"Nancy, I said I'd be--" Caraig Wesley was interrupted, again, by his wife's voice over the telephone.
"I know that Nancy," he hissed into the mouthpiece. "But if I stand any chance at gaining Mike's position when he loses it, and he will lose it, then I have to be on my best behavior. I have to go beyond my limits and perform at my greatest level."
Craig looked around, hoping no one had overheard his last words to his wife. Though he was in the staff lounge and the ER was slow tonight, it still bustled with young interns, nurses, and other hospital staff all the same. Only seeing one other person, who looked to be zonked out on the couch, he returned to his conversation.
"What was that," he asked Nancy, not really paying attention to what she was saying. After he'd finished his Residency, he'd thought his days, or rather nights, in the ER would become a fading memory. But now that Michael Horton, current COS of University Hospital, was heading into a lot of legal problems, there was a very good chance that he could reap the benefits of his colleague's tragedy.
If he played his cards just right...
"Of course I'm listening Nancy," Craig nearly growled into the phone. He loved his wife dearly, but sometimes, she simply wore him out with her constant tongue lashings. "Look Nancy, I have to hang up. It's almost time for me to clock-- Yes, Nancy, I will. Yes! Okay, I love you too. Bye." He hung up the phone, glad that conversation was over.
He got up, walking to open the refrigerator door, when a nurse burst into the lounge. "Dr. Wesley, we have a multiple stab wound coming in. ETA in two minutes," the nurse told him, already turning to leave.
"Wait, I'm about to go home." But his efforts were futile. She was already gone. Growling his frustration, he left the lounge to seek out anyone that could take this latest case. Catching sight of Lexie Carver, he headed towards her direction.
"Dr. Carver," Craig said in his best 'kiss-up' tone. If he didn't get home on time, Nancy would have his ass.
"The answer is no," Lexie said, still writing in her chart. She had just finished with her last patient of the night, a young boy who had the somtach flu, and she was ready to go home.
"Oh come on," Craig groaned. "I'll give you a hundred dollars if you take this one."
"It's an adult patient, Craig. My specialty is Pediatrics. Get over it." Putting the chart into the holder, Lexie looked up to Craig. "And even if I did deal with adults, I still wouldn't help you out." Turning to leave the ER admitting station, she saw Craig's newest patient being wheeled in.
"Male victim, early to late thirties. Multiple stabs wounds to the upper back and torso. He's lost a lot of blood, pressure is falling, and oxygination is eighty-three percent but also falling," one of the paramedics called as they pushed the gurney in from the dark night.
Lexie moved out of the way as they wheeled the patient into Station 3, Craig quickly following the EMTs. Her breath hitched when she caught sight of a familiar shade of blond hair. "Mike," she whispered in question to herself. But it couldn't be Mike. She had seen him leave hours ago and she knew he always went home after work, especially lately with the lawsuit against him.
Scared to follow, but knowing she had to be sure, she went into the exam room.
"Lexie get out of here," Craig barked at her. "Come on people, get moving," he told the rest of his staff, all who had gone lax at seeing the patient was their beloved Chief of Staff, Mike Horton.
"Oh my god," Lexie breathed. She felt the chill wash over her as she watched the scene in front of her. There was so much blood. "Mike," she called out, hoping to hear him call back, assuring her he was fine.
But there was no answer.
"I said leave," Craig yelled again, not stopping in his actions. He couldn't remember ever seeing so much blood in his life and knowing it belonged to Mike...
Snapping herself out of her stupor, Lexie stepped forward. "I want to help," she said, but was quickly halted by a hand pushing her back out of the room.
"The best way you can help him now is to get out of here and call his family," Craig told her before returning to his duties.
And though she knew he was right, she couldn't move, but only watched as they tried to save his life.