Disclaimer: Let's screw the disclaimer! I want Erik!
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Dave bustled around his kitchen, making breakfast for his son and himself.
"What do you want, Jer?" Dave asked the child, who was standing next to him.
"I dunno," Jeremy replied.
"No, really, Dad has to go to work today and I have to drop you off at school and we need to hurry," Dave babbled.
"Can I have pancakes?"
"No, no, you can't have pancakes, that'll take too long. Do you want a pop tart?"
"No."
"Do you want a waffle?"
"No."
"Then what do you want?"
"Pancakes."
"Jeremy, please, we can't have pancakes. Not today. I'll make them for you later."
"Can we have them for dinner?"
Dave threw his hands in the air. "Fine, I'll make pancakes for dinner."
"Daddy, are you mad at me?"
Dave turned to his son and sighed. The rubbed his eyes and knelt down. "No, Tiger, I'm not mad at you. It's just that Daddy's a little tired right now and he's busy. Look, how about I toast a Pop Tart for you and I'll make you pancakes when I come home, okay?"
Jeremy nodded happily.
"Yeah? Sound good? Okay," Dave said, smiling. He walked over to one of the kitchen cabinets, opened it, and grabbed the box of Pop Tarts. He took three out and put them in the toaster.
"Do you want something to drink?" Dave asked.
"Chocolate milk?" Jeremy pleaded.
Dave chuckled. "Sure, why not?"
He grabbed the milk out of the refrigerator and poured it into a glass. Then he grabbed the Nestle chocolate powder, mixed it with the milk, and handed the finished product to Jeremy.
"Thank you, Daddy!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Uh-huh," Dave grunted as the Pop Tarts popped out of the toaster. He put the food onto a plate and put it on the kitchen counter. He took the milk out of Jeremy's hand, set it on the table, and lifted Jeremy up onto a chair. "Okay, you eat your breakfast, and I am going to get our things."
Jeremy nodded, already stuffing his face with his food.
Dave walked into his room, opened his closet, and grabbed his backpack. He spotted his helmet in the corner and picked it up. He left his room and walked into Jeremy's, where he snatched up his school bag, making sure all of Jeremy's supplies were in it. The doorbell rang and Dave groaned. He ran into the living room, dropped the things he was holding, and opened the door.
"Hi, Gwen," Dave greeted.
"Hey, Dave, how's it going?" Gwen asked, a cheerful smile spread across her slightly tanned skin.
"Not much, I'm just getting our stuff ready. Jeremy's in the kitchen eating," Dave informed.
"So are you excited about your first day back at work?" Gwen asked.
"I think the right word would be nervous," Dave corrected.
Gwen laughed. "I'll bet."
"Yeah, I just hope I don't get into any big trouble with Chief today."
"Hey," Gwen started.
Dave turned to look at her.
"Don't let her get you down," she continued, her facial expression serious. "You're a great doctor. Don't let anybody tell you differently."
Dave smiled at her sincerity. "Thanks, Gwen."
Gwen gave him a tight smile and nodded.
"Gwen!" Jeremy yelled gleefully when he ran out of the kitchen.
"Hey, little man!" Gwen exclaimed, her tone changing from serious to cheerfulness. "Are you ready?"
"Uh-huh!" Jeremy replied, running over to Dave, who had grabbed their jackets from the coat rack. Dave helped Jeremy put on his jacket and handed him his bag.
"Now, you behave," Dave said sternly, repeating what he said every morning right before Jeremy left for school.
"I will," Jeremy promised.
Dave gave a curt nod. It wasn't long before he broke into a laugh, picked up his son, and swung him around in a big hug. "Okay, get out of here," Dave laughed.
"Come on, kid," Gwen said, holding out her hand, which Jeremy took. She led him toward the open door. Before they left, Jeremy turned and waved at his father.
"Bye, Daddy!" Jeremy called.
"Bye," Dave called back.
Dave shut the door and walked to the kitchen. He found one Pop Tart left on the plate and the glass of milk empty. He shrugged, picked up the Pop Tart, and started munching on it. He picked up the plate and glass and dumped them in the sink. He yawned and looked at his watch. His shift started in…30 minutes?!
"Aw, crap," Dave muttered, wiping the crumbs off his clothes and face. He ran into the living room, strapped on his helmet, put on his jacket, grabbed his bag and keys, and ran out the door, closing and locking it behind him. He raced down the stairs, unlocked his bike from the rack outside, and pedaled as fast as he could to County.
When Dave reached his destination, he, once again, locked his bike to the familiar rack in front of the ER building. He looked at his watch and saw that he had made it with 5 minutes to spare. He took a deep breath and walked into the building. He looked around and saw people racing around, busy as bees. He saw Dr. Weaver at the admit desk. At that moment, she turned and spotted him standing in front of the sliding doors. She limped toward him and gave him a warm smile.
"Hello, Dave," she greeted half-heartedly.
"Hi, Chief," Dave replied. "Uh, I need to put my stuff away…and I need to go up to Dr. Romano's office, too."
"Oh, yes, of course. Well, we had to give your locker away, but you can leave your stuff on the floor in the Lounge, and you can go upstairs when you're down," Kerry told him.
Dave nodded and walked into the Lounge. He paused and turned back to his boss. "Chief?"
Kerry turned to face him. "Yes?"
"I just want to thank you. For giving me another chance."
She shrugged. "Everybody deserves a second chance," she stated before turning again and walking off. Dave stared after her before narrowing his eyes and walking into the Lounge.
"Dave?"
"Hey, Jing-Mei," Dave said, trying not to laugh at the shocked expression on Chen's face.
"Wha…what are you doing here?" she asked.
"You're not the only one who can get rehired," Dave replied, putting his belongings down next to the couch.
"I…I don't know…I mean…wow," she stuttered.
Dave gave him one of his classic smiles. "So, I heard you got a spot as an attending?"
"Uh, yeah," Jing-Mei confirmed.
"Huh," Dave grunted. "What'd you do to weasel yourself into that?"
"Excuse me?" Jing-Mei asked.
"Hey, don't get offensive," Dave said, holding up his hands in surrender mode. "But come on, they wouldn't just give you that position."
"It's none of your business," Jing-Mei replied.
"Fine, fine," Dave agreed, putting his hands back down. "Well, if you'll excuse me I have to go see Dr. Romano."
"See ya," Jing-Mei called.
Dave held up a hand to acknowledge her and walked out the door.
He walked toward the elevator, trying to ignore some of the odd looks he was getting. Occasionally he got a welcoming smile and a wave, which he returned, but he had also got the "what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here" looks as well. He continued walking, quickening his stride, and ran right into Carter. Dave smiled.
"Hey, Carter," Dave said to him.
"Hey! Dave! Weaver hired you back?" Carter exclaimed.
"Yeah, how'd you know about it?" Dave asked, curiously.
"Uh, it doesn't matter. So, how are you?" Carter replied, changing the subject.
"Eh, nothing much," Dave said, shrugging off the curt reply to his question. "You know, the usual, watching some movies, watching a little TV, eating, taking care of my son, reading…"
"Wait, wait, wait," Carter interrupted. "Son?"
"Yeah, didn't you hear?" Dave asked.
"Well, yeah, but I didn't think it was true," Carter said.
Dave tilted his head. "What, you think I was lying to keep my job?"
"I…I…" Carter stammered, shaking his head.
"Carter, it's cool, man, don't worry. I'm sure everyone in this place thinks I lied," Dave speculated. "Well, I've got to be getting upstairs, Dr. Romano's expecting me."
"Okay, I'll see you later, then," Carter replied.
Dave smiled in reply and pressed the Up button to the elevator. Carter's voice calling his name made him turn.
"Dave!"
"What's up, Carter?"
"Welcome back," Carter called, smiling widely.
Dave nodded. "Thanks, man."
The elevator dinged and Dave walked onto it. The doors closed and he pressed the button to which the OR floor was on. When the doors opened again, he walked out and headed straight to Romano's office. He knocked on the door.
"Enter!" Robert called.
Dave rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Good morning, Dr. Romano."
"Ah, Dr. Malucci, welcome back to the hellhole," Robert greeted.
Dave stifled a laugh. "Thank you, I guess. Did you just want me to check in or did you want to speak with me?"
"Yes, yes, have a seat," Robert said, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Dave complied and sat down in a chair.
"Well, Malucci, we both know that you've made a major mistake, correct?" Robert said.
"Yes, sir," Dave said, quietly.
"That case has been closed," Robert said strictly. "You are never to speak of that in or outside of the ER again, understood?"
"Yes, absolutely," Dave replied, nodding.
"Good," Robert said. He leaned in. "Now, if Weaver gives you any trouble, just come to me and let me know, you got it?"
"Uh…well, okay, but I don't think…" Dave started.
"Perfect!" Robert exclaimed, cutting him off. "Now, go have a nice first day back at work and don't get hurt."
"I…"
"Get out," Robert ordered, pointing to the door.
Dave blinked in surprise and stood up. "Thank you, sir."
He turned and walked out of the office. He went right back to the elevator and went back down to the ER to start his first day back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dave bustled around his kitchen, making breakfast for his son and himself.
"What do you want, Jer?" Dave asked the child, who was standing next to him.
"I dunno," Jeremy replied.
"No, really, Dad has to go to work today and I have to drop you off at school and we need to hurry," Dave babbled.
"Can I have pancakes?"
"No, no, you can't have pancakes, that'll take too long. Do you want a pop tart?"
"No."
"Do you want a waffle?"
"No."
"Then what do you want?"
"Pancakes."
"Jeremy, please, we can't have pancakes. Not today. I'll make them for you later."
"Can we have them for dinner?"
Dave threw his hands in the air. "Fine, I'll make pancakes for dinner."
"Daddy, are you mad at me?"
Dave turned to his son and sighed. The rubbed his eyes and knelt down. "No, Tiger, I'm not mad at you. It's just that Daddy's a little tired right now and he's busy. Look, how about I toast a Pop Tart for you and I'll make you pancakes when I come home, okay?"
Jeremy nodded happily.
"Yeah? Sound good? Okay," Dave said, smiling. He walked over to one of the kitchen cabinets, opened it, and grabbed the box of Pop Tarts. He took three out and put them in the toaster.
"Do you want something to drink?" Dave asked.
"Chocolate milk?" Jeremy pleaded.
Dave chuckled. "Sure, why not?"
He grabbed the milk out of the refrigerator and poured it into a glass. Then he grabbed the Nestle chocolate powder, mixed it with the milk, and handed the finished product to Jeremy.
"Thank you, Daddy!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Uh-huh," Dave grunted as the Pop Tarts popped out of the toaster. He put the food onto a plate and put it on the kitchen counter. He took the milk out of Jeremy's hand, set it on the table, and lifted Jeremy up onto a chair. "Okay, you eat your breakfast, and I am going to get our things."
Jeremy nodded, already stuffing his face with his food.
Dave walked into his room, opened his closet, and grabbed his backpack. He spotted his helmet in the corner and picked it up. He left his room and walked into Jeremy's, where he snatched up his school bag, making sure all of Jeremy's supplies were in it. The doorbell rang and Dave groaned. He ran into the living room, dropped the things he was holding, and opened the door.
"Hi, Gwen," Dave greeted.
"Hey, Dave, how's it going?" Gwen asked, a cheerful smile spread across her slightly tanned skin.
"Not much, I'm just getting our stuff ready. Jeremy's in the kitchen eating," Dave informed.
"So are you excited about your first day back at work?" Gwen asked.
"I think the right word would be nervous," Dave corrected.
Gwen laughed. "I'll bet."
"Yeah, I just hope I don't get into any big trouble with Chief today."
"Hey," Gwen started.
Dave turned to look at her.
"Don't let her get you down," she continued, her facial expression serious. "You're a great doctor. Don't let anybody tell you differently."
Dave smiled at her sincerity. "Thanks, Gwen."
Gwen gave him a tight smile and nodded.
"Gwen!" Jeremy yelled gleefully when he ran out of the kitchen.
"Hey, little man!" Gwen exclaimed, her tone changing from serious to cheerfulness. "Are you ready?"
"Uh-huh!" Jeremy replied, running over to Dave, who had grabbed their jackets from the coat rack. Dave helped Jeremy put on his jacket and handed him his bag.
"Now, you behave," Dave said sternly, repeating what he said every morning right before Jeremy left for school.
"I will," Jeremy promised.
Dave gave a curt nod. It wasn't long before he broke into a laugh, picked up his son, and swung him around in a big hug. "Okay, get out of here," Dave laughed.
"Come on, kid," Gwen said, holding out her hand, which Jeremy took. She led him toward the open door. Before they left, Jeremy turned and waved at his father.
"Bye, Daddy!" Jeremy called.
"Bye," Dave called back.
Dave shut the door and walked to the kitchen. He found one Pop Tart left on the plate and the glass of milk empty. He shrugged, picked up the Pop Tart, and started munching on it. He picked up the plate and glass and dumped them in the sink. He yawned and looked at his watch. His shift started in…30 minutes?!
"Aw, crap," Dave muttered, wiping the crumbs off his clothes and face. He ran into the living room, strapped on his helmet, put on his jacket, grabbed his bag and keys, and ran out the door, closing and locking it behind him. He raced down the stairs, unlocked his bike from the rack outside, and pedaled as fast as he could to County.
When Dave reached his destination, he, once again, locked his bike to the familiar rack in front of the ER building. He looked at his watch and saw that he had made it with 5 minutes to spare. He took a deep breath and walked into the building. He looked around and saw people racing around, busy as bees. He saw Dr. Weaver at the admit desk. At that moment, she turned and spotted him standing in front of the sliding doors. She limped toward him and gave him a warm smile.
"Hello, Dave," she greeted half-heartedly.
"Hi, Chief," Dave replied. "Uh, I need to put my stuff away…and I need to go up to Dr. Romano's office, too."
"Oh, yes, of course. Well, we had to give your locker away, but you can leave your stuff on the floor in the Lounge, and you can go upstairs when you're down," Kerry told him.
Dave nodded and walked into the Lounge. He paused and turned back to his boss. "Chief?"
Kerry turned to face him. "Yes?"
"I just want to thank you. For giving me another chance."
She shrugged. "Everybody deserves a second chance," she stated before turning again and walking off. Dave stared after her before narrowing his eyes and walking into the Lounge.
"Dave?"
"Hey, Jing-Mei," Dave said, trying not to laugh at the shocked expression on Chen's face.
"Wha…what are you doing here?" she asked.
"You're not the only one who can get rehired," Dave replied, putting his belongings down next to the couch.
"I…I don't know…I mean…wow," she stuttered.
Dave gave him one of his classic smiles. "So, I heard you got a spot as an attending?"
"Uh, yeah," Jing-Mei confirmed.
"Huh," Dave grunted. "What'd you do to weasel yourself into that?"
"Excuse me?" Jing-Mei asked.
"Hey, don't get offensive," Dave said, holding up his hands in surrender mode. "But come on, they wouldn't just give you that position."
"It's none of your business," Jing-Mei replied.
"Fine, fine," Dave agreed, putting his hands back down. "Well, if you'll excuse me I have to go see Dr. Romano."
"See ya," Jing-Mei called.
Dave held up a hand to acknowledge her and walked out the door.
He walked toward the elevator, trying to ignore some of the odd looks he was getting. Occasionally he got a welcoming smile and a wave, which he returned, but he had also got the "what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here" looks as well. He continued walking, quickening his stride, and ran right into Carter. Dave smiled.
"Hey, Carter," Dave said to him.
"Hey! Dave! Weaver hired you back?" Carter exclaimed.
"Yeah, how'd you know about it?" Dave asked, curiously.
"Uh, it doesn't matter. So, how are you?" Carter replied, changing the subject.
"Eh, nothing much," Dave said, shrugging off the curt reply to his question. "You know, the usual, watching some movies, watching a little TV, eating, taking care of my son, reading…"
"Wait, wait, wait," Carter interrupted. "Son?"
"Yeah, didn't you hear?" Dave asked.
"Well, yeah, but I didn't think it was true," Carter said.
Dave tilted his head. "What, you think I was lying to keep my job?"
"I…I…" Carter stammered, shaking his head.
"Carter, it's cool, man, don't worry. I'm sure everyone in this place thinks I lied," Dave speculated. "Well, I've got to be getting upstairs, Dr. Romano's expecting me."
"Okay, I'll see you later, then," Carter replied.
Dave smiled in reply and pressed the Up button to the elevator. Carter's voice calling his name made him turn.
"Dave!"
"What's up, Carter?"
"Welcome back," Carter called, smiling widely.
Dave nodded. "Thanks, man."
The elevator dinged and Dave walked onto it. The doors closed and he pressed the button to which the OR floor was on. When the doors opened again, he walked out and headed straight to Romano's office. He knocked on the door.
"Enter!" Robert called.
Dave rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Good morning, Dr. Romano."
"Ah, Dr. Malucci, welcome back to the hellhole," Robert greeted.
Dave stifled a laugh. "Thank you, I guess. Did you just want me to check in or did you want to speak with me?"
"Yes, yes, have a seat," Robert said, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Dave complied and sat down in a chair.
"Well, Malucci, we both know that you've made a major mistake, correct?" Robert said.
"Yes, sir," Dave said, quietly.
"That case has been closed," Robert said strictly. "You are never to speak of that in or outside of the ER again, understood?"
"Yes, absolutely," Dave replied, nodding.
"Good," Robert said. He leaned in. "Now, if Weaver gives you any trouble, just come to me and let me know, you got it?"
"Uh…well, okay, but I don't think…" Dave started.
"Perfect!" Robert exclaimed, cutting him off. "Now, go have a nice first day back at work and don't get hurt."
"I…"
"Get out," Robert ordered, pointing to the door.
Dave blinked in surprise and stood up. "Thank you, sir."
He turned and walked out of the office. He went right back to the elevator and went back down to the ER to start his first day back.