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. As Mark and Gamma head out to pick up the ransom money, they run into Carter and Abby coming in the door. When the kidnappers call back, the cops and ER staff learn Malucci was actually the victim.
A/N: The words in the brackets are the interpretation for Malucci.
Part 8
Capt. Amos: Well, the APB should work. Hopefully, my men will locate your friend and this will turn out to be a hoax.
Mark: Captain, we've been talking it over and the more we think about it we don't think this is a hoax.
Kerry: You guys have got to be kidding? Jing-Mei, even you said Malucci's comments were weird.
Jing-Mei: What I said is what Dave was saying was odd and he didn't sound like himself. He was scared and that is just not Malucci.
Capt. Amos: Someone call the hospital and see if Dr. Malucci's checked in yet.
Lydia: I'll do it.
Capt. Amos: Alright, let's just go on the assumption that this kidnapping is real. It's obvious that Dr. Carter was the intended victim. Tell me Dr. Carter, has there been any strange occurrences with you lately. Anything out of the normal?
Carter: No, nothing really.
Lydia comes back from calling the hospital.
Lydia: According to Jerry, Dr. Dave still hasn't shown up and Romano is pissed.
Elizabeth: Look, Malucci is a jerk, but he's smart---street smart.
Jing-Mei: Elizabeth has a point. Malucci is from the streets; he knows a few a tricks. Maybe he was trying to give us a clue when they let him to talk to us.
Capt. Amos: That's a possibility. Sgt. Palladino, let's have the tape of that last phone conversation. I have a feeling we're missing something.
Sgt. Palladino removed the tape from the recorder and replaced it with a blank one. He got another tape player and put in the phone conversation. As Capt. Amos was about to hit the play button, Jing-Mei stopped him.
Jing-Mei: Please captain. Let's just listen to the beginning of the tape. I don't think I can handle hearing the ending again.
Capt. Amos: Okay. We can do that.
Jing-Mei: Thank you, captain.
Capt. Amos prepares to play the tape as everyone gathers around and listens very closely. The room falls completely silent.
Meanwhile, the abductors are about on their second bottle of aspirin to alleviate the migraines that Malucci is given them.
Rico: No wonder it's taking so long for them to get the money together. They obviously are in no hurry to get this punk back.
Malucci: I heard that!!
Frankie: Hey paisan, I thought that broken jaw of yours would shut you up!!!
Dino: Maybe, you should break his other jaw, huh Rico.
Malucci: Oh, Rico is it! Good to know that.
Rico: You, stupido. You said my name and Carter heard you.
Dino: What does it matter? He ain't getting out of here alive anyway.
Rico: That is beside the point.
Malucci starts to suck his teeth louder and louder and intentionally trying to annoy his keepers.
Rico: What the hell is your problem now, Carter.?
Malucci: I'm hungry. I never had lunch.
Rico: Too damn bad!!!
Malucci: Mental reminder, Rico. Next time you kidnap someone make sure they eat first if you don't want to hear them and their stomachs growling.
Frankie: Hey, I'm kinda hungry, too.
Dino: So am I. Let's get some food from the airport cafeteria.
Rico: You have a death wish, el stupido. Now you told him where he is.
Dino: In case you haven't noticed, we have B-747's flying overhead. I think he knows where he is. So, what about the food?
Rico: Alright,(pointing at Frankie) you go for it. What do we want to eat?
Malucci: Porterhouse steak!
Rico: You'll be eating shit out of the toilet if you don't shut the fuck up and stop interrupting.
Frankie and Dino: Burgers.
Rico: Alright, sounds good.
Malucci: Make mine well done, with everything on it, extra large hot fries and a vanilla milkshake--not to thick but not to watery also no salt on the fries and...
Rico(whispering to Frankie and Dino): And make sure you put some crazy glue on his burger, too.
The rotten trio start to laugh.
Malucci: I heard that.
At the hall, everyone listens to the tape over and over again and are getting nowhere with it. The last time they listen to the tape, they forget to shut it off and it keeps playing and they hear Malucci being tortured on it, again.
Jing-Mei(upset and with tears in her eyes, slams the play button off): You promised you wouldn't play that part of the tape.
Capt. Amos: I'm so sorry, miss. It was an accident.
The others try to comfort Jing-Mei with little success.
Jing-Mei: I can't help but wonder what is happening to Dave right now.
Abby: I'm sure he is fine. Malucci is alot of things, that I rather not mention right now, but the most of all is a survivor.
Jing-Mei: I guess he'd have to be after what he's been through all his life.
Elizabeth: What do you mean, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: Nothing. It doesn't matter now.
Capt. Amos: Listen everyone, if Dr. Malucci does what they tell him, he should be okay.
Everyone looks at each other doubtful.
Kerry: I beg to differ with you Captain. There's one thing you don't seem to understand that the rest of us do. The doctor that they have has a REAL problem with authority.
Capt. Amos: Respecting it?
Kerry: He has no respect for it.
Peter: The truth is Dr. Malucci is his own worst enemy.
Capt. Amos: Well then, there shouldn't really be a problem, should there?
Luka: Why not?
Capt. Amos: Hasn't anyone ever read the book, The Ransom of Red Chief?
Mark: Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?
Capt. Amos: The little boy, in the book, who was kidnapped became so annoying that his kidnappers were willing to pay his parents to take him back off their hands. So, if your Dr. Malucci is really the pain in the ass that you said he is, then I'm sure his kidnappers can't wait to give him back.
Jing-Mei: Or kill him.
Haleh: Well, Dr. Dave's personality might actually work to his advantage for once.
The group goes back to listening to the tape.
Jing-Mei: I just know there's a clue from Dave in there somewhere.
Capt. Amos: You guys, did that sound like Dr. Malucci to you?
Mark: Actually, it was kind of hard to hear with all the background noises.
Capt. Amos: That's it!!! The background noises. What does it sound like to you?
They all concentrate real hard on the noises.
Luka: Planes. Definitely planes.
Jing-Mei: The airport. O'Hare airport.
Sgt. Palladino: That would make sense since the partial trace we had came from the direction of the airport.
Capt. Amos: But where at the airport? Where could they hold someone at there?
Jing-Mei: Let's just keep listening to the tape. Dave gave us a clue, I know it.
Capt. Amos: We have to concentrate on the only sentence that Dr. Malucci was able to say before they...silenced him.
Mark: Well, he was saying how uncomfortable his blindfold was and that there was a bad smell from gasoline.
Capt. Amos: Where do they keep gasoline at the airport?
Peter: In a hangar.
Capt. Amos: Yes, but which hangar? There has to be at least a dozen out there.
Gamma: I hate to interrupt your brainstorming, but what about the ransom money?
Mark: I guess we forgot about that. Well, we were going to pay 10 million dollars to get Carter back. Just how much are we going to pay to get Malucci back?
Peter: And do we really want Malucci back?
Jing-Mei takes offense to that remark and runs crying to the other side of the room. Peter follows her.
Peter: I'm sorry Jing-Mei. I didn't mean that. Without Malucci here, someone has to provide the comic relief. I know it doesn't look like it everyone, but I'm just as worried about Malucci as you are.
Kerry: We all are.
Luka: Something about this tape is bothering me. Malucci said it could be 7 times worse than it was.
Abby: So what?
Luka: Usually when people use numbers as reference they most always round off to 5 or 10. But Malucci said 7. Why such an unusual number? Why did he pick THAT number?
Mark: Hangar #7. That's where they're holding him.
Jing-Mei: Oh good boy, Dave. Good boy.
Capt. Amos(talking into his radio): Capt. Amos, here. I need you to send some men over to O'Hare airport, Hangar # 7. Surround the place but approach with extreme caution. We may have a civilian hostage inside.
Carter: Capt. Amos, you asked me earlier if anything out of the ordinary has happened lately. Well, I just remembered something. About six weeks ago, I started receiving mystery phone calls.
Capt. Amos: What do you mean, mystery phone calls?
Carter: The person kept asking for me and then when I got on the phone they said, that they were coming after me and just yesterday I got one that said, tonight is the night.
Kerry: And you're just remembering this now, Carter?
Carter: I thought it was Malucci. I thought he was getting even with me for setting him up with Jing-Mei.
Capt. Amos: Did you confront Dr. Malucci about these calls?
Carter: He denied it. Except yesterday, he admitted that it was him. The more I think about it I guess he was just humoring me so I would lend him...(dropping his head down in shame and sorrow)my car.
Capt. Amos: Did you recognize the voice on the phone?
Carter: No, it was all muffled like with a rag. Probably the same rag that was used to chloroform Malucci.(pause) But, I did receive a note in my locker a couple of weeks ago. Even the handwriting looked like Malucci's. Totally illegible.
Capt. Amos: Do you still have the note?
Carter: It's back in my locker at the hospital.
Capt. Amos: I want that note. It's evidence. We may be able to trace the handwriting or lift some prints off of it.
Capt. Amos leaves word at the hall that he can be reached at Cook County Hospital. He left for the hospital with Carter and the other ER staffers who realized they had to get to work.
At the hangar, the trio finishes eating and goes back to planning their next move. Malucci, getting restless and frustrated at being bound and blindfolded for so long starts to tap his foot on the floor.
Rico: Stop that!
Malucci: Sorry, my legs are falling to sleep. I need to get up and stretch and walk around for awhile.
Frankie: No fucking way, paisan.
A few minutes pass and Malucci starts rocking back and forth in his chair, lifting the two front legs off the ground and balancing on the back legs. Then he drops it and the legs slam to the floor.
Rico: What the fuck is your problem, now?
Malucci(looking down to the ground, like a hurt little boy) I have to go to the bathroom.
Frankie: Too fucking bad, paisan. I guess you'll just have to hold it.
Malucci: Alright, but it's going to start to stink in here soon.
Rico(pointing at Frankie): Get him up and take him to the bathroom.
Malucci: Finally!
Frankie undoes the ropes securing Malucci to his chair and leads him by his scrub shirt top to the bathroom.
Malucci: Well. (holding his hands out to his guard).
Frankie: Well what?
Malucci: Either you untie my hands or you're going to have to hold my dick. I don't know about you, but I know I wouldn't enjoy that. I've never seen you but just by the sound of your voice I assume you're a dude and I don't go that way.
Frankie: Fuck you, paisan. I ain't no fag.
Rico: Untie his hands but keep your guard up.
Frankie regretfully does as he is told and unties Malucci's hands. Malucci starts to rub his wrists.
Malucci: Aren't you forgetting something?
Frankie: What now?
Malucci: My blindfold. I can't see where I'm aiming at.
Frankie: The toilet's right in front of you and good luck.
Malucci: Do you mind? A little privacy please.
Frankie: Forget it. Just do your business and forget that I'm here.
As Malucci blindly goes to the bathroom, he is unaware that Frankie is staring at his(Dave's) water hose and licking his lips.
Frankie(thinking to himself): Shit, am I really a fag because I like what I see.
When Malucci finishes, Frankie escorts him outside the bathroom and prepares to tie Dave up again, when Malucci, using his own natural instincts and his street-fighting abilities elbows Frankie to the face. With all his adrenaline pouring out, Malucci forgets to take the blindfold off and reaches for Frankie on floor. He finds him and starts pounding him with all the strength he can get in his muscular arms. Rico and Dino hear Frankie scream and run over to him. They grab Malucci and double team him. They start kicking and punching him. Once Frankie gets back on his feet, he goes for the crowbar and starts smashing Malucci in the chest, head and back. Malucci starts screaming with all his lung power. After about fifteen minutes of torturing Malucci, they grabbed him by his scrub shirt and pulled him to his feet. They dragged a barely conscious and bloody Malucci over to his chair and tie him to it again.
Rico: You are going to so regret that. You don't know the big mistake you just made. From now on, you can piss yourself for all I give a damn!
Malucci starts gasping for air. He's having difficulty breathing because of the blows to his chest.
Malucci: Fuck you, bastards!
Rico: That's it! I've had just about enough out of your fucking mouth. Gag him.
As Malucci recovers from his severe beating, Dino walks up behind him and just out of spite pops him in the back of his head again with the crowbar.
Dino: Want more? We can certainly accommodate you.
Malucci: Kiss my ass, mother fuck...
Rico jams the gag in Malucci's mouth, muffling his words but certainly not silencing him. Malucci, aggravated and frustrated continues to try to talk through his gag.
Frankie: We should have done that to him in the first place. Would have saved us all a few migraines.
Malucci: FK YU fuck you GT TS FKNG TNG OF M!!! get this fucking thing off me U SN OF BTH!!!you son of a bitch
Dino: Boy, even with a gag in his mouth, he won't shut up. You're not such a tough guy anymore since you can't flap your big yap.
Malucci: GTO HLL, PSY go to hell, pussy
Rico: Yeah, well he's too badly hurt, he's not going to stay conscious much longer. He'll tire himself out. Just ignore him. Get me the phone. It's been over an hour, time to make our next call and get our money and him the hell out of here.
Frankie walks over to get the phone when something catches his eye on the floor. He goes over and picks it up and his jaw drops and he can't believe his eyes. He runs back to his friends and show them.
Frankie: Hey, paisans! Check this out. I found it on the floor near the bathroom. He must have dropped it when he attacked me.
As Dino and Rico examine Malucci's hospital ID, they walk over to him and look back at the picture.
Rico(to Malucci): What is your name?
Malucci: SRW U!screw you
Dino: The man asked you a question. What the fuck is your name?
Malucci: JN CRTR. John Carter
Rico: Liar!!( busting Malucci across the mouth). I don't fucking believe this!! This ain't Carter. We snatched the wrong fucking, doctor.
To be continued...Please read and review.