Connor Rhodes: Hey, I guess I missed you this morning. You sneak out early?
Ethan Choi: Trust me, it was a tough call. I wanted nothing more than to curl up with you but I promised Sarah I'd help look for that patient of hers, the one involved with the sex trafficking ring.
Connor Rhodes: And you were afraid she'd go around all those dangerous places alone. You don't have to explain, I would have done the same thing.
Ethan Choi: Let me make it up to you, lunch is on me.
Connor Rhodes: Is that because your going to be out tonight?
Ethan Choi: Sarah's going to be relentless until she finds this guy.
Connor Rhodes: Then it's a yes to lunch and if I get off shift on time I'll come out and help. Three of us will be able to get around quicker.
Ethan Choi: Text me the time for your lunch break and I'll meet you in the cafeteria.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr Wallace was deceptively likable for a man who was doing thirty years in prison for a double homicide, however that was nothing new to Doctor Choi. He'd treated prisoners before and he would again. The man had been surprisingly charismatic despite the fact he had arrived with a penetrating stab wound in the lower abdomen, which had turned out to be self inflicted. Goodwin had informed him that sometimes patients like that just wanted a break from the reality of their situation. A vacation from prison she had called it. The term didn't sit well with Ethan. In his world things were black and white, you do the crime, you have to do the time.
It didn't help that Wallace was also highly manipulative, he'd been in the E.D three hours and he had lied to Ethan a handful of times and declared he was 'extremely depressed and wanted to hurt himself', which had forced Ethan to extend his stay because he had to call Doctor Charles for a psyche consult.
Ethan tilted his head up towards as Doctor Charles approached him, his tablet in his hand as he addressed his colleague.
"Spoke to your patient, ." he told Ethan, looking at the other man over the top of his glasses.
"Let me guess, not a suicide risk." Ethan uttered, his gaze sliding towards Treatment Room Five where his prisoner was being held.
"Garden variety sociopath. He's an opportunist, knows all the buzz words. There's not a sincere bone in his body." the other man relayed before shaking his head and continuing on his way.
Ethan turned his attention to Sarah who was hovering in the space beside him, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the keyboard. Her worry for Danny was evident, it had been all day and Ethan thought maybe a distraction would help take her mind off of the young man for at least a couple of minutes.
"Reese, can you start the discharge paperwork?" Ethan requested before his gaze flickered back to Treatment Room Five. "It would be good for you to experience how we deal with the discharging of prisoners. Let me know when the paperwork ready and we can do it together."
Sarah nodded her agreement before opening up a new browser page and making a start.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connor Rhodes: Hey I can take some time off in about half an hour if you want to grab lunch?
Ethan Choi: I would love to. I've just got to discharge this patient and then I'll meet you in the canteen.
Connor Rhodes: Lunch is on you remember.
Ethan Choi: How could I forget?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Mr Wallace." Ethan announced as he stepped inside of Treatment Room Five, Doctor Reese following closely behind him. "It looks like our time together is up."
"Mm, yeah, you got me, Doc." Wallace told him jovially as Sarah moved towards the monitors, tilting them towards her so she could review his final readings."I can't put anything over on you."
"I sent his prescription ahead to the prison pharmacy." Ethan told the prison guard as the the other man approached Wallace, handcuff key in his hand. Ethan cast a glance at Sarah, arms crossed over his lean physique as he raised an eyebrow in query.
"Stats look good." she informed him, before using the tablet clasped in her hand to input the figures. Ethan nodded his agreement before he came to stand alongside Sarah, beginning the careful process of removing the wires attached to their prisoner.
"Yeah, you're a real tough guy, huh?" Wallace continued, his gaze fixated on Doctor Choi as the guard undid the first handcuff, the one that had been locked around his wrist. "Took my best shots. Bang, bang, just deflected them like Captain freaking America."
Ethan's gaze slid up, just as Wallace's arm rose, snaking towards the belt on the guard's waist. His fingers enclosed on the gun holstered there, yanking it from the black leather sheath in one smooth movement. It was over before Ethan had a chance to blink, the gun was in Wallace's hand and pointed directly at prison guard as he stood there looking dumbfounded.
That sinister smile was back, it was cold and calculating as he pointed the gun directly at the prison guard's head and uttered the word.
"Bang."
