The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 52
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian
Up in Dave's room, Frankie is preparing to finish Dave off. Rusty is talking to his daddy who is barely conscious. Frankie makes his way over to Dave's bed and starts to inspect his IV lines. He finds one and removes a syringe from his pocket. He holds Dave's IV line in one hand and the syringe in the other as he prepares to inject Dave with air. Rusty, knowing that Frankie is up to no good, starts to ease himself off his chair and slip out of the room to get help. Frankie catches him. He stomps his foot on top of Rusty's little foot making it impossible for the kid to run. He pulls back on the syringe plunger. Rusty starts to try to pull his foot from underneath Frankie's but it's too tightly secured to the floor.
Rusty: Off Frankie. Hurting me. Off!
Frankie: Shut the fuck up because your next , you little punk.
Rusty screams and is quieted by Frankie's hand on his mouth. Frankie holds Rusty around the neck keeping a firm grip on his mouth, he manages to manipulate the IV line between his fingers and, being a junkie, he expertly uses one hand to position the syringe into the plastic, thin tube leading to Dave's vein. He starts to push down on the syringe when...
Capt. Amos(brandishing his gun in the doorway): Drop it Frankie! It's over!
Panicked, Frankie quickly releases the IV line and snatches some scissors on the tray next to Dave's bed. Then in one movement, he picks Rusty up in his arm, still holding his mouth, and places the scissors to his throat.
Jing-Mei: Rusty!!!
Capt. Amos: This doesn't have to be this way. There's no reason why anyone else has to get hurt here. Just put the boy down and we will go a lot easier on you.
Frankie: Fuck you, pig!! Get the fuck out of our way or I'll slit his goddamn throat. Now, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!
Frankie edges his way to the door with Rusty struggling in his arm.
Frankie: Tell your men to drop their weapons!
The cops don't move so Frankie presses the scissors into Rusty's throat, barely penetrating the surface of his skin but causing the scared little boy to let out a loud muffled scream.
Capt. Amos orders his men to lower their weapons and they comply but keep their guard up.
Jing-Mei: Why are you doing this, Frankie? I thought you liked Rusty. Why would you want to hurt him?
Frankie: You fucking thought wrong, you yellow bitch. Who could like this whiny, spoiled little brat? He's done nothing but give me migraines ever since I came to work for you. He's just like his big mouth old man. Doesn't know when to shut the hell up. If we would have done our jobs when we first had him, then I wouldn't have to ice him now. Well, we don't have to worry because he's not going to make it much longer. I didn't screw up this time. HAH, HAHA.
Capt. Amos: What did you give him?
Frankie: Never mind!
Capt. Amos: Look, just put the little boy down and we'll talk...
Frankie: You don't get it pigs. YOU ARE NOT CALLING THE SHOTS HERE, I AM!!! NOW FOR THE LAST TIME, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE DOORWAY.
The police back away from the door and allow passage for the assailant and his hostage to get through. Rusty continues to struggle and Frankie slowly edges towards the door. He moves into Dave's line of vision and Dave sees him with the scissors up to Rusty's throat and he starts to get hysterical. His heart monitor started beeping loudly, distracting Frankie and causing him to drop his guard. At the same moment, Rusty gives a strong kick back catching Frankie in the balls and he drops the boy. Rusty runs over to a waiting Jing-Mei's arms, crying. The police tackle Frankie to the ground and subdue him.
Officer(pointing a gun to the back of his head): DON'T YOU SO MUCH AS BREATHE, YOU MOTHER FUCKER!!!
The cops place Frankie into handcuffs and pull him to his feet as the doctors care for a severely distressed and frantic Malucci.
Frankie: You know, I'm not the only one out there who wants this bastard dead. There are others. And where I failed, they WILL succeed. Trust me. You, paisans will never be free of us so WATCH YOUR FUCKING BACK, ESPECIALLY THE FUCKING GIMP IN THE BED OVER THERE. But then again, he's done for I made sure of that. SAY GOODBYE TO HIM, HE'S NOT LONG FOR THIS SHITTY WORLD. Looks like I didn't fail after all.
Capt. Amos: GET HIM THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!
As Frankie passed Jing-Mei and Rusty, he blew a kiss at her and said something to Rusty that caused the little, traumatized boy to burst into tears.
Jing-Mei: It's okay, Rusty sweetheart. You're safe. No ones going to hurt you.
Rusty continues to bawl while Jing-Mei tries to calm him down.
Jing-Mei: What did he say that upset Rusty so much.
Rusty's Italian speaking guard interprets Frankie's words.
Guard: He said he'll be back and next time he won't be as gentle on Dr. Malucci as he was this time.
Jing-Mei takes Rusty down to the lounge and gets him some juice and cookies to settle him down. She sits with several others from the ER, crying.
Jing-Mei: This is all my fault. Everyone kept telling that Frankie was bad but until today I've never seen it. He wasn't bad, he was pure evil. How the hell could I be so damn blind!
Abby: It's not your fault, Dr. Chen. Who would have guessed that he had anything to do with Dave's kidnapping?
Jing-Mei: I should have listened to Rusty, Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Santini. Even Dave knew that Frankie was trouble. How did it get by me. None of this would have happened if I would have just listened. But no, I thought I knew everything and I knew what was best for all concern and now I might have caused Dave to have a setback and oh my god...
Kerry: What is it, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: I let that son-of-a-bitch have full access to the children. He spent time around Rusty and Antonio. Hell, he was left alone with Rusty numerous times.
Rusty sits at a nearby table with his guard finishing his snacks but still shaken up by the days' events. Jing-Mei approaches him.
Jing-Mei: I am so sorry I didn't believe you. You were right by not wanting to trust Frankie and I should have listened to you and for that I will always be sorry and I won't blame you if you hated me forever.
The guard translates and Rusty gets off his seat and holds his arms out to Jing-Mei.
Rusty: I love you, Mama Jing.
She pulls him in for a hug and sniffs to try and clear her tears up.
Jing-Mei: I love you too, sweetheart.
Breaking from the hug, Jing-Mei looks Rusty straight in the eyes and painfully prepares to ask him a question that she doesn't know if she wants an answer for.
Jing-Mei(pushing the hair from Rusty's eyes): Rusty sweetheart, I need to know something. You have to tell me the truth. I won't be mad at you because you did nothing wrong, but, I have to know...
The guard translates.
Jing-Mei: Rusty, did Frankie touch you in a bad way. You know, where no one has a right to touch you.
The guard translates and Rusty shakes his head no.
Guard: Are you sure, big guy?
Rusty: Positively.
Guard: He's sure. He wasn't molested.
Jing-Mei takes a deep breath and starts to cry happily and relieved.
Jing-Mei: Oh, thank god. If anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself.
Luka: Jing-Mei, if you don't mind I still would like to examine him, just as a precaution.
Jing-Mei: Thank you, Luka. Except for that small cut under his neck where Frankie was holding the scissors to it, I don't think he was injured but I would feel better if you did check him out anyway.
Jing-Mei waves Rusty over and explains, through the guard, that Dr. Kovac wants to examine him. He wasn't happy about it until Luka promised him a lollipop if he let him take a look at him. On that note, Rusty agreed and he and his guard followed Luka into the exam room. Jing-Mei remained in the lounge with the others and awaited news about Dave's condition.
Mark: Didn't you recognize Frankie's voice as the one who has been threatening you on the phone?
Jing-Mei: It was always muffled. But this last time, when I heard it and Rusty's voice in the background I put two and two together. I only wish I did sooner.
Abby: Didn't Frankie give you any indication to suspect him before?
Jing-Mei: Except the fact that everyone hated him. Well, there was one thing that I couldn't figure out.
Carter: What was it?
Jing-Mei: Apparently, Rusty had told Sophie that he remember seeing Frankie in the hospital---outside the NICU---while he was visiting Antonio with her. Sophie hardly remembered the incident except that the man outside the NICU said he was taking pictures of his newborn.
Kerry: What is so strange about that?
Jing-Mei: I was talking to Frankie about having children and he said he never had any. Rusty was so definite about seeing him that's when I started getting suspicious.
Carter: Deb, about what he said in the ICU. Do you think that there are others out there gunning for Malucci?
Jing-Mei: Probably. I don't think he was involved in Dave's kidnapping alone. There's no way he could have handled Dave.
Carter: Yeah Malucci, would have wiped the floor with him.
Abby: But your forgetting that Dave was chloroformed when he was grabbed.
Jing-Mei: Right, but even still he couldn't have lifted Dave out of the car by himself.
Carter: Deb, you know that if Malucci is okay after his latest assault and there are others out there, they will try to get to him again.
Jing-Mei: I know. And it scares the hell out of me. I just wish we could go back to living a normal, whatever that is, life.
Kerry: You will. I know you will.
The lounge doors open and Dr. Romano walks in with a discouraging look on his face. Jing-Mei springs to her feet.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Romano, how is Dave?
Dr. Romano: I'm sorry Jing-Mei. We did everything we could but Dave's heart was too weak. He's suffered another massive coronary and has lapsed back into the coma.
Jing-Mei started to shake. She took a deep breath and before she could speak her legs went weak from underneath her and she fainted.
To be Continued. Please read and review.