The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 29
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian.
Sophie looks at the doctors.
Sophie: Please, we came all this way. He's got to at least see his father.
Jing-Mei: Well Dr. Romano, what do you say?
Dr. Romano: As I said before, Dr. Dave's immune system is weak. If the little boy has so much as a sniffle and gets near him it could be fatal for him.(pause) I guess, if he wears a gown and mask it will be okay.
Sophie and Jing-Mei take Rusty's hands and lead him up to the ICU to get prepped. They walked into a scrub room and the nurse brought them a small gown.
As Sophie started putting the gown on Rusty, he started to cry and Sophie explained to him why he had to do this. It didn't matter, he continued to scream.
After a few minutes of thinking, Jing-Mei came up with an idea.
Jing-Mei: Sophie, ask him if he would feel better if we got in gowns too.
Sophie translated to Rusty and his face lit up with a smile and he nodded satisfied that he wouldn't be the only one that looked silly.
Sophie: I guess that will work. Can we do that?
Jing-Mei: Actually, if Dave's immune system is that weak it might not be such a bad idea. Protecting Dave and keeping him from getting any worse is what it is all about.
Sophie and Jing-Mei gowned up and then Sophie prepared Rusty who couldn't help but laugh.
Once they were dressed, Jing-Mei showed them into Dave's room. Sophie stopped in her steps shortly after going through Dave's room door.
Jing-Mei: Is everything okay?
Sophie(gulps): Yeah I'm fine. It's just I should be use to seeing him like that, after growing up with him. That's pretty much how he looked his entire life back in Italy. But I guess you never get use to seeing your big brother hurting.
Jing-Mei: Are you ready to go over to him?
Sophie: Yeah, let's do it.
As they approached Dave's bed, Rusty started crying and backing away.
Sophie: What's the matter, Rusty?
Rusty: I'm afraid. Please don't make me go over there near the monster.
Sophie: He's afraid of Dave's machines.
Sophie bends down on one knee to meet Rusty eye level and explain to him what is happening.
Sophie: Rusty, sweetheart. That's not a monster. That's you papa. Remember on the plane, I explained that your papa was badly hurt and very sick in the hospital.
Rusty nods.
Sophie: Well, those machines are helping your papa. They're making him all better. It will be alright. Jing-Mei and I will be with you the entire time. Okay.
Rusty wipes his tears and calms down. They walk over to Dave and Sophie sat down in the chair that was fixed next to Dave's bed.
Sophie(holding Dave's hand): Hello big brother, it's been a long time. Sorry I couldn't come sooner. I've been praying for you ever since Dr. Green called me and told me about what happen. (pause)Jing-Mei arranged for us to come over to see you and maybe help you get better. (pause) That's right Davey, I said "us". I have a little surprise for you. (waving Rusty over) Davey, look who's here.(pause) Dave, this is your son, Rusty. (pause) Rusty, this is your papa.
Rusty: Hi papa. How are you feeling. (turning to Sophie and pointing at Dave)What is that for?
Sophie: It's a respirator. That's helping your papa breathe.
Rusty: Papa, are you all better. (pause) Don't you want to look at me? It's me Rusty.
Rusty started getting upset.
Sophie: What's the matter now, Rusty?
Rusty: Papa doesn't like me. He won't even wake up and look at me. He hates me.
Sophie: No, no sweetheart. Your papa doesn't hate you. He loves you very much. He's not waking up because he can't right now. He's sleeping so deep but I promise you when he does wake up and see you he won't be able to take his eyes off you.
Rusty: Really? How come he never came to visit me then if he loves me?
Sophie: I've explained that to you. Your papa's a doctor and he works over here in the states. He's very busy. Believe me, there are reasons as to why your papa won't go back to Italy but none of them are because he hates you. Your his little boy, who could hate you.
Rusty: Then is it mama. Does he hate mama?
Sophie: No, he loves your mama too. Maybe, not the way he use to but there will always be a special place for her in his heart and I'm sure the same is true with her. (pause) Sometime when your a little older, I'll explain it to you.
Rusty pulls away from Sophie and wanders over to Dave's machines and starts to feel them.
Sophie: No, no Rusty dear. Don't touch them. You don't want to hurt your papa.
Rusty jumps back away from the machines and starts to explore the room.
Jing-Mei: He seems to like the cards.
Sophie: Sure is a lot of them and flowers too.
Jing-Mei: Perfect strangers have been sending them. We've even got some very heartfelt letters too. People who have never met Dave but were moved by his story and his situation. Who would of guess that Dave was that well like.
Sophie: I can see that your familiar with Dave's outgoing personality. He does have a rep..ut..a.ti.on. (she stares at Dave)
Jing-Mei: What's the matter, Sophie?
Sophie(pointing): Look, Dave's eyes are open! (pause, excitedly) Davey! Davey, can you hear me? Davey, can you see me?
Jing-Mei takes out a penlight from her purse. She holds it in front of Dave's eyes and sighs disappointedly.
Sophie: That's good, right?
Jing-Mei: Most coma patients open their eyes at some point. It's an involuntary eye muscle reflex. I'm sorry Sophie. Dave's still not responding to light. He's no closer to coming out of the coma now then he was ten minutes ago. But I will report it to his doctors.
Sophie(bowing her head discouraged): But I thought...
A nurse enters the room.
Nurse: Sorry ladies, but it's time to suction him. Besides, visiting hours are over.
Jing-Mei: Well I guess we should be going anyway. Have you a place to stay?
Sophie(collecting Rusty): I figured over at Dave's apartment.
Jing-Mei: Nonsense. You two can stay with me. I have a nice size house and plenty room.
Sophie: Thank you, but we don't want to impose.
Jing-Mei: You wouldn't be. In fact, I could use the company.
Sophie: Thank you.
Jing-Mei, Sophie and Rusty get out of their gowns and masks and head back to Jing-Mei's house to get settled. Down in the ER, Luka helps Sophie get her luggage in Jing-Mei's car.
At Jing-Mei's house, Sophie gets Rusty settled in bed while she and Jing-Mei sit up and talk.
Sophie: How far are you along?
Jing-Mei: Just over 7 months.
Sophie: Getting excited?
Jing-Mei: Anxious is more the word. Not that I'm not enjoying being pregnant. I really like the backaches, vomiting, hemorrhoids and weird cravings but I just want it over with it.
Sophie: What kind of weird cravings do you get?
Jing-Mei: Eggs with mayonnaise; Hot dogs with sour cream; and mostly shellfish and I hate seafood.
Sophie: I know what you mean. When I was pregnant with my daughter, Marissa, I couldn't get enough of spaghetti with peanut butter. Now that I think back, I can't believe I ever ate that. Just the thought of it makes me sick.
Both Sophie and Jing-Mei think for a moment about their cravings then look at each other.
Sophie and Jing-Mei: Yuck!!!
Jing-Mei: How old is Marissa?
Sophie: Almost 3 years old. (pause) Davey's never seen her either. How was Davey when you told him you were pregnant?
Jing-Mei: He was scared. Very scared. In fact, he wanted me to have an abortion and I know Dave's against them. That's when he told me about Rusty. Sad that he never was a part of his life. I want him in our child's life. I don't want you to think that this child will take away from Rusty. On the contrary, when Dave gets better I'm going to insist he starts spending time with Rusty.
Sophie: Thank you, Jing-Mei. I think Jada will like that and know Rusty would.
Jing-Mei: May I ask you something that is kind of personal?
Sophie: It's about our childhood, right.
Jing-Mei: That obvious.
Sophie nods.
Sophie: What did you want to know, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: Was your father always like that?
Sophie: Yeah, pretty much. Davey's 4 years older than me so he put up with dad's reign of terror longer. I don't think my entire life I have ever seen Davey without a bruise or bandage somewhere on his body or a cast on his arm or leg. He spent most of his childhood in the hospital. Dad use to come after me when Davey wasn't available.
Jing-Mei: And your mother?
Sophie: I was only 2 at the time, so I only remember what happened through some blurry memories and Davey filled me in on the rest. Davey got into trouble again at school and dad dealt with it in his customary discipline way. He would use a hot soldering iron on Davey's back until Davey swore he would be a good little boy. I don't know why Davey did the things he did knowing what he was in for when dad found out and he always did.
Jing-Mei: Maybe, it was Dave's way of fighting back, getting his anger and aggression out--you know a defense mechanism.
Sophie: Oh, and Davey did fight back too. Anyway, this particular day, it seemed dad was harder on Davey than ever and mom couldn't take it any longer. She ran in Davey's room and I stayed back in my own so I'm not really sure what happened but from Davey's point of view, mom had grabbed dad-who was totally wasted at the time as he was most of the time-and pulled him off Davey. Davey said dad backhanded her and she fell to the floor. Then Davey got up and started hitting and kicking dad. Davey was only six but he was a tough son of a bitch. He didn't take anyone's shit.
Jing-Mei: Still doesn't.
Sophie: I got scared and I guess I did the wrong thing and ran into Davey's room. Dad turned towards me and I ran back out but I left the door open and as dad was coming after me, Davey jumped on top of him and he swung to knock Davey off him and toss him down the stairs but in his unsteady, drunken stupor he grabbed mom by the throat instead and threw her down the stairs. I don't think he meant for her to go down the steps, he reached for Davey but grabbed whoever was in front of him. He started choking her and as she struggled I guess it's possible she could have lost her balance and fell.
Jing-Mei: Dave said she died instantly.
Sophie: Yeah, I guess so. Davey and I ran to her and kept calling her name and she didn't wake up. The back of her head was bleeding and she wasn't moving. Maybe it wasn't dad's fault she died but he didn't do anything to even try to help. He waited until he sobered up in the morning to call an ambulance and from the way he acted this was bound to happen to one of us. Davey knew mom was dead but I wouldn't believe it or didn't understand. That whole night, Davey sat by her and held her hand-forgetting about his own excruciating pain from his beating and burns- and I would bring her a coffee-that always woke up in the morning and made her feel better-and dad would walk over and tell me I was wasting my time because mom's dead and David killed her. Dad always called him David, if he didn't call him worthless punk. Now he had another pet name for Davey-it was "mommy murderer." Til the day that Davey left Italy, he blamed himself for mom's death. While mom lay dead on the floor, dad would point at her and tell Davey that he did that to her. This is all his fault. He would tell him he was going away to jail for the rest of his life because of what he did to his mother and he would see to it in time. But at the moment, dad still needed Davey to torture but once Davey served out his purposes to him, he was going to the federalies(the cops) and turn him in. He told Davey that if he thought he was bad, wait til he gets to jail where there would be hundreds of guys ready to jump on him. They love little boys like him. We knew what kind of prisons were over in Italy so Davey did everything dad told him to-whether he wanted to or not.
Jing-Mei: That's a lot for a little boy to carry around with him all his life. Listen, I know this isn't my place to ask...
Sophie: If you're going to be a part of my brother's life you should know what you're in for so what is it?
Jing-Mei: Dave said when he was 8 years old, his dad's abuse towards him turned from physical to sexual.
Sophie nods.
Jing-Mei: Did he ever touch you, too?
Sophie: Actually, I was first. Since I was a year old.
Jing-Mei: Did your mom know?
Sophie: Yeah, she knew but she chose to ignore it. She tried to make herself believe it wasn't happening. That was probably the only time that I hated my mom was during those moments. I guess she figured if he was hurting me or Davey then he would leave her alone.
Jing-Mei: Did Dave know?
Sophie: Dad made him watch as he raped me.
Jing-Mei: Dave didn't just run away and get help or try to stop him?
Sophie: No, but I think that had a lot to do with the chair he was tied up in.
Jing-Mei: Sorry to say, but your dad was sick. How could he...(the phone rings) Excuse me, I'll just put on the answering machine and we can go back to talking if you want.
Sophie nods and Jing-Mei hits her answering machine on.
Jing-Mei: I know he's your father, but...
Over the answering machine, they hear Abby's voice.
Abby: Jing-Mei if you're there, please pick up or come to the hospital. Malucci's just had another seizure!
To be continued. Please read and review.