The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 31
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian.
Jing-Mei tries to get to her feet but the pain is unbearable. Rusty starts to cry not really understanding what is going on. Jing-Mei tries one last time to get on her feet but falls back down but manages to cushion her fall with her hands. She's now laying on the floor with her hands behind her rubbing her back.
Jing-Mei: Rusty! Get me the phone!
Rusty just stands there and cries. The more Jing-Mei yells, the louder he cries.
Jing-Mei: Oh, damn it! I forgot. You don't understand. (pause) Okay Rusty, it's alright sweetheart.
Jing-Mei tries to calm Rusty down and realizes she has to get up to free her hands and mimic for the phone.
Jing-Mei: This is great. I may be losing my baby and I'm left alone with a little boy who doesn't understand a word of English.
She finally manages to get her hands from behind her back and directs Rusty to the phone. Rusty finally understands and hands the phone to her. She starts to dial the hospital when she has another blast of pain so excruciating that she passes out. Rusty starts to shake her to wake her up but with no results. Scared but trying to calm himself down, he remembers what his mama told him about being in a bad situation. He picked up the phone and sees a sticker under the dial pad that says "Emergency 9-1-1" Relating the word "emergency" to the Italian word "emergencio" he dials 911. An operator answered.
Operator: Hello, this is 9-1-1. How can I help you?
Rusty panics, hearing another voice but not understanding, he knows he has to say something to get out of this situation.
Rusty: HELP! HELP ME!
Operator: Hello, is someone there. Is this a joke? This isn't a game. This line is for emergencies only. Now please hang up.
Rusty: HELP! HELP ME!
Rusty knows he's not getting anyway and starts to cry. The operator hears his cries and realizes that it's a scared little boy on the phone and this is for real.
Operator: Alright little boy, calm down. What is the nature of the emergency? I can't understand you. Slow down.
Rusty: She won't wake up! She won't wake up!
Rusty continues to shake Jing-Mei awake but she remains unconscious. The operator detects an accent in the boy's voice and determines it's Italian. She yells for a translator. Another operator comes over to help.
Operator #2: Josie, is there something I can do?
Josie: Only if you speak Italian, Joey.
Joey: A little that's why I came over when I heard you needed an translator.
Josie: Good sit down.
Joey: What's going on?
Josie: I'm not sure. I have a little boy on there crying. I think he's Italian.
Joey: Alright son. Uh, problem?
Rusty: She won't wake up!!! Bambino.
Joey: Bambino, won't wake up?
Rusty: No bambino. She and bambino on floor.
Joey: Oh, I see.
Josie: What's happening?
Joey(pulling the phone away and speaking to Josie): I think his mother is having a baby. Do you have that address yet?
Josie: Yes, we have it. We're dispatching an ambulance now. Keep him talking. Try to calm him down.
Joey has to think of something to tell Rusty to do for her until the ambulance gets there, but his Italian is limited.
Joey(into the phone): Name?
Rusty(crying): Rusty Malucci. Please help!
Joey: Calm down, help on the way. Pillow her head.
Rusty leaves the phone and gets a pillow for Jing-Mei. He places it under her head and goes back to the phone.
Rusty: Pillow under head.
Joey: Good boy. (thinking of anything to talk to Rusty about to keep him calm) Like sports?
Rusty: Stick ball and bocci ball.
Rusty starts getting excited and goes on and on about his sports. Poor Joey doesn't understand very much of what he's saying but it's keeping his mind occupied so he just sits with the phone to his ear and smiles.
At the hospital, Sophie keeps trying to call Jing-Mei but the line is busy. Dr. Williams approaches her.
Sophie: Is there anything new about my brother's condition?
Dr. Williams: He's been moved into isolation but we need to see you, now.
Sophie: Me? Why?
Dr. Williams: You have been in to see Dr. Malucci, haven't you?
Sophie: Yes, why?
Dr. Williams: Meningitis is highly contagious and anyone who's been exposed to him must be examined and placed on antibiotics to keep from contracting the virus if they don't already have it. We have already seen most of the staff that had contact with him. Is there anyone else other than yourself that may be at risk?
Sophie: Jing-Mei and my nephew, Rusty. Probably most of the ER staff and I think the parents of the boy who donated the kidney to Davey.
Dr. Williams: They must be called and told to come into the hospital. Where is Jing-Mei at?
Sophie: She's at her house babysitting my nephew.
Dr. Williams: Do you have the phone number for the donor's parents?
Sophie: No. I've never met them. But I'm sure they have it in the ER.
Dr. Williams: I have to go down there anyway, I'll get it then. Call Jing-Mei and have her bring your nephew here immediately.
Sophie: I'll try again but the line was busy last time I called.
Sophie heads for the phone and dials the number but the line is still busy. She gets another idea. She heads towards the ER when she meets up with Carter.
Sophie: Dr. Carter, right?
Carter: Yes...Sophie. (not sure if that's her name)
Sophie nods.
Carter: How may I help you?
Sophie: Davey has meningitis.
Carter: I know. I heard Dave had a seizure and came up to check on him when his nurse told me. I just got done being examined and now I'm on my way down to the pharmacy to fill my prescriptions.
Sophie: Dr. Williams is going to examine me, too. I need to contact Jing-Mei and have her bring Rusty over but the line is constantly busy. I thought maybe we could page her?
Carter: Well, she's on maternity leave, but I'll try.
Sophie: Thank you so much.
Sophie heads into the exam room as Carter tries to page Jing-Mei.
Back at Jing-Mei's house, Rusty is still chatting away on the phone when Jing-Mei's beeper keeps going off. Not knowing what is beeping, Rusty ignores it and continues to talk on the phone.
After Dr. Williams finishes examining Sophie, she tries to track down Carter to find out if he got through to Jing-Mei when she spots Abby. She waves her over. Abby hands her a cup of hot coffee.
Abby: I thought you would still be here and need this.
Sophie: Thank you and I do. Have you been examined yet?
Abby: Yes, I was visiting Dave when he had the seizure. When they discovered he had meningitis, I was the first one to be checked.
Sophie: Are you okay?
Abby: Yes I'm fine, and so is most of the staff from what I hear.
Sophie: Thank god. If anyone gets sick because of Dave I'd never forgive myself.
Abby: Nonsense, these things happen. It's no one's fault and no one would blame Dave.
Sophie: I think I'll try calling Jing-Mei again.
Down in the ER, Dr. Williams get the Petersons' number and calls them to come over right away. He starts examining the ER staff who have been up to visit Dave, which amazingly is most of them.
The ambulance finally arrives at Jing-Mei's house. The paramedics knock on the door.
Rusty(to the operator): Someone's at the door.
Joey recognizing the word "door" tells Rusty to answer it. Rusty obeys and the paramedics enter. They find Jing-Mei unconscious on the floor, her beeper on the table going off and the phone off the hook. A female paramedic picks up the phone and lets Joey know that they are there. She hangs it up and goes to Rusty. The paramedics were already told that the young boy who called 911 doesn't speak any English but the female paramedic uses her own motherly instincts and comforts Rusty while her partner tends to Jing-Mei.
Male paramedic: We need her ID. Someone to contact.
Rusty hears the paramedic say ID and runs out of the arms of the female paramedic. He returns in a few minutes with Jing-Mei's wallet. They open it up and learn that she is Dr. Jing-Mei Chen, chief resident at Cook County General Hospital. The paramedics pat Rusty's head and smile. They get Jing-Mei on the gurney and put her and Rusty in the ambulance and head to Cook County Hospital.
In the ER, the staff has been examined and it appears that none of them have contracted the meningitis from Dave, but as a precaution they are all put on antibiotics. The Petersons arrive and are promptly taken into an exam room to be checked out.
In the ambulance, Jing-Mei's vitals are checked and she is placed on oxygen and an IV. She starts to wake up, very confused.
Female Paramedic: Easy Dr. Chen, you passed out and we are on our way to County Hospital. Just try to relax and we will take care of everything. We're almost there.
The Petersons come out from the exam room and Dr. Williams tells them to hang around until their blood results come back. They, too, are given prescriptions for antibiotics when a patient is wheeled in. Kerry and Luka run over to the gurney as the paramedics give them the bullet.
Male Paramedic: Single female- approximately 30 years old- unconscious on scene. Pregnant- maybe 28 weeks- semi conscious en route. BP is 100/66 Pulse is 60 Respirations are 18. Oxygen on board.
Kerry notices the little boy that came in with ambulance and realizes who the patient is.
Sophie tries calling Jing-Mei again and this time the phone just keeps ringing.
Abby: Any luck?
Sophie: No. Now the phone keeps ringing. They're probably asleep. I don't want to wake either of them but I know it's urgent that they get here.
Abby's beeper goes off.
Abby: I'm being paged to the ER. Have to go.
Sophie: Do you mind if I tag along. Maybe I could find Carter and see if he's had any luck paging Jing-Mei?
Abby: Sure, come on.
Abby and Sophie head down to the ER. They catch the elevator immediately and within moments are in the ER.
Abby: Haleh, what is going on? Someone paged me.
Luka walks over to Abby and Sophie and frowns.
Luka: Abby, we need you for a pregnant patient was just brought in. (pause) Sophie, it's Jing-Mei.
To be continued. Please read and review.