The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Previously on ER: As the ER wonders what happened to a comatose Dr. Dave, we learn that just over 2 months previously he was carjacked on the way back from picking up an engagement ring for his girlfriend and future mother of his child, Jing-Mei. His abductors think they have Carter and so does the rest of the ER who get news of the kidnapping while attending a Carter family/hospital banquet. Mark and Gamma are on their way to pick up the ransom money when....
Part 7
Mark: Carter!
Gamma: John! You're here!
Carter: Yeah, I'm here. Aren't I suppose to be?
Carter and Abby look at Mark and Gamma completely confused. The foursome walk back into the hall and over to the cops and others.
Mark: Everyone, look who we found!
Everyone turns around and stand in shock as they see Carter and Abby walk in the door.
Kerry: You got away.
Carter: From the hospital?
Luka: No, from them.
Carter: From who?(looking completely confused and not having any idea what anyone is talking about) Where is everyone?
Gamma: Gone.
Abby: I know we're a little on the late side but I didn't think we'd miss the entire presentation.
Gamma: You didn't. I postponed it.
Carter: Why? Just because we're late.
Peter: No, because we had reason to think you weren't going to show at all.
Trying to get to the bottom of this, Capt. Amos intervenes.
Capt. Amos: Son, can you tell us where you've been for the last couple of hours?
Carter: I had to pick Abby up at the hospital and then the limo broke down.
Kerry: Why didn't you answer your pages?
Carter: I didn't know I was getting paged. (starts searching himself for his pager and coming up empty) I was rushing to get out of the house, I guess it might have fell off of me at home.
Kerry: And you couldn't pick up a phone and let us know you were going to be late.
Abby: We didn't have our cell phones on us and there were no phones where the limo broke down either.
Capt. Amos: So at no time tonight, your life was in danger?
Carter: Only from Gamma and what she'd do to me if I didn't show. Who are you, anyway?
Capt. Amos: Capt. Amos, Chief of Detectives. I was investigating this whole case.
Carter: What case? What is going on?
Peter: Never mind. We'll tell you later. It doesn't matter now that it turned out to be a hoax.
Mark: What I can't figure out is why they didn't say anything about the limo and Abby.
Carter and Abby continue to look completely confused.
Carter: Who didn't mention the limo and Abby? Come on you guys, what is going on?
Elizabeth: Carter, we thought you had been carjacked and kidnapped.
Carter: What on earth would give you that idea?
Mark: I got a phone call from someone who said he had you and if we didn't give them 10 million dollars they were going to kill you. I guess we just assumed they carjacked you from your Lexus.
Carter: They couldn't have got me in my Lexus, anyway. I haven't seen that all day. That's why I took the limo here tonight. I lent Maluc...(pause) Where's Dave at?
Kerry: You mean Dave Malucci. He'd better be at work if he knows what's good for him. He's already on my shit list for coming back from lunch late.
Carter: Before I left the hospital and headed home, Randi said that Malucci hasn't even checked in from lunch, yet. I told her to have him call me at home. He never did. I didn't think much about it at the time except Malucci was being his irresponsible self. But now... Jing-Mei, what did Malucci tell you when you saw him tonight?
Jing-Mei: I didn't see him. Do you believe that? I tell him I'm carrying his child and he stands me up.
Haleh: Knowing Dr. Dave, he ran for the hills at the thought of having to take on some responsibility, like a child.
Carter: You don't think that these people have Malucci, do you?
At the hangar, the abductors are getting nervous.
Rico: Well, they should have the money by now. I'll make my next call.
Malucci: You guys never answered my question before. How much are you asking for me?
Frankie: Ten million dollars, paisan.
Malucci(laughing): You guys are really barking up the wrong tree, there.
Rico: Why? Don't you think your family and friends would pay that to get you back? (pause) Come to think of it, why would they? You've only been here a few hours and I can't wait to get rid of you.
Obviously upset by that comment, Malucci struggles with his bonds in order to get loose and put his hands on his abductors throats. He tries vigorously to shake his blindfold off to get a look at his kidnappers, but fails to.
Frankie: Calm down there, paisan. You aren't going anywhere. So just get comfortable.
Rico: Alright, they had enough time. I'm making the call. Watch him.
Back at the hall:
Abby: You know I wouldn't be surprised if this was a famous Malucci practical joke or just an elaborate ploy to get out of work.
Jing-Mei: Maybe, but it's not like Dave to stand me up.
Kerry: Are you kidding? This is exactly like him.
The phone rings and everyone quiets down and stares at it.
Mark: I guess we don't have to answer it now that we know it's a hoax.
Capt. Amos: Don't be so sure. Dr. Green answer it anyway. Remember, you want to talk to the hostage first before you do anything. Sgt. Palladino, let's get that trace going through.
Mark: Alright, but it's a waste of time.
Capt. Amos: Put it on speakerphone, I want to hear the conversation too.
Mark hits the speakerphone button.
Mark: Hello, is that you?
Rico: Yeah, you got the money?
Capt. Amos mouths the words " talk to the hostage"
Mark: Not yet.
Rico: What the fuck do you mean, no?
Mark: I've been thinking. You haven't given us any proof that you even have our friend or that he's alive and alright. I want to talk to him.
Rico, realizing that may be the only way they get their money, pulls the phone over to Malucci and holds it up to him.(background sounds make the conversation difficult)
Rico(whispering to Malucci): Alright Carter, talk and mind what we say. Double cross us and your life isn't worth a plug nickel, got it.
Malucci nods.
Malucci: Hello, who's there?
Mark: Malucci, is that you?
Malucci: Yeah Dr. Green, it's me Carter.
Mark: Give me a break, Malucci. We're on to your little practical joke.
Malucci: What are you talking about? This isn't a joke, trust me.
Mark(smiling and trying to keep from laughing): Oh sure it isn't. Are you alright?
Malucci: For now. This damn blindfold is annoying but it could be 7 times worse. I think the worse is the gasoline sme...
Just then Rico snatches the phone away from Malucci as Dino holds a knife to his throat and shushes him.
Rico(speaking to Malucci): That was so stupid, Carter.(back into the phone) Now, do we get our money or do we kill your rich doctor, here.
Mark: No I don't think so. I think you're going to have to do better than that to carry off this joke.
Rico: Hey man, this is no joke. Does this sound like a joke?
Rico orders Frankie to bust Carter(Malucci) in the back of the head repeatedly. As the cops and ER staff standby, they hear the sounds of someone getting pounded and Malucci's screams.
Malucci: Yo, you guys! Do something here. Give them whatever they want before they kill me! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YO...
Then the cops and ER staff heard another crack of Malucci's skull and more of Malucci's screams and pleas for help.
Haleh: What are they doing? Torturing him.
Kerry: You're over doing it, Malucci. Good thing you never became an actor Dave, or you'd starve.
Rico: That had better be enough proof. Now, our times just about up here. GET OUR MONEY! We will call back in 1 hour with the next instructions. In the meantime, we have to take care of your doctor friend here, he's a little out of sorts.(hangs up)
Capt. Amos deactivates the speakerphone and looks at the others.
Capt. Amos: Well, what do you think? Real or hoax?
Jing-Mei: That sounded too real. Spooky. Besides, that whole conversation with Dave was weird. I never heard him sound like that before.
Kerry: You are forgetting everyone, that Malucci is an expert at pranks. I'll admit that was very, very good and everything about Malucci is weird.
Abby: True, Malucci is a jerk. But I don't think even he will do this.
Sgt. Palladino: Hey Captain, we have a partial trace on that last call. We're working on trying to narrow down the location.
Everyone wonders whether they should believe Malucci or not, when an officer walks in holding several bags.
Officer: We located Dr. Carter's car and this stuff was in it.
Capt. Amos: What condition was the car in, officer?
Officer: It was a mess. Both the front and back bumpers were smashed in. The seats were ripped like there was a struggle, blood all over the inside of the car.
Capt. Amos: What's in the bags, officer?
Officer: This is a blood sample we took from the driver's seat. I had a small sample sent over to the lab. It was A+.
Mark: Does anyone know Malucci's blood type?
Jing-Mei: Yeah, it's A+.
Abby: Doesn't mean anything. A+ isn't exactly rare.
Capt. Amos: What about the other bag?
Officer: A handkerchief was found on the floor of the car.
Capt. Amos took the bag and opened it. Before he could sniff it, the smell hit him.
Capt. Amos: WHEW! They over did it a bit.
Peter: What are you talking about?
Capt. Amos: Take a whiff.
Capt. Amos hands the open bag to Peter and he smells it.
Peter: What is that? (pause) Wait a minute. That's chloroform.
Capt. Amos: That would explain how they got hold of your friend.
Kerry: IF he was kidnapped, which I doubt. Malucci is a doctor. He could easily get his hands on chloroform for this prank to work.
Capt. Amos: You still have your doubts?
Kerry: I just know Malucci well enough to recognize one of his jokes and his sick sense of humor.
Capt. Amos: Well officer, tag these things as evidence and take them down to the station and did you guys impound the car?
Officer(confused): Yeah, but they're still dusting it for prints. Wait, who is Malucci?
Kerry: Just some crackpot resident at the hospital that gets his thrills at pulling practical jokes.
Capt. Amos: Officer, this is Dr. Carter. He wasn't driving his car at the time of the alleged kidnapping, Dr. Malucci was and everyone seems to think that he might be playing a prank on them. I think otherwise.
Officer: Okay, whatever. By the way Dr. Carter, you should be happy that we searched your car. We found your ring. Wouldn't want to lose that.
The officer handed Carter the ring and Carter without thinking grabs it and puts it in his pocket.
Carter: Thank you, officer. (pause) Wait. ( pulling the ring back out of his pocket) This isn't mine.
Capt. Amos: Are you sure Dr. Carter?
Carter: Yes, I'm sure. It's looks like something I would buy for a woman, but I've never seen it before. Unless...
Abby: Unless what?
Carter: When Malucci borrowed my car, he said he had to pick up Jing-Mei's birthday present.
Kerry: That still doesn't mean a thing. When Malucci pulls a prank he goes all out.
Carter: You don't get it, do you? Malucci can barely afford to get a haircut every six months. If he put this much money out on an expensive engagement ring like this, he intended to give it to Jing-Mei and not use it as prop for some fake kidnapping.
Everyone started seeing Carter's view and considering that this may be the real thing.
Capt. Amos(on his radio): This is Capt. Amos. I need you to put an APB out on a Dr. Dave Malucci.
At the hangar, Rico, Frankie and Dino debate their next move while Malucci recovers from the numerous blows to his head. Malucci starts to feel a liquid, watery substance run down his neck and back and realizes that the rear of his head is busted open and it's his blood that he feels.
Malucci: I'm bleeding to death over here.
Dino( walking over to Malucci): If that's the worse that happens to you, you're lucky. Now, for the last time, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
With that Dino, lays a powerful blow across Malucci's face, with the same crowbar they used to bash his head in earlier, causing his jaw to crack.
Frankie: Now maybe with a busted jaw, you won't be running that BIG MOUTH OF YOURS ANYMORE, PAISAN!
Malucci( thinking to himself): Don't be so sure, my Italian compadre.
To be continued. Please read and review.