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 gets 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.
Capt. Amos and the others learn about the mystery phone calls Carter's been getting while the kidnappers learn their hostage's true identity.
Trying to decide what to do with their hostile hostage, Rico and Dino visit their boss, Vincenzio Malucci in the hospital who learns that their hostage isn't the intended Carter but his own son, Dave. He decides that he has other plans for their captive.
After Rico, Dino, Frankie and Dr. Fallone get through with carrying out their orders on Malucci, they learn the cops are on to them and flee but not before finishing Malucci off.
Meanwhile they contact the hospital and set up the ransom drop as Mark and Gamma are about to leave with the money, the captain gets a call. His men found Malucci.
Malucci is brought into the hospital, comatose, and the ER staff learns about his critical injuries.
Part 13
As hours pass, the ER staff goes about their work, trying to keep their minds off of what is going on in surgery. Kerry assigned Jing-Mei to light duty, just sutures and minor injuries ordering her to take periodic naps in between. As Mark's shift nears the end, he receives a special delivery package.
Delivery Man: Is there a Dr. Mark Green, here?
Randi: I'll page him.
Within a couple of minutes, Mark arrives at the admit desk.
Mark: Did you page me, Randi?
Randi: Yeah, package for you.
Mark: I've been waiting for that.
Mark signs for the package and tips the delivery man. He takes the package behind the admit desk to where a small crowd has gathered of the ER staff.
Carter: Is that Malucci's medical records?
Mark: Yes, and hopefully this will tell us what we need to know.
By now most of the ER staff are aware of Malucci's medical mysteries. Jing-Mei comes out of the lounge, obviously still tired.
Abby: What are you doing up? You should still be sleeping. You need your rest.
Jing-Mei( yawning): I've slept enough. I can't just lay down and go to sleep without wondering what is happening with Dave's surgery.
Luka: No one's call down here yet to tell us anything. You know what they say, No News is Good News.
Jing-Mei: Are those Dave's records?
Mark: Yes. They just arrived. I have to hand it to Dave's sister. She said she'd get them here ASAP. She enclosed a note with them.
Jing-Mei: What's it say, Dr. Green?
Mark( reading Sophie's note to the ER): Dear Dr. Green, Thank you for letting me know about my brother's condition and as per your request I have obtained all of Davey's medical records that date from the day he was born to the day he left Italy. I would have faxed them to you, but as you can see, Davey's medical history is rather long and it would have taken me the next six weeks to send it to you that way. I fed-exed it to you and hope it will be useful to you. I will try to fly over to see you and my brother, but until I get there if you have any questions, and I know you will, feel free to call me. Once again, thank you for informing me and please take care of my brother and tell Davey that I love him. Sincerely yours, Sophie Pancamo.
Mark takes the record out of the manila envelope and everyone stares at it in shock.
Kerry: My god! Look how thick that is.
Carter: Looks like Dr. Dave has evidently spent alot of time in the hospital and not just as a doctor but as a patient, too.
Mark: Well, this is definitely going to take awhile. If anyone has anytime to spare, I could use help looking through it.
Kerry: I don't think we should. What about patient confidentiality.
Mark: I know we shouldn't but we need to know exactly what we are dealing with here. It's going to take me forever to do it by myself. I think in this case, we have to throw patient confidentiality out the window and friendship takes priority. I will take full responsibility for this. Any volunteers?
Several of the staffers agreed so they, along with Mark walked into the lounge to get started. After a couple of hours, the staff is finding what they're reading very hard to believe.
Carter(running his hand through his hair): I don't believe this.
Mark: This is too much. These injuries. Unbelievable!
Mark, Carter, Abby and Jing-Mei take turns reading off some of Dave's injuries they come across:
-Broken arms -Bumps -Sprains
-Broken legs -Bruises -Dislocated shoulders
-Fractured ribs -Cuts -Fractured pancreas
-Broken spine -Lacerations -Separated ribs
-Skull fractures -Blown vertebra -Seizures
-Collapsed lungs -Ruptured spleen -Broken jaw
-Burns -Overdosed -Bruised kidneys
-Stab wounds
Mark: Well, maybe this explains the steel rod and metal plate we found implanted in Dave. But I haven't come across anything about losing a kidney, bruised them but not have one removed, have any of you?
Carter, Abby and Jing-Mei: No, not yet.
Jing-Mei(shaking her head in disbelief and tears forming in her eyes): That son of a bitch. How could he do this to him? Thank god, they didn't put anything in there about the ra...
Abby: What was that, Jing-Mei? Do what to who?
Jing-Mei(realizing what she said aloud) Oh, uh nothing. Just thinking out loud.
Mark: Well, let's keep reading. It's got to be in there somewhere and there's a whole lot more of the file to go. And I mean A WHOLE LOT MORE.
As they continued to read, Kerry walked into the lounge.
Kerry: Find anything helpful, yet?
Carter: You would be amazed at what we found.
Kerry: Like what? Nothing about Malucci really surprises me.
Mark: These files would. I don't think there is one bone on that boy that hasn't been broken at least five times. And broken bones are not even the worse of it.
Kerry: I'm sure you'll fill me in later on all the details. But for now, Capt. Amos is out here and he has more questions for us.
Deciding to take a break from their reading, the three doctors and the nurse follow Kerry into the hall where they are greeted by the captain.
Capt. Amos: I'm sorry to disturb you but I have a few more questions about Dr. Malucci's injuries.
Mark: What do you want to know?
Capt. Amos: Just give me the highlights.
Luka: Dr. Malucci was brought in unconscious severely beaten beyond recognition, you know that.
Mark: He has fractures in his face, jaw, skull, spine and ribs- massive blood loss- multiple stab wounds, gunshot wound to the heart, rope burns on his arms, wrists and ankles, scratched corneas, mouth abrasions, collapsed lungs, crushed larynx, smoke inhalation, toxic absorption and covered in bruises from head to toe.
Capt. Amos: Dr. Greene, given what my men told us earlier do any of his injuries sound strange or are they injuries that you would have expected given the circumstances?
Mark: I guess not, everyone. All except his stab wounds to his back. I wish I knew what they used to cut him with.
Capt. Amos: That's just what I wanted to know, Dr. Greene.
Jing-Mei: What do you mean, captain?
Capt. Amos: First, my men found Dr. Malucci's ID at the crime scene. It was on the ground about five feet from where Dr. Malucci lay unconscious.
Everyone took a moment to think about what the captain had said. Then the same thought crossed their minds.
Kerry: Captain, do you think they found Dave's ID and realized who he was? That's why they did this to him?
Capt. Amos: That would be my guess.
Mark: Why did you want to know if any of Dave's injuries were peculiar?
Capt. Amos: Because of something else that my men found. Do you know more than you're telling me, doctor?
Mark: There is something very weird about Dr. Malucci's injuries.
Capt. Amos: What is it? Whatever you tell me will be held in the strictest of confidence and it might help us find the punks who did this to your friend.
Mark: When Dr. Kovac and I lifted Dr. Malucci up to access his stab wounds we noticed that his back was cut completely through and apparently stitched back up, albeit very poorly which seemed very weird to begin with but then we saw that Dr. Malucci's kidney was destroyed. It needed to be removed but when we looked at his latest back x-ray, we noticed that that wasn't possible because Dr. Malucci only had the one kidney and would die if we did.
Capt. Amos: What is so strange about that?
Luka: Granted, we weren't the greatest of friends with Dr. Dave and he didn't talk about his past at all but none of us can ever remember him mentioning that he had lost a kidney. Even in his resident physical form it doesn't mention losing it.
Mark: I've sent for Dr. Malucci's medical records from Italy. We were just going over them when you came in and although Dr. Dave had more than his fair share of injuries growing up there is no mention of losing the organ.
Capt. Amos: Alot of people have only one kidney and leave normal lives, so what. Maybe, as Dr. Kovac said, he didn't feel close to any of you to tell you that about himself.
Jing-Mei: Captain, you said you found something, what was it?
Capt. Amos pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket and raised it in the air to show everyone.
Carter: What is that?
Capt. Amos: I was hoping you could tell me? Do you recognize it?
The entire ER staff takes a closer look at the piece of evidence in the plastic bag, then a surprising look comes over Luka's face as he realizes what it is.
Luka: It looks like a blade to a sternal saw.
Kerry: Can't be. What would that be doing in an airport hangar?
Capt. Amos: Good question. Anybody got any ideas?
Abby: I don't know why a sternal saw blade would be there but who's to say it hasn't been there for a long time and maybe it doesn't have anything to do with Dave's kidnapping.
Capt. Amos: That's true. Except, we ran tests on it at the police lab. It is covered in Malucci's blood. At least, his type.
Abby: Like I said before, A+ isn't exactly a rare type.
Then a horrible, disgusting thought came into Luka's mind as he grabbed at the blade.
Luka: Captain, I bet if you take this blade and match it up with the wounds on Malucci's back it will be a perfect fit.
Kerry: How do you know that, Luka?
Luka: Because I've seen similar things like this back in Croatia.
Everyone sees how agitated and upset Luka is getting and wonders what got him so troubled.
Jing-Mei: Seen what, Luka?
Luka: Don't you understand, everyone?
Everyone looks at one another not knowing what Luka is talking about. Finally, Luka fills them in on what probably happened to Dave at the hangar.
Luka: Dave's kidnappers, those mother-fuckers, STOLE MALUCCI'S KIDNEY RIGHT FROM OUT OF HIM!!!
To be continued. Please read and review.