The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 53
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian
Forty five minutes after being taken into a trauma room, Jing-Mei starts to come around. Drs. Romano and Weaver are with her. She is still a little dazed but she is regaining her bearings.
Kerry: Are you alright, Jing-Mei?
Jing-Mei: I think so. What happened?
Romano: You fainted after I told you about Dr. Dave's condition.
Jing-Mei: I remember. You said Dave had another heart attack.
Romano: Yeah and it was a bad one.
Kerry: How bad?
Romano: He's in CHF.
Jing-Mei: Oh god!
Romano: He went into V-FIB for only a minute or two. We shocked him once and got him back but unfortunately his heart stopped long enough to cause the blood flow to bacterialize and improperly circulate through the coronary artery in the right atrium causing the heart to fail.
Jing-Mei: So what are you doing to treat him?
Romano: I've increased his nitro and have him on the beta-blocker-Lopressor, calcium channel blocker-Norvasc and Lasix. I've had to take him off his Imdur temporarily because there's the possibility that it could interact with his Lopressor.
Jing-Mei: Prognosis?
Romano: Good. I think. As long as we can keep his blood pressure in check and control his heart condition we can probably set him up on a medicinal regimen and monitor his drug levels so he has a good shot at a long life.
Jing-Mei: He'll be on this medication the rest of his life, what kind of a life is that?
Kerry: A difficult one. But Malucci has already come through a lot that would have killed anyone else who didn't have is will to live. I think if Malucci is given the choice of dying or taking life sustaining medications for the rest of his time, he would choose the drugs.
Jing-Mei: But the side effects...
Romano: I'll admit they are probably worse than the CHF itself but these meds are buying him time and right now that's about all we can do at the moment.
Jing-Mei: At the moment. Are you saying there may be something else that can be done for him. Therapy...surgery, I'm desperate I'll take any option.
Romano: When Dr. Dave is stronger we might want try to put in a pacemaker or ICD. He'll still need the meds but at least if there is a problem, the implanted device might help save him until help arrives.
Kerry: What about the coma, Robert?
Romano: It's serious but he is responding to painful stimuli in his upper extremities especially in his right arm so I don't think it's as deep as the last one was. He may come out of it soon.
Jing-Mei: Or he may not.
Romano: Let's just take it a little at a time. Don't write the kid off yet. If all my patients had his determination to live, I'd probably be undefeated as far as my death rate is concerned.
Carter enters the trauma room.
Carter: How is she?
Jing-Mei: I am fine, John.
Carter: So, what did that bastard inject Malucci with to bring on the cardiac arrest?
Romano: Air. He tried to send an air bubble through the doctor's IV and cause a cardiac embolism which would have caused death with in moments.
Jing-Mei: Since Dave is still alive, so to speak, I assume he didn't get a chance to finish the job.
Romano: No he didn't.
Jing-Mei: Thank god. What is going to happen when Frankie finds out that he did fail. They will try again.
Romano: We will have to cut back down on the doctor's visitors and add more security.
Jing-Mei: I don't know how much more of this I can take? Uh, where's Rusty?
Carter: Last check he was in the tv room with Malik.
Jing-Mei: I had better go get him. We have a plane to catch tomorrow morning and we aren't even packed yet. Wow! I almost forgot that we have to fly out to Italy for Sophie's funeral. I want to go and pay my respects for myself and on behalf of Dave but I don't want to leave Dave's side now.
Kerry: Go to Italy, Jing-Mei. We will watch over Dave for you.
Jing-Mei: I don't want to impose on you.
Carter: You're not. We want to do this.
Jing-Mei: Thank you. By the way, did Luka check Rusty out?
Carter: Yes and he's fine. There's no sign or indication of sexual assault. He's still very shaken up.
Jing-Mei: I can imagine. Dr. Romano, is there anyway I could get up to see Dave? I just want to check on him before I go.
Romano: Sure, only for a few moments. He needs his rest.
Jing-Mei heads up to the ICU and goes in to Dave's room. He is very still and pale. The pulse on his heart monitor is slow and erratic. He's gasping for air on the ventilator. She sits by his bed and holds his hand. She notices a bulge in his side and lifts up his blanket when the on-duty nurse arrives.
Nurse: His lung collapsed again. They had to put a chest tube back in.
Jing-Mei: Oh. Dr. Romano didn't say anything about that.
Nurse: You have a very strong boyfriend there. You should be very proud of him for how hard he's fighting.
Jing-Mei: I am. Very proud. He's a real survivor.(pause) Could we have a moment, nurse.
Nurse: Sure. I'll be back to chart his vitals later when I suction him.
The nurse leaves as Jing-Mei faces Dave and squeezes his hand.
Jing-Mei: Hi, baby. You're going to be just fine. Dr. Romano says so. He may be a jerk but he's a damn good doctor.(pause) Rusty's okay. I know you were worried about him. I haven't had a chance to tell you but Rusty and I are going away for a couple of days so we won't be by to see you. I just don't want you to think we deserted you. The guys down in the ER said they would visit you regularly and I'll call everyday.(pause) I can't tell you where we are going or why but I will as soon as you are better. Mrs. Peterson is going to keep Antonio while we are gone. She will keep him safe. The Petersons are great. They love having him.(pause) Please Dave, you've come so far and you were doing great until this incident. But this is only a temporary setback. We have to expect them since you have some very serious injuries. (pause)Dave, I am so sorry that I didn't take your fears around Frankie more serious. You, Rusty, Mrs. Peterson---you all tried to tell me and I didn't pay attention. I almost cost you you're life. Please forgive me. I love you and Rusty so much I would never want anything to happen to you guys.
The nurse enters Dave's room to suction him and Jing-Mei prepares to get up and leave.
Jing-Mei: Looks like visiting hours are up and I've got to go. You take care of yourself and I'll be back to see you as soon as possible. Love you.
Jing-Mei leaves the room and heads down to the tv room to get Rusty when she stops by the front desk to use the phone. After several minutes the phone stops ringing and is picked up on the other end.
Jing-Mei: Mrs. Peterson, it's me Jing-Mei.
Mrs. Peterson: Dr. Chen, is something wrong? You sound upset.
Jing-Mei: Calling to check on the baby and to apologize to you. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.
Mrs. Peterson: Antonio's just been fed and changed and is sleeping soundly now. Apologize for what?
Jing-Mei: Something happened here at the hospital.
Mrs. Peterson: Oh no, Dr. Malucci, is he alright?
Jing-Mei: He's had a setback but I'll tell you all about it when I get home. I just want you to know you were absolutely right about Frankie.
Mrs. Peterson: Did he hurt you?
Jing-Mei: Not me, well not physically. But he did do damage to Rusty and Dave.
Mrs. Peterson: Is that what caused Dr. Malucci's setback?
Jing-Mei: Yes. But he's going to make it. It's just going to slow down his recovery more than it already has been.
Mrs. Peterson: Rusty?
Jing-Mei: He's shaken up but he's fine, too.
Mrs. Peterson: You are still going to the funeral, aren't you?
Jing-Mei: Yes. We have to. That's another reason why I wanted to call you. I need you to do me a favor.
Mrs. Peterson: What do you need?
Jing-Mei: Could you get the two suitcases from my bedroom closet out and put a few things in each bag for me and Rusty. Just some clothes and toiletries and maybe Rusty's gameboy to play with on the plane. I haven't had a chance to pack and I know when we get home, we are going to be so tired that we'll probably go straight to bed. We have to up early tomorrow and at the airport before 7:30 in the morning.
Mrs. Peterson: Anything special you'd like me to pack?
Jing-Mei: Just a few changes of clothes, maybe 3 or 4 sets each. (pause)I've got to go get Rusty so you give Antonio a big kiss for me.
Mrs. Peterson: You bet. See you when you get back home. Bye.
Jing-Mei: Bye.
Jing-Mei goes downstairs and into the tv room to find Rusty watching tv with Capt. Amos and his guard.
Capt. Amos: Dr. Chen, I've been waiting for you. Rusty here, has been keeping me company. He's a great kid.
Jing-Mei: I know that and you know that but don't let Rusty hear you say that. If he's got his father's ego, we will never be able to live it down.
Capt. Amos: Right. Uh, look could we go and talk somewhere.
Jing-Mei: Let's go into the lounge.
Jing-Mei and Capt. Amos walk into the lounge only to find it mildly occupied.
Capt. Amos: Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Chen and I were looking for some place to talk.
Peter: Well, we can clear out of here and give you some privacy.
Capt. Amos: Actually, if it's alright with Dr. Chen I don't mind if you stay.
Jing-Mei: That's fine. Let's sit down.
They took their seats and Jing-Mei took a deep breath to prepare herself for what Capt. Amos was about to tell her.
Jing-Mei: So what is happening, captain. Did Frankie tell you who hired him?
Capt. Amos: Of course not. But there is something you should know. When I came by the hospital earlier I told you I needed to speak with you.
Jing-Mei: I remember. But then that mess happened with Frankie and we never got to talk. What was it about?
Captain: My men reviewed the tapes that we got from the phone taps at your house. At some point over the past months there was local disturbance of the phone lines so some of the tapes were difficult if not impossible to decipher them. From what we can make out, your boy's tutor had been sent to keep an eye on you and your family and to monitor Dr. Malucci's progress. He's what we call down in the department as an inside leak or informant, whichever you prefer.
Peter: What did he say?
Capt. Amos: Well we couldn't figure out who he was talking to or tell you exactly what was said. We do know whoever was on the other end of the phone was Italian too with a very thick accent. We know that he informed his boss that your babysitter was the mother of Dr. Malucci's kidney donor. Also, he had a very few choice words about your boys and Dr. Malucci.
Jing-Mei: I don't think I want to know what they were.
Capt. Amos: Trust me, you don't.
Cleo: There's something I don't understand. If Frankie and whoever he was talking with are both Italian then why didn't they just speak in Italian and not English.
Capt. Amos: Beats me. Maybe it was just force of habit and since they weren't suspecting the line to be tapped. I don't know what was going through their minds. Anyway, there's more to it. When we ran his prints into our international computer database, we came up with a match.
Jing-Mei: A match? How? Who's prints were they?
Capt. Amos: They matched some of the prints that we took from Dr. Carter's Lexus, and the hangar.
Haleh: So he definitely was there when Dr. Malucci was kidnapped.
Capt. Amos: Yeah, but that's not all of it.
Cleo: There's more.
Capt. Amos: They were also the same prints that were lifted off the bullet removed from Jada DePalma.
Haleh: From who?
Jing-Mei: Rusty's mom. That means that he...(interrupted by the sudden opening of the door)
Kerry, Carter and Abby enter the lounge.
Carter: What's going on? Did that bastard tell you anything, Captain?
Capt. Amos: Not yet. But we do know...
Jing-Mei(interrupting): He killed her.
Abby: Who killed who?
Jing-Mei: That fucking little bastard killed Rusty's mom, Jada.
Kerry: Oh god! Are you sure?
Capt. Amos: Yes. He hasn't exactly confessed to it but give us some time he'll cop to it and to something else that I need to speak with you about, Dr. Chen.
Jing-Mei: What?
Capt. Amos: This I think we should do in private.
Jing-Mei: Captain, with all due respect, Dave and I no longer have any secrets from these people. If it's serious, I don't think I want to be alone when you tell me, so whatever it is just say it.
Capt. Amos: Alright, as you wish. We know that Frankie was at the hangar when Dr. Malucci was kidnapped. We also know that he tied Dr. Malucci's hands and put the blindfold on him...
Carter: Wait, how do you know that?
Capt. Amos: We lifted his prints off the ropes used to tie up Dr. Dave and the blindfold but that's not all.
Capt. Amos took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.
Capt. Amos: While we questioned him, something about his mannerisms bothered me, so on a hunch I ran a DNA test on a court order sample that I got from him and my suspicions were correct.
Jing-Mei: What kind of sample: saliva, blood, urine.
Capt. Amos: Seman. Dr. Chen, he's the one who raped Dr. Malucci in the hangar.
To be continued. Please read and review.