Blame this on DYC. She brought up the idea. Unfortunately, it puts her sister's request on hold as I take care of this particular musebash. I hope CEY isn't too upset over the wait.

The usual disclaimers apply. They aren't mine, this is for fun, not profit, so please don't sue. If there is a real Northwest Washington Hospital, I apologize for the use of the name. No infringement is intended, nor is the choice of name based on any animosity toward anyone, it is purely accidental if it bears any resemblance to any real or legitimate facility.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ellison. Mr. Sandburg has been transferred to the psych ward, and isn't being allowed any visitors."

"Why?" Psych ward? That didn't make any sense. He was here for some bruised ribs from falling down the stairs at the University. They had sent him to this hospital, which held the University's insurance contract for accidental injuries.

The nurse sighed. With a pitying, contemptuous expression on her face, she replied. "It was deemed necessary. He became hysterical and attacked the doctor. He's being held pending evaluation."

"What do you mean, evaluation? What does that mean, exactly?" He didn't like what he was hearing.

"It's a commitment evaluation. To determine whether Mr. Sandburg is a danger to himself or others. It's a perfectly ordinary procedure."

"Under whose authority?" He demanded.

"The hospital's. Don't worry. It's not as though you were a relative, or anything, or you were expected to pay for it. It's all covered by insurance." She smiled brightly at him.

"Except for one little problem. I have his power of attorney. You need my authorization if he isn't capable to decide for himself. I insist on seeing him. You don't want me to get insistent." His bad feeling was getting worse. Her pompous smile faded.

"I see. Well, you can't see him right now, he's been sedated and is unconscious. You'll have to come back later." She needed to talk to the doctor, as soon as she could get rid of this man. Sandburg had fit their profile, perfectly. Unfortunately, the profile hadn't included this massive, dangerous looking man.

"I'll wait. Preferably with him. He's bound to be frightened and disoriented when he wakes up. Unless you have a problem with that, as well?" Unconsciously rocking forward, just a bit, balancing on the balls of his feet. Increasing his intimidation and dangerous appearance.

"I...I'll have to ask the doctor. If you will excuse me for a minute?"

"Of course. But I wouldn't take too long. I'm worried about him, and want to see him. Soon." No overt threat. But she could imagine the damage this man could do when annoyed. She hurried.

Jim pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial. The call was answered on the first ring.

"Banks!"

"Simon? It's Jim."

"So, how's the kid?" Concerned, but amused by his best detective's reaction every time the kid hurt himself.

"They've sedated him pending a psych evaluation for commitment." He announced, his voice barely controlling his ire.

"WHAT?! Look, I know the kid can be a pain, but a psych evaluation? Give me a break here, Jim."

"Yeah. There's something really strange going on here. It almost sounded like they do this all the time. The nurse even mentioned that it wasn't as though I was related to him or responsible for his bill, or anything. She got real nervous when I mentioned the power of attorney. She's gone to find a doctor. They won't even let me see him. Can you run a check on this place? I've got a really bad, funny feeling about all this." He extended his hearing, to track the nurse. She'd just found the doctor. "Hold on a minute, Simon." He listened closely, as the nurse told the doctor of the complications that had arrived, and the doctor's irate response. "Sir?" Jim spoke back into the phone. "I need backup. They're planning on killing Sandburg and making it look like an accident. They don't know that I could hear them. I need to find him. Fast."

"We're on it, Jim. Watch your back and we'll be there within thirty minutes. Oh, and take care of the kid, Jim."

"I'm all over that, sir." Jim disconnected the phone and listened, searching for the heartbeat that meant more to him than his own.

He moved rapidly. Tracing his way through the hallways, avoiding the hospital staff and tracking down the telltale heartbeat. He could hear the nurse and doctor, they were going to 'accidentally' overdose Blair on sedatives. He drew his gun, having placed his badge prominently on his belt, and burst into the room where they were in the process of injecting the already unconscious young man.

"FREEZE! CASCADE POLICE! Get away from him. NOW!!" The nurse backed away, immediately.

The doctor sputtered, "You have no right..." The doctor's voice trailed off as he found himself looking down the barrel of Jim's pistol.

"Oh, I don't know. If anything happens to my partner, there, I may not have the 'right', but I will pull this trigger, and you will be very, very, dead. The choice is yours." When the doctor showed signs of backing down, he added, "Now, take that syringe out of him. Be very careful." The doctor did as he was told. Jim motioned the doctor to join the nurse against the wall behind the bed. Jim moved over to Blair and sat on the edge of the bed, holding the two medical people in place with the threat of the gun still in his hand. He gently brushed the hair back from his friend's face. Wondering how long it would be before his friend awoke. Noticing the bruises on his face, bruises that hadn't been a part of his tumble down the stairs. The bruised and split knuckles from his attempt to defend himself from whatever they had done to him. His jaw torqued down in anger. His eyes bore a resemblance to sapphire lasers when he turned them on the doctor and nurse. "Don't worry. I have backup on the way. I hope your people aren't foolish enough to try to stop them." They remained, basically unmoving, waiting.

Jim pulled out his cell phone and speed-dialed Simon's cell phone. When he answered, Jim filled him in on the happenings at the hospital.

"They were in the process of giving Blair an overdose of some kind of sedative. I was in time."

"How's the kid doing?"

"He's still unconscious from the first one. What's your ETA?"

"Five minutes. Is there going to be any trouble?"

"I don't know. I managed to get in without alerting anyone else. If you come in loud and strong, I doubt if you'll have too much trouble. They aren't armed."

"Got it. What room are you in?"

"Second floor, northeast corner."

"OK. We'll see you in a few."

"Thanks, Simon. We owe you one."

"No, you don't. We take care of our own."

"Thank you, sir."

The raid was based on probable cause, from Jim's call. Simon had put in a call, checking on the background of the hospital. They were still waiting for an answer from the hospital board. When Blair awoke, he was instantly relieved when the first person he saw was his partner.

"Hey, Chief. How're you feeling?"

"Bruised, as usual when I wake up in a hospital." He looked around, curious. "Uh, I seem to remember being told that I was going to be a guest in a rubber room? Please tell me that it was just a bad dream?"

"Sorry, Chief. It wasn't a dream. Seems this place has been making a little extra money on the side with holding people in their psych ward, even if they didn't belong there. They specialized in taking single people with no close relatives or friends and holding them, mostly under sedation, for the insurance money. You just happened to fit their profile."

"I don't understand?" Single, yes. No close relatives, well, sort of. Close friends? At least one. Then his eyes fell on Simon and rest of the Major Crime Squad and realized that he had several close friends. Who all looked like they were worried about him. He smiled up at them. "I mean, I have some really terrific close friends." They smiled back at him.

"Yeah. But that's not on your paperwork, Chief. Your papers were filled out when you first started to teach. Before we met."

Understanding dawned on the Grad Student. "Oh. I guess I need to update my insurance info at school, huh?"

"That might be a good idea, Chief. Of course, if you had, we'd possibly never found out about this place."

"Good job, Sandburg." Simon smiled. "For once, your being a trouble magnet paid off for a whole bunch of people."

Blair smiled at his friends. "So. Does this mean I get to go home, now?"

"No. First, we need to take you to Cascade General and let them check you out. Then we can go home."

"Oh, man, please. Not another hospital. I've had enough for one day."

"Sorry, Sandburg. Everyone here is going to Cascade General. Luckily, you'll be one of the first. Behave yourself, and you'll probably be home in a few hours." Simon informed him.

"Oh, man. I just bruised some ribs, man."

"And were held pending a commitment psych evaluation. If you're lucky, Cascade General will let you go without one. Then again..." Simon smirked at the idea.

"Oh, no. You wouldn't let them do that to me, would you? Simon? You wouldn't. Simon? SIMON?" Calling after the Captain as he and his entire squad left him for the ambulance attendants to take care of.

Jim whispered to his superior. "You aren't really going to have them do a psych evaluation on him, are you?" Beginning to worry.

Simon smiled, broadly. "Nah. Just jerking the kid's chain. Go back and take him in yourself, for a check up. Then take him home and take care of him."

"Yes, sir." Jim smiled and immediately reversed direction.

"That was so not funny, man." Blair complained when they finally got home.

"Hey, Chief. He could have been serious. Count your blessings."

Blair smiled, slumping down on the couch. "I do, man. Every single time you and the guys show up and rescue me."

"You're welcome, Chief." Smiling. Pleased to have his friend and Guide home, where he belonged.

"Our lead story this evening involves the small Northwest Washington Hospital. An unexpected police raid has resulted in the closing down of the facility and the arrest of all employees. It seams that the hospital has been padding its profits by illegally having patients committed for psychiatric evaluations and then kept in the hospital while collecting large sums from a number of insurance companies. The scheme came tumbling down today, when Graduate Student and Teaching Fellow Blair Sandburg was taken there after a fall down some stairs at the University. Fortunately for Mr. Sandburg and the other unfortunates being illegally incarcerated, Detective James Ellison, Mr. Sandburg's friend, became suspicious when he was not allowed to see his friend, who had suffered only minor injuries. Upon being informed that they were going to hold his friend pending a psychiatric evaluation, he became agitated and called for backup. He overheard a doctor and nurse plotting to overdose Mr. Sandburg, making his death appear to be an accident. Detective Ellison, in an heroic show of daring do, interrupted the attempted murder and held them at bay until help arrived. Charges include attempted murder, unlawful incarceration, kidnapping, and fraud. More charges are pending. All patients at the facility have been transferred to other hospitals in the surrounding area."

The small private hospital lost its license, and a number of the staff ended up going to jail, none of the employees would ever again be able to find work in the medical profession. Much to the relief of the public at large.

Home

Search for another story