Unexpected

Part 1: Resonating

"Watch Luna and do not let anyone in besides me!" He locks the door before he leaves and starts making his way to the ED. His heart pounds hard in his chest and his only thought is on Helen.

Was she taken?

Is she alright?

Getting just outside the ED, police officers stand before the door and raise their guns to Max.

"I'm the Medical Director!" He says hands raised. Lowering their guns, the police look him over and he let's put a breath. "How many of my people are in there?"

"From what we know they have two of your doctors, a nurse and four patients." A woman cop says and Max nods.

"Well I need my people out of there. I need them."

"Sir, we have a situation on our hands. Those men have semi-automatic guns and they aren't afraid to use them." A bald white man states as he holsters his gun.

"Let me talk to them."

"No."

"This is my hospital and I can reason with them. They're not going to give themselves to you. You're cops and they..."

"So you think all cops are racist."

"I did not say that! I am saying- what makes you think that any cop is going to convince them to let those people go? They're scared and angry and I don't know about you, but that's a terrible and scary combination. So, I need you to let me in there."

"Go on then. If you think you can solve this problem. Go get shot." The woman says and two cops step away from the door and Max takes a deep breath before walking in.

The second he breaches the door, a large black man with his gun comes towards him.

"Who the fuck are you! Hands up!" Max looks around and obeys.

"I'm Dr. Max Goodwin. I'm the Medical Director of this hospital."

"They send a fucking doctor in! Fucking perfect!" The man scoffs and Max notices Helen holding onto a little girl- frightened and shaking. On the other side chained to the bed are the two cops, beaten and bloodied as a the other gunmen focus on them and the few patients, Brunstetter, and Candelario.

"Can I just...can I check on my people?" Max looks towards Helen and he notices her blouse is slightly torn and what looks like a wound of some kind around her shoulder.

"I'll tell you what you can do, Dr. Max. You and all the other white fuckers in this city can go fuck yourselves right into the Hudson!" One of the other gunman yells and kicks the cop nearest to him, causing the cop to spit up blood.

"Listen! I get it. I see the injustice in the world. Even as a white man, I see the way our country has failed when it comes to different racial backgrounds and ethnicities. Out there, I can't make decisions for the masses, but in here...in here I can help. I want to help." He says and the one man pulls the gun up on him and Max throws his finger up and points to Helen. "You see her!"

They turn and look at Helen and the young black child she's clinging too.

"That's my deputy. Dr. Helen Sharpe. She is my Head of Oncology and Hematology and she is without a doubt- my favorite person in this world." When he says it, he notices her body soften and her eyes become slightly glassy. "She does so much for this hospital and without her- I wouldn't be here. When things like today happen, I instantly worry about her...because I can't lose her. When I think about the injustice in this world and the people who suffer from it. I think of her and I want more for her than what she is given. I want more for you! For everyone, who suffers these injustices. These people in this room- the ones you're keeping here- her- right now they are suffering and scared and I just want to help." Max says passionately and the men slowly lower their guns. "Please...just let them go...they are victims here...like that young man today. Only, they're suffering at your hands. They're scared because of you."

"What do you think, Davonte?" A younger man asks as he lowers his gun slightly.

"Fine. The patients can go." They start getting up, but Davonte points his gun at them and they all freeze. "All but Dr. Sharpe!"

"Auntie?" The little girl cries and Max's heart swells.

That's her niece? I didn't know she had a niece.

"No, Davonte- let Dr. Sharpe go too. Trust me- you don't want her here." Max insists and the man turns and gets in Max's face.

"You said she means a lot to you, Dr. Max. So we want to make sure you have a riding buddy."

"A rid...riding buddy?" Max swallows hard and the two men push the few patients from their beds and out the doors into the police barricade.

"Get 'em up. Our ride is gonna be here any minute." Davonte growls and the two men grab the cops from the bed and grab the extra set of handcuffs off their belts. Going to Max, he puts a cuff on his left hand and drags him over to Helen, cuffing her right hand to Max. "Hope it's worth it love birds."

"Just got the text from Niko. Says he's pulling up right about..."

Booom!

Crash!!

"Now. Let's go!" Each man grabs an officer and Davonte grabs Max and Helen by the chain of the cuffs and points the gun into Helen's already bleeding shoulder.

"Thanks, Max. We needed another white guy to make a point." Davonte says happily as they walk through the exterior exit and find a cop car up in flames with men screaming on the inside- trapped. An unlicensed van sits at the entrance ramp. Being less there, Max looks at Helen, who is trying to keep her shit together.

"Please, leave her behind. You don't want her." Max pleads with the man and Helen shakes her head.

"But four victims is better than three."

"Not if one is has nothing to do with your cause." They stop at the van and Max refuses to cooperate.

"How so?"

"I'm white. The cops you have are white. Your fight is with the white men of this world. Not Helen. Not a beautiful black woman who has so much to offer the world and your community. You take her- and you're no different than the monsters they portray you as."

"We gotta go Davonte!" Niko yells from the driver's seat. Taking the key, he unlocks Helen's cuff and shoved her down to the pavement.

"Max!" She cries as the men shove him into the van and it closes as they speed off. "Max!"