Date: Thu, 26 Dec 1996 16:36:43 -0700 (MST) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Coup d'Etat - Chapter 26 Message-ID: Chapter 26: Escalation A second shot fired. "Oh, my gawd!" Verbina said, hearing it. She started for the Waiting Room door. Sol just watched her leave in confusion and concern. "Get Dr. MacArthyr down here!" she heard Burke order as she entered the Control Room. "Now!" She looked around the room and noticed that the Imaging Chamber door was open. She hurried to it. "Oh, my gawd!" she exclaimed, seeing the two men on the floor. She hurried to Al and checked him. The left side of his chest was bleeding heavily. "You bastard!" she yelled at Burke as she quickly took off her lab coat and used it as a bandage on Al's wound. "I didn't shoot the Admiral, Doctor," Burke seethed. "He did." He pointed to the other man on the floor. "He had to be punished." The other body was motionless, blood coming from his forehead. Verbina looked at him with disgust. Burke raised his eyebrows. "How's the Admiral?" "He's dying," Verbina told him, anger in his voice. "He mustn't die," Burke told her. "We still need him." Verbina glared at him as the medics hurried in. "He's just a commodity to you! You really don't care anything about him!" Burke didn't answer. He looked to the medics that were preparing Al for transfer to the infirmary. "Keep the pressure on!" Dr. MacArthyr ordered as they raised the gurney Al was on and pushed it out of the Imaging Chamber. "Dr. MacArthyr," Burke called out as Dan headed for the door, following the others. Dan quickly looked at Burke. Burke glared at him. "If Admiral Calavicci dies, so will you." Dan didn't answer but it was obvious that he got the message. He turned around and quickly followed the others. Burke gave Verbina a quick look. "Don't go into the Waiting Room again," he warned before leaving to go to the infirmary. ************************** "Prep the operating room!" Dan ordered as the medical team entered the infirmary. "We have a gunshot would near the heart! Patient is in cardiac arrest! Move it or we'll lose him!" Beth started towards the operating room, seeing the gurney. She didn't see the face of the patient. "Keep her out!" Dan ordered one of the medics once he saw Beth's movement. "Dan, I'm a better surgeon than you," she told him as the door was closed and Harry stood in her way. "What's going on, Harry?" she demanded. "Beth, come away," Harry told her. She didn't move. "Why is Dan keeping me out?" she demanded. He held her shoulders firmly. "It's the Admiral," he told her gently. "Al?" she exclaimed, trying to push past Harry to get into the operating room. "Beth, you can't go in there!" Harry told her firmly. "You can't be objective!" Beth looked into Harry's eyes and knew he was right. ************************* Dan took a breath and let it out. They'd finally stabilized Al's heart enough to go in to get the bullet out. It was lodged just underneath his heart. *No wonder he went into cardiac arrest*, Dan thought. "Okay, let's do this nice and easy," Dan told the others. He gently pulled the bullet out and quickly stopped the bleeding. He then closed Al's chest back up, making sure everything was okay. Dan breathed a sigh of relief but too soon. Al's body jolted roughly. "Cardiac arrest!" one medic yelled. They all rushed to control it. "We're losing him!" another exclaimed. Suddenly, they had a flatline. The medic looked at Dan. Dan looked from the medic to the machinery and then to Al. He closed his eyes tightly. ************************ General Burke marched into the infirmary and looked about the room. Beth was pacing the room nervously, looking towards the operating room every few seconds. Ensign Stark was standing guard at the operating room's door. Burke marched over to Harry and gave him an intimidating gaze. "Status, Ensign." "As yet unknown, sir," Harry answered. "'As yet unknown'?" Burke questioned with a growl. "Yes, sir." Burke exhaled with frustration. He noticed Beth looking at him. He bowed his head briefly to her. Beth turned away her gaze and started pacing again. Burke smiled in amusement. *She really does hate me, doesn't she?* "General Burke," Ziggy's voice filled the infirmary. Burke glowered. "Where the hell were you when Admiral Calavicci went into the Imaging Chamber?" "I was unable to maintain my tracking of Admiral Calavicci," Ziggy told him. "I cannot explain it. It must be the work of the evil Dvorak." Burke's eyebrows rose. "What did you say?" "I cannot explain why I was unable to maintain tracking of Admiral Calavicci." "After that!" Burke yelled. "I said nothing, General." Burke frowned. He wasn't in the mood to argue with a computer. "Never mind that. Why'd you call me here?" "I thought it wise to inform you that Admiral Calavicci's brain functions have ceased. The Admiral is dead." Beth stopped pacing. She had turned white. Burke was pulling out his revolver. He started towards the operating room. Before he had even gone five feet, the door to the operating room opened, allowing Dan MacArthyr and the medics to come out. Dan looked at Beth with sympathy. Beth approached him slowly. "It's true, then?" she asked quietly. Dan hugged her. "I'm sorry." Beth clung to him tightly and cried into his shoulder. Burke approached them. "Dr. Calavicci," he said quietly. "I realize your grief. However, I need to see Dr. MacArthyr for a moment." Dan glared at him. "Can't you see this isn't the time?" he berated him. Burke touched Beth's shoulder. Beth pulled away from Dan for a moment. She slapped Burke hard on the check before returning to Dan's embrace. Burke took a breath. "Very well," he told her. "If you insist." He raised his pistol and fired a single shot. Beth screamed in fright at the sound, jumping back. She looked to Burke and then to Dan. His forehead was covered with blood. He slumped to the ground. Beth looked at Burke again, her eyes filled with fright. "I had warned him," Burke told her. Last thing she remembered, Burke was holstering his pistol. Then, there was blackness. ************************ "Al!" she sat up, screaming. A hand gently laid her back on the bed. "Just take it easy, Beth," a gentle female voice told her. "Shhh." Beth looked around her. She was in her quarters. Verbina was sitting beside her bed, talking to her in a gently voice. Beth looked at her. Despite the calmness in her voice, it was obvious she had been crying. "What happened?" she asked quietly. "You've fainted," Verbina told her. "I really don't blame you, though." Beth started to shake as the memory of everything that had happened came back to her. She breathed in heavily to hold back the tears. Verbina shifted to the bed and held her. "Don't hold it back," she told her. Beth pushed her away. "Don't hold me," she told him. "Please." Verbina nodded. She released her and took her hand. "Is this better?" she asked. Beth could no longer hold back the tears. Finally, after she couldn't cry anymore, she wiped away the last tear and looked at Verbina. "I want to see Al," she told her. Verbina hesitated. "Are you sure?" Beth nodded. "I won't be able to accept that he's dead unless I see him." Verbina took a breath. "I'll see what I can do. General Burke is having his body guarded by Major Taylor." Beth nodded. "I'm sure she'll let me see him. Could you arrange it now?" Verbina looked at her. "Are you sure you want to be alone?" "I'll be okay," Beth assured her with a deep breath. "Okay," Verbina said, standing up. "I'll be back soon. Try to get some rest." Beth nodded as Verbina left the quarters. She laid back down and stared at the ceiling. -------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 27 coming soon. Rob and Kathie Freymuth