Chapter 27 "The forgotten pleasures in life."
*******
Dave.... I-" Kerry said, startled as she looked from Dave and back to Luka. "Dave, we-" She rung her hands, looking away from the man on the bed, when a noise filled the air, saving her from having to say anything further.
Luka swore, pulling off his pager and reading the numbers. "It's the ER, Kerry. We should go." He smiled sympathetically at Dave and shrugged. "I am so sorry Dave."
"Luka-" Before she could get another word out edgewise, her pager went off as well. "Ohh. For fuck's sake.." Kerry grumbled, ripping it from her belt and shutting it off.
"KERRY!" Luka murmured, surprised. Giving him a dirty look, she sighed, looking at the pager again, turning it back on, and clipping it to her blouse. It still vibrated slightly, ruffling the indian silk that hung on her frame like a pink dream.
"We should go now. It's good to see that you're well, Malucci. I'll bring up some of that Sailor Crunchy you like so much, okay?" He smiled, grasping Kerry's hand and heading for the door as their pagers went off again.
"That's Captain Cr-" Dave tried to explain, but the two of them were gone. Well great. All alone again. Alone with his thoughts, his dreams, his nightmares... He stared at the ceiling and suddenly wished for one of those hand-held pleasure wands, at least he'd be able to do something alone that didn't make him scream in fright. Except Cindy had taken the Pleasure Chest when she'd moved out.. He'd have to start his motor manually.. Finally, when all the nurses had disappeared down the corridors, he slipped his hands underneath the blankets and had the first true smile on his lips in months
***
"I assure you we'll do everything in our power to come to a reasonable sum for-" Romano sleazed, his hands clasped and a smarmy plastic smile plastered across his face.
"Shut up. Barb and I have talked.. It wasn't to your benefit to make us wait like that.. We talked during that little hour of reading old TIME magazines, we've decided to sue the hospital together on behalf of my husband and her daughter. You did this to Lucy and Paul, not us." Samantha Sobriki mumbled tearfully into a wad of kleenex as Barb Knight patted her kindly on the shoulder.
"I.." Romano stared at them. Before had been bad enough. At least before the hospital could have dissuaded one of them. Paying off one paltry sum was easier than paying double that.. He groaned softly. "I have a meeting to get to, ladies. So if you'll excuse me!" He leapt up from his desk, ushering the women out the door, slamming it, and his back coming to rest against the fogged glass. GOD. Things just kept getting worse didn't they?!
Shirley banged on his door slightly, causing the man to clutch his chest and gasp. "Dr.Romano? Your mother's on line two." Shit. Things DID keep getting worse! "She says she has some sort of boil that she wants her Dr. Bobby-wobby to check it out." She snickered, letting the door slide closed. Softly, Romano rapped the back of his head repeatedly on the glass. Today wasn't a good day.. It wasn't a good day at all.
"Abby? Where's my patient?" Luka demanded, hands on hips as he searched the exam room. "Mr.Feeney?" He squeaked nervously. The last time a patient hid.. Luka shuddered. Slowly he stooped to his hands and knees looking underneath the counter when Abby walked up behind
"He left an hour ago. Mr.Feeney said he wasn't going to be treated in a hospital where we let nutcases run loose and stab the doctors." Abby announced, plunking the chart down on the desk as Luka yelped, his head swinging up and smashing underneath the counter.
"Yeeeouch! For crying out loud. What do you mean he left? How did he find out?" Luka grumbled, rubbing his head and emerging from underneath.
Abby shrugged, looking outside the ambulance bay. "Maybe those guys tipped him off." She murmured looking out at the striking janitors.
"What do you mean? They're just striking custodians, Abby. What could they have to do with Sobriki?" Luka whined, gingerly touching the back of his head where a bump was forming, his fingers probing the soft flesh as he scowled.
"Maybe their signs and placards saying they're not mopping up anymore innocent blood. Or that guy handing out leaflets, or that guy selling pogo hotdogs and calling them Lucy-kabobs, or Medstudent on a Stick.. You know because Lucy was skewered..." Abby rambled on before Luka clocked her upside the head.
"Shut up already. I get it. Hey.. He's selling Croatian sausage with the works!!" Luka's demeanor improved slightly. "Alright! Lunch time!" He crowed, running out into the ambulance bay.
****
"Carter what are you doing with Malik's rollerblades?" Chen said accusingly as she watched him strap them on.
"I'm going rollerblading.. What does it look like!?" He shot back, his eyes narrowed. "Besides they're my rollerblades."
"You nearly broke your neck last time, John.." Deb 'Jing Mei' said worriedly as she watched him stand, steadying himself with the arm of the sofa.
Chuni popped her head into the lounge and looked at the two doctors. "We have a vic from a kitchen fire coming in, ETA two minutes, guys.. Carter.. Are you trying to break both legs this time?" She rolled her eyes and went back to the front desk.
Chen looked at Carter. "See? You can't even do it now.. We have a patient coming in, take them off I'll see you in the trauma." She stood, walking from the room. "Come on John.. Hurry up."
****
"Kitchen fire, she got trapped in the house when a pan of oil caught on fire. Unresponsive female, ID says she's Cindy Wakely, 32 years old. Shortness of breath, vital signs elevated, singed, sooty, erythematous airway, dry mouth, conjunctival injection." Doris yelled to Chen as they wheeled the gurney into trauma two.
"One.. Two.. Three.. Lift.. What do you mean she was trapped?" Chen barked as they moved the backboard onto the trauma gurney.
"The door to the kitchen was jammed, we found her collapsed against it. A neighbour came home and saw the flames and called it in." Shep replied, looking at his vic.
"Get a carbohemoglobin, arterial blood gas, EKG and a chest x-ray." Carter shouted as he jogged into the room, slipping his stethascope over his neck. "Holy crap.. Is that?!"
Chen shot him a dirty look. "It's about time you got here. What's that look for?!" She sighed watching the man gown up and sidle in beside the gurney.
"That's Dave's ex-girlfriend," Carter muttered angrily, getting back into the trauma. "What's her GCS? he shouted.
******
"Dr.Malucci? Doctor?? Are you okay?" The nurse pushed the cart into the room, locking it beside the bed as she watched the sleeping Dave. His hands still under the blankets causing a lump on the bed. Tina's complexion turning scarlet, she carefully shook his shoulder. "Dr.Malucci?"
"Wha?" He winced, his eyes squinting in the bright overhead light the nurse had turned on. Every inch of him ached. Every inch but... Dave's head cleared and he remembered where his hands were, his cheeks flushing as he wiped them on his gown under the blankets and folded them neatly on the covers. "Oh.. Hey.. Uh.."
She smiled. "It's time for your meds, Dr.Malucci." Tina said handing him the little plastic cup of pills and paper cup of water. "I trust you had a nice nap?"
Dave blushed.. "Yes.. I did. Thank you. Hey.. When I get out of here.. Did you want to go for a beer or something?"
Tina stared at the doctor, cocking a brow. "Dr.Malucci... I.." She busied herself, sorting the containers of pills and water, straightening each cup, lining them up on the tray.
"Call me Dave.. and say yes.. It's just a beer.. That's all I ask." Dave smiled expectantly. He knew he was ruined goods now. His skin wasn't smooth and unblemished now. It was covered in scars and stitches.. He wasn't the cute ass he once was. Now he had to rely on his charm and personality. He groaned softly. This was going to be a tough sell.
"Dave.. I don't think drinking while on your medications would be a very good idea anyway." Tina tutted disapprovingly. It wasn't that she didn't think he was cute. It wasn't that he was a patient now. It was just... She sighed. "A Pepsi and burger would be nice though. Once you've healed up. I don't want you endangering yourself over a little date." Taking the empty cups from him, she crushed them and deposited the waste into the can beside his bed. "Get some sleep now Dave." She said with a smile, leaving the room and closing his door.
"I.. I will.. Thank you.." Dave called back, staring at his hand. She'd caught him whacking off in his sleep and she'd still said yes. Maybe his friend, Joey was right. He'd survived an attempted murder, a psycho kid, AND the nurse said yes. Maybe he *was* born with a horseshoe up his ass!
****
"EKG shows sinus tach.. She's throwing PVCs, Dr. Carter." Haleh informed him as Wendy rushed in the room.
"Her labs are back Dr.Chen," She said, handing the doctor the films.
"The arterial blood gas shows Hypoxemia and the carboxyhemoglobin is elevated."
Carter groaned. "Start a litre of 02 by mask, page Dr. Weaver. I don't know if we should tell Dave or not."
Chuni grabbed him by the shoulder and waved her hand in front of his face. "DR.CARTER.. She's breaking down.. Her sats are falling.."
*****
"You do realize that it was just a kiss, Mark.. He kissed me. He was altered. He thought I was Cindy." Elizabeth pleaded, brushing her hand over his head, her fingers running through what was left of his hair. "Mark.. Please. Don't be so angry.. It happened so long ago, it wasn't my fault."
"Not your fault? Yeah, I bet you liked it though.. His full luscious Italian lips... All smooth and creamy and wonderful, tugging softly as you kissed back, his tongue finding his way into your mouth. " Mark muttered with a whine to his voice.
"Mark.. Have you been looking at Malucci's lips?" Elizabeth replied with a cocked brow. Things had gotten weird between them over the past month, whether it was just marital blues or hormones, she wasn't certain.
"NO! I mean. It's just, you probably liked kissing him more than you like kissing me.. That's all." Mark covered quickly, turning away from her in bed.
"Mark.. You're being silly. Of course I like kissing you!" She said with a laugh, tugging at him, pulling him into an embrace. "Come on Mark.. I love you. I do, please don't be upset.. I thought this was over with!"
Mark sighed pitifully. "I don't know Elizabeth, sometimes I just don't feel loved. That's all." He said morosely.
Elizabeth snorted. "Oh.. and let me guess, there are some times of the month that you don't feel daisy fresh, right?"
Mark sighed, grabbing his pillow. "I'm going to sleep on the couch." He muttered, stomping out of the room as Elizabeth called after him.
"No! Mark, wait! We can do each other's hair and nails!" She hooted, doubled over with laughter as Mark slammed the door.
******
"On a warm summer's evenin',
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler.
We were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness.
When boredom overtook us,
He began to speak.
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces.
Knowin' what the cards were.
By the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin',
I can see you're out of aces,
For a taste of your whiskey,
I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle,
and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette
And asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet,
And his faced lost all expression.
He said, "If You're gonna play the game, boy,
You gotta learn to play it right."
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done.
Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep."
And when he finished speakin',
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness,
The gambler he broke even.
And in his final words I found
An ace that I could keep.
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done.
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done."
Author's Note: Yeah.. Kenny Rogers.. I know.. But, my ex-roommate sings this everytime she gets plastered. It's her drinking song. So I have a soft spot for it...
The guy stumbled from the stage, his beer in hand, an arm flailing wildly as he struggled to keep his balance and foist the mic off onto the next sap. "I... I wuz goood!" He crowed, lifting his hands over his head. The bartender rolled his eyes. "That was Marvin Samson, singing, Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler'. Everyone give him a big hand, ladies and gents."
Mark sipped at his beer, looking sullen and depressed. "I don't know why you made me come here. I'm not in the mood, Elizabeth."
"Oh Mark.. You're never in the mood! Come on.. Let's go sing!" She said cheerily, trying to drag him to the stage. "Come on Mark." "Don't you remember? Last time we were here we got paged." He said matter-of-factly. "I don't want to tempt fate." Mark said, his arms crossed, leaning back in the chair and glaring at his wife. "I'm not going. You can't make me." He said sourly.
"Ohh Mark.. Don't be such a wet blanket!" Elizabeth rebutted happily, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to the mike. "It's not the same as last time. I mean our parents went to park the car and we haven't seen them since. Dave is fine.. Lucy can't get anymore dead than she already is. Things are okay, Mark."
"NO Elizabeth! I don't want to!" He whined, standing beside her, as she pulled herself up onto the stool. A protest of the whole affair. Boycotting fun, his arms crossed and an ugly scowl on his face.
Sighing heavily, Elizabeth began to sing, without the words coming across the screen. She smiled slightly, her lips parted as they almost touched the mic. Her long curls resting on her shoulders and gleaming in the lights. Taking a deep breath, she started to belt out the song.
"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad
Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows, the tune she hums
But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
(author's note: © 1971 Dick James Music Limited: Elton John's Tiny
Dancer. I'm addicted to the Almost Famous Soundtrack. G)
Mark sighed, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and giving her a long moist kiss. "You're a lot better looking than Elton, you know that?! I want you so bad.." He smiled, kissing her deeply, their tongues merging and thrusting as his hand slipped down her shirt, his fingers wrapping around her pert breasts as he massaged it gently, his other hand joining as they started to lift off her shirt.
"Oh for fuck's sake.. Get a room!" The bartender yelled, throwing a towel at them.
Elizabeth gathered up her bra, scurrying off-stage with Mark, giggling as they ran to the car, their clothes ending up in a heap on the floor of the backseat. Mark struggled over the front seat, and rifled through the glove box. "OH SHIT!"
She sighed, laying naked on the back-seat, her hands behind her head and staring at the upholstery lined ceiling. "Mark.. Get some pants on... Drive to the 24 hour apothecaries.. Get some con-domes.. NOW Mark.."
**
With the box of condoms on the floor of the car and Elizabeth carefully teasing Mark, her hands running over his chest, her fingers stroking and running softly over his coming erection. She watched as he unwrapped the rubber, slipping it carefully over the tip of his erect penis, rolling it down. Elizabeth smiled, kissing his navel softly as he guided himself in her and thrusted slightly to get 'parked.'
As the car started to rock violently, Elizabeth's screams of rapture as Mark pounded her into the calf leather seats, the squeaking of the springs sounding like that of mice being sat on, over and over and over again. Mark's nails dug into her shoulders as he grappled for leverage, grunting with joy as the sweat beaded on his brow, a silly grin on his face. "I love it when you sing Elton John." He moaned, kissing her lips.
She smiled. "So you don''t care about Malucci?" Elizabeth said with a moan as Mark started to jackhammer again, her thighs thrumming against the seat which had become hot and sticky.
"Does it look like it? I'm the one fucking you.. Not him. So no.. I don't give a shit about that guy.." He muttered, ducking his head to kiss her breasts, the peppered wetness running up her neck and along her shoulder. "I love you honey.."
Chapter 28- "Miss Misery"
"It's about taking a fall. To vanish into oblivion is easy to do. and I try to be, but you know me I come back when you want me to. Do you miss me? Miss Misery. Like you say you do?" Elliot Smith – Miss Misery.
************
Can't bounce back... People can recover... Recover from trauma. Recover from injuries. Can't recover from this. Can't bounce back from this. Not from this. This was beyond... Beyond any of their capabilities.
They'd tried their damndest. As they had explained to countless families, loved ones, parents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles... We used all of our capabilities, used all our resources available... But their injuries were too severe, we did all we could... But...
Can't bounce back from death. Death was permanent, didn't have a Band-Aid for death. Nothing to inject to make the brain matter keep ticking. Brain- dead was... Dead.
Carter stared at the body on the slab. How was he going to tell Dave? WHAT was he going to tell him? The chick was dead... Carefully he took her wrist in his fingers and then let it drop to the table. Dead. D-E-A-D. The wires, leads and tubes still sprang from her body as they had an hour ago. She was now the responsibility of the morgue... That is- if Eddie ever got his ass up here.
Dead. She was dead. Cindy was dead. Carter closed his eyes for a second. The purple-two headed monster popping in his head. "DE?" "AD?" "DE..." "...AD..." "DE...AD?" The monster smiled waving at Carter. "DEAD! Yaaaay! Dead! Dead! Dead! Eddie's here to take her to the morgue, Doctor Carter.."
John Carter blinked, ducking his head and rubbing his eyes. Slowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he looked at the nurse. "What?" He murmured tiredly. He was getting a fierce headache. He didn't need this shit right now. "What did you say?"
Lily smiled nervously, sort of a sad smile, one corner of her mouth turned up as if she didn't have the heart or energy to turn up both ends. "Transport's here... To take the body... I mean Ci-... To take Ms.Wakely... I mean..." She sighed. "Eddie's here..." Lily waved at the entrance to trauma 2. Eddie was standing there, leaning on the door frame, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Hey Hoss..." He muttered, chewing disinterestedly on a toothpick. "What we got? Another stiff. Big surprise." Eddie snorted as his own joke, walking to the gurney.
"Don't call me that..." Carter muttered, not looking at Lily, he stared at Eddie, his voice devoid of emotion. "Don't call me that. I don't like it. You know my name."
"Fine.." Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'll take the body now. DOCTOR Carter.." He snorted, grabbing the end of the bed roughly and pulled the sheet over top. "Prick... Malucci calls ya that... Prick... Thinkin' he's better than me..." Eddie grunted as he pushed Cindy out of the room.
"You watch what you say. Dave is a better man than you'll ever be." Carter grunted. "Get out of here... Careful with her... You be careful with her."
**********
Isabelle looked at David Greene and sighed. "Do you even think they know we're gone? I mean... We've been gone over almost two months. Almost two..." Grasping the dice in her hands, she shook them in her palm and blew on them. "Come on lucky seven!" She muttered.
"I don't know... Why should we care? I mean... Last we heard was that they'd be stuck in trauma... We might as well be stuck here... Right?" David muttered as the crowd that had gathered around the table, cheered.
"If you say so... I just find it a bit odd. Don't you?" Isabelle said with a worried grin. They were winning... They had enough to get to Hawaii. Get away and never come back. She passed him the dice. "Come on... I'm looking forward to grass skirts..."
"Grass skirts?!" David Greene shuddered. "You'd never catch me dead in one of those. Grass skirts... I don't damned well think so, woman!" He grunted, throwing the dice. "Don't worry about them not mentioning us... Who cares! If they haven't mentioned us, it's been good luck so far.. Put half on lucky number 6!"
******
"WHO'S YER DADDY!?" Elizabeth screamed as she was pinned up against the car door, her feet pressed up against the front seat and the car window. Mark had been fucking her silly for about an hour now and he grinned.
"David Greene!" Mark grunted, licking her neck, kissing her temples and working up a nice hickey. "Daddy David Greene, Biotch!"
****
"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!" David Greene yelled as the dealer took the lot. "For fuck's sake, Mark... This is coming out of your daughter's college fund, Mark!"
***
"But I'm yer Daddy now... I'm gonna spank you silly! Bad GIRL!" He panted, his teeth gleaming in the light that was shone through the window.
The rapping of a night stick on the fogged glass caused Elizabeth to flinch and smack her head on the ceiling. "BLOODY HELL!"
A sweaty palm streaked away the mist and Mark looked goggled eyed at the police officer. The man looked sternly at the two naked bodies in the car and made a twirling motion with his finger. Cop-sign language for "Roll down the fucking window you stupid kids..."
Mark threw a shirt at Elizabeth and draped his coat over his lap, causing it to tent. Reddening, he rolled down the window and smiled. "What seems to be the problem Ossifer?"
Constable Grant Hayward peered in the car. Ewwwwwwww old people having sex... ewwww. He was hoping for some cute Britney Spears type, some lesbian action.. Maybe a Dirk Diggler.. but... ew... The guy was gross... eww. Did he just call him Ossifer? How drunk was this old guy? Did he have a stroke while banging the old lady?
"Excuse me? Can I see some ID?" Hayward said, the words strangled with revulsion. Don't vomit. Do NOT vomit. "How... How much have you had to drink tonight sir?"
******
Dave lay in bed, his arms crossed over his chest, his hands cupped around the old Walkman.
"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be travelling on now. There's too many places I gotta see..."
A chest tube had been placed to drain the sudden accumulation of fluid in his lungs. Daily walks with the nurse around the hospital, kept his levels up, and the exercise helped. The walks always tired him out though, and he ended back in bed, shuddering and trying to stay as still as possible. Things ached and throbbed now... Body parts he didn't even know he owned had started to hurt...
Dave had returned to bed, exhausted and tucked in and helped by two nurses, Rhonda looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, hon.. I guess we overdid it today..."
He smiled tiredly, shaking his head. "It's okay... I'll... I'll just hang around here for now... Get some sleep..." Dave looked at the stack of journals sitting on the end of his bed that Kerry had brought by. "Catch up on my reading maybe."
Wanda handed him the Walkman, held in her hands like a small bird. "Well here's your tape player if you like... and we brought up a laptop.. You can check your e-mail or something..." She finished weakly. "There's some nice medical sites on there actually.. emergency medicine dot org is pretty good..." She said handing him the iBook, looking at her coworkers and leaving the room. "Get some sleep."
Dave stared at the iBook, pushing it aside for his Walkman. He'd check out the sites and journals later... Right now he just wanted to rest.
"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be travelling on now. There's too many places I gotta see..."
The Walkman on his bed had seen better days, played songs and albums from Malucci's short-lived phase with Marky Mark, to Guns and Roses. Lynyrd Skynyrd was in the old friend now and Dave slowly sang along, his voice raspy and soft.
"And if I stay here with you girl, things just wouldn't be the same. For I'm as free as a bird now
and this bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change
Lord knows I can't change..."
Some nurses had been hovering around his room earlier, staring at him, whispering, looking tearful and upset. He wasn't sure what it was all about, but life was funny that way. Things were funny that way. He knew it had to with him. Something had happened. Dave had asked Wanda what had happened, and she'd shaken her head, checking the drainage of the chest tube and redressing the wound to his stomach.
"Bye bye, it's been sweet love, though this feeling I can't change. Please don't take it so badly
Lord knows I must play. And if I stay here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. For I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. Lord knows I can't change...." Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird
*******
Luka drummed his hands to the beat, his lunch sitting in front of him on the picnic tables as his shaggy head swayed to the music coming from the boom box. A few young punks hung around in the park, clustered around the portable CD player, Guns and Roses spouting from the speakers. Thumping and booming as Axl screamed his bloody lungs out.
"Just a' urchin livin' under the street. I'm a hard case that's tough to beat. I'm your charity case, so buy me somethin' to eat. I'll pay you at another time. Take it to the end of the line. Ragz to richez or so they say. Ya gotta-keep pushin' for the fortune and fame. It's all a gamble. When it's just a game. Ya treat it like a capital crime. Everybody's doin' their time!"
Luka chuckled, throwing out his hot-dog into the garbage and walking to the teens. "I know this song!" He said with a smile, the boys looking at the doctor like he'd grown another head. "Oh really... Take 'er away then old man..."
He grinned, as his low-key voice started to wail, the birds fleeing from the tree tops as Luka started to squeal out the chorus.
"Take me down to the Paradise City. Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty! Take me home, yeah, yeahhhh."
The boys looked at each other, the guy looked like he was on crack anyway... Why not humour him... Turning it up, they nodded their heads to the beat. "Keep 'er up old man!"
Luka grinned, his teeth almost feral and gleaming as he hopped and danced around on the sidewalk, the music filling his head now like a cancer. "Strapped in the chair of the city's gas chamber! Why I'm here I can't quite remember. The surgeon general says it's hazardous to breathe. I'd have another cigarette but I can't see! Tell me who ya gonna believe?? Take me down to the paradise city. Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty! Take me home, yeah, yeahhhh."
Luka sat low on his haunches, eyeing the crowd that gathered as he wailed along with Axl, Kerry walking from the ambulance bay and watched as her Attending/Euro Love Monkey squealed and danced on the asphalt. She was caught between stopping him and taking in the sight as he continued to caterwaul. "So far away! So far awaaaaaay. So far awaaaay!! So far awaaaaaaaay! Captain America's been torn apart! Now he's a court jester with a broken heart. He said - Turn me around and take me back to the start. I must be losin' my mind - "Are you blind?" I've seen it all a million times!!"
Luka grinned, panting, leaning over, his hands on his knees as he grinned, looking up at Kerry. "Hey... G-good song..." He said with an exhausted smile.
"Guns and Roses fan are you, Kovac?" Kerry said with a slight smile. "I never pegged you for an Axl fan."
Luka chuckled. "You never pegged me.. I pegged you last night though... Several times actually..." He said with a sly grin, Kerry thumping him on the arm.
"Come on, you. There's a trauma coming in. MVA. Three car pile up. Jeep hit black ice and took out a pickup truck and a minivan." Kerry said as she walked back to the hospital. "Come on... They'll be here any minute."
****
Kerry and Luka jogged into the ER, the nurses tossing the trauma gowns, stepping up to the sink, scrubbing as they heard the ambulances pull up. The screaming that filled their ears was horrific, a mix of animalistic pain and drug filled hatred. The woman that had been driving, the girl who had caused the accident was higher than a fucking kite.
"GET OFF OF ME!! GET AWAY FROM ME!! ASSHOLES! GET AWAY!! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR FUCKING HELP! GET AWAY FROM ME!! G-GET AWAY.. IT HURTS.. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.. MY DAD DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FUCKING JEEP.. HE'S GONNA KILL ME!! HE'S GONNA KILL ME! YOU KNOW THAT?!" She struggled against the backboard, her arms and body slick with blood. Her head immobilized. "Let... Let me up..." She whimpered, struggling. "Please..."
Kerry stood looking at the woman. "We're just trying to help... If you calm down a bit... We can get you checked out..." She said sharply.
"I'm fine... I'm okay... I just need to go home... Before my Dad finds out.. Before he finds out I totaled his fucking car..." Her blonde hair was streaked with blood which was drying in sticky red tendrils. Her blue eyes were watering with tears as she struggled in the straps. "I... I'm always getting into shit.. You know that? He's not going to like this.. Not going to like it at all... He's gonna kill me this time... I know that."
"What kind of shit??" Kerry murmured, looking at the girl's arms, streaked with needle marks. She didn't need to roll up the pant legs to see the rest of them. She knew they were there. "Are you on any medications we should know about?"
"I... I'm on methadone... I.. I'm on it... Prescribed. C-clean otherwise..." She muttered softly. "I'm clean now... I... I'm on meds for my back. I broke it in the last car accident."
Kerry and Luka cocked a brow. "Last car accident?" Luka muttered, curious.
"Yeah... I... I was high... or drunk... Or something. I don't remember much. I don't remember much of that accident. They had to piece me back together... I broke my back... I was in a coma.. Been in a lot of accidents. L-lucky to be alive." The girl started to struggle again, pulling at the straps and slipping her arms free, trying to get the collar off. She started to whimper, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Just let me out. LET ME OUT!!! I'm fine. I wanna go home. I can go home if I want! I DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE!" She started to scream, pulling off the collar.
Kerry sighed. "No. You're right. You don't have to stay... But you could have some injuries to your neck. It's not advisable that you move around like this. You could have hurt yourself." The young woman continued to struggle and Weaver sighed. "MALIK! Get this woman some AMA papers! She's walking."
Kerry nodded to Reggie and the boys who were wandering out in the hall. "You're not our problem anymore, honey. You're theirs." Ripping her gloves off, she stomped out and shed her gown, throwing them in the biohazard bin. "Waste of fucking time and money.." She muttered angrily as she passed the Trauma One, the driver of the mini van coding.
"Asytole!" She heard Carter yell and the Chief sighed. God 2-County 0. The exam rooms were filled with the driver of the pickup who kept yelling that he was going to sue. Curtain Three was the pickup driver's daughter with a hand lac. Kerry sighed, muttering obscenities under her breath as she slammed into the lounge.
****
Walking to Dave's room, Chen sighed heavily. Why she had to be the one to tell him, she didn't know. She wasn't a huge fan of Dave's but to do this to a man already burdened with so many other things.. Kicking a man while he was down. It wasn't fair. The nurses watched as she continued down the hall, knowing her mission. Knowing that they'd have to pick up the pieces after Dr.Chen left. It had been busy today.. She reasoned. That's why Cindy lay in the morgue with nobody to care for her. It had been so busy.. That's why it had taken until now to finally work up the guts to tell Dave.
Dave's Walkman had been kindly replaced by a portable cassette player. Bought by the nurses from the gift shop. His tired old tapes playing in a shiny, new white GE boombox. The iBook sitting on his lap as he pecked away, checking out the sites that the nurses had recommended, finding them a little more interesting than the stack of journals Kerry had left. As he kicked some ass playing an online-shoot-em-kill-em-watch-their-head-explode with a plastic surgeon from Arkansas, Deb walked quietly into the room. "Hey Dave.." She murmured, walking to his bedside. Chen rubbed the back of her neck slightly and dropped her hands at her sides. "Dave.. We gotta talk." The cassette player piped out Guns and Roses, a gift from Luka a few hours ago. It was a strange gift, but something he readily accepted.
"She's got a smile that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories. Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky. Now and then when I see her face. She takes me away to that special place and if I stared too long. I'd probably break down and cry..." Chen sighed. "Dave. Can we turn that down... Or off or something?" She said hoarsely. It was bad enough having to break the news without this...
"Sweet child o' mine. Sweet love of mine... She's got eyes of the bluest skies. As if they thought of rain. I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain. Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place, where as a child I'd hide and pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by."
Dave looked at her, startled, a new pain clouding his eyes. This wasn't physical. The meds had taken care of that. Slowly, he ducked his head, tears flowing. His Adam's apple bounced as he fought off the anguished scream that threatened, the wail that would cause him to cry and not be able to stop. "What happened?" He said hoarsely, biting the inside of his cheek. His head numb. He'd heard the nurses whispering again, this time it was worse.. This time a name was mentioned, and he had a feeling that the news about Cindy wasn't good. "What happened to her?"
Deb sighed, pulling over the chair, and sitting beside him. She wanted to take his hand, pat it. Tell him things would be okay. But she was dead. "Cindy's dead, Dave. There-" She swallowed, her head swimming as she began to feel light headed. The damned music was still playing.
"Sweet child o' mine.. Sweet love of mine. Where do we go? Where do we go now? Where do we go?? Sweet child o' mine...."
"There was a fire... She was... She is... There was... We tried everything... She was unconscious when they brought her in. We gave her oxygen. We tried Dave.. She-she was gone. Too much smoke Dave... I-I'm sorry.." Chen winced as Dave turned away. It was like a slap. The poor man tossing in bed, staring blearily at the wall. "Dave... I'm sorry... The C- O2 levels... The carbon monoxide.. She didn't suffer."
"Go..." Dave said hoarsely.. "G-get out of here... Y-you. You liar.." He muttered, his voice thick. "LIAR!" He screamed, shuddering, the tears running hot and painful down his cheeks. "GET OUT!"
"Dave... I'm sorry." Chen said quietly, backing away.. Backing up to the doorway as the nurses rushed in. "I'm so sorry Dave.. We.. We did everything we could. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears glistened in her eyes. Glittering as the nurses brushed brusquely past her.
"It's time for you to leave, Dr.Chen." One of the nurses said rudely as they rushed to the man's bedside, his body shaking with painful sobs. "Dr.Chen. It's time to leave... We can handle this..."
Wanda sighed. "Page Dr.Corday.. We might have to sedate him.." She looked up at Chen and glared angrily. "LEAVE NOW!"
Swallowing, Chen turned, walking quietly from the room the ride on the elevator an uneventful one, brushing past her colleagues and out to the ambulance bay. Sitting herself down on a milk crate, she burst into tears.
*******
The 80s Muzak that was piped through the speakers at Chicago PD was starting to get on his nerves.
"How does it feel to treat me like you do? When you've your hands upon me and told me who you are. I thought I was mistaken. I thought I heard your words... Tell me, how do I feel?
Tell me now, How do I feel?!"
Mark sat in the police station, the top buttons of his shirt undone, the shirt slightly askew from his quick buttoning job in the back of the car. People in the chairs beside him stared, the hookers and pimps snickering, the addicts gawking blearily. He looked up from his shoe laces when a young woman in cuffs, bandaged and bloody was forced through the station, cursing a blue streak.
"MY DAD IS GONNA SUE YER ASSES! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG YOU FUCKERS.. YOU FUCKIN' PIGS!! PIGS!! YEAH FUCKING PIGS!!!" She screamed, struggling in the cuffs as Reggie pushed her down the hall.
"Quiet down would you?" He muttered, irritably.
"Those who came before me lived through their vocations. From the past until completion. They'll turn away no more and I still find it so hard to say what I need to say. But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me just how I should feel today."
Mark sighed, listening to the music mixed with the screams of the drunken addict.
"FUCKERS! I HIT BLACK ICE!! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!! ASSHOLES!!!" She screeched, as the cops slammed her into a cell.
"Shut up.. Please..." Reggie said quietly. His headache wasn't helping matters and her screaming wasn't helping it at all. "Your lawyer has been called.. It's up to you to phone your father.." He tossed her the receiver to the cordless. One phone call, kid.."
"I see a ship in the harbor. I can and shall obey. But if it wasn't for your misfortune. I'd be a heavenly person today and I thought I was mistaken and I thought I heard you speak...."
"I.. I can't tell my Dad.. If he finds out I totaled the car again.. He'll kill me.." She started to blubber, trembling, staring at the phone.
"You called your father's lawyer.. I'm sure he'll find out eventually." Reggie reasoned with her. "You may as well tell him yourself, kid. You want somethin' to eat? We have wonderful tunafish sandwiches." His voice kind and soft.
Mark heard Reggie murmuring to the girl. He wondered where Elizabeth was. She was supposed to be paying the ticket. Indecent exposure.. Exhibitionism.. Or something like that.. He didn't think "Fucking in the back of your station 'shaggin' wagon" was actually in the criminal code.
"Tell me how do I feel? Tell me now, how should I feel? Now I stand here waiting...
I thought I told you to leave me? While I walked down to the beach. Tell me how does it feel?
When your heart grows cold....."
Mark looked up, Elizabeth holding out her hand. Smiling gratefully, he took it. "All paid up?" He said with a bashful grin.
"Yes Mark. All paid up. Let's go do this at home where it's not illegal." She said calmly, shoving the paid ticket in her purse. She'd heard the screaming too. Poor kid. Elizabeth had the feeling that things weren't going to be all right for her.. At least they were getting out. The girl however, seemed to be more imprisoned by more than just cell bars.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*******
Dave.... I-" Kerry said, startled as she looked from Dave and back to Luka. "Dave, we-" She rung her hands, looking away from the man on the bed, when a noise filled the air, saving her from having to say anything further.
Luka swore, pulling off his pager and reading the numbers. "It's the ER, Kerry. We should go." He smiled sympathetically at Dave and shrugged. "I am so sorry Dave."
"Luka-" Before she could get another word out edgewise, her pager went off as well. "Ohh. For fuck's sake.." Kerry grumbled, ripping it from her belt and shutting it off.
"KERRY!" Luka murmured, surprised. Giving him a dirty look, she sighed, looking at the pager again, turning it back on, and clipping it to her blouse. It still vibrated slightly, ruffling the indian silk that hung on her frame like a pink dream.
"We should go now. It's good to see that you're well, Malucci. I'll bring up some of that Sailor Crunchy you like so much, okay?" He smiled, grasping Kerry's hand and heading for the door as their pagers went off again.
"That's Captain Cr-" Dave tried to explain, but the two of them were gone. Well great. All alone again. Alone with his thoughts, his dreams, his nightmares... He stared at the ceiling and suddenly wished for one of those hand-held pleasure wands, at least he'd be able to do something alone that didn't make him scream in fright. Except Cindy had taken the Pleasure Chest when she'd moved out.. He'd have to start his motor manually.. Finally, when all the nurses had disappeared down the corridors, he slipped his hands underneath the blankets and had the first true smile on his lips in months
***
"I assure you we'll do everything in our power to come to a reasonable sum for-" Romano sleazed, his hands clasped and a smarmy plastic smile plastered across his face.
"Shut up. Barb and I have talked.. It wasn't to your benefit to make us wait like that.. We talked during that little hour of reading old TIME magazines, we've decided to sue the hospital together on behalf of my husband and her daughter. You did this to Lucy and Paul, not us." Samantha Sobriki mumbled tearfully into a wad of kleenex as Barb Knight patted her kindly on the shoulder.
"I.." Romano stared at them. Before had been bad enough. At least before the hospital could have dissuaded one of them. Paying off one paltry sum was easier than paying double that.. He groaned softly. "I have a meeting to get to, ladies. So if you'll excuse me!" He leapt up from his desk, ushering the women out the door, slamming it, and his back coming to rest against the fogged glass. GOD. Things just kept getting worse didn't they?!
Shirley banged on his door slightly, causing the man to clutch his chest and gasp. "Dr.Romano? Your mother's on line two." Shit. Things DID keep getting worse! "She says she has some sort of boil that she wants her Dr. Bobby-wobby to check it out." She snickered, letting the door slide closed. Softly, Romano rapped the back of his head repeatedly on the glass. Today wasn't a good day.. It wasn't a good day at all.
"Abby? Where's my patient?" Luka demanded, hands on hips as he searched the exam room. "Mr.Feeney?" He squeaked nervously. The last time a patient hid.. Luka shuddered. Slowly he stooped to his hands and knees looking underneath the counter when Abby walked up behind
"He left an hour ago. Mr.Feeney said he wasn't going to be treated in a hospital where we let nutcases run loose and stab the doctors." Abby announced, plunking the chart down on the desk as Luka yelped, his head swinging up and smashing underneath the counter.
"Yeeeouch! For crying out loud. What do you mean he left? How did he find out?" Luka grumbled, rubbing his head and emerging from underneath.
Abby shrugged, looking outside the ambulance bay. "Maybe those guys tipped him off." She murmured looking out at the striking janitors.
"What do you mean? They're just striking custodians, Abby. What could they have to do with Sobriki?" Luka whined, gingerly touching the back of his head where a bump was forming, his fingers probing the soft flesh as he scowled.
"Maybe their signs and placards saying they're not mopping up anymore innocent blood. Or that guy handing out leaflets, or that guy selling pogo hotdogs and calling them Lucy-kabobs, or Medstudent on a Stick.. You know because Lucy was skewered..." Abby rambled on before Luka clocked her upside the head.
"Shut up already. I get it. Hey.. He's selling Croatian sausage with the works!!" Luka's demeanor improved slightly. "Alright! Lunch time!" He crowed, running out into the ambulance bay.
****
"Carter what are you doing with Malik's rollerblades?" Chen said accusingly as she watched him strap them on.
"I'm going rollerblading.. What does it look like!?" He shot back, his eyes narrowed. "Besides they're my rollerblades."
"You nearly broke your neck last time, John.." Deb 'Jing Mei' said worriedly as she watched him stand, steadying himself with the arm of the sofa.
Chuni popped her head into the lounge and looked at the two doctors. "We have a vic from a kitchen fire coming in, ETA two minutes, guys.. Carter.. Are you trying to break both legs this time?" She rolled her eyes and went back to the front desk.
Chen looked at Carter. "See? You can't even do it now.. We have a patient coming in, take them off I'll see you in the trauma." She stood, walking from the room. "Come on John.. Hurry up."
****
"Kitchen fire, she got trapped in the house when a pan of oil caught on fire. Unresponsive female, ID says she's Cindy Wakely, 32 years old. Shortness of breath, vital signs elevated, singed, sooty, erythematous airway, dry mouth, conjunctival injection." Doris yelled to Chen as they wheeled the gurney into trauma two.
"One.. Two.. Three.. Lift.. What do you mean she was trapped?" Chen barked as they moved the backboard onto the trauma gurney.
"The door to the kitchen was jammed, we found her collapsed against it. A neighbour came home and saw the flames and called it in." Shep replied, looking at his vic.
"Get a carbohemoglobin, arterial blood gas, EKG and a chest x-ray." Carter shouted as he jogged into the room, slipping his stethascope over his neck. "Holy crap.. Is that?!"
Chen shot him a dirty look. "It's about time you got here. What's that look for?!" She sighed watching the man gown up and sidle in beside the gurney.
"That's Dave's ex-girlfriend," Carter muttered angrily, getting back into the trauma. "What's her GCS? he shouted.
******
"Dr.Malucci? Doctor?? Are you okay?" The nurse pushed the cart into the room, locking it beside the bed as she watched the sleeping Dave. His hands still under the blankets causing a lump on the bed. Tina's complexion turning scarlet, she carefully shook his shoulder. "Dr.Malucci?"
"Wha?" He winced, his eyes squinting in the bright overhead light the nurse had turned on. Every inch of him ached. Every inch but... Dave's head cleared and he remembered where his hands were, his cheeks flushing as he wiped them on his gown under the blankets and folded them neatly on the covers. "Oh.. Hey.. Uh.."
She smiled. "It's time for your meds, Dr.Malucci." Tina said handing him the little plastic cup of pills and paper cup of water. "I trust you had a nice nap?"
Dave blushed.. "Yes.. I did. Thank you. Hey.. When I get out of here.. Did you want to go for a beer or something?"
Tina stared at the doctor, cocking a brow. "Dr.Malucci... I.." She busied herself, sorting the containers of pills and water, straightening each cup, lining them up on the tray.
"Call me Dave.. and say yes.. It's just a beer.. That's all I ask." Dave smiled expectantly. He knew he was ruined goods now. His skin wasn't smooth and unblemished now. It was covered in scars and stitches.. He wasn't the cute ass he once was. Now he had to rely on his charm and personality. He groaned softly. This was going to be a tough sell.
"Dave.. I don't think drinking while on your medications would be a very good idea anyway." Tina tutted disapprovingly. It wasn't that she didn't think he was cute. It wasn't that he was a patient now. It was just... She sighed. "A Pepsi and burger would be nice though. Once you've healed up. I don't want you endangering yourself over a little date." Taking the empty cups from him, she crushed them and deposited the waste into the can beside his bed. "Get some sleep now Dave." She said with a smile, leaving the room and closing his door.
"I.. I will.. Thank you.." Dave called back, staring at his hand. She'd caught him whacking off in his sleep and she'd still said yes. Maybe his friend, Joey was right. He'd survived an attempted murder, a psycho kid, AND the nurse said yes. Maybe he *was* born with a horseshoe up his ass!
****
"EKG shows sinus tach.. She's throwing PVCs, Dr. Carter." Haleh informed him as Wendy rushed in the room.
"Her labs are back Dr.Chen," She said, handing the doctor the films.
"The arterial blood gas shows Hypoxemia and the carboxyhemoglobin is elevated."
Carter groaned. "Start a litre of 02 by mask, page Dr. Weaver. I don't know if we should tell Dave or not."
Chuni grabbed him by the shoulder and waved her hand in front of his face. "DR.CARTER.. She's breaking down.. Her sats are falling.."
*****
"You do realize that it was just a kiss, Mark.. He kissed me. He was altered. He thought I was Cindy." Elizabeth pleaded, brushing her hand over his head, her fingers running through what was left of his hair. "Mark.. Please. Don't be so angry.. It happened so long ago, it wasn't my fault."
"Not your fault? Yeah, I bet you liked it though.. His full luscious Italian lips... All smooth and creamy and wonderful, tugging softly as you kissed back, his tongue finding his way into your mouth. " Mark muttered with a whine to his voice.
"Mark.. Have you been looking at Malucci's lips?" Elizabeth replied with a cocked brow. Things had gotten weird between them over the past month, whether it was just marital blues or hormones, she wasn't certain.
"NO! I mean. It's just, you probably liked kissing him more than you like kissing me.. That's all." Mark covered quickly, turning away from her in bed.
"Mark.. You're being silly. Of course I like kissing you!" She said with a laugh, tugging at him, pulling him into an embrace. "Come on Mark.. I love you. I do, please don't be upset.. I thought this was over with!"
Mark sighed pitifully. "I don't know Elizabeth, sometimes I just don't feel loved. That's all." He said morosely.
Elizabeth snorted. "Oh.. and let me guess, there are some times of the month that you don't feel daisy fresh, right?"
Mark sighed, grabbing his pillow. "I'm going to sleep on the couch." He muttered, stomping out of the room as Elizabeth called after him.
"No! Mark, wait! We can do each other's hair and nails!" She hooted, doubled over with laughter as Mark slammed the door.
******
"On a warm summer's evenin',
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler.
We were both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness.
When boredom overtook us,
He began to speak.
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces.
Knowin' what the cards were.
By the way they held their eyes.
So if you don't mind my sayin',
I can see you're out of aces,
For a taste of your whiskey,
I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle,
and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette
And asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet,
And his faced lost all expression.
He said, "If You're gonna play the game, boy,
You gotta learn to play it right."
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done.
Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep."
And when he finished speakin',
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded off to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness,
The gambler he broke even.
And in his final words I found
An ace that I could keep.
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done.
You've got to know
When to hold 'em,
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done."
Author's Note: Yeah.. Kenny Rogers.. I know.. But, my ex-roommate sings this everytime she gets plastered. It's her drinking song. So I have a soft spot for it...
The guy stumbled from the stage, his beer in hand, an arm flailing wildly as he struggled to keep his balance and foist the mic off onto the next sap. "I... I wuz goood!" He crowed, lifting his hands over his head. The bartender rolled his eyes. "That was Marvin Samson, singing, Kenny Rogers' 'The Gambler'. Everyone give him a big hand, ladies and gents."
Mark sipped at his beer, looking sullen and depressed. "I don't know why you made me come here. I'm not in the mood, Elizabeth."
"Oh Mark.. You're never in the mood! Come on.. Let's go sing!" She said cheerily, trying to drag him to the stage. "Come on Mark." "Don't you remember? Last time we were here we got paged." He said matter-of-factly. "I don't want to tempt fate." Mark said, his arms crossed, leaning back in the chair and glaring at his wife. "I'm not going. You can't make me." He said sourly.
"Ohh Mark.. Don't be such a wet blanket!" Elizabeth rebutted happily, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to the mike. "It's not the same as last time. I mean our parents went to park the car and we haven't seen them since. Dave is fine.. Lucy can't get anymore dead than she already is. Things are okay, Mark."
"NO Elizabeth! I don't want to!" He whined, standing beside her, as she pulled herself up onto the stool. A protest of the whole affair. Boycotting fun, his arms crossed and an ugly scowl on his face.
Sighing heavily, Elizabeth began to sing, without the words coming across the screen. She smiled slightly, her lips parted as they almost touched the mic. Her long curls resting on her shoulders and gleaming in the lights. Taking a deep breath, she started to belt out the song.
"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
Jesus freaks out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back she just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad
Piano man he makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on she sings the songs
The words she knows, the tune she hums
But oh how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
you had a busy day today
Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, seamstress for the band
Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand
(author's note: © 1971 Dick James Music Limited: Elton John's Tiny
Dancer. I'm addicted to the Almost Famous Soundtrack. G)
Mark sighed, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend and giving her a long moist kiss. "You're a lot better looking than Elton, you know that?! I want you so bad.." He smiled, kissing her deeply, their tongues merging and thrusting as his hand slipped down her shirt, his fingers wrapping around her pert breasts as he massaged it gently, his other hand joining as they started to lift off her shirt.
"Oh for fuck's sake.. Get a room!" The bartender yelled, throwing a towel at them.
Elizabeth gathered up her bra, scurrying off-stage with Mark, giggling as they ran to the car, their clothes ending up in a heap on the floor of the backseat. Mark struggled over the front seat, and rifled through the glove box. "OH SHIT!"
She sighed, laying naked on the back-seat, her hands behind her head and staring at the upholstery lined ceiling. "Mark.. Get some pants on... Drive to the 24 hour apothecaries.. Get some con-domes.. NOW Mark.."
**
With the box of condoms on the floor of the car and Elizabeth carefully teasing Mark, her hands running over his chest, her fingers stroking and running softly over his coming erection. She watched as he unwrapped the rubber, slipping it carefully over the tip of his erect penis, rolling it down. Elizabeth smiled, kissing his navel softly as he guided himself in her and thrusted slightly to get 'parked.'
As the car started to rock violently, Elizabeth's screams of rapture as Mark pounded her into the calf leather seats, the squeaking of the springs sounding like that of mice being sat on, over and over and over again. Mark's nails dug into her shoulders as he grappled for leverage, grunting with joy as the sweat beaded on his brow, a silly grin on his face. "I love it when you sing Elton John." He moaned, kissing her lips.
She smiled. "So you don''t care about Malucci?" Elizabeth said with a moan as Mark started to jackhammer again, her thighs thrumming against the seat which had become hot and sticky.
"Does it look like it? I'm the one fucking you.. Not him. So no.. I don't give a shit about that guy.." He muttered, ducking his head to kiss her breasts, the peppered wetness running up her neck and along her shoulder. "I love you honey.."
Chapter 28- "Miss Misery"
"It's about taking a fall. To vanish into oblivion is easy to do. and I try to be, but you know me I come back when you want me to. Do you miss me? Miss Misery. Like you say you do?" Elliot Smith – Miss Misery.
************
Can't bounce back... People can recover... Recover from trauma. Recover from injuries. Can't recover from this. Can't bounce back from this. Not from this. This was beyond... Beyond any of their capabilities.
They'd tried their damndest. As they had explained to countless families, loved ones, parents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles... We used all of our capabilities, used all our resources available... But their injuries were too severe, we did all we could... But...
Can't bounce back from death. Death was permanent, didn't have a Band-Aid for death. Nothing to inject to make the brain matter keep ticking. Brain- dead was... Dead.
Carter stared at the body on the slab. How was he going to tell Dave? WHAT was he going to tell him? The chick was dead... Carefully he took her wrist in his fingers and then let it drop to the table. Dead. D-E-A-D. The wires, leads and tubes still sprang from her body as they had an hour ago. She was now the responsibility of the morgue... That is- if Eddie ever got his ass up here.
Dead. She was dead. Cindy was dead. Carter closed his eyes for a second. The purple-two headed monster popping in his head. "DE?" "AD?" "DE..." "...AD..." "DE...AD?" The monster smiled waving at Carter. "DEAD! Yaaaay! Dead! Dead! Dead! Eddie's here to take her to the morgue, Doctor Carter.."
John Carter blinked, ducking his head and rubbing his eyes. Slowly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, he looked at the nurse. "What?" He murmured tiredly. He was getting a fierce headache. He didn't need this shit right now. "What did you say?"
Lily smiled nervously, sort of a sad smile, one corner of her mouth turned up as if she didn't have the heart or energy to turn up both ends. "Transport's here... To take the body... I mean Ci-... To take Ms.Wakely... I mean..." She sighed. "Eddie's here..." Lily waved at the entrance to trauma 2. Eddie was standing there, leaning on the door frame, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Hey Hoss..." He muttered, chewing disinterestedly on a toothpick. "What we got? Another stiff. Big surprise." Eddie snorted as his own joke, walking to the gurney.
"Don't call me that..." Carter muttered, not looking at Lily, he stared at Eddie, his voice devoid of emotion. "Don't call me that. I don't like it. You know my name."
"Fine.." Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'll take the body now. DOCTOR Carter.." He snorted, grabbing the end of the bed roughly and pulled the sheet over top. "Prick... Malucci calls ya that... Prick... Thinkin' he's better than me..." Eddie grunted as he pushed Cindy out of the room.
"You watch what you say. Dave is a better man than you'll ever be." Carter grunted. "Get out of here... Careful with her... You be careful with her."
**********
Isabelle looked at David Greene and sighed. "Do you even think they know we're gone? I mean... We've been gone over almost two months. Almost two..." Grasping the dice in her hands, she shook them in her palm and blew on them. "Come on lucky seven!" She muttered.
"I don't know... Why should we care? I mean... Last we heard was that they'd be stuck in trauma... We might as well be stuck here... Right?" David muttered as the crowd that had gathered around the table, cheered.
"If you say so... I just find it a bit odd. Don't you?" Isabelle said with a worried grin. They were winning... They had enough to get to Hawaii. Get away and never come back. She passed him the dice. "Come on... I'm looking forward to grass skirts..."
"Grass skirts?!" David Greene shuddered. "You'd never catch me dead in one of those. Grass skirts... I don't damned well think so, woman!" He grunted, throwing the dice. "Don't worry about them not mentioning us... Who cares! If they haven't mentioned us, it's been good luck so far.. Put half on lucky number 6!"
******
"WHO'S YER DADDY!?" Elizabeth screamed as she was pinned up against the car door, her feet pressed up against the front seat and the car window. Mark had been fucking her silly for about an hour now and he grinned.
"David Greene!" Mark grunted, licking her neck, kissing her temples and working up a nice hickey. "Daddy David Greene, Biotch!"
****
"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!" David Greene yelled as the dealer took the lot. "For fuck's sake, Mark... This is coming out of your daughter's college fund, Mark!"
***
"But I'm yer Daddy now... I'm gonna spank you silly! Bad GIRL!" He panted, his teeth gleaming in the light that was shone through the window.
The rapping of a night stick on the fogged glass caused Elizabeth to flinch and smack her head on the ceiling. "BLOODY HELL!"
A sweaty palm streaked away the mist and Mark looked goggled eyed at the police officer. The man looked sternly at the two naked bodies in the car and made a twirling motion with his finger. Cop-sign language for "Roll down the fucking window you stupid kids..."
Mark threw a shirt at Elizabeth and draped his coat over his lap, causing it to tent. Reddening, he rolled down the window and smiled. "What seems to be the problem Ossifer?"
Constable Grant Hayward peered in the car. Ewwwwwwww old people having sex... ewwww. He was hoping for some cute Britney Spears type, some lesbian action.. Maybe a Dirk Diggler.. but... ew... The guy was gross... eww. Did he just call him Ossifer? How drunk was this old guy? Did he have a stroke while banging the old lady?
"Excuse me? Can I see some ID?" Hayward said, the words strangled with revulsion. Don't vomit. Do NOT vomit. "How... How much have you had to drink tonight sir?"
******
Dave lay in bed, his arms crossed over his chest, his hands cupped around the old Walkman.
"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be travelling on now. There's too many places I gotta see..."
A chest tube had been placed to drain the sudden accumulation of fluid in his lungs. Daily walks with the nurse around the hospital, kept his levels up, and the exercise helped. The walks always tired him out though, and he ended back in bed, shuddering and trying to stay as still as possible. Things ached and throbbed now... Body parts he didn't even know he owned had started to hurt...
Dave had returned to bed, exhausted and tucked in and helped by two nurses, Rhonda looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, hon.. I guess we overdid it today..."
He smiled tiredly, shaking his head. "It's okay... I'll... I'll just hang around here for now... Get some sleep..." Dave looked at the stack of journals sitting on the end of his bed that Kerry had brought by. "Catch up on my reading maybe."
Wanda handed him the Walkman, held in her hands like a small bird. "Well here's your tape player if you like... and we brought up a laptop.. You can check your e-mail or something..." She finished weakly. "There's some nice medical sites on there actually.. emergency medicine dot org is pretty good..." She said handing him the iBook, looking at her coworkers and leaving the room. "Get some sleep."
Dave stared at the iBook, pushing it aside for his Walkman. He'd check out the sites and journals later... Right now he just wanted to rest.
"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be travelling on now. There's too many places I gotta see..."
The Walkman on his bed had seen better days, played songs and albums from Malucci's short-lived phase with Marky Mark, to Guns and Roses. Lynyrd Skynyrd was in the old friend now and Dave slowly sang along, his voice raspy and soft.
"And if I stay here with you girl, things just wouldn't be the same. For I'm as free as a bird now
and this bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change
Lord knows I can't change..."
Some nurses had been hovering around his room earlier, staring at him, whispering, looking tearful and upset. He wasn't sure what it was all about, but life was funny that way. Things were funny that way. He knew it had to with him. Something had happened. Dave had asked Wanda what had happened, and she'd shaken her head, checking the drainage of the chest tube and redressing the wound to his stomach.
"Bye bye, it's been sweet love, though this feeling I can't change. Please don't take it so badly
Lord knows I must play. And if I stay here with you girl, things just couldn't be the same. For I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. and the bird you cannot change. Lord knows I can't change...." Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird
*******
Luka drummed his hands to the beat, his lunch sitting in front of him on the picnic tables as his shaggy head swayed to the music coming from the boom box. A few young punks hung around in the park, clustered around the portable CD player, Guns and Roses spouting from the speakers. Thumping and booming as Axl screamed his bloody lungs out.
"Just a' urchin livin' under the street. I'm a hard case that's tough to beat. I'm your charity case, so buy me somethin' to eat. I'll pay you at another time. Take it to the end of the line. Ragz to richez or so they say. Ya gotta-keep pushin' for the fortune and fame. It's all a gamble. When it's just a game. Ya treat it like a capital crime. Everybody's doin' their time!"
Luka chuckled, throwing out his hot-dog into the garbage and walking to the teens. "I know this song!" He said with a smile, the boys looking at the doctor like he'd grown another head. "Oh really... Take 'er away then old man..."
He grinned, as his low-key voice started to wail, the birds fleeing from the tree tops as Luka started to squeal out the chorus.
"Take me down to the Paradise City. Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty! Take me home, yeah, yeahhhh."
The boys looked at each other, the guy looked like he was on crack anyway... Why not humour him... Turning it up, they nodded their heads to the beat. "Keep 'er up old man!"
Luka grinned, his teeth almost feral and gleaming as he hopped and danced around on the sidewalk, the music filling his head now like a cancer. "Strapped in the chair of the city's gas chamber! Why I'm here I can't quite remember. The surgeon general says it's hazardous to breathe. I'd have another cigarette but I can't see! Tell me who ya gonna believe?? Take me down to the paradise city. Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty! Take me home, yeah, yeahhhh."
Luka sat low on his haunches, eyeing the crowd that gathered as he wailed along with Axl, Kerry walking from the ambulance bay and watched as her Attending/Euro Love Monkey squealed and danced on the asphalt. She was caught between stopping him and taking in the sight as he continued to caterwaul. "So far away! So far awaaaaaay. So far awaaaay!! So far awaaaaaaaay! Captain America's been torn apart! Now he's a court jester with a broken heart. He said - Turn me around and take me back to the start. I must be losin' my mind - "Are you blind?" I've seen it all a million times!!"
Luka grinned, panting, leaning over, his hands on his knees as he grinned, looking up at Kerry. "Hey... G-good song..." He said with an exhausted smile.
"Guns and Roses fan are you, Kovac?" Kerry said with a slight smile. "I never pegged you for an Axl fan."
Luka chuckled. "You never pegged me.. I pegged you last night though... Several times actually..." He said with a sly grin, Kerry thumping him on the arm.
"Come on, you. There's a trauma coming in. MVA. Three car pile up. Jeep hit black ice and took out a pickup truck and a minivan." Kerry said as she walked back to the hospital. "Come on... They'll be here any minute."
****
Kerry and Luka jogged into the ER, the nurses tossing the trauma gowns, stepping up to the sink, scrubbing as they heard the ambulances pull up. The screaming that filled their ears was horrific, a mix of animalistic pain and drug filled hatred. The woman that had been driving, the girl who had caused the accident was higher than a fucking kite.
"GET OFF OF ME!! GET AWAY FROM ME!! ASSHOLES! GET AWAY!! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR FUCKING HELP! GET AWAY FROM ME!! G-GET AWAY.. IT HURTS.. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.. MY DAD DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FUCKING JEEP.. HE'S GONNA KILL ME!! HE'S GONNA KILL ME! YOU KNOW THAT?!" She struggled against the backboard, her arms and body slick with blood. Her head immobilized. "Let... Let me up..." She whimpered, struggling. "Please..."
Kerry stood looking at the woman. "We're just trying to help... If you calm down a bit... We can get you checked out..." She said sharply.
"I'm fine... I'm okay... I just need to go home... Before my Dad finds out.. Before he finds out I totaled his fucking car..." Her blonde hair was streaked with blood which was drying in sticky red tendrils. Her blue eyes were watering with tears as she struggled in the straps. "I... I'm always getting into shit.. You know that? He's not going to like this.. Not going to like it at all... He's gonna kill me this time... I know that."
"What kind of shit??" Kerry murmured, looking at the girl's arms, streaked with needle marks. She didn't need to roll up the pant legs to see the rest of them. She knew they were there. "Are you on any medications we should know about?"
"I... I'm on methadone... I.. I'm on it... Prescribed. C-clean otherwise..." She muttered softly. "I'm clean now... I... I'm on meds for my back. I broke it in the last car accident."
Kerry and Luka cocked a brow. "Last car accident?" Luka muttered, curious.
"Yeah... I... I was high... or drunk... Or something. I don't remember much. I don't remember much of that accident. They had to piece me back together... I broke my back... I was in a coma.. Been in a lot of accidents. L-lucky to be alive." The girl started to struggle again, pulling at the straps and slipping her arms free, trying to get the collar off. She started to whimper, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Just let me out. LET ME OUT!!! I'm fine. I wanna go home. I can go home if I want! I DON'T HAVE TO STAY HERE!" She started to scream, pulling off the collar.
Kerry sighed. "No. You're right. You don't have to stay... But you could have some injuries to your neck. It's not advisable that you move around like this. You could have hurt yourself." The young woman continued to struggle and Weaver sighed. "MALIK! Get this woman some AMA papers! She's walking."
Kerry nodded to Reggie and the boys who were wandering out in the hall. "You're not our problem anymore, honey. You're theirs." Ripping her gloves off, she stomped out and shed her gown, throwing them in the biohazard bin. "Waste of fucking time and money.." She muttered angrily as she passed the Trauma One, the driver of the mini van coding.
"Asytole!" She heard Carter yell and the Chief sighed. God 2-County 0. The exam rooms were filled with the driver of the pickup who kept yelling that he was going to sue. Curtain Three was the pickup driver's daughter with a hand lac. Kerry sighed, muttering obscenities under her breath as she slammed into the lounge.
****
Walking to Dave's room, Chen sighed heavily. Why she had to be the one to tell him, she didn't know. She wasn't a huge fan of Dave's but to do this to a man already burdened with so many other things.. Kicking a man while he was down. It wasn't fair. The nurses watched as she continued down the hall, knowing her mission. Knowing that they'd have to pick up the pieces after Dr.Chen left. It had been busy today.. She reasoned. That's why Cindy lay in the morgue with nobody to care for her. It had been so busy.. That's why it had taken until now to finally work up the guts to tell Dave.
Dave's Walkman had been kindly replaced by a portable cassette player. Bought by the nurses from the gift shop. His tired old tapes playing in a shiny, new white GE boombox. The iBook sitting on his lap as he pecked away, checking out the sites that the nurses had recommended, finding them a little more interesting than the stack of journals Kerry had left. As he kicked some ass playing an online-shoot-em-kill-em-watch-their-head-explode with a plastic surgeon from Arkansas, Deb walked quietly into the room. "Hey Dave.." She murmured, walking to his bedside. Chen rubbed the back of her neck slightly and dropped her hands at her sides. "Dave.. We gotta talk." The cassette player piped out Guns and Roses, a gift from Luka a few hours ago. It was a strange gift, but something he readily accepted.
"She's got a smile that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories. Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky. Now and then when I see her face. She takes me away to that special place and if I stared too long. I'd probably break down and cry..." Chen sighed. "Dave. Can we turn that down... Or off or something?" She said hoarsely. It was bad enough having to break the news without this...
"Sweet child o' mine. Sweet love of mine... She's got eyes of the bluest skies. As if they thought of rain. I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain. Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place, where as a child I'd hide and pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by."
Dave looked at her, startled, a new pain clouding his eyes. This wasn't physical. The meds had taken care of that. Slowly, he ducked his head, tears flowing. His Adam's apple bounced as he fought off the anguished scream that threatened, the wail that would cause him to cry and not be able to stop. "What happened?" He said hoarsely, biting the inside of his cheek. His head numb. He'd heard the nurses whispering again, this time it was worse.. This time a name was mentioned, and he had a feeling that the news about Cindy wasn't good. "What happened to her?"
Deb sighed, pulling over the chair, and sitting beside him. She wanted to take his hand, pat it. Tell him things would be okay. But she was dead. "Cindy's dead, Dave. There-" She swallowed, her head swimming as she began to feel light headed. The damned music was still playing.
"Sweet child o' mine.. Sweet love of mine. Where do we go? Where do we go now? Where do we go?? Sweet child o' mine...."
"There was a fire... She was... She is... There was... We tried everything... She was unconscious when they brought her in. We gave her oxygen. We tried Dave.. She-she was gone. Too much smoke Dave... I-I'm sorry.." Chen winced as Dave turned away. It was like a slap. The poor man tossing in bed, staring blearily at the wall. "Dave... I'm sorry... The C- O2 levels... The carbon monoxide.. She didn't suffer."
"Go..." Dave said hoarsely.. "G-get out of here... Y-you. You liar.." He muttered, his voice thick. "LIAR!" He screamed, shuddering, the tears running hot and painful down his cheeks. "GET OUT!"
"Dave... I'm sorry." Chen said quietly, backing away.. Backing up to the doorway as the nurses rushed in. "I'm so sorry Dave.. We.. We did everything we could. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears glistened in her eyes. Glittering as the nurses brushed brusquely past her.
"It's time for you to leave, Dr.Chen." One of the nurses said rudely as they rushed to the man's bedside, his body shaking with painful sobs. "Dr.Chen. It's time to leave... We can handle this..."
Wanda sighed. "Page Dr.Corday.. We might have to sedate him.." She looked up at Chen and glared angrily. "LEAVE NOW!"
Swallowing, Chen turned, walking quietly from the room the ride on the elevator an uneventful one, brushing past her colleagues and out to the ambulance bay. Sitting herself down on a milk crate, she burst into tears.
*******
The 80s Muzak that was piped through the speakers at Chicago PD was starting to get on his nerves.
"How does it feel to treat me like you do? When you've your hands upon me and told me who you are. I thought I was mistaken. I thought I heard your words... Tell me, how do I feel?
Tell me now, How do I feel?!"
Mark sat in the police station, the top buttons of his shirt undone, the shirt slightly askew from his quick buttoning job in the back of the car. People in the chairs beside him stared, the hookers and pimps snickering, the addicts gawking blearily. He looked up from his shoe laces when a young woman in cuffs, bandaged and bloody was forced through the station, cursing a blue streak.
"MY DAD IS GONNA SUE YER ASSES! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG YOU FUCKERS.. YOU FUCKIN' PIGS!! PIGS!! YEAH FUCKING PIGS!!!" She screamed, struggling in the cuffs as Reggie pushed her down the hall.
"Quiet down would you?" He muttered, irritably.
"Those who came before me lived through their vocations. From the past until completion. They'll turn away no more and I still find it so hard to say what I need to say. But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me just how I should feel today."
Mark sighed, listening to the music mixed with the screams of the drunken addict.
"FUCKERS! I HIT BLACK ICE!! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!! ASSHOLES!!!" She screeched, as the cops slammed her into a cell.
"Shut up.. Please..." Reggie said quietly. His headache wasn't helping matters and her screaming wasn't helping it at all. "Your lawyer has been called.. It's up to you to phone your father.." He tossed her the receiver to the cordless. One phone call, kid.."
"I see a ship in the harbor. I can and shall obey. But if it wasn't for your misfortune. I'd be a heavenly person today and I thought I was mistaken and I thought I heard you speak...."
"I.. I can't tell my Dad.. If he finds out I totaled the car again.. He'll kill me.." She started to blubber, trembling, staring at the phone.
"You called your father's lawyer.. I'm sure he'll find out eventually." Reggie reasoned with her. "You may as well tell him yourself, kid. You want somethin' to eat? We have wonderful tunafish sandwiches." His voice kind and soft.
Mark heard Reggie murmuring to the girl. He wondered where Elizabeth was. She was supposed to be paying the ticket. Indecent exposure.. Exhibitionism.. Or something like that.. He didn't think "Fucking in the back of your station 'shaggin' wagon" was actually in the criminal code.
"Tell me how do I feel? Tell me now, how should I feel? Now I stand here waiting...
I thought I told you to leave me? While I walked down to the beach. Tell me how does it feel?
When your heart grows cold....."
Mark looked up, Elizabeth holding out her hand. Smiling gratefully, he took it. "All paid up?" He said with a bashful grin.
"Yes Mark. All paid up. Let's go do this at home where it's not illegal." She said calmly, shoving the paid ticket in her purse. She'd heard the screaming too. Poor kid. Elizabeth had the feeling that things weren't going to be all right for her.. At least they were getting out. The girl however, seemed to be more imprisoned by more than just cell bars.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*