Westside Medical was buzzing as usual — the steady beep of monitors, the shuffle of sneakers on tile, the low murmur of doctors and nurses moving between patients.
Ellie Bartowski stood at the nurse's station, reviewing a chart with a colleague. She was in the middle of an explanation when a familiar voice cut through the background noise.
"Ellie!"
She turned, surprised to see her brother striding down the hall with that boyish grin of his.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Chuck shrugged, slipping his hands in his pockets. "What, a guy can't check in on his favorite sister at work?"
Ellie narrowed her eyes knowingly. "Translation: you were bored and wanted to bug me."
Before Chuck could reply, another voice came from behind.
"Chuck!"
Stephanie rounded the corner, smiling as she walked straight up to him. Without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Glad you made it," she said warmly.
Chuck smiled back, his voice soft. "Wouldn't miss it."
Ellie blinked once. Then twice. Her brain caught up a second later.
"No." She pointed at Stephanie. "You're dating someone." Then at Chuck. "And he's the someone?!"
Stephanie winced. "Ellie, I was going to tell you—"
Ellie threw her hands up. "Oh my god! My best friend at the hospital is dating my brother! How did I not know about this?! How long has this been going on?!"
Chuck raised his hands defensively. "It's only been a couple dates! We wanted to see if it was real before saying anything."
Ellie groaned, pacing a small circle. "Unbelievable. You two kept this from me? Me? I'm your sister, Chuck. Steph, I tell you everything!"
Stephanie bit her lip, then smiled shyly. "Yeah. But it's good. Really good."
Ellie froze, her frustration melting into a grin. "Wait. This is actually amazing. You two are perfect for each other!"
She suddenly hugged them both, squeezing so tightly Chuck wheezed.
"Ellie—air—cutting off—airway—" he gasped.
Ellie released them, laughing. "Okay. You're both in trouble for keeping it from me. But I love it."
Stephanie giggled, and Chuck just shook his head with a sheepish grin.
A nurse poked her head around the corner. "Dr. Bartowski? Dr. Barnett? Patient in 212 needs a check."
Ellie and Stephanie exchanged a quick glance.
"Work calls," Ellie said. She kissed Chuck on the cheek in sisterly fashion. "We'll talk more later, mister secret-relationship."
Chuck rolled his eyes as they disappeared into a patient's room.
He was about to head down to the cafeteria when the overhead speaker blared.
"Code Silver. All staff secure your areas. Repeat: Code Silver."
The hospital stilled. A gunman was in the building.
Ellie and Stephanie, already with a patient, froze when security rushed past the door.
"Armed man in the waiting room," a guard barked. "Stay inside. Lock the door."
Stephanie quickly bolted the door, her hands trembling. Ellie pressed a hand to her chest, her heart hammering.
"Oh my god," she whispered. "Chuck's still out there."
In the waiting room, panic reigned. Patients and staff huddled against the walls as a desperate man stood at the center, waving a gun with shaking hands.
"My wife is upstairs!" he shouted, voice raw. "Her heart's too weak! She's on the transplant list but they keep telling me it'll take time! She doesn't have time! Someone's going to fix this now!"
Chuck slowly rose from his seat near the back, his expression calm even as his pulse thundered. He pressed two fingers to his comm, voice a whisper.
"This is Charles Carmichael, badge number 4-7-2-9. Hostage situation, Westside Medical waiting room. Requesting clearance to intervene."
General Beckman's clipped tone came back immediately. "Carmichael, you're now FBI crisis negotiator. Credentials uploading. Maintain cover."
Director Graham followed. "ID will scan clean. This is yours, Carmichael. Resolve it."
Chuck exhaled, squared his shoulders, and stepped forward.
"Sir," he said, voice steady. "My name is Charles Carmichael. I'm with the FBI. I'm here to help. Just talk to me."
The man swung toward him, eyes wild. "Don't come closer!"
"I'm not," Chuck said calmly. "I just want to listen. You're scared because you love her. You think waiting means losing her. Anyone in your shoes would feel the same."
The man's lip trembled. "They said she's on the list… but the list is too slow. She'll die waiting."
Chuck nodded. "It feels that way, I know. But a gun won't make a donor appear faster. It just takes you away from her when she needs you most. You want to be with her, right? Alive. By her side."
Tears welled in the man's eyes. His hand shook violently.
"Please," Chuck urged softly. "Put the gun down. Let me help you find another way. For her."
The silence stretched long and heavy. Finally, with a sob, the man let the pistol slip from his hand. It clattered to the floor as he fell to his knees.
Security swarmed in, disarming him as nurses rushed to comfort the hostages.
Upstairs, Ellie and Stephanie heard the announcement:
"Code Silver all clear."
They sagged with relief, exchanging a glance.
"Whoever talked him down," Stephanie whispered, "saved a lot of lives tonight."
Ellie nodded slowly, still shaken. "They said it was some FBI guy… Carmichael."
Stephanie frowned faintly. "Carmichael?"
Neither of them could have guessed how close to home that name really was.