The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 37
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian
Jing-Mei: I can't believe this. What in the hell did Dave get himself involved with?
Capt. Amos: I'm not sure but I'm damn going to find out.
Carter: That makes what happen to you more sense, Deb.
Abby: What happened Jing-Mei?
Carter: Go ahead Deb, tell the captain.
Capt. Amos: Tell me what? Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?
Jing-Mei: Sort of. Uh...I mean yes. It is. It's probably nothing and I'm just making a big deal of it.
Carter: Let the detective be the judge of that.
Kerry: What is it, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: I've been getting some very strange phone calls. I guess you would say they were kind of threatening.
Capt. Amos: Threatening?! What did they say?
Jing-Mei: The first one said that I was next. I would have guessed they meant after Dave, but now hearing this I guess they meant after Jada.
Capt. Amos: Any idea where he was calling from? Did you hear any background sounds?
Jing-Mei: No, but the second call said that they were getting closer.
Capt. Amos: And you think you're overreacting.
Carter: She keeps saying that but I think differently.
Kerry: Why, Carter?
Carter: After that last call, I walked up behind her and put my hand on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Besides, when she told me about these calls they sounded all too familiar, just like the calls I was getting before Dave's kidnapping. She even said that the guy on there had an accent too.
Capt. Amos: Italian?
Jing-Mei: Maybe. I'm not sure. It wasn't very clear. Look I'll be alright.
Carter: Don't believe her. She's more upset about these calls then she's letting on.
Capt. Amos: You said that the caller said he was getting closer. I don't like that. I'm going to arrange for police protection for you, Dr. Chen. And you too, Ms. Pancamo.
Jing-Mei: This is exactly what I didn't want. I don't want a cop following me everywhere.
Abby: Better safe than sorry.
Carter: That's what I've been telling her.
Mark: What about the bullet? Was it the same as the kind we removed from Dave.
Capt. Amos: It was the same kind of bullet that was removed from Dr. Malucci. It also came from a 38- caliber gun but not from the exact same gun.
Mark: How can you be so sure?
Capt. Amos: The markings from the inside of a chamber on a gun are like fingerprints and DNA. They are unique. The bullet that was removed from Dr. Malucci had scratches on it. The one the Italian medical examiner removed from Jada was smooth, no scratches.
Malik comes from behind the desk.
Malik: We have a trauma coming. Multiple MVA. Possibly 12 victims. How many can we take, Dr. Weaver?
Kerry: We can take 4 majors and 6 minors, Malik. Come on everyone, let's get the trauma rooms set up. Excuse us, Captain.
Capt. Amos: Sure. Uh...Dr. Chen, Ms. Pancamo can I see you over here?
Jing-Mei, Sophie and Rusty followed Capt. Amos into the lounge.
Capt. Amos: Unless you agree to a police guard, I can't guarantee your safety. I realize you just had a baby and something tells me that you would like to see him grow up.
Jing-Mei thinks about what the detective said as Sophie looks at her watch.
Capt. Amos: So what's your decision, Dr. Chen?
Jing-Mei: You're really not giving me much of a choice, and against my better judgment, alright I'll agree to the police protection.
Sophie: Is the police guard coming to Italy with us?
Capt. Amos: That's something else I want to talk to you about?
Sophie: What, captain?
Capt. Amos: I can't let you go to Italy.
Sophie: You can't be serious. Rusty's mom is dead. He has to go to the funeral. He has to have a chance to grieve and say goodbye to her. You can't do this to him.
Capt. Amos: It's not safe to leave the country right now, especially Italy.
Seeing the determination in her eyes and on her face, he knew that Sophie wasn't going to back down and he was fighting a losing battle.
Capt: Amos: Look ladies, I can't help but feel partially responsible for all of what's happened. If my guys would have done their jobs right none of us would be doing this now. If my men would have moved faster, they would have found Dr. Malucci's abductors.
Jing-Mei: True. I can't speak for Dave but Jada would still be alive.
Capt. Amos: I owe you this much, I'll talk to my supervisors and see about getting you a police escort to Italy but no promises.
Sophie: Alright, but police escort or no police escort I'm still taking my nephew to his mother's funeral in Italy. We'll just have to take our chances.
Capt. Amos: I'll call you. I take it you are staying with Dr. Chen.
Sophie: Yes, and we leave for Italy tomorrow morning at 8:45.
Capt. Amos, Jing-Mei, Sophie and Rusty leave the lounge but before they can exit the ER they are confronted by Luka.
Luka: Captain, I've been thinking. When the medical examiner did the autopsy on the body of Rusty's mother did they happen to find some missing organs that were... or might have been illegally harvested from her.
Jing-Mei: That's right. If the same person that kidnapped and mutilated Dave also killed Jada then there may be a chance that they've taken her organs too.
Sophie: You mean STOLE her organs like they did Davey's kidney.
Capt. Amos: I never thought to ask them but I'm in contact with the police in Italy and will find out besides I have to let them know that there may be a black market organ ring working in their country.
The next morning the police escort arrived to take Sophie and Rusty to the airport. They bid goodbye to Jing-Mei. They would return in about a week.
Jing-Mei: You two take care of yourselves and I'll be expecting you back here in time for Christmas.
Sophie: We'll be here. Tell my brother and nephew that they will be in our prayers, that we will be thinking about them the whole time we are over there, we love them and that I expect to hear good news about the both of them when we get back.
Rusty: Ciao Mama Jing, Tell papa and Tonio I love them.
Rusty's words are foreign to Jing-Mei but his emotions certainly aren't. She bent down and hugged the tear covered face of the little boy who hugged her back.
Later at the hospital, Jing-Mei dressed in a gown, hat, gloves and mask sat by Dave's bed. She took her hand and ran it down the side of Dave's bandaged head being extremely careful to avoid hitting the ventilator tube that was taped in Dave's mouth.
Jing-Mei: I spoke to Dr. Vasquez and he said your surgery went just fine. There was so much bleeding under that old plate from the hematomas. Dr. Vasquez said that he almost regretted operating on you again but the plate was really corroded that they had to remove it or you could have developed an infection and that might have led to...never mind. The point is you have a brand new plate put in there and we won't let anything happen to that one ever again. (pause) You should see Antonio. He is getting so big and strong. Dr. Evans says that he may be off his ventilator and out of the incubator real soon, maybe by Christmas. Once he is I'll bring him up to visit you. You will absolutely love him, I know it. You need to start bonding with him and Rusty too. (pause)Speaking of which, Sophie and Rusty left for Italy this morning but they'll be back soon. They had to go home because...uh well...they had a family emergency that I'll tell you about later. Rusty needs you so much especially now. He absolutely adores his little brother.(pause) They still haven't caught the bastards who did this to you but they will and I don't want you to be worried about us. The police are looking after us.
Dr. Mercede enters Dave's room not wanting to interrupt but intentionally clears his throat.
Jing-Mei(kissing Dave's hand): Excuse me, Dave. I'll be right back sweetheart. I love you.
Dr. Mercede: Sorry to interrupt, Jing-Mei but I need to talk to you.
Jing-Mei: What about? Is something else wrong with Dave?
Dr. Mercede: No, not at all. I was just looking at Dave's latest facial x-rays. His jawbone is getting stronger and the facial bones seem to be mending well, finally. I would like to discuss scheduling Dave for plastic surgery with you.
Jing-Mei's mouth dropped open not quite knowing what to say next. In one way she was happy because it seemed like Dave was finally making progress but nervous that Dave would have to undergo yet another operation.
Jing-Mei: Plastic surgery?! Does Dave really need that?
Dr. Mercede: I'm afraid so. If we don't then Dave won't be that handsome Italian you fell in love with.
Jing-Mei: That doesn't matter to me. I love him no matter what he looks like.
Dr. Mercede: I'm sure you do. But it's not just the matter of his looks. If we don't get in there and align and adjust Dave's jaw and other minor facial bones he may never be able to talk, eat or even smile again.
Jing-Mei: His other doctors say that he probably won't ever do those things again anyway even if he comes out of his coma. But I'll admit it, he's got a great smile. I think that's one of the reasons I fell in love with him and Dave's big mouth has always been a large part of him. I can't imagine what it would be like if Dave never spoke again. I can't and don't even want to picture that.
Dr. Mercede: And you won't have to if he has the plastic surgery.
Jing-Mei: Does he have to have it right away? Can't we wait until after Christmas.
Dr. Mercede: Sure we can. I'll contact you and set up a time for the surgery after the beginning of the new year.
Jing-Mei: Thank you so much, Dr. Mercede.
Ten days later, Christmas Eve, Sophie and Rusty were back from Italy and visiting Dave. . They still had two weeks left on their visas and Jing-Mei's parents were still working on getting the extensions on the visas. Dave's immune system was getting stronger and they no longer needed to gown down. Sophie sat by Dave's bed and told him all about his friends from the old neighborhood in Italy while Rusty watched the snow out the window.
Rusty: Papa, you should see the snow. It's so cool. So white and so much of it. We don't get it back home like this. Papa, you know that Santa comes tonight. Do you think he will be able to get his sleigh through all this snow? I hope he doesn't cancel 'cause of bad weather. This is my first American Christmas. I can hardly wait. (Rusty starts to choke up trying to hold back his tears but failing) Mama would have loved this.
Just then, the door to Dave's room opened up and Jing-Mei came in holding the tiny, fragile baby Antonio.
Sophie: Rusty, look who's here to visit your papa.
Rusty comes rushing over to Dave's bed as Jing-Mei moves up near Dave' s face with the baby.
Jing-Mei: Dave, I have someone for you to meet. Dave, this is your son, Antonio Grant Malucci.(pause) Antonio, this is your daddy. Isn't he as handsome as I told you, Dave? And your daddy is as tough and strong as I said you would be some day.
Almost by natural instinct, baby Antonio let out a big scream---his very first since coming off the ventilator earlier today.
Jing-Mei: He knows that's his daddy. That's just his way of saying hello.
Sophie: I believe your right.
Jing-Mei places Antonio in Sophie's arms and she then helps Rusty hold his little brother. They place the baby on the bed next to Dave to see if they get a reaction from either of them. Antonio cries but Dave remains still and silent. Several ER staffers stand outside Dave's room and watch through the window with tears in their eyes wondering if Dave will ever be able to be part of and enjoy his little family. They all started to quietly sing "Silent Night" as baby Antonio cried his part with his newly developed Malucci lungs.
The next morning it was Christmas. Rusty was up at six in the morning. He checked his plate of cookies and glass of milk he left for Santa, a custom his aunt told him was very common over here in America. The plate and glass were empty.
Rusty(excitedly): Santa come, Santa come!!
Sophie: Did you think he wouldn't?
Rusty: I'm good boy! I'm good boy!
Sophie: Very good boy.
He wasn't exactly sure what he was suppose to do next. At first, Sophie and Jing-Mei had to coax him over to the presents but once he understood he ripped them apart as fast as he could. They loved to see the look on his face after all he's been through that he could actually smile. Now it was Rusty's turn to give Jing-Mei and Sophie the "presents that Santa brought them". Rusty walks over to Jing-Mei and hands her a gift.
Rusty: Here Mama Jing. Here.
Jing-Mei: Gracia, Rusty.
Jing-Mei opens it and sees a blue silk scarf and looks at the tag, "To Jing-Mei--- From Sophie" Then she opened another present which was a box of bath oils and potpourri aromas. The tag said," To Jing--- From Rusty" Sophie opened her presents from Jing-Mei she received a pink blouse and from Rusty she got crystal unicorn figurine. They had Antonio and Dave's gifts set aside for when they came home from the hospital. After the presents were unwrapped, they headed for the table for breakfast when Jing-Mei noticed a stray present over by the tree.
Sophie: We forgot a present.(pointing to the gift)Rusty, go get that present we forgot to open.
Rusty got the present and brought it back over to the table.
Sophie: I don't remember that gift. Rusty, open it up.
Rusty opened up the strange gift and as soon as he looked at it he dropped it on the table and ran into Sophie's arms crying.
Sophie: Rusty baby, what's the matter?
Sophie and Jing-Mei looked at each other confused. Sophie picked up the present and read the card. She translated it for Jing-Mei.
Sophie: To the best and prettiest mama around, Merry Christmas-- Love Rusty.
It was a gold locket that Rusty had put his and Jada's pictures in. Bowing their heads, Sophie, Jing-Mei and Rusty said a small prayer for their three loved ones who couldn't be there with them on this day. This would truly be a Christmas that they would never forget.
To Be Continued. Please read and review.