PART 12
Tired of waiting downstairs, several of the ER staff went up to the OR. They saw the surgical team leave with an ice chest. They knew that Dave's heart, Carter's new heart, was in it. Inside OR 1 they saw Maria sitting next to her brother's bed. In Italian, she said, "Go with god, my big brother and friend. I love you, Davey." Just then Malucci's respirator pumps went down for the last time and stopped.(NADIA'S THEME PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND HERE). Dave had drawn his last breath ever. Mark walked in and announced, " Official Time of Death for Dr. Malucci is 20:03. Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head resulting in simultaneous brain death. Maria and the ER staffs' emotions let loose. Cheryl enter the room and looked into the next OR through the glass window that separated the two ORS. Elizabeth said, "Hearts in place. Time to release the clamps and take Carter off bypass. Either it's going to be or not." The clamps were released. Carter's BP was rising, his pulse was getting stronger, he was pinking up and the heart was filling. He had excellent breath sounds and was coming off bypass without a single problem. The surgical team breathed a sigh of relief and as they started congratulating themselves for a job well done Romano said, " Good news Dr. Carter, you have a strong, healthy, perfect heart once again." Both Peter and Elizabeth looked into the next ER to see Cheryl's tear-covered half smiling/half crying face. She was happy Carter would live, but, saddened by her own loss.
(INSTRUTMENTAL SOUNDTRACK OF CELINE DION'S " MY HEART WILL GO ON" PLAYS HERE ) Cheryl turned to face the others and bent down over the open chest of Dave. She wanted to be the one to sew him up, she wanted it done right and careful, she owed him that. As Cheryl made the first stitch, she realized she couldn't do it. .She picked up Dave's cold hand and said, " God Bless you Dr. Dave. I love you ---Lucci." then put her head down and just cried while the others formed a circle around their late colleague.