulking enforcer.
As much as Sarah was amused by that brief interaction between her boss and partner, she responded to the man who was also known as Alex Coburn. "I take it this is privileged information?" inquired Sarah. She knew quite well that there certainly may be legal ramifications if any of the information that Casey shared ended up leaking out.
Casey nodded. Afterwards, he took a deep breath. He turned around, stepped towards and stopped in front of the window. He stood there for a moment gazing out before he pressed on.
"During my time in special ops, there were rumors going around that Psyops was trying to develop some kind of pill that would calm emotions and eliminate fear." Casey slowly turned around and faced all 3 individuals. "You're no good to your fellow soldier on the battlefield when you're freaking out."
"I'm guessing it's still a work in progress," Scooter responded.
"Clinics like the one down the street from New Directions," Sarah paused for a moment before she continued on. "Hell," she uttered, shaking her head. "Practically every clinic all across the United States and possibly overseas as well are possibly doing medical trials on Laudanol."
"Especially if the military is involved," chimed in Casey. "According to my contact, a third party was secretly contracted as the primary who ended up financially benefiting from helping to shill it out if it does get approved."
"Money talks," stated Sarah. "This goes for any pill that pharmaceutical companies want to push on hospitals, despite the risks that it potentially causes," Sarah added, shaking her head with discouraging disappointment.
For Sarah, she's truly thankful that Westside Medical Center has their patients' best interests in mind. She's learned that they don't back down to being pressured to give certain pharmaceutical medications that were considered high risk, especially from the hospital's Board of Directors. Granted, they're decisions on behalf of the hospital have been at times frustratingly boneheaded, due to pleasing the donors who have continually helped keep the doors of their successful medical facility open. Yet, it's those powers that know the hospital got more positive exposure thanks to her nerd and bearded best friend.
Essentially, Chuck and Morgan have done an exceptional job in representing how unique of a hospital it was, and still is. For her, the pride and hard work that she has exuded since she started at Westside Medical has had a positive effect on the staff, as well as patients in it. The total opposite of what the atmosphere was like at Langley Memorial Medical in D.C., she thought to herself. In her mind, the hospital she proudly works for was widely known as being set worlds apart from every other hospital not only in Los Angeles, but worldwide as well. It gave Sarah a comforting feeling knowing that everyone in this hospital does feel like a family who have proven to have gone above and beyond for each other. Her thoughts on her hospital family are set aside as she turns her attention to her boss.
The Chief Administrator in question exuded the same discouraging disappointment, but with a sense of disbelief added in as well. "A pill that calms emotions and eliminates fear. Sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie script or something."
"Jason Bourne," Scooter quickly noted. "The Bourne Identity."
"As I recall," Sarah momentarily paused and mentally gathered her thoughts. "Bourne was actually mentally, emotionally, and physically worn down by Treadstone until he complied. They turned him into a superhuman assassin. As for the pills, they simply gave Treadstone the ability to control him."
"Only this is real life and not a Hollywood movie," Beckman affirmed. Silence blanketed the room after what the auburn-haired Chief Administrator pointed out. She was about to speak up again, when there was a knock on her office door. "Yes?" she hollered out.
"Chief," Ellie entered Beckman's office and greeted everyone else. "Bennett is awake," Her attention was then directed to Casey. "He's asking for you."
"What are you going to do, partner?" Sarah expressed concern on her face.
"John," Beckman uttered. "It's the choices we make for the people that have greatly influenced our lives who can no longer make one for themselves."
"I know, Chief," softly growled Casey.
"Whatever you decide we'll back you up," nodded Ellie. Afterwards, 3 additional nods were given to the hulking Head of Security.
At that point, the man who was known as Alex Coburn turned around, took a few steps forward, and stood in front of the window by Beckman's desk. All 4 individuals stood there as they wondered what their colleague was going to say or do. Instead, he briefly stood there gazing out the window. A few seconds passed by before he finally spoke up. "We have found, in our country, that when people have the right to make decisions as close to home as possible, they usually make the right decisions."
There was a brief silence before Scooter spoke up. "Profound. Who said it?"
Casey slowly turned around and faced all 4 individuals. "Ronald Reagan." He turned around once again and gazed out the window. "I know what I have to do," he breathed out.
XXX
NOTE: As you may have noticed there were quite a few callbacks to certain Chuck episodes like vs. Tic Tac and the Laudonal. In my story, its a new drug being tested in clinical trials and the military is secretly pushing for the testing. Also Casey sharing with Morgan how to break his thumbs but in this story he shared it with Beckman, Sarah, and Scooter. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the story even though it didn't have any Charah at all. I promise you I'll make it up to you in the next chapter. As always, leave a review as they are considered an incentive to keep writers writing out future chapters. I tip my hat to NEVR for doing the beta. You rock dude!