The Ransom of Dr. Dave
Part 66
A/N: Anything in bold italic is being spoken in Italian.
Anything written in between ** is in Dave's dream sequence
Everyone in the room gasped then the room remained silent until Jing-Mei spoke up.
Jing-Mei: Dave, you spoke!
Dave(stroking Rascal): Pu...pu..ppy.
Carter: I think he likes the dog.
Mr. Santini: Dr. Dave was always fond of animals. He was never able to have any pets when he was a kid except the ones he kept in the basement of our tenement that he thought I didn't know about.
Rusty walks over to Dave and tries to get hold of Rascal. Dave pulls the puppy closer to him and tightens his grip--not hard enough to hurt Rascal, but firm so no one will take the dog away from him.
Rusty: Rascal. Papa, that's Rascal.
Dave: Pu...pu..pup..py.
Jing-Mei sits down on Dave's bed and Dave sinks into his sheets still holding and stroking Rascal. She places her hand on the side of Dave's face and caresses him.
Jing-Mei(smiling): Well, it may only be one word but it's a big step, sweetheart. There will be others.
Kerry: Once he trains the left side of his brain. It may take a while but he's on his way.
Dave lets out a big yawn and everyone takes the hint. As his visitors start to leave, Jing-Mei tells Mr. Santini to bring Rusty home. Rusty goes over to Dave to get Rascal but Dave refuses to hand him over.
Rusty: Papa, give Rascal. (holding his arms out)
Dave shakes his head no.
Rusty: Give Rascal!(continuing to hold his arms out and getting very agitated with his papa)Mama Jing!!
Jing-Mei walks over to Dave and tries to reason with him.
Jing-Mei: Dave, baby, you know you can't keep the puppy here. Now, give Rusty the dog.
Dave shakes his head. Jing-Mei looks at Mr. Santini and between the two of them they pry Dave's hands off the scared little dog while Rusty takes him away from Malucci.
Jing-Mei: Go ahead Mr. Santini, Rusty, now while you can.
Rusty stands by the door and takes Rascal's paw and waves it at Dave.
Rusty: Bye, bye papa. Love you.
Dave waves back and Mr. Santini, Rusty and Rascal leave the room. Dave, angry and upset slides back down in his bed and pulls the blanket up to his face. He winces as he moves because of his cracked ribs.
Jing-Mei: Dave, I'm sorry. If you like I might be able to arrange to have Rusty bring Rascal back for you to see. Would you like that?
Dave nods and wipes the tears that are running down his face. He slowly gets into a seated position trying not to hurt his ribs anymore. He reaches out for his pudding cup. In the process, he knocks it over. He slams his fist down on the table, angry that he can't do a simple thing like feed himself without screwing it up. Jing-Mei picks it up and starts to feed him.
Jing-Mei: You know, Dave. You are getting better every day. Soon little tasks like this will be no big deal for you. I bet that when you get all better you won't believe that you had trouble doing these little things that we take for granted.
Dave started opening and closing his mouth as if he was trying to talk again. Jing-Mei stopped feeding him long enough to see what he was trying to say.
Jing-Mei: Go ahead Dave. Take it slow. Think before you speak. God knows you never did before.
Dave: P...pu...pup..py.
Jing-Mei sighs.
Jing-Mei: Yeah Dave. Puppy. Now, finish eating before you fall asleep on me.
She goes back to feeding her one worded husband.
Jing-Mei arrives home to find Rusty playing with his video game and Rascal sitting next to him. She goes straight in the kitchen and starts to make dinner. As she is setting the table, Rusty and Rascal walk up to her with their heads down.
Jing-Mei: Rusty!! Rus...oh, there you are. (pointing at the bathroom) Go ahead, get washed up...dinner is almost ready.
Rusty doesn't move and as Jing-Mei turns around she bangs into him, not seeing him there.
Jing-Mei: Go, Rusty.
He remains where he is.
Jing-Mei: What's the matter?
She kneels down to his eye level and pushes his hair back off forehead.
Jing-Mei: What's wrong?
Rusty: Rusty bad.
Jing-Mei: No, no you're not. Your good little boy. (nodding her head at him)
Rusty: Mama Jing mad.
Jing-Mei: No, no I'm not mad. I love you.
Rusty: Rascal too.
Jing-Mei smiles and laughs.
Jing-Mei: Rascal too. Now, wash up for dinner.
Mrs. Peterson leaves and Jing-Mei checks on a sleeping Antonio. Rusty heads over to the table and gets ready to eat. Jing-Mei sticks her head out the door and gets Rusty's guard in for dinner.
Jing-Mei: Officer, dinner is ready.
The guard sits down at the table in his normal place. Jing-Mei brings out rolls, two bowls of vegetables and baked chicken that Mrs. Peterson prepared earlier for her.
Jing-Mei: You know Rusty. I was a little mad at you this afternoon for bringing Rascal into the hospital. He's not sterile and there are some very sick people there who could have gotten sicker with him there. But when I seen the affect he had on your papa, then I changed my mind.
The guard translates.
Rusty: I did good then. I helped papa.
Jing-Mei: Yes, you did.
Rusty: Papa, liked Rascal.
Jing-Mei: He sure did. In fact, he liked him so much that I'm going to arrange to have Rascal brought up to see your papa again.
Rusty: Really. Cool.
Jing-Mei: It's amazing that furry little guy did something for your papa that none of us could do. He got him to speak and maybe he will help him get even better.
Rusty: Doctors, let Rascal see papa again.
Jing-Mei: I don't know but I can try. Just remember if they do, I want Rascal bathed everytime before he goes to the hospital. Okay.
Rusty(saluting): Yes, Mama Jing.
They all smile and go back to eating while Rascal starts begging at the table and waiting for table scraps to fall to the floor. In the middle of the meal, Rascal disappears. Later as Jing-Mei is clearing the table she finds him. He's laying under the table licking Rusty's hand as Rusty is slipping him food. Rusty sees Jing-Mei eyeing him and pulls his hand up on to the table, stares at the ceiling and whistles.
Jing-Mei(shaking her head and thinking to herself): Maluccis. Oh god, and now I am one.
The next morning after Jing-Mei drops Rusty off at Mr. Santini's, she goes over to the hospital and stops by and speaks with Dr. Romano. She waits outside his office until he comes out and asks her in.
Romano: Well Dr. Chen, what can I do for you today? I hope this isn't about more time off. Speak to Dr. Weaver about that. She's real good at assigning time off out of nowhere.
Jing-Mei: It's nothing like that. I bought my son a puppy for his birthday and somehow he sneaked it in here yesterday and brought it to his father's room.
Romano: Dr. Malatucci...right.
Jing-Mei: Dr. Dave, yes.
Romano: And you came to sweet talk me and make sure when I found out about it, that you would still have a job here...
Jing-Mei: That's not it. The puppy, Dave responded to it.
Romano: And this affects me how...
Jing-Mei: We finally found someone or something that Dave can connect with and I know a lot of places use animal therapy on their brain damage patients...
Romano: I still fail to see how this has anything to do with me.
Jing-Mei: I kind of promised my husband and son that I would arrange to have Rascal, that's the puppy's name, brought back in to see Dave. I know it's against hospital rules, but you are chief of staff so I figured you could bend the rules in this case, seeing how Dave needs this puppy to open up.
Romano: Dr. Chen, I'm afraid you got the wrong impression of me. I am not the cold-hearted prick that some of the other staff members might believe. I do understand how therapeutic animals can be to anyone. And how sometimes they are able to work miracles that we as doctors fail to. This puppy, he's clean?
Jing-Mei: Of course he is and will be everytime he comes I promise. I've already discussed that with Rusty, my son.
Romano: If I agree to this, there are some ground rules that need to be followed.
Jing-Mei: I'll do whatever it takes.
Romano: Rule 1- you remain in the room with the puppy and Dr. Mal...whatever. Rule 2- if the dog becomes loud he is removed. Rule 3- you are responsible for any mess made by the dog. Rule 4- if the state health department stops by I don't know anything about this. Finally Rule 5- everytime the dog is brought into the hospital he is brought to see me first.
Jing-Mei: Agreed. But I'm afraid I don't quite understand rule number 5.
Romano: I never pass up the opportunity to see a puppy. I, too, am an animal lover.
Jing-Mei(laughing): I was counting on that.
Romano: Besides, I was thinking about getting another dog, myself. A female puppy and I want to see if this doggy will be good enough to one day mate with mine.
Jing-Mei: He will be. He's really a good little puppy. Thank you.
Jing-Mei gets up and leaves Romano's office and heads towards Dave's room.
Meanwhile, Dave is lying in his bed trying to sleep all the while twisting, turning and fighting a dream he's having:
**Dave is a seven year old boy. He's just come back from delivering groceries for Mr. Santini and he has a bag in his arms.
Davey: Sophie, Sophie!!! Where are you?
Three year old Sophie comes running in.
Sophie: Davey, your back.
Davey: Where's pa`pa at?
Sophie: Sleeping. Davey, he's smells again.
Davey walks into his father's room. He sees him sprawled out across the bed, half dressed. Davey takes a whiff.
Davey: Drunk again. Too early in the day. No wonder his kidneys are in the shape that they are. Has he been at the hospital today?
Sophie shrugs.
Davey: Never mind him. I've got dinner here. Go back and play with your dolly while I make dinner.
Sophie: What are we eating, tonight?
Davey: Fettuccini Alfredo, Davey style.
Sophie: Isn't that hard to make?
Davey: Nah, all I have to do is read the cookbook. Besides, don't I cook for you all the time and you're still here, right.
Sophie: You the best cook ever, Davey.
Davey: That's because I'm cooking for the best little girl ever. Now, go play while I cook.
Davey went into the kitchen and started boiling the water. He opened some of the boxed fettuccini and read the directions on the box and in the cookbook. After the water boiled, Davey put the pasta in. He was looking at the spices when he decided to ask Sophie how spicy she liked it. He went to look for her and when he didn't see her in the living room, he checked the other rooms. He couldn't find her so he checked the only room that he missed--his father's. He entered just in time to find her next to their father's bed holding one of his loaded syringes. She was pushing the plunger of syringe back and forth. Davey ran over and grabbed her.
Davey: Sophie, no. Put that down and go into the other room and play. You know you're not suppose to be in here!
Sophie left the room crying and Davey went after her. He caught up to her and comforted her.
Davey: I'm sorry, Sophie. You know I don't like yelling at you. I just don't want anything to happen to you. You're all I got left. I couldn't bare it if anything happen to you. Now, I'm going to get rid of this before someone hurts themselves.
Davey sits Sophie on their ripped up couch with her dolly and went out to throw the syringe in the incinerator. Down in the basement, Davey opens the door to the incinerator and throws the syringe in. As he gets ready to leave, something meets his feet. Davey jumps.
Davey: Luciano, what are doing?
Davey picks the small, undersized Spinone Italiano puppy up and holds him. The dog licks his hand.
Davey: Are you hungry? If you can wait a little while longer, I'll bring you some of Davey Malucci's own fettuccini alfredo. But for now, I'll give you some water.
Davey puts the puppy down and takes a small bowl and fills it up with water. He strokes the puppy and heads back upstairs. As he enters his apartment, he sees smoke.
Davey: Uh oh. I forgot dinner.
Davey runs into the kitchen to find his pasta boiling over. He shuts off the stove in time to save it. Sophie followed her brother into the kitchen.
Sophie: Is everything okay, Davey?
Davey: Just a little bit of a mess. Get a rag and we'll clean this...
From just outside the kitchen, Davey and Sophie hear some one coming...
Vincenzio: What the fuck is going on in here?
Sophie: Pa`pa. You're awake.
Vincenzio: You screwing up again, boy.
Davey: No, I'm just making dinner.
Vincenzio inspects the stove and sees water running down the side.
Vincenzio: Making dinner, huh?
Davey: It kinda got away from me here. But, we're cleaning it up and it will be ready soon.
Vincenzio: It looks like you were trying to burn this place down.
Davey: Sorry pa`pa. I had to go down to the incinerator for a minute.
As Sophie continues to clean up the stove, Davey takes the pasta over the sink with the lid against the top and strains the pasta over a bowl in the sink. Some of the pasta fell out into the bowl. Davey put the strained pasta back down on the burner and went to start the sauce.
Vincenzio walks back into his bedroom and started ransacking his bedroom. Sophie and Davey hear the noise and Davey knows what his father is looking for. Vincenzio walks back into the kitchen with fire in his eyes.
Vincenzio: What the fuck were you down at the incinerator for, pussy?
Davey: I had to throw something out.
Vincenzio: Like what? My medicine that I had sitting next to my bed.
Davey: No, not your medicine. (thinking for a moment before speaking) Your heroine.
Vincenzio ran back into the kitchen and before Davey could get away, he grabbed him by the neck and pushed him face down on the floor. He held his foot on Davey's back to keep him down.**
Jing-Mei entered Dave's room and saw him thrashing in bed. She ran over to him and shook him, trying to wake him up but with no success. Dave's arms were all over the place, dislodging a number of his IV'S.
**Vincenzio then grabbed the bowl of boiling water that Davey had just strained the pasta in and poured it over Davey's back. Davey let out a deafening scream.**
Jing-Mei continued to shake Dave to wake him, when he jumped up into a seated position, screaming and shaking. Jing-Mei tried to comfort him but he pulled away from her.
Jing-Mei: Dave, baby. Calm down, it's me Jing-Mei. It's alright. (looking at the sheets on his bed)My god, your sheets are soaked!
She finally manage to get close enough to him to feel his head.
Jing-Mei: You're burning up. Dave please, take it easy...
Dave's doctors and nurses came running in.
Doctor: What happened? What's going on here?
Jing-Mei: I walked in and he was in this state. I think he had a nightmare.
Doctor: A bad one it looks like.
Jing-Mei: Bad enough for him to pull his IVS out.
The doctors reinserted the IVS in Dave's arms while the nurse sedated him.
At the Chicago Penitentiary, a prisoner is led into the visiting room. On the other side of the glass sat a young man wearing a large grin. Both the prisoner and the young man pick up the phones.
Prisoner: Who the fuck are you?
Young Man: The guy that's going to help spring you.
Prisoner: Why? Who are you?
Young Man: You, Raymond Pincard?
Pincard: That's right, why? Who wants to know?
Young Man: Name's Rico. My boss has a job for you if your interested.
Pincard: Who's you boss and what's the job?
Rico: Never mind. Do you want the job or not?
Pincard: If I say yes then how am I suppose to do a job from in here?
Rico: Just leave it to my boss. If you agree to work for him, he will not only get you out of here but have all charges against you dropped.
Pincard: How's he going to do that?
Rico: If my boss says he can do it, he'll do it.
Pincard: Alright, you've got a deal. So when do I get out?
Rico: We'll be in touch.
As Rico gets up and leave, Pincard waves him back.
Rico: What now?
Pincard: So if I say I'll work for your boss to get out, what's to stop me from backing down when I'm out?
Rico: Let's just say if you double cross my boss, the Chicago fuzz is going to find your remains: a piece here and a piece there. Got it.
Pincard gulps and nods in response. Rico hangs up the phone and leaves.
Jing-Mei sits by Dave's bed holding his hand as he remains sedated.
Jing-Mei(to herself): Dave, what has got you so scared? (pause) What was that nightmare all about?(looking up to the ceiling) Please tell me something. I need to know what I can do to help him. He obviously needs help and I can't do anything for him until I know what is wrong with him to begin with.
Jing-Mei lays her head down on the bed when she feels Dave squeeze her hand and move his arm. She throws her head up to see Dave with his eyes still tightly shut and his face covered in tears.
Dave(crying): Pu..pp...py! Pu...pp..py!
To be continued. Please read and review.