The Ransom of Dr. Dave
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian.
Part 30
Sophie: We have to get over there. But I don't want to wake Rusty up and take him back out. One of us will have to stay.
Jing-Mei: I will. I know I need to be with Dave but the truth is I don't have anymore energy to make another trip there right now.
Sophie: Yes, you rest. I will call you from the hospital and if Rusty wakes up just give him a glass of water and put him back to bed.
Jing-Mei: Here are keys to my car. Do you remember how to get there? Take interstate 14 and turn off at Gladsby. That should lead you right to the hospital.
Sophie: Thank you, Jing-Mei.
Sophie leaves for the hospital as Jing-Mei sits in her recliner and puts the tv on trying not to think the worse about what is happening at the hospital. After surfing the channels and finding nothing but the millionth rerun of "Gilligan's Island" and the Home Shopping Network she heads for the sofa to lay down for awhile. She stands up and feels a twinch in her stomach.
Jing-Mei: Another craving coming on. But I don't feel hungry. Well, let's see what's in the fridge.
She starts digging through the refrigerator and comes up with some Chinese food that her mom sent over to her and tastes it to see if it is still any good.
Jing-Mei: Not bad. Needs something though.
She continues to look and then smiles.
Jing-Mei: That's exactly what it needed.
Jing-Mei smiled as she took a spoon and scooped a heaping amount of horseradish and put it on her Egg Fu Yon.
At the hospital, Sophie heads into the ER and finds Lydia.
Sophie: Could you please tell me how to get to ICU.
Lydia: Straight down the hall to the elevator and take it to the second floor. Go through the double...Wait, aren't you Dr. Malucci's sister?
Sophie: Yes, and you are... I'm sorry I've met so many new people since I've arrived in America.
Lydia: I'm Lydia Wright. I've worked with your brother a lot. I'll take you up there.
Sophie: Thank you. Davey's had a seizure.
Sophie and Lydia head up to ICU.
Sophie: So how was it working with my brother?
Lydia: Never a dull moment that's for sure. He kept it interesting. You never knew what he was going to do next.
Sophie: As I remember my brother was quite a character, but how was he as a doctor?
Lydia: He wasn't bad. He always wanted to get the exciting cases and he tried real hard, I'll give him that but no matter what he did he always manage to get in to trouble and usually winded up taking care of the patients no one else wanted.
Sophie: My brother was always a bit of a wild boy getting into trouble. He wasn't a bad boy just hyperactive.
Lydia: I believe that.
Lydia and Sophie arrived at the front desk and as Lydia looked for a nurse, Sophie sat in the waiting area in tears. She tried to hide her feelings but she was worried--very worried and it showed. As she sat there, she remembered her first time waiting in the hospital.
flashback******
She was four years old and 8 year old Davey had just had another one of his "accidents". Davey was playing stick ball out front of our house and hit the ball through the window. Their father shot out of the house and before Davey could say boo, he grabbed Davey by the back of the shirt and pushed him inside the house. Davey was still holding his stick from the game. His father yanked the stick from his hand and beat Davey with it. Davey made so much noise that the old man had to take him to the hospital. After about an hour, Davey came out with the doctor. He had a cast on his leg and was walking with crutches. The doctor told us that Davey's leg was broken in two places and he'd have to keep the cast on for about 9 weeks. If the bones weren't mended by then, they would have to break his leg again and operate to set it properly.
END OF FLASHBACK*****
Abby came around the corner and saw Sophie.
Abby: Hello, uh...Sophie.
Breaking Sophie out of her flashback.
Sophie: Yes, um..
Abby: It's Abby. Where's Jing-Mei at?
Sophie: She was wiped out and someone had to stay with Rusty.
Abby: Oh. How old is he?
Sophie: He's six.
Abby: Dave's never mentioned that he had a son. Does Rusty understand what is happening?
Sophie: He knows that his papa is very sick but doesn't know the details. I'm sure I don't want him to know what happened if it's as bad as Jing-Mei says.
Abby: It is. If beating the crap out of Malucci wasn't bad enough, but to shoot, stab and rape him on top of it.
Sophie: WHAT! THEY DID WHAT TO HIM! OH GOD RAPE, NO!
Sophie runs into the nearest bathroom crying with Abby following after her.
Abby: Sophie!!(banging on the bathroom stall door)I'm sorry. I thought you knew. I thought Jing-Mei would tell you everything.
Once Sophie calmed down, she came out of the stall and got a comforting hug from Abby.
Abby: I didn't mean to upset you. If I knew you weren't told about Dave then...
Sophie holds her hand up to stop Abby.
Sophie: I know and I should have been. Well, I guess I have to start asking more questions about Davey.
Abby: If there's anything I can do?
Sophie: Answer a question for me?
Abby: Sure.
Sophie: Why are all the guards around Davey's room?
Abby: Because the bastards that did this to your brother are still out there.
Sophie: I thought they had him. I was told that they arrested someone involved with my brother's abduction.
Abby: After Dave was found in the hangar and brought to the hospital, an attempt was made on him in the hospital.
Sophie: What kind of an attempt?
Abby: First, a knife was put into his chest and then he was poisoned with cyanide. They managed to save him, obviously but not without Dave losing a piece of his lung. Anyway, they never found the person who gave Dave the cyanide but the one who stabbed him was arrested.
Sophie: Didn't he tell them who else was involved?
Abby: Never had a chance. That night he was found hanged in his cell.
Sophie: He killed himself rather than tell who hurt Davey.
Abby: I don't think so. The prints that were found on the rope around his neck weren't his. Someone wanted to shut him up just like they are trying to shut Malucci up.
A nurse and doctor walked over to Abby and Sophie.
Abby: Sophie, this is Dr. Williams. Dr. Williams, this is Sophie Pancamo, Dave's sister.
Dr. Williams: Ms. Pancamo...
Sophie: Sophie, please. What happened to Davey?
Dr. Williams: As I know Miss Lockhart has told you, Dr. Malucci had a seizure. We got it under control and ran several tests including a spinal tap. We just got the results back.
Sophie: And...
Dr. Williams explained what happened to Dave and answered all her questions. When Abby and Sophie were alone, Sophie asked to use the phone to call Jing-Mei. Abby led her to it, excused herself and went back to work.
Back at Jing-Mei's house, she is trying to get some sleep on the sofa but she is still having stomach cramps. Rusty comes down the stairs and shakes her awake.
Jing-Mei: Oh, Rusty. Are you thirsty?( pretending to drink a glass of water in order to communicate with him)
Rusty nods and Jing-Mei holding her stomach goes into the kitchen and gets him a drink and then tries to put him to bed. He refuses.
Jing-Mei(miming): Sleep?
Rusty shakes his head no. Jing-Mei sits him in front of the tv and puts on some cartoons.
Jing-Mei: I know you probably don't understand what they are saying, but then again you don't have to. Cartoons are international language. Just watch them.
Seeing the confused look on his face, she turns the language subtitle on her television. He can't read but a few words, but he seems satisfied and content. The phone rings and Jing-Mei answers it.
Jing-Mei: Hello.
Sophie: It's me, Sophie. How is everything going?
Jing-Mei: Rusty is up and I gave him a drink but he doesn't want to go back to sleep so I let him watch some cartoons. Is that okay?
Sophie: It's fine. Put Rusty on please.
Jing-Mei brings the cordless phone over to Rusty and hands it to him.
Rusty: Hello. (pause) Okay, Aunt Sophie. I love you. Goodbye.
Sophie: Give me back to Jing-Mei.
Rusty hands the phone back and continues to watch his cartoon.
Sophie: I told him to obey you and not give you any trouble.
Jing-Mei: He's a sweet little boy. Don't worry about him. Now, how is Dave?
Sophie: He has meningitis. The doctors have him on antibiotics but he's spiked a fever and they said there's nothing they can do but wait and hope the antibiotics do their job.
Jing-Mei: Should I come there?
Sophie: That's really not necessary. I'll stay here with him for awhile. You sound tired.
Jing-Mei: I am. If there is any news please call.
Sophie: I will. Goodbye.
Jing-Mei: If you get into see Dave, tell him that I love him. Goodbye.
Jing-Mei hangs up and heads back to the sofa to try to get some more sleep. Half way to the couch, Jing-Mei grabs her stomach and screams. She collapses to the floor as Rusty runs to her side.
To be continued. Please read and review.