The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 49
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian
The next morning, Frankie and Mrs. Peterson came over to take care of Rusty and Antonio and Jing-Mei prepared to meet Carter at the Chicago East Rehab Center. She told Frankie to tell Rusty that she would be home soon to take them to the hospital.
At the Rehab Center, Carter was there with copies of Dave's medical records. They waited outside Dr. Jackson's office for about half an hour. They entered, introduced themselves and handed him Dave's records. While he looked them over, they sat down and waited for his answer. After several minutes, Jing-Mei interrupted the doctor.
Jing-Mei: Well Dr. Jackson, what do you think?
Dr. Jackson: The Center is very expensive and I'm not sure Dr. Malucci's insurance would cover it.
Jing-Mei: That's not a problem. Whatever his insurance doesn't cover, I'll pay the rest.
Carter: And if he needs more financial support, I plan on helping out.
Dr. Jackson: Dr. Malucci's very lucky to have you two.
Jing-Mei: We are the lucky ones. (pause)Dr. Jackson, this isn't about the money or insurance. is it?
Dr. Jackson: Actually, let me tell you about our center. Our facility is geared towards the patients that we see fit...that is that we feel have the best chance at recovery and can get the most out of the program.
Carter: You mean you help the patients who need it less! The ones who really need your help like Malucci...the hell with!
Dr. Jackson: Please understand Drs. Chen and Carter...
Jing-Mei: You haven't even met Dave yet, how can you judge him?
Dr. Jackson: I'm looking over his medical records and according to his doctors at County, they still have him listed under critical. Look at his medical history, just recently he's been beaten almost to death, shot, stabbed, raped, poisoned and mutilated. And that doesn't even include his past history of numerous hospital visits including beatings, burns, overdoses and multiple broken bones and surgeries.
Carter: Dave has been improving. He hasn't had an episode in weeks.
Jing-Mei: Yes, why don't you just give him a chance. I know once you see Dave you will want to help.
Thinking it over for a moment, Dr. Jackson makes a decision.
Dr. Jackson: Alright, I'll tell you what. I have a break in my schedule this afternoon. I'll come over and meet Dr. Malucci and I'll see what he can do and if he meets our criteria for acceptance. Only then will I make my final decision.
Jing-Mei: I'll go along with that. Then you will accept him in the program, I know it.
Dr. Jackson: We will see. There are a lot of people applying for entrance.
Carter: I guess that's the best we can get for now.
Jing-Mei and Carter stand and shake hands with the Dr. Jackson.
Jing-Mei: Thank you Dr. Jackson. We will see you later this afternoon.
Dr. Jackson: About 3:00 I'll be there. I would like to hold on to these copies of Dr. Malucci's records to look over before I meet with him.
Jing-Mei: That's fine but please don't let those records prejudice you against him.
Dr. Jackson: I'll remain open-minded.
Jing-Mei and Carter leave the Rehab Center. Before going to their separate cars they talk for a minute or so.
Jing-Mei: Thank you John for coming.
Carter: No problem. I just hope everything turns out alright for you, Dave and the boys.
Jing-Mei: I'm sure it will. Did you mean what you said about helping Dave financially?
Carter: Sure did. Deb, I told you from the beginning that if you guys needed anything, please ask.
Jing-Mei: Thanks. See you later at the hospital.
Carter: Yeah, and I'll be keeping my fingers cross.
Jing-Mei arrives home in time for Antonio's feeding. She decides to feed the baby herself while Mrs. Peterson runs to the corner store for some supplies to make lunch with. Jing-Mei has a talk with Antonio during their quality time.
Jing-Mei: Here you go little guy. Chow down baby. You were hungry. Well take your time, there's more where that came from. You know sweetheart, I want to bring you back to the hospital so you can spend some quality time with your daddy too. He's still a little too sick to appreciate your visits yet, but if everything turns out alright today he's going to get all the help he needs to make him better and he is going to be crazy about you when he is.
Jing-Mei switches sides with Antonio as Mrs. Peterson comes back and starts to make lunch for the rest of them.
Jing-Mei: Another week or so, was actually my due date. I never imagined that when I first found out that I was pregnant with you that I would be sitting here holding you in my arms over a month before you were suppose to be born. You are my little miracle baby and your daddy is my miracle man. You are going to grow up to be as strong and brave as he is. You are well on your way now. I love you so much, if anything ever happened to you... I don't think I would or could go on. But don't you worry about that because we are going to be together for a very long time.
Antonio unlatches from Jing-Mei's breast and lets out a big yawn. Jing-Mei places the baby over her shoulder and in a few minutes he lets out a big burp. She places him in his crib and turns on his mobile. Mrs. Peterson enters the nursery and tells her that she has a visitor. On Jing-Mei's okay, Mr. Santini enters.
Jing-Mei: Mr. Santini, this is a pleasant surprise.
Mr. Santini: Well, Dr. Dave's mail has been piling up and I've forgot to give it to you last time I saw you.
Jing-Mei: And you made a special trip over here to deliver it. You didn't have to do that. I haven't exactly got Dave a change of address card. I'll get that taken care of as soon as possible so his mail doesn't inconvenience you anymore.
Mr. Santini: That's okay. I don't mind. Besides it gave me a chance to see the baby.
Antonio is lying in his crib, smiling up at his visitors. Mr. Santini smiles back down at him and picks up his rattle and shakes it. Antonio laughs and then yawns again.
Mr. Santini: Jing-Mei, may I hold him?
Jing-Mei: Sure you can.
She picks Antonio up and hands him to Mr. Santini while she checks out the mail. Mr. Santini walks around with the baby, bouncing and talking to him.
Mr. Santini: You look just like your daddy. Your so tiny, like he was. But you don't cry nearly as much as he did.
Jing-Mei: You wanna bet.
Mr. Santini: Oh, I don't believe this is little angel is a bad baby.
Jing-Mei: He's not. He's a real good baby. What I mean is he doesn't cry often but when he does...he's loud...very loud.
Mr. Santini: Just like his daddy. He's a real heartbreaker. You'll going to have to keep the girls away from him. I know I had to keep my daughters away from Dr. Dave as they got older. Not that Dr. Dave was a bad boy, in fact if I could have picked a son-in-law back then it would have been him. I guess I was just a little overprotective of my girls. You know, no guy is good enough for my little girls but Dr. Dave was extremely close. Uh oh...
Mr. Santini feels Antonio's wet bottom as the aroma passes through the room.
Jing-Mei: I'll take him.
Mr. Santini: I'll do it, if you don't mind.
Jing-Mei: I couldn't impose on you like that.
Mr. Santini: You wouldn't be. I use to change his daddy's diapers. It's been awhile, but I think I still remember how to change little ones.
Jing-Mei: Okay, just remember to be quick. He's small but he's got great aim.
Mr. Santini: Just like his daddy.
As Mr. Santini changed Antonio, Jing-Mei continued to sort Dave's mail until one letter caught her attention. She opened it, then skimmed it and her jaw dropped at what she saw.
Mr. Santini: There you go, little bambino. Now, you can go to sleep comfortably.
He kissed the baby on his head and laid him back down in his crib. Antonio was already asleep. Mr. Santini turned to face Jing-Mei and saw the distressed look on her face.
Mr. Santini: Is everything okay? Anything interesting?
Jing-Mei was totally involved in the letter and hardly paid attention to Mr. Santini.
Jing-Mei: Uh, yeah. Fine. Just this one letter---You may already be a millionaire---Dave will be glad to hear that.
Mr. Santini was doubtful but took her at her word. He knew that is not the letter that upset her. There was something else wrong. Mrs. Peterson entered the nursery and announced that lunch was ready.
Mr. Santini: I better be going.
Jing-Mei: Listen Mr. Santini. I'm taking Rusty over to the hospital later to see his daddy, would you like to come over. I can probably get you in to see Dave too.
Mr. Santini: I'd like that. I have to take care of a couple of things back at my apartment building. What time?
Jing-Mei: About two o'clock. Just meet me down in the ER at County hospital.
Mr. Santini: That's fine.
Mr. Santini leaves. Jing-Mei restarts the mobile and puts on Antonio's intercom then she and Mrs. Peterson leave the nursery to join Rusty and Frankie for lunch.
An hour later, Rusty, Frankie and Jing-Mei arrive at the ER. She doesn't see Mr. Santini there but she leaves word with Randi that if he shows up asking for her to send him up to the ICU.
Upstairs in the ICU, Dr. Mercede is removing Dave's facial bandages. Dave's visitors wait outside until Dr. Mercede gives the okay for them to enter.
Dr. Mercede: Well, what do you think?
Jing-Mei: Not bad. I guess he's going to need more surgery.
Dr. Mercede: I told you that from the start. But we can wait awhile for that. He really doesn't look that bad considering how badly his face was smashed up.
Jing-Mei: He doesn't look like himself anymore but I still love him.
Dr. Mercede: That's all that matters then.
Jing-Mei: Right.
Dr. Mercede left and Dave's visitors walk over to his bed. Jing-Mei bends over and kisses Dave's face. He jumps as usual. Rusty comes over to Dave and starts to chat to him about his birthday. Then after a few moments, Jing-Mei introduces Dave to Frankie.
Jing-Mei: Dave, this is Rusty's tutor, Frankie. Frankie, this is Rusty's papa.
Rusty: Yeah, my papa. That's papa.
Frankie(sarcastically): It's nice to finally meet you.
Jing-Mei: Dave, can't see out the sides of his eyes. You have to stand directly in front of him for him to be able to see you.
Frankie: Oh.
Frankie walks into Dave's line of vision and greets him.
Frankie: How you doing there, paisan?
Dave's eyes pop and he gets a horrid look on his face. Frankie notices this. Dave tries to pull away from him but with no luck.
Jing-Mei: Don't worry if Dave kinda jumps. He's just kind of jumpy.
Frankie(whispering to himself): After what he's been through, I'm not surprised.
Jing-Mei: What was that, Frankie? Did you say something?
Frankie: No, not really. I said that I know that I'll win him over in time, just like I did Rusty.
Jing-Mei knows that Rusty still hasn't warmed up to Frankie and she sees the discomfort between Dave and Frankie but she decides to give them a chance to talk.
Jing-Mei: Well, I'll give the two of you a chance to get to know each other. I have to take Rusty down to have his stitches removed.
Frankie smiles and Dave panics.
Jing-Mei: The guard will be right outside, if you need him.
Rusty gives Dave a kiss goodbye and so does Jing-Mei but as she tries to leave, Dave grabs her sweater with a couple of his fingers on his right hand and won't let go.
Jing-Mei: Dave, it'll be okay. I'll be right back.
As she finally got free from Dave's grasp, she started out of the room, but looked back at Dave and saw and heard his pulse race on his heart monitor. She knew it was an indication that he was upset. The nurse walked in.
Nurse: Is everything okay?
Jing-Mei: Yeah fine. He just doesn't want me to leave. He's going to miss me is all. He'll be alright. Frankie is going to sit with him.
Nurse: Okay, I have to get back to the front desk. I can keep an eye on his condition on the monitor out there. If he doesn't calm down soon, I'm going to have to cut his visits short for today.
Jing-Mei: Understood. Listen, a friend of ours is coming up to see Dave today. Dr. Vasquez said it was okay. His name is Mr. Santini. Could you please show him in?
The nurse nods as Jing-Mei, Rusty and one of their guards enter the elevator. After everyone has left Dave's room, Frankie confronts his prey. Dave continues to get jumpy and squirming in the bed. Dave starts to open his mouth and try to speak but all he can do he is whine and groan loudly. Then a hand comes across Dave's mouth silencing him. Frankie bends down and gets directly in Dave's face.
Frankie(whispering but in an angry voice): QUIET! JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! I know that you know who I am and if you're smart you'll keep it to yourself. Just remember, I have full access to your girlfriend and BOTH of your little brats, paisan.
Dave's heart rate picks up and the nurse notices this on the front desk monitor. She gets up and heads for his room as she met with an older gentlemen.
Mr. Santini: Excuse me nurse. My name is Mr. Santini. Dr. Chen said it would be okay if I go in to visit my friend, Dr. Malucci.
Nurse: Yes, she informed me you would be coming in. Come this way.
Hearing voices outside the room, Frankie releases Dave's mouth and acts as though nothing is wrong. The nurse and Mr. Santini enter the room.
Nurse: Is everything alright?
Frankie: Everything is just fine. We were just getting acquainted.
Dave's heart rate slowly returned to normal.
Nurse: Dr. Malucci, it looks like you have a visitor. Try not to get him upset.
Mr. Santini: I won't.
Frankie: Excuse me, I have to make a phone call. (pointing at Dave) And you, remember what I said, paisan.
Both the nurse and Frankie leave the room. Mr. Santini walks over to Dave's bed and smiles.
Mr. Santini: Long time no see. You look good, son.
Dave just stares at the old man. He doesn't know him but he feels comfortable with him there. He's still scared and jumpy but he's a lot more relaxed then he was with his last visitor.
Mr. Santini: You don't remember me, do you? That's okay. Jing-Mei said you probably wouldn't. You will again. Anyway, I met both of your sons. They are handsome little guys. Antonio reminds me of you when you were just a wee one. You are going to love those boys when you get to spend more time with them.
At a payphone down the hall, Frankie calls Vincenzio.
Vincenzio: Who dares to call?
Frankie: It's me.
Vincenzio: Any news to report?
Frankie: I made contact with him.
Vincenzio: And?
Frankie: He can't see very well, but he remembers me, I think.
Vincenzio: You think?
Frankie: Well, I think he knows that I am responsible for him being where he is now but he doesn't know exactly what I did to him.
Vincenzio: Keep an eye on him. Don't you hurt him. Leave that for me. Make sure he doesn't tell anyone about you.
Frankie: No problem there. He can't talk. Besides, he knows what is at stake if he does open his big mouth. He's too smart to risk his girlfriend's and sons' lives. I don't think he cares what happens to him, but them... he'll keep his trap shut.
Vincenzio: Make sure he does or you'll end up like Dino. Got it!
Frankie: Got it.
Frankie heads back to Dave's room. He stands outside for a minute and listens to Mr. Santini's conversation, then he enters. Dave's heart rate picks up again.
Frankie: Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.
Mr. Santini: That's okay. Made your phone call. I hope everything is okay.
Frankie(grinning evilly at Dave): Yeah, business is taken care of. (laughing)
Dave starts to struggle again and his heart monitor beeps uncontrollably as he stares at Frankie, then at Mr. Santini then looks back at Frankie. The nurses, Dr. Vasquez, Jing-Mei and Rusty come rushing in.
Dr. Vasquez: What happened?
Mr. Santini: We were just talking and Dr. Dave started to get upset.
Dr. Vasquez: Everyone is going to have to wait outside while I examine him.
Dave's visitors exit his room and wait in the hall. Jing-Mei lets Frankie take Rusty down to the cafeteria as she and Mr. Santini wait outside Dave's room. On their way down to the cafeteria, they run into Carter and Dr. Jackson.
Carter: What's going on?
Jing-Mei: Dave's had a seizure.
Dr. Jackson: Really. I thought you said he was improving.
Jing-Mei: He is. Please Dr. Jackson. Don't let this little incident influence your decision. You have to see Dave.
Dr. Jackson: I said I would meet with Dr. Malucci and I will, but not today. Call me and we will set up another meeting.
Jing-Mei: Thank you and Dave won't disappoint you. He'll be up to your standards next time.
Dr. Jackson leaves and Jing-Mei, Mr. Santini and Carter sit down and wait for news on Dave's condition.
Mr. Santini: I hope I didn't do anything to upset the boy.
Jing-Mei: I'm sure you didn't. Oh John, this is Mr. Santini, Dave's ex-landlord and good friend.
Mr. Santini: Nice to meet you. You're the doctor that was suppose to be kidnapped instead of Dr. Dave. I read the newspaper.
Carter: That would be me. I hope you don't hold that against me. If I could change places with Malucci. I would in a second.
Mr. Santini: I bet you would. Is Dr. Dave going to be alright?
Jing-Mei: I hope so. What did happen in there?
Mr. Santini: Wish I knew. He was fine while I was with him but it seemed when that kid, Frankie was around him he started to get upset. You know when he first started to seize he kept looking at me as if he was trying to tell me something with his eyes. I'm probably just imagining it.
Jing-Mei: What is it with Frankie? Both Rusty and Mrs. Peterson don't like him and now Dave.
Carter: You can't go by Dave though. He jumps at everyone.
Jing-Mei: I guess. Mr. Santini, something you said back at my house has had me thinking. Maybe you could help me out.
Mr. Santini: If I can.
Jing-Mei: You said that Antonio was tiny, like Dave when he was a baby. I always thought Dave was a big baby.
Mr. Santini: Hardly. Dave wasn't a preemie like Antonio but he was very under weight for a full term baby.
Jing-Mei: Did they ever say why?
Mr. Santini: They didn't but then again they didn't have to. It was obvious. His parents did drugs all the time.
Carter: Even when his mother was pregnant with him?
Mr. Santini: Yeah. I knew Dr. Dave was a heroine baby but neither of his parents or any of the doctors admitted it.
Jing-Mei: How do you know for sure then?
Mr. Santini: Easy. All you had to do was open your ears. That baby screamed all the time, mostly at night. I was lucky, as landlord of Dr. Dave's apartment building, I had the pass key. I could get in and see things that others couldn't.
Carter: What did you see?
Mr. Santini looked at Carter and debated whether he should say anymore.
Jing-Mei: It's okay, Mr. Santini. You can talk in front of John. Now, what did you see?
Mr. Santini: Dr. Dave was a very small and thin baby. He was also a very nervous little baby. He shook in his crib all the time.
Jing-Mei: Sounds like some of the heroine babies that come through here.
Mr. Santini: That's what I thought. Let's face it. In our neighborhood back in Italy, you can tell who the junkies are. Anyway, as I said he would cry all the time. Sometimes when the crying got too bad, I would go up and enter the apartment...
Carter: Where were his parents?
Mr. Santini: In the apartment stoned. Half the time, they didn't even know I was in there. Anyone could have walked in and stolen the baby and they wouldn't even have noticed or cared. But I digress, when I got into the apartment, I went into the room where the crying was coming from and what I saw was indescribable. The smell would make a cast iron stomach puke. There were paint chips lying about on floor and falling from the ceiling into the crib. The crib itself was disgraceful. It was barely strong enough to support a small baby like Dr. Dave and it had a ripped up mattress in it without sheets or blankets and no pillow. It was like walking into a refrigerator. It was so cold in there. Usually, when I got into the "baby's nursery" little Davey would be laying in his own mess for god knows how long crying and shaking. His bottle would be laying at the opposite side of the crib bone-dry. I would bathe him then find some clean diapers, that I bought most of the time and hid in a closet inside the boy's room, and change him and then I would open his bottle to clean and fill it but when I opened it the worst smell hit me. It was liquor, maybe brandy, that was coming from the bottle. His parents were giving him liquor to pacify him and keep him quiet. Poor little Davey was probably a full blown alcoholic by the time he was two years old.
The tears ran down both Jing-Mei and Carter's faces.
Jing-Mei: Dave never said anything about that to me.
Mr. Santini: That was a part of his life that Davey left behind when he left Sicily and with good reason.
Carter: If you knew, why didn't you report it to child welfare?
Mr. Santini: Maybe in your neck of woods, that would have been the thing to do. But back in Sicily, there was no child welfare. They didn't take kids away from their parents unless they saw the abuse themselves, which they never did.
Jing-Mei: All they had to do was look at the apartment, if it was as bad as you said it was.
Mr. Santini: IF they ever investigated the reports.
Jing-Mei: Surely, you did report it.
Mr. Santini: Of course I did. But once they found out who was being reported, the statements were mysteriously lost. No one would go up against Vincenzio Malucci. They knew better if they valued their lives.
Carter: You never followed up on the statements.
Mr. Santini: I pushed it making as many reports as I did. If his father ever found out, look I had a wife and a newborn daughter to care for. I would look out for Davey as much as I could. When his parents were passed out, I would take Davey down to my apartment and me and my wife would give him a bath, feed him, change him and play with him until we heard movement upstairs and realized his parents were awake and not fighting. I don't think I ever saw that kid without a bruise on his body, a cast or some stitches.
Jing-Mei: Did they treat Sophie the same way?
Mr. Santini: No. When Dave was 3 and his mother found out she was pregnant again, she decided as difficult as it was she would try to lay off the drugs because she didn't want another screwed up kid like the one she already had. And god knows how but she did manage to cut back on the drug use with this pregnancy, although I think given Sophie's low birth weight and hyper-activeness she still used occasionally.
Dr. Vasquez came out of Dave's room.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Vasquez, how is he?
Dr. Vasquez: Sedated for now. I'm going to schedule Dave for another brain scan and MRI. I want to see if the seizure was brought on by any additional pressure to his brain.
Jing-Mei: Well, I guess there's no use hanging around we probably won't be able to get in to see Dave again today. I better go down and fetch Rusty and Frankie.
Mr. Santini: I'll see you later then, Dr. Chen.
Jing-Mei walked Carter down to the ER. As they approach the admit desk, he notices that her mind is preoccupied.
Kerry: How is Dave?(waiting for a response but not getting one) Jing-Mei, hello.
Jing-Mei: I'm sorry. What did you say Kerry?
Kerry: I was asking you how Dave is?
Jing-Mei: He had another seizure. Dr. Vasquez is doing another MRI on him.
Carter: But there's something else wrong, isn't there Deb? Is it what Mr. Santini was telling us about Dave's childhood?
Luka: What about Dave's childhood?
Jing-Mei: Never mind, I'll fill you in later. It's a letter I received in the mail...that is that Dave received.
Carter: What did it say?
Abby: Like she opened it.
Jing-Mei: Actually I did. I know I shouldn't have but it said it was from INS so I thought it was about Rusty's visa extension.
Mark: And it wasn't?
Jing-Mei: No. They were notifying Dave that his working visa is expired.
Carter: Wait a minute. Malucci's not a citizen in this country.
Jing-Mei: I guess not.
Kerry: No. He had a green card. I found out when he was first hired on.
Jing-Mei: Anyway, immigration said that they are giving Dave 30 days to renew his visa. But since Dave isn't working now, he no longer qualifies for a green card and without it he can't stay in this country---not legally. They are going to deport him.
Abby: Well couldn't he get some kind of a medical one. After all, he's too sick to leave the country.
Mark: We certainly can write some affidavits along with Dave's other doctors to INS and that might help.
Jing-Mei: Thanks you guys but if I know INS they are going to want Dave examined by their own doctors and if they find Dave is fit to travel they are going to arrange to fly him back to Italy to receive the remainder of his treatment. Dave's disability insurance won't cover treatment outside the U.S.A. He can't afford to pay for the care he needs and believe me Italy is last place he'd want to go.
Luka: Don't worry about it, Jing-Mei. We'll think of something.
Jing-Mei: Look, this is our problem and I'll know you guys are trying to help but we will deal with it. I don't mean to bother you with it.
Jing-Mei looks down at her watch.
Jing-Mei: Oh, I've got to get Rusty and get home to the baby. Excuse me.
Jing-Mei heads down to the cafeteria where Rusty and Frankie were finishing up their food. The three of them walked out to the parking lot.
Jing-Mei: Frankie, is there somewhere we could drop you off at?
Frankie: No. That's alright. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow.
Jing-Mei: See you tomorrow.
Frankie holds the car door open for Rusty to get in and as he shuts it the mirror catches the sunlight and causes a flash between Rusty and Frankie. Rusty jumps back. No one notices. All the way home, Rusty sat nervously in his seat. Jing-Mei thought he was just tired and anxious to get home. But he was more panicked then anxious or tired.
As Jing-Mei pulled into the driveway, Mrs. Peterson came out of the house.
Mrs. Peterson: Hi you two. Sophie's on the phone.
Jing-Mei: Rusty, Aunt Sophie phone.
Rusty runs inside and grabs the phone.
Rusty: Hi, Aunt Sophie.
Sophie: Hi, sweet heart. How are you?
Rusty: Scared. Aunt Sophie, I remember where I saw my teacher at before.
To be continued. Please read and review.