"Is he all packed up and ready to go? His dressing's been changed, you have his discharge papers? He returned that nurse's panties?" Kerry rolled her eyes, Malucci grinning uneasily, as he eyed his new room-mate.
"Chief!" Malucci muttered quietly, bringing Kerry down to the level of the wheelchair. Bending down, she placed here ear next to his trembling lips. "Why do I have to move in with him?!" He hissed nervously.
"Because.. You refused home-care.. The house is very nice, and his sister has been quite accommodating. Don't worry Dave.." Kerry smiled and handed the chair over to Peter, who scowled at her.
"Come on Malucci.." He grumbled, pushing the chair outside and to the waiting cab.
"You're okay with this, Dr.Pete?" Dave asked nervously as he was helped into the taxi.
"I'm.... fine with it.. Don't call me me Dr.Pete.." Peter snorted, the cab pulling away and driving to downtown Chicago.
***
"PETER!!" Jackie beamed, Reese wrapped around her neck and his little fingers tangled in her hair. "This must be Dave.." She smiled, taking the duffle bag and waving them into the house. "You're in time for dinner.." She plopped Reese down on the floor and yelled up the stairs. "JESSE! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"
Suddenly the upstairs of the house began to shake as the boys stampeded down the staircase. "MOM!! I was on the phone!" He groaned, stomping down the stairs after his brothers.
"With who?" Jackie's brow cocked and her arms crossed. He had been on the phone a lot lately. If that boy was dating.. Ooh.. She'd have his butt...
"Nobody.. It was a wrong number.." Jesse mumbled, looking at his uncle and the stranger who stood in the doorway. "Who's that?"
"I.. I'm Dave.." The doctor stuck out his hand awkwardly, and Jesse stared at it.
"Yeah.." Jesse ignored the outstretched hand and looked at his mom. "He's not sleeping in MY room is he?"
***
"Barbie... I don't know if this is a very good idea.." Keith mumbled uncomfortably as Barb Knight strided confidently through the halls of County.
"I was told he was allowed to see me.. He's medicated.. He's restrained. I want to see him." She snapped, her voice slowly losing it's edge.
"Ms.Knight?" The clerk looked at the couple through the wire mesh. He glared at Keith. "Who's this? I only have you listed as a visitor. Too many visitors may agitate Mr.Sobriki."
"He's..." Barbara looked back at the man, his hand on her shoulder, and sighed. "Lucy Knight's father. He's accompanying me."
"Let me clear this with Dr.DeRaad.. Then I'll buzz you in." The clerk grumbled, picking up the phone.
***
"So.. Jesse is it?" Dave smiled, as he flopped gingerly onto the bed. He winced as a twinge of pain ran up his side. Thank god for painkillers. He'd take some later..
"Yeah.. What about it? I hope you know.. You stayin' in my room. It wasn't my idea." The boy grumbled angrily as he flopped down onto the top bunk.
"It wasn't my idea either, kid.." The doctor sighed defeatedly. "I'd much rather be at home."
"So why aren't you? What are you 30? You expecting my mom to wipe your butt or something?!" Jesse sneered, picking up a comic and flipping through it half-heartedly.
"LOOK! NOBODY'S WIPING MY BUTT, BUT ME! YOU LITTLE JERK! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE HERE! I WANTED TO GO HOME!" Dave yelled at him throwing down the pillow that he'd been hugging to his chest. Groaning in pain, Dave stumbled from the bed, slipping on the throw rug and crashing down on all fours.. "FUCK! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" The man screamed in pain, his body shuddering, and his fingers digging into the rug, knuckles whitened.
His knees buckled, and Dave lay on his stomach, his face buried into floor. Nose wrinkled, he realised that the dog had probably pissed there. He'd fallen in old dog piss and he couldn't get up. Dave started to sob quietly.
Jackie ran to the foot of the stairs after hearing the crash. Probably Jesse showing off and jumping on the bed. "Everything okay up there you two?!" She yelled worriedly.
Jesse climbed down off the bunk and stood beside Dave's trembling form. "You okay man?" He whispered hoarsely. Man.. Did this guy ever look like shit.
***
"We've got a woman in 3.. Apparently she's a few months along.. There's spotting." Randi muttered, handing the chart off to Cleo as she'd sauntered by the desk.
"I'm off to see a pedes case in 4." Cleo muttered, staring at the chart. "Samantha Sobriki?"
"It's his wife.. She's pregnant I guess.." Randi shrugged.
"Holy shit.. Uhh.. Here.. Give the chicken-pox to Carter.." Cleo mumbled distractedly as she shoved the other chart in Randi's hand.
"Sure, Dr.Finch.. I'll get right on it.. Lemme go find some itchy third-graders.. We'll have Carter spotty in no time.."
Cleo raised her head and looked at Randi confused. "Uhh.. sure.. Go ahead.." Her hand slipped the door to exam 3 open as she saw the small figure in a hospital gown. "Mrs. Sobriki? When exactly did the spotting start?"
***
"I still don't think this is a good idea.." Muttered Keith as the caged doors slid open with a mechanical buzzing.
"I didn't ask your opinion, he killed my daughter. I want to ask why." Barb stormed down the halls, flanked by large orderlies and Dr.DeRaad bringing up the rear. He agreed with Keith, this wasn't a good idea.
***
"Man.. Get up.. You're scarin' me.." Jesse almost whimpered. The guy wasn't dead was he??
"Dave? Jesse? Is everything okay up there!?" Jackie repeated again, as she started to climb the stairs.
Dave winced and swallowed, trying to form a concrete sentence in his head. He must have passed out from the pain.. Everything was foggy.. "I.. I'm fine kid.." He muttered softly, his hand outstretched again.
This time Jesse took it and helped Dave into a chair. "Yeah, Mom. We're fine.."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jackie headed back downstairs to make dinner.
Jesse quickly went to his door and locked it, before returning to Dave who was breathing heavily as the colour slowly flowed back into his cheeks. "Get my bag, kid.." Dave mumbled weakly, pointing to the table beside him.
Nodding, he grabbed the duffle and placed it on the doctor's lap. "You okay?"
"I'm fine.. I.. I need somethin'" His fingers wrapped around the bottle as he twisted off the cap and emptied some into his shaking palm.
A few of the small white pills tumbled from his hand and skittered across the floor. Jesse chased after one, and picked it up. "Cod-een? What's that for?"
Dave snatched it from the boy and dry swallowed it along with the rest in his hand. "Painkillers.. I'm in pain.." He muttered through clenched teeth.
"I didn't mean for you to get hurt, Dave.." Jesse said in a small voice. "Hey... What's in that plastic bag?" Jesse looked at the tattered shopping bag and his eyes widened at the partial glimpse of the naked woman on the cover.
"Reading material while I was in the hospital.." Dave muttered, his friendly demeanor returning with the absorption of the pills into his system. "I don't think you're old enough."
"I'm thirteen.. I'm a man.." Jesse said defiantly.
"A man.. At thirteen.. You'll be a man once your Mom won't freak out over her son reading skin mags. Jackie would kill me." Dave snorted. "Yeah... Right.. You're not getting the magazines.. You want something to read? Here's a medical journal." The sweat still beaded on his brow, but the drugs were slowly kicking in and his colour was returning in his cheeks.
Jesse stared at the journal, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "C.O.P.D respiratory failure comparison of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation with standard medical therapy in hypercapnic acute respiratory failure? Who writes this crap!?" He grabbed the other one out of Dave's hand and groaned. "AMI EKG importance of posterior chest leads in patients with suspected myocardial infarction, but nondiagnostic routine 12-lead electrocardiogram?!!? Can't I please have a porn? PLEASE!?"
"Boys! Dinner!" Jackie yelled up the stairs. She hoped everything was okay.
"Come on, kid.. Supper.. Put the porn down.." Dave grumbled as he struggled to stand.
Jesse slipped the medical journals and magazines back in the bag and threw them onto the bed. "You need some help?"
***
Barbara wavered in front of the door. What was there to expect?? He was medicated.. He was restrained.. Would he look like something out of Silence of the Lambs?
"Mr.Sobriki?" She said nervously as they entered the room, clutching the arm of Keith. The arm of the man who at seventeen, wasn't ready to be a father, but now at forty-one with his daughter dead, he was around, he was being the pillar of strength. Barbara sighed.
"Ms.Knight. They told me you were coming." Paul muttered, staring out the window. "What did you want? You want me to say I'm sorry?"
***
"Hey man, you okay? Come on." Jesse wrapped the man's arms around his small, thin shoulders and partially dragged him from the room. It was slow going, but things were okay until the middle of the staircase, when Dave's rubbery legs collapsed out from under him, causing Jesse to lose his grip.
"MOM! UNCLE PETER!" Jesse screamed fearfully as the doctor tumbled face-first down the stairs.
Jackie and Peter ran from the kitchen, the spatula from the hamburgers, still clutched in her hand. They found a near hysterical thirteen year old and a dazed Dr.Dave. "I.. I thought I could do it. He.. He sl-slipped.. I killed him Uncle Peter!" The boy sobbed as Dave stared blearily at the ceiling.
"You didn't kill me kid, you just dropped me on my head. No harm done." Dave quipped painfully.
"You okay Malucci? Jess, I think Dave better sleep down here tonight.
Just until he's able to gauge the stairs better." Peter said comfortingly.
"It's suppertime. Come on you two." He helped Dave to his feet and examining
the goose-egg on his head. "You sure you're okay, Malucci? He asked again
as the ER doctor and surgeon limped slowly to the dinner table.
"Yeah.. I think I'm fine.. You're right though. I don't think I should
try going upstairs tonight. I'll sleep down here. That's okay right?" Dave
winced as he was seated and pulled up the chair.
"That's fine. That'll be okay. I'll get Jackie to make up the sofa down
in the livingroom. It'll be better. No stairs to climb and the bathroom
is down the hall. Let's eat." Yeah.. There were no stairs, but the whole
reason they'd stuck him in Jesse's room is so the kid could keep an eye
on him. There was nobody downstairs, except for the dog.