Where do we go from here?
Notes:
I'm trying to go for a fairly long story here since all of my previous ER stories have been short, one chapter jobs. I also feel the need to warn you that although I do try to keep in the characters represented in the show, in previous works of mine I have tended to go a little out of character. I have tried to keep this occurrence down to a minimum but just beware of a few unintentional lulls that might be scattered in this story. That's all I really have to say on this one, so as always, enjoy reading and please review with any feedback you have on this!
Disclaimer:
I don't own the ER characters contained within this story (including Dave *sniffle*) except for Michael Malucci and any other characters similar to him I use along the way.
Chapter One: After the roof
Dave slowly made his way back down to the ER. He knew that he was about to face a very pissed of Kerry Weaver. That was never an experience he looked forward to, but more so now. He cursed himself for once again, letting his anger get the better of him. He remembered what he had seen on The Chief's report on him.
"Dr Malucci is particularly sensitive with child abuse cases"
Dave approached the admit desk with a heavy heart, he was about to face the music, a prospect that he knew he wasn't going to enjoy. "Have you seen The Chief"? He asked Randi who was, as usual, lost in a fashion magazine. "She's in the lounge" Randi replied, not even looking up from her magazine.
"Thanks" Dave muttered with a touch of sarcasm to his voice. Taking a small gulp, he entered the lounge and sure enough, at the table, sat a very pissed off looking Kerry. "Malucci, I was beginning to wonder when you would grace us with your presence again" she spat sarcastically as Dave took a seat on the sofa.
"I'm sorry Chief" Dave replied quietly. After his little outburst on the roof with Luka, he wasn't sure whether he could control his emotions right now. "Sorry isn't going to cut it Dr Malucci. I've lost count of the amount of times that you've blown your top over these abuse cases. For some reason unbeknown to me you cannot seem to deal with them. As for your outburst in the trauma room I think the less mentioned about that the better"
"Yeah" Dave muttered, he wasn't sure of what to say. He'd never seen Kerry this angry before.
"I'm still considering how to deal with this incident. Suspension doesn't appear to work. The way I see it now, I can either consider a longer period of suspension to see if that works or a termination of your job here" Kerry replied.
"You mean..fire me"? Dave asked, looking at the older woman in shock.
"Yes" Kerry said simply. "Now what I suggest you do is go back to your work and keep your nose clean. I should have a decision for you by the end of your shift" She continued. She then turned back to her paperwork, indicating to Dave that their exchange was well and truly over.
Dave didn't need an invitation to leave. He pulled himself from the sofa and left the lounge. He couldn't believe what he had just been told. He was looking at the possible chance of losing his job over his earlier actions. Not that he could really blame Kerry, Dave was a self-confessed jerk at times. He sighed sadly and made his way back to the admit desk to find a new case. As he did so, he collided with Luka who was heading in the opposite direction. "Twice in the same day Dave" Luka smiled kindly.
"Yeah, one of these days I'm actually gonna look where I'm going" Dave joked although his heart wasn't really in it. "Are you alright Dave"? Luka asked, staring the junior resident directly in the eyes. "Yeah...I'm fine" Dave lied, flashing his trademark smile.
"Did you sort things out with Doctor Weaver"?
"She hasn't made a decision on what's she's going to do yet. Don't worry though, I'm sure whatever Festus has in store for me I'll handle" Dave said with a confidence he didn't really feel. "You can talk to me if you want Dave" Luka offered.
"It's ok Luka, like I said, I'll handle it" Dave repeated as he walked away.
The Croatian attending stared at Dave as he left. He couldn't ignore the fact that the junior resident was suffering. He cursed himself for not being able to see it before. Although he hadn't exactly been a great friend towards Dave in past, Luka made a promise to himself to befriend Dave. He sensed that Dave needed someone, and with his helpful nature, Luka decided he would be that someone.
*~*
"Have you talked to Dave since he flipped"? Carter asked Abby as he met her in the storage room. "No, I thought it would be best to leave him alone" Abby replied, rearranging the sets of scrubs.
"I'm beginning to wonder what his problem is, he's such a jerk to everyone here" Carter complained.
"I wouldn't be so hard on him Carter, you don't know what kind of past he might have had"
"No sort of past is an excuse for being a complete asshole Abby. Besides, it's not like he's the only one that's had it tough in his life" Carter spat.
"Yeah, you must've been heartbroken when your Faberge egg collection broke" Abby joked with a smirk.
"Ha ha" Carter said sarcastically. He usually hated jokes about his wealth, particularly from Dave, but in Abby's case he never seemed to mind. Carter returned the smile whilst thinking about how beautiful Abby actually was. Abby smirked again and left the storage room with her scrubs. "Hey Carter, you can blink now" She replied, laughing.
*~*
"Kerry I don't have time for your bullshit" Romano complained as he sped down the corridors of the O.R. He was well aware that Kerry was having trouble keeping up with him, but to him that made no different whatsoever. "Robert, you are the chief of staff and since I'm here to talk about a member of staff, make time"! Kerry replied angrily, hating the way this man always seemed to have his head up his own ass.
"Which member of staff in particular"? Romano demanded. He stopped dead and folded his arms across his chest. He was a very busy man and did not want to waste his time on Kerry Weaver's petty little troubles from the ER. "Dr Malucci"
"Malatucci? What's he done"?
"He's hit a patient, another abuse case" Kerry replied.
"I've heard this before Kerry and frankly I don't give a damn about Malatucci, you want to fire him, fire him, I'll leave it in your hands. Now if you don't mind, I have a very challenging heart operation to perform and it won't perform itself now will it"? Romano didn't wait for any response from Kerry; he simply turned on his heel and headed in the direction of O.R three.
Kerry sighed as she limped off back to the ER. She had a decision to make about Dr Malucci's future and she needed to be sure that it was the right one.
*~*
Luka pulled on his jacket and wrapped his scarf around his neck. For a moment he fingered the knitted material carefully. His beautiful wife, Daniela, had made that very scarf for him as a present. He still treasured it after all these years. Luka sighed, a small part of him wishing that he was back home in Croatia with his family before the terrible tragedy had ever happened. Luka pushed those thoughts out of his head, he was happy enough here in Chicago. The only thing he did miss was to feel close to someone. To have them lying in bed next to you knowing you can cuddle up to them and tell them you love them whenever you wanted to. So far all he'd had in Chicago was a couple of liaisons with strangers, neither of which went very far. Luka closed his locker just as Dave entered the lounge. "Hello again Dave" He greeted his co-worker warmly.
"Hey Luka" Dave replied, he sounded a bit distracted.
"Are you here to meet Kerry"? Luka asked.
"Yeah, she said she'd have a decision for me" Dave said, swallowing hard.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about Dave, you're a good doctor. County can't afford to lose you"
"Thanks for the support Luka. I really want to believe what you just said".
"I'm off now Dave, but I'll see you in morning" Luka replied with a smile.
"If I'm still here" Dave muttered under his breath.
"I hope you are" Luka said as left the lounge. Dave smiled a bit. Luka was a nice guy when you got to know him. The strong, silent foreign thing seemed to be a guise Luka had. Dave decided it might be quite nice to get know him better then maybe he'd have a friend here. That was something Dave was in need of, someone to call a friend. "Ah Dr Malucci I see you're early for once" Kerry stated as she entered the lounge.
"Yeah" Dave replied quietly.
"Have a seat" Kerry ordered, motioning to the table. Dave complied and Kerry took a seat opposite him. The older doctor removed her glasses and looked at Dave directly. Dave was filled with a sense of unease; this was it his career at County was over. "I've been considering what action to take all day" Kerry began flatly. "In usual circumstances I'd have you terminated from your job here but, luckily for you Dr Malucci we're currently short staffed. Bearing that in mind I am willing to give you one final chance. Understand that if any more incidents of this nature occur, you will be fired on the spot. Don't think you are getting away with this Dr Malucci, you will be docked twenty per cent of your wage this month, let that serve as your punishment for your actions" Kerry continued, meeting Dave's eyes with an even stare, looking for any hint of arrogance.
"I understand Chief, thanks for giving me another chance" Dave replied happily, flashing Dr Weaver his best smile. He wasn't too happy about the pay cut but at least he still had a job to come to. "Remember Dr Malucci, this is your final chance"
"Yes Chief"
"You may go now" Kerry said dismissing Dave with a wave of her hand. Dave didn't need telling twice. He left the lounge and as soon as he was out of Dr Weaver's range, he let out a whoop of joy and even did a little leap in the air, punching his fist above him. Dave grinned from ear to ear and picked up his next case, ignoring the weird looks that Randi and the rest of the admit desk were giving him.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
Notes:
I'm trying to go for a fairly long story here since all of my previous ER stories have been short, one chapter jobs. I also feel the need to warn you that although I do try to keep in the characters represented in the show, in previous works of mine I have tended to go a little out of character. I have tried to keep this occurrence down to a minimum but just beware of a few unintentional lulls that might be scattered in this story. That's all I really have to say on this one, so as always, enjoy reading and please review with any feedback you have on this!
Disclaimer:
I don't own the ER characters contained within this story (including Dave *sniffle*) except for Michael Malucci and any other characters similar to him I use along the way.
Chapter One: After the roof
Dave slowly made his way back down to the ER. He knew that he was about to face a very pissed of Kerry Weaver. That was never an experience he looked forward to, but more so now. He cursed himself for once again, letting his anger get the better of him. He remembered what he had seen on The Chief's report on him.
"Dr Malucci is particularly sensitive with child abuse cases"
Dave approached the admit desk with a heavy heart, he was about to face the music, a prospect that he knew he wasn't going to enjoy. "Have you seen The Chief"? He asked Randi who was, as usual, lost in a fashion magazine. "She's in the lounge" Randi replied, not even looking up from her magazine.
"Thanks" Dave muttered with a touch of sarcasm to his voice. Taking a small gulp, he entered the lounge and sure enough, at the table, sat a very pissed off looking Kerry. "Malucci, I was beginning to wonder when you would grace us with your presence again" she spat sarcastically as Dave took a seat on the sofa.
"I'm sorry Chief" Dave replied quietly. After his little outburst on the roof with Luka, he wasn't sure whether he could control his emotions right now. "Sorry isn't going to cut it Dr Malucci. I've lost count of the amount of times that you've blown your top over these abuse cases. For some reason unbeknown to me you cannot seem to deal with them. As for your outburst in the trauma room I think the less mentioned about that the better"
"Yeah" Dave muttered, he wasn't sure of what to say. He'd never seen Kerry this angry before.
"I'm still considering how to deal with this incident. Suspension doesn't appear to work. The way I see it now, I can either consider a longer period of suspension to see if that works or a termination of your job here" Kerry replied.
"You mean..fire me"? Dave asked, looking at the older woman in shock.
"Yes" Kerry said simply. "Now what I suggest you do is go back to your work and keep your nose clean. I should have a decision for you by the end of your shift" She continued. She then turned back to her paperwork, indicating to Dave that their exchange was well and truly over.
Dave didn't need an invitation to leave. He pulled himself from the sofa and left the lounge. He couldn't believe what he had just been told. He was looking at the possible chance of losing his job over his earlier actions. Not that he could really blame Kerry, Dave was a self-confessed jerk at times. He sighed sadly and made his way back to the admit desk to find a new case. As he did so, he collided with Luka who was heading in the opposite direction. "Twice in the same day Dave" Luka smiled kindly.
"Yeah, one of these days I'm actually gonna look where I'm going" Dave joked although his heart wasn't really in it. "Are you alright Dave"? Luka asked, staring the junior resident directly in the eyes. "Yeah...I'm fine" Dave lied, flashing his trademark smile.
"Did you sort things out with Doctor Weaver"?
"She hasn't made a decision on what's she's going to do yet. Don't worry though, I'm sure whatever Festus has in store for me I'll handle" Dave said with a confidence he didn't really feel. "You can talk to me if you want Dave" Luka offered.
"It's ok Luka, like I said, I'll handle it" Dave repeated as he walked away.
The Croatian attending stared at Dave as he left. He couldn't ignore the fact that the junior resident was suffering. He cursed himself for not being able to see it before. Although he hadn't exactly been a great friend towards Dave in past, Luka made a promise to himself to befriend Dave. He sensed that Dave needed someone, and with his helpful nature, Luka decided he would be that someone.
*~*
"Have you talked to Dave since he flipped"? Carter asked Abby as he met her in the storage room. "No, I thought it would be best to leave him alone" Abby replied, rearranging the sets of scrubs.
"I'm beginning to wonder what his problem is, he's such a jerk to everyone here" Carter complained.
"I wouldn't be so hard on him Carter, you don't know what kind of past he might have had"
"No sort of past is an excuse for being a complete asshole Abby. Besides, it's not like he's the only one that's had it tough in his life" Carter spat.
"Yeah, you must've been heartbroken when your Faberge egg collection broke" Abby joked with a smirk.
"Ha ha" Carter said sarcastically. He usually hated jokes about his wealth, particularly from Dave, but in Abby's case he never seemed to mind. Carter returned the smile whilst thinking about how beautiful Abby actually was. Abby smirked again and left the storage room with her scrubs. "Hey Carter, you can blink now" She replied, laughing.
*~*
"Kerry I don't have time for your bullshit" Romano complained as he sped down the corridors of the O.R. He was well aware that Kerry was having trouble keeping up with him, but to him that made no different whatsoever. "Robert, you are the chief of staff and since I'm here to talk about a member of staff, make time"! Kerry replied angrily, hating the way this man always seemed to have his head up his own ass.
"Which member of staff in particular"? Romano demanded. He stopped dead and folded his arms across his chest. He was a very busy man and did not want to waste his time on Kerry Weaver's petty little troubles from the ER. "Dr Malucci"
"Malatucci? What's he done"?
"He's hit a patient, another abuse case" Kerry replied.
"I've heard this before Kerry and frankly I don't give a damn about Malatucci, you want to fire him, fire him, I'll leave it in your hands. Now if you don't mind, I have a very challenging heart operation to perform and it won't perform itself now will it"? Romano didn't wait for any response from Kerry; he simply turned on his heel and headed in the direction of O.R three.
Kerry sighed as she limped off back to the ER. She had a decision to make about Dr Malucci's future and she needed to be sure that it was the right one.
*~*
Luka pulled on his jacket and wrapped his scarf around his neck. For a moment he fingered the knitted material carefully. His beautiful wife, Daniela, had made that very scarf for him as a present. He still treasured it after all these years. Luka sighed, a small part of him wishing that he was back home in Croatia with his family before the terrible tragedy had ever happened. Luka pushed those thoughts out of his head, he was happy enough here in Chicago. The only thing he did miss was to feel close to someone. To have them lying in bed next to you knowing you can cuddle up to them and tell them you love them whenever you wanted to. So far all he'd had in Chicago was a couple of liaisons with strangers, neither of which went very far. Luka closed his locker just as Dave entered the lounge. "Hello again Dave" He greeted his co-worker warmly.
"Hey Luka" Dave replied, he sounded a bit distracted.
"Are you here to meet Kerry"? Luka asked.
"Yeah, she said she'd have a decision for me" Dave said, swallowing hard.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about Dave, you're a good doctor. County can't afford to lose you"
"Thanks for the support Luka. I really want to believe what you just said".
"I'm off now Dave, but I'll see you in morning" Luka replied with a smile.
"If I'm still here" Dave muttered under his breath.
"I hope you are" Luka said as left the lounge. Dave smiled a bit. Luka was a nice guy when you got to know him. The strong, silent foreign thing seemed to be a guise Luka had. Dave decided it might be quite nice to get know him better then maybe he'd have a friend here. That was something Dave was in need of, someone to call a friend. "Ah Dr Malucci I see you're early for once" Kerry stated as she entered the lounge.
"Yeah" Dave replied quietly.
"Have a seat" Kerry ordered, motioning to the table. Dave complied and Kerry took a seat opposite him. The older doctor removed her glasses and looked at Dave directly. Dave was filled with a sense of unease; this was it his career at County was over. "I've been considering what action to take all day" Kerry began flatly. "In usual circumstances I'd have you terminated from your job here but, luckily for you Dr Malucci we're currently short staffed. Bearing that in mind I am willing to give you one final chance. Understand that if any more incidents of this nature occur, you will be fired on the spot. Don't think you are getting away with this Dr Malucci, you will be docked twenty per cent of your wage this month, let that serve as your punishment for your actions" Kerry continued, meeting Dave's eyes with an even stare, looking for any hint of arrogance.
"I understand Chief, thanks for giving me another chance" Dave replied happily, flashing Dr Weaver his best smile. He wasn't too happy about the pay cut but at least he still had a job to come to. "Remember Dr Malucci, this is your final chance"
"Yes Chief"
"You may go now" Kerry said dismissing Dave with a wave of her hand. Dave didn't need telling twice. He left the lounge and as soon as he was out of Dr Weaver's range, he let out a whoop of joy and even did a little leap in the air, punching his fist above him. Dave grinned from ear to ear and picked up his next case, ignoring the weird looks that Randi and the rest of the admit desk were giving him.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
