A shrill ringing filled Dave Malucci's three-room apartment. He was lying in his bed, totally oblivious to the now-shreiking phone. He suddenly jolted, waking up, and looked at the phone. Damn, he thought, I was just getting some sleep. He picked up the yellow phone.
"Hello?" His voice was raspy from the night's rest. He looked at his alarm clock. It was 6 A.M.
"Dave? It's Deb. We have a four college students down here and we're jammed. EMTs says they're in bad shape. Mark and I are the only two doctors on duty. Carter and Weaver don't come in for another hour. Can you get down here early?" He racked his brain. It was Thursday.. he wasn't supposed to go in again until noon. I was just getting sleep, he thought. Damn bus.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be done in a half hour. By the way, I enjoyed our chat last week. Maybe we could go over to Doc's some--" He realized he was talking to dead air. Evidently Deb had hung up after he said he'd come down. He got hastily out of bed and got dressed, taking the subway to the hospital. His grand entrance was one much welcomed.
"Dave, thank God you're here. I have a few head traumas and a chest trauma who needs an ABG. EMTs still have four or five more to bring in and--" She stopped and stared at him. "Are you listening to me?" He had been staring at her the whole time. He never noticed how beautiful she was. The almond-shaped eyes, the silky black hair, the small build. She was a beautiful woman. If he didn't know better, he'd try and pick her up.
"Uh, yeah," he muttered, "just was thinking of something else." You, he said under his breath to himself. The two opened the doors on trauma one.
"19-year-old male, MVA, pneumothorax possible. Rhythm V-Tach." A paramedic yelled as the medical team scurried in.
"On my count, 1-2-3." Greene bellowed. "He needs shocked, he's V-Tach." Chuny came up behind Greene.
"Dr. Greene, his ST wave is up. Acute MI.. you have to shock him." she mumbled.
"Get me the paddles, Malucci!" He screamed. Malucci ran to the other side of the room, grabbing the morbid pieces of metal that would hopefully save the young man's life.
"Clear!" Greene's eyes wandered, trying to find the problem. "Charge.. clear!"
"Vitals are back up," Chuny responded.
"Give him a milligram of atropine and get him up to the OR." Greene related to the rest of the crew. The man might survive. He ripped off his gloves and headed over to the next room to check on the final college student.
"What a way to start my day," Dave informed Deb. He threw his surgical gloves in the trash and headed outside. "Come with me, Deb?"
"Sure," she said, almost mockingly. The two waltzed outside, looking like the best of friends. The snow was thawing now, and it was almost April. He turned to her, looking as if he was staging something.
"Deb.. I just wanted to let you know that in the past few weeks, I've had a great time with you. Everything else aside, I just wanted to let you know that. And let you know I.. I think I'm falling in love with you.. everything about you is enticing to me, you're just calling me without you even knowing it. Sometimes I just have this urge--" He pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately. She didn't resist, although she was almost confused. Everything was happening so fast. He kept at it, determined to make her stay. But he let go abruptly.
"..to kiss you." He walked back into the ER as if nothing had happened.
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