Title: Remember
Rating: PG
Spoilers: No
Disclaimer: Dude, leave me alone! I already told you: I don't own anything! Erik may be really, really hot, but…okay, I do own him! Crap, stop poking me with that thing! Fine, fine, I don't own him, dang it, I don't!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lizzie, I was just looking for you!" the all-too-familiar voice called to Elizabeth.
She closed her eyes and groaned. She turned and put on a fake smile. "Hello, Robert, what do you need?"
Robert Romano took his time to walk up to her and they continued down the hall together.
"Well, I just wanted to know how our young doctor is doing," he said.
She looked at him curiously. "Since when do you care about Dr. Malucci?"
"Now, Lizzie, I care, really I do…can't you see it in my eyes?" he asked innocently.
"No," she replied.
He frowned and Elizabeth bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.
"Lizzie, that hurts, really. Now, will you or will you not tell me how he is?"
"Alright, Robert, you win. Dave is going to be fine. He has a few broken ribs, a fractured arm, and a minor concussion. When they brought him up to the OR, he was unconscious and he had internal bleeding…"
"Okay, okay, I get the point," Romano interrupted. "He'll live, correct?"
"I think that's just a tad bit obvious, Robert," she replied, coldly.
She quickened her stride. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have patients to see."
"Right then," he called after her.
"Dave, you really shouldn't be doing this," she lectured.
"Abby, I've been in this bed for…well, a day, but that's beside the point," he replied.
"Dave, you were almost ripped apart!" she exclaimed.
"Thanks for the sentiment, but hey, it's not like it's never happened before," he said, sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes. "Dave, come on, let's get real about this. You barely survived a beating last night and you want to go back to work in less than a week?" she asked, incredulously.
"Yeah, why shouldn't I?"
"Dave, give me a break! You're a doctor! You know that this is not a good idea!"
Dave sat up in his bed, wincing when he did so. Abby rushed to his side, but he held up his hand.
"Don't worry, I'm okay," he assured.
Abby pursed her lips. "Do you see what I mean?" she asked, pointedly.
He shook his head, beginning to protest, when a booming voice called from the door, "What's going on?"
Dave's eyes widened as he immediately stopped what he was saying and tried his best to sit up straight. He turned to look at the doorway and there stood his father.
"Hello, Mr. Malucci," Abby greeted, seeming rather uncomfortable. Dave couldn't blame her. "Dave wants to return to work before the week is over," she explained.
I shot her an accusing look and she shrugged apologetically.
"Now, David, you're not really going to do that are you?" he asked. His voice was kind, but Dave couldn't help but hear a threatening tone to it, which wasn't intentionally there.
"No, sir," he replied. He looked at Abby and she looked back at him curiously.
"Good, because I'd hate to see you get hurt for the third time," Sam said, with a slight teasing tone.
Dave faked a smile, as did Abby.
~As if he's never seen me hurt before~ Dave thought.
There was a pause among the three.
"Abby, would you give us a minute?" Sam suddenly asked.
"Oh…um, sure, I guess…" she stammered. She shot a quick glance at Dave and he gave her a small smile. She slinked past Dave's father and quickly walked out of the room. Dave bit his lip, wondering why his father had wanted to be alone with him.
"Did you want to talk about something?" Dave asked.
Sam nodded. He walked up to Dave's bed and sat in the seat next to it. He took a deep breath.
"Dave, I know you still hate me for what I did."
Dave held back a groan. He didn't want to have this conversation again.
"Dad, I really don't want to talk about this…" Dave started.
"Now, now, I know, but it's something I need to say," Sam insisted.
Dave closed his eyes, hoping to drown out the sound of his father's voice.
"David, you listen to me," Sam said, sternly. Dave immediately obeyed and opened his eyes.
"Yes, sir," Dave replied.
"Now, I know why you left last night. I know it's because the fight between those two young ladies brought back bad memories for you."
Dave gave a small nod in agreement.
"Dave, I don't want you to be afraid anymore…I want you to know that I will never hurt you…not again…never again," Sam said, his voice becoming quieter. His head dropped to look at the floor.
Dave eyed his father. He bit is lip and blinked a few times. He grabbed his father's hand and Sam looked up in surprise.
"Dad…I…I know you won't hurt me anymore," Dave whispered, "and…and I forgive you."
And he meant it.
Sam's mouth broke into a huge grin and he stood up to hug his son. They broke apart when they heard a knock on the door. They moved their heads to look at who it was.
"Hello, Dr. Chen," Sam said, with a trace of unkindness in his tone.
"Evening, Mr. Malucci," Jing-Mei replied. "Hi, Dave, how are you?"
Dave waved. "How do you think I am?" he said.
Jing-Mei looked down. "Sorry," she said, quietly.
Dave rolled his eyes. "I was just joking, Jing-Mei, I'm doing okay."
Jing-Mei looked up at him and cracked a small smile. Sam could sense the tension in the room and decided to excuse himself. "Well, I think I'm going to head home…don't want your sister to worry now, do we?" he said, standing up. He walked past Jing-Mei and looked back at Dave. "We'll come by tomorrow, son. Have a good night, Jing-Mei."
"Thank you, sir," Jing-Mei called as she watched him walk toward the elevators. She walked over to Dave's bed and sat in the seat Sam had been sitting in. "So, Abby tells me you want to get back to work before the week is over."
"Yep," Dave replied.
"Why? You know that's not a good idea," Jing-Mei told him.
"Well, quite frankly, it doesn't matter to me either way," Dave replied, snippily.
"Dave, I know you're mad at me, but…"
"Oh give me a break!" Dave cried. "I don't want to hear another person say 'I'm sorry' again because I've heard it enough to last a lifetime! I don't want your apologies!"
Jing-Mei stared at him, shocked at his outburst. She blinked. "Dave, I…uh, well, I'm…I guess it's time for me to go. I'll see you soon."
She stood up and walked to the door. Before she left, she said, without turning, "Hey, Dave?"
He grunted in response.
"There's no hard feelings, okay?" she continued, before walking away.
As Dave watched her, an involuntary smile spread across his face. "Yeah, Jing-Mei, there's no hard feelings," he whispered to himself.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: No
Disclaimer: Dude, leave me alone! I already told you: I don't own anything! Erik may be really, really hot, but…okay, I do own him! Crap, stop poking me with that thing! Fine, fine, I don't own him, dang it, I don't!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Lizzie, I was just looking for you!" the all-too-familiar voice called to Elizabeth.
She closed her eyes and groaned. She turned and put on a fake smile. "Hello, Robert, what do you need?"
Robert Romano took his time to walk up to her and they continued down the hall together.
"Well, I just wanted to know how our young doctor is doing," he said.
She looked at him curiously. "Since when do you care about Dr. Malucci?"
"Now, Lizzie, I care, really I do…can't you see it in my eyes?" he asked innocently.
"No," she replied.
He frowned and Elizabeth bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.
"Lizzie, that hurts, really. Now, will you or will you not tell me how he is?"
"Alright, Robert, you win. Dave is going to be fine. He has a few broken ribs, a fractured arm, and a minor concussion. When they brought him up to the OR, he was unconscious and he had internal bleeding…"
"Okay, okay, I get the point," Romano interrupted. "He'll live, correct?"
"I think that's just a tad bit obvious, Robert," she replied, coldly.
She quickened her stride. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have patients to see."
"Right then," he called after her.
"Dave, you really shouldn't be doing this," she lectured.
"Abby, I've been in this bed for…well, a day, but that's beside the point," he replied.
"Dave, you were almost ripped apart!" she exclaimed.
"Thanks for the sentiment, but hey, it's not like it's never happened before," he said, sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes. "Dave, come on, let's get real about this. You barely survived a beating last night and you want to go back to work in less than a week?" she asked, incredulously.
"Yeah, why shouldn't I?"
"Dave, give me a break! You're a doctor! You know that this is not a good idea!"
Dave sat up in his bed, wincing when he did so. Abby rushed to his side, but he held up his hand.
"Don't worry, I'm okay," he assured.
Abby pursed her lips. "Do you see what I mean?" she asked, pointedly.
He shook his head, beginning to protest, when a booming voice called from the door, "What's going on?"
Dave's eyes widened as he immediately stopped what he was saying and tried his best to sit up straight. He turned to look at the doorway and there stood his father.
"Hello, Mr. Malucci," Abby greeted, seeming rather uncomfortable. Dave couldn't blame her. "Dave wants to return to work before the week is over," she explained.
I shot her an accusing look and she shrugged apologetically.
"Now, David, you're not really going to do that are you?" he asked. His voice was kind, but Dave couldn't help but hear a threatening tone to it, which wasn't intentionally there.
"No, sir," he replied. He looked at Abby and she looked back at him curiously.
"Good, because I'd hate to see you get hurt for the third time," Sam said, with a slight teasing tone.
Dave faked a smile, as did Abby.
~As if he's never seen me hurt before~ Dave thought.
There was a pause among the three.
"Abby, would you give us a minute?" Sam suddenly asked.
"Oh…um, sure, I guess…" she stammered. She shot a quick glance at Dave and he gave her a small smile. She slinked past Dave's father and quickly walked out of the room. Dave bit his lip, wondering why his father had wanted to be alone with him.
"Did you want to talk about something?" Dave asked.
Sam nodded. He walked up to Dave's bed and sat in the seat next to it. He took a deep breath.
"Dave, I know you still hate me for what I did."
Dave held back a groan. He didn't want to have this conversation again.
"Dad, I really don't want to talk about this…" Dave started.
"Now, now, I know, but it's something I need to say," Sam insisted.
Dave closed his eyes, hoping to drown out the sound of his father's voice.
"David, you listen to me," Sam said, sternly. Dave immediately obeyed and opened his eyes.
"Yes, sir," Dave replied.
"Now, I know why you left last night. I know it's because the fight between those two young ladies brought back bad memories for you."
Dave gave a small nod in agreement.
"Dave, I don't want you to be afraid anymore…I want you to know that I will never hurt you…not again…never again," Sam said, his voice becoming quieter. His head dropped to look at the floor.
Dave eyed his father. He bit is lip and blinked a few times. He grabbed his father's hand and Sam looked up in surprise.
"Dad…I…I know you won't hurt me anymore," Dave whispered, "and…and I forgive you."
And he meant it.
Sam's mouth broke into a huge grin and he stood up to hug his son. They broke apart when they heard a knock on the door. They moved their heads to look at who it was.
"Hello, Dr. Chen," Sam said, with a trace of unkindness in his tone.
"Evening, Mr. Malucci," Jing-Mei replied. "Hi, Dave, how are you?"
Dave waved. "How do you think I am?" he said.
Jing-Mei looked down. "Sorry," she said, quietly.
Dave rolled his eyes. "I was just joking, Jing-Mei, I'm doing okay."
Jing-Mei looked up at him and cracked a small smile. Sam could sense the tension in the room and decided to excuse himself. "Well, I think I'm going to head home…don't want your sister to worry now, do we?" he said, standing up. He walked past Jing-Mei and looked back at Dave. "We'll come by tomorrow, son. Have a good night, Jing-Mei."
"Thank you, sir," Jing-Mei called as she watched him walk toward the elevators. She walked over to Dave's bed and sat in the seat Sam had been sitting in. "So, Abby tells me you want to get back to work before the week is over."
"Yep," Dave replied.
"Why? You know that's not a good idea," Jing-Mei told him.
"Well, quite frankly, it doesn't matter to me either way," Dave replied, snippily.
"Dave, I know you're mad at me, but…"
"Oh give me a break!" Dave cried. "I don't want to hear another person say 'I'm sorry' again because I've heard it enough to last a lifetime! I don't want your apologies!"
Jing-Mei stared at him, shocked at his outburst. She blinked. "Dave, I…uh, well, I'm…I guess it's time for me to go. I'll see you soon."
She stood up and walked to the door. Before she left, she said, without turning, "Hey, Dave?"
He grunted in response.
"There's no hard feelings, okay?" she continued, before walking away.
As Dave watched her, an involuntary smile spread across his face. "Yeah, Jing-Mei, there's no hard feelings," he whispered to himself.