Visit to the ER: Biting Garbage
Posted on Sat Jul 20th, 2024 @ 11:40pm by Hale Stratton & Ethan Thompson & Ragnar Jørgensen & Timothy Reynolds & René Rouen & Serena Reynolds M.D. & Chloé Rouen
2,206 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Winter is Coming
Location: Maine General Medical Center, Augusta, Maine
Timeline: September 7, 2010 - 06:15 a.m.
Taking out the guards with a shotgun didn't go unnoticed inside. Jeanine started herding those that had taken shelter in the waiting room back away from the windows and doors. The guards, except for the one in the Emergency Room, were already dead and Harry's team knew their orders. They'd done a good job of emptying the pharmacy and were already leaving out the back door save for one of their own, bitten on the way in and just starting to feel the effects, who volunteered to cover their retreat. They said their good-byes and as the team left, David found cover and brought his hunting rifle to bear.
Outside, Timothy looked at the darkened entryway. "What I wouldn't give for a few smoke grenades and flashbangs, not to mention a full breach team." He chuckled darkly as he finished speaking. "You know, anyone who's inside, knows we are here. So we have two options, go in through the front, and get mowed down, or find another way in."
"Let's try for a different entrance," Hale said. "They'll be watching the front, expecting us to barge in, and we can maybe get back the element of surprise."
[I]Inside the Hospital[/i]
Henri immediately put himself between Chloé and the entrance when the two shotgun blasts sounded. He glanced at his granddaughter. He pointed to a corridor that led further into the hospital complex. "I want you to find someplace to hide."
Chloé nodded slowly as she drew back to where their belongings were and gathered the two suitcases and shrugged her backpack over her shoulder.
Ragnar dropped and rolled backwards, coming back to a spring-ready crouched stance near Henri after he placed himself in front of Chloé and he reached back to point toward his duffel.
Henri hooked one of the straps on the duffel bag with the handle of his cane and dragged it free. He picked it up and handed it to Ragnar.
Ragnar's hand shot into the duffelbag and he gripped a barely visible hilt, shifting the blade it was attached to within the bag so that it could be drawn from its scabbard with ease and his eyes shot to the guards as he watched to see what their response would be.
Henri split his attention between what was going on outside the ER entrance and the fact that a soldier had just murdered one of the State Troopers in the waiting area. He repositioned himself to stay between Chloé and the new threat
He took out the hospital's actual guard with his first shot and then turned his attention toward the big guy, edging toward what he figured was some kind of weapon. He shook his head quietly, weapon trained on Ragnar. "I wouldn't if I were you."
Ragnar raised his free hand and then withdrew a silver flask from beneath what was indeed a weapon though he was careful not to reveal it visibly and then he tossed the flask to the guard. “From the sounds of that out there I have a feeling you are about to want this; it’s home-brewed mead, strong stuff.”
To catch the flask, and that was truly tempting, meant taking his eye off everyone and so, he let it fall to the ground. It wasn't lost on him that the big guy hadn't taken his eyes off of him and while the mead would make his passing a bit easier to bear, he wasn't stupid enough to take his eyes off the group. Course, he thought, I could send them on their merry.
Ragnar watched the guard carefully, keeping a close eye on him but made no move for the time being, settling himself near his bag.
"Okay everyone," the guard said, "time to be on your merry. You leave now, I won't shoot you. But if you're still here, one minute from now, I most assuredly will. One ..."
Chloe grabbed her grandfather's arm. "We-- Allez!" she said in a mix of French and English. She didn't trust the man as far she could throw a suitcase.
Roman, not at all happy to be ousted from the E.R., followed the rest of the group outside and saw the men lying dead at the entrance. From the state of the bodies, there was little doubt as to what happened to them or who exactly they had been in life. He moved out of range, or at least what he hoped was out of range, and leaned against the side of a car, shaking his head. Unbelievable.
Ragnar hefted the duffle bag back across one shoulder as he had been carrying it when he arrived and glanced to his arm then shrugged, angling toward the door but not turning his back on the guard as there was no trust there. “Enjoy the mead.” He said as he edged toward the exit; out of reach of the guard, ensuring that he was not presenting a threatening presence beside his stature.
The guard watched them go, offering a mocking salute, as he advanced to the doors. Once they were all out, he locked the doors behind him and sighed. He needed to lay down, he thought. Curl up somewhere and ride through the pain. No. No. It wasn't going to get any better and something needed to be done. Once he knew everyone had gotten safely away.
Chloé handed her grandfather his suitcase and shrugged on her backpack with her suitcase in hand and then with her hand on his arm, she ushered him out of the area, looking around at other people as they walked with the group. She was not sure where they could go now.
Nurses and Doctors were also being herded out, all not wanting to get shot by the man.
Henri looked about for additional threats as they got out of the waiting area. His first priority was to keep Chloé safe. Nothing else mattered at the moment. He had one small advantage if it came to it, but had no intention of revealing said advantage yet.
Ragnar stepped out last, backwards so he could watch the door and didn’t turn until he heard the lock click. When it did he wheeled on his heel and glanced out over the parking lot.
[Outside the Medical Center]
Chloé looked around as they came out side. She spotted a car sitting off to the side. They needed transport and needed it asap. "We need a car" she said to her grandfather. "We need to get away from here."
Henri spotted a couple of vehicles up the road. A woman stood in front of the lead vehicle. "That way." He started off in the direction of the woman.
Chloé followed her grandfather looking around. She was not sure if she should encourage others to follow them.
[Short Way Ahead on the Road]
Outcast from the hospital, the group made its way down the long drive, heading toward the road. There was a large parking lot on either side, with sedans scattered about, parked and locked up tight, and up ahead a pair of vehicles ready to go.]
Serena looked at the pair behind her. "Vienna, Ethan, heads up, incoming! Looks like civilians."
"Alive, I think," Ethan said, from the far side of the vehicle because it always paid to have something between you and whatever was coming at you. "No visible weapons."
Ragnar sighed heavily and pulled the strap of his duffel bag closer to his neck, holding it with one arm and followed Henri and Chloé for no reason other than they had been the only people he deemed trustworthy inside and when he spotted Serena he shrugged, figuring that his day couldn’t get much more irritating.
Roman, who had been stowing his stethoscope away, followed the group away from the medical center. He'd pretty much been living at the place for the past two years; he had a small studio apartment nearby with clothes and the like. Probably best, he thought, to stop there before I go anywhere else.
Serena didn't raise the handgun she carried and instead held up a hand. "Hello" She said stopping the group. "Can you tell us what is going on?"
Ragnar surveyed the woman and glanced over his shoulder. “Whoever was running the hospital left us under the guard of someone armed but they let us out and locked the door behind us.” He gave Serena a look like she should have been able to figure it out.
Serena considered the trio carefully. She studied the young teen girl who was clinging to the older man, obviously a grandparent or older parent. Then she let her gaze sweep the blond haired man. Without Hale and Tim, she had to make a call. She was about to speak when the girl spoke.
Chloé stepped forward. "Please madame, we are no .. trouble." She was struggling to speak English. The accent was French that was clear.
Serena nodded. 'Ethan open up the back, help them stow their things then all of you into the Toyota. We have two people down there, but you will be safe for now with us."
Henri spoke with a bare hint of an accent as he stepped forward with Chloé. "Thank you dear lady. We are immeasurably grateful for your kindness."
Ragnar looked over the Toyota, glanced over Ethan and then nodded, shrugging the shoulder holding the duffel bag. “You have anyone that’s trained in proper medical? Only came to the hospital hoping I could get a wound sutured properly.” He addressed Serena with the question and paused for a moment before stepping past her to load his gear.
Ethan opened up the rear hatches on both vehicles and gestured for them to bring what they had so that he could stow the gear away.
"I am a doctor we can look at it when we get out of here." Serena replied.
See separate post "Family Reunion"
[Meanwhile]
Harry and four others were the last to leave. The first truck, the one loaded with everything 'fun' they could take from the pharmacy and guarded by his best, had already left. Now, they were just finishing loading what they could in the cafeteria that wasn't spoiled.
Coming around from the side, which was no small matter given how large the hospital was, Hale gestured for Tim to stop as the clear sound of men and movement could be heard ahead.
"Hurry it up," Harry said. "Things are quiet but that could change and I don't want to be here when those dead cops start waking up."
"Almost done, boss," one of the younger guys said. "Just this last case of coffee and we're ready to go."
Tim froze as soon as he saw the signal. He could hear the movement and discussion taking place. His trained hearing could identify three, maybe four separate voices. Quietly, he loaded two more shells, these the buckshot, as they were closer to the enemy. When he was ready, he communicated via sign language that if Hale caused a distraction on the other side of the group, by throwing something perhaps a rock or something, then the two of them could be able to get the jump on them.
Hale nodded, signalling his agreement, and hunted around on the ground near him. He picked up a stone, one of those laid down in flowerbeds to help control weeds, and then counted down from three on his fingers. On one, he tossed the stone and, when the groups attention was caught, weapons turned in the direction of the sound, he came forward. A double-tap to the head, took the first one down and the second, starting to turn back, never completed the move. He also went down with a double-tap to the head.
As Hale moved left, Tim moved right, blasting the closest armed thug. At less than ten meters, the double aught buckshot shredded his torso. As he went down, Tim had transitioned his aim over to the fourth thug. As the thug was bringing up his kalashnikov to fire, he squeezed his trigger again, and when the mossberg belched again, the thugs head and right shoulder seemingly exploded in a cloud of red mist and gore. After the second shot, Timothy quickly knelt down behind the truck that the thugs were loading. "Clear right!" He called out to Hale, who was to his left.
Harry was the last. The shots has come so quickly and he spun in place looking for someone to shoot at; he found that someone in Hale. As he brought his gun up, Hale dropped flat to the ground and shot from a prone position straight to the head. Harry toppled over, a look of surprise on his face, as Hale called out. "Clear."
Hale got back to his feet and walked over to check Harry's body, stripping it of weapons and ammo. They'd been loading the Emergency Room's entire pharmacy into the back of an ambulance. Hale peered around the corner at Tim. "I'm thinking we're taking all of this with us," he said.
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