“I’m sorry, but our doctors are operating on the patients, can you let us know which patient it is, we’ll let the doctors know and you can have him in your custody when the operation’s done.” The nurse exchanged looks with her colleagues, ready to press the comms button: “Can you give us a minute? I’ll alert on administrator on call - ”

  “No.” The leader of the group put his hands over the counter, showing the nurse a badge: “We need to have him in our custody NOW. And we’ll go straight in if we have to.”

  “You can’t do that! The doctors are working at full capacity back there. We can’t allow you to go in.” The nurse stood up: “We need to ask the doctors first - and we’ll have to alert our on-call administrator - ”

  “This isn’t a request. We are under direct orders of the City Security Committee to apprehend this suspect. You as an employee of the city are to comply with our command and to act in accordance with the guidelines from the city with respect to citywide emergency.” The leader of the group demanded: “Either you bring him out, or we’ll go in and cuff him. Your choice.”

  The nurses were silenced for a brief moment. But none of them backed off. Two of them even went up to the door to the operating area to block the men from charging in.

  “What’s happening?” Just this moment, a doctor in blood-stained scrubs came out from behind the door, frowning at the men in black: “What’s going on here?”

  “They said there’s some - some criminal back there, and they need to either take him.” One nurse answered the doctor: “But - they want to go in there directly.”

  “You need to make way.” At this very moment the group of men in black had already made it behind the reception’s counter and just a few steps away from the door: “Like we just said. It’s for a high profile, high risk person of interest. From what we know he’s also violent and dangerous.”

  “I understand your concern. But this is a hospital, we have a few patients in there that are in not so great conditions. You cannot just barge in here and demand we let you in.” The doctor raised his hand to stop the group of men in black: “If you really want to make sure they don’t escape, you can have someone watch the backdoor and someone to keep an eye out here. And you can wait here and check on the patients when they’re no longer in danger. But right now you cannot, you CANNOT, do this.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “We can. ” The leader of the men in black narrowed his eyes and tried to push the doctor away: “Under the authority granted by the City Security Committee - ”

  “I don’t care whose authority you’re acting under!” The doctor stood firm and did not get out of the way: “You’re not getting in there!”

  By this moment, some of those in the waiting area had already stood up and gone up to the area behind the reception’s desk. One tall, slightly muscular man asked: “What’s going on? Why are you bothering the doctors?”

  “Back off, sir.” A bald man in black with an earring raised his hand at the man asking: “This doesn’t concern you.”

  “The fuck it doesn’t!” The man was immediately agitated: “My brother is back there! What the fuck are you talking about going in there!? You’re not fucking doctors!”

  “Back off, sir! This is your last warning!” Another man in black stepped forward.

  “Oh, yeah? Or you’re gonna do what?” The muscular man pumped his chest: “You’re not gonna disturb my brother’s surgery.”

  “Don’t push it, man.” The first man in black to respond raised his voice: “Or you’re obstructing.”

  “Settle down! All of you!” The doctor raised his hands: “No one is going in there except for the medical staff of this hospital! If you have non-medical related business, you need to wait outside! I don’t care what business you have!”

  “Should we do something?” Kevin asked with a lowered voice as the argument went on: “They must be looking for Mick, right? But how - ”

  “I am not entirely sure.” Keryn shook her head: “If they’re looking for Mick, then they wouldn’t say they’ve tracked one person here. Unless they have some kind of special tabs on - ”

  “Oh my god - it’s Mick’s hospital records.” Kevin almost shot up from his seat.

  “But - I thought we used a fake name?” Kelvin asked.

  “He’s from South-Western District - they like to digitize everything. And - ” Kevin scratched his jaw: “- and I think I heard Mick mentioning this once or twice - that his fingerprints and DNA had been logged in his old precinct. So if the hospital staff DID try to look him up and find older medical records - ”

  “ - it will trigger alerts in the systems.” Gloria frowned and nodded: “So what do we do here? Stop those people? Snatch him once Mick is out?”

  “Let’s wait for now.” Tae Kuo frowned: “If we get involved right away, and these men recognized us, they would have more reasons to act more recklessly here. It could also spell very bad optics for those who stood up to these men - let’s be tactful.”

  “Get outta our way, doctor.” The leader of the men in black barked after trying and failing to push his way in twice: “If you don’t comply, we WILL use necessary force here! ”

  “You’re gonna have to try it, sir.” The doctor had both his hands on the frame of the door, along with two nurses beside him and other nurses pulling the rest of the men in black back: “This is a hospital! And you can’t do this!”

  More people from the waiting area stood around those men in black, many joined the hospital and the nurses in blocking the door. No matter how many “Back off!” They heard.

  Some more vehicles stopped in front of the emergency room entrance. Some more men in black came into the emergency room - a group of five men.