The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 47
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian
Francesco arrived for his first day of tutoring Rusty. Jing-Mei had Rusty bathed and fed when Francesco arrived. She introduced him to his pupil.
Jing-Mei: Francesco, this is Rusty Malucci.
Francesco: Hello Rusty, I'm Francesco Maldonado. You can call me Frankie.
Rusty held out his hand for Frankie to shake but the whole time Rusty had a funny expression on his face. Jing-Mei noticed.
Jing-Mei: Please excuse him, Francesco. He's real shy.
Frankie: That's alright and please call me Frankie. (pause)Well, I guess we better get started.
Jing-Mei: The baby's sitter is in the nursery with him and there are guards all around the house so you should be okay. (yelling) Mrs. Peterson, will you come in here for a moment.
Mrs. Peterson enters the living room.
Jing-Mei: Mrs. Peterson, this is Rusty's tutor. Frankie, this is Mrs. Peterson. She's the baby's sitter.
Frankie(extending his hand): Nice to meet you.
Mrs. Peterson: You too...I'm sure.
Mrs. Peterson shook his hand but she too gave him an odd look.
Mrs. Peterson: I better get back to the baby.
Jing-Mei followed her into the nursery.
Jing-Mei: Is something wrong, Mrs. Peterson?
Mrs. Peterson: I don't know what you mean.
Jing-Mei: You gave Frankie an odd look. Rusty looked at him the same way.
Mrs. Peterson: I just can't explain it. I just got a chill up my back when I saw him. Call it a bad feeling or intuition, but I don't like him.
Jing-Mei: He's new. Once you know him, you'll like him. So will Rusty. Anyway, you won't have much to do with him.
Mrs. Peterson: As long as the guards are here, I suppose we will be alright.
Jing-Mei: I'll tell the guards to stay close if that will make you feel better.
Mrs. Peterson nods. Jing-Mei gives Antonio a final kiss goodbye as he screams out. Mrs. Peterson gets a new diaper ready for him while Jing-Mei says goodbye to Rusty and Frankie and heads off to the hospital.
At the hospital, Jing-Mei stops by the ER to speak with Kerry. After she arranges to come back to work with Kerry, she runs into Carter.
Carter: Deb, you're here alone today.
Jing-Mei: Yeah, Mrs. Peterson is babysitting and Rusty is starting his English lessons today. I just stopped by to tell Kerry that I'll be back to work in a couple of weeks.
Carter: Isn't that a little soon?
Jing-Mei: No, Dr. Evans said that I'm healed from my Cesarean and I can come back as soon as I'm up to it. Light duty only, for awhile.
Carter: How do you feel?
Jing-Mei: Restless. I'm ready to come back. I just want to wait until Rusty is a little more comfortable with Frankie, his tutor.
Carter: Are you going up to visit Dave?
Jing-Mei: Of course.
Carter: I'm going on break. I'll go up with you.
Carter and Jing-Mei walk up to ICU and see Dr. Hill, Dave's pulmonologist in with him. They walk in, being careful not to interrupt them.
Dr. Hill: Dr. Chen, I'm glad you're here.
Jing-Mei: Is he okay?
Dr. Hill: I ran a chest x-ray and checked his lungs. He's still having trouble breathing but his lungs are healed, I want to extubate him and hook the ventilator into his trache. It'll be hard but at least he'll be able to speak.
Carter: That's great. When?
Dr. Hill: No time like the present.
Dr. Hill, Carter and Jing-Mei head over to Dave's bed. Dave's attention was elsewhere so Dr. Hill clapped his hands to get his awareness. Dave jumped and had the same scared look on his face he usually wore.
Jing-Mei: Hi sweetheart. How are you feeling today?
Dave groaned.
Dr. Hill: Alright, Dr. Malucci. I know you know the routine but I'm going to run through it with you anyway. How would you like to get that pesky tube out today?
Dave was totally uninterested in anything they had to say.
Dr. Hill: I'll take that as a yes. Okay Dr. Malucci, I need for you to inhale deeply.
Dave looked totally confused so Dr. Hill inhaled to demonstrate to Dave what he wanted him to do. Dave did as he was told.
Dr. Hill: Alright, now when I tell you, I want you to blow real hard. Like this.
Dr. Hill demonstrated again and blinked once.
Jing-Mei: He understands. He blinked once. That means yes.
Within a few minutes, Dr. Hill pulled the tube out and Dave started coughing continuously. He hooked the ventilator to Dave's trache and Dave continued to cough non-stop.
Dr. Hill: Relax Dave, you're okay. It's going to take some time to adjust to breathing through the trache.
Dave moved his right hand up to his throat and pointed.
Jing-Mei: What's wrong, Dave? (pause) Your throat? Does it hurt.
Dave blinked once(yes).
Jing-Mei: His throat hurts.
Dr. Hill: I'm not surprised. He's had that tube down there for a long time. You can give him some ice chips but that's it. No water and food.
Dr. Hill orders a nurse to bring ice chips into Dr. Malucci. Dave finally stopped coughing and took a deep breath.
Dr. Hill: Alright, I'm due in surgery right now so I'll let you rest now and I'll be back to check on you later.
Dr. Hill leaves and Jing-Mei holds Dave's shaking right hand and speaks to him.
Jing-Mei: Well Dave, you are starting to look like your old self again and soon you'll be sounding like your old self too. (pause) Rusty started English lessons today. He doesn't seem to like his tutor much, neither does Mrs. Peterson. I told them that they just have to get use to him. Hopefully, you'll be on your way back soon and we won't need a tutor anymore. You can take over teaching Rusty.
Dave turned his head back towards the wall, not acknowledging his visitors.
Carter: It won't be long before you'll be back at work causing havoc and getting on Dr. Weaver's last ner...(Carter backed up into a tray of medical instruments knocking them all over the floor, and causing Dave to jump almost out of his skin)
Dave was shaking worse than ever. His heart monitor was beeping uncontrollably. Jing-Mei tried to calm him down by stroking his head but it didn't work.
Jing-Mei: It's alright Dave, calm down. No one's going to hurt you. It's okay. Your safe.
The nurses came in and chased Jing-Mei and Carter out while they contacted Dr. Vasquez and took over calming Dave. Jing-Mei and Carter left and started to head back down to ICU. Once down there, they ran into Mark and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: Jing-Mei, you're coming back from visiting Dave.
Jing-Mei: Yes.
Mark: How's he doing?
Carter: He was extubated today.
Mark: That's great! Isn't it?
Jing-Mei(shrugs her shoulders): I guess. It's just... that he's...he's so scared all the time. He's a regular basket case. He jumps at every little sound, every movement made towards him.
Elizabeth: Who can blame him after what he's been through. He's understandably nervous.
Carter: He doesn't remember anybody. That's got to be scary for him.
Jing-Mei: I told Dave to start looking at the faces around him. To concentrate, hoping that something or someone would jar his memory. So far, nothing.
Mark: Give him some time. He's recovering from a serious brain injury. His memory was deeply affected.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Vasquez says that the right side of his brain is permanently damaged and he has to re-train the left side of his brain to compensate for what the right side can no longer do.
Carter: Makes sense.
Jing-Mei: He's like a newborn baby, so in a way, it'll be like I'm raising two babies instead of one.
Mark: The only difference is Dave will be learning for the second time around, so things may come easier for him.
Jing-Mei: I guess. (pause)Well, I've got to go.
Elizabeth: Going home to the boys.
Jing-Mei: I wish. No, shopping. You would not believe how much two people can eat or how many diapers one little baby could go through.
Elizabeth: Oh, Yes I can!!
Back at Jing-Mei's house, Frankie is working with Rusty and he's making little progress. Rusty doesn't seem to be responding to Frankie. It may be because he's still a little shy around him or maybe because he just doesn't like him. Frankie decides to start in on Rusty, the real reason he's there.
Frankie: What's with all the guards?
Rusty: Bad man hurt us.
Frankie: Oh, what happened?
Rusty: Hurt my papa. He's in the hospital.
Frankie: How's he doing?
Rusty: Alright, I guess. He doesn't know me. I want to watch tv.
Frankie: First, we finish your lesson.
Rusty: NO! Want to watch tv.
Frankie: Look you little brat, I'm being paid to teach you and I'm in charge so we are going to do this my way. So sit the hell down or else.
Rusty started screaming causing Mrs. Peterson to come out from the nursery.
Mrs. Peterson: What is going on out here. What's wrong with Rusty?
Rusty runs over and hugs Mrs. Peterson's legs, obviously scared.
Frankie: He just doesn't like his lessons. I'll tell you what, little guy, if you promise to finish your lessons, then we can watch some tv or play a game, okay.
Rusty was reluctant to go to Frankie and Mrs. Peterson had the same doubts but he was hired to do a job and Rusty, like it or not, needed some schooling.
Mrs. Peterson(nodding to the little boy): It's okay, Rusty. Please keep it down out here, I just got the baby to sleep.
Frankie: Go back and study what we already went over and I'll be back.
Once Mrs. Peterson went back into the nursery, Frankie went to the phone unaware that the line was tapped. Every conversation was being taped but not listened to at the moment.
Vincenzio: What is it?
Frankie: Look paisan, I'm trying to get the boy to open up but he doesn't like me.
Vincenzio: I wonder why. Has he said anything?
Frankie: Not much. His old man doesn't know him. But nothing about why he's in the hospital. I think we're safe.
Vincenzio: You idiot. The fact that the fucker is still alive and awake is trouble. It won't take long for him to start to remember. Get rid of him!!!
Frankie: I have to gain his little brat's trust first then I'll strike.
Vincenzio: Do it and don't take forever. The sooner he's dead the sooner we could start up business again.
Frankie: I'm trying as hard as I can but it's not easy.
Vincenzio: How hard can it be to get a 6 year old to start talking.
Frankie: You tell me, he's your grandson. He's got....Oh, someone's coming...got to go.
Frankie hangs up and hurries back over to Rusty just as Jing-Mei comes in with the groceries. Rusty runs over to her and hugs her. Then they help her in with the bags. Rusty starts going through them while Jing-Mei heads into the nursery.
Jing-Mei: How's the little guy doing?
Mrs. Peterson: He's sleeping just like the perfect little angel that he is, but...
Jing-Mei: But what? Is something wrong with the baby?
Mrs. Peterson: Not with this baby, but with the other one in the next room.
Jing-Mei: What do you mean?
Mrs. Peterson: Everything seemed okay and then Rusty started screaming and when I went out to see what was going on he ran to me and grabbed me so tight that he nearly cut the circulation off in my legs. He was terrified. I never seen him like that before.
Jing-Mei: Did you find out what was matter?
Mrs. Peterson: Frankie said that he just didn't like learning, but I doubt that was the reason. (pause)I don't know, I just got the feeling that something else was going on there. Rusty doesn't like Frankie and to tell the truth, neither do I. There's just something about him I don't trust.
Jing-Mei: Don't be ridiculous. Rusty is just uneasy around new people. He was the same way when he met me and you. Once he knows Frankie, he'll settle down. You'll see.
Mrs. Peterson: Whatever you say. Anyway, how's the big guy in the hospital?
Jing-Mei: Just as terrified as his son but at least they were finally able to remove the ventilator tube from his mouth down to his trachea.
Mrs. Peterson: That's good news. He's making progress then.
Jing-Mei: Slowly, but yes he is. I just wish it was faster.
The phone rings. Jing-Mei hesitates but answers it before it wakes up Antonio.
Jing-Mei: Hello Dr. Chen, here. (pause)Oh hi, Sophie. How are you feeling?
Sophie: Fine. I'm a little (coughing) tired.
Jing-Mei: You don't sound to good.
Sophie: I just finished a round of chemotherapy. Just a little nauseous. Where's Rusty?
Jing-Mei: Well I won't keep you long on the phone. I'll get him. Here, Mrs. Peterson wants to say hello.
Jing-Mei hands Mrs. Peterson the phone as she goes in and fetches Rusty. She enters the living room in time for Frankie to be leaving.
Jing-Mei: Have a nice day Frankie and we will see you tomorrow.
Frankie: Sure, tomorrow. Ciao
Jing-Mei: Ciao.
Jing-Mei nudges Rusty in an effort to get him to say goodbye.
Rusty: Ciao. Good Riddance.
Frankie turns around and sneers at Rusty and causes the little boy to jump. Jing-Mei doesn't notice. Rusty starts to shake.
Jing-Mei: You are just as jumpy as your daddy.
Rusty looks at her confused.
Jing-Mei: Never mind. Aunt Sophie, phone.
Jing-Mei and Rusty head over to the phone while Mrs. Peterson is filling Sophie in on what is going on.
Sophie: How's my nephews? Are they getting big?
Mrs. Peterson: Very big. Antonio is a doll. They both are and they're doing fine but Rusty, he doesn't seem to like his new tutor and I can't blame him... Oh wait, here he comes now. It was good to talk to you, take care and we'll talk later. Goodbye.
Sophie: Goodbye.
Mrs. Peterson hands an excited Rusty the phone.
Rusty: Hi Aunt Sophie. I want to come home.
Sophie: You don't mean that. I thought you'd like to spend time with your family.
Rusty: I do but I want to come home. I miss you.
Sophie: I miss you too but I'll be back over. Maybe next month, in time for your birthday.
Rusty: I want come home, please. Miss my friends and my school.
Sophie: Oh, does this have to do with your new teacher. Mrs. Peterson said you didn't like him.
Rusty: I don't. Aunt Sophie, I've seen him before.
To be continued. Please read and review.