The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 22
Carter: Hanged?!
Capt. Amos: Yeah. Not uncommon. But there goes our first solid lead to whoever hurt your friend.
Jing-Mei: Now what do we do?
Capt. Amos: Well, we're not exactly out of ideas yet.
Carter: Why not?
Capt. Amos: We have a set of fingerprints to match to the ones we found at the hangar. That could help. Also, any fingerprints we may lift off of the syringes then we will know if he did this by himself or he had help. Dr. Romano, those handwriting samples.
Dr. Romano: Come down with me to the lab and we'll get them.
Capt. Amos: I would like to have a talk with everyone about beefing up the security. I want to know how the hell that assailant got through security in the first place.
Dr. Romano: I'd like to know that myself.
Dr. Romano and Capt. Amos head down to the pharmacy as Jing-Mei heads up to ICU to be with Dave. Jing-Mei heads into Dave's room and holds his hand.
Jing-Mei: Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling? I'm okay so I don't want you to worry about me. You just concentrate on getting better and I promise I won't let anyone get near you to hurt you anymore. Capt. Amos is going to provide more security to keep you safe. Everyone down in the ER says hello. They really miss you there. It's been too quiet. Even Kerry don't know what to do with her spare time since she doesn't have you to chase around. I told her to enjoy the peace and not to get use to it because you'll be back soon. (kissing his hand)
The next morning as Jing-Mei is making her daily visit to Dave she runs into Dr. Hardy, Dave's orthopedist.
Dr. Hardy: Hello, Dr. Chen.
Jing-Mei: Hello, Dr Hardy.
Dr. Hardy: We just brought Dr. Malucci back up from CAT scan a little while ago and I've just read his scan.
Jing-Mei: Good news, I hope.
Dr. Hardy(smiling): Yes. It's good news. It appears that Dr. Malucci's spine has adjusted to the new steel rod and I think we could take that halo brace off him today.
Jing-Mei: Are you sure? I mean what about his spinal fractures, are they healed too?
Dr. Hardy: Not quite. The fractures in his vertebra are more serious than we originally thought. We will put a soft back brace on him but it won't be anywhere nearly as uncomfortable as the halo brace was.
Jing-Mei: What about paralysis?
Dr. Hardy: There is definitely going to be stiffness and maybe some paralysis. Let's not forget there is still a lot of swelling around his spinal cord. The shunt that I put in is helping with the drainage of the fluid but not fast enough. I may have to operate again. There's also the multiple leg fractures, tendon and ligament damage. Once he wakes up and regains his strength we can start him on a rehabilitation program with physical therapy.
Jing-Mei tries to be happy about the news but there is still a sadness about her.
Dr. Hardy: It may not sound like it right now, but this really is good news Dr. Chen. Try to cheer up, we will get him back on his feet again.
Jing-Mei returns a smile to Dr. Hardy and nods with hope and agreement.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Hardy, do you think I could see him now?
Dr. Hardy: Not right this moment. I'm preparing to remove his brace. It might take awhile. We want to move very slowly and not rush it. Come back later on this afternoon, you can see him then.
Jing-Mei: T hank you, Dr. Hardy.
Jing-Mei returns to the ER to begin her shift, but not before stopping by the bathroom to throw up.
Carter: Deb, I thought you went up to see Dave.
Jing-Mei: I did but Dr. Hardy is in with him right now.
Carter: Nothing wrong, I hope.
Jing-Mei: No, actually it's good news. Dr. Hardy is going to remove Dave's halo brace today. That's what he's doing now.
Carter(excitedly hugs Jing-Mei and spins her around in his arms): Are you kidding? That's great news.
Jing-Mei: Please John, don't do that. I'm nauseous as it is.
Carter: Sorry, Deb.
Carter's excitement catches the attention of those at the admit desk.
Randi: What are you two so happy about? (popping her gum)
Carter: Should we share the news with everyone?
Jing-Mei(shrugs her shoulders): Why not?
Carter and Jing-Mei walk over to the admit desk with their arms around each other.
Carter: Hey everyone, Malucci's getting his halo brace off today.
ER Staff: That's great. Terrific. Wonderful.
Kerry: That is so good, Jing-Mei. I'm happy for him.
Jing-Mei: Thank you, Kerry and everyone.
Kerry: Alright, now everyone get back to work.
Jing-Mei picks up a chart and tries to get back to work keeping her eye on the clock being careful not to miss her appointment in OB/GYN.
Later that day, the ER was quiet and serene, like most of the ERs you see, but for the ER at Cook County this was very unusual. If they weren't overwhelmed by trauma patients then you can be sure to see the staff standing around gossiping, playing practical jokes or flirting with each other. No one seemed to be in the spirit for any of that since the one person who was responsible for most of the goofing off, the ringleader, was laying up in the ICU in a deep coma.
Upstairs in the ICU, several doctors stand around a bed examining Malucci. As some other doctors wait outside, Romano exits with a grim face.
Romano: I'm sorry everyone. There's been no change in his condition. It's been over 2 months and he's still in as deep a coma as he was when he was found.
Kerry: I really thought he would be better by now.
Mark: We all thought he would be. Well, I guess we will have to just wait and see.
Carter: I can't help but think that this is all my fault.
Kerry: No one is blaming you, Carter. Come on we have to get back to the ER.
Carter: I'll be down in just a minute.
As the other doctors exit the ICU room, we see Jing-Mei Chen sitting in a chair at Malucci's bedside with tears in her eyes holding the his hand.
Jing-Mei: Please, if you can hear me you have to pull through this. If not for me or for yourself but for our child. I need you there when he or she is born. I need you to be around to teach it how to enjoy life to its fullest despite any obstacle or hardship and how to turn a bad past into a bright, promising future. I can't lose you. We can't lose you.
Carter enters the room and gently removes Jing-Mei's hand from Malucci's and helps her out of the chair. He escorts her out of the room.
Carter: He's got the best doctors in the country working on him and he's young and vibrant, despite the loss of his kidneys. He's a fighter and he's in excellent care. He will be just fine. There are other patients that need our care downstairs and I'm sure as much as he would love all this attention he wouldn't want us to neglect others in need.
Jing-Mei: How could this happen to him? What kind of sick, twisted monster could have done this?
Carter: I don't know and we may never know unless he wakes up and can give the police some information. All I keep thinking is it was suppose to be me.
As Carter and Jing-Mei leave the ICU, the questions still remain fresh in their minds: What happened to Dr. Dave Malucci? Will they ever know who is responsible for this horrid act? Are they going to lose their friend and colleague?
They head down to the ER and towards the admit desk only to see Capt. Amos waiting for them.
Jing-Mei: Is there something we could do for you Captain?
Capt. Amos: Well, I need to talk to my men to find out how the hell someone got in here to harm Dr. Malucci and make sure it never happens again.
Mark: Do you have any new information, Captain?
Capt. Amos: As a matter of fact I do.
Luka: What is it?
Capt. Amos: I got the handwriting analysis and lab results back on the syringe.
Kerry: Well, what did you find out?
Capt. Amos: For starters, no one down in pharmacy wrote Dr. Malucci's name on that syringe and after questioning them none of them remember filling a third syringe for him either.
Mark: What about the lab results?
Capt. Amos(sarcastically): Oh, you guys are going to love this. My guys found out exactly what was in that syringe.
Romano, within earshot, walks over to the detective and other doctors and nurses.
Romano: It was extra morphine, wasn't it. They tried to overdose Dr. Mala.... uh, Dr. Dave, right?
Capt. Amos: Hardly. The syringe was loaded with cyanide.
To be continued. Please read and review.