Chapter 11 - The Order Against Emily
Ethan arrived with deputies forty minutes later.
He wore a dark suit.
No smile.
No expensive performance of concern.
He carried a court order granting temporary authority to make medical decisions for Emily pending psychiatric evaluation.
Rachel took one look at it.
"This is extraordinary."
Ethan finally smiled.
"It's lawful."
Emily's face went white.
"I'm not going anywhere with him."
One deputy looked uncomfortable.
Rachel stepped between Ethan and the bed.
"This order was signed less than an hour ago without notice to counsel."
"Take it up with the judge."
"We will."
Ethan looked at me.
"You wanted courts."
"Here they are."
I felt anger rise.
Then I controlled it.
This was exactly what Margaret wanted.
A confrontation.
A video.
A headline.
UNSTABLE COLONEL ATTACKS SON-IN-LAW.
I stayed beside Emily.
Rachel began making calls.
Agent Brooks examined the order.
Federal agents could not simply ignore a state court order because they disliked it.
But they could investigate whether it had been obtained through fraud or corruption.
And Holloway was already under investigation.
Emily's attending physician entered.
Dr. Karen Miles.
She read the order carefully.
Then she looked at Ethan.
"I will not discharge this patient."
Ethan frowned.
"You don't have a choice."
"I absolutely have a choice about whether she is medically stable for transfer."
His face tightened.
Dr. Miles continued.
"Mrs. Prescott has documented injuries."
"She has expressed fear of you."
"She is alert."
"Oriented."
"Coherent."
"And capable of explaining her medical decisions."
Ethan pointed at the order.
"A judge says otherwise."
"A judge is not examining her."
The deputies exchanged glances.
Rachel finally reached an appellate judge.
An emergency hearing was scheduled by video.
Judge Holloway's order began collapsing almost immediately.
He had cited a psychiatric evaluation that did not exist.
The supposed evaluator denied examining Emily.
The supporting affidavit had been submitted by Thomas Bell.
Mercy General's administrator.
Bell claimed Emily had threatened staff.
Every nurse on the floor contradicted him.
Claire provided her own sworn statement.
Dr. Miles provided another.
Within two hours, Holloway's order was stayed.
Emily remained in control of her own treatment.
Ethan stood in the hallway afterward staring through the glass.
I walked toward him.
Not close enough to touch.
Just close enough to make sure he heard me.
"Your mother told me people like you don't lose."
He smiled.
"We haven't."
"No."
I looked at the overturned order in Rachel's hand.
"But you're starting to learn what it feels like."
He stepped closer.
"You think this ends in a courtroom?"
"I hope it does."
"Because that would mean everyone survives long enough to get there."
His words were quiet.
Rachel heard them.
So did Agent Brooks.
Ethan realized his mistake immediately.
Brooks stepped forward.
"Would you repeat that?"
Ethan said nothing.
He turned and left.
That evening, news broke that Judge Holloway had taken an indefinite leave of absence.
Captain Dale Monroe was also placed on administrative suspension.
Thomas Bell resigned from Mercy General.
Margaret issued a statement accusing us of orchestrating a political attack.
Then the first arrest happened.
Not Ethan.
Not Margaret.
Not Brandon.
A hospital records manager named Steven Cole was arrested for altering patient files.
Within six hours, Cole began cooperating.
He admitted Margaret paid him.
He admitted Bell approved it.
And he gave investigators the name of the person who had leaked information about the Samantha raid.
Everyone expected another police officer.
It wasn't.
Cole named someone none of us had suspected.
May you like
A federal contractor assigned to digital evidence.
Calvin Ross.
