Sequel to 'A Very Odd Couple'
Previously on ER.
Dave moved in with Luka and they became good friends.
After Dave was attacked, his sister Chris met Luka and they became even better friends
;-)
---------------------------
"You cheated," said Luka, looking gloomily at the TV screen where his 'street fighter' was lying in a pool of blood colored pixels.
"Did not," said Dave, grinning as his 'fighter' did a triumphant dance over the prone form of his opponent. "Not my fault if I'm better at this than you."
Luka threw the controls of the Playstation on the couch in disgust. "That's five games in a row you've won. My game pad must be faulty...the controls are a little sluggish."
"Yeah right. Don't make excuses. I'm better than you at this...just accept it."
"Remind me again why buying this games console was such a good idea?" asked Luka.
"It was half price in the January sales...we can play DVD's on it. Plus all these games are great for improving your hand/eye co-ordination...which is always a good thing."
"Plus you can play 'kill-em-all, shoot-em-up' type games on it, yes?"
"That too," grinned Dave.
"Hmmph," grunted Luka. "It is no wonder that you are always the winner...you spend all your free time playing with it."
"Not *all* my time...besides...there's worse things I could be doing...like hovering round whenever you and Chris are trying to have a romantic evening in..."
Luka glared at Dave. "Don't even *think* of it..." he said ominously.
Dave smirked at his friend before handing him his game pad. "Here...you practice with this one...but you still won't win."
"You can make some coffee," suggested Luka. "And we'll have a rematch when you get back."
"I'll still win," grinned Dave as he left the room.
Luka was losing steadily when he heard the phone ring. Eager for an excuse to abandon the game, he hurried out to the hall and grabbed up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Luka? Hi...it's me," said Chris.
"Chris, how are you?"
Dave was walking along the hallway with two mugs of coffee when Luka had picked up the phone. He smirked at the goofy look that came over Luka's face as he realized who was on the line, and then made 'kissing' noises at him.
Luka turned his back on Dave and concentrated on the conversation.
"I'm okay...sort of..." said Chris.
"What's wrong?" asked Luka, with concern, hearing Chris's tone.
Behind him, Dave's grin faded to be replaced by an equal look of concern.
"Nothing's wrong...I just...there was an incident in the ER. A patient got violent."
"Oh my God, are you all right?" Luka's mind was filled with worry. If anything had happened to her...
Dave was hovering around Luka, almost spilling the coffee in his efforts to hear what was going on.
Luka was listening intently.
"And you're sure you're all right?"
"You promise you'll rest?"
"I could always travel to see you...no? Well, if you're sure..."
"Okay...I'll see you tomorrow."
"Love you too."
He finally hung up the phone.
"What happened? How's Chris? Is she all right?" The questions flew out of Dave's mouth.
Luka took one of the mugs of coffee from Dave's hand and sipped it. "There was an 'incident' in Chris's hospital. She's all right...apart from a few bruises. A patient was brought in...altered, but they didn't realize *how* badly. Chris is fine...she's just a bit shaken...but she's fine." Luka was trying to reassure himself as much as Dave. Chris hadn't *sounded* fine...but she had said herself that she was just shaken up by the attack...that it was just delayed shock. He wished that she had let him travel to Milwaukee, but she had insisted that it was *her* turn to make the journey.
"She's probably just tired...that's all."
-------------------------
Ninety miles away Chris Malucci lay curled on her bed...a few tears trickling down over her bruised cheek.
------------------------
The next day, Dave was yet again playing with the Playstation when he heard Chris's voice.
"Anyone here?"
"Chris!" called Dave. "In here." He looked up and sucked his breath in at the sight of the bruises on the side of her face. "Jesus...what did that son of a bitch, do to you?"
"Nice to see you too bro," said Chris, her hand going to her face self-consciously.
"Aw shit, I didn't mean..." Dave dropped the game pad and jumped up to give Chris a warm hug. "You're sure you're okay? I mean, really?"
"I'm fine," said Chris, pulling away. "If anything, I'm pissed that I didn't get in a few punches of my own. No, I got checked out by one of our Attendings...I...he said I'm just bruised...that's all."
"How did it happen?" asked Dave, with barely suppressed rage. He was furious that anybody would dare to lay a hand on *his* sister. "I mean, you said the guy was altered, right? Why the hell wasn't he in restraints?"
Chris sighed, "I'd rather not talk about it, okay? I mean it's not that bad...it just looks worse than it is. I mean it Dave. I've had enough people hassling me over not being more careful, I don't need a lecture from *you* as well."
"Hey, I'm sorry," said Dave. "I didn't mean to get on your case. I'm just glad you're okay." He ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Me too," said Chris, forcing a smile. "Listen, Dave...tonight, can you 'disappear' for a while? I want some time alone with Luka."
"Oh yeah?" smirked Dave. "Chris and Luka, up a tree...K I S S..."
A quick dig in the ribs from his sister stopped him in his tracks. "Ouch, careful. Yeah sure, I'll make tracks as soon as dinner's over...I won't even stay for the washing up...just hope you appreciate the sacrifice I'm making...I mean, I just *love* doing chores sooo much."
Chris rolled her eyes.
------------------------
True to his word, Dave left Luka and Chris alone after dinner, making the excuse that he'd promised the Chief he'd finally return some of the medical journals she'd lent him while he was recovering from his injuries.
Luka insisted that Chris sit and rest while he cleaned up after the meal.
"So, tell me about this 'crazy patient' of yours," he said as he started rinsing the dishes before loading the dishwasher.
Chris shrugged. "Not much to tell. He was altered...said that there were bugs crawling on his skin, but he wasn't violent or anything. I tried to examine him...he didn't like it and he attacked."
"Got in a few kicks and punches before the nurses managed to pull him away," she added matter of factly.
Luka winced at the thought of anyone hurting *his* Chris. "I trust they gave you a thorough examination afterwards?"
"Oh yeah," said Chris, tracing a pattern on the tabletop. "One of the advantages of getting injured in an ER...always plenty of staff to look after you."
Luka shuddered involuntarily at her words...his mind flying back to a previous February.
"Yeah," he said absently. "Useful."
"Anyway...that's enough about that," said Chris, quickly. "I...my boss was talking to risk management a few weeks ago. Apparently some woman tried to sue the hospital...said she was given an x-ray and it turned out she'd been pregnant at the time. Anyway, we've started dipping a urine on all female patients between ten and fifty before sending them for x-rays...unless it's an emergency and we can't wait."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Luka, holding another plate under the tap. "In fact, I might suggest to Kerry that we do something like that at County."
"It's just as well they did," said Chris, her voice starting to shake slightly. "Because mine turned up positive..."
The plate shattered on the floor.
-----------------------
To Be Continued
---------------------------
Previously on ER.
Dave moved in with Luka and they became good friends.
After Dave was attacked, his sister Chris met Luka and they became even better friends
;-)
---------------------------
"You cheated," said Luka, looking gloomily at the TV screen where his 'street fighter' was lying in a pool of blood colored pixels.
"Did not," said Dave, grinning as his 'fighter' did a triumphant dance over the prone form of his opponent. "Not my fault if I'm better at this than you."
Luka threw the controls of the Playstation on the couch in disgust. "That's five games in a row you've won. My game pad must be faulty...the controls are a little sluggish."
"Yeah right. Don't make excuses. I'm better than you at this...just accept it."
"Remind me again why buying this games console was such a good idea?" asked Luka.
"It was half price in the January sales...we can play DVD's on it. Plus all these games are great for improving your hand/eye co-ordination...which is always a good thing."
"Plus you can play 'kill-em-all, shoot-em-up' type games on it, yes?"
"That too," grinned Dave.
"Hmmph," grunted Luka. "It is no wonder that you are always the winner...you spend all your free time playing with it."
"Not *all* my time...besides...there's worse things I could be doing...like hovering round whenever you and Chris are trying to have a romantic evening in..."
Luka glared at Dave. "Don't even *think* of it..." he said ominously.
Dave smirked at his friend before handing him his game pad. "Here...you practice with this one...but you still won't win."
"You can make some coffee," suggested Luka. "And we'll have a rematch when you get back."
"I'll still win," grinned Dave as he left the room.
Luka was losing steadily when he heard the phone ring. Eager for an excuse to abandon the game, he hurried out to the hall and grabbed up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Luka? Hi...it's me," said Chris.
"Chris, how are you?"
Dave was walking along the hallway with two mugs of coffee when Luka had picked up the phone. He smirked at the goofy look that came over Luka's face as he realized who was on the line, and then made 'kissing' noises at him.
Luka turned his back on Dave and concentrated on the conversation.
"I'm okay...sort of..." said Chris.
"What's wrong?" asked Luka, with concern, hearing Chris's tone.
Behind him, Dave's grin faded to be replaced by an equal look of concern.
"Nothing's wrong...I just...there was an incident in the ER. A patient got violent."
"Oh my God, are you all right?" Luka's mind was filled with worry. If anything had happened to her...
Dave was hovering around Luka, almost spilling the coffee in his efforts to hear what was going on.
Luka was listening intently.
"And you're sure you're all right?"
"You promise you'll rest?"
"I could always travel to see you...no? Well, if you're sure..."
"Okay...I'll see you tomorrow."
"Love you too."
He finally hung up the phone.
"What happened? How's Chris? Is she all right?" The questions flew out of Dave's mouth.
Luka took one of the mugs of coffee from Dave's hand and sipped it. "There was an 'incident' in Chris's hospital. She's all right...apart from a few bruises. A patient was brought in...altered, but they didn't realize *how* badly. Chris is fine...she's just a bit shaken...but she's fine." Luka was trying to reassure himself as much as Dave. Chris hadn't *sounded* fine...but she had said herself that she was just shaken up by the attack...that it was just delayed shock. He wished that she had let him travel to Milwaukee, but she had insisted that it was *her* turn to make the journey.
"She's probably just tired...that's all."
-------------------------
Ninety miles away Chris Malucci lay curled on her bed...a few tears trickling down over her bruised cheek.
------------------------
The next day, Dave was yet again playing with the Playstation when he heard Chris's voice.
"Anyone here?"
"Chris!" called Dave. "In here." He looked up and sucked his breath in at the sight of the bruises on the side of her face. "Jesus...what did that son of a bitch, do to you?"
"Nice to see you too bro," said Chris, her hand going to her face self-consciously.
"Aw shit, I didn't mean..." Dave dropped the game pad and jumped up to give Chris a warm hug. "You're sure you're okay? I mean, really?"
"I'm fine," said Chris, pulling away. "If anything, I'm pissed that I didn't get in a few punches of my own. No, I got checked out by one of our Attendings...I...he said I'm just bruised...that's all."
"How did it happen?" asked Dave, with barely suppressed rage. He was furious that anybody would dare to lay a hand on *his* sister. "I mean, you said the guy was altered, right? Why the hell wasn't he in restraints?"
Chris sighed, "I'd rather not talk about it, okay? I mean it's not that bad...it just looks worse than it is. I mean it Dave. I've had enough people hassling me over not being more careful, I don't need a lecture from *you* as well."
"Hey, I'm sorry," said Dave. "I didn't mean to get on your case. I'm just glad you're okay." He ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Me too," said Chris, forcing a smile. "Listen, Dave...tonight, can you 'disappear' for a while? I want some time alone with Luka."
"Oh yeah?" smirked Dave. "Chris and Luka, up a tree...K I S S..."
A quick dig in the ribs from his sister stopped him in his tracks. "Ouch, careful. Yeah sure, I'll make tracks as soon as dinner's over...I won't even stay for the washing up...just hope you appreciate the sacrifice I'm making...I mean, I just *love* doing chores sooo much."
Chris rolled her eyes.
------------------------
True to his word, Dave left Luka and Chris alone after dinner, making the excuse that he'd promised the Chief he'd finally return some of the medical journals she'd lent him while he was recovering from his injuries.
Luka insisted that Chris sit and rest while he cleaned up after the meal.
"So, tell me about this 'crazy patient' of yours," he said as he started rinsing the dishes before loading the dishwasher.
Chris shrugged. "Not much to tell. He was altered...said that there were bugs crawling on his skin, but he wasn't violent or anything. I tried to examine him...he didn't like it and he attacked."
"Got in a few kicks and punches before the nurses managed to pull him away," she added matter of factly.
Luka winced at the thought of anyone hurting *his* Chris. "I trust they gave you a thorough examination afterwards?"
"Oh yeah," said Chris, tracing a pattern on the tabletop. "One of the advantages of getting injured in an ER...always plenty of staff to look after you."
Luka shuddered involuntarily at her words...his mind flying back to a previous February.
"Yeah," he said absently. "Useful."
"Anyway...that's enough about that," said Chris, quickly. "I...my boss was talking to risk management a few weeks ago. Apparently some woman tried to sue the hospital...said she was given an x-ray and it turned out she'd been pregnant at the time. Anyway, we've started dipping a urine on all female patients between ten and fifty before sending them for x-rays...unless it's an emergency and we can't wait."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Luka, holding another plate under the tap. "In fact, I might suggest to Kerry that we do something like that at County."
"It's just as well they did," said Chris, her voice starting to shake slightly. "Because mine turned up positive..."
The plate shattered on the floor.
-----------------------
To Be Continued
---------------------------