Chapter 19- THE END!!!!
Dom
and Chrissie, for the record, had triplets a year and a half after Toby and
Jada's birth. (Boy, those Malucci
men…)
Apologies for the ending. I know it sucks, but this is finally the end. 50 pages on the word processor, and a billion spelling mistakes later, here it is:
♫ This is
the end….My only friend, the end…No safety or surprise, the end…I'll never look
into your eyes…again…♫
The
words rang in his ears, playing over and over, like a broken record. "The cancer is back." Luka said sadly. Luka was losing another loved one, as he had lost Marco, Jasna,
and Danjiela so many years in the past. Dave's eyes closed and he allowed tears to slip past his eyes, and down
his cheeks. Dave knew that there wasn't
a cure. He was a doctor, and there were
better treatments, like the ones that had kept him alive to raise his
young. Luka sat in a chair by Dave's
bedside. "I'm sorry Dave. If you want, there are still treatments that
can keep you alive." He said, moving
his hand to Dave's face and gently wiping his friend's tears away. Jada looked up at Luka with her large green
eyes. "Is daddy going to…" She stopped,
trying not to worsen the mood. Luka
looked down. "If Dave decides to go
through with the treatments, there is a chance of him having a few more years,
but it will eventually happen." Luka
said, looking to the floor. Jada looked
down at her father, laying there on the bed and squeezed his hand. Toby was silent, and he took his Cubbies hat
off and set it down. He leaned down and
kissed his father's forehead.
Dave
laid back and closed his eyes in thought. He didn't want to die, but then again, most humans don't want to. He had a good life, and he was there to
raise his two beautiful children, and knew that he had served his purpose in
life. After some contemplation, Dave
opened his eyes once more and looked up. "I want you to call my family. Mom, Dad, Palidette, Dom and Chrissie… All of 'em. I need them here to
tell my decision." Dave said. Kerry and Jada went to call the relatives,
and Luka left to give privacy. Toby
pulled his chair forward and then sunk down into it. Dave was sitting upright now and was reading from the bible. Toby ran his fingers over Dave's
tattoo. It was a Vine of Roses running
over a sword. Dave had a couple of
tattoos, in fact. He also had a band of
flames on his left arm. Toby loved them
both, and wanted to have the very same ones done on his arms. "I'm sorry Dad." Toby said. Dave looked at
his son, head bent and staring at the floor. "Toby, Don't be sorry. It isn't
your fault." Dave told his son,
reaching out to pat Toby's broad shoulder. Dave looked at him. Toby had
grown up. Too much, in fact. Dave knew that he was perfectly capable of
taking care of himself, now. "I love
you, Tobias." Dave said. Toby looked up and smiled the familiar
Malucci Smile. "I love you too,
Dad." Toby whispered, moving forward
and hugging his father in a strong embrace. Dave felt Toby start to cry and so he hugged tighter and began to cry
himself. Kerry and Jada finished the calling
and they walked in at that exact moment. Jada rushed forward and hugged Dave too. Toby moved over to let her and Kerry both in the embrace. Luka peeked into the room and sighed. I wish that it was me, and not Dave in
that bed. I should be the one dying,
not Dave. Those kids still need their
father.
An
hour or so later, Dom, Chrissie, their
triplets, Giuseppe, and Angelia were there and around Dave's bed. Dave looked up at his family and to Luka who
was standing next to his side. "I love
you all so much, and this is painful for me to say…" Dave began, grasping hold of his brother's hand. "I have cancer, and death is
inevitable…" Dave took a deep
breath. "I don't want to continue
treatments. I want to just die on my
own." Dave said. There was a deafening silence in the room
and Dave looked down. No one knew what
to say. Angel buried her face in her
husband's chest and Dom hugged Chrissie to him, and began to cry. Toby and Jada each hugged their mother who
couldn't even cry. This was Dave's
choice, and even after nearly 18 years of knowing Dave, she knew that nothing
could change his mind. Dave looked at
her, his brown eyes full of apology. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "You made the right choice, Dave." She whispered into his ear. Toby looked at him. "I'll miss
you, Dad." He said, his green hair
falling into his eyes. He hugged his
sister who was just wandering aimlessly around, not believing what was
happening. Dave smiled a little. "I'm sorry for dragging you guys out here to
hurt you like this, but I didn't want to explain this to all of you
individually. I wanted you all to know
at once." Dave said. "David, I don't want to see you die,
especially at your age. I'm an old man
now. Hell, I was an old man when you
were diagnosed! But, I respect your
choice, and I know that that's the choice God wanted you to make." Giuseppe told him. Dave's face lit up as he smiled. "Thanks, Dad." He
whispered. "David! You listen to me!" Angel said. "Don't raise
too much hell up there, and tell your grandparents hello for me!" She said. "I will. And I'll behave too
mama." Dave said, smiling some
more. Luka walked forward, and patted
Jada's shoulder as he walked past her. "Dave. I'll discharge you if you
don't need any medical help. It isn't
too late to change your mind, you know." Luka said. "I've made up my
mind." Dave said. Luka nodded sadly. "Okay." He said. "And Dave, in case I am not able to see you
before…well, you know, Thank you." Luka
said. Dave looked up at him. "For what?" "For getting me to marry Abby, and start my new life with her. And for being a pain in my ass since the day
you started here." Luka said. "Thanks, Luke." Dave said, smiling. "Sure." Luka said, going to
discharge Dave.
The
day that Dave finally passed away was a sad one, but everyone accepted that it
happened. The night before he had
jammed with his son and his band, played piano while Jada sang, and cuddled
with Kerry. He knew that any day could
have been his last, and so he made damn sure to hug and kiss his kids and wife
goodnight. He had talked to Dom face to
face the day before, and the two had their last bout of name calling, though
neither of them knew it. Dave lay down
with Kerry and kissed her gently. "I
love you, Kerr-Bear." He whispered,
closing his eyes, with his arms wrapped around her. "I love you too, Davey." She whispered back, and then they drifted off into sleep together.
When
Kerry awoke, Dave's arms were still around her, but they were hard to get out
of. Kerry kissed his forehead. "Wake up, sleepyhead." She said. When he didn't move, she shook him gently. "Dave! Wake Up!" She yelled, loud enough that Tobias heard
her. "Mom? Wha'd you say?" He
asked. "Toby!" She exclaimed. "What? What's
wrong?" He asked, heart pounding. "Toby, your father died in his sleep." Kerry said. Toby swallowed hard. He came
over and he felt his father's arm, that was warm from Kerry's heat, but not his
own. He began to cry and he hugged his
dad's body tightly. "Oh, God." He whispered, hugging his mother. Jada heard crying and came into her parent's
bedroom. "What's…wrong?" She asked. Toby looked up. "Daddy's
gone!" He whispered, beginning to cry
all over again. She ran out of the room
and onto her own bed and began to cry and pray for her father. He was fine last night! He even sang with me! She said in her mind. Toby left his mom's room and went into his
sister's. "Hey, Jadey." He said. He laid down on the bed and cuddled up to her. "Dad's in heaven now. Do
you think he's watching us?" He asked
her, eyes red and puffy from crying. Jade paused before speaking again. "Yeah, probably. He'd be so
worried about us, even though we can take care of ourselves." She said. Toby nodded. "I'm going to miss
him." He whispered, his hands reaching
inside his shirt to the cross charm Dave had given him. *I know you miss me* A spirit whispered in the room, unheard by
the twin humans.
Two
days later, everyone that wasn't working in the ER showed up at Dave's
funeral. Dave looked peaceful as he lay
in his Oak casket. He was dressed in a
plain black long-sleeve t-shirt, and his usual pair of jeans, like he had told
his family to dress him in for his burial. "That's how everyone saw me when I was alive, and that's how I want to
see me when I am dead." He had told
them. Dominic was given some odd stares
by people there, because he wore his black leather jacket, and a Led Zeppelin
T-shirt, and jeans. Dom sighed and sat
in one of the chairs in the room. He
looked over at Chrissie. "I don't get
it. Dave always saw me either like
this, or in my underwear. Why does
everyone think I'm an asshole for wearing what he saw me in?" He asked. Chrissie smiled a little. "Dommy, I think Dave would have liked for you to wear only your
underwear to his funeral." Chrissie
said. "Yeah. I guess that would be the
best practical joke he would ever have seen." Dom said, smiling back. The
pastor started a prayer, and then asked a couple of people to come up. Kerry had declined, as she didn't want to
get up there and speak in front of a crowd. She hated public speaking and was having enough problems right now as it
was. Tobias was the first one to come
up, as he hadn't a moments' hesitation when asked. He walked up next to Dave's casket and looked out into the crowd
of friends, family, and co-workers that were there. "Wow. I didn't know that
there were this many people that knew and cared about my dad enough to show
up." Toby said. "My father, as I understand it was, well, as
he would say, a big pain in the ass." Toby said. The crowd murmered
with a laugh. "He gave me everything
that a man can give his son. Physically, I have his smile, his eyes, his voice, even his laugh. I take after him in the practical joking,
watch out at the memorial lunch afterwards, by the way." The crowd laughed again at Toby. He certainly was the spitting image of his
father, except for the hair, and the height. Other than that, Toby could have been a clone. "Anyway, Dad was a good person. I know he was a great father, even when he punished me. I know now, looking back, that whenever I
was sent outside to do some exercise that I always hated as punishment, he was
doing what he knew was best for me. And
I thank him for that." Toby began to
cry. "I know also, that he's enjoying
every minute of this too." Toby said,
laughing while he was crying. "Anyway,
I guess that it's other's turns to talk now. Thanks, bye." Toby said, getting
off stage and sitting back into a seat near his mother. Luka's daughter, Amelia, now a year younger
than Toby hugged him gently. "That was
beautiful, Tobias. I'm Amelia, by the
way." She said. "I'm Toby." He said, smiling. "Shhh…We'll
talk later." She said. Toby nodded and thought to himself, lost to
the speech that Seppe was giving right now.
Dave was there in spirit form. He saw how Luka's daughter and his son were meeting for the first time. Dave knew that a romance wouldn't start just yet, but maybe later they would fall in love. If Luka's daughter was anything like her dad, Then Toby should have no problem falling in love, but only time would tell. He walked forward and looked at the turnout of all his friends and family. He never knew how many people cared about him, but he was happy that they did care.
Kerry
looked at her husbands sealed casket. They were in the Cemetery now, and they were waiting. The very pastor that had married them was
reading the prayers for Dave's burial. Dave didn't like the Psalm that is most commonly read at funerals, and they
read the poem 'Footprints' instead.** Tobias had bought a blue rose, like the ones his dad used to tell him
that Peter Criss handed out after he sang 'Beth'. He kissed it and laid it on his dad's casket. "Goodbye, I love you." He whispered in Spanish, the language Dave had taught him. The rest of Dave's closest family had gotten
Red carnations, a flower that Dave always loved. They each placed then on the top of the casket and said their own
goodbyes. Giuseppe, Tobias, and Dominic
were the only ones who stayed in the graveyard until Dave was buried. The three of them stood there silent in
prayer during the burial. "Je
t'aimes." Dom said, in his favorite
language, one that only he and Dave spoke. He left, and decided to walk the short distance back to Dave's home, to
be alone with his thoughts.
"Dave? Why did you pick that night to leave? Why not before, or later? Why that night?" He paused and looked up into the partly sunny sky. "Ahhh. I know that your choice was a good one. You raised your kids, you were there for your wife, and you were there
for me. I suppose that you can't hear
me, but if you can, I want you to know that I'll be there for your family. I'll try and love them as much as you
did. I can't replace you, but I can help
them through these times. Save me a
place up there, will ya?" Dom asked, wiping
tears from his eyes.
"*Sure
thing, bro*"
I'm
sorry for what I did to Dave, but I'll be a lot nicer in my next fic. I think all of my ER stuff will be
Dave. Please give me feedback. If you want to use this fic on your webpage
(Jade14, I forgot where to send it!!! Sorry!!!) Just take it, give
credit to PeachyKeen (rockchick@97rock.com)
and tell me you took it, as well. This
is my permission to you, just at least give me credit for it. Same for all my fics.
----Steph.