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PART 10

Kerry tried to explain to Cheryl what had happened to her boyfriend. She knew she was going to have to tell Allison about her daddy, but before she could even open her mouth, Allison walked up to her, tugged on her skirt and asked," Is daddy going to die?" She couldn't lie to her daughter since she knew the little girl was too smart not to figure it out. She bent down to her crying daughter and said, "Yes, he is. But even though, daddy can't be with us anymore doesn't mean he is out of our lives forever. He will always be with us and watching over us in everything we do." Allison asked," Is daddy hurting?" Cheryl trying to keep from crying she said, " No, your daddy never regained consciousness...never woke up again, his death was very quick and quiet, so I don't think he was any pain." Allison shook her head," Good!" Not wanting to interrupt this moment between Cheryl and Allison, but knowing that she had to be told, Abby told Cheryl that she had something for her that Dave was planning on giving her tonight. Then she handed Cheryl the engagement ring and Cheryl could no longer hold back her tears.

Elizabeth came down to the ER and told everyone that once the red tape was completed everything would move rather quickly, so if there was anything they had left to say to Malucci now was the time. One after another the ER staff went into Trauma two and bid a final goodbye to the fallen doctor. Then the family went in to say goodbye with the ER staff standing nearby in case they had to rush Dave up to surgery in a hurry. Dave's brother-in-law and nephews made their goodbyes quick. Allison lifted her daddy's hand over her head so that it would stroke her hair one last time, then she kissed his hand and said in a very soft voice, "Goodbye, Daddy, I will always love you." Maria's husband had taken the children out of the room. Then Cheryl sat down by Dave and took a deep breath as if she was trying to take it all in without crying again. (DEATH SCENE MUSIC FROM TERMS OF ENDEARMENT PLAYS THE ENTIRE TIME DURING CHERYL AND MARIA'S GOODBYES TO DAVE) She said, " Well, --Lucci, your friends are sorry that they had to spoil your surprise but I know about the ring and what you were planning on doing tonight. For what it's worth I would of said yes. I would have been very proud to be your wife as I was very proud to be the mother of your daughter. I couldn't ask for a better father for Allison. You have done something that not many fathers ever will. You've given our daughter life twice. Because you selflessly put her life in front of yours I still have my little baby with me and she will have a chance to grow up--- because of you. There's no way in the world I could ever thank you for giving your life in exchange for hers. Do you remember that I needed to tell you something yesterday morning, but I put it off because I wanted to make sure first. I was going to surprise you with it at dinner tonight but you're not going to be around tonight so this is the only time we have. I'm pregnant. About two months along and I just know it's going to be a boy because somewhere in those silver bullets you were shooting there was a y chromosome. He's going to be as handsome as his daddy and probably just as arrogant too. I will guarantee that your children are two people you will never have to worry about because I am going to take excellent care of them. I think I'm going to hold on to the ring so I could have something to remember you by, and I'll give it to Allison when she's older. I will be sure to tell our son what a big hero his daddy was. You will forever be in our hearts my dearest --Lucci." Cheryl picked his hand up and kissed it.

After Cheryl got up, Maria sat down by Dave and held his hand. She started , " Thank you for always being there when I was growing up. You made my childhood bearable and I can't imagine my life going on without you." She started to talk to the ER staff that remained in the room. "Do you know I never had a birthday or Christmas when I was a child. Without mom there, Dad wouldn't let us celebrate them and would never allow a Christmas tree in the house. But Davey always made sure I had a present to open on Christmas morning. He never admitted that it was from him. He said that Santa had brought it, and it was a gift from mom and god.. I knew better especially when one of those gifts almost cost Davey his life." She went on to explain what their last Christmas with their father was like.

***FLASHBACK***

Davey was 11 years old and I was 7 at the time. Dad never knew about the presents Davey had given me. This one particular Christmas, Davey had given me one those porcelain dolls with the long satin dresses. I wanted one for so long, Davey said I would get it sooner or later because I was such a good little girl. Well, Dad walked in right after I opened it. He was furious. He ripped the doll from my arms and smashed it on the floor. I was so upset that I ran over to a table and picked up a beer bottle and threw it at him, just missing his head. He started to scream swear words at us, in particular me. Davey told me to run to my room, lock the door and hide under the bed until things settled down and he came and got me as he usually did. I obeyed him. He stood in my dad's way of getting to me. Dad said he would not hurt Davey if he moved out of the way, but Davey stood his ground. As my dad tried to get to me, Davey hit him several times. Then I heard my dad call Davey a worthless little bastard and a fight broke out. I closed my eyes and ears tightly to block out Davey's screams. After about 30 minutes it started to quiet down. I didn't hear Davey scream anymore and it scared me. Did he put Davey in his closet or did he finally kill him? I had to know but I didn't dare step out of my room yet. I waited until I felt it was safe, about another 30-45 minutes. When I opened my bedroom door and looked into the living room, I saw something that a little girl should never see with her big brother.

Davey was unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood from his obvious head wounds. His hands were bound behind his back, his ankles tied and a rag stuffed in his mouth to keep him quiet. Nearby was the remains of Davey's baseball bat covered in blood. I went over to Davey and put my finger to his neck to see if I still had a brother and I did, barely, but something was strange. Davey was soaking wet and smelled weird. At first, I thought it was blood but it wasn't and I knew Davey wasn't sweating because we haven't had heat in the house for several months. I went over to the phone and called for an ambulance and as I headed back to Davey, something caught my eye. I noticed the gas can near the wall. It was usually in the garage. It was empty and it had been filled just a few hours ago because I had to move it go out the door. That was what I had smelled. Near Davey's head was a book of matches and I realized that my dad had tied Davey up, gagged him and beaten him unconscious then doused him with gasoline. If Dad didn't pass out drunk in the lounge chair he would have struck a match and dropped it on my brother. As I started to untie Davey and removed his gag from his mouth, which was covered in blood, Davey started to wake up. I tearfully put my hand over Davey's mouth to silence his groans so that he wouldn't wake up dad and he wouIdn't continue punishing Davey. I tried to help Davey into the bathroom , being careful not to cause a spark that would ignite Davey. I wanted to help him wash up but it was too late. The ambulance had arrived. The police were right behind them. When they saw the condition Davey was in and felt the below freezing temperature in the house they woke my dad up and arrested him on the spot. Davey and I were taken to the hospital to be checked out. I suffered only from mild hypothermia, but Davey was in critical condition. He had a fractured skull, several broken ribs, numerous broken bones throughout his body, cuts and rope burns on his wrists and ankles, severe inhalation from the gasoline and three crushed vertebrae. He needed emergency surgery to remove his ruptured spleen and he had a bad case of hypothermia. When the doctors noticed Davey's bruised, scarred, and burned covered body I was taken into foster care and after 5 months in the hospital recovering from his injuries, Davey was put in foster care, too. Davey still had trouble walking so he used a wheelchair then eventually worked his way up to using forearm crutches and full leg braces, which he had used for the next six years until his legs and back were strong again and he was able to walk unassisted. After six months in foster care, Davey and I were separated. Davey remained in the foster care system and I was eventually adopted. I never could understand why my new family would never adopt Davey too. Davey use to tell me he was too old besides nobody wanted damaged goods. That's what he thought of himself as. Davey and I kept in touch and did get to visit each other at least once a week. Our father was left out of jail a month before Davey was released from the hospital. He still tried to get to us and sometimes did. He even tried to get to Davey in his hospital room so he could see his "handy work" and to finish Davey off.

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Maria continued," As horrible as that Christmas seemed to be, it was probably the best one we had when we lived with my father, because for the first time in my life Davey finally got what he wanted for Christmas --taken away from our dad. I hope maybe this one story will make you all understand why Davey always acted immature at work but he really wasn't. He had to be an adult when he was just a little kid and now when he was an adult the kid inside him was kicking to get out." There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Maria turned to Dave still holding his hand, "All these years you protected me and saved my life, the same way you protected Allison today and now you have the chance to save another life. So I'll tell you what we will do. When you give your heart to Carter tonight , which is truly a wonderful, wonderful thing for you to do, then I will give you my heart and you take it where you're going and this way we will both be safe and no one will EVER be able to hurt us again. I promise" No longer able to control her emotions , Maria burst into tears and in between sobs told Dave how proud of him she was.

More to come. please read and review.