doctor is in the room; he coughs loudly awakening
Claire. She sits up and comes to
attention right away. What’s the
prognosis?” She asks.
“He's doing remarkably well. He'll be able to be released in a couple of days,” the doctor informs
Claire.
Duke wakes up. The doctor
checks out his eyes. “How does
your head feel?”
“Not bad. Only a minor
headache,” Duke answers.
“Good. I was just telling
nurse Claire that you'll be able to be released in a couple of days.”
Duke’s face drops knowing what that means. The doctor leaves the room.
“I guess I'll be going to jail while my brother drinks tequila in
Mexico.”
“Is that where is?” Claire asks, her FBI instincts now taking over.
“Could be there, or maybe still at his cabin.”
Claire’s mind is moving a mile a minute, thinking how best to proceed. “What if I busted you out of the
hospital, brought you to your brother?”
“Are you serious?”
“You're the one who mentioned it, the day I brought you to the
solarium.”
“I was kidding.”
“I'm not.”
“I couldn't have you do that, Claire. You're no criminal. And I certainly don't want to turn you
into one. Bonnie and Clyde ain't the life I was dreaming about before I went under the
knife.”
“I want to do it. For you. I can
deal with the consequences.”
“The consequences would be jail time or a fugitive's life.”
“There could be other options, Duke, if we both end up doing the right
thing.”
*****
Whitmore sits at his desk. Claire enters.
“I heard he made it,” Whitmore states without any sort of emotion.
“I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital,” Claire announces.
“What?” Whitmore is
incredulous.
“I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital. Tomorrow night.”
“I won't authorize that. You’re too close, Claire, your judgment has
been compromised.”
“He's taking me to Riker who hopefully is still holed up in a cabin in
the woods somewhere.”
I’m putting a tracking device in my bracelet.” Claire places a tracking unit on Whitmore’s desk and then
puts a small tracking device inside her wide band silver and turquoise
bracelet. “One request, please
stay completely out of sight during the tail. This is our last shot at getting Riker before he crosses the
border.”
“Did you hear me? I'm not
authorizing this,” Whitmore firmly declares.
“You better. If you hadn't blown the interrogation, we wouldn't be stuck
with this option.
If you don't authorize it, I'm going rogue.”
“What's going to happen when Duke finds out you've been working him?”
Claire tries to let Whit down gently. “It hasn't been all work, Whit. I'm sorry.”
“This is not going to end well,” Whitmore warns.
Duke lays in bed, awake, handcuffed, looking conflicted and nervous.
Claire enters. She pushes the wheelchair over to the bed. “Are you ready?” She asks with a warm, encouraging
smile.
“I don't think we should be doing this,” Duke responds.
“I'm determined,” Claire says as she unlocks the handcuffs freeing
Duke’s wrist.
“I don't want to be the one responsible for ruining your life.”
“If anything, you're responsible for the opposite,” Claire’s eyes widen
at her own admission. She may need
to say it to execute the plan, but she also said it with meaning. Meaning that Duke fully appreciates and
reciprocates. He smiles tenderly,
gratefully at her.
“Let's get you out of here.” Claire helps Duke out of bed and into the
wheelchair. She strategically
places the handcuffs on Duke's wrist and the arm of the wheel chair making it
look like they're locked. Claire
wheels Duke out of the room.
Claire stops by the cop on duty. She hands the cop the handcuff key. “We're going to the solarium. We'll be back in about an hour.”
Claire pushes the wheelchair down the hallway heading for the solarium.
As she reaches the solarium,
Claire. She sits up and comes to
attention right away. What’s the
prognosis?” She asks.
“He's doing remarkably well. He'll be able to be released in a couple of days,” the doctor informs
Claire.
Duke wakes up. The doctor
checks out his eyes. “How does
your head feel?”
“Not bad. Only a minor
headache,” Duke answers.
“Good. I was just telling
nurse Claire that you'll be able to be released in a couple of days.”
Duke’s face drops knowing what that means. The doctor leaves the room.
“I guess I'll be going to jail while my brother drinks tequila in
Mexico.”
“Is that where is?” Claire asks, her FBI instincts now taking over.
“Could be there, or maybe still at his cabin.”
Claire’s mind is moving a mile a minute, thinking how best to proceed. “What if I busted you out of the
hospital, brought you to your brother?”
“Are you serious?”
“You're the one who mentioned it, the day I brought you to the
solarium.”
“I was kidding.”
“I'm not.”
“I couldn't have you do that, Claire. You're no criminal. And I certainly don't want to turn you
into one. Bonnie and Clyde ain't the life I was dreaming about before I went under the
knife.”
“I want to do it. For you. I can
deal with the consequences.”
“The consequences would be jail time or a fugitive's life.”
“There could be other options, Duke, if we both end up doing the right
thing.”
*****
Whitmore sits at his desk. Claire enters.
“I heard he made it,” Whitmore states without any sort of emotion.
“I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital,” Claire announces.
“What?” Whitmore is
incredulous.
“I'm breaking Duke out of the hospital. Tomorrow night.”
“I won't authorize that. You’re too close, Claire, your judgment has
been compromised.”
“He's taking me to Riker who hopefully is still holed up in a cabin in
the woods somewhere.”
I’m putting a tracking device in my bracelet.” Claire places a tracking unit on Whitmore’s desk and then
puts a small tracking device inside her wide band silver and turquoise
bracelet. “One request, please
stay completely out of sight during the tail. This is our last shot at getting Riker before he crosses the
border.”
“Did you hear me? I'm not
authorizing this,” Whitmore firmly declares.
“You better. If you hadn't blown the interrogation, we wouldn't be stuck
with this option.
If you don't authorize it, I'm going rogue.”
“What's going to happen when Duke finds out you've been working him?”
Claire tries to let Whit down gently. “It hasn't been all work, Whit. I'm sorry.”
“This is not going to end well,” Whitmore warns.
Duke lays in bed, awake, handcuffed, looking conflicted and nervous.
Claire enters. She pushes the wheelchair over to the bed. “Are you ready?” She asks with a warm, encouraging
smile.
“I don't think we should be doing this,” Duke responds.
“I'm determined,” Claire says as she unlocks the handcuffs freeing
Duke’s wrist.
“I don't want to be the one responsible for ruining your life.”
“If anything, you're responsible for the opposite,” Claire’s eyes widen
at her own admission. She may need
to say it to execute the plan, but she also said it with meaning. Meaning that Duke fully appreciates and
reciprocates. He smiles tenderly,
gratefully at her.
“Let's get you out of here.” Claire helps Duke out of bed and into the
wheelchair. She strategically
places the handcuffs on Duke's wrist and the arm of the wheel chair making it
look like they're locked. Claire
wheels Duke out of the room.
Claire stops by the cop on duty. She hands the cop the handcuff key. “We're going to the solarium. We'll be back in about an hour.”
Claire pushes the wheelchair down the hallway heading for the solarium.
As she reaches the solarium,
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