The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 21
Jing-Mei: Did Mark say how serious Dave's injuries were?
Kerry: No. He just said that the knife was still in Dave's chest and Romano would have to surgically remove it. We won't know anything until after the operation.
Carter: So there is nothing we can do but wait. In the meantime, I'll get x-rays of that wrist, Deb.
As Carter and Jing-Mei head to radiology, the others go on with their work keeping good thoughts in their hearts for Malucci.
Down at the police station, Capt. Amos tries to question Dino, who remains silent about his part in Malucci's attack.
Capt. Amos: Alright, I'm going to ask you one last time, who hired you?
Dino: I'm not saying anything until I speak with my lawyer. When do I get my phone call?
Capt. Amos(slamming his hand on the table): WHEN WE ARE GODDAMN READY TO GIVE IT TO YOU, THAT'S WHEN!!
Dino: Hey, I'm entitled to it. You can't refuse me.
Capt. Amos: You're right, We can't but nowhere does it say when we have to give it to you. Now if you cooperate, you'll see how much more generous we can be.
Dino: Screw you!
Capt. Amos(grabbing Dino by his collar and pulling him out of the chair): Get this piece of shit out of my face! (throwing Dino into his men's arms)
Dino: What about my fucking phone call?
Capt. Amos: In your own words, shitface, SCREW YOU!!
Back at Cook County, Carter and Jing-Mei come out of exam 2.
Abby: How's the arm, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: Just a sprain. Nothing serious. Any word on Dave?
Abby: Nothing yet.
Carter: You're lucky it was only sprained but that doesn't mean you still shouldn't be resting.
Jing-Mei: I'll rest when I know how Dave is...(holding her mouth and running to the nearest bathroom)
Abby and Carter(looking at each other): Morning sickness.
About 4 hours later, upstairs just outside OR 2, Malucci's gurney is pushed over to recovery as Romano comes out wiping his brow. He gives some final instructions to the nurses before heading downstairs to the ER.
Romano: Watch him for the next few hours than take him back to his room in ICU. Page me if there is any change.
Nurse Davis: Yes Dr. Romano. By the way, Dr. Malucci hasn't received any of his meds today.
Romano: Why not?
Nurse Davis: My student nurse and I were in the process of administering the meds when the so called fire broke out.
Romano: What meds was he due?
Nurse Davis: His potassium and morphine for his IV and a nitroglycerin patch.
Romano: Maintenance meds. Alright, go ahead get them and if there is any change...
Nurse Davis: I know page you.
Romano: Right.
Romano heads downstairs to tell Jing-Mei about Malucci's surgery and Nurse Davis retrieves the med tray that was placed in Dave's ICU room next to his bed not noticing that a med has been added. She brings it back to recovery and administers it.
Nurse Davis: First, I'll put your patch on then we'll spruce you up with some potassium and painkiller.
She applies the patch and administers the potassium but as she reaches for the morphine she notices the extra syringe.
Nurse Davis: Um, looks like they upped your dosage of morphine. Seems like a lot but after all you've been through, you poor dear, I guess you would need an increase in pain medication. ( She administers the first syringe of morphine and prepares for the second "dosage of morphine")There Dr. Malucci that should make you feel much better. (unknowingly injecting the lethal med into the IV)
Down in the ER, Romano appears at the admit desk. Haleh sees Romano and heads back into Trauma 1.
Haleh: Dr. Chen, Dr. Romano is out of surgery.
Jing-Mei: Damn it. Right in the middle of a trauma.
Luka: Go ahead. I've got this.
Jing-Mei: Are you sure?
Luka nods.
Jing-Mei: I owe you one.
Jing-Mei heads out of the trauma room and down to the admit desk.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Romano, how is he?
Romano: Well Dr. Chen, your Dr. Malatucci...
Jing-Mei: Malucci or Dr. Dave!
Romano: Whatever. Your Dr. Dave is very lucky considering...
Mark: Yeah, if you call having a knife put in your chest lucky, then I guess so.
Kerry: Go on Robert.
Romano: The bastard who stabbed him better improve his aim if he wants to stay in that line of business.
Jing-Mei: What do you mean?
Romano: He missed every major organ.
Carter: Are you sure?
Romano: I'm sure. Oh, he pierced Dr. Malatucci's left lung and caused some heavy bleeding, but once we had that under control he seemed to sail through the rest of the surgery. There was some edema around the injured part of the lung and we had to remove a small portion of the lung to prevent the edema from pushing up against the heart. But he really got off rather easy compared to some stab wou...( then Dr. Romano's beeper started going off) Damn it. That's recovery.
Jing-Mei: Dave! Something's wrong. I just knew it.
Romano: I don't know if it's him. Got to go.
Romano races to the elevator and heads for recovery, Jing-Mei goes after him but is stopped by Carter.
Jing-Mei: Get out of my way, John.
Carter: Stay here, Deb. Rest. I will go up and see what the problem is and if it even has to do with Malucci.
Regretfully, Jing-Mei hangs back with the others as Carter heads up to recovery. Romano enters Dave's room just in time to see the young resident going into convulsions. The convulsions are so fierce that Malucci's head is trying to move off the bed despite his halo brace.
Romano: What the HELL happened here?
Nurse Davis: I don't know. He was fine one moment and the next.
Romano: Did you give him anything to control his seizure.
Nurse: We gave him a 10cc's of dilantin, but we didn't want to give him anything else until you got here.
Romano: Give him another 50cc's and get some soft restraints on him. He can't be thrashing around like that with his spinal and brain injuries. He needs to be immobilized as much as...
Malucci's heart monitor beeps uncontrollably.
Nurse Davis: He's in V-Fib.
Romano: Get the paddles! Charge to 200.
Nurse Davis: Charged!
Romano: Clear!
Nurse Davis: Still in V-Fib.
Romano: Charge to 300.
Nurse Davis: Charged!
Romano: Clear!
Nurse Davis: V-Fib. Starting compressions.
Romano: Charge to 400.
Nurse: Charged!
Romano: Clear! (pause) When was his last epi?
Nurse Davis: About 15 minutes ago.
Romano: Push another one and charge the paddles to 500.
Nurse Davis: Epi on board. Paddles charged.
Romano: Clear!
Nurse Davis: Sinus rhythm.
Romano: Stop compressions. Alright increase his nitroglycerin and give him 100cc of Lotensin, IV push.
Taking a few minutes to recover, Romano calls Nurse Davis over to him. Carter walks over to Malucci and looks at the machines. He then heads down to the ER to talk with Jing-Mei.
Romano: Do you mind telling me what the HELL brought that cardiac arrest on.
Nurse Davis: I swear to god, I have no idea. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. You said it was alright to give Dr. Malucci his maintenance meds and that's all I did.
Romano: Let me see exactly what you gave him. Did you give him too much?
Nurse Davis: No, I'm sure I didn't. I gave him what was on his tray.
Romano: Did you check each medication with his chart?
Nurse Davis: Yes. I think, no I'm sure I did.
Romano looks at Malucci's chart and compares the medication with it. He does a quick double take and then slams the chart down.
Romano: Are you sure you did?!
Nurse Davis: Yes, I did.
Romano: Then why are there 3 syringes on this tray.
Nurse Davis( dumbfounded): I thought they increased his morphine with everything he's had done to him.
Romano: According to his chart, there was NO increase and if you had looked at the chart you would have known there wasn't.
Nurse Davis: Someone had to mess up in the pharmacy.
Romano: Well we will just go down to the pharmacy and see who screwed up.
Down in the ER, Capt. Amos walks in just as Carter is approaching Jing-Mei at the admit desk.
Jing-Mei: John, was that Dave that Romano was paged for?
Carter: Yes it was.
Kerry: What happened to him, now?
Carter: He started to seize than he went into a full cardiac arrest.
Jing-Mei: Oh god!!
Carter: Relax Deb. They got him back.
Mark: What caused it?
Carter: Dr. Romano isn't sure.
Capt. Amos: Could it have been caused by the evacuation or his stabbing?
Carter: Not sure. I doubt it. Dr. Romano is upstairs questioning Malucci's nurse now.
Jing-Mei: Captain, did you find out anything from the one that stabbed Dave?
Capt. Amos: Not yet. We do know that he was a hired gun and not the one calling the shots. He's too stupid to mastermind something like this. Right now, I would like to talk to Dr. Malucci's doctor and find out more about this seizure.
Carter: Well, I'll take you... wait a minute. We won't have to go upstairs, Dr. Romano is coming to us.
Capt. Amos: Dr. Romano, do you know what caused Dr. Malucci's cardiac arrest?
Romano: Maybe. Nurse Davis says she just finished administering his meds when he seized. Obviously, someone screwed up in the pharmacy and gave Dr. Malatucci's two dosages of morphine. We were just on our way down there.
Capt. Amos: May I see the syringes?
Romano: Sure. Why the hell not.
Capt. Amos examines the syringes when Jing-Mei notices something.
Jing-Mei: Wait captain, everyone. Look at this syringe. It has Dave's name on it.
Capt. Amos: So do the other two.
Jing-Mei: Yes, but unlike the other two syringes, on this one Dave's name is spelled wrong. (pointing to the label and reading it) M-A-L-U-C-I That's not how you spell Malucci.
Romano: Big deal. Malatucci is not an easy name to say much less spell.
Carter: Deb's right. They spelled it right on the other two labels and look the handwriting is slightly different on this one.
Capt. Amos: Dr. Romano, I want a handwriting sample of everyone in the pharmacy and I'll need the syringes to take back to headquarters and have the lab test them.
Romano: Do as you want, captain. I will get you those samples.
Capt. Amos: Thank you.
(phone rings at the admit desk)
Randi: Cook County ER. How may I help you? (pause) Sure, one moment. Captain, phone call for you. The station.
Capt. Amos: Thank you. I've been waiting for this call. Maybe our friend with the knife is ready to talk.
Capt. Amos takes the phone from Randi and speaks with the cop on the other end. After a few moments, he hangs up and walks back over with the others.
Kerry: Well, is that son of a bitch going to talk now?
Capt. Amos: No chance of that now.
Jing-Mei: Why not?
Capt. Amos: My men just found him hanged in his cell.
To be continued. Please read and review.