"Time of death.. 2:46." Chen announced, the tears drying on her cheeks as she kept her gaze locked on the clock.
"Do you want me to get the death kit, Deb?" Carter said worriedly as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll do it for you."
"No... I'll clean him up. I phoned his parents already. They're flying
in. " She said quietly as she busied herself and started cleaning up the
body. "He always stared at my ass. He was such a pig.. But he didn't deserve
this, John. He didn't deserve to die this way." Tears
streamed down her cheeks and she wiped them away angrily. "It's not
fair."
Carter gave a slow nod in agreement and pulled her into a hug. "Nobody deserves that, Deb. Come on.. The nurses can clean him up. Let's go next door to Magoo's.."
"I.. I can't leave him.. I promised him.. I promised him I wouldn't
leave him alone by himself. I can't leave him like that John. I can't
leave him all cut up like that. Please.." Deb burst into tears, soaking
into Carter's shirt, warm, wet and full of pain.
"Everything will work out with Lucy.. That's all we can hope for. There's
nothing left to do for Dave now.." Carter whispered
hoarsely, leading her from the building.
******
"Okay buddy.. It's 3am.. We're closing up now." The Bar owner muttered
gruffly as Mark crooned drunkenly on his stool. The band had gone
home hours ago, but that didn't stop Mark from requesting obscure songs
and singing off-key into his 'Mark-tinis' as
he had started to laughingly refer to them after his 8th one.
"Come on Mark.. We're going home." Elizabeth said angrily, pulling him by the arm.
"Buuut Elisssssssabetthhhhhhhh!!" Mark whined as she dragged him to the Durango.
"Get in you stupid sod! How could you get that drunk!?" She huffed as the parents trailed along behind.
As they got nearer to the truck they could hear the cell phones ringing
frantically inside. Quickly Elizabeth unlocked the driver's
side door and wrenched it open, annoyed. She grabbed the phone off
the seat and hit TALK.
"What in the hell do you want!? This better be good!?"
********
"It... It's Lucy and Dave.. There was.." Randi burst into tears. "We need you down here.. We need you.."
"Randi.. What happened?? What's going on??" Elizabeth said worriedly as she peeled out of the parking lot.
"Lucy.. She.. They.. Lucy and Dave were stabbed.." The deskclerk's voice wavered as she struggled not to cry again.
"Stabbed!? Oh my lord! I.. Are they okay??" The surgeon said as it started to pour rain and she struggled to keep the car on the road, put the wipers on and talk to Randi.
"No.. Lucy.. Lucy's in surgery and Dave.. Dave he-" The phone crackled with static and cut out.
"RANDI!!!??? Dave what!?" Elizabeth cursed and threw the phone onto the seat. "Piece of shit!" She said hoarsely as they careened around the corner.
"Elizabeth.. What's wrong!?? What happened!? Somebody was stabbed?" Mark said surprisingly lucid for all the 'Mark-tinis' he'd drank in the bar.. "What happened!?"
She shook her head, the thick red hair bouncing down her back. "I.. I don't know Mark.. I don't know.. But we have to get there.."
**
Elizabeth peeled rubber around the corners as Mark sat huddled in the corner, a lighter shade of green. "P-please Elizabeth.. Please.. Please stop.. I'm.. I'm going to puke.."
"Mark.. We have to get there.. You're not going to puke.. Mark! What are you doing!?"
Mark jiggled the handle and the rush of wind filled their ears as he popped open the door and started to vomit onto the road that quickly disappeared into the distance. "Ohgawd!!!!!!!! Ohman!!!"
The Durango bounced and shifted on it's springs, trying to compensate for Elizabeth's less than stellar driving habits. There was a thud and the door connected with something as she zipped precariously around another street corner and hit a curb.
He raised his head and rubbed his eyes wearily, slamming the door and laying back in the seat. "What was that thump?"
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know.... I probably hit another
damned street sign.. I'll never understand why you people
insist on driving on the wrong side of the road. We're almost there
Mark.."
**
"Amira.. There's a kid in exam four.. We're out of suture kits.. Can you go get some more?" Cleo stuck her head out of the exam room.
"What do I look like? A nurse? Get them yourself!" Amira huffed tearfully walking back to the desk.
"Goddammit.." She growled under her breath as she left the exam room. "Stay there Timmy.." Cleo muttered, continuing down the hall and bumping into a cop. "Hey.. Sorry.. I-I have to get some supplies for my patient."
"Are you one of the doctors who worked on the stabbing victims??" The cop prodded, flipping open his notepad.
"Actually.. No.. I'm not really supposed to be here.. But they needed a doctor. We're.. short-staffed." Cleo muttered walking to the supply closet and rummaging through it as the cop stood over her. "Look.. I have a patient.. Go bug somebody else."
"I'm just trying to do my job, lady." The cop muttered angrily.
"So am I!" Cleo stormed down the hall to the supply shelves as she started
pulling things off, suddenly disrupting the whole case and
sending everything crashing down around her ears. "AUGH!!!!"
The cop chased her down the hall and called to his partner. "I think I found the murder weapon.. Don't move, lady.."
The knife jutted from a box, inches from missing Cleo's head. She sighed raggedly and snatched up the suture kit. "I.. I have to get back to work."
***
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED ID!!??? I WORK HERE!!!" Mark yelled drunkenly. "I need to get in there!! Lemme in!! Come on man!" He hopped from foot to foot, and pulled his wallet from his pocket.. "SEE!!? Dr.Marcus Louis Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeene." He whined. "Can I go now!?"
The cop rolled his eyes and let the doctors through. "Dad go park the car." Mark muttered as he ran into the bathroom.
"Park it?" David Greene. "Where did he want me to park it?"
"Screw parking it.. I say we go to the casinos.. What do you think, David?" Isabelle smiled.
"In Chicago?" David cocked a brow.
"No... In Vegas of course.." She laughed as her daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law were rushing down the halls to the ER.
****
"Randi! What happened!?" Elizabeth ran up to the desk, breathing heavily. "My phone started breaking up.. I didn't catch the last part of the message.."
Randi wiped her eyes and sighed. "Lucy's up in surgery. Dave.. He.." She pulled a wad of Kleenex from the box and blew her nose.
"Randi.. Where's Kovac?" Kerry looked over at Elizabeth and glared at her. "It's about damn time you showed up!!!" Her gaze floated to Mark who leaned on the wall and stared at them all dully. "How drunk did you get him?!"
Elizabeth returned the glare. "Don't blame me.. The pagers and cell phones were in the Durango.. We didn't want to be interrupted on Valentine's Day.. As for Mark.." She rolled her eyes. "Louis over there can't handle his liquor."
"Well you're here now.. Lucy's upstairs.. I'm sure they could use some help." Kerry growled.
"What about Malucci??" Elizabeth said worriedly.
"Malucci's...." Kerry sighed. "Malucci's my fault.. If I hadn't given him that chart. I thought it was just a simple headache.. That psychotic asshole.." She wiped away a tear and crutched down the hallway.
***
"We finally have the bleeding under control.." Romano muttered to himself as Elizabeth walked into the room gowned and the nurses pulled on a pair of gloves for her.
"How's she doing Robert?" She murmured, walking to the gurney.
"Well.. She's not dead.. Lucy has that going for her.." He replied as he called for suction. "Damn.. She's bleeding again.. For fuck's sake.. I have to find the bleed.. Dammit.."
"Robert.. Thorocotomy!?" She said tearfully.
"She tamponaded.. They cracked her in the ER.. Word has it that Weaver flaked.. Benton had to use the sternal and do it himself." He muttered angrily as his fingers probed her organs looking for the bleed.
"Her Blood pressure's 105 over 70, Dr.Romano.." Shirley whispered.
"Robert.. It's her spleen.. Her spleen's still bleeding... Robert.. We have to take it out." Elizabeth said tearfully.
"Blood pressure's dropping.. 80 over 60.." Shirley said frantically. Romano glared at her.
"Hang another unit then.."
"It's not working, Robert.. She's losing it faster than we can give it to her.. It's not working." Elizabeth said shaking her head.
"It IS working.. It WILL work DAMMIT!!"
*****